Chapter 473: Slept Again

Donna Thorne didn’t know if Brandon Jacobs would be staying with her, so she couldn’t help but ask when she was picking out a toothbrush.

“Should I buy one or two?”

“Just one is fine. Buy one of everything. You’ll be the only one living here.”

His attitude was perfectly clear.

Although Donna was a little disappointed, she also knew that things between her and Brandon Jacobs were impossible, so she quietly accepted it.

After buying a pile of things, the two of them headed back together.

He saw her to the villa’s entrance, and before Brandon Jacobs could say anything, Donna spoke up.

“It’s already dinnertime. Why don’t you stay and eat before you go? I don’t mean anything by it, I just want to thank you for all your help. I’m a pretty good cook. I used to sell pork belly buns in Seacliff, remember? You should try my cooking.”

It was true, the pork belly buns she used to sell had smelled amazing. To be honest, Brandon Jacobs was a little disappointed he’d never gotten to try one.

Besides, Faye Fisher wasn’t home, his parents were at the hospital, and he had nothing better to do. So, Brandon Jacobs went inside with her.

He sat on the sofa playing games while Donna bustled about efficiently in the kitchen.

The CLANGING of pots and pans and the aroma of cooking food drifted from the kitchen.

The lights were bright and the living room was quiet. Suddenly, Brandon Jacobs felt a sense of tranquil, domestic bliss.

‘Isn’t this just what I used to imagine married life would be like?’

The game suddenly lost its appeal. He stood up and walked to the kitchen doorway.

Donna’s hair was tied up high, and she wore an apron, working with brisk efficiency.

Seeing him approach, she turned her head and smiled.

“What’s wrong? Getting impatient? You must be hungry, right?”

“No.”

She looked so much like a perfect wife and mother that Brandon Jacobs couldn’t help but stare.

‘It’s so strange,’ he thought. ‘How can one person possess both the air of a supermodel and the virtuous grace of a perfect homemaker?’

Brandon Jacobs leaned against the doorframe, watching her. “Is there anything I can help with?”

“Actually, there is. I was just about to come get you.”

Donna picked up a piece of food with her chopsticks and walked toward him. “Help me taste this. I don’t know if you like your food salty or mild.”

She naturally held the chopsticks up to Brandon Jacobs’s lips, and he bit down instinctively.

After two seconds, he said, “It’s perfect.”

“That’s good. I’ll plate it then. If you’re hungry, you can take this out and start eating.”

She went back, turned off the stove, and began plating the food. Brandon Jacobs told her not to worry about it, that he’d wait to eat with her. He continued to watch her.

Donna made a total of four dishes. Although they were all simple, home-style recipes, they were perfect in color, aroma, and flavor.

Brandon Jacobs wasn’t sure if it was because he’d been in a bad mood lately and hadn’t been eating properly, or because this house was so special, or because the person before him was so special, but he found today’s meal exceptionally delicious—so good that after finishing one bowl of rice, he wanted a second.

“Is there any more in the pot?”

“Yes. I’ll go get you another serving.”

Donna expertly took his bowl and returned with it refilled with rice.

Seeing Brandon Jacobs eat with such enjoyment made her happy, too.

“You’re so skinny. I would’ve thought you didn’t like to eat proper meals.”

Brandon Jacobs said while eating, “It’s fine, I guess. I usually drink more than I eat.”

At the mention of drinking, Donna bit her chopstick.

“Actually, I was just about to ask you about that. I want to drink, too. I’m dying to know what alcohol tastes like. Can I have some now?”

‘Of course she can.’ The wine was bought for her to drink. ‘Does she really need my permission for that?’

Brandon Jacobs knew she’d never had a drink before and probably wouldn’t know how to open the bottles, so he brought three over for her.

White wine, red wine, and whiskey—he opened them all so she could try them.

Brandon Jacobs had even specifically bought two stemmed wine glasses for the occasion.

Donna ceremoniously poured a little white wine, took a sip, and her eyes lit up.

“No wonder these cost several hundred yuan a bottle. It’s delicious! Mr. Jacobs, would you like to try some?”

Brandon Jacobs had never had such an inexpensive wine and was skeptical that a bottle costing a few hundred yuan could be any good.

As a club operator, he naturally had some expertise when it came to liquor. Out of professional habit and curiosity, he poured a little for himself as well.

And what do you know, the wine was actually quite good. To achieve this kind of flavor for only a few hundred yuan was surprisingly impressive.

And so, the two of them ended up opening and sampling all of the bottles.

After that, Donna didn’t remember what happened.

When she woke up again, she and Brandon Jacobs were lying in bed together, completely naked.

Looking at his peaceful, sleeping face beside her, Donna’s heart skipped a beat, and she quietly sat up.

Brandon Jacobs had said yesterday that he didn’t want anything more to happen between them. This must have happened because of the alcohol.

She knew Brandon Jacobs didn’t like her, and she didn’t want him to think she was trying to trap him, so she decided to get dressed and slip away first.

But unexpectedly, the moment she moved, Brandon Jacobs woke up too.

Seeing her thin, straight back and her clear eyes, which now held a hint of panic, Brandon Jacobs slapped a hand to his forehead.

Donna hurriedly apologized. “I don’t remember anything about last night. I drank too much. I’m so sorry, Mr. Jacobs…”

‘There’s nothing to be sorry for.’

He was a man; he was the one who had the upper hand in these situations.

The fact that he kept ending up with her probably meant that, subconsciously, he wanted to. ‘This has nothing to do with Donna.’

He grabbed his phone and checked the time. It was just after 6:00 AM.

Brandon Jacobs sat up. “Why are you up so early? Where were you going?”

Seeing that he didn’t seem angry and that his expression was relatively normal, Donna finally let out a sigh of relief.

“I’m really thirsty. I was going to get some water. Do you want any?”

Since it was already so early, Brandon Jacobs didn’t plan on going back to sleep.

“Yes. While you’re at it, get yourself ready. We’re going to work later.”

Donna hurried out to boil some water, then ducked into the bathroom to wash up.

By the time she came out, Brandon Jacobs was also fully and neatly dressed.

Perhaps because he had spoken so definitively the day before, things were a bit awkward between them now. Neither of them would meet the other’s gaze.

While waiting for the hot water to cool, Donna rummaged through the fridge for ingredients to make a simple breakfast.

Brandon Jacobs picked up a glass of water and was about to drink when he remembered he hadn’t brushed his teeth, and he didn’t have a toothbrush here.

He went to the bathroom to check. Donna had been true to her word; after being told not to buy him one, she really had only bought one for herself.

He hadn’t brushed his teeth before bed last night, and his mouth felt gross and dry. Brandon Jacobs couldn’t stand it. He stared at Donna’s pink toothbrush for a long moment, then rinsed it under the tap, squeezed on some toothpaste, and stuck it in his mouth.

Donna made a simple bowl of noodles with vegetables and egg, listening to him make a phone call as she ate.

After they finished eating, Brandon Jacobs said.

“I forgot to get you a phone yesterday. Head to work for now, and I’ll have someone deliver one to you later. The job is already arranged. I’ll drop you off at the entrance, and you can just head straight inside.”

Donna nodded in agreement. Soon, the two of them were standing at the entrance to the company building.

Having a limited education and no experience working in a proper corporation, Donna felt a wave of anxiety as she looked up at the imposing office building.

“What if I don’t know how to do anything? Will I embarrass you?”

Brandon Jacobs replied, “You’re going to be a receptionist. It doesn’t require any technical skills, so it’s not something you’ll be unable to do. For now, just observe everything, get familiar with the professional world, and I’ll transfer you to a different position later on.”