Sheffield covertly winked at Joshua. The latter understood what he meant. He warmly gestured for Dollie to sit next to him. "Miss Xiang, please have a seat."
At first, Dollie was unhappy to see that Sheffield had sat down next to Evelyn. But as soon as his handsome and enthusiastic friend invited her to sit with him, she didn't mind that anymore.
"Thank you," she said politely. She took her seat beside Joshua.
Evelyn didn't say anything. With a bright smile, the manager of the restaurant handed the menu to them and asked, "May I take your orders?"
Sheffield was quick to act. He took the menu from the manager and placed it in front of Evelyn. "Here you are. What would you like to eat?" he asked in a flattering tone.
Dollie and Joshua were equally surprised.
Noticing the anger on Dollie's face, Sheffield realized that he had completely ignored the girl in his excitement of running into Evelyn. He waved his hand and motioned Dollie to come closer to him. Sheffield leaned over to her and whispered, "Don't be angry, Dollie. It's just an act to get on her good side. If she thinks that I like her, my plan will have a greater chance to succeed."
Dollie gave the woman a dirty look. Evelyn was calmly flipping through the menu. Her face softened a little. She asked doubtfully, "Really?"
"Yes," Sheffield replied instantly with a nod.
"Okay."
Sheffield sighed in relief after getting that stumbling block out of the way. Resting his chin on his hand, he said to Evelyn, "It's my treat today. Would you like some goose liver paste?" Evelyn immediately scrunched her nose in disgust. "No? Then, how about oyster cup and some roasted chicken? Maybe a little soup with onions, and a French-style braised—"
Without raising her head, Evelyn scoffed, "I don't like anything you suggested."
"Oh? Then, how about some cheese?" he teased.
Evelyn cast him a cold glance and handed him the menu. "How about you order for me? If you end up getting something I don't like today, you will have to disappear from my sight forever."
Joshua observed them with a stunned expression. Sheffield never lied to his friends. If Joshua didn't know that about him, he would have doubted if Evelyn really had taken the initiative to sleep with Sheffield. Her attitude towards Sheffield was like she had been raped by him.
With a cheeky grin, the doctor took the menu. "I really don't know what to order. I have never had French cuisine before." He opened the menu and randomly pointed at a dish. "Oh, it's all in English?" he asked, sounding defeated.
The menu was indeed in English; most of the customers were foreigners and the owner of the restaurant was French.
With a sigh, Evelyn grabbed the menu away from his hand and threw it to Joshua. "Do you know English?"
Of course, Joshua knew English. But since Sheffield pretended that he didn't understand English, Joshua decided to play along. So, he shook his head. "I can't read either."
Dollie asked in a reserved tone, "How about…um… Should I take a look?"
Evelyn ignored her. She looked at the menu and spoke to the manager in English.
Unable to understand what Evelyn had said, Dollie asked Sheffield in a low voice, "What did she order?"
Sheffield replied, "Boston lobster and mango salad, served with tropical fruit, lime sauce, and green lettuce. And Marseille fish soup..." He stopped when he saw Evelyn staring at him in disbelief. With a broad smile, he asked, "Evelyn, what is Marseille fish soup?"
Evelyn was still wondering how he had understood what she had ordered. She replied without thinking, "It's a kind of bouillabaisse that originated from the port city of Marseille—" She stopped short when she heard the two men's chuckles.
Sheffield said with a grin, "You are so cute when you're serious."
Evelyn realized that he was just fooling around with her. She cast a cold glance at Joshua. "Mr. Fan, you don't speak English either, just like your friend?"
Joshua coughed to cover up his embarrassment and said, "Um... I can manage somewhat."
Evelyn sneered at Sheffield, "So, you can read the menu?"
Sheffield knew that she was on the edge of her patience, so he stopped teasing her. He sat up straight and answered with a smile, "How could I hope to match your standards if I can't even understand a little English? So... I do know a little."
Evelyn wasn't flattered. "Don't push yourself too hard," she snapped.
Sheffield took the menu from her. He looked at the various dishes and told the manager in fluent English, "I will have the Australian Wagyu Steak, served with a piping volcanic rock slate, along with some organic vegetables and mushrooms."
Then, he handed the menu to Joshua, who ordered his dishes in English too. "Australian high-end beef filet steak, with the Bordeaux and some baked potatoes."
Finally, it was Dollie's turn. As everyone waited for her to order, she gave the menu to Sheffield. "Could you help me order? Or I will have the same as yours."
Sheffield was about to take the menu from her, but Evelyn grabbed it first. "Let me help you."
Dollie was stunned and pissed. But then, she realized that her English was the worst among the four, so she nodded and said, "Thank you, Miss Huo."
Without taking a second look at the menu, Evelyn ordered, "She'll have the frog legs, pressed duck, some baked snails, and the fried earthworms."
Dollie didn't understand a word. She just sat in her seat and sipped her wine with a faint smile.
Sheffield and Joshua tried hard not to burst into laughter.
The manager left with their orders. Evelyn turned to Joshua. "So, Mr. Fan...I believe that there are many girls willing to be your bride. Why would you agree to a blind date?"
If Sheffield weren't here, Joshua would have come up with some sweet words to impress Evelyn. However, now that he knew about their relationship, Joshua felt the need to think carefully before he spoke. "Well… I just wanted to please my mother. I think you understand how it works."
He was forced to go on a blind date by his family. And so was she, he presumed.
Sheffield silently took out his phone and sent a text.
Joshua's phone rang and he stole a glance at the screen. He frowned when he saw that the text was from Sheffield. He looked at Sheffield and then repeated the words from his message. "Uh...I'm sorry, Miss Huo. To tell you the truth, I'm in love with someone else. But my family don't know about it. You're a good woman, but we're just not right for each other."
Evelyn had noticed the eye contact between the two men. "I'm sorry, Mr. Fan. May I see your phone?" She reached out for the device before he could refuse.