Chapter 248: Chapter 248: How About a Drink?
At noon, the two said their goodbyes and headed separately to The Sinclair Group and VK.
Nora sat in her office, her mind a chaotic mess.
She seldom saw Jasper so repressed; in her impressions, this man was cold and aloof most of the time.
She stared at the ceiling for a while, and finally came up with a good idea, quickly sending a message in their WeChat conversation.
"Come home early after work today."
The other party quickly replied, "Okay, honey."
All afternoon, Nora seemed a bit distracted.
Megan Underwood leaned over, "It feels like you’re not in the zone today, is something on your mind?"
"Indeed, a bit. Jasper’s mood hasn’t been great lately, and I’m wondering how to comfort him."
Megan simply assumed they had a problem in their emotional communication and gave a suggestion: "Sometimes, men need nurture too. Although President Sinclair looks all cool like he’s the best, there’s still a little boy inside him."
Nora’s almond-sized eyes flickered, nodding as if she might understand. "I think I understand a bit now, thank you for the advice, Megan!"
"Head home early, reflect on it deeply, and come to me anytime if you have questions."
"Understood!" Nora exhaled deeply, leaving work early and heading back to Southwood Court.
She estimated the time and thought Jasper should be home soon.
Before the man returned, she ordered barbecue and two dozen beers for delivery.
As soon as Jasper entered the home, he was greeted by the savory aroma of barbecue filling the living room.
Though he didn’t usually prefer strongly flavored food, his stomach had already reacted.
"Jasper, you’re back!" Seeing him return, Nora launched herself at him, giving him a big bear hug.
"Honey, what are you up to at home?"
"Waiting for you to come home to drink."
The two maintained their bear hug as they sat down on the couch.
"I’ve seen that when others are feeling down, they like to drink to vent their emotions. I’ve bought some drinks and barbecue that goes with it, so we can eat and chat."
As she spoke, Nora had already climbed off him and filled two glass cups full of amber-colored beer.
"Jasper, I’ll double the love you’re missing." With those words, Nora was the first to down a glass.
She didn’t think her drinking capacity was poor, plus, being at home meant there were no safety concerns, so she kept drinking one glass after another.
Jasper also didn’t wish to remain repressed any longer, opening up as if he were starting a conversation: "I envy others having parents. Every time Louis Hayes returns from his hometown, he brings me homemade specialities from his family. I long to eat food made by my parents too."
As he spoke, Nora quietly remembered.
In the end, Nora even wondered if their ability to quickly get close might be due to similar experiences.
They both lacked the love of their childhood, and now, they were mutually redeeming each other.
That night, Jasper was drunk beyond recognition, but Nora retained a final shred of sanity, hauling him back to the bedroom.
In her limited clarity, she loosened Jasper’s tie and unbuttoned the top two buttons of his shirt.
When she turned off the lights, someone tugged her from behind, and she heard a murmured voice: "Honey, don’t leave me..."
Nora felt a joyful warmth in her heart, and whispered, "I won’t."
Then, with a "click," she turned off the lights, embraced Jasper, and fell asleep; the bedroom fell into complete silence.
Moonlight poured down, filtering through layers of white gauze, landing on their profiles. Shadows overlapped, drawing them closer in the invisible space between.