Chapter 686 Pursue Him
Eva decided to spend the night at Amelia’s condominium after their talk lasted until eleven. Eva got up early the next day morning to learn cooking from Molly.
One glance at Eva and Molly knew. “Eva, do you have a boyfriend now?”
Eva’s cheeks blushed pink at the question. “He’s still not my boyfriend yet. I’m still pursuing him, but not sure whether he’ll agree.”
Molly frowned. “You’re so pretty, though. Which man can be so cold-hearted to let a pretty girl like you pursue him?”
Eva smiled. “Molly, there are prettier girls out there other than me. Moreover, I used to look like a delinquent, so I understand why he doesn’t like me. He hasn’t gotten a chance to see me after I changed, so I wanted to give him a surprise.”
Molly glanced at her and agreed. “You have changed a lot. You were so tomboyish back then, and now, look at you, you’re so feminine. Men are visual animals. Their first impression is always a woman’s appearance. If the woman isn’t pretty, it’ll be difficult for them to want to know the woman better. All the best, Eva. You’re beautiful now, so don’t worry about not finding a man who truly cares for you. I don’t object to women doing the chasing, but you need the right skill set for that. You can’t make it too easy for him, so playing the cat-and-mouse game is the way to go. Do you understand?”
Eva couldn’t help her laughter. She never expected Molly to be a punster.
After preparing breakfast, Eva carefully set the dishes in the thermal lunchbox to keep them warm.
“I’ll be taking my leave then, Molly. I’m heading to the hospital so tell Amelia to wait for my good news,” Eva said.
“Are you not planning to have some breakfast before you leave?”
“I’m fine. I still have a bus to catch. Else, there’ll be too many people on the bus.”
Eva disappeared out the door like an agile rabbit.
Molly shook her head and continued preparing breakfast.
During breakfast, Amelia asked, “Where’s Eva, Molly?”
“She learned how to make breakfast in the early mornings, saying it was for the man she likes. She was gone the minute she was done. I wonder who the lucky man is to receive such sincerity from that girl?”
Amelia had a thoughtful expression on her face.
Eva’s feelings are bare for all to see. It all depends on James’ attitude now. I’ll ask Oscar to forcibly transfer him elsewhere if James doesn’t know how to appreciate it. Even the most profound feelings will fade and finally disappear as time passes.
When Molly returned to the kitchen, Amelia asked, “Oscar, I need a favor from you. Can you probe James about Eva? She can’t control her feelings for him, and I don’t want her to waste her passion for a man that doesn’t appreciate it. She’s my cousin after all.”
Oscar nodded with promise. “All right.”
Amelia ended the topic after that.
After breakfast, Oscar had Kurt and a few others send Tony to the Clinton residence while he drove Amelia to work.
Days passed, but James’ newly opened private hospital wasn’t peaceful that day.
“James.” Eva showed up in front of him with the lunchbox she took pains to prepare. Her sudden greeting startled James, who was discussing a patient’s condition after finishing his rounds with a bunch of doctors trailing after him.
James looked at the beautiful woman blocking his path and couldn’t recognize her. He asked, “Miss, may I know who are you?”
Eva’s gleeful expression turned dour. “It’s me, James. Have you forgotten me?”
James tried his best to recall who Eva was from his memory bank but came up blank.
“Miss, I would’ve remembered a beautiful woman like you if I’d seen you before. Alas, I’m sorry, but I’ve no recollection of you, so I think your pick-up line isn’t that great. Now, I’ve work to do, so please leave if you’ve nothing important.” Other than the amazement at the start, James was all businesslike at the end.
His polite yet distant attitude put out the passion burning in Eva’s heart. Eva’s fingers gripped the lunchbox tightly in her hands at the embarrassment she felt.
Deciding not to give up, she went up to him again. “James, I’m Eva, Amelia’s cousin. Do you really not remember me?”
James studied her in detail at her reminder, and her face matched the one in his memory. However, he felt his head ached the moment he made the correlation.
I finally get to live a quiet life. Yet, the troublesome Eva is back again. I wonder what weird things she’s going to do to me now.
His temples throbbed at the thought.
In fact, he would rather have Eva gone from his life forever.
