Chapter 350

"All right! All confirmed," Lina Sweeney announced, stepping forward. "Are you Mr. Motley, Carl Motley? Hello, I'm Lina Sweeney."

"Hello," he replied, appraising her.

"Well I wanted to tell you that I" Lina began, intending to apologize for the blind date, which she'd agreed to only to appease her mother. She'd planned to treat him to dinner and become friends.

Before she could continue, he interrupted. "Why don't we take a walk? I saw a small park next to the supermarket. Why don't we go there?"

"Huh? The park?" Lina glanced at the darkening sky and checked the time. It was already past five o'clock, nearing dinnertime. "Don't you want to eat first?" she asked, concerned about the crowds and potential dinner rush.

Lina followed him to the park, where she was subjected to a rapid-fire interrogation. His questions were all-encompassing, ranging from her age, family, occupation, and education—including her university, high school, junior high, and even her primary school grades.

Lina sighed. "Do they ask that much on blind dates nowadays?"

"Have you ever been in a relationship, Miss Sweeney?" Carl Motley pressed.

"Well, excuse me, Mr. Motley, I"

Before she could respond, he continued, "I don't like my girlfriend to have had too many boyfriends before, Miss Sweeney. I also don't want her to have a lot of experience in that field, so I hope you can be honest with me. That way we can avoid any misunderstandings in the future."

Lina was dumbfounded. His directness was shocking, especially considering they'd just met. Even if she was unfamiliar with blind date etiquette, she knew this was inappropriate. What field was he referring to, anyway?

"Well I think we've got a bit of a misunderstanding here" Lina felt she could never have any feelings for this man. They clearly held different values.

Just then, a voice interrupted. "Well then, I'd like to hear what misunderstanding there is between you and this gentleman."

Lina shivered. It was Hadwin Stephenson! She whirled around, confirming her suspicion. His striking good looks—she was admittedly appearance-conscious—were unmistakable.

"Why why are you here?" Lina stammered.

"Did you choose to be here with another man because you thought I wouldn't be here?" Hadwin asked rhetorically.

Lina felt a metaphorical thunderbolt. She rarely went on blind dates, and the one time she did, she was caught by Hadwin Stephenson. Was this some cruel cosmic joke?