Chapter 29
Herman watched as Anastasia disappeared into the hustle and bustle of the Night Market. The crowd was so thick he couldnât see her at all.
Even though he hadnât known Anastasia for long. Herman could feel her sincerity.
Nodding in agreement, Herman said, âDuncan, youâre spot on. A good wife can bring prosperity to a familyâ
Duncan chuckled. âMate, cherish her. I think you guys are a match made in heaven. Oh, by the way, Anastasia didnât mention you got married. Hereâs a little something from meâ
ཡོ ༠འà½à½¢à¾ ཥཾ རོ
Duncan pulled out a small gift box, inside was a present he had bought for just 20 bucks. Although it was only worth 20 bucks, it was a weekâs worth of his meals and his kidâs medical bills.
The gift wasnât heavy, but the sentiment was.
Herman tried to refuse. âDuncan, youâre too kind. Keep it. We appreciate your gesture, but you need that money for your kidâs treatment.â
âCome on, take it.â Duncan stood up, took a drag from his cigarette, and said, âAnastasia has helped us out before. I canât afford much, but I insist you take this. Otherwise, it would sit wrong with me.â It was a manâs pride.
Herman held the wrapped gift, it felt unusually heavy for such a small box.
âThanks.â Herman didnât refuse any further. He accepted the gift, lit the cigarette Duncan had offered him, took a puff, and coughed a few times. The smoke was pungent and fiery.
Laughing, Duncan said, âHey, youâre not a regular smoker, are you?â
âNot really,â Herman admitted âI guess, I made a fool of myselfâ
Duncan was a straightforward guy, and they started chatting about this and that.
Soon, Anastasia came back with two cups of latte and two cups of Peruvian frog juice.
Before Anastasia could even get close, Herman smelled something foul. âAnastasia, what did you buy?â
âFrog juiceâ Anastasia excitedly put the cups on the small table. âYouâve never tried it, right? It might look scary, but itâs really tasty. Give it a try! Also, I got a vanilla latte from the street cafe, I wasnât sure which flavor youâd prefer.â
Herman never drank latte from street vendors, he always preferred freshly ground coffee and tea.
Herman sniffed the frog juice, his face twisted in discomfort. âAre you sure this is edible?â
Anastasia encouraged him, âJust give it a try. Trust me, itâs delicious. Youâll love it after one sip.â
Anastasia held the frog juice close to his face, almost spoonâfeeding him. Herman held his breath, glanced at the stuff in the cup, and then back at
Anastasia.
Anastasia looked at him with expectation, so it was hard to say no.
Holding his breath, Herman took a tiny sip, his face contorted.
Anastasia laughed. âIsnât it tasty?â
Herman swallowed hard, choking down the disgust, quickly took a sip of the vanilla latte, and said, âThe latteâs pretty good.â
He really didnât fancy the frog juice.
Anastasia didnât push him. âYou have your latte first, then Iâll get you another drink.â
Duncan chuckled on the side. âMate, Iâm not a fan of frog juice either.â
Herman didnât like the frog juice, but he quickly fell in love with the street vanilla latte. He usually drank bitter coffee and tea without any sugar, but this sweet vanilla flavor was really good. By the time Anastasia came back, Herman had almost finished his drink.
Anastasia was busy all night, taking care of the business and Herman.
Herman felt like he was getting in the way. He offered to help multiple times, but Anastasia insisted he just relax. Just as Herman was thinking of helping Anastasia sell all the trinkets so they could pack up earlier and she wouldnât have to work so hard, a familiar voice called from ahead.
âHerman, is that really you? What are you doing here⦠selling stuff on the street?â
Flynn was in disbelief. His new girlfriend had dragged him to the Night Market and, to his surprise, he saw Herman selling stuff on the side of the street.
A billionaire CEO selling stuff on the street?
That was just bizarre. Pursuing a girlfriend didnât mean he had to go that far, right?
Chapter 30