Early in the morning, every servant was occupied with their designated works.
Madam Hilda Shen instructed them to clean every corner of the mansion and prepare the guest rooms, maybe some guests would like to stay overnight.
The chefs also prepared all the ingredients they needed for the dishes they will cook later.
Outside, the head maidservant instructed the male servants to add more tables and chairs in the courtyard.
They also put up more beach umbrellas and lounge chairs around the open pool area and long tables in the garden as she already knew that the men would hang out away from them and have their own world to themselves.
Also, the princess ordered them to place some electric grilled pans on every table. It would be perfect to grill while drinking and chatting.
They have known her to complain about formal dining with friends as no fun at all, so Hailee always wants to mix up things with elegance in a contemporary setting.
On the long tables that were exquisitely decorated with flowers are neatly arranged on the silver trays the marinated meats, spices, and cut vegetables. Then, different liquor, including bottled beers, is chilled on the buckets, while on the other tables displayed fruits, pastries, and desserts.
Among the girls, Hazel was the last one who went to bed the night before, but she was the earliest one to wake up. Of course, she was excited to help her boyfriend prepare the Japanese dishes Hailee requested.
After showering, Hazel could not decide what to wear. Since she became the ambassadress of Davies Cosmetics, she has to present herself as embodying the company.
Well, as she could not decide what to wear, Hazel chose a floral short jumpsuit. She braided her hair on the side and applied very light makeup.
She was thinking about whether to use lipstick or just lip gloss?
Obviously, she wanted not only to look presentable but also beautiful in her boyfriend's eyes.
Apart from that, Hailee's guests today are all notable and gorgeous women. She has a job not to disappoint Hailee and Vera, being the spokesperson of their brand.
Hazel scanned her reflection in the mirror before she got out of the bedroom and headed to the kitchen. She was gliding happily in the corridor when she bumped into someone.
She quickly avoided him, but the guy held her in the arm.
"What are you doing, Jake? Let me go in an instance." She bellowed at him in a low voice. It was embarrassing for her to yell aloud when it was still early in the morning.
"You and James, huh?" Jake said with bitterness in his tone.
Hazel glared at Jake. She need not ask how the guy knows about it. She could already guess that Jake saw her and James last night.
Well, that is a good thing for Hazel. Now Jake has no reason to bother her.
"What is it to you?" she snapped. "Now that you know, stop stalking me! Moreover, you have no right to touch me!"
Hazel tried to withdraw her arm, but Jake gripped her tight.
"What's with him and I don't have? We know more about each other than him."
It feels like Hazel's ears buzzed after she heard Jake stating that. She proved how stupid Jake was as a man.
"What James had that you don't have? Actually, you have something that James doesn't have and that is being stupid! Yes, that was you!"
Jake scowled. "Hazel, I know you were jealous of my past relationships that's why you are doing this to me. But they were just my past. They were just my friends now."
'Yeah. Friends with benefits!' Hazel shrieked inside her head. Jake is completely a thick-faced person in her eyes. She asked herself, 'What did I like about this guy?'
"You know what, Jake? I don't care about your past relationships or past girlfriends. I also do not care even if you have multiple girlfriends at the same time. What I only care about now is for you to stop bothering me!"
"You just wanted to get back at me. If your purpose is to get me jealous, then you succeeded! I even regretted that I didn't take you seriously. But I promised. You will be the center of my life. I will visit you in Paris if it's not every weekend, then at least twice a month. How's that?"
"Jake, where did you get your confidence from?"
"What do you mean by that?" Jake creased his forehead.
"How are you sure I am buying all your blabbering?"
"That's not just a blab. I know you love me. You have had a crush on me since you were in elementary. You…"
Hazel scoffs and laughs to interrupt Jake. She felt ridiculous at the moment, listening to whatever he would say further.
"You are right, brother Jake. I've wasted my childhood thinking you will be the perfect man for me. But sorry. As I grew up now? I realized that I have a high standard, and you did not meet that!"
