Chapter 271

And at that moment, all it took was a little wink from me, and Nathan was as obedient as he could be, totally like putty in my hands.

Just then, Melissa and Zachary showed up, and the flirty vibe in the room vanished. At the table, Melissa just let loose and went wild. She even started airing some of her and Zachary’s private couple talk right there.

Zachary, who seemed pretty tight with Nathan, grumbled, “Nathan, not gonna lie, I’ve been taking the kidney tonic for over a week now. I swear I’m healthy, but every morning I get up and my legs are still wobbly.”

My hand shook a little as I held my fork, and I shot a look at Melissa.

Melissa used to break out whenever she stayed up late, but at that moment, her skin was glowing and perfect. Clearly, having a man around had done wonders, and even her foundation went on smoothly.

Maybe having a guy really was the ultimate skincare hack for women, which beat any beauty product out there.

Lost in my own daydreams, I found myself locking eyes with Nathan. His gaze was unreadable, deep, and smoldering.

His look was so intense, and it felt like my heart might catch fire. Before I knew it, I dropped my eyes, but my cheeks were already burning red.

Melissa kept poking fun at Zachary. “I told you to go for a run this morning, but you just went straight for breakfast instead. No wonder you’re wiped out. Make sure you eat some extra beef later.”

Watching those two banter without a care in the world, I couldn’t help but think Melissa was one step away from walking down the aisle.

As the conversation kept rolling, it somehow shifted to the whole men versus women thing. It all kicked off when Zachary bragged that he didn’t smoke or drink, so he figured that made him a pretty decent guy.

Melissa shot back without missing a beat. “Honestly? The stuff that makes you guys ‘good men’ is just what any regular woman does every day.”

Zachary tried to argue his case. “Seriously? Go out and look around. Guys like me who don’t have any vices? We’re a dying breed.”

Melissa just rolled her eyes. “Yeah, sure. You men don’t smoke, don’t drink, don’t play games, and show a little responsibility, and suddenly you’re ‘exceptional.’ But for us women, that’s just the bare minimum.”

I looked at Melissa, totally impressed. Honestly, I had to give her a mental high five for that one.

Nathan nodded. “True that.”

Zachary’s face went bright red. Seeing Nathan side with Melissa, he just gave a thumbs-up. “Alright, you got me.”

Melissa shot me a wry look. “Victoria, seriously, being a woman is tough. We really gotta go all out loving ourselves.”

I nodded. “Yeah.”

Nathan sipped his coffee, glancing at me from time to time. I had no idea what was going through his mind, but that expression on his face just put me completely at ease.

Some guys are always trying to go head-to-head with women, desperate to show off and feel superior just because they’re men.

But Nathan gave me a sense of peaceful balance. Maybe real love starts with that healthy respect and recognition between two people.

They said flowers feared the end of spring, but if one became the spring itself, flowers would always bloom.

My feelings for Jared were like a wisdom tooth that kept flaring up. Pulling it out leaves an empty space, but that’s when true healing begins.

I didn’t care what people said behind my back. All I knew was that I was taking charge of my own life.

Zachary and I both skipped the drinks since we were driving, but Nathan and Melissa split a bottle of red wine. As we were leaving, Zachary hurried over and said, “Ms. Murphy, can you give Mr. Hallman a ride?”

I had to hold back a laugh. This was clearly a setup. “Sure, no problem,” I replied. Just then, Nathan walked over with a jacket draped over his arm. He said, “Sorry for the trouble.”

I smiled. “I don’t even know where you live, Mr. Hallman.”

Nathan grinned. “Just follow me. I’ll show you.”