The Returning EX (John and Sophia) novel Chapter 2135

Chapter 2135 The Awkwardness Under the Surface

Cindy wasn't sure if Gary was only putting up an act, but the more she pondered on this, the more exasperated she became. She was starting to think that she was overreacting and that she was the only one who was imagining the tension.

Perhaps Gary still thought that nothing had changed between them.

Presently, Gary drove over to the restaurant, and it was a wordless drive as Cindy mirrored his silence. She merely turned to gaze out the window the entire time. She had to admit that Gary drove much faster than Otis, whose speed was as mild as his manners. It was no surprise that they had lost him soon after they pulled away from the company building, and she couldn't even see his car in the side mirror now.

Gary did not immediately get down from the car when they rolled to a stop outside the restaurant. On the other hand, Cindy unfastened her seatbelt and opened the car door, only to find that it was still locked. She gave him a curious glance, though she was wary as to what he planned to do.

He had his hands on the wheel and his eyes fixed ahead, but he finally said in a warm and gentle tone, "You had a hard time falling asleep last night. What happened there?"

She blinked at him and answered matter-of-factly, "I was talking to Ian on the phone last night, and the more I talked to him, the less I felt like sleeping."

Gary unlocked the door a second later and unbuckled his seatbelt. Then, he got down from the car and said, "I must be out of my mind to have asked you that question."

"Huh?" Cindy did not understand what he meant by that.

Meanwhile, he walked into the restaurant as soon as he got down from the car. Cindy hurried after him, but just as she was about to step through the entrance, she hesitated and wondered if she should wait for Otis to arrive.

She didn't think the awkwardness between her and Gary, as proven by their somewhat haphazard exchange earlier, would get better after they were left alone in a private room. At the thought of this, she decided to stop in her tracks and waited in place for Otis.

However, she didn't expect Gary to stop and wait for her to catch up when he turned to see that she had not followed him into the restaurant. Since she did not want to keep him waiting, she took a deep breath and headed into the establishment reluctantly.

The waiter there must've recognized Gary as one of their regulars, for he led them into a private room that was made to accommodate four. It wasn't particularly large, but it was tastefully decorated.

Since it was a rectangular table meant for four patrons, the chairs were arranged so that two occupied either side of it. Cindy waited until Gary had taken his seat before she chose to sit across from him. Although he frowned at this, he didn't say a word.

The waiter handed them the menu and turned to pour them some tea.

Gary chivalrously slid the menu to Cindy, and while he was still wordless, he didn't look like he was holding a grudge against her.

Cindy flipped through the menu, but she did not order. "Let's wait for Mr. Kaufmann before we order."

When Gary did not respond, she took his silence for agreement.

When Gary did not respond, she took his silence for agreement.

To the side, the waiter knew that they were waiting for someone to join them, so he did not urge them to place their orders and merely poured glasses of water for them.

Otis was too slow for anyone's comfort, for it took him what felt like half a day to finally show up inside the private room. He grinned as he entered the room and said, "You drove so fast that you disappeared before I even started my car!"

Then, he glanced at their seating arrangement and chuckled. She pursed her lips and pretended as if she was oblivious, whereas Otis settled in the seat next to Gary's.

Now that everyone was present, the waiter was ready to take their orders. Cindy and Otis opted for two dishes each, and Gary was the last to order. When the waiter had left after taking their orders, Otis pointed out, "Do you guys always have meals together? Gary didn't order any of his favorite dishes." He glanced at Cindy meaningfully. "I'm guessing he ordered them for you."

Cindy blinked. She then looked over at Gary and said with a hint of a smile, "In that case, thank you, Mr. Frye."

Otis clicked his tongue and asked, "To be honest, I'd like to know what's the relationship between you two. Why is Cindy speaking to you so formally, Gary?" He looked at the man next to him and added, "I thought she was a relative of yours or something, but it looks like I might have been wrong."