Verena paused for a moment before realizing that it was Asher.
Without wasting words, she asked, "What do you want?"
Asher responded right away. "We only had drinks during the blind date today. The total came to twenty dollars. Since things didn't work out between us, we should split the bill."
Split twenty dollars? Verena had never met someone like him.
Not only did he come across as frivolous, but he was unbelievably stingy too.
With no hesitation, she asked for his banking details so she could transfer the money.
She had no desire to stay connected with him in any way.
Unexpectedly, Asher ignored the question and sent another message. "I want cash. Same place we met today. Tomorrow morning. I'll wait for you there."
Verena found him ridiculous.
Had he completely lost his mind?
She angrily typed out a long reply, only to delete it moments later. After calming down, she sent a much shorter message. "I'm busy tomorrow morning. Afternoon works for me."
Quite some time passed before a single cold reply popped up on her screen. "Okay."
The following morning, the matchmaker dragged Verena out once again for another series of blind dates.
Before noon, she had already met three different men.
One was a math teacher.
Another was an obstetrician and gynecologist.
The third was a divorced businessman with a child.
Some were greasy, overweight middle-aged men, while others were plain-looking men oozing with misplaced confidence.
Each one was more disappointing than the previous one.
Just when Verena thought the ordeal had finally ended, the matchmaker led her to the next location.
Her last blind date of the day was a twenty-five-year-old man named Liam Murray.
He talked nonstop and repeatedly complimented her beauty.
Even so, Verena politely found a reason to reject him.
Her life was already a mess. She just didn't have the energy or interest to start a relationship.
After their chat ended quickly, Liam took the rejection surprisingly well. With a smile, he said, "Even if this doesn't work out, we can still be friends."
Verena smiled back and nodded. "Of course."
"Oh, right. My friend and I are heading downtown to take care of some things. We'll be passing by your neighborhood anyway. Why don't we give you a ride?"
"That would be wonderful. Thank you." With the weather so cold, Verena gladly accepted the offer.
Following Liam outside, Verena spotted a black SUV parked by the roadside.
Beside the car stood a tall man with his head lowered, and a cigarette between his fingers. Dressed entirely in black, he gave off an intimidating aura.
The swirling smoke softened his features. It took away some of his ruggedness and made his already striking face even more captivating.
At the sound of approaching footsteps, the man slowly raised his eyes. Through the thin veil of smoke, his intense gaze fell on Verena.
The instant their eyes met, Verena froze.
It was Asher, the unbelievably frugal man.
"Asher, this is Verena Stewart, my blind date." Liam casually wrapped an arm around Asher's shoulder. "Since we're all headed in the same direction, let's give this gorgeous lady a ride home."
Asher remained silent. His lazy gaze moved over Verena from head to toe.
She still wasn't wearing makeup today, yet her skin was flawless and radiant.
She was dressed in a beige trench coat. Half of her hair was pinned up and some loose strands framed her forehead. She looked graceful and refined.
But her beautiful eyes were still cold and distant as he remembered.
"Well, well." Asher slowly exhaled a ring of smoke, one eyebrow lifting slightly. "Fancy running into you here."
"Quite the coincidence, indeed," Verena replied flatly.
"You told me you were busy this morning." Asher deliberately paused before adding, "So this is what you meant. Another blind date?"
Verena already disliked him, so her tone turned even colder. "What can I do? I'm not getting any younger, and my family keeps pressuring me."
The cigarette rested between Asher's lips as he looked at her. A faint, teasing smile tugged at the corners of his mouth.
"Wait, you two know each other?" Liam's eyes lit up at the smell of juicy gossip.
"We do." Asher flicked the cigarette butt, slipped his hands into his pockets, and shamelessly admitted, "She was my blind date yesterday."
"Why didn't you tell me sooner?" Into the drama, Liam slapped his hand excitedly. "Then that means I just had a blind date with your girlfriend?"
The men were definitely friends. They were both equally ridiculous.
Verena instantly lost all interest in taking the ride. Looking at Asher, she said, "I won't be riding in your car. I have other plans."
Then she reached into her pocket, pulled out a wrinkled ten-dollar bill, and placed it on the hood of his car. "Here's the cash you wanted."
Verena started walking away but she suddenly stopped and turned back. She took out another ten-dollar bill, placed it beside the first one on the hood, and gave Asher a faint, detached smile. "Drinks are on me."
Asher looked down at the twenty dollars on the hood and then looked at her retreating figure.
