Arabella Vanderbilt spoke extremely fast, afraid that she couldn't finish her explanation in between pauses.
Silence...ing...
After a long time, Joel Russo's voice finally came through from the other end...
"Mrs. Russo."
"Yes, that's me!" Arabella Vanderbilt sat upright, looking serious.
Silence...
For a moment, Joel Russo didn't know what to say.
After a pause, he finally said:
"Which restaurant are you at? I'll come pick you up."
"Uh... you want to join?"
"What do you think?"
"...Welcome."
-
At the barbecue restaurant, Liam Lewis and Arabella Vanderbilt sat facing each other, with Liam doing all the grilling throughout.
His movements were natural and composed, not at all awkward.
"Have you stayed in Krent City ever since you graduated?" Arabella asked.
"Yes. There are good development opportunities here," he said with a wry smile, "but competition is fierce. After so many years, I'm still just a lowly assistant."