If only Eva knew how much James was trying to avoid her, she would’ve felt incredibly upset.
It was miserable when the man you loved had never truly looked at you, no matter if you’d become prettier or uglier.
Having an unrequited love was always the toughest.
“Eva, what happened to you? How did you become like this? I can’t even recognize you anymore,” James said with a forced smile.
Suppressing the discomfort stirring within her, Eva held up the lunchbox in her hands. “James, won’t you have breakfast with me since I prepared something tasty for you?”
“I have patients to visit. Why don’t you eat alone?”
“How about I wait for you in your office, and you can try it once you’re done?”
James nodded his head without thinking much, then led his group of doctors away from the scene.
Watching his leaving back, Eva let out a defeated sigh. I became prettier, but James still didn’t fall for me. I don’t know what else I have to do to impress him.
She went to James’ office with her lunchbox.
Meanwhile, James brought his group of doctors to visit the next patient. Since there was no other patient to examine on the way there, one of the doctors joked, “Your luck with women is pretty good, Director. You have so many women throwing themselves at you, and every one of them is a beauty. Take that woman earlier with the breakfast as an example. She’s good-looking and sexy, but her name is quite familiar though. It reminds me of a girl who used to dress in punk style.”
James cast a glance at him. “You’re in charge of the patients in 28, 35, 37, and 48.”
The doctor that joked earlier immediately wussed out. “I was in the wrong, Director. I have a smart mouth but don’t have any ill intentions. Those patients are the most anal of patients. I might die if I handle all of them by myself. I know you’re a generous person, so please forgive me just this once.”
James’ mood had brightened slightly.
“I see your mouth is quite free, so I’ll let you be the first to educate them.”
Despair filled the doctor.
“Is there nothing I can do to change your mind, Director?”
“What do you think?”
Fine. One look at the director’s attitude, and I know there’s nothing I can do to change his mind. I blame my smart mouth for this. Serve me right for having my workload increase.
After James assigned the other doctors their tasks, he left. He initially wanted to find an excuse to leave the hospital, but a phone call from Oscar destroyed all his plans.
“James, have you seen Eva?” Oscar asked directly.
James exhaled deeply before he replied, “Yes, I did. Just tell me what you want.”
“Don’t treat her so coldly. You noticed her change. Do you know she made them for you? Since you’re a gentleman, you don’t make women cry, right?”
“Oscar, I’m only gentlemanly to certain people. I have no obligation to entertain a woman who I don’t even like. Eva is beautiful after the change, but she is still not my type. Me treating her nicely might cause her more harm than good,” James described straightforwardly.
Oscar’s end was silent for a while.
“Are you angry, Oscar?”
“No, I’m just calculating the likelihood of you falling for Eva.”
James rolled his eyes at the answer.
“Oscar, I don’t remember you have the potential to be a matchmaker. I’ll pursue the woman I like. Instead of getting pursued by a woman, I enjoy being the pursuer. So, I think Eva is more suitable for someone else.”
After contemplating briefly, Oscar said, “James, let’s talk this over. You’re single, and so is Eva. Give her a chance. If it doesn’t work, it’s never too late for you to reject her. You should at least eat the breakfast she prepared for you. Can you at least do that for my sake?”
James gritted his teeth.
“Oscar, give me a reason. She’s just your wife’s cousin, not yours. She’s not even related to you.”
“I don’t want Amelia to be upset.”
This uxorious guy wants me to sacrifice myself so his wife doesn’t get upset. Hmph, I need better friends.
“Oscar, I’ll give Eva a chance, but keep in mind feelings can’t be forced. It’s not my problem if she gets hurt in the end because I’ve tried my best. I’ll consider this as a favor. Remember to pay me back.”
“Fine.”
Having come to an agreement, James grudgingly returned to his office despite his unwillingness.
The second he opened the door, Eva had softened the look on her face. “James, you’re back. Come and have breakfast, or it’ll get cold.”
Looking at the completely different Eva, James felt slightly awkward, as though a tomboyish girl had suddenly turned into a goddess. Other than amazement, all I feel is the surrealness.
Like a person who knows you well suddenly changed overnight. Won’t anyone think she’s so perfect that it seems fake?
That was James’ thought at that moment.
