Victor could hardly believe the sight of their table, laden with an abundance of food.
He was still taken aback when he saw Rina, who seemed inclined to order more, as she held onto the menu.
"Are we planning to feed an army here? Do you think this isn't enough for you, and you want to order everything on their menu?" he sarcastically remarked.
Rina briefly touched her chin and discreetly grinned, causing Victor's hair to stand on end, given the thoughts running through his mind.
"What a great idea! You're on the same page as me. Wait, why am I bothering to look at the menu when I can just order everything!" Rina enthusiastically exclaimed, her grin still intact.
"Seriously?" Victor said in disbelief.
"Come on, it's your treat anyway. So why should I bother thinking about how to pay for all this?" Rina casually replied.
"That's not the point! Money will never be the issue. The problem is how you'll finish all of it! Were you that hungry and impatient while waiting earlier?" Victor still couldn't believe it.
Rina frowned at Victor's comment.
"No, I'm not the only one eating,..we both are, especially you, who was 'starving' earlier from working so hard," she said firmly.
"What's wrong with you? I already told you I was late because of work, but I didn't say I was hungry," Victor replied.
"Sorry, honey. I just misunderstood. You said you were exhausted from work, and here I am, ready to feed you because your hands might be tired from writing and signing contracts ( while in her mind, writing means 'holding hands with Helena') and biting your lip while you're deep in thought while working hard (biting your lip – kissing Helena)," she said with a mischievous smile as she's about to feed him a bite of food.
She was annoyed at her inner thoughts because she still remembered his dinner date with Helena while she waited patiently for him for hours.
"Stop it!" he said, pausing her hand that was about to feed him.
"No, I'm not eating anything. You ordered all of that, so you should be the one to eat all of this!" he exclaimed in frustration and began to rise from his seat, but Rina swiftly grabbed his arm to prevent him from leaving.
"Where are you going? You promised to eat with me, so please, join me. Help me finish all of this," she pleaded, her mischievous grin now replaced with a sincere smile.
"Please?" she added.
Unable to resist Rina, Victor couldn't help but glance at her lips.
As Victor watched Rina's lips move in a mesmerizing, almost dreamlike pace, he found himself captivated by a craving that had nothing to do with the feast before him.
It was a hunger for something deeper, an unspoken desire that stirred within him.
The room seemed to fade into the background as he became lost in a world, a world where he yearned for more than just a meal.
He quickly averted his gaze back to the array of dishes before him.
'Damn! Those luscious lips!' the thought suddenly struck him, causing a momentary pause.
"What am I thinking?" he questioned himself.
Meanwhile, Rina glanced at him with a puzzled expression, noticing the slight change in his demeanor and his furrowed brow as he seemed to be lost in thought.
"Fine, I'll eat with you," Victor agreed his attempt to calm his thoughts evident as he deliberately averted his gaze, avoiding eye contact with Rina.
Puzzled by Victor's behavior, Rina chose not to dwell on it further.
She quickly served him a mountain of food, almost everything she had ordered, while still remembering to tease him for hurting her earlier.
"Here, eat it, honey, while it's still hot," Rina said with a grin.
Victor was left stunned by the overwhelming pile of food in front of him.
"What do you think I am, a pig?" he asked.
"No, honey, you'll probably be the most handsome pig if ever," she playfully replied.
"Wait, you've been calling me 'honey' all this time. What's gotten into you?" Victor asked with a frown.
"Do you not like 'honey'? Then it's 'baby,'" Rina said, recalling Helena's nickname for Victor.
"What? Don't 'honey' me, especially 'baby.' It gives me the creeps when I hear it, coming from you"
"And I find you very different today. Next time, don't starve yourself like this," he added.
"Okay, but the 'baby' sounds good to me," Rina said, not stopping her playful banter, especially after Victor expressed his discomfort with those terms.
"But it doesn't suit you," Victor bluntly said, causing Rina to fall silent momentarily.
Rina pondered quietly,
Is this a form of discrimination directed at me? It seems acceptable when Helena uses those endearments because she holds a special place in his heart. However, with me, it feels out of place, as if I don't occupy a significant role in his life'.
Her thoughts swirled, emotions running high as she tried to make sense of her complex feelings.
He noticed Rina's silence as she ate but soon saw her moving some of the untouched food to his plate.
"You should eat this too. Don't waste food..there are hungry people out there," Rina nonsensically remarked, still surprised that she wanted him to finish all the food she had ordered.
"Hey, stop it---..." Victor began to say, but she suddenly shoved a whole fried chicken into his mouth, causing him to choke.
"Urgh! "
"Damn you, Rina! Are you trying to kill me with all this food? Weren't you satisfied? Now you want me to choke!" Victor angrily exclaimed.
"Ah, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean it. I just wanted to feed you. Is that so wrong?" Rina innocently replied, feeling slightly guilty for causing him to choke.
"Just ignore me and eat. Damn it! How can I finish all of this? Is this your revenge for me being late?" Victor grumbled while staring at the mountain of food.
'No, honey, it's not just revenge for being late. It's also payback for hurting me,' she thought to herself, watching Victor struggle to eat despite being full.
"Darn this life!" Victor sighed to himself.
------+++++++
Meanwhile, as the two of them dined, Helena seethed with anger from a distance, far enough from Victor to see the apparent enjoyment of their meal.
I knew it! I shouldn't have trusted Victor's words!'
'Not important'? That woman is clearly Rina!!!. And she's discreetly stealing my boyfriend from me," Helena fumed in her thought.
Her gaze bore into Rina, her fingers gripping her glass with such intensity that it felt on the verge of shattering.
Her thoughts raced as she plotted her next move.
"I won't let her get away with this. Victor is mine, and I won't stand for anyone taking him away from me," she thought, her anger fueling her determination.
As she continued to watch, she noticed Rina's playful demeanor and Victor's attempts to eat despite being overwhelmed by the food.
Making Helena's rage only intensified.