Unfortunately, she couldnât remember the plot.
âThe ride-share isnât here yet, and letâs wait a bit longer.â
Balfour had a drink or two, and of course, he couldnât drive. They had no choice but to stand by the car, waiting for the ride-share to arrive.
âSure thing.â Ivy stood a good armâs length away from Balfour, a distance that was neither close nor far, creating an air of ambiguous intimacy between them.
Thankfully, just as Ivyâs patience was running thin, the ride-share pulled up.
Ivy dashed to the passenger seat, yanked the door open, and hopped in.
Watching her actions, Balfour had no choice but to climb into the back seat.
Throughout the ride, Balfour watched Ivyâs reflection in the car window, his eyes narrowing as he fell into deep thought. Ivy could feel a gaze lingering on her cheek, and it made her face flush with heat as if she were being toasted by a stove. The ride was silent, and once they got home, they entered the house one after the other.
âIâll head to the guest room.â Balfour stopped at the door.
Ivy nodded and went inside.
After shutting her door, Ivy quickly showered and lay down in bed.
It was well past midnight, but lying there, Ivy couldnât fall asleep.
Every time she closed her eyes, the image of their kiss would flash through her mind.
Back then, if she had opened her eyes, she would have seen Balfourâs gaze, their proximity almost non-existent.
The thought of that kiss made Ivyâs heart race uncontrollably.
Could it be that he had taken a liking to her?
Ivy couldnât explain that spontaneous kiss for any other reason, yet she dared not believe that Balfour could have feelings for her. Tossing and turning through a sleepless night, Ivy arrived at the breakfast table the next morning with dark circles under her eyes, prompting Balfour to stifle a laugh.
âIvy, whatâs happened to you?â Alyssa asked with a mix of amusement and concern.
With little energy, Ivy managed a weak smile, âIâm fine, Granny. Just had a rough night.â
âHave some milk,â Balfour said, sliding a glass of cold milk in front of Ivy.
As she looked at the milk, the memory of last nightâs kiss resurfaced, and her cheeks heated up once more, âThanks.â
After breakfast, Ivy avoided Balfour and quickly retreated to her room to continue her job hunt.
She couldnât yet forget the events of the previous night and didnât feel calm enough to face Balfour. It seemed better to keep her distance for a few days.
Balfour seemed to realize she was avoiding him, so for the next few days, he left early and returned late, barely crossing paths with her.
After some time, the incident began to fade from memory.
Now, Ivyâs biggest concern was finding a job. She hadnât anticipated that turning down Nolan would make her job search so difficult.
âWhy is finding a job so hard?â Ivy lamented after her twentieth resume vanished into the void.
Alyssa happened to pass by and took a seat next to her, âIf youâre willing, I could help you out.â
From what she knew, the Howard family had some clout in the advertising world. If Alyssa offered her help, it would likely come In one of two forms, either pulling some strings to land her a job at another company or setting up a small advertising agency for her to run.