A barely noticeable smile touched his usually cold lips.
"Something is definitely up!" Liam bumped his elbow against Asher with a mischievous grin. "With your personality, there's no way you would willingly go on a blind date. Come on, tell me. What's going on here? Who exactly is she?"
Asher picked up the bills and slowly examined them. His dark eyes revealed nothing. "You wouldn't understand."
Naturally, Liam was completely confused. "Seriously, Asher, you're normally generous with money. Why are you chasing a woman over twenty dollars? What are you even thinking?"
Asher lifted his gaze and once again looked in the direction Verena had disappeared.
"I'm trying to win her over."
...
Every failed blind date meant enduring Lisette's temper. Eventually, Verena decided it would be better to move out.
The moment she told Lisette about her decision, Lisette's sour expression immediately brightened. "Vera, if you're moving, then move downtown! People around here love to gossip. If you stay here, everyone will talk about your uncle and me!"
Too exhausted to argue, Verena simply agreed.
The following day, she wrapped herself in a long down coat and headed downtown to search for a place to rent.
Since it was the weekend, the bus station was packed.
The crowd was even more chaotic than rush hour on the city subway.
People had baskets full of fresh produce strapped to their backs and huge bags hanging from their hands. Standing among them empty-handed, Verena looked strangely out of place.
As soon as the bus arrived, the orderly queue turned chaotic. The moment the doors opened, everyone surged forward. Verena instinctively followed the crowd.
Just as one foot landed on the bus step, a woman behind her grabbed the back of her coat and forcefully pulled her away.
Her footing slipped. She lost her balance and fell backward.
Just as she was about to scream, an arm wrapped firmly around her waist.
She was caught before hitting the ground and her back pressed tightly against a broad, solid chest.
Warm breath brushed past her ear. "Be careful, Miss Stewart."
Startled, Verena quickly regained her footing and turned around. She found herself staring into Asher's deep eyes.
He was dressed entirely in black once again, wearing the same outfit as the previous day.
Verena took a step away from him and said, "Thank you."
"No problem," Asher answered calmly.
Ignoring him afterward, Verena looked at the moving bus.
She never noticed that Asher's eyes had drifted to her bleeding fingertip.
He leaned casually against his car with his head lowered and pulled out a cigarette. As he flicked his lighter, the flame briefly illuminated his face. "Going downtown?" he asked.
"Yeah," Verena answered without looking his way.
"Get in." Through the drifting smoke, Asher looked at her lazily. "It's on my way."
"No, thanks. I'll wait for the next bus."
Asher remained completely unfazed. He flicked the ash off his cigarette. "Miss Stewart, then I suppose I'll have to be a little rude."
Before Verena could understand what he meant, he walked over and effortlessly swept her into his arms.
The faint scent of fresh shower gel filled her nose as she was held securely against his chest.
Verena struggled, looking up at his sharp jawline. "Put me down."
Paying her no mind, Asher opened the passenger door and placed her inside the car.
The interior of the SUV was spotless. A cute cartoon bobblehead sat on the dashboard, creating a strange contrast with Asher's intimidating appearance.
"Mr. Lloyd," she said with obvious irritation. "What exactly are you trying to do?"
After locking the doors, Asher turned toward her and met her eyes. He said casually, "Since being a couple didn't work out, why don't we start by being friends?"
"Unlock the door. I'm leaving."
Asher acted as though he hadn't heard a word. He reached out, held her wrist, and lightly pulled her hand closer. "Your finger is bleeding."
Only then did Verena notice the cut on her right index finger.
She must have gotten scratched by something while struggling through the crowd earlier.
She tried to withdraw her hand, but Asher's grip was firm. "Don't move. Let me tend to that cut."
Eventually, Verena stopped resisting. She watched helplessly as Asher found a first-aid kit in the car, brought out antiseptic, cotton swabs, and a bandage.
He then carefully treated her wound. Although he was a bit clumsy, every movement was very gentle.
As he lightly held her hand, the warmth from their palms slowly blended together. Inside the enclosed space of the car, the atmosphere became strangely intimate and awkward at the same time.
Without realizing it, Verena found herself staring at his remarkably handsome face.
That face was far too misleading.
When he was being serious, he actually looked rather attractive.
"Stop looking at me." Asher suddenly lifted his eyes, catching her gaze. Their eyes locked. "I'm petty. If you keep staring, I'll stare back."
