Curtis took a slice of beef and tried it himself. “That’s enough. Your stomach can’t handle anything too spicy.”
“Curtis, did you do it?” Rayna smacked him in the arm.
“How is it possible for me to counter Mr. Nicholson when Theodore is still unconscious?” Curtis smiled unaffectedly. “What goes around comes around. He’ll have to account for his sins eventually.”
His words echoed Rayna’s thoughts.
It would be implausible for Curtis to hurt Noel without Theodore’s connections, as the latter was still unconscious in Xyperia.
She became suspicious about what Curtis and Jefferson were up to when they were so busy that they never replied to her WhatsApp messages previously.
Rayna was jerked free from her musings when Curtis swatted her bottom.
“Why don’t you get the plates and cutlery ready for our meal?”
“You—” Rayna was so astonished that she felt like her bum was on fire. “Don’t be surprised when I sue you for sexual harassment!”
“Are you planning to sue the father of your children?” Curtis smirked.
Rayna cursed him under her breath and opened the cupboard to retrieve the plates and cutlery from the cabinet grudgingly.
Besides the roast beef, Curtis had also prepared a salad and lentil soup. It was a veritable feast.
The beef was roasted to perfection, and Rayna devoured all of it.
Curtis was very pleased with her appetite, and his lips curled into a smile. “Has my culinary skills improved?”
It was evident that his cooking had improved by leaps and bounds from the taste of the beef.
Nonetheless, Rayna had no desire to praise him and decided to nitpick instead. “Everything from the ingredients to seasoning was already laid out for you. You merely had to follow the steps given. Even a dog could do it!”
“I chose the cut of beef and marinated it myself.” Curtis corrected her. “Even the salad was made from scratch.”
“What?” Rayna was flabbergasted as she looked up at him. “No wonder it took you more than an hour to prepare it!”
Curtis served her a slice of roast. “I made sure to choose a rib-eye as it’s your favorite. How do you find it?”
“I thought it was—” Rayna’s voice was muffled as she chewed.
She had been in such a hurry to speak that she choked on her food.
Rayna downed half a glass of lemonade before Curtis could react.
He smoothed her back. “How are you feeling?”
“I’m fine.” Rayna pulled back from his proximity. “Let’s continue eating.”
Curtis went back to his seat after ensuring that Rayna was all right. Much to her astonishment, he finished the remaining lemonade in her glass before pouring himself another.
Her face flushed as she groused, “Can’t you drink from your own glass instead of mine?”
Curtis sat down and reached for a glass of watermelon juice. “This was supposed to be yours while the lemonade was mine.”
“No matter. This isn’t the first time this has happened to me. I’m already used to it,” Curtis continued.
Rayna recalled their second meeting. They’d been discussing business at a club when she’d accidentally drank his red wine. She immediately straightened herself to hide her growing embarrassment and patted her pregnant belly.
“Would you find fault with me for drinking your lemonade when I’m carrying your children?”
Curtis was tickled by her poor attempt at appearing indignant. “Whatever you say, Mrs. Faymon.”
Rayna rested her chin on an arm while she ate her tangerine. “Neither.”
“What else do you want then?”
“I don’t feel like eating anything at all!” Rayna scowled as she stared at her protruding belly. “I’ll become unhealthily overweight at this rate if I continue eating! Look how hideous I am now!”
“Don’t worry. We’ll grow chubby together and go on a diet to lose weight in the future.” Curtis stretched his hand to wipe the residue on the side of her lips. “Let’s have duck skewers then. We can explore the area afterward.”
Rayna perked up at that and eyed him dubiously. “You’re not pulling my leg, are you? Duck skewers? What about crayfish?”
Curtis considered for several moments before nodding. “Yes, but in moderation.”
“Let’s go, then!” Rayna sprung up from the couch as she urged Curtis, “There’s a popular stall in a night bazaar that has a really long waiting list for crayfish at around eight to nine at night.”
“All right.” Curtis set his phone to silent mode and retrieved a shawl from the clothing rack.
He did not wish to be disturbed by work-related matters.
They drove to the bazaar and reached there a little after eight. There were huge crowds in front of the stalls as it happened to be a Friday.
Curtis parked his car and held Rayna’s hand as they made their way to the bazaar.
He rarely frequented such places as his meals were usually either prepared by Gabriel or were eaten at fine-dining restaurants courtesy of the dinner parties he attended. Nonetheless, he didn’t mind accompanying Rayna and was at ease.
His tall stature and magnetic aura attracted the attention of many despite the fact he was dressed in casual clothes.
Rayna couldn’t care less about Curtis’ ability to turn heads and was fixated on looking for food to dispel her hunger.
She immediately pulled Curtis along with her once she caught sight of a vacant seat at one of the stalls.
“I’ll wait for you here while you buy the duck skewers.” Rayna excitedly flipped through the menu the moment she settled down at the table.
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