127 Story

"Alright. I'll start. Let's see… A story about Luke?"

Tapping one finger on her chin, Liz thought for a little while before deciding on one of the best memories during her childhood.

Turning to the side, she realized that both of them were sitting very close to each other, and that the CEO's eyes were actually very distracting.

No, not the CEO. William.

Well, it would take some time to get used to.

Opting to look to the side, Liz began the story, as she wasn't confident whether she could finish it correctly if she constantly kept getting questions in her mind such as what shade of blue the CEO's eyes were.

"Let's start with childhood memories. For me, those memories are divided into after Derek and before Derek, as that little munchkin totally changed our lives by being born. So, I'll start with before Derek. When we were very young, the diner that Luke owns right now used to be run by his father. One of the happiest memories I have is the both of us stealing bread or other food from the diner and evading capture by Luke's father so that we could eat it in peace. Actually, Luke used to join in for my sake, as it was my stomach that used to be constantly grumbling because of… Reasons."

Hearing this, the CEO leaned in closer.

After all, something like this was so removed from his life that he couldn't believe that the woman sitting in front of him had gone through such a phase.

Only, without meaning to, he had once again distracted Liz by having her breathe in his scent which affected her so much for some reason.

No. If she was going to spend time with him, she had to get over it.

Realizing this and bracing herself, Liz breathed in deep three times, enjoying the feeling but also telling yourself that she would not allow herself to get distracted anymore.

So, with an almost constipated expression on her face, she continued.

"Once, I remember that we chose a spot near a building near the diner to eat. There was a small cubbyhole in the window, through which we both looked at a tv showing a long program about aresort in Mexico with sparkling water and sand so fine that it looked like there were two seas adjacent to each other, one real, and one made of the sand. At that moment, we promised each other that we would definitely find some way to go to that place. I remember that after that, I started to put in slightly more effort in my studies, while Luke supported me and constantly kept reminding me of that. Of course, it wasn't the only thing which pushed me, but it's really something to remember. Your turn."

She had rushed through the story in a slightly breathy voice, hoping that the CEO wouldn't notice.

For a second, Liz heard no answer, making her look up and see that the man sitting beside her had an expression on his face as if he was committing something to memory.

Opening his eyes, he nodded and said, "I'll also tell you about something from my childhood, then."

Looking into the distance, his eyes went out of focus for a little while as if he was remembering all the details, and he smiled at the corner of his lips before starting to speak.

"One of my favourite childhood memories… Is when we went on a cruise in the Bahamas. That was one of the few vacations which we went on as a family, but it's because of an incident that it really stands out. Keren was always a really jumpy girl who never controlled her urges, so when she saw a few dolphins swimming along beside the boat, she leaned over too much and fell in the water. Without hesitating, I also jumped off, as she did know how to swim, but I realized that I was actually falling through the air along with another person beside me – my father. He rescued Keren, and that was one of the few times I saw him… Nevermind. After that, I remember that our lake had a few new additions, including three of the dolphins which Keren had fallen off the ship to see. I really like that memory because… It happened to be one of the last vacations which we took as a family. Also, Keren stole a bottle of champagne and completely passed out, and I remember having to cover her tracks from our parents."

The last word was said in a strange tone, which Liz couldn't understand, because she was busy trying to wrap her head around the fact that a family could have a lake and then get dolphins inside that lake at the whim.

Truly, their stories couldn't be any more different, but she loved his anyway.

As his eyes came back into focus, the CEO said, "Oh, is that the time? Have you had dinner? Would you perhaps… Like to go grab some?"

Looking at the watch on the cupboard nearby, Liz realized that it was indeed late. So, she just nodded with a small smile, but then, an aghast expression came on her face when she saw the CEO smile in return and take out his phone to call someone.

"Yes, reserve a table for two at Au' der Bouche-"

"No!"

Seeing Liz suddenly exclaim like this, Will was puzzled, wondering what he had done wrong.

In response, when he looked at her, Liz blushed a little and said, "I meant… No more gourmet, please, I don't think I can stomach small portions anymore. You've shown me your side of life, so now, let me show mine. Is that okay?"

Hearing this, Will first sighed with relief before cutting the call and nodding at Liz, who clapped her hands once and got up with an expression of excitement on her face.

Going to the cupboard, she quickly rummaged inside before taking out a hoodie and a cap.

Holding them out to the CEO, she said, "Where we're going, I think it's better if you disguise yourself at least a little bit."