A Love Rekindled (Nancy and Bruce) novel Chapter 11

The shopping mall I was in was four subway stops away from the studio.

If I hadn't overheard Cindy mentioning a dinner date earlier, I would have suspected that she and Bruce had surveilled me.

But since we crossed paths, I had to go ahead and greet them.

Cindy glanced at the camera bag in my hands and asked, "Nance, are you into photography too?" I replied gently, "I was just browsing."

"Well, that's a coincidence." Cindy gave Bruce a knowing look, then turned to me and said, "I was just worrying about making the wrong choice. Nance, could you help me decide?"

She pointed to a camera on the premium display. The price of this particular camera boasted five digits, which was almost equivalent to two months of Cindy's salary.

She could speak so casually, presumably because Bruce would foot the bill.

"Sorry, I haven't had lunch yet." I declined her request and said, "You can consult the sales assistant as they are more knowledgeable than I am."

Cindy's smile froze momentarily, but she quickly said, "Sorry, I didn't think it through."

Then, I smiled and stepped into the crowd.

I had bought the gift, but giving it to Douglas was still a problem.

I couldn't just appear at the birthday party without a word. That said, it's not like I haven't done such foolish things before.

It was Bruce's first birthday after he took the initiative to hold my hand. He subtly asked me to leave first in front of everyone, which wasn't a pleasant memory.

My thoughts were then interrupted by a message notification. As if on cue, I received an invitation from Douglas. The message read, "Will you be free tomorrow night?"

I wasn't particularly keen on attending the birthday party, but giving him the gift without being there would be impolite. So, I asked, "Who else is coming?"

"Just a few friends, you know them all." He didn't mention the birthday celebration, as he probably wanted to save me from expenses.

After a moment of hesitation, I replied, "Send me the address."

Coincidentally, he sent me the address to Rico Restaurant, where Kate invited me last time.

Frankly speaking, the chef there was skilled, so I was looking forward to it.

…

The next day came quickly. After finishing my work, I began to tidy up my desk.

Seeing this, David teased, "Nancy, don't be in a hurry. Douglas won't blow out the candles if you're not there."

While I was about to respond that I needed to catch the train, Cindy's office door opened suddenly. She looked at me curiously and asked, "Nance, do you have plans tonight?"

I responded briefly and heard David say, "Let's go, Nancy. Douglas informed me to ensure you arrive at the restaurant safely and accurately."

As a tech geek, David had a surprisingly sharp tongue.

The car sped all the way and finally arrived at the location at 7:30 pm.

There weren't many people inside. Aside from Douglas, there were two former classmates, Lilian and another guy who seemed familiar. All of us were peers.

Seeing David and I, Douglas immediately came over and said, "You must be hungry. I'll have the kitchen prepare the dishes."

David jokingly said, "Don't be in such a hurry. Our Nance here even brought you a gift."

Douglas' eyes flickered with surprise, and his gaze was filled with joy. "Really? You shouldn’t have!"

David continued with a teasing smile, "Douglas, can you control your expression while you speak?"

Douglas glanced at David, then turned to me saying, "Let's take our seats first."

I gave him the gift and wished, "Douglas, happy birthday."

While Douglas was pulling out a chair, he turned around upon hearing my words.

His gaze fell on the camera bag in my hands. Suddenly, a crack appeared in his joyful expression.

It seemed he wasn't very pleased.