Chapter 66: Executed Plan
When Tristan got home, he heard some conversation in French. He saw a woman sitting on the couch cross-legged. He frowned slightly.
She had just washed her hair and didn’t comb it. The hair was all messy, like a bird’s nest on her head.
She had a pack of snacks in her hand. At the sight of him, her face flushed with surprise. She stretched her legs to stand up, and the package in her hand tilted, and half a bag of potato chips fell to the floor.
Tristan clearly saw two chips roll off of her pajamas and fall onto the carpet. And looking down at the snow-white carpet, besides a pile of chips, there were two slippers far apart, one of them with its sole facing up.
The fat cat raised its head from the couch. Lucy’s big face had something brown and sticky on it, in the same color as the stuff on the plate in front of it. Tristan didn’t dare to look closely at what it was.
He suppressed his disgust and asked, “Laura has not come back yet?”
Kate nodded.
The TV was playing a French movie. The gray color scene, some bars, and cells, men in uniforms walked back and forth…Tristan gave it a glance and thought she was really studying something.
He drew back his attention from the screen and fell on Kate’s face again, said shortly, “Ten minutes. Clean up all this mess.”
“Ten minutes does not seem like enough.” Kate wrung her hands. Her pajama top was misaligned.
“Half an hour then.” He pointed at the silly cat that was licking the plate, “Clean her up too.”
Tristan went back to his room to take a shower and went to his study. When he passed the living room, he said, “Turn down the volume a little bit.”
Kate, who was squatting there and shaking the carpet, answered him OK.
Tristan sat at his desk, turned on the computer, checked his email, and opened some files to read, but his attention was drawn to some other place.
Laura was sick yesterday and asked to leave for half the day. Tristan went back and found the living room wasn’t as clean and tidy as usual. He cleaned it up without further thought. Today was simply an upgraded edition of yesterday.
Their relations seemed to develop after the in-depth talk the night before. Kate was gentler and talked a little bit more, but at the same time, the defects in her had been exposed gradually.
This forced Tristan to look into an issue he had ignored -there were differences between them in various aspects, like lifestyle, family background, education, and social experiences.
As he was reflecting, there was a knock on the door, and Kate brought tea. She had combed her hair, changed into clean clothes, and looked much better.
She put the cup down and said, “Take it while it is hot.” Seeing him put his fingers to his temple, she asked, “Are you tired? Want me to massage it for you?”
He glanced at her with surprise and then acquiesced.
Kate walked behind him and took a look at his computer screen. She was surprised to see a PowerPoint file with tables, “Complicated file. Did you do it?”
“My staff did.”
She said oh and then put her slender fingers on his temples and pressed, kneaded, rubbed, and pinched. Her manner was professional, and the massage was very comfortable.
Tristan sighed and asked, “Not bad. Where did you learn this?”
“The masseuse in the Spa Center.”
He was shocked, “But you didn’t work there, did you?”
“Uh,” She prevaricates, “Sometimes they were short-handed and would ask for help temporarily.”
Tristan didn’t say anything more.
A moment later, he sniffed and said, “What smell is it?”
“I bought a new perfume. Do you like it?” She put her hand to his face.
He raised his hand to fend off and said, “It is not so nice. Go wash it off.”
“OK.” Kate turned, and her sleeve swept the cup on the edge of the desk, and the cup fell, and the water spilled onto the keyboard.
She gave out a cry and pulled a piece of tissue paper to dry it hurriedly, but Tristan grabbed her wrist and said, “Let it be.”
He raised his head to stare at her. Kate apologized hurriedly, “I am sorry. I was too clumsy.”
Tristan fixed his eyes on her for at least a few seconds and then turned to see the screen, waved his hand, and said, “Just go.”
Kate took a long breath when she got out of the room.
It was dangerous. Tristan’s eyes were sharp. One casual scan by him and her heart would start beating fast.
Nothing happened for the rest of the evening.
The next morning, Tristan saw Kate bringing a plate of toast to the table.
“Toasts with peanut butter. Do you want to?”This content is © NôvelDrama.Org.
Is she saying that? She put her finger with some remains of peanut butter to her mouth and licked it.
“Peanut butter is my favorite. Try one?”
“I am allergic to peanuts.” He shook his head.
She bit the toast and showed some satisfaction as the dimples on her cheek became visible. Tristan curled his lips down.
He was just eating the soup when he heard her slurping. “Don’t make sounds while drinking.” He said. The sound disappeared, but soon she started to sneeze. “What is the matter with you?”
“I don’t know…probably something got into my nose.”
He just wanted to say you deserve it when she fetched a piece of tissue and blew her nose loudly.
Finally, she finished her fussing and said in relief, “OK now.”
Tristan looked at his breakfast before him and put down the fork. He wiped his hand with the napkin and stood up. Before he left, he said, “Clean all this up.”
As soon as he walked out of the room, she made a face for her victory. Peanut butter, she had learned from Laura that he was allergic to it.
After she brushed her teeth, she looked into the mirror and laughed. Her expression was no longer stiffened. It was natural and lively.
That was right. A plan was being executed.