Chapter 316 Romantic First Meeting (3)　　Jade giggled at Harry''s words, "Fortunately, my worth is in no way attached to this cup of chocte. You didn''t ask for any payment. I offered this out of my free will, so you can''t demand more," she said, and Harry nodded as he took the cup of chocte from her.


    "If you say so. Perhaps we can share the cup then? I''d hate to deprive you of your chocte," He offered, and Jade pursed her lips for a second before standing up.


    "You can have that. I will just make myself another cup," Jade said as she stood up, and then she looked at Harry in surprise when he stood up too, "You''re going inside already?"


    "Since I took your chocte, and I''m making you make another for yourself, it''s only fair that I keep youpany while you prepare another cup for yourself," Harry said, and Jade grinned at him.


    "You''re such a perfect gentleman," she said as she led the way back to the kitchen.


    "I try my best," Harry said, and she smiled.


    "I''m sure you do."


    Harry stood by the doorway of the kitchen, leaning against the kitchen door as he watched her move around, trying to fix hers.


    Although she was just four years younger than he was, he couldn''t help looking at her like she was a kid. Maybe that was because she had been just fifteen years old and in high school when he had first heard of her and saw her picture. And although he had been looking forward to meeting Tom''s family, especially his kid sister whom he always spoke fondly about, somehow he had been expecting to see that little girl, not this beautiful grown-up youngdy.


    "Didn''t you say you are here to keep mepany? Don''t just stand there, then. Go on and say something," Jade said, breaking into his thoughts.


    "Tom said you owned a dog. Why haven''t I seen the dog around," Harry asked forck of a better topic to discuss.


    She turned to him in surprise, "When did he tell you that?"


    "I can''t remember. Why?"


    "Her name was Barbie. She died a year ago," Jade said sadly.


    "I''m sorry. I wouldn''t have mentioned it if I had known," Harry said apologetically.


    "I know. I''m just surprised you remembered something like that since I''m very sure Tom must have mentioned it a long time ago," Jade said, and he shrugged.


    "I was cursed with a very good memory," Harry said with a small smile.


    "I''d like to have such a curse. It would definitely help me ace all my courses," Jade said with a grin.


    "Trust me. You''re better off without it. Especially when you have to clearly remember things you would rather forget, it''s like having to relive unpleasant memories most times," Harry said, and Jade shook her head.


    "It can''t be that bad," Jade argued as she picked up her cup of chocte and walked towards him, "My job here is done. We can return to the porch," she announced.


    "That didn''t take as much time as I expected," Harry observed as he held out the door for her to pass before following her. Harry turned on the light on their way out.


    "It doesn''t require more than ten minutes, at least not for me," Jade said with a shrug.


    Once they werefortably seated on the swing, Jade turned to face him, "Why did you turn on the porch light? I thought you preferred to stay in the dark?" She asked curiously.


    "Maybe if I were alone, it would have been cool. Someone might misunderstand if they see us both alone in the dark," Harry exined, and Jade smiled at his thoughtfulness.


    "By someone, do you mean Tom, my boyfriend, or my parents?"


    "Someone could be any one of them and every one of them," Harry said, and she smiled.


    "You''re very cool," Jade said as she took a sip from her mug.


    "Thank you."


    "Why haven''t you taken a sip yet? Are you scared I drugged it?" Jade asked with a teasing smile, and Harry chuckled.


    "I just prefer it a bit cool," Harry said, and she nodded.


    They bothpsed into silence until Jade decided to speak, "So, how do you like our neighborhood?" She asked curiously.


    "I like your home. It''s very... Homely. And your neighborhood looks cool too, but I haven''t really taken a stroll around it to decide whether or not I like the ce. Do you have nosy neighbors?" Harry asked, and she giggled.


    "I think every neighborhood has those. Every neighborhood has a nosy neighbor. The aloof neighbor, the grumpy neighbor..."


    "And the neighbor who thinks too highly of themselves," Harry added, and they bothughed in agreement.


    "I agree with you. Maybe if you are not too busy tomorrow, we could take a stroll together, and I could take you around the neighborhood and show you each of them. Then you can decide whether or not you like the ce." Jade said with a bright smile.


    "I will like that as long as you don''t bail on me," Harry said as he smiled at her.


    "I promise not to bail. Tomorrow we will take a stroll after breakfast," she assured him.


    "Alright. I will look forward to it since I doubt Tom has the time for that," Harry said as he took a sip from the mug, "Hm. Did you add whiskey to the chocte?" Harry asked when he caught a whiff of whiskey before tasting it.


    "Sshh," Jade said, raising a finger to her lips, "Don''t say it out loud. That''s my secret recipe for a cold night," she said, and Harry watched her in amusement.


    "There is nothing secretive about it. I''ve done this before, but with rum, not whiskey," Harry said, and Jade turned to spare him a nce.


    "Really? I guess genius minds like ours work the same," she said with a wink, and Harry chuckled.


    "I see. So tell me aboutw school. Is it true that you have to be a genius to studyw?" Harry asked, and Jade''s lips twitched in amusement.


    "Why aren''t you studyingw? Didn''t I just call you a genius?" She asked with a teasing smile as she turned to look at him, and Harry smiled back.


    "I suppose everyone inw school mixes their Chocte drink with whiskey too," Harry said dryly, and Jadeughed softly.


    "Well, to answer your question, I''m sure you need to be a genius to study medicine, and engineering, and business, and every other course that is important to humankind. We are all geniuses in our own capacity," Jade said, and Harry smiled.


    "That''s a good response. I think you''re going to make a very intelligentwyer. If I''m ever in need of awyer in the future, I will ask for you," Harry said, and Jade giggled.


    "I guess I have my first potential client already. Has anyone ever told you that your eyes are beautiful?" She asked as she looked into his eyes, and Harry turned away from her in mild embarrassment since she was staring so intently at him.


    "Your eyes are lovely too," Harry said, and Jade waved it off with a giggle.


    "I wasn''t fishing for apliment," Jade said as she raised her mug to her lips.


    "I didn''t think you were," Harry assured her as he looked straight ahead. If he didn''t know better, he would probably have thought that she was flirting with him, but Tom had already told him how she was the type to always say the best things about people, so he wasn''t surprised.


    Neither of them said a word for some time as each of them nursed their mug. The silence between them was not ufortable or awkward in any way.


    "What about your boyfriend? Why are you here without him? Is he sleeping already?" Harry asked after some time, wondering why her boyfriend wasn''t already out to find her, considering how he had been acting all day.


    "No, he is busy with work. Why?" She lied easily.


    "Nothing. I was just curious. He didn''t seem like the type to let you out of his sight," Harry said, and Jade giggled.


    "Todd can be pretty clingy and possessive sometimes, but it''s one of the things I like about him," Jade said without turning to look at him.


    "You both must be crazy about each other," Harry said thoughtfully.


    "Yes, we are. He''s my first love," she said as she turned to look at him with a wide smile, and Harry nodded without saying a word.


    "Wait, what?" Sonia asked, interrupting Jade once again.


    "What?" Jade asked in confusion.


    "Remind me, please, how old were you then?" Sonia asked, and Jade raised a brow.


    "Twenty. Why?"


    "Gosh! You were so naive! I agree with Tom. I think he liked you. All his questions and everything he said was just his way of getting to know you," Sonia said, and Jade''s brows pulled together as she thought about it.


    "Do you really think so? But he didn''t say anything personal..."


    "What else was he supposed to say after you made it clear that you were hopelessly in love with your clingy and possessive boyfriend?" Sonia asked reasonably, "I think the clue was in everything he said, but you missed it."