Chapter 154
E55 vouchers
Eliana got out of the car from the other side, watching as Irene, rocking that bold makeup, strode straight toward the elevator. She couldn’t help but admire her.
Eliana thought, ‘Honestly, not everyone has the guts to show up at a packed mall with their face done up like that.
‘That’s what makes Irene so special.‘
Thinking this, Eliana hurried over and linked arms with Irene. “Irene, you’re seriously amazing. I’m ready to worship you.”
Irene instantly threw her arm around Eliana’s shoulders, pulling her right up close. “Don’t I look absolutely amazing?”
With Irene’s face just inches away, Eliana nearly lost it.
“Irene, maybe let’s be a little more reserved, okay? That stunning look should be saved for your date to appreciate, don’t you think?” Eliana teased.
Irene laughed and finally let go. “Alright, I’ll graciously let him have the honor then.”
Joking and laughing, the two of them made their way into the elevator together.
As they stepped out of the elevator, Eliana finally asked Irene where they were meeting up.
For a first blind date, Eliana figured the guy would go for somewhere nice and romantic. But Irene just gave her a helpless look and said, “The cheapest small diner in the whole mall.”
“He’s basically got ‘cheapskate‘ stamped on his forehead before we’ve even met,” Irene snarked.
Eliana was honestly a bit surprised.
Elina thought, ‘It’s not that meeting at a small diner was a dealbreaker, but I knew the place. It is super cramped, barely has three tiny tables, and everyone is in and out in minutes.
‘If they were going to hog a table there for ages, chatting away on a blind date, that’d be kind of rude.
Seeing Eliana hesitate, Irene knew exactly what she was thinking.
“Isn’t he a real piece of work?” Irene snorted.
Eliana couldn’t really argue with that, so she just nodded. “Yeah, kinda.”
“At least you’re not looking for a long–term thing. We’ll make it quick and get out,” Irene said.
Irene nodded. ‘Let’s grab some seafood after this. I’ve been dying for it these past few days.”
The two of them were totally on the same page.
Wanting to make sure they could really enjoy their meal and hit the shops later, Eliana got extra proactive. She almost wanted to kick the guy out of the small diner herself and call it a day.
After hearing Irene’s description, Eliana had mentally prepared herself for the worst.
But when she looked at the three tables in the small diner, she still couldn’t believe her eyes,
1/4
11:29 am D
Chapter 154
E55 vouchers
One table had a girl, another had a couple, and the only guy sitting alone was a balding middle–aged man. He looked just as over–the–top as Irene with her makeup on.
Eliana knew judging by appearances wasn’t fair, but thinking about how Irene’s folks had picked this guy for her, she couldn’t wrap her head around it.
“Is that the guy?” Eliana lowered her voice, glancing at Irene.
“I don’t know, but odds are it’s him,” Irene muttered.
Irene squeezed Eliana’s hand. “Let’s go check him out.”
With that, she dragged Eliana straight into the small diner and sat herself right across from the balding man.
When someone sat down across from him, the middle–aged man glanced up instinctively.
At first, he figured they were just sharing the table, so he didn’t think much of it.
But when he finally got a good look at Irene, his eyes nearly popped out of his head. He almost choked on his food and started coughing like crazy.
He quickly realized how ridiculous he must’ve looked, so he bowed his head and took a deep breath, trying to pull himself together.
Once he’d composed himself, he finally managed to say, “Sorry about that.”
Irene didn’t mind at all. She admitted with a shrug, “It’s fine, I’m used to it. This is just how I look. It’s not just you. Pretty much everyone reacts like this when they see me.
“That’s why I haven’t bothered with dating all these years. Any guy who dates me would just get laughed at, too. Do you get what I’m saying?”
Worried he’d hurt Irene’s feelings, the middle–aged man quickly blurted out, “No, it’s really not that bad. You’ve actually got good features. It’s just… The makeup…”
As he spoke, he glanced up at Irene again, and for a moment, he almost burst out laughing.
It wasn’t that Irene looked ugly. She just looked comical, not ugly at all.
He honestly never thought anyone could actually look like this in real life.
He quickly ducked his head again and said seriously, “You know, all that stuff on your face can totally be taken care of. Laser treatments for blemishes and stuff are super advanced nowadays.”
Hearing what the guy said, Eliana couldn’t help glancing at Irene in surprise.
Honestly, he might not be good–looking, but he actually seemed like a pretty decent guy.
Irene caught Eliana’s look and pinched her hard under the table.
Seeing the threat in Irene’s eyes, Eliana jumped right in. She said, “Honestly, we’re not gonna lie to you. The way she looks is actually because of a health issue.
“She barely sleeps, and at night, she gets super agitated, as she turns into a whole different person.
“The doctors say she should really be by herself at night, otherwise she might accidentally hurt someone
2/4
11:29 am
Chapter 154
“So honestly, staying single is just safer for her,” Eliana added.
The guy nodded. “I see.”
But then he glanced at them, looking baffled. “Why are you telling me all this? Do I even know you?”
“Wait, aren’t you my blind date?” Irene finally blurted out.
He answered, “Me? No way. I’m not your guy. My kid’s already in middle school.”
55 vouchers
He looked genuinely freaked out by Irene’s words. He didn’t even finish the last bit of his food. He just shot up from his seat. He said, “You’ve got the wrong guy.”
With that, he hurried out of the small diner.
Eliana just stood there, dumbfounded for a good while, then looked at Irene. “Girl, we didn’t even make sure he was the right guy before we just jumped right in. Wasn’t that a little reckless?”
Irene furrowed her brows, but was totally confident. “It was him, no doubt. He most likely saw me and bolted.”
“Guess that saves us the trouble,” Irene shrugged.
Irene pulled out her phone. “See? He sent a photo of this small diner twenty minutes ago, saying he was already here. He’s gotta be around. No way he’s not. It has to be him.”
“But look at his profile pic,” Eliana said, tapping it open. “He looks way better than the guy we just saw. That can’t be him.”
“Oh, please, you know how profile pics are. He probably just grabbed some random handsome guy’s photo off the internet,” Irene snorted.
“Well, he took off. Mission complete! Come on, let’s go shopping,” Irene grinned, linking arms with Eliana as they headed
out.
Seeing Irene’s getup, Eliana couldn’t help but tease, “Are you really planning to walk around with that face?”
Irene suddenly caught on. “Oh! Hang on, let me run to the bathroom and fix this. I’ll be right back.”
Eliana nodded. Just as she was about to step outside to wait for Irene, she suddenly saw the guy from the profile pic show up in the flesh. She couldn’t believe her eyes.
3/4
Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.
