GoodReadEverett knew his mother all too well—domineering and often unreasonable. So, even when tensions flared between the two women in his life, he was always inclined to side with Dorothy deep down in his heart.
He trusted that Dorothy wasn't the type to stir up trouble.
"Everett, you know it'll put you in quite a bind if we two clash, don’t you?" Dorothy said. Everett watched her smooth down his shirt, a playful smile on her lips.
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇt"I don't want to put you in a tough spot, just like you wouldn't want to see me upset." Everett caught her wandering hand, his eyes piercing with sincerity.
"As long as you don't leave, being in a bind doesn't matter to me." All he wanted was for Dorothy to stay by his side.
She met his gaze with a smile, tactfully changing the subject. "Are we really going to leave all the food | cooked sitting in the dining room?" "I'll carry you, and we can eat together." "Sure." Karen fell silent after leaving Kenneth's place.
Jeffrey could sense her gloominess, so he steered the car towards a shopping mall.
"What are we doing here?" "Shopping, of course! | promised to make it up to you with new clothes, remember? Isn't it said that a new outfit can lift a woman's spirits?" Karen raised an eyebrow at him. "You seem pretty experienced at this." "I swear, | only financed shopping trips before. I've never actually accompanied any women to shop except you." "You've been swearing to a lot of things lately.” "But I'm telling the truth, really!" Jeffrey moved closer, trying to take her hand.
Karen gripped his hand back, a teasing smile on her face. "I do believe you. If you were this attentive with every girl, you'd be worn out.” "That's the spirit!" Jeffrey breathed a sigh of relief. "Let's go. Get whatever you want, all on me." "I might just take advantage of that." "Why not? Just don't buy anything pink. Otherwise, I'll have to clear out the entire mall so you can have your pick." Karen laughed it off. "I'm just teasing. Don't go making a scene.” She wasn't serious about spending Jeffrey's money! Hand in hand, they entered the mall. Karen steered clear of the high-end luxury stores. Instead, she browsed the trendier shops on the upper floors.
"You don't have to save money on my account," he reminded her.
"| just don't think luxury brands suit me." Karen could afford them, especially with a cousin like Kenneth who could easily hand her a few grand for pocket money. But she believed in dressing for who you are, not for showing off to high society.
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏmAs they shopped, Karen felt parched. Jeffrey went to a nearby café to grab her a drink.
She watched as Jeffrey stepped away, and several female eyes turned his way immediately, some even sneakily snapping photos.
His striking looks always drew attention, but what came next caught Karen off guard.
"Mr. Turner?" a voice called out.
Recognizing the voice, Jeffrey looked over. It was a familiar face, but he couldn't quite recall who she was.
He raised an eyebrow, holding two drinks. "And you are?" "It's me, Caren! Remember? At Charm Night Bar, you took me to that hotel next door." Jeffrey's skin crawled at the recollection.
Turning stiffly, he saw Karen's gaze fixed on them, her expression an unreadable mix of emotions.
Caren was oblivious to Karen's presence. She pulled out her phone and smiled at Jeffrey. "You gave me some money last time. | want to pay you back. Luckily we ran into each other today!"
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