CHAPTER 45: CHAPTER 45: THE ENTRANCE NO ONE EXPECTED

I told him, "I need to start going."

Then he looked at me seriously and said,

Okay, if I text you...

I’ll reply immediately.

If I call you...

I’ll pick up immediately.

He added with a teasing smile, "Okay, good boy."

Then he kissed me, finally letting go. As I stood up, he gave my butt a playful slap.

"Stop being naughty, Evric," I said with a teasing laugh.

He just smiled mischievously and replied, "I like it, that’s why I touch it."

I raised an eyebrow and gave him a look that said, Is that all you like?

He caught my expression and added warmly, "I don’t just love your butt; every part of you drives me crazy, Zayn. Everything about you is what I love."

I blushed, looked at him shyly, and smiled before turning to leave his office, heading back to the restaurant.

The drive back to my restaurant was smooth and quicker than I expected. When I arrived, I immediately asked one of my staff members where Nitammi was. She pointed to a corner where Nitammi sat quietly, then added, "Your friend Nantam is around too."

I smiled and said, "I’ll attend to Nitammi first." I straightened my clothes, took a deep breath, and walked over to her table. She had ordered a simple meal and was eating alone. When she spotted me, she stood up and greeted me with a warm side hug.

I pulled out a chair and sat down beside her. "Thank you for the gift you sent the other day," I said sincerely. Nitammi smiled, her eyes shining with warmth. She was lovely and lively... and, honestly, quite beautiful.

As we talked, she confessed, "You’re the first person I’ve ever boldly approached like this. I’m glad it was you. You handled it so beautifully." We both smiled, a quiet understanding passing between us.

What I hadn’t expected was that Nantam wouldn’t be alone. He showed up with Nicki, and both of them kept a close eye on me and Nitammi from across the room, their expressions unreadable.

When my conversation with Nitammi finally came to an end, she stood up. "I have some things to attend to," she said apologetically. Before leaving, she gave me another quick side hug.

I waved off any concern about the bill. "Don’t worry about your food. It’s on me."

Nitammi shook her head. "Alright, next time you have to let me pay."

I laughed softly. "Okay, deal."

With that, she turned and left the restaurant, leaving me with a lingering smile and thoughts about the unexpected moments today had brought.

I was still chuckling when I spotted Nantam and to my surprise, Nicki was with him. They caught my eye, grinning mischievously. I walked over to their table and called out, "Nicki! Finally, the ghost has risen."

Nicki stared me down and said flatly, "I seriously don’t want to be here. Nantam dragged me along."

I laughed and said, "Good thing you’re here."

Nantam smirked and teased, "Your girl is as beautiful as you are."

I leaned in closer and asked, "Is she?"

Nicki gave me a deadpan look and warned, "Don’t jinx it, bro."

I raised both hands in surrender. "Okay, okay."

Nicki kept staring at me, and finally, I caught his gaze and asked, "Is there something on my face?"

He shot back, "I hate you, you know."

I grinned, teasing, "If you’re still hating me just because I’m good-looking, then maybe you should check yourself out in the mirror. You’re way hotter and more handsome than me, so stop hating on my beauty."

Nicki scoffed, "Yeah, I know I’m pretty as hell, more than you. But I still don’t like how you look good without even trying."

Nantam laughed. "Nicki, are you seriously saying that to his face?"

Nicki shrugged sassy. "Who cares?"

I swallowed hard. Yeah, I always knew Nicki’s mouth was spoiled as hell.

Then Nicki smirked and asked, "So... is that your girlfriend? Because you were smiling from ear to ear the whole time you were talking to her."

I looked at him and said with a grin, "What do you think?"

He just shook his head. "I’m too busy to think about anything else right now."

As Nantam picked up the conversation, he glanced at Nicki for confirmation. "He asked Nicki if the person he had been trying to reach had been picked up. Nicki replied, ’No.’"

I tilted my head, curiosity sparking. "Who?"

Nantam shot Nicki a teasing grin. "Oh, it’s about him running back to his ex." He turned to me, shaking his head. "I’ve told him over and over to let it go, but he just won’t listen."

Nicki rolled his eyes. "You make it sound worse than it is."

"You must have loved him a lot," I said, watching Nicki’s face.

Nicki scoffed, rolling his eyes. "Man, you don’t know the half of it. Nantam’s never truly loved anyone before. And the one person he did love deeply? He ended up turning him into his best friend."

My heart tightened at his words.

Nicki continued, his voice quieter, almost vulnerable. "So I can’t blame him for not knowing how painful to watch someone who once loved you move on... and love someone else who isn’t you."

I exchanged a glance with Nantam, our eyes locking with a silent understanding.

I knew exactly who Nicki was referring to, how I had drifted into the role of a best friend for Nantam when, deep down, what he wanted was love.

After hearing Nicki’s words, I decided not to dig deeper. He was speaking from his pain, and I didn’t want to press him further. So, I steered the conversation elsewhere.

We talked about everything and nothing, small stories, random jokes, until my phone buzzed on the table. I glanced down to see Evric’s name light up the screen.

Evric: I don’t want to sleep alone tonight. Pass the night at my place.

A smile tugged at my lips as I typed back, We both agreed on the weekend, remember?

His reply came almost instantly. I miss you already. I can’t wait until then.

I didn’t push further. Instead, I replied, "Okay. Pick me up."

And just like that, I agreed to spend the night at his place. I couldn’t stop smiling.

When I looked up, Nicki was shaking his head. "I’m leaving. Nothing in your restaurant ever looks normal."

Nantam stood as well. "I’ll go with him."

Once they left, the room settled into a quiet hum. Finally, I could turn my attention to Doreen and the rest of the staff, who were dying to resume their favorite pastime: gossip.

My back was turned to the restaurant entrance, and I listened as they dove right in, their voices low but eager.

"Do you see how expensive she smells?"

"She’s rich, no doubt." another added.

"Do you like her?" someone asked with a teasing grin.

Another voice jumped in before I could answer. "Boss, I saw the way you melted when you saw her."

They kept going, one after another.

"She’s wife material. Gentle, kind, sweet... so what’s your interest in her?"

I only smiled, letting them speculate. It was night, and they were in the mood for stories. No one noticed Evric’s entrance, or maybe they were too absorbed in their own chatter to care.

When one of them repeated the question, "So... what’s your interest in her after seeing her today?" I gave them a calm answer.

"I’ll get to know her more," I said casually.

They shouted in delight... "Rejoice!"...but almost instantly, their voices dropped.

I frowned, wondering what had made them go so quiet so suddenly, and shifted to a whisper.

Then I heard a familiar voice behind me, calling my name.

"Zayn."

I froze. Evric.