Dexter’s face tightened a little when he heard Stella’s name. He responded, “Is Stella here as well?”
Noticing the confused look on his face, Doreen quickly understood that his visit had nothing to do with Stella.
Nonetheless, she didn’t mind. Her excitement to have a chance to talk to him a little longer overpowered any other thoughts, hoping to make a stronger impression.
Dexter, however, gave her no more attention. With a simple “I have other things to do,” he turned and walked away without looking back.
As she observed Dexter walking away, Doreen’s smile slowly faded. A deep sigh escaped her lips as she whispered to herself, “They say it’s easy for a woman to win a man over, but with Dexter, it feels like an impossible task.”
Shaking her head, she turned and made her way to the private room.
As soon as Doreen walked in, Carly flashed a playful smile and teased, “Doreen, you’re finally here! Did a handsome guy stop you on the way, making you late?”
Doreen’s cheeks instantly flushed red, and she looked down, embarrassed.
Carly, catching sight of Doreen’s reaction, gasped and said, “Wait, there’s definitely something happening! Come on, who’s the handsome guy?”
Stella, who had been deep in conversation with Alissa, suddenly became alert and glanced at Doreen, curiosity in her eyes.
Flustered, Doreen quickly waved her hands, insisting, “There’s nothing like that! Don’t start imagining things.”
Then, she shifted her attention to Stella and added, “By the way, I just saw Dexter downstairs. I thought maybe you invited him too.”
Stella chuckled and responded, “It’s after hours. I prefer not to intrude on my employees’ free time.”
Even as she said this, a hint of curiosity lingered in Stella’s mind.
Why was Dexter here? Was Bennett with him too?
Carly, who had quickly caught the name of the man, leaned in with interest and asked, “Who’s this Dexter? Doreen, are you hiding a secret boyfriend from us?”
Alissa, clearly intrigued, leaned forward and asked with the curiosity of an investigator, “So, Doreen, who exactly is this Dexter? What’s his job? And what’s his family like?”
Alissa couldn’t help but think about Doreen’s complicated family background. Knowing her father wasn’t the best influence, she worried that Doreen might be getting involved with the wrong person.
Doreen, caught off guard by their barrage of questions, fumbled her words. “He… he’s just someone Stella asked to help out. Nothing is going on between us.”
Doreen’s words didn’t seem to convince anyone, so she glanced over at Stella, silently asking for support.
Stella, catching the hint, said, “Things at the studio have been hectic lately, and Doreen couldn’t manage everything on her own. So, I asked Bennett to send someone to help out with a few tasks. That’s where Dexter comes in.”
Alissa nodded thoughtfully, replying, “Ah, I get it now. As long as he’s someone we know, it’s fine. Doreen, you’re at an age where dating is normal. If he’s a good guy, you might want to think about it.”
Doreen’s cheeks deepened in color, and in a shy voice, she murmured, “Seriously, nothing is happening. Can you stop teasing me?”
Trying to steer the conversation elsewhere, she grabbed the menu and suggested, “How about we order some food? I’m starving.”