Chapter Twenty Three

Julian's POV

Isabella Domitia was nothing like I had expected. The rumors and the gossip made her sound like a wanton woman, throwing herself at every man within range only to break their hearts instantly and move on to the next. They made her sound shallow and without ambition, like she was good at nothing else but toying with men. If only they knew how wrong they were.

I watched as she leaned forward, resting her chin on her hand. She was smiling, but it was not like the smiles women always directed my way. She wasn't looking at me like I was a chunk of meat she wanted to sink her teeth into.

"Well," she said, her tone light and teasing, "why don't you order, Mister?"

"What, for you too?" I asked.

"Why not?" she replied, grinning. "Let's see what you've got."

When the food arrived, she peered at it like she had never seen food before.

"Is there a problem?" I asked.

She looked up at me and smiled.

"I'm just surprised, that's all," she said.

"About what?"

"Well, for one," she drew herself up like she was about to give a speech with her fork as the microphone. "I always imagined that built guys don't eat normal food. I mean, there's steak and lobster here, and I'm like, what? Where are the magical potions that… you know, grant y'all god-like bodies?"

That startled a laugh out of me. Seriously, what was with this woman and making me laugh? It was like she had a special talent for it. But no, I realized, it wasn't that.

It was because I felt more at ease around her than I ever had since I became a Goldcrest City sensation. While I was in the company of other people, I had to hold myself stiff so as not to let down my guard.

But with her, I could let go.

It felt like having a friend again.

"So," she was saying, "since I have been disappointed so terribly, I'll need lobster to soothe my feelings. Excuse me."

She filled her plate, and the sight made my lips twitch with another smile.

"What now?" she said, pointing her fork at me. "Am I violating some rule of etiquette?"

"Half of Goldcrest City's socialites would say so," I replied.

"Geez, really? What did innocent me do?"

And there, I was going to laugh again.

"Usually, when I'm at a table with people—" I began.

"Wait, you eat with people?" she cut in. "I thought you were like those characters that don't trust food prepared outside, and cook for themselves with their mom's recipe because the old housekeeper who had been living with gorgeous lonely them just died yesterday."

"How many novels have you been reading?" I asked drily.

"I didn't count," she replied. "Anyway, don't you have a long table that stretches from one wall to the other and you fill it with food for every meal?"

My goodness, was this woman serious?

"I may eat, in your words, 'normal food'," I said, "but nobody eats like whatever character you're describing. Really. How does the character himself even eat like that?"

"By doing it," she shrugged. "It's fiction. It's not supposed to make sense. Besides, he only nibbles a little because he's too cool to eat his fill, then he gets the servants to toss out the rest. That's kind of the whole point."

"I don't see the point," I replied flatly.

"Buy a pair of glasses, man," she said, pointing her fork at me again.

I wondered what she thought that was going to achieve.

"The point is to show that he's filthy rich, so he can afford to waste food and it won't make a dent in his pocket…" she paused and looked contemplative. "Actually, that's terrible now that I think of it. Geez. I can't believe I rooted for that guy to get with the female lead. Bro wastes food just to show that he's rich. That's a red flag. He's a certified asshole."

"I'll accept your thanks for enlightening you," I said.

"I won't give it," she replied calmly. "I'm taking all the credit. So, you were saying something about whenever you're at a table with people?"

I had gotten so carried away with listening to her that I had forgotten I was ever saying something.

'Julian,' I thought. 'Is that how desperate you are for friendship?'

Yes, I realized. Yes, it was. When I hit it big and started to rise through the ranks of Goldcrest City's elite class, the friends I made in college had begun to change.

Some of them became filled with envy and turned against me, and the others began to treat me like I was a walking credit card.

By the time I married my now ex-wife Jessica, I didn't have friends anymore.

Then she too betrayed me.

"Earth to Julian," Isabella said, tapping her fork against my glass, "I know people claim you're a god, but nobody said you had to ascend to heaven."

Surprisingly, a chuckle escaped me.

Did this woman never run out of ridiculous things to say? Where even did she come from?

"I spaced out," I replied, smiling. "What was I saying?"

"Whenever you eat at a table with people…" she motioned with her hand for me to continue.

"Oh, that," I replied. "They make sure to serve me first. It's like an unspoken rule."

"Wow," she replied, "sounds like some Chinese emperor."

"Who?"

"There was this emperor who executed people for eating before he did. So bro could just be chatting away while your stomach rumbles, but you have to wait or die."

"I can't imagine there'll be a lot of women willing to go on dates with him," I said.

"He was the emperor," she replied. "He could get whatever he wanted, no matter what. But speaking of dates, where is our second date taking place?"

"Well," I said, resting my chin on my hand.

"Why don't you decide, Miss?"