As soon as he heard this, Bartlett immediately ceased his struggles. With a shrug, he pulled out a chair and sat down across from her, sighing with resignation. âOh, Ellinor, you really are a tough nut to crack.â
After ordering her own food, Ellinor handed the menu to him. âLess talk, more ordering. The sooner we eat, the sooner we get back to the office. Iâve got things to do this afternoon.â
After taking the menu from her, Bartlett let out another sigh and added a few dishes to the order. He handed the menu to the waiter and waved him off.
âEllinor, is it really necessary to be this cautious while having a meal with me? Youâre not even willing to sit in a private booth? Itâs not like weâre checking into a motel.â
Ellinor was typing on her phone again, and after he finished talking, she glanced up at him. âA man and a woman alone in a room can lead to misunderstandings. Since weâre here for business, itâs better to eat in public. It saves us the trouble.â
Bartlett crossed his arms. âTsk, youâre so careful. Are you afraid Theo might get the wrong idea?â
Ellinorâs typing paused for a moment, but she didnât reply and continued typing.
She was sending a message to Theo. It was an encrypted message, and there was no sound when the other side received it. Even if someone else saw it, it would just seem like a weather forecast notification.
But Theo hadnât replied yet.
She was getting worried about the situation on Theoâs end.
âEllinor? Ellinor!â
Bartlettâs hand reached out and knocked on the table in front of her. She snapped back to reality.
âHmm? What is it?â
Bartlett frowned after seeing her distracted expression. âEllinor, Iâve been talking to you for a while now;
did you not hear any of it?â
Books Chapters Are Daily Updated Join & Stay Updated For All Books Updatesâ¦
Ellinor had indeed not heard anything he said. She wasnât interested, but she asked anyway, âWhat did you say?â
Bartlett looked disappointed, and he waved his hand dismissively. âForget it; you clearly donât care about what I have to say. Go back to your phone.â
Ellinor was just waiting for Theoâs reply. He hadnât responded in a while, so he mustâve been preoccupied.
The waiter brought their food.
She was hungry, so she put her phone aside and started eating.
Bartlett looked somewhat relieved to see her put her phone down. âFinally willing to part with your precious phone, huh? I wonder who you were messaging that you cared so much about.â
Ellinor glanced at him. âEat your food. Less talking!â
Bartlett smiled. âEating in silence is boring too!â
âI think youâre not hungry; otherwise, you wouldnât have the time to talk so much.â
Bartlett was actually pretty happy. Even if Ellinor was complaining about him or snapping at him, it was better than her not even giving him a glance. He picked up his fork and was about to say something while serving her some food. Suddenly, Ellinorâs phone rang, cutting him off.
Ellinor became very attentive and quickly jumped to get her phone. She thought it was Theo responding to her message, but it turned out to be a call.