After Victoria ducked back into her room, she covered her face, mortified. Her cheeks were blazing red, and even her ears felt like they were on fire. Just moments ago, she had felt something hard pressing against her lower abdomen while she was lying on top of Michael.
In the living room, Michael glanced down at the bulge in his pants, his face just as red with embarrassment.
Over an hour later, Victoria finally emerged from her room, now fully dressed. Victoria and Michael sat on the couch in the living room, both staring at the floor. The silence between them was thick, neither daring to break it.
After a few minutes, Victoria finally mumbled, "Weren't you supposed to be working late? Why'd you come back so suddenly? I thought there was a burglar."
"The company suddenly told us we didn't need to stay late, so I came back," Michael replied awkwardly. He couldn't bring himself to tell Victoria that he had rushed back after hearing from Joseph that she wanted to have a baby.
With that, they lapsed back into silence. After a while, Michael asked, "Have you had dinner? Are you hungry?"
Victoria was about to say she wasn't, but her stomach growled loudly. Michael seized the moment and said with a smile, "I know a great restaurant. Let me take you there."
Victoria didn't object and followed Michael downstairs to the restaurant he mentioned. The place was called ''The Rustic Plate,'' and Victoria had heard of it.
It was known as the most exclusive and famous restaurant in the city, with countless wealthy people struggling to get a reservation. To Victoria's surprise, Michael just mentioned his name, and the waiter led them to a private room and started serving dishes.
"This place is really hard to get into! How did you manage it?" Victoria asked, astonished.
A slight smile crept onto Michael's usually calm face. "My company's boss is good friends with the owner. So I can get a reservation more easily." But Michael didn't realize his words would lead Victoria to misunderstand again.
'What boss? It must be that rich woman of yours,' Victoria thought, rolling her eyes. Since she was already there, she decided to enjoy the legendary restaurant and not dwell on those annoying thoughts.
Soon, the waiter brought the dishes to the table. To Victoria's surprise, all the dishes were her favorites.
"This is so good! This shrimp is amazing. And this chicken leg, oh my god, it's delicious." Victoria was juggling a chicken leg in one hand and a big shrimp in the other, stuffing her mouth like she couldn't get enough.
Michael watched her eat with his mouth slightly open, looking surprised. "Why are you staring at me?" Victoria asked, feeling a bit choked, and quickly took a sip of water to wash down the food.
"Take your time, no one's gonna take it from you," Michael said, getting up to pour her another glass of water.
Victoria wiped her hands with a napkin and said, "You see, I really can't control myself when it comes to tasty food. I wanted to act all reserved, but since we're gonna be living together, it doesn't seem necessary."
"Stop looking at me and eat," Victoria said, ladling a bowl of soup for Michael.
Michael's eating manner was much more refined than Victoria's. He held the bowl in his left hand and the spoon in his right, taking spoonfuls of soup with a calm elegance. The rising steam added a touch of mystique to Michael's face.
Victoria felt like she was about to drool, so she quickly wiped her mouth with a napkin. Suddenly, Michael asked, "How many boyfriends have you had before? I heard from Grandpa that you haven't really dated anyone."
Victoria waved her hand dismissively. "Don't underestimate me. I've had enough ex-boyfriends to fill a chessboard!"
Michael frowned slightly and hesitated. "Two isn't that many."
"I meant the chess pieces!" Victoria said proudly. Michael stared at Victoria's face for a long time, finally confirming that she was just bragging.
Michael's gaze made Victoria's face feel hot. Victoria glared at him in embarrassment. "What about you? How many girlfriends have you had? Don't think I don't know you're still a virgin!"
Michael nodded with a hint of a smile. "You're right, that's a fact I won't deny. I'm much better than some people who brag."
Victoria was so annoyed by Michael's words that she decided to change the subject. "By the way, I got a notification from the Jones Group today. They want to do another interview. I'm planning to give it a try tomorrow. If I succeed, I'll have a job too, and maybe I can even support you!" Victoria said proudly.
A fleeting smile crossed Michael's lips but was gone before Victoria noticed. Michael crossed his arms and asked Victoria, "From the way you talk, it sounds like you have a great impression of the Jones Group. Do you really like this company?"