“Steven is still young. You have to teach him patiently,” Rachel calmly advised while she grabbed Jolly.
Jolly continued to complain, “Why don’t you teach him instead? Just looking at him makes me angry. How is it possible that an adult like him still does not have the ability to make proper judgment?”
Rachel quietly laughed to herself when she heard her friend’s words.
Despite how Jolly was nagging now, she, too, had unguardedly accepted the wedding dress that was gifted to her on the cruise ship. The pot is calling the kettle black, Rachel mused. She doesn’t seem like she makes good judgment either.
“Okay. I will talk to him.” She smiled helplessly before turning to Steven, who sat across from her. “Jolly isn’t angry because you came out to have fun, nor because you came here. And it is not like you can’t watch a horse race. The problem is with the invitation letter.”
“What is wrong with the invitation letter?” Steven was puzzled as he asked, “Isn’t that an invitation to an event?”
“It is fine if it is just a normal invitation to an event. There is a club here at Westhill Racecourse, which is the one who invited you. Even though the owner of the club is indeed friends with Mr. Carter, that was years ago. They are involved in dirty business now, so just try to avoid having any interaction with them if you can.”
“Not ‘try to’, you ‘have to’!” Jolly emphasized. “Listen to me, Steven—if you want to stay in Riverdale, you must stay away from everything and everything related to this club. Or else, I will tell your mom that you have been making trouble here and have her force you home as soon as possible.”
“Is it really that serious?”
“Yes!”
Steven was initially going to ignore Jolly, but upon seeing Rachel, he immediately became obedient. “Since Rae said so, I will just ignore those people from now on.
“But what are you both doing here today?”
“We are here on business.” Jolly rolled her eyes at him. “You think everyone plays around everyday like you do? If you have nothing to do, just go back to the company and play your role as the vice president.”
“Isn’t it the vice president’s job to have fun?” Steven defended himself.
Hearing that, Rachel let a laugh slip. “Is this what you told me about how Mrs. Carter said they have found a successor to your company?”
Even Jolly was ashamed because of her cousin.
However, Steven continued behaving childishly with a cheerful look on his face. “This vice president right here has promised Aunt Marilyn that I would be here for a few days, and I will be leaving after a while. I have to start my own business. All manly men have to have his own business.”
“Start my foot!” Jolly snickered. “Where are you going to get that money from?”
“As the vice president, I will be receiving an annual salary and dividends. I will have enough money eventually if I save up.”
“Save up?” Jolly looked at her cousin from head to toe. “You? You even spent tens of thousands on a set of crap earphones. Do you actually think you can save up?”
“Can you not bad-mouth me in public?!”
Steven immediately looked at Jolly with a meaningful gaze.
“Don’t pull that sh*t with me. I have already told Chris exactly the kind of person you are.”
His face immediately fell when he heard that, and he started whining, “Why did you do that?! I wanted to leave a good impression!”
Seeing how devastated and aggrieved he looked, Rachel quickly comforted him. “It is alright. I have a good impression of you. You are a programmer, aren’t you? It is normal for you to be generous about spending money on electronic equipment.”
“Right!” Steven’s eyes shone at that. “I knew that you are much more understanding than Jolly is.”
Jolly immediately rolled her eyes at him. “That is because she doesn’t know you well yet!” she sassed.
“Mind you, I do have a lot of strong points.”
“Such as?”
“I’m handsome.”
“And that is what you are planning to earn a living with?” Jolly scoffed.
“Even if I can’t make a living with my handsome face, I can still date and get married.”
“Sure. Whatever floats your boat. Your mom has been hoping you would get married early anyway.”
“What is the rush? I have my own plans.”
“Plans?” Jolly’s interest was finally piqued. “C’mon, do share it with me. What have you planned so far? Which lady do you have your eyes on? Or are you already dating someone?”
“Even though we are not dating yet, I have found someone.”
“When was this?”
“Just a while ago.” Steven suddenly turned to Rachel and, in his serious voice, implored. “I have a question for you.”
Rachel, who was having fun listening to the bickering between the cousins, was caught off-guard by the sudden statement. “What? Ask away.”
“Do you mind being in a relationship where the man is younger?”
As soon as these words fell, Jolly didn’t even wait for Rachel to answer before she spurted out the coffee she had just sipped on Steven’s face, as he sat right across her.
“Steven…” She stood up in shock.
Subconsciously, he quickly leaned back to dodge whatever was coming. It was somewhat heartbreaking to see him being so skillful and smooth at it. Rachel could tell at a glance that he was used to being beaten up by Jolly ever since he was a child.
To their surprise, Jolly continued to stand there in shock without making a move.
Rochel then grobbed her friend. “Oh, it is oll over you. Quickly. Cleon it up.”
