“-want to eat?” I left my sudden trance as Eli’s words brought me back to reality. Eli was sitting across from me and gazing at me with intent eyes, as if trying to read my mind. I sat still and stared blankly into the horizon that was separated from us by a glass window of the five-star Italian Bistro. I held the menu in my hands, but I had absolutely no interest in it. All I could and did think about was the conversation from a hour ago.

“Jan? Janice?” Eli waved his hands before my eyes when I stared at him, trying to figure out what he had just asked me a moment prior.

“Huh?” I finally resolved that I couldn’t make out what he said.

“Are you okay? You seem out of it,” he asked with a concerned tone.

“Uh-yeah, of course. I’m hungry, that’s all,” I lied blatantly.

“Then you should order instead of staring into space,” he chuckled and shook his head at what he thought to be my clumsy actions.

“Y-yeah,” I faked a giggle.

“Hello, my name is Meiying. What would you two like to order?” the waiter smiled and asked in Mandarin. Eli, not being able to understand much of Mandarin, being that his business meetings only required him to speak in English, smiled awkwardly at the waitress and muttered a short apology.

I chuckled at Eli’s awkwardness before offering to order for the both of us, “I’ll order. Can I have a Pasta da Vinci and he will have…” I looked to Eli for an answer.

“Five Cheeses Pasta,” he completed.

“Alright, thank you. I will be back shortly with your orders,” the waitress bowed, took our menus, and left to place our orders.

“You should learn some Mandarin if you’re going to stay here for a while,” I suggested with a slightly condescending smirk.

“It’s okay. I have you,” he grinned genuinely.

My smirk faltered and my blank stare returned. I became speechless. Perhaps if I hadn’t overheard his conversation with Kris, I would not had thought more of his statement, but I did eavesdrop on their conversation. And I couldn’t help but think more.

“A-” the waitress returned and cut off Eli’s next question of concern.

“Here are your orders,” the waitress passed us each our respective plates.

“Thank you,” both Eli and I