Vespera set her bag down by the door, then headed back home in Drymindr’s car. She had to pick him up tomorrow anyway. She vented her frustration by driving at lightning speed to her neighborhood; just because he helped Domine, Vespera kept glaring at him. Pemilule stepped out of the car with Vespera; they walked to the elevator together, Pemilule trailing behind.
“Do you want to come up for dinner? Raymond made plenty of good food,” he offered.
“No, thank you. I have some laundry to do,” she politely declined, pressing the button for her floor. Ever since last night, the mention of food unsettled her. It felt like he was using it as a code word. Even if he wasn’t, something about it didn’t feel right. She vowed not to accept any food, barring fried fish, because food might be associated with “prison.”
“Really? You’re not coming? Raymond made a seafood platter, the eggplant ravioli you loved,” he pressed.
She doubled down and refused again. “Nope! I’m really not coming. I need to get the laundry done today!” she said firmly. She was determined not to give in to good food or good company. His eyes flickered, but he didn’t insist.
“It sounds like doing laundry is really important to you.”
The elevator opened, and she stepped out. He didn’t follow her this time. If he had, after she flat-out rejected him, it would have made him seem like a creep.
The cool liquid helped to ease the heat that lingered within her. When she got home, she tossed her suitcase into a corner and grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge. She downed half of it in one gulp to combat the residual heat. Because her apartment was unbearably hot, she opened the balcony door and sat on a patio chair. As she enjoyed the breeze, she remembered the cold look in his eyes when she got out of the elevator. Was she burning bridges again? He'd done her a huge favor, and she still hadn’t thanked him properly. Last night, she was the one who took advantage of him under the influence of alcohol. Now, she was acting like she didn’t want to take responsibility. She racked her brain but couldn’t think of a good solution.
By then, Dominic had made his way home. When Raymond saw Jam come in alone, he couldn’t help but look behind him.
“Stop looking. She’s not here,” Dominic said flatly, then walked to his bedroom. Raymond followed. “Is Vespera too tired?”
“She said she needed to do laundry.”
Raymond nodded with understanding. “That’s normal. You know women like to keep themselves clean. Doing laundry is pretty important. Don’t worry. I’ll wait for her. Let me send her a text,”
Dominic didn’t reply and entered his bedroom. Raymond bounced around the dining area, took pictures of the food spread, and sent them to Vespera. Then, he sent her a voice message. “Vespera, I made too much food, and Mr. Reid can’t finish it all by himself. Come up after you’re done with laundry. We’ll wait for you!” Vespera saw the message and felt even more conflicted. It wouldn’t look good if she turned him down twice. Even if Dominic wasn’t expecting a thank you, it would make her seem ungrateful. Then, another voice message from Raymond came in:
“I’m sure you’re really tired after coming back and don’t feel like moving. I’ll pack some into containers and bring it over.”
Now she really couldn’t refuse it.
“That’s too much trouble. I’ll come up,” she replied. She decided to go up and have a meal. Then, thank Dominic, and address the mistake she made the previous night. There was no need to drag it out, as it would only make things worse. A proper thank you had to be delivered. As for what happened that night, she figured it was better to bring it up herself than wait for him to do it. At least, she could gain the upper hand. After thinking it through, that was her goal for the night. She stood up nervously, her heart racing, before heading upstairs. She went into her study, picked out a vintage vase from her collection, and carefully placed it in a gift box. She couldn't thank him without bringing something.
Dominic came out of his room, fresh from the shower, dressed in lounge clothes. He saw Vespera sitting in the dining area with an extremely pleasant smile. His gaze fell on the large gift bag on the table.