Chapter 39

The phone rang. Roxanne saw it was Bruce and answered. "Hello!" she said, clearing her throat.

"Hello, Roxy!"

"Yes, Bruce?"

He paused, then asked in a deep voice, "Are you free tonight?"

Roxanne's heart leaped. Bruce hadn't asked her out in a long time. "Yes, I am!"

"Let's have dinner!"

"Great! What time?"

"I'll pick you up at eight. We're going to the Blueiva Diner. Dress up."

"Sure. See you tonight!"

"See you!"

Roxanne hung up and jumped for joy. Ingrid returned and, seeing her daughter's elation, sneered. "Why so happy?" she asked.

"Mom, Bruce asked me to dinner at the Blueiva Diner! Come help me pick a dress!"

"Well, it's all thanks to me," Ingrid hummed. "I can only help you so far; the rest is up to you!"

Roxanne was shocked. "Mom, did you visit Bruce?"

"So what if I did?"

"Mom, you're so annoying! I told you not to interfere! Stay out of our business!"

"How could I leave you alone? You can't handle things yourselves. You almost broke up! If I hadn't intervened, some other girl would have stolen Bruce." Roxanne's excitement vanished.

It looks like Bruce didn't ask me out because he misses me, she thought.

"That's enough," Ingrid said. "Hurry and get dressed. Have a good time! Loosen up a bit." She considered her daughter good and shy, unaware that Roxanne actually enjoyed herself with men.

"All right."

Roxanne wouldn't stand Bruce up, so she started choosing an outfit. However, even after rummaging through her full closet, they couldn't find the right dress. The colors were wrong, or the styles didn't suit her.

"Mom, these clothes are so out of fashion!"

"Well, I told you to go shopping, but you wouldn't listen! Now you're worried, aren't you? I told you, clothes and bags are a woman's weapons. You need to always look your best. How can we make our enemies surrender if we're not well-equipped?"

Roxanne rolled her eyes, ignoring Ingrid's lecture. They were from different eras; Ingrid's advice wasn't applicable to her.

"Just wear the white one! It's flattering."

Roxanne showered, styled her hair, and applied makeup, spending the entire evening getting ready. Looking at her reflection, she beamed.

I'll drag Bruce to bed tonight, she vowed secretly. She was no longer a virgin, and Bruce would find out if they slept together. She had a plan: a contraceptive pill. She'd take it before anything happened, to make herself feel like a young girl again.

At eight o'clock, a Maybach pulled up outside the Haynes residence. Bruce arrived to pick up Roxanne. She wore a white dress and silk shawl, her face beautifully made up.

The Blueiva Diner was Greyport's most exclusive restaurant, enforcing a strict dress code. Everyone dressed to impress.

"You're here, Bruce!"

"Get in the car!"

"All right!"

Roxanne entered, looking delightful. Bruce glanced at her. "You look gorgeous," he said casually.

"Well, I don't usually look this good!"

He handed her flowers and kissed her forehead. "Thank you!"

Bruce smiled and started the engine. Two cars followed—his bodyguard and chauffeur. He didn't need to drive, but sometimes enjoyed it.

They soon reached the Blueiva Diner.

"Welcome"

The clientele was wealthy and elite, including many celebrities. Photography was prohibited to maintain privacy.

"Wow, it's Mr. Everett!" someone whispered. "It seems like an engagement is on the way."

The upper-class circle was small; everyone knew everyone else. Roxanne enjoyed the admiring glances as she walked beside Bruce.

"What would you like?"

"A steak, please."

"And some red wine, Bruce!"

"No problem." He had a chauffeur, so drinking wasn't an issue.

"Okay."

Just then, Joanna and Jaydon entered. They saw Bruce and Roxanne. Joanna hesitated.

"Jay, let's go somewhere else."

"What are you scared of? We're here for dinner. We don't need to say hello!"

(The final "Send Gift" and repeated website promotion have been removed as they were irrelevant to the story's narrative.)