Chapter 12

Around noon, while David was swamped with work, he suddenly got a call from Helen. She said she wanted to discuss some business matters and casually mentioned bringing along a young female colleague. At first, David didn't quite catch her drift. But when he laid eyes on Emma's stunning face, and especially after seeing the look Helen sneaked at him—it all clicked. Most likely, during that executive dinner a while back, Helen had overheard that he hadn't dated anyone since his last breakup. So she probably figured she'd do him a favor. If someone else had pulled this kind of thing, David would've found an excuse to skip out without a second thought. But this was Helen, his dad's college buddy. With that kind of connection, David knew he had no choice but to sit through this session. Still, he hadn't expected that just one glance at Emma would make his heart race uncontrollably. Since he was a kid, he had always favored one type of girl: long straight hair, fair skin, and a pure, innocent look. Most of his exes could've passed for that template. But Emma? She wasn't just close—she checked every single one of those boxes. Today, she had on a light blue long dress. Her eyes were soft, skin porcelain-like, her figure graceful, and her shiny hair fell neatly behind her shoulders. She looked straight out of someone's daydream. Doing his best to keep his cool, David reached out and gently shook her soft hand, putting on a polite smile across his striking face. "Come on, grab a seat, both of you. We're not at the office—no need to be so stiff." Helen, seasoned from years in the business world, wasn't blind. She totally caught the way David was staring at Emma with that locked-on expression. She didn't need to guess—he was clearly into Emma. After a quick round of introductions, Emma let go of David's hand and sat back down. She glanced out the window, not saying a word. "David, weren't you really into coffee at one point? Help me pick something, will you?" Picking up on the brief awkward pause, Helen passed him the menu the barista had just dropped off. "Oh—yeah, sure." Snapping out of his thoughts, David looked up with a half-smile and took the menu. "This time of year, a pour-over hits just right. Let's start with the Ethiopian single origin—and maybe a couple of your house pastries to go with it." He skimmed through the menu briefly and handed it back to the waiter. "Got it, sir." Once the waiter left, Helen started talking to Emma about David's achievements over the years, listing everything in detail, down to the smallest award. Emma, sitting beside Helen, looked a bit lost—like sitting or leaving both felt awkward. The whole thing had her feeling pretty uncomfortable. I mean, who wouldn't be weirded out by hearing a stranger's life story the first time they met? And to be honest, Emma didn't seem too interested in hearing it anyway. Still, seeing Helen chatting away with such enthusiasm, Emma didn't have the heart to interrupt. She kept up a perfect polite smile and quietly stared at the cup in front of her, not saying a word. Helen mistook her silence for shyness. After thinking for a moment, she figured it was about time to give the two of them a bit of space. Glancing at her watch, Helen suddenly covered her mouth and let out a soft exclamation. "Oh no, it's almost seven! Emma, David, I'm so sorry, I've got something personal to deal with—supposed to be there by 7:30. Looks like I won't be staying for coffee with you guys after all." While saying that, she stood up, grabbed her purse, and got ready to go. "David, take good care of her, okay? And hey, this meal's on me—just put it on my tab later." With that, she waved to Emma, then gracefully left the private room. Emma, still sitting by the window, was caught completely off guard. Did Helen just ditch her with some guy she literally just met? Watching Helen's retreating figure, Emma couldn't help but roll her eyes internally. Seriously? This is straight-up a blind date move—bring the person, then dip like it's none of your business? David, on the other hand, let out a huge sigh of relief once Helen left. Honestly, at the rate she was going, Emma probably would've known his diaper brand as a baby before the evening ended. As Helen stepped out, a server arrived with a tray holding a pour-over set—two ceramic cups and a glass carafe of freshly brewed Ethiopian single origin. Alongside it, a wooden stand displayed a neat selection of house pastries. The glass carafe shimmered between them, and the two small ceramic cups gave off a gentle warmth. The air was filled with the scent of fresh-roasted coffee and butter. The pastries—petite tarts, flaky scones, and bite-sized cakes—looked like they belonged in a still-life painting. Emma, who had barely touched her lunch, didn't hesitate. She grabbed a fork and went straight for the raspberry tart. Watching her dig in, David smiled and broke the silence. "Ms. Grace, how do you like the coffee and pastries here?" "They're alright, I guess." After a couple pieces, Emma paused to answer his question. Honestly, growing up in the Grace family, she'd had the best of everything—there were like three or four pastry chefs in the house alone. But ever since moving into the Hunt household, she'd gotten used to cooking for herself—even ditched the chefs altogether. David nodded with a smile. He knew everyone had different tastes—and besides, he figured he had plenty of time to uncover all the layers to this woman in front of him. "I was thinking... maybe I could ask you out sometime?" He asked tentatively, eyes locked on her, clearly hoping for a positive reaction. "I appreciate the thought, but I don't think that's a good idea." Emma put down her fork, cutting the moment short with zero sugarcoating. "Ah... fair enough." David wasn't some green kid anymore. After nearly a decade in the corporate world, he knew better than to rush things. Going too fast would only make her pull away more. Plus, he knew himself well—confidence in both how he looked and who he was on the inside. And let's be honest, there weren't many guys his age out there who had made it where he had. So even though Emma had been distant from the start, David didn't feel discouraged. On the contrary, this only made him more determined to win her over.