StarNovelFanny chuckled, "Sure." "Wow, that was easy. Have you checked with Yates?" I teased.
Fanny replied, "No questions asked." I instantly got it, "Tomorrow isn't about you two wanting salone time, is it?" "Well, a double date could work too," Fanny winked atbefore turning away.
Watching her walk away, I could tell she didn't want Yates to leave, but she was too stubborn to admit it.
"We should treat them to something special tomorrow, maybe plan something extra," I whispered to Ernest. Ernest didn't catch my drift this time, "Like what?" I leaned closer. "A luxury penthouse suite." Ernest didn't book the penthouse, but he managed to reserve a table at Seabreeze City's most upscale restaurant for Yates' farewell dinner.
"You two are going all out," Fanny said, now treatingas the future Mrs. Collins after Ernest's proposal. "Yates saved Susie's life; it's the least we can do," Ernest replied graciously to Yates.
Yates, out of his lab coat and in a crisp suit, looked even more dashing.
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇtErnest, too, had dressed up in a formal suit, giving off a CEO vibe straight out of a TV .
Fanny was surprised, "Ernest really cleans up well. He's a heartbreaker in that suit." "Who do you think picked it out?" I said proudly.
The dinner was filled with joy, Fanny and I didn't hold back on the food or the fun.
Yates, usually approachable, was even more so tonight, shedding his professor persona.
Ernest, often quiet and the quintessential tech guy, matched Yates in conversation, displaying his wide range of knowledge.
"Mr. Collins is a hidden gem. He knows everything," Fanny complimented Ernest during a restroom break. "That's because I traveled the world to find him," I joked with Fanny as we washed our hands.
But when I looked up, there was Conrad coming out of the men's room.
He saw me, and likely heard my comment, his gaze intense.
"Mr. Wagner, fancy seeing you here," Fanny broke the awkward silence betweenand Conrad.
Then, another figure emerged from the restroom - my boss, Jeremy.
Just as I was marveling at the smallness of the world, running into an ex and my CEO at dinner, Conrad shifted his attention fromto Jeremy, "Mr. Collins, after you." Jeremy sawtoo but didn't say anything. Instead, he and Conrad washed and dried their hands before leaving.
"Conrad's like a bad penny; he always turns up," Fanny remarked.
"Today might just be a coincidence." "How can you be sure?" Fanny was skeptical.
"The man with him is my current boss and the heir to the Collins family. There was talk of a partnership between the Wagner Group and the Collins family. They're probably discussing that," I explained.
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏm"I see. But didn't Conrad drop off the radar for a while?" Fanny knew about Conrad's recent disappearance. "To pull out, he'd still have to seal the deal with the Collins family. Nobody else could manage that negotiation," I shared, recalling my twith Conrad and the importance of this deal.
MS
"Conrad does have his strengths. In that regard, he's got one up on m Ernest," Fanny sighed. If only Ernest had a fortune to his name, he'd be perfect."
"Stop it. I never cared about that. Besides, I'm not exactly broke m laughed with Fanny as we headed back to our private dining room. Yet, before we could get there, I saw Ernest.
He was talking to someone - Jeremy.
I thought they were just exchanging pleasantries, but then I overheard Jeremy telling Ernest, "We've been keeping theWa Ernest.
keeping the Wagner family on the hook for over six months now. We can't keep dragging this out much longer."
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