Chapter 1164: Chapter 1164: First Date
Mr. Martin knew immediately what Isabelle was up to and sat angrily on the sofa, "You don’t know how to stop her!"
"You know what your daughter is like. She’s obviously all heated up right now. If I really stop her, it’ll only drive her crazier. Who knows what she’ll do then? It’s better to let her make a mess by herself now, and later she can come back to us for comfort when she gets hurt." Mrs. Martin replied calmly.
Mr. Martin nodded, "You’re right. With Dr. Foster’s standards, he definitely won’t fancy Isabelle. Let her go through some hardship first, and we can advise her later."
"Hmph!" Mrs. Martin snorted, displeased.
Mr. Martin immediately tried to placate her, "I’m not saying our daughter isn’t good; it’s just that she’s too young and doesn’t fit with Dr. Foster."
"Let’s hope so." Mrs. Martin replied reluctantly.
Mr. Martin then sidled up to her, "Aren’t you teaching your daughter how to date? Teach me then."
Mrs. Martin snorted at her husband’s mischievous look, but Mr. Martin already sidled up, "Honey..."
"Get out, get out, get out. At your age, it’s so nauseating. I think it’s you who spoiled your daughter." Mrs. Martin teased, but fell into her husband’s embrace.
Kent, who came home early from class, covered his eyes when he saw this scene, "Ugh, can’t unsee!"
Unfortunately, his commotion startled the couple. They turned and snorted at their son’s disgust, and Mrs. Martin issued a task, "Do you see that opera ticket on the shoe cabinet? Your sister and that Dr. Foster are going to an opera. Tonight, go keep an eye on them and see what’s really going on."
Kent was stunned, "Mom, you want me to follow my sister?"
"What do you mean ’follow’? I’m asking you to protect your sister." Mrs. Martin corrected her son’s wording.
Kent thought, "..." That sounds really nice, I almost believed it!
"What are you daydreaming about? Hurry up!" Mrs. Martin became impatient when she saw her son not moving.
Kent was even more speechless, "Mom, I haven’t had dinner yet."
"Dinner? Just grab something outside. There’s no dinner for you tonight." Mrs. Martin said, then looked at her husband, "Honey, it’s been a while since we went out to eat, hasn’t it? Let me freshen up and let’s go out."
"Okay." Mr. Martin agreed without even thinking.
Kent was shocked, "Mom..."
"Oh, I forgot to tell you, your sister said she wouldn’t be home for dinner tonight, so no dinner was made." Mrs. Martin said and gracefully left her husband’s embrace to go do her makeup.
Mr. Martin urged his unmoving son, "Hurry and go, report back if anything happens."
Then he also went to change clothes, leaving Kent who had just walked in the door and hadn’t even changed his shoes or had a sip of hot tea. He wailed; did he have any position in this family?
The answer is no!
Kent resigned himself, took the ticket, and left the house before his parents came out. In the car, he sent a probing message to Isabelle, "Sis, where are you?"
Unfortunately, there was no response.
Meanwhile, Isabelle had just arrived outside Jeffrey Foster’s villa.
She had specifically driven because they were going to the opera house, and the villa was as quiet as usual when she arrived. Isabelle’s heart instinctively tensed. After what she said yesterday and running off, she was unsure if the man agreed to go with her.
Here she was with the ticket, but if Jeffrey didn’t want to go with her...
Isabelle covered her face with her hand, ready to face rejection.
She pressed the doorbell but didn’t see Aunt Pritt after waiting for a long time. She pressed again and was hesitating whether to enter the password when she heard the deep male voice from inside, "Come in."
Isabelle didn’t think much, she directly entered the password and pushed the door. Inside, she found the dim room with the man sitting upright on the sofa. Not seeing Aunt Pritt, she asked, puzzled, "Did Aunt Pritt leave this early today?"
Normally, Aunt Pritt wouldn’t leave until around seven after tidying up the kitchen, but it was just after six, where could she have gone?
"She had something this afternoon and asked for leave." Jeffrey Foster replied in an even tone.
Isabelle found it odd since she hadn’t heard Aunt Pritt mentioning anything about today yesterday.
But with Aunt Pritt away in the afternoon, did it mean Mr. Foster hadn’t had dinner and could conveniently dine with her and then watch the opera?
This was simply the perfect date sequence.
Isabelle was internally overjoyed but deliberately restrained herself, "Oh, so you haven’t had dinner. Let’s go eat first, then watch the opera? Or if you find the opera boring, we could go listen to some comedy instead?"
For Isabelle, what mattered wasn’t what they did, but who they did it with.
"No need." Jeffrey Foster’s voice was stiff as he declined.
