Chapter 149 Making Friends
“Mrs. Scott, I have no intention to put you on the spot. I was just worried that you were actually considering Amelia to be your daughter-in-law. When you first proposed the marriage between Carter and me to my parents, I flew all the way home. I fell in love with Carter at first sight and resolved to be his wife. Mrs. Scott, if you decide not to back me, I don’t know what else I can do,” Jennifer said pitifully.
Faye smiled. Comforting Jennifer, she said, “You’re the daughter-in-law of my choice, Jennifer. Amelia is already one of the Clintons. Nothing can happen between her and Oscar. Don’t let your imagination run wild. You’ll become a laughingstock.”
Jennifer nodded. The smile remained frozen on her face, but her eyes were menacing.
At that moment, Tiffany had dragged Amelia into the lift. Due to the odd hour, the entrance of the hospital appeared entirely desolate.
The crisp morning air was chilly. Tiffany rubbed her hands together, and asked, “Babe, are you cold?”
Amelia shook her head. “I’m fine.”
Tiffany tugged at Amelia’s sleeve. “Babe, it’s been a real rollercoaster of a night and I’ve gotten a little hungry. Shall we get supper? It won’t hurt to fill our stomachs with something warm.”
Amelia nodded.
Tiffany drove Amelia to a nearby diner. Before they got off, Tiffany turned to Amelia and queried, “You wouldn’t mind eating here, would you?”
Bemused, Amelia replied, “Tiff, do you really see me as an uppity princess now? Don’t forget that I went through hard times on my own before I married Oscar! We used to eat at small, homely diners like these together. Don’t you remember?”
Tiffany beamed. “I was just worried that after so long, you might have gotten too used to the taste of fine dining.”
Amelia detached her seatbelt. “Let’s go, then.”
Tiffany followed suit, the two of them entering the diner. Even though it was past midnight, the diner was packed. There were all sorts of characters, but somehow the presence of Tiffany and Amelia managed to draw all eyes to them nonetheless.
They couldn’t help it. Both Amelia and Tiffany were gorgeous creatures. Even though Amelia was seven months pregnant, her features remained as lovely as ever. Her figure wasn’t as alluring as it used to be, but she remained an intriguing sight all the same.
Tiffany didn’t lag behind in her look but forged ahead with her sense of style and fashionable clothing. With their combined beauty and sophisticated air, Amelia and Tiffany immediately became the center of attraction.
Tiffany glanced around. Then, she called to the owner, “Are there still any tables available?”
The lady owner was already heartily striding towards Amelia and Tiffany, bustling, “Sure, let me get you a table. Please feel free to order as much as you want. It’s our privilege to have you two beauties at our humble diner.”
Tiffany laughed. “Madam, you’re too kind.”
The lady owner then ushered them towards a table. “Please feel free to place your orders whenever you’re ready. I see that this beautiful lady here’s pregnant. Shall I whip up something off-menu and more nutritious for you?”
Tiffany replied on Amelia’s behalf. “Sure, we’ll have two of that then.”
They then sat down as the owner hurried away to prepare their food.
The gaze of the other patrons, however, still lingered curiously on Amelia and Tiffany.
A burly man sitting at the table beside them turned and said, “Ladies, what brings you here instead of sleeping soundly at home?”
Tiffany shot him a look. “We just came from the hospital. We got hungry and stopped here for supper. You look pretty active yourself, mister, to be running around in the middle of the night.”
Amelia tugged at Tiffany’s sleeve to stop her. She was terrified that Tiffany would run her mouth and get them into trouble. She believed that people who were still lurking around at this hour tended to be troublemakers. They might interpret Tiffany’s reply to them as flirtatious and force themselves on her. By then, it would be almost impossible for Amelia and Tiffany to defend themselves.
Tiffany felt the urgency of Amelia’s gesture but pursued the conversation relentlessly. “Mister, you look pretty strong. What do you do?”
“I run a security firm. You can always approach me if you need my services,” the man replied with a wink.
Tiffany’s eyes lit up. She exclaimed, “How may I address you, then? Where’s your security firm located? How big is it? Do you have many people working under you?”
In reply, the man took out a few business cards and handed them over to Tiffany and Amelia. “You ladies don’t look like common folks. I guess you live in a rather fine environment. Beautiful ladies like yourselves should consider hiring a bodyguard to protect you.”
Tiffany’s interest had clearly been piqued. Amelia, however, remained non-committal, and said, “I’m sorry, Mister. I’m just an ordinary woman and I don’t think I’ll ever require a bodyguard. Thank you for the suggestion, though.”
Tiffany shot Amelia a slightly reproachful look, then replied the man, laughing, “I’m pretty curious about your security firm! What are the services you offer?”
“Besides employing security guards and bodyguards, we’ve branched out into debt collection as well. It’s up to you to see which of these services interest you,” he replied with a shrug.
“Are you all professionals?” Tiffany inquired further.
