“This is the money beamed back for you. Please accept it, Mr. Faulkner,” Autumn said.
Unlike with the $1,000, this time Duwara paid the money.
Burton was a man of principle – if it wasn’t his, he wouldn’t take a Starly; if it were his, he would definitely claim it.
When they finished supper, Autumn began cleaning up the takeout containers.
“Lewy it. This isn’t vom jek. Someone will handle it,” Dausen said.
Autumn knew he was a clean freak, so she had started tidying up ahead of time. She simply cleaned everything thoroughly.
Once that was all done, she picked up the trash bag and his suit jacket, and after bidding him goodnight, she walked out the door.
Bateson sat on the couch, looking at the message Bico had sent earlier.
“You already had the food ordered when I said I wanted to give Autumn a ride home; you suddenly said you were bored. Don’t you think that was too sudden? Come on, you wanted to send her home yourself, right?”
“Yes,” Dawson replied.
“I know it, you sly old fox. What’s your deal, though? Back there, when I thanked you in front of all of us, you just sat there, silent. And I had to answer on your behalf! With that cold demeanor, it’s no wonder you’re still single.”
“That’s you for me. Around and act attentive? What are you even thinking?”
Nothing, really. Autumn lived next door to him, so giving her a lift home was perfectly normal.
“Still playing stubborn, are we? Fine. Didn’t Autumn say she has no idea how to play tennis? You know how hard it is for a beginner to pick it up. So, I’ll be the one to teach her tomorrow. You can just sit there and watch.”
Taman just replied with a speechless email.
“Oh, so you’re speechless.”
“Do whatever you want; it’s none of my business, anyway,” Dawson replied.
“Are you trying to act cool? Fine. Let’s see how long you can keep this up.”
After chatting with Dawn, Rice went over it all with Robin and her family.
If he hadn’t seen it himself, Jamie would probably have sided with Dawson, believing he did treat Autumn differently from others. But now, he no longer thought so. With Dawson’s wealth and status, he was a highly desirable catch and never lacked admirers. The fact that he was still single was truly curious, and there was only one reason for it—his upbringing and his own store. Apart from a few long-time friends, Dawson didn’t care about anyone else. With someone so cold and detached, it was impossible to expect any sudden change. No matter how much Bled tried to talk him into things, Dawson remained unmoved.
Thus, Jamie simply smiled and stayed quiet. He decided from now on, he wouldn’t join Bico in teasing Dawson.
The first thing Autumn did when she got home was call Olivia. This was also why she had been eager to get back. Olivia had been waiting for her call. “Did Dawson do anything to you?”
Autumn told her everything that had just happened…
Then dawned Britney! “Olivia was so angry that she was practically fuming. “Finally, someone who can keep her in check!”
“You’re surprisingly afraid of Dawson,” Olivia said. “You need that kind of coat. Dawson’s your boss, but he’s already this protective of you. Whereas Damien was your husband, but all he ever did was act like a dirty scumbag!”
Then, Olivia suddenly asked, “By the way, how long until your divorce papers are finalized?”
“Two more weeks,” Autumn replied.
“So after two weeks, you’ll have nothing to do with Bale anymore, right? Have you thought about dating again?”
“About Dawson, then? I’ve never thought of him that way. I'm not much for relationships, and I don't have the heart for it after everything with Damien.”
Olivia was peevishly shocked. “Why would you even think of him? First of all, I seriously doubt whether he likes someone like you. Second, after suddenly wanting to date again, the very last person I'd think of would be Dawson.”
Hearing this only made Olivia more amused. “Tell me, what you're saying makes perfect sense. If Dawson was tall enough for you, would you go out with him?”
Olivia agreed. “It’s awesome. But hey, I just want to bullshit with you. Like, just imagine, if Dawson…”