However, since they had sat down, Deanna and Lance felt it would be awkward to leave.
Soon, a restaurant staff member came over to take their order and proactively recommended some dishes.
"I think you two should try our weekly themed couple's set menu. It's great value, and the best part is that one of you eats for free because it's the restaurant's anniversary."
Before Deanna could say "No need," Lance interrupted her.
He took the menu, handed it back to the staff, and said charmingly, "We'll have the couple's set menu you just mentioned."
"Alright, please wait a moment."
The staff nodded and walked away.
Deanna watched him leave and found it amusing.
Clearly, she and Mr. Mercer were not a couple, yet they seemed to be doing all the things couples do.
In the past, she would never have imagined herself doing such things with someone else...
Thinking about it, Deanna felt a strange but not entirely unwelcome emotion.
What she didn't realize was that Julia, who was supposed to be missing, was sitting in a nearby booth with the two kids.
Due to the angle, Deanna hadn't noticed them.
Julia had been quietly following them with the kids.
Watching Deanna and Lance sitting face-to-face, talking and laughing, Julia thought they looked quite harmonious.
"Indeed, doing things couples do can really bring people closer. Look how well they're getting along now," Julia sighed.
The two kids nodded in agreement. "Yes, Mommy and Uncle look great together."
Chloe said, "I really hope Mommy and Uncle get married right here so I can call him Daddy."
She held her little face in her hands, looking at her mommy with hope, wishing Deanna would quickly win over Uncle Lance.
Because of this, the three of them started discussing when Deanna and Lance might get together.
Little did they know, Lance glanced subtly in their direction while talking to Deanna.
Clearly, he had noticed the little ones behind him and found it amusing.
Lance had already guessed Julia and the kids' intentions.
Strangely enough, he didn't mind dating or even falling in love with Deanna!
Thinking about this, Lance looked deeply at the woman across from him.
Deanna felt his gaze and touched her face, asking, "Mr. Mercer, what are you looking at? Is my makeup smudged?"
"No, your makeup is fine," Lance shook his head.
Just as he was about to come up with an excuse, the restaurant staff started serving their food.
Seeing this, Lance changed the subject. "Let's eat; it's been a long day. You must be hungry."
Deanna nodded and began eating. She was indeed hungry.
They ate their meal quietly but with a strange sense of warmth.
Later, when Lance went to pay the bill, the restaurant staff gave them a small gift.
It was a pair of crystal figurine keychains, very delicately made.
Finally, the staff offered their blessings. "Wishing you both a lifetime of happiness and deep love."
"Thank you," Lance replied cheerfully.
Deanna, on the other hand, felt a bit embarrassed and her cheeks flushed for some reason.
Especially when she saw Lance calmly accepting the blessings, her heart couldn't help but flutter.
She couldn't understand why Lance would respond when they weren't even a couple.
But she didn't ask. It didn't feel right to ask, and she feared she might be overthinking it.
After putting away the keychains, they left the restaurant.
Outside, Deanna felt the cool evening breeze calming her down and her face returning to its normal color.
Because of this, Lance didn't notice anything unusual about her.
"It's getting late. I'll take you home first."
"Okay," Deanna agreed.
When they arrived, she got out of the car and said goodbye to Lance before heading into her community.
At home, only her grandmother was there.
Old Ashley looked at Deanna coming home alone and asked curiously, "Why are you alone? Where are Julia, Gregory, and Chloe?"
"I don't know. I didn't see them."
Deanna shook her head and recounted the evening's events.
Old Ashley listened and a subtle smile appeared in her eyes.
Clearly, she had figured out that tonight's date between Deanna and Mr. Mercer was orchestrated by Julia and the kids.
Deanna didn't notice this. She told her grandmother to rest early and decided to wait for Julia and the kids herself.
She waited for over half an hour before they finally returned.
"You're finally back. I thought you weren't coming home tonight."
"Hehe, we lost track of time while playing," Julia said with a sheepish smile, trying to brush it off.
But Deanna wasn't buying it. She gave them a knowing look and said coolly, "Spill it. What exactly are you planning?"