Chapter 18: Senerp Flower
James finally turned and stared directly at Lily, his eyes narrowing slightly in response to the nickname she had just bestowed on him—"Mr. Cutesy." Despite his initial reaction, his expression quickly returned to its usual neutral state as he composed himself. His voice was firm, yet still professional, as he spoke, "No."
Lily, undeterred by his straightforward response, grinned mischievously. "Then I’ll take that as a yes," she quipped, her tone playful and teasing, as if James’ seriousness was merely a challenge for her to keep poking at. She leaned back in her seat, folding her arms with a satisfied expression, as though she had won some small victory.
Before James could offer any further response, Mira arrived, her hands delicately balancing a tray with three milkshakes. She set one down in front of Lily with a smile, then placed the next one in front of James, who gave her a polite nod but declined.
"No, Ms. Mira, I’m alright. I don’t need one," he said, his tone steady as he kept his eyes focused on the table. Mira simply nodded and kept her milkshake, taking a small sip while glancing at the two with an amused smile.
Lily, however, was relentless. "Oh, come on, Mr. Cutesy," she teased, pushing the milkshake closer to him with a light nudge. "You should try it. Or would you prefer to take mine?" She winked, clearly enjoying her playful banter, while James remained composed, though a flicker of discomfort passed through his eyes.
He hesitated for a moment, clearly debating how to respond to Lily’s persistence. Eventually, with a sigh of resignation, he reached for the milkshake and took a small sip, maintaining his calm and collected demeanor. Lily, satisfied with her small victory, laughed softly, leaning back in her chair as if to say, "See, that wasn’t so hard."
Mira, observing the exchange, tried to hide her smile as she focused on her phone, feeling a sense of normalcy among the trio. The light-hearted banter seemed to break the tension that had filled the room earlier, and for a brief moment, it felt like just another casual day.
With her earplugs back in place, Mira started listening to her music, allowing herself to drift away from the playful scene unfolding in front of her. Meanwhile, Lily leaned closer to James, still not done with her teasing. "So, Mr. Cutesy," she began again, her voice laced with mischief, "how are you finding the milkshake? Is it to your liking?"
James took another sip, his expression unreadable. "It’s fine," he replied curtly, clearly uninterested in entertaining Lily’s relentless teasing any further.