Debbie thought that kissing was only appropriate for adults, so she had rebuffed Hayden's requests all the time when they were dating.
Once, he attempted to forcibly kiss her on the lips and promptly found himself on his back with the wind knocked out of him. She had thrown him over her shoulder. Afterwards they gave each other the silent treatment for months.
It was Debbie who caved. She started to make up for what she did, but their relationship was a shadow of what it was previously.
"Deb, we live in the 21st century, for crying out loud." Hayden was at a loss for words.
Debbie felt she was maybe in the wrong about that, so she changed the subject. "That's in the past. We've been apart for a long time. And I've found my true love, so let's move on."
Hayden's heart ached when she said she had found the one. "If he really loved you, he would have announced your marriage and told everyone that you are his wife. But he didn't. He doesn't love you, Deb. Open your eyes!"
"Wrong! I'm the one who wants it kept under wraps," she told him. Her face betrayed no emotion.
Hayden was so shocked he couldn't even speak. "Deb, you know I love you. But Carlos Huo? In the circles I run in, he's known to be cold, distant, and calculating. Don't get taken in by him. There is no such thing as the modern Cinderella. So be realistic, okay?"
Debbie withdrew her gaze from outside the window to look at him. "You don't know me. You don't know us. How can you be so judgmental?"
Hayden was reduced to silence again. After a while, he stood up, came to her, pulled her to her feet, and embraced her tightly. "Did you know I was so worried about you when I learned you married Carlos Huo I immediately booked a ticket to New York? Do you really think he can manage a big company like ZL Group without being underhanded and scheming? Impossible. He's known as a ruthless businessman. Even if you don't love me, let me in. Don't push me away. I'll wait for you, until the day you finally figure out who he really is. You'll come back to me."
Debbie was only human. When someone she had once loved whispered to her how much he cared about her, she froze and didn't know how to turn him down.
Hayden went on, "I won't get married to anyone else. I'll wait for you. When Carlos Huo hurts you, I'll be waiting. My arms are your harbor. You loved me once, but I never stopped loving you.
Babe, I know it's too late, but I won't give up. My life is a dark place without you. I'm a walking zombie. I work my ass off at Gu Group. I do it for you. I used to be a jerk, I know. That's why I want to make money, a lot of money. I want to give you everything."
Words like "no," "never," "can't" were on the tip of Debbie's tongue, but she didn't have a chance to cut in. She was waiting for him to calm down and then to turn him down.
However...
"Mr. Gu, I see you came to New York to declare your love for my wife. How touching!" a familiar and cold voice said. His voice was like a thunderbolt over Debbie's head.
She pushed Hayden away in a fluster. Nonetheless, when she turned around, she saw Carlos sitting comfortably in an armchair. He seemed to have been there for a while.
Her face went pale. She trotted over to Carlos and said, "Carlos—" Before she could continue, Carlos took her hand, stood up, and strode towards Hayden with her.
Hayden, however, wasn't nervous at all at Carlos' sudden appearance. He held out his right hand confidently to shake hands with him. "Mr. Huo, what a coincidence!"
"Yeah, it is." They shook hands just as they had the other day in the restaurant. Debbie watched them, her mouth agape.
As if nothing had happened, Hayden invited them to sit with him. "Care for a cup of coffee?"
Carlos shook his head and wrapped his arm around Debbie's waist. After giving her an affectionate look, he replied, "No, thanks. My wife is kinda snacky, and I have another cafe in mind. If you'll excuse me. Bye, Mr. Gu."
'When did I say I was hungry?' Debbie wondered.
But she was more confused by the weird interaction between the two men. She watched them, holding her breath, and didn't dare to say anything. She knew how this looked, and she knew Carlos' temper. Debbie was extremely surprised that her husband had found her here, much less was behaving quite cordially to Hayden. This man had practically proposed to her, bared his soul, and begged Debbie to ditch Carlos and come with him. As possessive as Carlos was, he didn't have any further reaction. That shocked her.
"I see. Then I'll leave you to it." Hayden looked at Debbie and continued, "Deb says that you two love each other very much. I can tell. You should spend more time with her. Did you know she loves to travel? Doesn't look like she gets out much, though."
Carlos tightened his hand around Debbie's waist. "Of course. We're planning to go to the Maldives in February, heading to H Country in March, and A Country in April. I'll go wherever she wants."
Debbie pulled Carlos' arm and whispered in his ear on tiptoe, "I knew about the Maldives, but H and A? When did you decide on those?"
He turned towards her, just a bit. "Just now," he answered.
Debbie was dumbstruck.
Seeing them together, Hayden smiled resignedly. "Awesome! Take care."
When Carlos passed by the cashier's desk, he released Debbie's hand and took care of the bill.
Before they walked out of the coffee house, he wrapped Debbie's scarf around her neck and zipped up her down jacket. Everything he did seemed so natural and gentle it worried Debbie even more. What was going on in his head?
She followed Carlos to a spacious, bright, and well-equipped minivan.
He sat on the couch, and then forcefully pulled Debbie into the seat next to him. "Drive," he told the driver.
Debbie sensed the coldness around him. She wrapped her arms around his neck and explained, "I... He... We were just catching up."
"Catching up?" She felt he was about to explode with rage. When he spoke, it felt as if the carriage were a missile silo.
Since Carlos had seen Hayden holding her in his arms, Debbie understood why he was mad. "I don't love him anymore. So tell me, Mr. Handsome, why were you there?"