Chapter 3

Poor Dougie looked like he was about to explode from embarrassment, unable to come up with a retort. I playfully scolded Gareth, "Gareth, Dougie's girlfriend would know if he had such issues. No need for you to worry."

Dougie’s girlfriend, caught in the awkwardness, took a sip of water. Gareth quickly apologized, "Sorry, Dougie, I didn’t mean to be so blunt. I know you won't take it to heart, right?"

What could Dougie say? He could only stew in his own frustration. The long-haired girl, enjoying the drama, asked, "Gareth, can you diagnose us too?"

"I wouldn’t say diagnose. My grandpa’s an internist, so I picked up a bit here and there," Gareth downplayed his knowledge, then dropped another bomb on the second whisperer, "Mr. Newman, your sparse facial hair but thick head hair is typical of someone wearing a wig."

Newman had long dealt with premature balding, always hiding it with a wig—it wasn’t a secret, but it wasn’t talked about either. A few people couldn’t hold back their laughter. Newman’s smile disappeared, his tone becoming hostile, "What’s your point?"

Gareth feigned surprise, "Oh? Did I say something wrong? I thought it was a wig. It’s so realistic; I was going to recommend it to my uncle. My bad. It’s real hair?"

Newman, who hated any mention of his wig, almost lost it. He was about to lash out when I softly reiterated in dialect, "Pride can be a heavy burden."

Newman swallowed his retort, simmering in anger. Gareth, all innocence, asked, "Sue, what did you just say?"

I smiled, "Nothing, let's order."

Food finally arrived, and Gareth and I played the perfect hosts, urging everyone to dig in. Evelyn tenderly peeled shrimp for Kai, and Gareth cut my steak.

They flaunted their affection, and we flaunted ours. Everything seemed fine until one troublemaker couldn’t keep his mouth shut.

A guy with glasses said snidely, "It’s a new world where men are doing women’s work now, huh?" He then praised Kai, "Kai made the right call, choosing a gentle, traditionally-minded girl."

But before Kai could respond, the long-haired girl scoffed, "So, are you looking for a girlfriend or a maid?"

Another short-haired woman chimed in, "Do you think women exist to serve you?"

I smiled softly, "It’s not the Victorian era anymore."

That guy quickly became the enemy of all the women at the table. Trying to salvage his standing, he backpedaled. "Just joking. No need to be so sensitive."

Gareth, with a big grin, added, "In my family, it’s normal for men to take care of women. My mom never has to peel shrimp; my dad always does it for her. Now, even in her fifties, her hands are still soft and pretty."

Gareth peeled a shrimp in a few swift motions, removing the vein and placing it in my bowl. I smiled and thanked him.

The long-haired girl chimed in, "Gareth and his dad are the real doting men here. Actions over words any day."

Kai’s face showed a hint of discomfort, and even Evelyn looked awkwardly at their half-eaten shrimp.

The meal turned out to be more comfortable than I’d anticipated. Watching my ex with his new girlfriend wasn’t as painful as I’d feared.

On the way back, I gazed pensively out at the night. Gareth tried to lighten the mood, "Sue, did I do alright today?"