Chapter 131
Well, I had no choice, did I? Everyone was here for FreeMan, so naturally, I sided with the team that worked in my favor.
As for Hogan, I couldn’t bother with too much about him. And sure enough, after my piece, Shirley was all smiles, “Ms. March, always so understanding: what do you think, Mr. Zade?”
His calm gaze landed on my face without a ripple. After a two–second pause, I heard Hogan say. “Alright, but it gotta stop before we get tipsy.
And so, the drinking began. The vintage wine was top–notch, but starting to drink was easy; stopping, not so much.
Added to that President Stapleton, who could talk your ear off with a bottomless capacity for booze. His toasting was relentless, and after a while, both Zachary and I were struggling to
keep up.
Hogan, though, was sticking to his guns, sipping away quietly.
Shirley caught on to that and scooted her wooden chair closer to Hogan, pouring wine and starting in. “Mr. Zade, you know, when I first saw you, I was totally wowed.”
She was laying her heart on the line.
“I was thinking, how can a guy be this drop–dead gorgeous?” Shirley leaned in closer, “Cecilia’s one lucky lady.”
At that, my fork slipped and clattered to the floor. I bent to pick it up without making a fuss, but caught a glimpse of Shirley, swinging her long legs, rubbing them up against Hogan’s.
The scene was heating up. But Hogan? He remained as detached and unruffled as ever.
“Mr. Zade. I might have had a bit too much; would you mind walking me back to my room?”
Shirley’s hint couldn’t be more obvious.
I glanced at Hogan and quickly looked away. At times like this, Zachary and I should just blend into the background.
Just as I was thinking of an excuse to duck out, Hogan’s voice reached my ears again, “Ms. March, you go ahead and take President Stapleton back to her room.”
Sometimes, what you feared came true. Shirley wanted Hogan, and if I messed this up for her. there was no way we’d talk about the guest list.
With that in mind, I took a breath and pretended to be drunk, ‘Sorry President Stapleton, I’m dizzy and gonna puke, I gotta hit the restroom.
When I couldn’t confront it, I’d gotta know how to duck. As I got up, I clearly saw a flash of approval in Shirley’s eyes.
docomo
Charter 131
I hid out in the restroom for a good twenty minutes. By that time. Hogan must have left the restaurant with Shirley.
I figured, smart as Hogan was, if he didn’t want to, he’d have a hundred ways to turn Shirley down; not like me, I couldn’t afford to offend her.
But, of course, there was another possibility. After all, President Stapleton had the looks and the charm if he couldn’t resist, that wouldn’t be weird, right? The one who should worry was Cecilia.
After some mental prep, I inched back to the restaurant and from afar, I saw a lone figure at the table. Taking a closer look, who else could it be but Hogan?
The man sat quietly like a cold and detached statue at the window, eyes slightly closed, his face lost in the backlight, unreadable.
It was that air of asceticism about him that made him feel like a spectacle to be admired from a distance, but not trifled with.
Shirley and Zachary were nowhere to be seen. Seeing this, I let out a sigh of relief. I had guessed right: Hogan knew how to make an exit.
The wind was strong at the top of a mountain, and in the dead of winter, it was even colder. I eyed the man by the window and asked the waiter for a blanket.
Approaching Hogan, I fancied myself quiet and cautious, but the moment the blanket was draped over him, the man who seemed to be dozing suddenly looked up with a cold voice. “Not feeling dizzy anymore?”
