Morlo drove Allison down a country lane, following the directions Jonathan had given her, for nearly half an hour.
Along the way, Morlo and Allison chatted a lot; aside from the news of her parents and younger brother's recent passing, Allison shared almost everything with Morlo, indicating that she truly had few friends and no ulterior motives.
After all, sharing such personal information with someone you just met isn't exactly wise!
Morlo, the perfect listener, praised and encouraged Allison's running talent after hearing her story, while also expressing his sympathy for her recent injury.
In this atmosphere, Allison, a naive little bunny just stepping into the world, easily opened her heart to Morlo, her fondness for him reaching new heights.
This kind of support during a low mood is what girls need most and is the easiest way to touch their hearts.
Of course, picking up a recently divorced woman outside the civil affairs bureau is not acceptable and could get you beaten up!!!
…………
As the clock struck six and the sky began to darken, Morlo finally spotted a broken-down pickup truck by the roadside, along with a middle-aged man beside it.
The middle-aged man appeared to be about six feet tall, with a somewhat weathered face, short brown-blonde hair that looked quite neat, and a physique that suggested years of hard labor.
When Morlo saw him, Jonathan, leaning against the truck, also noticed Morlo's sports car and the two people inside laughing and chatting.
Seeing that Allison was safe, Jonathan breathed a sigh of relief and felt a bit more grateful towards the handsome young man, Morlo.
After Morlo stopped the car, Jonathan stepped forward and offered him a cigarette. Although it wasn't expensive, Morlo accepted it and put it to his lips.
After all, he was one of Allison's last two blood relatives, and Morlo certainly wouldn't want to offend him.
In Morlo's mind, he was determined to win Allison over, especially since she looked so much like Heather; he couldn't let her go around with that face and be with someone else!
“Thank you, young man. I'm Jonathan. Thanks to you, Allison made it here safely.
How about dinner at my place tonight as a token of my gratitude?”
Jonathan sincerely invited Morlo.
He was genuinely grateful to the young man before him; after all, Allison was the last bloodline left by his brother, and if anything happened to her, he wouldn't know how to explain it to his brother!
Morlo waved his hand and smiled as he replied.
“You're too kind, Uncle Jonathan. I'm Morlo.
Besides, I just gave Allison a ride; I didn't really do anything significant.
Let's talk about dinner tomorrow. I just arrived in this Delion town and haven't even found a place to stay yet.
And it looks like it's going to rain soon; the car needs a place to rest, doesn't it?”
“Yeah, Uncle, let's invite Morlo over for dinner tomorrow afternoon! For now, let's head home!” Allison suggested at that moment.
She also wanted to thank Morlo, but due to the rush and the fact that she hadn't dressed up today, she didn't want to do it hastily.
At the very least, she wanted to show Morlo her charm, to let him see that she wasn't just a little kid, and to try to win him over in the next few days!
Jonathan looked at the dim sky, then at the thinly dressed Allison and her luggage, before finally sighing at Morlo.
“Well, I guess I can only thank you tomorrow, Mor. I'm really sorry about this.”
“It's fine, Uncle Jonathan. I'll take Allison home first and then come back for you.”
“No need, I can get back on my own; it's not far, just over there.”
Jonathan pointed to a nearby two-story wooden house.
Seeing this, Morlo nodded, said goodbye to Jonathan, and took Allison towards Jonathan's home.
Watching the sports car leave, Jonathan felt a bit worried, but since he sensed that Morlo was a decent person, he didn't feel the need to say much to Allison.
As an uncle, he didn't want to interfere too much; after all, he wasn't her real father, and saying too much might backfire!
With that, Jonathan refocused, picked up his tools, placed the changed tire in the trunk, opened the car door, and after a few tries, the car started running normally again.
By the time Jonathan got home, Morlo had already left.
After all, it was their first meeting, and he couldn't be too enthusiastic; that would seem overly purposeful.
At this moment, Morlo had arrived in town.
He first checked into a luxury king-sized room at a nice hotel, then stepped out to look for a restaurant that caught his eye.
This was Morlo's habit; whenever he arrived in a city or town, he would order a local specialty dish at a restaurant to preserve his love for food.
Otherwise, prolonged fasting would greatly diminish or even eliminate his appetite.
If it were just appetite, that would be fine, but when appetite disappears, it often takes away other emotions as well.
Morlo wasn't cultivating a path of indifference; he certainly wouldn't intentionally abandon his emotions and desires—what's the point of living like that!
