$198,850
This is a nice amount, or rather a scary one.
Chris smirked at the ladies, then winked at them. After transferring a thousand dollars' worth of Bitcoin, he gently came and sat on the chair he was previously seated on; the steaming coffee looked cold.
"Chris, there you are. I had to get a cab for Mel."
As soon as Grace walked in, even women seated inside the cafe turned towards her. Not only did cold winds enter with her, but she smelled very nice too. With that long maroon overcoat, she even looked like she didn't belong to a shabby place like this.
"Yeah, I drove her car here. Why didn't she come with you?"
Grace sat just opposite of Chris, placing car keys on the table, then took a sip from his coffee mug and made a weird face because it was cold.
"She should have, but she thought my BOYFRIEND would be too happy to see me; he will hug me as soon as he sees me."
Grace teased, then her eyes landed on the six girls behind Chris, so she made her voice a little high-pitched for them to hear. It worked; all six of them flinched and focused on eating.
"I am sorry; I should have, but I thought we were not that fake; we could be ourselves."
Chris gestured to the waitress again with a smile on his face, this time to remove the cold coffee and bring two new lattes he pointed to on the menu.
"That is true. I like you because you don't pretend emotions. Mel thought she would be three-wheeling us. I tried to convince her, but she just left anyway."
"Yes, she is like this; never mind. What did you guys plan for my birthday?"
"Ah? We thought we would do tr…. What a slimy little thing you are."
Grace's laughter echoed throughout the cafe as she slapped Chris's hand gently; she looked impressed with his casual trick.
"You want to hang out?"
Opening the black 2024 Mercedes‑Benz C‑Class, Chris looked at Grace, who was standing just beside him; her warmth was reaching him in the cold open parking lot.
"I want to, but Dad has been texting me for I don't know what!"
Grace just shrugged her shoulders cutely; she has usually gone to many meetings lately, so she guessed it was one of these.
"No worries, text me when you get home, and also if you are free. I am not working in the diner anymore, so…"
Grace embraced Chris tightly; it was as if she was holding back all the time because Chris was too reserved in public. Chris had no choice but to smile and bend a little so that he could also hug her back; she felt warm.
"I love you… I heard what you did yesterday from Mel. You are very brave. We will work hard and make ourselves millionaires in no time."
Whispering this in Chris's ear, she smiled and then felt Chris's hand tightening around her, not in a bad way but in a way that made her feel more secure and comfortable.
She gently released her grip, then saw Chris releasing his, followed smoothly by a small peck on her lips. She blinked with a little shock, then smiled without knowing that she was smiling.
"Today it felt less intimate; you were very courageous last time at my place."
"You want that? I can do it if you like."
"Neh! Forget it."
After that Chris almost chased the red-faced Grace to her car; although she was blushing hard, her laughter felt contagious, and everyone in the cafe was smiling at the young couple.
"Mel's car is nice; it drives smoothly on corners and also looks expensive. I think I should get a car after all. How much should I spend on it?"
Muttering under his breath, he drove back into his diner alley and parked the black sedan just beside his Mint Mazda. The Mazda, which looked too good to be true on his seventeenth birthday, felt like trash now compared to this sedan.
"Chris, my man, I was just searching for you."
As he was about to pull out the cash from Melissa's glove box, his hand paused; he saw Jim, their regular, walking towards him with his wiggly body. With a smile, he got out. Melissa won't take that money anyway, and if she sees that money and the documents naturally, he can explain to her more easily.
"Jim, hey, What do you need me for?"
"I was thinking about getting a car; I thought you knew your stuff."
Patting Chris's Mazda Jim smiled; he really liked this car, but he has to be more budget-friendly. Jim leaned on his Mazda slightly because he felt tired walking faster than usual.
"You like this car?"
Pointing at his own car, Chris smiled when he saw Jim nodding his head furiously, but he was not sure if he wanted to sell this; this was a symbol of love given by his sister and father.
"I will discuss this with Mel and let you know, but you should get a Toyota for nice mileage."
Before entering the diner, Chris gave Jim a suggestion with a wink, meaning it was clear this car was not that good with mileage, but Jim stood there staring at the Mazda like a pervert.
Seeing Chris, Dan walked off the counter naturally; if his son was capable, it was not his fault. Chris just smiled and joined as usual; their last night's spat means nothing. When he wants to, he will quit naturally.
"Chris, You look exceptionally handsome today, but this is not your perfume on you."
Tina, walking past him with a handful of dishes, commented on his smell. Chris instantly pulled his blazer to his nose; a smile formed on his face because this was his familiar smell.
Grace.