When she looked up, she met Patrick's dark, gorgeous eyes. She was not sure if it was her illusion, but she caught a trace of disappointment in his eyes?
The next second, she heard him say in a voice that only the two of them could hear, "Idiot, you can't even get it this way."
Amelia gave a faint smile. "Mr. Hopper, according to you, other than the PR, all the managers here are idiots? Since you've hired so many idiot employees, didn't you become an idiot boss?"
Patrick narrowed his eyes. "I see. You're poor at drawing lots but excellent at being a pain in the ass."
Amelia was at a loss for words. What a sharp-tongued man!
The manager of the PR rushed to Patrick's desk with the paper in her hand. She lifted the unfolded paper high and announced with excitement, "Mr. Hopper, me! me... This is the benefit I earn for the staff in our department!"
With beautiful women and handsome men, the PR was a good place for the casting couch.
Amelia glanced at the serious president and
thought, "Save it. Maybe you're overjoyed inwardly now!"
Feeling her strange gaze on him, Patrick was sure that she was calling his names secretly. Patrick smiled faintly and made a decision that no one had expected. "Good things come in pairs. Well, apart from the PR, I'll give another chance to the rest of you. Everyone, let's do it again."
The manager of the PR bit her lips and protested to Patrick. "Mr. Hopper, you said we'd only do this once."
"Did I?" Patrick looked around and asked the others, "Did I say we'd only do this once?"
"No!" Everyone said in one voice.
Come on. If they said yes, they would lose the last chance, wouldn't they?
"Well, let's get started." In the PR manager's frustrated gaze, Patrick asked everyone to try it again.
"Huh? It's me this time."
When Amelia unfolded the marked paper in her hand, she was way calmer than the PR manager had been. She acted as if she had just got a bottle of water.
Patrick's forehead throbbed, wondering if she could be more perfunctory.
Although he had cheated for her by stuffing the paper into her hands at lightning speed before starting the drawing again, couldn't she just scream or rush up to give him a big hug as if it had been a real surprise?
Hiding the grievance in his eyes, Patrick said with a fake smile, "Okay, Ms. Ramsay and Ms. Reed, please let settle down where to hold the party. I have plenty of time tonight and can stay with you as long as I like."
One of the managers seized the relaxed moment and teased their president. "Mr. Hopper, would your girlfriend be upset if she finds out that you are going to stay with so many beautiful women tonight?"
Patrick looked totally ascetic. "I don't have a girlfriend."
"Which means we still have a chance?" That manager asked again, bringing an amorous look in everyone's eyes.
Patrick glanced at Amelia's secretly. After catching the anger on her face, he gave a smile and answered, "Sorry. Not a chance."
That manager was rejected so directly...
In the kitchen, Amelia heard Ms. Reed ask, "Ms. Ramsay, would you tell me your department's plan?"
Amelia put down the glass in a hurry and replied, "We want to go to the karaoke..."
Before she could finish, Ms. Reed looked at her as if Amelia was an ignorant little girl. "Ms. Ramsay, it's not that I want to throw a wet blanket on you, but karaoke is too cheesy to Mr. Hopper."
Not wanting to quarrel with her, Amelia said humbly, "Do you have other better ideas?"
Ms. Reed smoothed her hair and said as if she was a deep pocket, "Before inviting Mr. Hopper, I had booked the garden restaurant in Sheraton Hotel, which provides wonderful drinks, delicious food, and excellent music... Isn't it much better than karaoke, where everyone is screaming and shouting?"
Few knew Amelia's great interest in food. When she heard Ms. Reed's words, she was swayed, wondering if she should change her mind. But Ms. Reed went on, "But I can only book one more seat for Mr. Hopper. You should handle the seats for the sales department yourself."
Although what she said was reasonable, her attitude made Amelia feel a little uncomfortable. She seemed to be indicating that the sales department was going to take advantage of the PR without paying.
Amelia said with displeasure, "Ms. Reed, how can you be sure that Mr. Hopper would like your garden restaurant?"
"Because Mr. Hopper is a person with good taste. He will like my proposal," said she confidently.
Amelia curled her lips. "So going to karaoke means not having good taste..."
Ms. Reed said earnestly, "Ms. Ramsay, I'm not saying that you don't have good taste. It's just that a high-status man like Mr. Hopper would be the focus wherever he goes. If you invite him to the karaoke, is he going to sing for a whole night, or he listening to your singing for a whole night?"
Amelia was in a dilemma. Although Ms. Reed sounded annoying, it made sense. But employees in the sales department liked noisy places. It didn't matter if they went to karaoke on an empty stomach. Anyway, they got popcorn and beers.
Comments
The readers' comments on the novel: Come To Me (Amelia and Patrick)