Chapter 261: Night Three: Surprise Grocery Visit

A green-skinned monster stared back at Eve.

But, it turned out to be her face with a green tea facial mask. She slathered it on her skin, making sure to keep it out of her eyes. Cale had bought for her with the reason that she could use the extra care—especially when she wasn't getting any younger.

He had also told her to use a coffee scrub for her body. It felt weird to use but she appreciated the results. Her skin had never felt more smooth. 

"Ms. Eve, I will be heading out," Nanzie called from the other room.

Eve scrunched her eyebrows, remembering what time it was. "Aren't you going out a little late? Is there an emergency I should know about?"

"It's not serious, Ms. Eve. I only want some fresh air."

'If she wanted fresh air, she could use the balcony,' Eve responded in her head. She opened the bathroom door and peeked at the living room. Her bodyguard headed for the front door in full gear. 

'Wasn't a serious matter, huh?'

"Well, okay." Eve sighed. Then, her voice turned into a mutter. "Have fun, I guess."

She stepped back and checked on her clay mask. Whatever it was, she'd find out at some point anyway and Nanzie was someone she could trust. They might just be tightening security around the building. The uproar from the weekend photoshoot had escalated things a bit.

When Eve stood in the middle of the living room, she heaved another sigh. It was moments like this that she missed sharing an apartment with Andie. They would be wearing this clay mask together and watch whatever old movie they could find on TV.

Eve grabbed her phone from the coffee table and lied on the couch. The timer was set so she could wash off the mask. Then, she decided to waste time by reading the last book she picked up. It took some time to remember the events but she got the hang of it after a while.

In the midst of an adventure in a faraway land, messages lined up her notification bar. She always put the phone on silent and on DND whenever she read. Only calls would go through since she figured that usually happened only for emergencies and for important matters.

It gave her a peaceful time for reading.

A few minutes later, a few knocks came from the door.

Eve stood up and continued to read. Her muscle memory remembered exactly where to go while her brown eyes focused on the climactic moment in the chapter. She processed the knocks slowly, wondering why someone was at the door.

It eventually occurred to her that her bodyguard left earlier.

"Nanzie? Did you forget your keys?" Eve asked, pushing down the knob and pulling the door open. Then, her head snapped up suddenly. "Ah! Was this supposed to be a drill? I forgot to look into the peep hole, didn't I?"

Ambryan raised his eyebrows. "I must say. This shade of green doesn't look good on you."

"Ambee!" Eve exclaimed. Her eyes threatened to pop out of their sockets. "W-What are you doing here? Wait. Are you the reason why Nanzie left the apartment? I keep telling you that she lives here too you know."

He pecked her forehead lightly with his lips. "Do you mind letting me in first before you scold me? I have a feeling this might be a long one."

Eve put her foot down. She glared up at him. "Yes, I do mind."

"Well, I can always carry you inside."

"I could always ask my bodyguards to kick you out."

"And here I thought that our relationship is progressing so well."

"If it was, you would have brought a box of French macarons with you."

Ambryan held up a pink box. It had a white ribbon that tied into a bow on top, doubling as the handle he could carry it by. "I do believe that's one of the things on Andie's list to please you."

Eve showed him a deadpan expression. "She has a list?"

Taking the box, she stepped aside to let him in. "I'm only letting this slide for this time. The next time you visit should be through an appointment. I want to spend quality time with Nanzie too you know."

"I did send you a message," Ambryan defended. He shrugged off his jacket and hung it on the coat rack. "I have an early business trip tomorrow and your place is closer to the meeting place. I could get extra sleep by crashing here."

At his words, Eve checked her phone and exited her ebook reader. The DTC icon showed up on top of her home screen, representing message notifications. She found it sort of amusing that they still used it to communicate when they had each other's numbers.

"What about the cats?" She wondered out loud. If he was spending the night here, that meant the felines would be alone. 

Ambryan scanned the apartment. Nothing had changed since his last visit. "Wen will feed them."

Eve set the box down on the counter. "So you never needed me to drop by and do that, huh?"