Morlo looked at the not-so-luxurious but exquisite restaurant before him and pushed the door open to enter.
As soon as he walked in, the two waitresses, one black and one white, at the front desk greeted him with smiles.
“Hey, sir, welcome! The menu is here; let us know what you need!”
Following the voice, Morlo saw two young ladies who looked about eighty points in attractiveness; even the black girl with dreadlocks had delicate features, at least not resembling an alien!
Morlo guessed that she might be of mixed heritage; otherwise, pure black features often resemble aliens with elongated skulls and flat faces. (Think of the Dutch version of Romeo and Juliet.)
The white girl beside the black girl, who was a bit shorter, was quite stunning, with a high nose, big eyes, fair skin, and delicate features; her figure under the work uniform was also quite impressive.
While appreciating them, Morlo didn't stare; he glanced at them and then focused on the menu.
“A cup of coffee with sugar and milk, a specialty steak, a seasonal roasted pumpkin pie, and a cheese-baked corn as well.”
“Okay, sir, please wait a moment; your meal will be served shortly!”
The brown-haired white girl smiled sweetly, took the printed ticket, and headed to the kitchen, while the black girl continued to watch Morlo.
After a moment, the black girl lowered her head and went back to work.
After all, she had a three-year-old child now and was no longer in the carefree days of high school; even if she had thoughts, she could only think about them.
However, it was clear she was overthinking; even if she threw herself at him, Morlo wouldn't be interested, as he didn't like dark chocolate!
Morlo sat at a window-side table, gazing at the rainy street outside, lost in thought.
Before long, the girl returned with a cup of coffee.
“Hi, sir, your coffee. If you need more, just call me. My name is Melissa Allen.”
Taking the coffee, Morlo smiled and shook Melissa's outstretched hand.
“Morlo, nice to meet you, Miss Melissa. I'll call you if I need anything!”
Melissa nodded with a smile, happily taking her tray back to her station at the front desk.
At this moment, the black girl looked at the cheerful Melissa and asked with a smile.
“Hey, Melissa, how was the touch of that handsome guy's hand? I envy you for being young; if I were still in high school, I would definitely invite that handsome guy for a friendly match!
After all, such a rare mixed-race handsome guy is hard to come by.”
“Oh, Meg, you're being too straightforward! I'm just appreciating him; besides, my first time is reserved for my future husband!”
Hearing Meg's blunt words, Melissa's face immediately turned red. As a devout Muslim, she rarely spoke so openly and was quite conservative about such matters.
Seeing her little coworker shy like this, Meg shook her head, thinking, ‘Poor devout Muslim, she has no idea about the joys of such things!’
Though she thought this, she quickly changed the subject.
“Melissa, are you free tomorrow? Can you cover for me for half a day? I have an appointment with the doctor for Jesse's check-up tomorrow afternoon.”
“What about Danielle? Isn't she off tomorrow? Can't she cover for you for the afternoon? I might not make it to the afternoon shift since I have an exam.”
“Oh, don't mention it. Danielle is meeting the guy her parents introduced to her tomorrow, so she can't cover for me.
After all, she's thirty and still unmarried; I can't bear to delay her big event!”
Meg shrugged helplessly.
Seeing Meg plead with her like this, kind-hearted Melissa thought for a moment and nodded in agreement.
“Alright, just tell the manager, and I'll cover your shift after my exam tomorrow.”
Seeing Melissa agree so readily, Meg quickly clasped her hands together and expressed her gratitude.
“Thank you, Melissa! To show my appreciation, I'll help create an opportunity for you to interact with that handsome guy later.”
“No, no, that's not necessary…!” Melissa blushed and tried to refuse, but after glancing at Morlo's perfect profile not far away, she curiously asked, “What do you have in mind, Meg?”
Seeing Melissa's interest, Meg, in a good mood, leaned closer to her ear and whispered.
“Later, you do this… and then I'll do that… and there you go, an opportunity to meet again!”
“Huh? It can work like that?”
Melissa looked enlightened, gazing at the animated Meg.
“Hey! These are just little tricks!
I feel like I should teach you some practical skills; you might find them useful later.”
“What skills?”
“Ice and fire duality, buns with big sticks, western riding techniques… so many amazing skills; if you want to learn, I can teach you.”
Meg spoke confidently, like someone with experience.
Melissa listened, her mouth agape in surprise; she never expected there were so many things she didn't know about.