Isabelle felt her heart drop to the ice cellar, pondering how to persuade him, when Jeffrey added, "Opera is fine."
"Huh?" Isabelle exclaimed dumbly but then realized he had agreed to her invitation, and her face lit up with joy, nearly rushing over to kiss him, though worried he might retract his agreement if she was too forward. Isabelle restrained her impulse, "What do you like to eat? Let’s have dinner first."
"Anything works." Jeffrey’s voice remained calm, but only he knew how little calmness he actually felt.
Strictly speaking, this was also his first date ever.
"Then I’ll choose?" Isabelle had already picked out several restaurants suitable for dates when she came, and Jeffrey had no objections, so she happily made the decision.
Jeffrey acknowledged with a hum and then stood up.
Isabelle then noticed that the man was wearing a white shirt under his coat today, paired with tailored trousers. Was he... planning on going out all along?
The thought filled Isabelle with stars in her eyes, and she couldn’t help but reach out to hold Jeffrey’s uninjured hand, her voice trembling slightly, "Were you... waiting for me?"
Jeffrey’s heart tremored slightly at her question, but he denied it outwardly, "No, I had a video conference this afternoon."
Isabelle was instantly disappointed. She thought he had dressed handsomely specially for her, but it turned out to be for a meeting.
Jeffrey’s hand was still held by the girl, easily catching her emotional shift. He felt annoyed internally, but his face remained as indifferent as usual, casually urging, "Aren’t we leaving?"
Isabelle snapped out of her disappointment, leading Jeffrey out, telling herself that getting him to agree to dinner and opera was a big step forward in their relationship and that she shouldn’t be too greedy.
Perhaps her self-comfort worked, and her steps became much lighter, leading Jeffrey to the car. Since Jeffrey’s left hand was still in a cast, she naturally helped him fasten his seatbelt.
......
Refresh later.
Mr. Martin entered hearing his wife mumbling curses, his heart tightened, and he walked lightly, thinking back to whether he did anything today to upset his wife. But Mrs. Martin caught a glimpse of her husband’s guilty appearance and cursed under her breath, "The old one is the old one, the little one is the little one; not a single one gives peace of mind."
"Honey, who made you angry this time? Tell me, and I’ll deal with them!" Mr. Martin promptly offered his service.
Mrs. Martin was angry, "Who else? It’s your precious daughter, I think she’s been spoiled by you!"
Mr. Martin felt uneasy hearing it was Isabelle who upset his wife, "What happened with Isabelle?"
"What else? She went chasing after a man," Mrs. Martin fumed at the mention.
Mr. Martin, "..."
Upon hearing this, he knew what Isabelle was up to, and sat on the sofa, frustrated, "You didn’t even try to stop her!"
"You know what your daughter is like, don’t you? Right now she’s just infatuated, and if I tried to really stop her, she’d definitely go even crazier. Who knows what she might do then? It’s better to let her mess around, and when she gets hurt, she can come back to us for comfort," Mrs. Martin replied calmly.
Mr. Martin nodded, "You’re right. With Dr. Foster’s standards, he’s definitely not interested in Isabelle. Let her suffer a little, and then we’ll advise her."
"Hmm!" Mrs. Martin huffed, clearly displeased.
Mr. Martin quickly appeased her, "I’m not saying our daughter isn’t good; it’s just that she’s too young to match with Dr. Foster."
"Let’s hope so," Mrs. Martin reluctantly replied.
Mr. Martin cozied up, "Won’t you teach your daughter how to pursue someone? Then maybe teach me?"
Mrs. Martin snorted at her husband’s mischievous look, as Mr. Martin leaned in, "Honey..."
"Get out, get out, get out. You’re too old for such cheesy stuff. I think you’ve spoiled our daughter too much," Mrs. Martin chided with her mouth but leaned into her husband’s embrace.
Kent Martin, who came home early from school, saw this scene and quickly covered his face, "Ugh, I can’t look!"
Unfortunately, his movement startled his parents. The couple turned back to see their son’s disdain and snorted. Mrs. Martin even gave him a task, "Did you see the opera ticket on the shoe cabinet? Your sister went to watch an opera with that Dr. Foster. Go watch over them tonight and see what’s going on."
Kent was shocked, "Mom, you want me to spy on my sister?"
"What’s spying? I’m telling you to protect your sister," Mrs. Martin corrected her son.
Kent, "..." Yeah right, it sounds so nice that I actually believed it!
"What are you daydreaming about? Get going!" Mrs. Martin impatiently urged when she saw her son wasn’t moving.
Kent was even more speechless, "Mom, I haven’t eaten yet."
