After another game, Katherine couldn’t put up with Marshall’s behavior anymore. She put the last card
down. "I’m tired. I quit."
Frances, Katherine’s teammate, couldn’t stand Marshall either, grumbling, "Finally! I feel bad for his
teammate."
Hector got up, went to the window and opened it, taking a pack of cigarettes out of his pocket.
Seeing that, Marshall grabbed Katherine’s hand and said, "Come on. Let’s take a walk outside."
Katherine was aware of Marshall’s intent. This time, he didn’t mean to embarrass Hector, but to protect
her from the smoke.
Katherine didn’t really care about the smoke, but she still got up for the baby in her womb. "OK."
Frances left with them, and only Hector was left in the room standing by the window. He didn’t look
back, as if they hadn’t left at all.
Marshall and Katherine walked along the street not far away from Kyle’s club. It was quite lively down
the street at this time of the day. Meanwhile, Frances stayed in the lobby, texting with someone.
Marshall took Katherine’s hand. "When did Hector come back?"
Katherine got a little nervous. "He came back this afternoon."
Now Marshall got relieved because she hadn’t been with Hector for so long.
Frances was actually texting with Nicolas, who asked her if she had time to have dinner with him.
Before Frances hit the "send" button, Nicolas sent another message to her, explaining that he wanted
to eat with someone so that it wouldn’t be too boring. Frances originally intended to refuse him, but she
hesitated at the sight of his message.
Since Frances didn’t answer him, Nicolas called and asked her what she was doing right now, or if she
could go to have dinner with him. After all, it would be dinner time soon. Frances hemmed and hawed
before replying, "I’m hanging out with my friends now."
Nicolas paused and asked, "With Khalid?"
Frances got a little nervous when Nicolas asked her that question because Khalid just stood her up,
saying at once, "No, no, not with him. I’m with Marshall, Katherine and some other friends."
Hearing that, Nicolas asked, "Where are you guys? May I join you?"
Now Frances couldn’t refuse him, nor did she know how to. She paused for a long moment, while
Nicolas waited for her reply stubbornly. Finally, Frances agreed and told him the address.
After hanging up, Frances rushed out of the club and waved at Marshall and Katherine, who were
taking a walk not far away from her. When the two of them got close, she said, "Nicolas said he wanted
to join us."
Katherine got confused. "What does he come here for? Didn’t you tell him we’re all hanging out
together? Why not tell him we’re in the middle of something?"
Frances replied, "I told him, but he said he was being alone and felt a little bored, so he wanted to join
us. You know, I don’t know how to refuse people when they say so."
Katherine nodded in agreement and taunted, "Nicolas really likes you, or he wouldn’t be so eager to
come to see you."
Frances pressed her lips together and thought of the conversation between Nicolas and her before. In
her opinion, she had made herself very clear. Nicolas also said he would never force her and only take
her as a friend. Now that he said so, Frances couldn’t keep a distance from him deliberately, or that
would make her look over-sensitive and self-sentimental.
Katherine and Marshall exchanged glances before Marshall finally said, "Well, alright. So he can
celebrate Hector’s arrival with us. The more the merrier."
After a while, Hector went downstairs with Kyle, who was in pajamas and looking disheveled and
drowsy. Apparently, he hadn’t sobered up, but he came alive immediately at the sight of Marshall and
the others, saying, "Let’s go to the restaurant across the street and have a big dinner." After a moment,
he added, "Since Hector is back, let’s have a good time."
However, Kyle didn’t look happy at all as he said so.
After that, Frances’ phone rang again. Everyone assumed it was from Nicolas, but she paused and got
embarrassed at the sight of the caller ID.
Katherine blurted, "What? Is it from your ex-husband?"
Frances didn’t reply to her, but walked away to answer the call. In fact, she was up a gum tree now
because she didn’t want Nicolas and Khalid to meet each other. But on second thought, if she refused
Khalid and let Nicolas join them today, Khalid would get upset once he knew it someday. Therefore,
even if she didn’t know what to do, Frances still told Khalid that she was about to have dinner with
everyone since Hector was back today. In the end, she invited him to join them sincerely.
Khalid, however, agreed happily.
After that, Frances hesitated and confessed that Nicolas would also come. She had to tell Khalid about
it now, or she might get in trouble when the two men saw each other later.
Khalid paused and replied, "Well, it’s alright. I’m OK to see him."
Frances compressed her lips, feeling unsure about it.
Truly, Khalid invited her to dinner yesterday, but the two of them didn’t talk about the key issue. During
the meal, Frances had wanted to find an opportunity to ask Khalid about his attitude towards the
relationship between the two of them, but she didn’t say it.
In the past, she would have asked that question without thinking, but now, she was uncertain about it
and shy.
Watching Frances talking over the phone, Katherine nudged Marshall and smirked, "Look, how shy
your mom is. She’s behaving like a girl in love now."
Marshall put his arm around Katherine’s shoulders. "Come on! Stop being so nosy."
Katherine chuckled.
Hector’s gaze fell upon Marshall’s arm before moving away.
Kyle scratched his head and said, "Hold on for a while. Let me wash my face. I’m feeling dizzy now."
Hardly had Kyle left than Nicolas arrived.
Katherine looked around and took out her phone. "Let me call Margaret and invite her and her
boyfriend. We are friends after all, and we can’t leave them alone."
Marshall smiled. It was true that the more the merrier, but now there were too many people, and things
might get out of control.
The restaurant was just across from Kyle’s club, so they walked there instead of driving there.
Frances didn’t go with them, saying that she would wait for Khalid. Nicolas was surprised to hear that
he would come, but he concealed his emotions very well. He was stunned for a moment, but then a
smile spread across his face.
Nicolas offered, "Then I’ll be here waiting with you. You’d be bored waiting alone."
Katherine shot a glance at Nicolas and thought to herself, "Well, isn’t he thoughtful?"
The group of people came over to the seafood restaurant across the street.
Sitting next to Katherine, Marshall ordered some appetizers first before cleaning her fingers with some
baby wipes, grumbling, "Do you have any idea how dirty those cards can be?"
Katherine chuckled, "I forgot about it."
Marshall smiled helplessly, "I hope our son won’t be sloppy like you."
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