Don't Try the Noodles

Chapter 31

Chapter 31

Bailey

There's something wrong with me. I must be broken.

How can I possibly think someone who assaulted my coworker is still attractive? There has to be some kind of medical condition for this. It's not right. Now more than ever, I shouldn't be liking Caleb anymore. The fact that he has a girlfriend should have been the only reason really. Yet, it seems the more I need to stop thinking about him, the more I find myself thinking about him all over again.

Why is this only getting harder for me?

"Good morning, Bae," Emma says, walking into the restaurant with Ethan.

At my presence, Ethan shyly slips his hand free from Emma's and runs it through his hair. With an awkward laugh, he says, "Bonjour."

"Hey," I say, smiling at the sight of them. "What was that?"

Emma goes and grabs Ethan's hand again, flaunting their symbol of newly gained couple status. Smirking, she says, "We banged last night."

My jaw drops. So does Ethan's.

"I'm kidding!" Emma chuckles. "For now."

Ethan frees his hand again. "Uh, that's a matter we should discuss more privately. Anyway, Bailey. As you can see, Emma and I are kind of dating now."

"Not kind of. We just are," Emma corrects. "I've got to admit, as awful as it was for Ethan to get punched last night, if it wasn't for that I probably wouldn't have given him a second chance."

"What?" Ethan blurts out. "Seriously?"

Emma shrugs. "Honestly, I never found you to be my type—"

"Em," I cut in for Ethan's sake. "That's a bit harsh to say at this point, isn't it?"

"You didn't let me finish," Emma replies. "Honestly, I never found you to be my type until you showed me how romantic you can be even with a bloodied tissue stuck up one of your nostrils. I had a wonderful night, you know."

"Oh." Ethan turns his head away. "Thanks. I'm glad."

To ruin this sweet moment, my dad comes charging out of the kitchen with his arms out. He is on his tippy toes to caress Ethan's face, which to his relief is not as badly bruised as he had panicked over the previous night. "Ethan! I was so worried about you!"

Ethan's showing a different kind of shyness now. Humbly, he says, "Master Cho, I'm so grateful you would worry about me even though I'm nothing but a lowly apprentice."

"Nonsense! You are like son to me!" My dad has both of his hands in fists. "Oh, if I see that Caleb boy again, I will—"

My mom loudly clears her throat, her arms crossed whilst leaning by the kitchen entrance. "Those vegetables need chopping."

My dad gulps. "Ah, yes. Come with me, my precious son."

Ethan obediently follows him, wearing a deeply touched expression that disturbs Emma. I'm used to it by now.

Emma says, "I'm willing to bet if I had actually turned Ethan down, he would've eventually asked your dad out."

"That's not true," I reply. "Ethan simply respects him...a little too much."

"Yeah, way too much." Emma points to a table for us to sit at. "Since we have some time before opening, I think we should talk, Bae."

I grab the chair next to her, suddenly getting nervous over what she wants to talk about.