Chapter 320
Owen felt as if he’d been shocked by electricity, the hair on his arm standing up from Lena’s touch. Its struggled to keep his expression outras he
listened to her continue.
“Light colors would suit your skin best.” Lena pinched his fingers, thinking his hands were incredibly nice–looking.
Griffin felt uncomfortable seeing her constantly touching another man’s hand. He bent down to pull her hand away and said, “Lena, let him get his natts done first. I’ll take you shopping for clothes.”
Lena looked at Sarah behind him and smiled, “Why don’t you go play pool with Sarah? Getting a manicure takes ages.”
Griffin’s expression shifted. He was here to build a connection with Lena, not stand around doing nothing. Though Owen was her “bestie,” he was still a
man.
“Playing pool isn’t as important as being with you,” Griffin said, pulling out a chair to sit down.
Sarah hatched a plan, placing both hands on Griffin’s shoulders. “There’s a sports store upstairs with new pool cues. Wanna check them out?”
Lena turned and leaned against Owen. “Sharon had it coming, honestly. That store shouldn’t have paid her medical bills.”
“She took your bag–she deserved it,” Owen said with feigned harshness.
“Exactly. People who steal from me should pay the price.” Lena turned to look at Sarah’s hands on Griffin’s shoulders. Griffin flinched as if pricked, quickly brushing Sarah’s hands away.
Sarah felt Lena’s words were a direct warning to her.
“Would you like nail extensions?” the manicurist asked cautiously, eyeing Owen’s hand.
Owen was willing to play along. “Sure,” he said.
“No extensions for him,” Lena smiled. “His nails are too pretty to cover up.” She held out her own hand. “I’ll take extra long extensions, though.”
The manicurist only started working when Owen nodded. Doing a manicure for him was the most nerve–wracking thing she’d ever done.
Managers who received word soon gathered near the nail salon. Since Owen had ordered silence, they didn’t dare approach to greet him.
Clerks in nearby stores, seeing so many managers hovering, worked extra hard–smiling more at customers and avoiding arguments even with difficult
clients.
“Griffin, I’m thirsty,” Lena said.
“I’ll get you water,” Griffin immediately stood up.
“I want Häagen–Dazs, caramel flavor,” Lena added.
Griffin nodded and left with Sarah.
Once away from the nail salon, Sarah scoffed, “I won’t ask you to play pool anymore, so as not to make your girlfriend jealous. I don’t get why women are so paranoid, always thinking I’m after their man.”
Griffin smiled, “Lena’s doted on by her family–she’s bound to have a few quirks. Just bear with her.”
“I won’t argue with her,” Sarah cooed, looping her arm through his neck. “I’m your bro, after all. I just worry you’re being fooled by her looks.”
Sarah glanced back, then continued, “Some guys pretend to be gay to take advantage of women, and those women eat it up. I’m a woman too, and it
makes me sick.”
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Chapter 320
Her words struck a chord with Griffin. He’d also suspected Owen was off, especially the way he looked at Lena.
After they left, Lena told Owen about the blind date and her family’s pressure to date Griffin.
“Need my help?” Owen asked.
Lena shook her head with a smile. “That pick–me girl isn’t worth my energy. I just need you to keep playing my bestie.”
“As for the blind date, I’ll wait for Griffin to break it off first–so my mom can still get the upper hand in the project without losing face,” she added
Though protected by her family, Lena wasn’t naive. If Griffin’s family tried to use their relationship to make Margot concede more, she’d never let it happen.
Owen smiled and nodded.
By the time their manicures were done, Griffin and Sarah had returned—they must have gone to check out pool cues upstairs. They were chatting about something, only changing the topic as they neared the nail salon.
“Lena, they didn’t have your ice cream flavor, so I I got you fruit salad instead,” Griffin said, placing a plastic bowl in front of her with a smile
Lena glanced at it. “I don’t eat rotten fruit.”
“It’s not rotten,” Sarah jumped in. “The fruit there is freshly cut.”
Lena raised her chin. “This cantaloupe–was it from a whole melon?”
“Of course not,” Sarah said.
“Then what happened to the rest of the cantaloupe?” Lena pressed.
“They sell the rest to other customers,” Sarah replied.
Lena asked, “So after you bought it, did someone buy it right away? Or was there a case that someone had just bought a portion of honeydew before you
did?”
Lena cut her off before she could continue, “Any fruit salad sold in stores uses bruised or almost–rotten fruit. That’s why I never eat this stuff.”
Griffin looked awkward. Ditching ice cream for fruit salad had been/Sarah’s idea–she’d said girls loved it.
Sarah forced a laugh. “Lena, Griffin went out of his way for you. Just try a bite.”
“I said I don’t eat rotten fruit,” Lena repeated.
“The cantaloupe was pre–cut, but we watched them cut the grapes and kiwi,” Sarah said, looking at Griffin for support. He nodded.
“Besides, cold food is bad for girls. Griffin was just looking out for you. Fruit salad is nutritious and delicious–you’ll love it once you try it,” Sarah added.
Lena scoffed, “What, are you testing my obedience?”
“Of course not! Don’t misunderstand,” Sarah said, feigning innocence as she spread her hands. “Griffin searched multiple floors for your ice cream. Even if you don’t usually eat fruit salad, do it for his sake. One bite won’t hurt.”
Lena’s manicure was finished. She examined her nails–the design was intricate, and the tiny diamonds sparkled. She decid nail salon.
ake this her regular
Standing up, she suddenly grabbed Sarah’s wrist and pointed to a stain on her sleeve. “No wonder you and Griffin are ‘bros‘–you’re not even a real woman anymore. No wonder you don’t care about eating cold things.”
Sarah jumped, trying to pull her hand away, but Lena’s grip was tight, her new nails almost piercing Sarah’s skin.
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Chapter 320
“Lena, let me explain-” Griffin tried to mediate.
Lena released her grip, turning to loop her arm through Owen’s. She looked at Griffin with disdain. “Sucks to be your bro–can’t e gender. I’ll just hang out with my bestie instead.”
AD
