The car pulled into the spot near the snack bar. Parking outside was just too tricky.
After stepping out, Aria glanced at the small shop. A wave of embarrassment hit her.
“Mr. Vice President, maybe we should go somewhere else? I’m worried you won’t like it here,” she said awkwardly.
“Why wouldn’t I?” Evan asked, looking at her.
“The place is… a bit small,” Aria mumbled, her cheeks flushing. She knew it was a weak excuse.
She feared the shop’s hygiene and decor wouldn’t meet his standards.
“I’m here to eat. If the food is good, that’s all that matters,” Evan replied with a smile.
“I’m not sure if you’ll be used to the taste.”
“Let’s just try it and see,” he said.
Aria couldn’t argue anymore. She led the way inside.
“Aria! Long time no see!” the owner called out.
“Yeah, I graduated!” Aria smiled back. She was surprised he remembered her.
“Got a job?” the owner asked while blanching vegetables.
“Yes, I did,” Aria answered. Then she turned to Evan. “Mr. Vice President, what would you like to eat?”
“Bringing your boyfriend along?” the owner looked up, grinning at Evan.
“No, he’s not…” Aria blushed, flustered.
“What’s good here?” Evan asked calmly, ignoring the comment.
“You should ask your girlfriend. She used to be a regular here!” the owner chuckled.
Evan turned to look at Aria. She was so embarrassed she wished the floor would swallow her.
“Order whatever you like,” Evan teased her. He walked in and found a seat.
Aria ordered two bowls of wonton noodles. She also asked for a plate of mixed vegetables and paid.
“Have a seat. I’ll bring it over,” the owner said warmly.
“Thanks, boss!” Aria put her wallet away and sat across from Evan.
“Business is good here,” Evan observed.
“It’s not even peak time yet. During rush hour, you can’t even get a seat inside. People have to sit outside,” Aria explained.
“Do you know the owner well?”
“He’s a friend of my roommate’s. We used to come here a lot. We’re pretty familiar with each other. He likes to joke around,” Aria said.
Thinking about how the owner called Evan her boyfriend made her cringe.
“Here you go. Enjoy your meal,” the owner said, setting down the wonton noodles. He also placed a plate of mixed vegetables on their table.
“Boss, we didn’t order this!” Aria said quickly.
“It’s on the house,” the owner smiled.
“Thank you, boss!” Aria said.
After the owner left, she leaned in and whispered to Evan, “Mr. Vice President, I’ve eaten here for years. He’s never given me free food before!”
“If you want to come here again, just call me.”
“Huh?” Aria looked confused.
“You’ll get free vegetables that way.”
Aria burst out laughing. The vice president was actually funny!
“Eat while it’s hot, Mr. Vice President,” she said, picking up her chopsticks.
Evan took a sip of the soup first. It was decent. Then he started eating the noodles.
Aria added some vinegar to her soup. She looked at Evan. “Mr. Vice President, do you want some?”
“Not for now,” he replied.
Aria put the vinegar bottle back. His way of speaking was amusing. “Not for now” meant he might want it later.
Aria ate slowly and gracefully. It wasn’t her nature. Her mother had taught her that a person’s eating habits showed their character. No matter how hungry you were, you shouldn’t wolf down your food or chew loudly. That was uncivilized.
She always remembered her mother’s lessons. Her mother’s words and actions had shaped her deeply.
As she ate, Aria felt awkward. She needed to find something to talk about. Otherwise, just eating in silence felt strange.
After a moment, she thought of a topic. She blurted out, “Mr. Vice President, didn’t you win anything at the raffle today?”
As soon as she said it, she regretted it.
“No, not even a participation prize,” Evan smiled.
“Really? I thought everyone who didn’t win got a consolation prize,” Aria said, surprised.
“What did you win?” he asked.
“An induction cooker,” she replied proudly.
“That doesn’t seem very lucky.”
“It’s the best prize I’ve ever won in my whole life!” Aria said triumphantly.
Evan just smiled at her. Aria’s face turned red again.
“It’s true,” she mumbled.
“Maybe your good luck is being saved for something else.”
“Maybe. But I think this prize is great. It’s practical. I can take it home and use it to stir-fry,” Aria answered.
She didn’t quite catch his meaning.
“Can you cook?”
“A little. I’m still learning. I’ll get better with practice,” she said optimistically.
“Good. I’ll have to try your cooking sometime.”
“Huh?” Aria was stunned for a second. “Mr. Vice President, you probably wouldn’t like it.”
“Are you saying you don’t want to invite me?”
“No, it’s just that I’m not a good cook!”
“That’s fine. You said you’d learn. You should improve in a month or two.”
“…” Aria didn’t know how to respond.
She felt like she had dug a hole and fallen into it herself. She just lowered her head and ate to hide her embarrassment.
When they finished everything, including the free vegetables, Aria realized she had eaten too much. She hadn’t eaten this much in a long time.
She followed Evan out of the snack bar. The owner called after them, “Take care! Come again!”
Then she heard Evan reply, “Sure! Thanks for the vegetables.”
Aria found it hilarious. She covered her mouth, following him to the car.
“Is it that funny?” Evan turned to look at her.
Aria smiled and nodded.
“What’s so funny? Tell me. I want to laugh too,” he said.
“It just is. Mr. Vice President, you probably won’t come back. But you still promised the boss you would,” Aria explained, still smiling.