The man's male friend echoed, "Damn right! She is the most beautiful woman I've ever seen."
The woman didn't hesitate to crush the man's ego. "Did you see the bracelet she is wearing? It looks super pricy. Just look at her. She is obviously rich and important. And look at you! Do you really think she gives a damn about your drink?"
"Doesn't matter. I'll be happy as long as she looks at me."
Soon enough, Evelyn's table was filled with all kinds of alcohol—expensive ones, cheap ones, wine, and beer.
When Evelyn finally looked at him, Sheffield began to play the guitar and sang, "Do you remember the cafe by the Seine River? The taste of the coffee fades while your smile and lips linger. May the roses I gave you never wither. Even writing your name makes my heart flutter... You said you always made the chasing harder, but babe, I'm no quitter. You said you wanted nothing more than a sincere heart..."
This was the second time Sheffield had sung for her in one day. Evelyn just looked straight at him, her face betraying no emotions.
He seemed attentive to the song, but his eyes would shift to her from time to time, and he sometimes winked at her.
She remained nonchalant, but the other women in the bar went crazy. They screamed to draw his attention, but he only had eyes for her.
The song continued, "Babe, you have been my world from that day. I never knew being happy could be so easy. You said I was not your type, but hey, your eyes gave your heart away."
The lyrics made Evelyn think, 'Really? My eyes give my heart away?'
The audience applauded when the song came to an end. His voice had attracted many new customers into the bar.
When he returned to his seat, he saw all the complimentary drinks on the table.
"I was only away for two minutes, and so many men have already tried to steal you away!"
Evelyn smiled and asked him jokingly, "Which one do you think I should drink? The young man who had bought me the cocktail was really cute. Maybe I should start with that."
He pointed at the cocktail. "You mean this one?"
"Yes."
He picked up the glass and chugged it.
Her heart thumped. "Why did you do that?"
"To stop you from flirting with other guys. Who else was cute?"
"The older man who bought the Remy Martin," she replied.
'All right! Where's the Remy Martin?' He searched and soon found the glass. Again, he slurped it all down.
Evelyn was startled. "What if I say they were all handsome?"
Sheffield took a deep breath and looked at her earnestly. "I'll drink them all."
She was stunned. "Are you a fool?"
"That depends. What kind of man do you like—the foolish kind or the smart ones?" Despite chugging two glasses of alcohol, he still wasn't drunk.
She rolled her eyes at him. "Hmm..." She took a sip of the fruit tea to think. "The kind of man who will love me."
He smiled. "That's as easy as ABC."
"Really?" she asked with a raised eyebrow. She had thought that it would discourage him.
Sheffield replied with a smug face, "Just wait. I'll prove to you how much I love you."
Evelyn wasn't an innocent schoolgirl. She didn't buy into this kind of promise easily. She just smiled without saying anything.
A woman started singing the song "Flower of the Woman" on the stage.
Sheffield took Evelyn's hand and said affectionately, "Evelina, I want to go to Paris with you. We can walk along the Seine River together, drink coffee at Les Deux Magots, enjoy some French cuisine and then visit the Eiffel Tower."
In such a romantic ambience, despite her cold disposition, Evelyn was moved by his declaration of love.
But she said nothing.
Sheffield bowed his head. "It doesn't have to be Paris... or French cuisine. I just want to be with you. Anywhere. Even if it's just walking around and eating street foods, I will still be happy. The question is, will you come with me?"
Evelyn looked at their hands, which were interlocked on the table. A faint smile crept over her face. "No," she simply replied.
Deeply disappointed, he kissed her hand and put on a wounded expression. "It's okay. I can handle this failure. I'll try harder again."
She smiled. "You won't give up yet?" She was afraid that if he persisted any longer, she would say yes.
Sheffield was very much different from her ex-boyfriends. He had given her a lot of new experiences in just one day.
"Of course not! I am not one to give up so easily." He released her hand, picked up a glass of beer and downed it.
When his warmth on her hand disappeared, she felt a sense of loss without even knowing why.
When they exited the bar, the duo decided to take a walk and enjoy the beautiful night city. Sheffield insisted on holding her hand. Not being used to it, she tried to squirm out of his grip, but he wouldn't let go. He glanced about and argued, "Look how many people there are in the street. If I don't hold your hand, you will get lost."
Evelyn rolled her eyes and looked at his hand, but didn't try to take her hand back again.
They walked along the street, the starlight spilling on them. "Why did you choose to come to this remote city for vacation, instead of going abroad? Will you be able to get used to this place?" he asked.
"I thought of going to Italy. But my brother argued that we already lived in a big noisy city. He said that I should go somewhere quieter. Then, my sister suggested this place. She has been here before and thought it beautiful and clean. So, here I am."
"You have a brother and a sister?"
She nodded. "Yes. I'm the eldest. My sister is adorable, and my brother is calm and mature, just like my father." Her eyes turned tender as she spoke of her siblings.
"It sounds like you have a happy family. It's not common nowadays, especially for rich people." Sheffield thought that it was a rare thing for rich families to be happy. Most of the rich couples he knew put on happy faces in public, but they would have been split up a long time ago.
Many had affairs and got divorced.
Evelyn nodded. Her eyes were fixed on the old bricks on the road as she walked. "I think so too. I have seen a lot of miserable couples, but my parents are different. They love each other. Their relationship was built on loyalty, inspiration and trust. I want that too."
Her parents had been married for more than thirty years. When her mom was carrying her, some people had tried to sabotage her parents' marriage, and they had been apart for a few years. But they reunited and had lived happily ever since.