Chapter 79 Chapter 79
The young waitress paused, looked up at Benjamin, and asked with a mixture of surprise, delight, and nervousness, "Mr. Norman, do you remember me?"
Benjamin, already tipsy, didn't respond. He leaned back and narrowed his eyes to study the person before him. Though she was dressed as a waitress, a closer look revealed a young girl with a small face and large eyes who appeared to be a high school student.
He chuckled softly and tapped her with his finger. "At the Economic Forum."
"That's right, at the Economic Forum! I ran over to ask for your autograph." The girl was both shocked and delighted. She nodded eagerly, her large eyes crinkling into crescent moons. "You have such a good memory! I didn't think you'd remember me."
Benjamin's mood seemed to lift considerably. "You never sent me that photo of us together."
"Oh, the photo..." The girl looked slightly embarrassed, with a hint of bashfulness in her smile. She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and explained, "I meant to send it to you, but when I got back, I realized I'd lost your business card. I didn't want to bother you again.”
Though Landon didn't know who the girl was, he could tell from her words that she and Benjamin had met before. He quickly chimed in with a smile, "What a coincidence! You two meeting here again—fate, pure and simple. Sit down and have a good chat.”
Benjamin didn't respond, but he didn't refuse either. The girl, however, looked troubled and hesitated. "But I'm on duty right now," she said.
Landon burst out laughing at this, and even Benjamin's lips twitched slightly. Still confused, the girl grew flustered by their laughter and looked utterly lost. Landon glanced at Benjamin and then asked the girl, smiling, "You're new here, right?"
"No," she shook her head earnestly. "I've been here for several days already."
This time, not only did Benjamin and Landon start laughing, but Zach and the others sitting farther away did too.
Landon stifled a chuckle. "Well, that's quite a long time! Your manager must not be doing their job right if you don't even know who Mr. Norman is. All right, enough chit-chat. What's your name?"
Wendy—Officer Meyer's daughter—just grinned and replied, "Sheryl. I'm Sheryl."
Landon casually pointed at a girl. "Go tell your manager that Sheryl's accompanying Mr. Norman tonight." After saying that, he motioned for Wendy to sit down, gave her a knowing wink, and added, "Sit down. Mr. Norman's in a bad mood today. If you can make him laugh, I'll have your manager give you a raise.”
Benjamin, who had been silent the whole time, glanced at Landon when he heard this and muttered under his breath, "Fuck you."
Wendy, however, looked at Landon and asked, "Really?"
Seeing that Benjamin wasn't truly angry, Landon ignored him and smiled as he teased Wendy, "It's true. More real than bills."
Wendy beamed and sat beside Benjamin. With the innocence and naïveté of a young girl, she said earnestly, "Mr. Norman, let me tell you a joke. I'm the best at telling jokes."
Landon nearly choked on his drink, and Benjamin chuckled. Seeing this, Landon naturally egged them on, grinning at Wendy. "How about this?" he suggested. "Let's play a game. You tell Mr. Norman a joke. If he laughs, he drinks a shot. If he doesn't laugh, you drink a shot. Deal?"
Wendy hesitated, turning to look at Benjamin.
Nothing soothes a man's heart quite like a young woman's admiration and affection.
Wanting to forget Grace, or perhaps deliberately indulging himself, Benjamin took a light sip of his drink. He smiled at Wendy. "Dare you play?"
Her eyes sparkled with excitement. Hearing this, she nodded vigorously and readily agreed. "Yes!" she said.
The others immediately gathered around, crowding Benjamin and Wendy into the center as they watched the two play the game.
This game held no suspense whatsoever. Though Benjamin couldn't control his emotions like Grace, he could still control whether or not to smile.
Wendy told several jokes in a row, but Benjamin's expression remained impassive; not even a hint of a smile appeared. According to the rules of the game, Wendy was penalized with several shots of alcohol.
Her already rosy cheeks grew redder, and her eyes misted over. She was clearly slurring her words, yet she kept trying to tell more unfunny jokes.
After many attempts, Benjamin finally gave a slight twitch of his lips.
Wendy reacted as if she had discovered something unbelievable. Pointing at him, she exclaimed, "You laughed! You laughed!"
Benjamin's smile broadened. Amidst the cheers, he picked up his glass and drank the entire contents in one gulp. Wendy, completely drunk, jumped up, clapping her hands and laughing. "I won! I won!"
Even Benjamin couldn't help but shake his head at her childlike innocence. In a rare moment of kindness, he turned to Landon and said, "Escort her out. Have someone keep an eye on her. Make sure nothing happens."
Landon chuckled, stood up, and personally escorted the tipsy Wendy outside. He called over Isabella, whispered instructions in her ear, handed her over, and then turned back to the private room.
Benjamin's companions had already dispersed. He sat alone on the sofa, leaning back with his fingers pressed against his temples, lost in thought.
“What's up, bro?” Landon approached, grinning. "Still thinking about Ms. Hill?"
Benjamin didn't respond. After a moment, he asked flatly, "How's the adjustment at the company?"
He had previously asked Landon to help out at the firm, but he hadn't checked in recently due to being busy. He'd only heard from Michael that Landon had joined Norman Building Engineering. Since sending him there, Landon had been placed in a vice president position.
Landon gave a slightly awkward smile. "It's okay. I don't have to make any decisions. I just follow along. You know, I didn't get much schooling. There's a lot I don't understand."
Benjamin's brow furrowed slightly. "If you don't understand, learn. Even those who went to school don't necessarily know everything."
Landon nodded quickly, then hesitated before adding, "Maybe I should just stick by your side. I can't handle big decisions, but I can run errands. I hate seeing people put on that fake respect. Who knows what they say about me behind my back? If I weren't worried about causing you trouble, I'd have punched them out long ago.”
Benjamin chuckled. “Then stay by my side.”
Landon beamed and repeatedly toasted Benjamin.
Benjamin was already slightly tipsy. After a few more cups, his head began to spin. Seeing that Landon was still eager to drink, Benjamin waved him off and instructed Michael, "Michael, get the car. We're heading back."
Landon grinned slyly. "Don't leave tonight. Stay over. Isabella has a gift waiting for you upstairs."
Without waiting for a response, Landon hoisted Benjamin off the couch and started pushing him toward the door. He paused only when Michael stepped forward to block them. Still smiling, he goaded Benjamin: "What's the point of going back? What's a grown man going back for? To see a woman's cold face?”
Even if he wanted to see it, he might not get the chance. Unless he called her, she would never reach out to him.
Benjamin gave a self-deprecating tug at the corner of his mouth and waved Michael away. He asked Landon, "What kind of gift did Isabella prepare for me?"
Landon smiled without answering, simply saying, "Why don't you go upstairs and open it yourself?"
Garman hotels had accommodations for guests, and Isabella had arranged the finest room available for Benjamin.
After showering in the luxurious presidential suite, Benjamin casually lifted the thin blanket on the bed. In the dim light of the wall lamp, he studied the sleeping girl.
She was young, not in stature but in the raw, unpolished innocence radiating from her core. She was a stark contrast to Grace.
Grace's curses echoed in his mind: "bastard," "scoundrel," "Asshole."
The words rang clear and loud, as if she were shouting them right into his ear.
Benjamin let out a faint, cold laugh. Casually letting go of the edge of the blanket, he moved to the other side of the bed and lay down. He pulled some of the thin blanket over himself, propped his head on his arm, and stared at the ceiling.
He wondered what new accusation Grace would make if he slept with this girl right now.