"Eat what? Just grab something outside. There’s no dinner for you tonight," Mrs. Martin said and then turned to her husband, "Honey, haven’t we gone out to eat in a while? I’ll get ready, and we’ll go out for dinner."
"Alright," Mr. Martin readily agreed without a second thought.
Kent was shocked, "Mom..."
"Oh, I forgot to tell you, your sister said she won’t be home for dinner tonight, so no dinner’s been made," Mrs. Martin said, gracefully leaving her husband’s arms to get ready.
Seeing his son still not moving, Mr. Martin urged, "Hurry up, and report any situation promptly."
With that, he also went to change clothes, leaving Kent, who had just come home and hadn’t even switched shoes or had a sip of hot water. He wailed, questioning if he still had any status in this home?
The answer was no!
Before his parents came out, Kent resignedly took the ticket and left the house. When he got in the car, he tentatively sent Isabelle a message, "Sis, where are you?"
But it was like a stone thrown into the sea.
At this moment, Isabelle had just arrived outside Jeffrey Foster’s villa.
Because she was going to the opera, she had specially driven her car. When she arrived, Jeffrey’s villa was as quiet as usual. Isabelle’s heart tightened as she suddenly felt uncertain. After what she said yesterday and running away, she wasn’t sure if the man had agreed.
She was here now with the ticket, but if Jeffrey didn’t want to go with her...
Isabelle reached out to cover her face, already preparing for rejection.
She stepped forward and rang the doorbell, but after a long wait without seeing Aunt Pritt, she pressed it again. Just as she was hesitating about whether to input the password and go in herself, she heard a low male voice from inside, "Come in."
Without thinking further, Isabelle entered the password and pushed the door open, only to find the dim room with a man sitting upright on the sofa. She looked around and seeing no Aunt Pritt, asked in confusion, "Did Aunt Pritt leave so early today?"
Usually, Aunt Pritt would leave around seven after cleaning the kitchen, but it was just a little past six. Why wasn’t she here?
"She had something to do this afternoon and took leave," Jeffrey responded in an unvarying tone.
Isabelle felt it was strange since she didn’t hear Aunt Pritt mention having any plans today?
But if Aunt Pritt wasn’t there in the afternoon, did that mean Mr. Foster hadn’t eaten yet, implying they could have dinner together and then go to the opera?
This seemed like the perfect date plan.
Isabelle felt a surge of joy but restrained herself on purpose, "Is that so? Shouldn’t you have dinner then? How about we eat first and then watch the opera? Or if you think the opera might be boring, we could watch a comedy instead?"
In Isabelle’s view, what they did wasn’t important; it only mattered who she did it with.
"No need," Jeffrey’s voice was firm as he replied that it wasn’t needed.
Isabelle’s heart sank a bit, and as she was contemplating how to persuade him, Jeffrey added, "The opera will do."
"Ah?" Isabelle let out a slow sound, and then realized that he accepted her invitation, her face blooming with joy. She almost ran up to hug and kiss Jeffrey, but restrained herself from the impulse for fear he might backtrack after being infringed, "What do you like to eat? Let’s eat first."
"Anything is fine," Jeffrey’s voice was still calm, but only he knew that his feelings were not much calmer than Isabelle’s.
Strictly speaking, this was also his first date in life.
"Then I’ll choose?" Isabelle had actually shortlisted several suitable restaurants for a date beforehand, and since Jeffrey had no objections, she cheerfully made a decision.
After Jeffrey hummed in agreement, he stood up.
It was then that Isabelle noticed the man wore a white shirt under his coat today, paired with tailored trousers... was he planning to go out all along?
At this thought, Isabelle’s eyes sparkled, and she couldn’t hold back anymore. She approached and gently held Jeffrey’s intact hand, her voice trembling slightly, "Were you... waiting for me?"
Jeffrey’s heart skipped a beat at her question, but he falsely denied it, "No, there was a video conference this afternoon."
Isabelle was instantly disappointed; she thought he dressed so smartly just for her, but it turned out to be for a meeting.
Despite having his hand held, Jeffrey easily sensed the change in the girl’s mood. Though feeling regretful, he maintained his usual calm demeanor and casually urged, "Aren’t we leaving?"
Hearing this, Isabelle didn’t allow herself to dwell in her sadness. Holding onto Jeffrey, she headed out, comforting herself with the thought that his agreement to have dinner and see an opera with her was already a huge step forward in their relationship. One shouldn’t be too greedy.
Perhaps Isabelle’s self-comfort took effect, as her steps became much lighter. She took Jeffrey to the car, and because Jeffrey had a cast on his left hand, she naturally helped fasten his seatbelt.