Echoes of Unrequited Love

Chapter 52

Wallis clammed up.

I glanced at the clock and prodded, “The party’s about to kick off, let’s get a move on.”

Wallis rolled her eyes at me. “Do I look like the type to ditch my friends for some eye candy?”

On the way there, she’d filled me in on Honto Abbey’s strict criteria for hiring waitstaff, nearly as picky as a host club scouting for new talent.

All I could do was pout, “Come on, make sure you post it in the group chat. I wanna live vicariously through you!”

Wallis took the hint and didn’t push further.

By 7 PM, the work group chat started buzzing with updates from the party. After skimming through, I set my phone aside.

In the midst of half–sleep, I was roused by a knock at the door.

It was a server from the estate bringing me food.

A three–dish spread with a soup, including my favorite ketchup spaghetti.

Surprised, I asked, “Who ordered this?”

replied, “A Miss Irwin arranged it.”

down, staying

phone on the table was

checked it and saw over two hundred new messages in the work chat. I casually scrolled through and my

colleagues egging on Cecilia to have a

the video, Cecilia, shyly holding up her glass, looked at Hogan with,eyes full of emotion and asked, “Is it okay

face was hidden in shadow, his

glass and whispered

was noisy, their words lost, but Cecilia’s bashful expression told

the server asked

food and after a moment’s thought replied, “Could I get a

1/2

10-02

little help from Romanée–Conti, I

joined the gang at the estate’s organic farm for

host was generous, allowing us to eat our fill and take two baskets each when we left.

into the strawberry patch.

they were sweet and juicy,

basket