Chapter 4

Amber did not expect the place they went to. It was not a regular expensive restaurant. It was a fine dining restaurant on a yacht. She saw some diners who were dressed elegantly. She thought when Devlin mentioned dinner, it was just a regular dinner at an expensive restaurant. Not this kind of set-up. This is more like a dream dinner date for her.

“Are you meeting someone else here?’ she asked curiously. She had never been to a place like this before, and even going to an expensive restaurant was a rarity for her.

“No, I am not meeting no one except you.” A waiter came to them and guided them to a sliding door where their VIP section is located. It is interesting how she can see the other diners from their stained glass wall.

“This is very nice. I’ve never been to a place like this. Isn’t this too much for a dinner meeting? I thought we would go to a regular restaurant.” She said candidly while looking around the spacious VIP room that Devlin reserved for them.

“I am glad you like it. This is the best place where we could discuss things. Anyway, we should take our order first before anything else.” He simply declared. Immediately, the waiter gave them the menu for their order. 

Amber only ordered salad while the rest of their food was ordered by Devlin. She doesn’t even recognize the name of some food on the menu. So, she asked him to order for her instead. They didn’t wait long for their food to get served. They had a sumptuous meal of seafood which included seafood chowder soup, shrimp and vegetable salad, steamed asparagus, and baked scallops. For their main dish, they had the sizzling grilled lobster and salmon steak. Amber’s mouth turned watery as she stared at all the delicious food served on their table.

“This is too much for two people.” She chuckled. She actually felt hungry when she smelled the grilled lobster. They had white wine to go with their food. Amber was enjoying the dinner. Devlin would casually ask her about her life on the farm.

“Last time we went there, your grandma served a very delicious lunch. I was amazed that the food was all organic straight from your farm.” Devlin said while he took a sip of his wine. Amber could only nod at him as she was still busy gobbling her food. She had to drink a glass of water before replying to him.

“Most of our food is fresh from the farm.” She said fondly while thinking of her marmee and everyone in the farm at that moment. She feels relaxed now that they are talking about something she is comfortable discussing.

“That’s great! I am a city guy. I never lived on a farm but it would be great to have one. I think farming can be a good business if you handle it well.” He spoke enthusiastically over the subject of farming. Amber wonders how someone like him could handle a farm life. She could not even imagine Devlin doing some farming work. She almost laughed at her crazy idea. She just could not picture him in the farm at all. 

“Well, for someone who never lived in the rural area and experienced the farm life, then it may be hard for you. And if you plan to run a farm for business, you need to have someone you can trust to oversee the operation of the whole farm. Our farm is small. It is enough to support our basic needs including the workers who work with us.” Listening to Amber right now impressed Devlin. She may be naive but she definitely got a good head over running a business. And she is hard working, too. Well, she is not the usual woman he goes out with or those women he meets during board meetings. She is simple yet if given a chance, she can be a good businesswoman.

They did not notice the time since they got busy talking. When their desserts were served, Amber realized that they have not discussed anything yet about the marriage. 

“Uhmm… maybe we should discuss why I am here. I also don’t want to take much of your time and abuse your hospitality. After our conversation tonight, I will leave first thing tomorrow morning. Thank you very much for everything by the way.” Devlin tried hard to hide his annoyance. He does not like the direction of their conversation. He has other plans in his head.

“Why are you leaving so soon? I mean there is still that promise we made to our grandmothers, our marriage.” He said casually while Amber’s eyes popped out wide. How can he discuss marriage so casually?

“I don’t think we have an issue about that. I just want to hear your thoughts about it for my peace of mind. I am sure you also don’t want to do the marriage thing. It is my conscience that is nagging me to go with the marriage since I made a promise to your grandmother.” Amber said honestly. Devlin was looking intently at her. He is right about her. She is really naive and even a nice person. 

“I have a suggestion. Why don’t you stay for a bit more so we can also know each other better? I mean, ever since I heard about you, grandma did not stop talking about you. I felt like I wanted to know you further.” Devlin is already doing his sweet talks so he can convince her to stay. He needs her. He does not think that she would get harmed with his plans. She just needs to be with him so Raven would take notice that he is dating someone else different. Maybe it will get her attention this time.

“Huh? I am sorry but I don't get it. We are not going to get married so there is no use for me to stay here.” She said with a serious tone. She can just leave and continue with her life.

“Well, our grandmothers are great friends. Don’t you think it would be nice if we try to get to know each other as friends as well?” Amber was quiet for a few minutes. There is nothing wrong with being friends with him. But he is a male and staying in his place would give a different impression to others. Maybe she can move out or something.