There wos coffee on Steven’s heod ond foce, ond it wos consistently dripping down his hoir. Only God knew how much he hoted Jolly right then, but since he wos still in front of Rochel, he hod to force out o smile thot looked more like o grimoce. He sounded like he wos holding himself bock when he soid, “It is okoy. Excuse me for o bit. I will go get it cleoned up.”
After he left, the woiter come over to cleon up the toble ond led them to o different toble.
Jolly looked like she wos ot o loss when she took the tissue Rochel honded to her. “Didn’t you heor whot thot punk just soid? How ore you so colm?”
“How else should I hove reocted? Should I be surprised ond hoppy?”
“You don’t hove to be hoppy obout it, but shouldn’t you be surprised? How ore you not surprised when Cupid suddenly dropped you o visit?”
“I hove heord thot it is populor for kids nowodoys to crock jokes like this.”
“Thot is true. Thot brot, though! Just woit till I go bock ond snitch on him to his mother. It wos fine thot he wos noughty when he wos o child, but now he is flirting with my bestie? I con’t just let it slide.”
Jolly looked indignont os she grumbled. Even the woy she dronk coffee suddenly looked os though she wos liboting.
Steven come bock from the woshroom ofter o while.
The coffee stoins on his foce were gone, but the ones on his jocket were there to stoy. Even though it looked like mud on his clothes, he didn’t seem to mind them one bit.
Young men were olwoys energetic ond cosuol like Steven wos. They were indifferent to the outside world.
“Whot ore you doing loter? Let me treot you both to dinner tonight.”
“Are you sure you ore only trying to treot me?” Jolly peered ot him with suspicious eyes.
Heoring thot, he roised his eyebrows ond muttered, “It would be better if you don’t join.”
“I knew thot it is impossible for you to be so sweet. Fine. I won’t go. But you hove to osk Chris if she wonts to go.”
Jolly then leoned into the choir with her orms crossed, seemingly confident thot Rochel wouldn’t ogree to it.
As expected, Rochel politely rejected him.
“I hove o movie dote tonight.”
“Dote? With who?”
“My boyfriend.”
Steven suddenly hod on interesting look on his foce when he heord thot. “You hove o boyfriend? But Jolly told me thot you don’t!”
Jolly looked hoppy ot how things were going. She then commented in o hounting voice, “The lost time I told you thot must hove been obout o yeor ogo. She didn’t hove o boyfriend o yeor ogo, but now…”
Rachel then grabbed her friend. “Oh, it is all over you. Quickly. Clean it up.”
There was coffee on Steven’s head and face, and it was consistently dripping down his hair. Only God knew how much he hated Jolly right then, but since he was still in front of Rachel, he had to force out a smile that looked more like a grimace. He sounded like he was holding himself back when he said, “It is okay. Excuse me for a bit. I will go get it cleaned up.”
After he left, the waiter came over to clean up the table and led them to a different table.
Jolly looked like she was at a loss when she took the tissue Rachel handed to her. “Didn’t you hear what that punk just said? How are you so calm?”
“How else should I have reacted? Should I be surprised and happy?”
“You don’t have to be happy about it, but shouldn’t you be surprised? How are you not surprised when Cupid suddenly dropped you a visit?”
“I have heard that it is popular for kids nowadays to crack jokes like this.”
“That is true. That brat, though! Just wait till I go back and snitch on him to his mother. It was fine that he was naughty when he was a child, but now he is flirting with my bestie? I can’t just let it slide.”
Jolly looked indignant as she grumbled. Even the way she drank coffee suddenly looked as though she was libating.
Steven came back from the washroom after a while.
The coffee stains on his face were gone, but the ones on his jacket were there to stay. Even though it looked like mud on his clothes, he didn’t seem to mind them one bit.
Young men were always energetic and casual like Steven was. They were indifferent to the outside world.
“What are you doing later? Let me treat you both to dinner tonight.”
“Are you sure you are only trying to treat me?” Jolly peered at him with suspicious eyes.
Hearing that, he raised his eyebrows and muttered, “It would be better if you don’t join.”
“I knew that it is impossible for you to be so sweet. Fine. I won’t go. But you have to ask Chris if she wants to go.”
Jolly then leaned into the chair with her arms crossed, seemingly confident that Rachel wouldn’t agree to it.
As expected, Rachel politely rejected him.
“I have a movie date tonight.”
“Date? With who?”
“My boyfriend.”
Steven suddenly had an interesting look on his face when he heard that. “You have a boyfriend? But Jolly told me that you don’t!”
Jolly looked happy at how things were going. She then commented in a haunting voice, “The last time I told you that must have been about a year ago. She didn’t have a boyfriend a year ago, but now…”
