Chapter 176
After the meeting today, Mikayla felt quite inspired.
Coming out of the meeting room, Mikayla locked herself in her office and began a new round of work.
It wasn't until 5:30 PM when her phone rang right on time.
Typing away, Mikayla glanced at the blinking name on her phone screen. Sliding to answer, she put the call on speakerphone.
"Wait for me for half an hour," Mikayla said.
"Haven't you finished work yet? You're really becoming a business powerhouse, Mikayla," Juliet's voice boomed over the line. Mikayla sighed, "I'm not as free as you think!"
"Whatever! I'll be waiting for you at Universal Mall! Since you have plenty of drivers, I won't come to pick you up," Juliet said.
After the call, Mikayla remembered that Carlos had left early in the morning and hadn't told him that she was going shopping with Juliet after work. Mikayla paused her work and dialed Carlos's number.
"Hey, Mika." Carlos picked up after just a couple of rings.
"Carlos, Juliet invited me to go shopping after work today, so you don't need to come pick me up."
"I'm already downstairs," Carlos replied.
Mikayla glanced at her work and said, "You probably need to wait about ten minutes."
"Okay."
After the call, Mikayla finished up her remaining tasks, tidied her desk, and went downstairs.
Most of the company's employees had already left for the day. Mikayla walked over to the Ford parked right in front of the entrance.
Carlos kindly opened the door for her, and Mikayla got in the passenger seat.
"If you're busy, you can have Josiah come to pick me up." Mikayla fastened her seatbelt.
From the moment Mikayla first laid eyes on Carlos, she noticed a hint of fatigue on his face. He must have stayed up late the previous night and left early in the morning, surely having had a busy day.
"It's only natural for a husband to pick up his wife. And I don't have anything special to do right now," Carlos said, a faint smile playing on his lips. "Besides, doesn't my wife think I'm doing a pretty good job as a driver? If I keep skipping work, I might lose my only job."
The black Ford weaved through downtown, the traffic still heavy as it was quitting time.
Mikayla chuckled at Carlos's words. "You're spoiling me already! If you ever don't come pick me up, having to deal with Josiah every day, I'll not be used to it."
Josiah was a man of few words. When you talk to him, he responds straightforwardly, and if you touch on a sensitive topic, he stays silent.
"It seems Mrs. Ludwig approves of my work?" Carlos raised an eyebrow, and as the traffic light changed, bringing the car to a stop, he looked at Mikayla affectionately. "It feels like we've been apart for ages!"
"Carlos, the first time I saw you, my initial impression was that you're quite boring. But now that I've gotten to know you, it turns out you're not boring, you just have that quiet and mysterious vibe," Mikayla locked eyes with Carlos.
Truly, sometimes you can't judge a person by appearance. When she first saw Carlos, she thought he was honest and reliable. But it turned out, that was just for outsiders. With her, he was anything but honest, not even a bit reserved or subtle.
In the next moment, Mikayla was surprised by Carlos laughing out loud.
Carlos usually wore a faint smile, rarely bursting into laughter. His slightly narrowed eyes and the upward curve of his lips added a soft touch to his otherwise deep and stern features, making him even more attractive.Copyright Nôv/el/Dra/ma.Org.
If the serious-faced Carlos was already a handsome man of his time, then the smiling Carlos could easily charm any man!
Amidst their casual conversation, the black sedan smoothly pulled up in front of the Universal Mall.
"You are so shy. If I stay serious, I don't know when I'll be able to climb into my wife's bed," Carlos's deep voice resonated.
Carlos' words made Mikayla blush. She thought, 'This man... was truly mischievous.'
Carlos leaned in to help Mikayla unbuckle her seatbelt and planted a kiss on her crimson cheek.
"Holy cow! I've had more dog food than pasta these past few days!" Upon seeing Carlos' car approaching, Juliet hurried over to greet them, only to witness this scene!
Mikayla noticed Juliet's widened eyes, her cheeks flushing to the roots of her ears. Meanwhile, Carlos remained composed...
"Done shopping. Call me!" Carlos said.
"You go back first! I'll have Juliet bring me back once we're done shopping." She had no idea how long two women could shop for... "Alright," Carlos replied.
"Carlos, it's fine for me to send your wife home. Don't forget my service fee!" Juliet joked.
Mikayla got out of the car, closed
the door, and Carlos rested his hand on the steering wheel. "Sure! Ms. Klein, get yourself married first, and I'll make sure to provide you with both service fees and a generous gift With that said, Carlos drove away.
Mikayla chuckled softly, Juliet only catching on a beat later.
"Carlos, tonight I'm stealing your wife!" Juliet yelled after the departing car. She thought, 'Damn it! Do they think nobody wants me? Is it easy for me? I get a boyfriend, only to be bombarded with their lovey-dovey acts!'
"Mikayla, come with me tonight, don't go home! Let's see if Carlos still dares to say that about me..." Juliet tugged Mikayla angrily, leading her into the mall.
Just a few steps in, Juliet suddenly stopped, let go of Mikayla, and walked a couple of steps ahead, spinning in front of Mikayla. "Do I look good? Pretty? Beautiful?"
Juliet wore a limited-edition spring outfit, with a hint of a ladylike color, and a knee-length skirt. Paired with a silver pendant necklace, she exuded a fresh, youthful vibe, a far cry from her usual style...
The one who could bring about such a big change in Juliet wouldn't be someone else.
"It's from Brantley, isn't it?" Mikayla confirmed.
"Oh my... Mikayla, your judgment is too sharp!" She wanted to show off a bit! But it was ruined so quickly.
Juliet came forward, linking her arm
et
with Mikayla's. "Yesterday afternoon, I went to see Brantley, and he had some time in the afternoon to accompany me for a while. I thought it wasn't right for him to accompany me shopping. We picked a few outfits upstairs, and later he said he wanted to give me a gift.? it's this outfit... not bad, right?"
Mikayla pursed her lips. Women
loving to shop was natural, and men accompanying women shopping
was only right. Juliet was just too et
thoughtful for Brantley, always giving and thinking about him. In these kinds of relationships, it is usually the one who loves more that
gets hurt.
Mikayla looked at the beaming Juliet with some concern. "Used to your usual style of dressing, the sudden change is quite refreshing."
"Right! I also think so. Brantley's taste is good." Juliet praised.