After Hazel blurted that, she grabbed her arm and marched away from Jake. It takes a little while before Jake can process every word Hazel throws at him.
'What did she mean about that?' Jake was at a loss for words. He had never chased someone before but only Hazel rejected him like this, and so he would not allow it to just end here. Of course, he knew Hazel was only trying hard to get, so he must not give up but patiently chase her.
"Hazel, I know you were just using James to punish me."
Hazel stop in her tracks and turned around to face Jake.
"Jake, stop! You haven't figured it out, yet? Then I will say this to you now!"
Hazel took a long breath before she began her lengthy speech. When she is ready she placed one hand on her hip while the other gestured in the air as she speak.
"Jake, I can't fall in love with you because you are not the man I want to waste my life with! You are right to think that I have had a crush on you ever since I was a kid! Do you really think we know each other very well? No! You are wrong about that! It does not mean that we have known each other for decades, you were already familiar with me. That is so wrong! You never know me at all!"
She added, "And it didn't take for that stranger I just met months ago to know who I really am and what I really needed. So, years would never matter to enter a relationship, Jake. But a person who will care for my feelings. Did you ever care? No. You only take me for granted because you know that I have feelings for you. Yes! It's a stupid puppy love! But I'm not crazy enough who will blindly believe that I am in love with you. Because I want respect, Jake. And you never showed that to me!"
"So please, stop comparing yourself to my boyfriend because he is incomparable, and you are out of his league!"
Hazel's last sentences are a slap on his face, especially that she firmly mentioned the word boyfriend. Jake prefers for Hazel to slap him in the face for real rather than her to blurts all of that. Her long speech got him real good.
Jake could retort none of Hazel's statements, but he could only watch her receding silhouette.
He was still in a daze when someone patted his shoulder. Jake glanced at the man who appeared behind him.
After he recognized who it was, he scowled at him. He tried to shrug the arm around his shoulder, but the guy was hard to shake off.
"A friendly reminder, bro… Don't dare snatch what's mine, because I am not an easy rival. I would be a jealous or an understanding boyfriend. What is for sure is I could play both, so hands off to my girlfriend. Do not test me or I will forget that you are Vincent's best friend. I respect Vincent because the princess is crazy in love with that guy. So I will keep my cool. I'll pretend Hazel never dated you, but don't cross the line. Mind where and which territory is yours. However, Hazel obviously would never be included in those areas. So don't touch her."
After James made his speech, he let go of Jake and walked in the direction Hazel went to.
Jake was left dumbfounded, and it took a long moment for him to recover. James' words totally caught him off guard.
And one thing is clear, James is warning him, more likely a threat. The guy may sound calm, but he knew the meaning of his words.
In the kitchen, Hazel had hoped that she would find James there. However, to her disappointment, the guy was not in the kitchen.
'Where is he?' Hazel was upset because of Jake. The guy ruined her wonderful morning, and she wanted to calm down.
"Good morning, sunshine. What's with the face?"
Hazel instantly looked up at the man, who hugged her from behind. Now that she saw James, the curls on her forehead disappear.
"I'm hungry." Hazel could not tell James what had happened a few minutes ago. Besides, she doesn't want her morning thoroughly destroyed by it. Today is the first day that she and James are officially in a relationship. She just wanted to enjoy the moment she could be with James.
"Okay. Let me fix something for you." James let her go and went to the kitchen island. "What do you think?"
Hazel's eyes gleamed with happiness. The black boxes that were arranged at the countertop were actually sushi, and there was also fried tempura.
James picked one sushi and brought it close to Hazel's mouth. She parted her lips and ate the dish slowly. She wants to savor its heavenly taste.
"Mmm… This is too delicious! You really are the best!"
The corners of James' mouth pulled up into a grin upon hearing his girlfriend praising his culinary skills.
"What time did you start making them? I told you to teach me!" Hazel wears a long face, pretending she was mad at him.
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