Ryan’s gaze fell on Jacob. A man who could dine with Layla and Josie could either be Layla’s boyfriend, Josie’s boyfriend, or a suitor of one of them.
“This is Mr. Jacob, a friend of mine and Josie’s.”
“Mr. Jacob, this is my Senior Ryan.”
Layla briefly introduced the two.
“Hello,” Jacob greeted politely.
“Hello, Mr. Jacob.”
Ryan followed Layla’s lead and called him Mr. Jacob, then cheerfully asked, “Mr. Jacob, do you mind if we share a table?”
“I’m also an old friend of Layla and Josie.”
“Uh, I’ll treat this meal.”
In fact, Ryan had never given up on pursuing Layla. Just last week, he had messaged her to invite her to dinner, but Layla had declined, citing work commitments. Now that they had coincidentally met, he didn’t want to miss the chance to show his goodwill.
“I’m fine with it; you can ask the two girls,” Jacob waved his hand dismissively.
“Since Mr. Jacob has no objections, I have no objections either.”
Josie spoke up first. The reason she agreed was due to her own little thoughts.
Ryan was clearly here for Layla, so with him joining, the four of them could form two pairs.
She would pursue Jacob, while Ryan would pursue Layla.
Both sides would not interfere with each other; otherwise, her friend, who outshone her in every aspect, would steal the spotlight. Although she was currently acting like just a good friend to Jacob, if this Mr. Jacob really showed off his wealth, her friend might not be able to handle it.
“Mr. Jacob, then I’ll bother you.”
“I’ll go greet my colleagues; they’re about to finish up anyway.”
Ryan politely nodded to Jacob, then quickly took the plate of dipping sauce and left.
Layla then gently pinched Josie’s thigh: “Josie, why did you agree to him?”
“He’s so devoted to you; don’t push him away!” Josie teased with a smile.
Layla rolled her eyes in response; she had probably guessed Josie’s thoughts.
But she felt that Josie was overthinking it. So far, she only regarded Jacob as a good friend. At 24, she didn’t want to play the role of a stepmother.
A moment later, Ryan returned with a smile, asking the waiter for a set of utensils. His gaze swept across the table, noticing that the ordered items were few and didn’t include any expensive ingredients.
He thought to himself that this old man was a bit stingy; he wouldn’t even spend money to treat beautiful women to a meal.
“Mr. Jacob, Layla, Josie, what do you want to eat? I’ll order more; I’ll cover this meal, so no one fights over it!” Ryan said generously.
“I’m on a diet lately; just ask them,” Jacob waved his hand lightly.
“Oh, Layla, Josie, you go ahead,” Ryan nodded slightly, unable to help but complain internally that this older man was quite good at finding excuses to save money.
“Just order what you want!”
“I can’t eat much anyway,” Josie said.
“Alright then!”
Ryan ordered a portion of sliced beef tripe, a portion of tender beef, and a portion of handmade shrimp paste. These were relatively more expensive dishes at 5-Stars, but together they only cost a little over a hundred.
Although 5-Stars claimed to be high-end, its prices were only mid-range, about 30-40% more expensive than regular Best Diet restaurants, making it affordable for ordinary workers.
“Layla, how’s it going at GetFit?”
After ordering, Ryan started chatting with Layla.
“It’s okay,” Layla replied lightly.
“I’m quite familiar with Mr. Ethan; I’ll give him a heads-up to take care of you.”
Ryan began name-dropping, which is the most basic way to show off. If you were truly impressive, you wouldn’t need to mention others to highlight your own greatness.
The key was that the Mr. Ethan he mentioned was someone Layla disliked.
His full name was Ethan Gabs, the personal training supervisor at GetFit Fitness Center, who had unclear relationships with several female clients, yet still had the audacity to pursue Layla.
“No need.”
“I’m doing fine now.” Layla gently shook her head.
In fact, Ryan was just saying this casually. He did know Ethan, but they weren’t close.
“Alas, the economy isn’t doing well this year; even classes are hard to sell. I only sold fifty thousand last month.”
“The other trainers in the shop combined only sold two hundred and ten thousand.”
Ryan seemed to be complaining, but in reality, he was showing off. He was a personal training supervisor at a gym, earning a higher commission than regular trainers, and could also take a cut from the total sales of the store, plus income from class fees, making about thirty thousand a month.
Of course, this wasn’t a stable income; one or two thousand a month was the norm.
His subtle way of bragging was something outsiders wouldn’t understand, as they didn’t know the commission situation in their industry, but Layla would definitely be able to calculate it.
