Chapter 82: Hot Spring Play
Mr. Langdon and the others were startled to see Asher Keating and Leah Sinclair arrive together. He had already heard from Zion Sawyer that she had run into Asher, who was here with his friends.
But seeing Asher Keating appear with Leah Sinclair still took him by surprise. Asher explained that he had just come down to get something to eat and happened to run into Leah.
He explained that his two friends were busy, so he was hoping to join them for a bite. Asher smiled and asked, "Is that alright?"
"Of course, of course! Absolutely! President Keating, please, have a seat over here."
Although the idea of a CEO sitting here and eating barbecue with them felt completely surreal, no one dared to refuse.
It was a cook-it-yourself barbecue, and the place was already bustling with people before they arrived. Their department had taken over two long tables.
There was no way Asher Keating was going to do the grilling himself. He just sat to the side, smoking a cigarette, with Mr. Langdon sitting beside him to keep him company.
Zion Sawyer was grilling skewers nearby, sneaking glances at Asher Keating as she cooked. She nudged Leah Sinclair’s arm. "President Keating is actually sitting here eating barbecue with us? This feels so surreal."
"What’s so surreal about it? A CEO has to eat, too," Leo Lawson said, deftly grilling skewers. "I bet President Keating is actually glad he ran into us. Otherwise, with both his friends busy, he probably would’ve been too lazy to even bother eating by himself."
Leah thought to herself, ’Your President Keating probably isn’t all that glad. Around this time, he’d probably be back in the room, eating me.’
The group ate barbecue and chatted animatedly. About half an hour later, Ethan Shaw and Riley Sterling finally showed up. Their female companions didn’t join them, having gone to the hot springs instead.
Leah asked them, "Aren’t they going to eat?"
"Nah, they said they don’t usually eat dinner. They’re trying to lose weight," Riley Sterling said, casually grabbing a skewer from the table and starting to eat.
Thinking about the two gorgeous women she’d seen earlier—busty and curvaceous, with big breasts, a perky butt, and a tiny waist—and they were still trying to lose weight? The skewer in Leah’s hand suddenly lost its appeal. Zion Sawyer felt the exact same way.
She put down her skewer and let out what felt like her umpteenth wail of the day. "I don’t think I came here for team building, I came to be tortured! They look like that and they’re still dieting? Everything I just ate is going to turn into fat! Aaaah!!!"
Leah also put down her skewer with a gloomy look. "I’ve lost my appetite, too. You two are just too discouraging."
"Right?! I’m already getting love handles. That’s it! I’m definitely not eating another bite tonight. Leah, I need to go on a diet!"
"Me too!"
"Okay, we’ll keep each other accountable. We’re in this together!"
Zion Sawyer grabbed Leah’s hand, and the two shook on it firmly, solemnly vowing to start their diet the moment they got back.
Ethan Shaw watched them and scoffed. "Leah, just give up, why don’t you? You’re already skinny. What if you end up losing weight in all the wrong places? Wouldn’t that be an even bigger shame?"
Leah shot him a resentful glare. ’What does he mean, all the wrong places?’
Her expression amused him. He was about to eat a skewer, but a hand reached out from the side and snatched it away. "I think you’re the one who should be losing weight," Asher said, "so you don’t crush your new girlfriend."
"..."
"..."
A few of them were left dumbfounded by Asher’s words. Now it was Ethan’s turn to look at Asher resentfully. ’Since when am I fat?’
’My physique might not be as good as Asher’s, but I at least have a six-pack, alright? Just as I thought. You can’t say one thing about Leah. The moment her name comes up, Asher has to come after me.’
A gentle breeze drifted past. Even though it was winter, between the bonfire and the nearby grills, it didn’t feel that cold.
Leah leaned back comfortably in her chair, slowly sipping a can of beer. She gazed up at the inky-black night sky, which was dotted with a few scattered stars. When she turned her head to look at Asher, who was sitting to her left, she saw he was talking with Ethan and Riley.
Noticing her gaze, Asher looked over, a faint smile in his eyes. ’I must be drunk,’ Leah thought. ’Why else would I feel like his eyes hold an entire galaxy, so deep and even brighter than the stars in the sky?’
Asher handed her a barbecue skewer. Having just declared she was on a diet, she didn’t want it and hesitated to take it. Asher leaned in close and whispered, "Want me to feed you?"
Leah knew he was capable of it. Seeing that no one was paying attention to them, she quickly took the skewer and started eating. Asher watched her, amused. He really wanted to pinch her cheek, but he simply rubbed his fingers together and resisted the urge.
Zion Sawyer, having just returned from belting out a song, plopped down next to Leah and leaned against her. She’d had a lot to drink tonight, and the cool breeze was making her feel a little tipsy. "Ah, this is so nice. This sky, this atmosphere... it’s perfect for falling in love."
"Spring is almost here. Feeling a little spring fever, Zion?" Leah laughed.
"Yeah. If Winter is here, can Spring be far behind? Oh, right, Leah! I heard Todd Coleman mention that you turned him down because you like someone. It wouldn’t be that guy who picked you up in the G-Wagen last time, would it?" Zion suddenly remembered and sat up straight to ask.
"COUGH COUGH... COUGH COUGH COUGH." Leah nearly choked to death on her skewer.
"What G-Wagen?"
Ethan had sharp ears and immediately switched into gossip mode. He didn’t recall Asher owning a G-Wagen.
Alarm bells went off in Leah’s head, but before she could say anything, Zion had already spoken. "The last time Leah went back to her hometown, a man in a G-Wagen picked her up. He looked really handsome."
’I’m done for.’
Leah’s heart clenched. She saw Asher’s eyes begin to narrow.
She quickly grabbed Zion’s arm. "Don’t jump to conclusions. I told you before, that was my grandmother’s attending physician. He happened to be in the area for a conference, so I just hitched a ride."
"Heh..."
Leah heard Asher let out a low chuckle. When she saw the gloating expressions on Ethan’s and Riley’s faces, she knew she was dead meat.
For the rest of the evening, Asher barely said a word. Leah stole many glances at him, but he wouldn’t even spare her a look. She wailed internally. ’What is even happening right now?’
’Didn’t I just pray at the temple? Why am I still so unlucky? Asher’s mad. How am I going to appease him? Would a little hot spring ’play’ work?’
The department party didn’t wind down until almost 10:30. Asher and his two friends had already left. When Zion asked Leah if she wanted to go to the hot springs, Leah quickly declined, using the excuse that she was too tired and just wanted to rest.
’Are you kidding me?’ There was someone in her room waiting to be appeased. If she didn’t hurry back, she’d be in for an even worse fate. When she reached the door, she had to spend a long time mentally preparing herself before she finally knocked.
Asher opened the door. He had just gotten out of the shower, and water was dripping from his un-dried hair. After opening the door, he just stood there, his lips pressed into a thin line as he stared at her coldly.
Leah quickly entered, took off her coat, and hung it up. In a fawning voice, she asked, "Asher, why didn’t you dry your hair? You’ll catch a cold. Let me dry it for you, okay?"