“Your idea is good but I also have to be with my marmee.” Amber mentioned her marmee for the first time which made Devlin confused.

“Marmee?” He asked with his forehead slightly wrinkled. 

“Oh… that’s my endearment for my grandmother. I called her, marmee.” She smiled with fondness.

“You are also close to your grandmother just like I am. I grew up with her as my parents were too busy with their work.” Devlin shared a bit of his life. Maybe Amber will warm up to him. He was not mistaken. He immediately saw her looking sad, then smiled to comfort him.

“I am sorry to hear that.” She said gently. Then, she took a deep breath before she continued talking. “I lived with my marmee after my dad died when I was six. A year later, my mom remarried and moved in with her new husband. My mother brought me with her but I didn’t get along well with his husband’s kids. I begged my mom that I will stay with marmee. She agreed at the end.” She said positively. If there is one thing more interesting about Amber, she has that positive outlook in life despite what she’s been through, Devlin noted.

“Please stay for a few more days or even weeks. And by the way, I already called your marmee yesterday to check on her. I also asked her permission if you could stay longer and she agreed. I just want to tour you around here. I was not able to be with you since I got busy from work. What do you think?” Devlin suddenly asked her which made her confused.

“What do I think? I am sorry I got lost with what you are saying. You mentioned so many things at once.” She heard Devlin chuckled softly. When she looked at him, she couldn’t help but stare at  his handsome face for a while. He has this magnetic effect on her. She can’t for a few seconds avoid staring at him.

“Do I have dirt on my face?” Amber choked since she didn’t expect him to notice. He was checking something on his phone so she stared at him for a long time.

Immediately, Devlin stood up and tapped her back. He also handed her a glass of water. 

‘So, you have a sweet tooth. You quickly ate your dessert, that's why you choke. Have more water.” He poured sparkling water in her glass. She is glad that he did not notice why she choked.

“So, tomorrow I am free. Do you want to go somewhere? I have some nice places in mind that we can check.” Amber had no choice but to stay. He already asked permission from her grandmother and she approved it. She didn’t even tell her anything. 

Anyway, he was very nice to suggest that they should know each other and be friends. Although, she still thinks it is not a good idea especially that she finds him really attractive. She had to shake her head. She keeps losing her mind every time she stares at him. That is not good. From their conversation tonight, they silently agreed to be friends. She should put away any crazy thoughts in her head. He is just being nice and friendly. She wonders how he is with his girlfriend. She almost forgot that aside from being a young billionaire, he is also a notorious playboy. 

“I honestly have no clue where to go. Whatever you have in mind, I think that is interesting.” She said while smiling at him. Devlin also smiled back at her, satisfied with her answer.

“Then, it is settled. Tomorrow, I will pick you up from the condo around 9 am. Is that good?” Again, his spellbinding smile is hard to resist.

“Yes, that is a good time. But please, let’s not go to places like this. It is too lavish and grand. I like to go somewhere simple like the park or anything outdoors.” She said shyly. She prefers to be in a simple setting, one that she is comfortable with. If they didn’t stay in the VIP section far away from the other diners, she could have felt more uncomfortable. Thankfully, Devlin was thoughtful enough to bring her to this secluded section.

“No problem. There are so many nice places you can visit here. And thank you for being honest. I admire that you are honest enough to indirectly tell me that you felt uncomfortable here.” Devlin was toying with his fork while talking to her.

“Oh no, please don’t get me wrong. I am not just comfortable in places like this. I am used to the simple life back on the farm.” She said sincerely. Deep inside Devlin, he admires her simplicity and sincerity. 

They talked further after dinner. They even ordered some tea before they decided to call it a night. 

Devlin drove her back to the condo. While in the car, he played some relaxing music. Amber admires the choice of music he plays. It goes with her taste. That’s a good start for their friendship.

While Amber is listening to the music, Devlin is busy with his own thoughts. He is glad that it was not hard to convince Amber to stay. Tomorrow, he is going to make sure that Raven will see them together. He knows where to find her tomorrow. He is going to make sure to bring Amber with him. He immediately glanced at her who was listening intently to the music with eyes closed. She is definitely something. It is interesting that he enjoyed their time tonight. 

He has to stop his line of thoughts. There is Raven that he is trying to win back. Hopefully all his plans would work out. But why does a pair of beautiful gray eyes keep distracting his thoughts…