“Of course. We’re in customer service, and we emphasize honesty regardless of who our customer is. Our bodyguards have all been through professional training and are well-trained in kickboxing, combat, and other areas in martial arts. We’ll fulfill any request you have, as long as it’s within our means.”
Tiffany laughed. “I’m interested in what I’ve heard so far. Why don’t we head over to your firm tomorrow to take a look?”
“Sure,” the man said amenably.
“How should I address you, then, mister?” Tiffany asked again.
“My last name’s Laird. I’m thirty-one years old this year. Even if you aren’t interested in hiring bodyguards, we can still be friends. You ladies are so beautiful that any man would want to get to know you,” he said, eyeing Amelia and Tiffany.
Tiffany grinned. She pointed at Amelia, shaking her head. “She’s already taken, so don’t bother.”
“What about you?” he replied, fixing his gaze on Tiffany.
Tiffany wagged her finger. “I’m sorry. I’m attached as well. It looks like all our relationship is destined to remain strictly professional, Mr. Laird.”
“That’s fine. At least I’ve acquired two beautiful ladies as customers. It’ll be a treat nonetheless for those young unmarried fellows at my firm,” the man roared.
Tiffany’s face broke out in an unreserved smile at his humor. “Mr. Laird, you seem to have a straightforward character. I’d like us to be friends. I’m Tiffany, and she’s Amelia. Would you mind us getting to know you?”
“I’m Gary, Gary Laird. My close friends call me Gary. You can call me that too,” Gary declared. For such an imposing man, he’d turned out to be rather breezy in his manner. Noting that, Tiffany had decided to make friends with him.
“I’ll call you Gary, then. You seem like an extremely frank person, and that’s exactly that type of personality I appreciate. Let’s be friends, then. We’ll drink to that,” Tiffany proclaimed, boldly calling for the owner to bring over two mugs of beer.
Gary shot a sideways glance at Amelia, then raised his mug and clinked it against Tiffany’s. “Cheers!”
Tiffany tilted her head back and drank the contents of the mug within a single gulp. However, she started coughing, evidently having choked on her drink.
Amelia patted her on the back and chided, “Why did you gulp everything so quickly? No one’s competing with you.”
Tiffany cleared her throat and hastily recovered. “Babe, I’m fine.”
“Are you really alright?” Amelia asked.
Tiffany nodded.
“Gary, sorry you have to see me make a fool of myself,” Tiffany turned back to Gary and said with a self-deprecating laugh.
Gary shook his head, answered, “You seem like a rather straightforward person yourself! I’m happy to have made a friend like you. If you are in need of any help, just give me a call. My number’s on the business card there. My security firm’s services are top-notch. If you hire us, I’ll give you a sixty percent discount.”
“Gary, I thought we were friends! Shouldn’t there be a special price for me? If others pay a thousand for a service, I’ll pay ninety-nine,” Tiffany teased.
Gary froze for a moment, then guffawed.
“I admire your frankness. Fine, if there’s anything you need, I’ll definitely let you have that special price,” Gary agreed.
Tiffany waved her hands frantically. “I was just joking, Gary! You’re running a business. How can you afford to entertain special prices like that? I’ll pay the same price that everyone else. Let’s not mix business with friendship. There shouldn’t be any negotiations on that account. We’re only able to remain friends if we draw the line.”
Gary chortled. “That’s what I like! It’s good to have straightforward friends like these.”
Having said that, he took another glance at Amelia. She was nursing her drink, lost in deep thought. Amelia seemed totally unaware of the multiple looks that Gary had directed towards her, or she simply didn’t care.
Tiffany, however, noticed Gary’s interest and shielded what she could of Amelia with her body. Casually, she tried to change the subject. “Gary, you’re a successful businessman at the age of thirty-one. You must surely have a beautiful wife waiting for you back at home.”
Gary withdrew his gaze and replied, “I’ve been busy with work all these years and didn’t make time for this matter. I’m still a bachelor now.”
Tiffany hurriedly replied, “You’re successful, physically strong with a rather open, direct personality. You’ll be able to get any woman you want!”
Gary sighed. “Women nowadays are very demanding. They want their men to earn lots of money and provide them with a house and a car. Besides working ourselves to the bone, we’re expected to spoil them and pacify them when things don’t go their way, and they make a fuss. Relationships like that were way too tiring for me, so I eventually broke them off.”
Tiffany looked down at her plate and smiled sheepishly. “So you’re speaking from experience.”
Gary called for another mug of beer and shifted the topic of conversation. “Your friend beside you doesn’t seem too talkative. Is it because she doesn’t like me?”
Tiffany glanced at Amelia, then replied, “She just came from the hospital and is feeling rather tired. Please take no offense, Gary. Once you get to know her, you’ll find her even more chatty than you are. Amelia’s just shy in front of people she doesn’t know very well. She’s very nice and easy to talk to. She’ll probably fit in anywhere! If she were still single, I’d definitely introduce her to you. Anyone who marries you will be lucky indeed.”
