Chapter 303
“No, thanks, I have my own ride,” Teresa replied. In reality, it was her electric scooter, but Ryan had already pulled up in his BMW, honking twice.
“Don’t get me wrong, this BMW isn’t my parents’. I bought it myself. Last time, a girl on a blind date said I was showing off, but I’m really not that kind of guy,” Ryan said, attempting an explanation.
Teresa was speechless. She’d seen plenty of guys like this showing off, and she genuinely wanted nothing to do with him—she just wanted to leave.
Who would have guessed that upon seeing Teresa on her scooter, Ryan assumed she was broke and, ignoring her protests, practically dragged her into the passenger seat?
“I’ll give you a ride home, okay? Otherwise, my sister’s going to yell at me. Which neighborhood do you live in?” Ryan said.
“Just let me out at the next intersection,” Teresa snapped, clearly angry.
Ryan looked completely bewildered, failing to understand Teresa's sudden anger. She shot him an annoyed look. “First off, I never agreed to a blind date with you. It was your sister who insisted on introducing me to her brother, but I never said yes. I only put up with it because we’re coworkers. I already told you, there’s no spark, no chemistry. I didn’t expect you and your sister to both have zero sense of boundaries. I really don’t appreciate you forcing me into your car. I didn’t care about you before, but now? I honestly can’t stand you.”
“Come on, what’s the big deal? Why are you so worked up—”
“That’s just how I am, alright? Let me out, or I’m calling the cops,” Teresa said, her lips pressed together in anger.
After Ryan finally stopped the car, he trailed after Teresa, clicking his tongue. “Okay, I’m sorry. It’s just—you’re so pretty. I really like you, Ms. Johnston.”
Teresa was about to retort, but then she spotted a Maybach parked nearby, and a man emerging from a supermarket, about to enter. Jonathan’s gaze landed on Teresa, then shifted to the man beside her. He stopped in his tracks.
Ryan raised his voice again. “I mean it, Ms. Johnston! You look exactly like the girl of my dreams. Just get in the car, let’s talk inside. Don’t stand out here and freeze. I’d feel terrible.”
Teresa barely registered Ryan’s words; all her attention was on the man by the Maybach. Ryan opened the car door for her. “I already apologized. Just get in, I’ll take you home.”
Jonathan, leaning against the Maybach, remained motionless. Teresa took a deep breath and got back into the passenger seat. Ryan started the car and drove off.
“Ms. Johnston, you’ve got quite the temper. You really scared me back there,” Ryan joked.
“That’s just how I am. I’m not easy to get along with. Just drop me off anywhere,” Teresa replied coldly.
“I already made a reservation—200 bucks a person. Let’s just grab dinner first, okay?”
“No, thanks,” Teresa said again.
The light turned red, and the car stopped. Teresa glanced out the window and saw a family of three crossing the street—a man holding his wife’s hand, their little girl cradled in his arms. The sight unexpectedly brought tears to Teresa’s eyes.
She found herself longing, imagining life with Jonathan and their child. Just the three of them, in a city where no one knew them. If only life could be that simple. But it’s also so hard. If dating didn’t have to involve thoughts of marriage, things would be so much easier. But she wasn’t a teenager anymore. She couldn’t just tell Jonathan, “We have a child, so let’s start over where no one will bother us.” That’s not possible. This is real life, not a fairy tale.
Noticing Teresa’s tears, Ryan handed her a tissue. “Ms. Johnston, why are you crying? Even when you cry, you’re still beautiful.”
“It’s nothing,” Teresa said. “Can you find a restroom and drop me off? I really need to pee.”
Seeing her urgency, Ryan pulled into a mall. As soon as Teresa got out of the car, she disappeared without looking back.