As the rain began to subside, Caitlin and Daniel decided to leave the café. He had managed to get a small cup of vanilla ice cream for free, simply by casually complimenting the cashier’s beauty and professionalism. When in reality, that was just how people in the service industry were supposed to act. Caitlin was beyond annoyed that they couldn’t just leave immediately.
“You’re so kind,” the girl said, touching Daniel’s arm. “Wait a moment, let me give you some ice cream as a token of my gratitude.”
“Oh, no need, I’m still full,” Daniel interjected.
“Tch,” Caitlin muttered, disgusted by both of their exaggerated reactions.
Daniel, of course, took advantage of the situation by flirting. He was fully aware of his model-like good looks, which was precisely why he often teased girls—just to see their bashful smiles. And to take their money without coercion.
“Are you sure, Luv? I don’t want the other staff to scold me. I’ll pay for the ice cream,” Daniel said playfully.
“It’s fine, you’re very handsome. Consider it a gift for agreeing to take a photo with me. May I have a picture?” The cashier stepped out of her station, handing Caitlin her phone to take their photo.
Caitlin was extremely irritated watching them standing so close together, but she had no choice but to take the picture. Daniel grinned broadly as the camera clicked, then bid farewell to the flirty cashier. Caitlin’s face had been sour the entire time—jealous of how effortlessly charming Daniel was with other women. Was it strange that she felt a sense of possession over him, even though there was nothing between them? At the very least, when she was with him, Caitlin could pretend that Daniel was hers.
“You must be thrilled getting free stuff,” Caitlin sneered.
“Do you want it?” Daniel offered her the ice cream.
“No, thanks,” she snapped.
They walked along the wet, slippery sidewalk. Caitlin just wanted to go home to her apartment and rest. She was exhausted from work, and even more drained from watching Daniel’s endless flirting. It would have been better if she hadn’t run into the shameless man at all, rather than feeling so insignificant like this.
“This is the perk of being handsome, Cat. You can do anything and get anything,” Daniel smirked.
“How amusing,” Caitlin deadpanned.
They made their way toward the bus stop where Caitlin had fallen earlier. She hadn’t even asked Daniel where he had been headed before. Maybe he was just wandering around. If he smelled like he had just showered—did that mean he lived around here? Caitlin had no idea how to phrase her question without making it too obvious. She carefully weighed her words in her head, mustering the courage to ask.
“Were you busy earlier, Dan? Did I interrupt your plans? Were you in a hurry to go somewhere but ended up staying just to keep me company?” Caitlin stole a glance at Daniel, who was still focused on his ice cream.
The man turned to her, frowning. “Relax, Cat, you don’t have to feel guilty or indebted to me. I don’t have to work like everyone else to make a living.”
“Arrogant,” Caitlin scoffed.
“Just facts.”
Daniel impatiently handed her his phone. Caitlin took it, puzzled by his actions. He simply nodded toward the screen, signaling her to read it.
“What does this mean?” she asked, furrowing her brows.
If Daniel was someone who needed to keep his real identity hidden, why was he so careless in handing over something as important as his phone? However, her curiosity got the best of her—she wanted to know what was inside.
“Help me reply to these messages while I finish my ice cream. Consider it payment for my time,” Daniel said.
“Huh?”
“There’s no such thing as a completely free favor, Cat. You know that, don’t you?” Daniel patted her head like she was a child.
“Okay, okay,” she replied enthusiastically, ready to explore his phone.
Now that Daniel’s hands were free, he leisurely spooned ice cream into his mouth. Meanwhile, Caitlin diligently typed responses to his clients’ messages, reading each one carefully to match the right tone. While Daniel was distracted, she took the chance to sneak a peek into his gallery and apps.
But she found nothing. His phone was completely clean—except for the messages from his clients pouring their hearts out to him. Caitlin bit her inner lip in frustration. She didn’t find anything she wanted to know. Just who exactly was Daniel? Why did he seem so suspicious?
“Cat, can you help me clean this?” Daniel leaned in slightly, pointing at his lips, which had a smudge of melted ice cream.
Caitlin blinked, her gaze locking onto his lips. There was a white stain right there. He was clearly teasing her. Their eyes met, and for a moment, they just stared at each other. But only Caitlin panicked. Daniel, on the other hand, was enjoying her reaction.
“Use your lips, Cat. Don’t you get it?”
“What?” Caitlin’s eyes widened in shock.
“Caitlin,” Daniel grumbled, exasperated. “Ugh, never mind, you’re no fun.”
Daniel hailed a taxi for them both, ushering Caitlin inside. She had intended to protest, but she was too busy replying to messages for him. Then, she suddenly realized something—through the taxi’s rearview mirror, she caught sight of her ex, Tobey, with his new girlfriend. Did Tobey see her just now? And had Daniel been acting strange all this time just to provoke Tobey? If only Daniel’s tall frame wasn’t in the way, Caitlin could have gotten a better look at Tobey and his new girl.
“Daniel.” Caitlin blinked.
“Yes? Are you done? At exactly midnight, turn off my mobile data. I only reply to messages until then—I need my rest.” Daniel ran his fingers through his hair, yawning as he closed his eyes.
“Thank you.”
For once, Caitlin was genuinely grateful to Daniel. She had no idea what she would have done if she had come face-to-face with Tobey in a moment like this. She was the one who had been dumped, the victim—so why did she feel guilty when seeing that jerk? Fortunately, Daniel had been there to save her. Caitlin couldn’t keep up with the endless messages anymore, so she stuffed Daniel’s phone back into his pocket.
“Sir, please stop here. I’ll get off here. Take this girl home safely,” Daniel instructed the driver, then turned to Caitlin, winking.
The taxi pulled over. Before leaving, Daniel handed Caitlin some money, whispering into her left ear, “Here, for the fare. So you won’t be embarrassed, Cat.”
Then, in a swift motion, he pressed a quick kiss to her forehead as a farewell. Caitlin froze for a moment but was too exhausted to protest his random antics. She stared at the bill in her hand while Daniel walked off in the opposite direction, the taxi driving away.
“Does he think I’m broke?” Caitlin ran a hand through her hair, sighing.
She turned to watch him go. Daniel walked away without looking back, making her even more curious about where he was headed. But she knew better than to invade his privacy. More importantly, she realized that, for once, she had a friend she could rely on—even if nothing with Daniel came for free. Her phone rang. It was Daniel calling.
“What? Haven’t you had enough fun teasing me?” Caitlin held back a smile.
Daniel chuckled. “Cat, I lent you that money. You’ll have to pay it back—with interest.”
“Oh my god, I knew it.” Caitlin smirked.
“Just go to sleep when you get home. Don’t think about Tobey anymore. Keep dating me so I can get rich.”
“Wow, so selfish, huh?”
Caitlin couldn’t hold back her laughter. She spent the rest of the ride chatting with Daniel, wondering if he was already home or still wandering the streets. Tonight, she was grateful. He had saved her twice. His presence alone felt like a miracle. If only he were hers. If only.