"Of course, I needed you to drop by." He turned his head in her direction and flashed a boyish smile. Since that scheme had succeeded, he didn't need to hide his real agenda at the time. "To satisfy my own selfish reasons."

Rolling her eyes, Eve stood on her toes and checked the cupboards. "Have you eaten dinner? I think we ran out of groceries though. We only have instant noodles left and I know you don't like that."

"Too much sodium."

"See? I knew it." She chuckled. There should be some food in the fridge but they were mostly desserts—another thing he rarely ate. It also wasn't sustainable for a sufficient meal.

Ambryan thought for a moment. "Isn't there a nearby supermarket?"

"Yeah, it's across the street."

Eve watched him reach for his jacket again and put it on again. Then, she opened the box of French macarons. She already had her dinner. Dessert was within her right to eat. She picked one that had the same color as the box. 

Raspberry flavor coated her tongue.

She just might finish the entire box in one sitting.

"Well?" Ambryan asked, eyeing her up and down.

Eve took another bite of the macaron in her hand. Then, she made a face at him while shrugging her shoulders. "Well, what?"

"Don't you want to wash off your mask first?"

.

.

.

"Are you suggesting that we go out to buy groceries?" Eve choked. She dashed for the refrigerator and drank from her water bottle. "Can't you just order in or something?"

Ambryan wrinkled his nose towards the cupboards. "It surely has more options than your apartment. It's also close by. There's no need to ask for extra help when it's near."

Somehow Eve found the setup strange. She stared at Ambryan, trying to imagine him inside a grocery store. He always looked stern that she could picture him analyzing the items like they were business documents—as if they were a large sum of investments to be made.

She finished the last bit of her macaron and said, "Fine. Wait for me."

Since she needed to restock on groceries, this would also be beneficial to her. Maybe he would pay for all of them? It would be a good way to save some money. Eve laughed at her simple mind. She'd refused an all-expenses paid vacation in some foreign country.

But she'd be more than happy to get free groceries.

Soon, the couple arrived at the supermarket. 

Eve had popped in her hazel contact lenses real quick. She also changed out of her pajamas to a casual sweater and jeans. Ambryan found the push carts as soon as they walked in. He pulled one away from the pile and led the way to the first aisle.

Milk in different sizes, colors and sources stocked the shelves. Eve skipped ahead to where her favorite one was placed. Ambryan followed behind her slowly. He examined all the milk he passed by, looking for the healthiest one to drink. 

The options ranged from skim milk, soy milk, almond milk...

The push cart rattled under his touch.

Not just once.

Not just twice.

But three times.

Eve had placed three pink cartons inside. She grabbed a fourth one from the shelf.

"Strawberry milk?" Ambryan chuckled, recognizing the packaging.

"Don't judge!" Eve defended. She hugged the last carton to her chest. "I heard every time you drink a cup, a fairy would come by to grant a wish. It sounds silly I know but it has shaped my childhood. I haven't outgrown it, okay?"

"I'm not judging." He picked almond milk among his top choices. "But you should also drink other types of milk. That one has more sugar than regular white milk."

Eve added the fourth carton to the pile. "Yet, it has a lot of nutrients like fiber and vitamins. It's sweet but it does have less calories. You should try it sometime."

"I'll pass."

"Right. You only like sour things." She went ahead towards the next aisle. Colorful wrappings greeted her sight. She beamed, crouching low in search for her next target. It should be near the other end of the shelf. Her heart raced in anticipation.

Ambryan frowned behind her. Was she looking for a bar of dark chocolate? There shouldn't be anything else she'd be excited about in the candy aisle. Well, except the strawberry candy she had shared with him before.

"AHA!" Eve celebrated. She held up her newly found treasure and showed it to Ambryan. The box shook in her hand. "Just like this box of NERDS."

He chuckled and rolled the cart closer. "From the day you apologized to me."

"... You'll never forget that, will you?"

"How could I?" Ambryan snatched the box from her hand and surveyed it with a smile. "Didn't we also watch your video shoot with Mikael back then? Do you still remember what we talked about?"