Love the Second Time Around Novel

Chapter 43

Chapter 43 Care

“What the f*ck is wrong with you two? I was only asking how he became disabled, that’s all! Why are you all freaking out like this?” Mitch yelled after a brief pause.

Benjamin, who was sitting next to him, pulled him back onto his chair and topped up his plate with a chunk of meat. “Eat your food and shut up!”

“Yeah, your brain could use a little more nourishment!” James chimed in as well.

Dominic’s threat was a lot more intimidating. “One more word out of you, and you’ll end up like this meat right here!”

Shannon and I couldn’t help but chuckle in amusement when we saw Mitch’s expression after being shut down by three people at once.

James then called for the waiter to bring him a menu before ordering more dishes.

When you see guys dressed in classy business suits like these, you’d automatically associate them with fine dining in fancy restaurants… Still, for some reason, I find the sight of them sitting here at a barbecue joint rather heartwarming…

I was lost in thought as I looked at the four of them.

Shannon jabbed at my arm under the table and asked, “Where did you find these four handsome men? You’ve been getting really lucky with guys after breaking up with Julius!”

I simply rolled my eyes at her in response. Shannon had been obsessed with men ever since her close encounter with Nicholas the other day, and that obsession seemed to have worsened to the point of no return.

Regardless, I had to admit that having a meal with such handsome men was quite a pleasant experience. It would be perfect if the jerk Dominic wasn’t present.

The four of them were waiting in a row behind me at the checkout, and the boss was so charmed by their looks that she gave me a 20% discount on our total bill.

Wow, having handsome men around does have its perks!

Benjamin suggested we go for some karaoke after dinner.

I instinctively turned toward Dominic as I knew he hated how noisy karaoke bars were.

To my surprise, he didn’t object to the suggestion, so I assumed he was okay with it.

Personally, I had no issues with singing. When I was going to book us a session at a nearby karaoke bar, James brought us to Royal Entertainment which was located north of the city instead.

The sight of the bright lights castle-like structure left me dumbfounded, and I subconsciously clutched my bag.

Oh, god… This is definitely going to burn a huge hole in my pocket… A place like this will easily cost thousands per entry! Hmm… Screw it! I’m here to have fun, so I might as well just roll with it! My luck has been great during the past two days, so I’m in a good mood tonight. Besides, I can just make more money after spending it anyway!

A middle-aged man dressed in a suit and tie with slicked-back hair greeted us the moment we set foot in Royal Entertainment.

He walked up to James and addressed him especially politely, “Mr. Dalton.”

A pretty woman nearby offered to escort us to our private room, but the man declined her offer and escorted us himself instead.

As expected of Royal Entertainment… Even the private rooms have a fancy and majestic feel to them! I guess it lives up to the price…

I chose to walk at the end of the line so I could ask staff about the price. I decided to pretend as if I didn’t mind it at all after finding out.

Shannon and the guys were quick to get themselves in the mood; they had selected about thirty songs in just a matter of minutes.

Whoa… I didn’t know they were this good at singing…

Dominic sat down in a corner, looking somewhat lonely as he sipped on a glass of whiskey in silence.

I didn’t know why I did it, but I walked up to him and swapped his drink for a glass of fruit juice instead.

“Lay off the booze, or you’ll upset your stomach.”

He glanced at the glass of fruit juice in his hand before flashing me a sarcastic grin as he said, “Since you’re so eager to lick my boots, I’ll graciously accept your act of kindness.”

A myriad of emotions surged in my heart when I heard him say that.

Damn it! Can’t he interpret my actions normally? I’m trying to care for him. Why did he have to put it that way? What the hell is he playing at?

I reached out to snatch his fruit juice, but Dominic was faster and quickly moved out of the way.

“Why are you trying to take it back now?” he asked with a mischievous smirk.

“I’m not trying to lick your boots, so I don’t want you getting the wrong idea! Now give it back,” I snapped back at him angrily.

Stop laughing, you jerk!

Not wanting to let him bother me any further, I returned to my seat next to Shannon.

“Hey, you seem to be awfully close with that Dominic guy. What were you two talking about just now?” Shannon whispered nosily in my ear.

“What do you mean we’re close? I don’t even know him!” That’s right… Meeting him was the worst thing to happen in my life!

“Tsk, tsk tsk… So quick to deny it, huh? Looks like someone’s feeling a little flustered!”

Her response instantly left me speechless, and I couldn’t help but wonder if there was someone I could talk to normally. Property of Nô)(velDr(a)ma.Org.

At that moment, James yanked me to the front of the room and handed me the microphone while Benjamin pushed Dominic toward me.

Oh, god… What are they trying to do now?

“Don’t think for a second that you two can sit out on the singing! We’ve picked a love song for you so it won’t feel awkward!” James teased with a chuckle, much to my dismay.

These guys are doing it on purpose, aren’t they? I would rather die than do a duet with Dominic, especially when it’s a love song! I have to get out of here!

With that in mind, I hurled the microphone at Benjamin and ran toward the door of the private room.

“I’m having a stomachache. I need to use the bathroom! You guys have fun, okay?” I quickly left the private room after saying that.

I ended up taking a tour around the place to appreciate the decor and avoid singing at the same time.

For a split second, I thought I saw Dominic looking rather upset as I left the private room.

Is he angry at me?

However, I was quick to dismiss that thought — his feelings were no longer my concern.

I felt like a bumpkin visiting a city for the first time as I walked along the corridor. I quickly found myself captivated by the beautiful decor.

However, I had overestimated my sense of direction and soon found myself completely lost.

To make matters worse, I hadn’t brought my phone with me after leaving in such a hurry. When I was about to sink into despair, I heard Nicholas’ voice sounding from behind me.

I quickly turned around and was relieved to see him standing in the distance.

Without wasting another second, I ran up to him and asked, “Hey, Nicholas! What are you doing here? Are you here to unwind as well?”