Chapter 205: Watching a Movie
Asher Keating thought back. Phoebe Yates might have mentioned something like this once, but it was a long time ago, so he didn’t remember it clearly.
Liam Peyton said with a faint smile, "Back when Morgan Sterling came to discuss a partnership, Phoebe knew more about that particular area. My father asked for her opinion, and she said that the Keating Group was a more suitable partner."
"I haven’t been in touch with her for a long time, so I had no idea Miss Peyton thought so highly of the Keating Group." Asher Keating was still a little puzzled.
Liam Peyton sighed softly. "Phoebe was supposed to come home last year, but... my aunt passed away from an illness a few years ago. Last year, my uncle remarried. She was somewhat resistant to the idea, so she kept delaying her return."
"My grandmother finally managed to persuade her this year, so she’s agreed to come home next month. We were thinking that once she’s back, we’ll have her manage the logistics division. Since she’s personally inclined to partner with the Keating Group, we want to go along with her wishes."
Asher Keating didn’t agree immediately. Instead, he said, "President Peyton, let me think this over. The Keating Group’s overseas warehouse project has no precedent for partnering with an outside company. I’ll also need to go home and get my grandfather’s and father’s opinions."
Liam Peyton knew this was just a polite excuse. Asher Keating was now the president of the Keating Group, and the old Mr. Keating was basically retired. What Asher really needed to consider was whether it was even necessary to partner with the Peyton Group.
After all, the Keating had no real need to partner with anyone on their overseas warehouses. It was only because the offer came from the Peyton Group that he had to go back and analyze the pros and cons.
"Of course. You should."
Liam Peyton smiled. "I happened to run into you here yesterday, so I mentioned it to Phoebe. She agreed it’s been a long time, and she felt it might be too presumptuous to contact you out of the blue. So, I’m just paving the way for her, so to speak."
"I will get back to you once I’ve considered it, President Peyton." Asher Keating stood and offered Liam Peyton his hand.
"Excellent. I very much hope we can work together, President Keating." Liam Peyton smiled, stood, and shook his hand.
Seeing them both stand up and walk over, Leah Sinclair put away her tablet. "Asher, Wynn, are you two finished?"
"Yeah."
Asher Keating saw her frowning and asked, "What has you looking so miserable?"
"Files on the Grant Group and a stack of management books. I told my mom I don’t want to be involved in management, but she’s making me learn. She said I can put it off for a couple of years, but eventually I’ll have to take over. I don’t understand any of it..."
The mere thought of it gave Leah Sinclair a headache. She was perfectly capable when it came to architecture, but she was completely clueless about anything else.
"Aunt Mabel just wants to see you grow. We’ve all been through it. Besides, you have Nash and Shawn, right? Ask them more questions. You can also ask President Keating, or even me," Liam Peyton said with a gentle smile.
"Well, Wynn, we’re going to head back. Asher still hasn’t recovered from his jet lag."
Leah Sinclair glanced up at Asher Keating, only to find him already looking down at her. At her words, the corner of his mouth curved up slightly, and he reached out to pat her on the head. He was, in fact, feeling a bit drowsy.
"Mm."
After saying their goodbyes, they parted ways at the entrance to the coffee shop. Liam Peyton watched the couple walk away to the left. Asher Keating took the tablet from Leah Sinclair’s arms and held it himself, using his free hand to take hers.
Leah Sinclair was looking up and saying something to him. He bent down and murmured a reply in her ear. Her head dropped instantly, as if in a fit of shyness. Asher Keating just smiled and kept leading her along by the hand.
Liam Peyton glanced up at the sun, shook his head, and then squinted as he turned to leave. The July weather was sweltering.
Back at the apartment, Leah Sinclair figured Asher Keating would want to take a nap, but his mind was preoccupied with the potential partnership with the Peyton Group, and all his drowsiness had vanished.
Asher Keating leaned against the headboard and picked up his laptop, only to put it down again after a moment’s thought. ’I’m here to be with Leah,’ he reminded himself. ’Work can wait.’ But in this foreign land, Asher Keating had no idea where to take her for fun.
Truth be told, Asher Keating had never really dated before and had no idea what couples were supposed to do. He picked up his phone, initially thinking of asking Ethan Shaw and Riley Sterling, but then he remembered Ethan’s unreliable advice about yesterday’s "surprise." In the end, he just opened a search engine.
The most popular answer was... going to the movies.
He looked over at Leah Sinclair, who was scribbling away at the desk by the window. A faint smile played on his lips. "Want to go to the movies?"
Leah Sinclair turned around, looking completely baffled. "Huh?"
When they arrived at the theater, Leah Sinclair still felt like she was in a dream. Asher Keating glanced at the showtimes and saw there weren’t many new releases. Assuming that girls generally liked romance films, he picked one that was being advertised on the scrolling display. He also bought a bucket of popcorn and a coffee.
Leah Sinclair was still in a daze as she sat down, clutching the huge bucket of popcorn. Asher Keating gently pinched her cheek. "You still with me? What are you thinking about?"
"It just... feels so surreal," Leah Sinclair said, finally coming back to her senses.
Asher Keating smiled and pulled her into his arms. Since it was a romance movie, the theater had seated them in a section with loveseats for couples.
As the film began to play on the big screen, Leah Sinclair’s excitement returned. This was the first time she had ever gone to the movies with Asher Keating. They had watched films at home when they were bored, but this was their first time in a theater together.
It was an old film, so there weren’t many people in the audience. Leah Sinclair glanced around. Including them, there were only a few other couples present, all seated far from one another.
She couldn’t understand why a theater abroad would screen a movie that practically no one came to see. Back home, a film with such low attendance would never have been scheduled in the first place.
Asher Keating asked what she was looking at, and she told him what she was wondering. He didn’t really get it either; he never paid attention to things like that.
’That makes sense,’ Leah Sinclair thought. She decided not to dwell on it and just leaned quietly in his arms to watch the movie. She knew Asher Keating didn’t like sweets, so she ate the popcorn by herself.
As she continued to watch, Leah Sinclair started to feel like something was wrong. ’Why are the main characters on screen... taking off their clothes?’
It wasn’t just Leah Sinclair; Asher Keating sensed it too. This went beyond just taking off clothes; the scene was becoming explicit. Back home, a film like this would never be allowed to screen.
Even if it were, it would be edited down to a completely tame version. But this was Eldoria... and the film was completely uncensored.
Asher Keating’s first instinct was to cover Leah Sinclair’s eyes. He thought it would only last a minute or two, but it went on for... quite a long time.
Leah’s eyes were covered, but the sounds pouring from the speakers still found their way into her ears. Her face turned as red as a tomato. Now she was beginning to understand why the movie had such a low turnout.
She buried her face in Asher Keating’s chest. He held her close. Though the theater’s air conditioning was blasting, the part of his body she was pressed against felt scorching hot.
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a couple in the corner to their right. The two were kissing passionately, their hands constantly moving. His Adam’s apple bobbed. When the scene finally passed, both he and Leah breathed a sigh of relief. But it wasn’t long before another one began.
Asher Keating cursed internally. ’What kind of romance movie is this? It’s basically porn!’