Chapter 65: Dinner at Agricola. (Updated)

"Sir, your table is ready. Right this way."

The hostess returned to the waiting area with a polite smile. Liam stood first, and Clara and Diane got up with him before the three followed her into the dining room. She led them between the occupied tables toward the one that had just been prepared for them.

Their table was covered with a deep red cloth that fell neatly over the sides, with polished silverware arranged on either side of each plate and folded white napkins resting in the center. A small candle holder and a simple vase sat between them, giving the table a warm, slightly elegant look without making it feel overly formal.

The dining room was completely indoors, warm and enclosed, with exposed brick, dark wooden beams, and soft golden lights hanging above the tables. The open kitchen could be seen farther inside, where chefs moved behind the counter while the smell of roasted meat, fresh bread, and herbs drifted through the room. Conversations blended into a comfortable background hum, broken occasionally by the clink of silverware and glasses.

When they reached the table, Liam stepped ahead and pulled out Clara’s chair for her before doing the same for Diane. Only after both women had taken their seats did he move to his own chair, the simple gesture earning him a brief look from both of them.

As Liam was about to sit down, he noticed that quite a few people around the restaurant had started glancing toward their table. It wasn’t literally everyone, but Clara and Diane were attractive enough to draw attention the moment they walked in together, and some of the men nearby were being far less subtle about it. A few looked away when caught, while others let their eyes linger long enough to make the attention slightly uncomfortable.

Liam simply turned his eyes toward one of the men who was still staring and gave him a cold, steady glare. The man quickly looked away. Liam’s expression immediately relaxed into a small smile as he sat down.

Even seated, Liam stood out. He was noticeably taller than most of the men in the restaurant, and his broad shoulders and heavily built body were impossible to miss beneath his clothes. A few of the men who had been openly checking out Clara and Diane seemed to reconsider how interested they wanted to look, suddenly finding their own tables much more fascinating.

"Wow, you’re mean. I’m still single, you know. You can’t just scare every guy away from me."

Diane complained, but the smile on her face made it obvious she wasn’t actually upset. She leaned back slightly in her chair, clearly enjoying the chance to tease him, her tone light and playful rather than serious. If anything, she seemed more amused by how quickly the men had looked away after Liam’s glare.

A few moments later, a server approached their table carrying three menus and placed one in front of each of them. He also set down glasses of ice water before stepping back, giving them a little time to look through the menu without hovering over the table.

Liam picked up his menu and opened it, while Clara and Diane did the same. The pages were filled with neatly listed appetizers, steaks, seafood, pasta, and seasonal dishes, along with a separate section for drinks and desserts.

"I feel like seafood. What do you think?"

"Sure. Let’s get seafood."

Diane spoke up suddenly while looking over the menu, and Clara agreed almost immediately, as if she had already been thinking the same thing. Liam glanced from one of them to the other for a moment, then gave a small smile and closed the seasonal dishes section he had been reading.

He flipped back through the menu until he reached the seafood options instead. Since both of them wanted the same thing, he didn’t see any reason to argue over it. For now, he simply started looking through the choices along with them.

"Are we ready to order?"

The server returned to their table with a small order pad in one hand and a pen in the other. He stopped beside Liam with a polite smile, ready to write down whatever they chose.

"Yes, I’ll have the Golden Tilefish with stuffed calamari, soybeans, and smoked paprika."

"I’ll have the grilled salmon."

Liam had been the first to order, and after Diane gave hers, she still didn’t close the menu. Instead, she flipped through a few more pages, her eyes moving down the different dishes as if something else had caught her interest. The server waited patiently beside the table with his order pad while Diane continued searching.

"I’ll have the Cape May Day Boat Scallops with littleneck clams, black garlic purée, and parsley."

Clara made her choice almost immediately, barely needing another look at the menu. Diane, meanwhile, finally stopped turning the pages when she found what she had been looking for.

"I’ll also have the braised littleneck clams as an appetizer."

"Would that be everything for the table, or would you like to add anything else?"

"That’ll be all for now, thank you."

Liam gave the server a polite smile as the man nodded and finished writing the last part of their order on his pad. With everything confirmed, the server tucked the pen against the small notepad, collected their menus, and stepped away from the table before heading back toward the kitchen.

"So, how are classes going?"

Clara asked suddenly as she adjusted the hem of her dress beneath the table and smoothed the fabric over her lap. Once she was comfortable, she leaned back slightly in her chair and looked between Liam and Diane, clearly directing the question at both of them rather than only Liam.

"It’s fine..."

Liam was about to continue, but Diane spoke before he could get another word out. He glanced toward her for a moment, then simply leaned back in his chair and let the conversation shift toward the two girls. He didn’t mind listening anyway, especially since Clara and Diane were still getting to know each other.

"Yeah, it’s going pretty well. What about you, Clara? What do you do?"

Diane asked casually, resting one arm against the edge of the table as she looked toward Clara. Her tone was friendly and curious, without sounding like she was trying to interrogate her.

"Oh! I go to Rider. I’m majoring in Economics as well."

"Ah! Rider isn’t that far from here."

Diane smiled, and from there, the conversation between the two girls became much more natural. They talked about classes, campus life, and a few places around Princeton before Clara mentioned that she had been looking for a decent gym nearby. She had already driven around a little, but she still hadn’t found one she really liked.

Diane happened to know a good gym located roughly between Rider and Princeton, making it convenient for both of them. Since Megan had also been looking for a gym, Diane said she could take both Clara and Megan there sometime and show them around. Clara immediately seemed interested, and before long, the two were talking comfortably as if they had known each other for much longer.

"Here we are. The Golden Tilefish, grilled salmon, and the Cape May scallops. Enjoy."

About fifteen minutes later, their server returned with another staff member helping carry the plates, which was more natural considering the size of the order. Diane’s braised littleneck clams had already been brought out as an appetizer a little earlier, and now the main dishes were carefully placed in front of them.

Liam’s Golden Tilefish came with pieces of stuffed calamari beside it, along with soybeans and a light dusting of smoked paprika. The fish had a lightly browned surface, while the calamari gave off a rich, savory smell the moment the plate touched the table.

Diane’s grilled salmon was simple but looked perfectly cooked, the surface slightly crisp while the inside remained soft and juicy, with vegetables arranged neatly beside it. Clara’s Cape May Day Boat Scallops were seared golden on the outside and served with littleneck clams, black garlic purée, and parsley around the plate. With all three dishes sitting together, the smell of seafood, butter, herbs, and roasted seasoning quickly filled their side of the table.

*RING—RING*

"Excuse me."

As they were eating, Liam’s phone suddenly rang against the table. He glanced at the screen, and the moment he recognized the number, a small smile appeared on his face. He picked up the napkin beside his plate and wiped the corner of his mouth before setting it back down.

"I’ll be right back."

Liam gave Clara and Diane a quick nod, then pushed his chair back and stood up. Not wanting to take the call in the middle of the restaurant, he walked past the nearby tables and headed toward the entrance, stepping outside where it was quieter before answering the phone.

"Charles, from Ecstasy Autos."

Liam smiled as he answered the call. Before Charles could say anything, he already had a good idea why the dealer was calling. It had to be about the Lamborghini Aventador SV he had received for giving the Range Rover to his dad. With classes and everything else keeping him occupied, the reward had almost slipped his mind.

Now that Charles’s name was on his screen, Liam remembered the fully loaded black sports car and its unusual ability to drive through telekinesis. His smile widened slightly, though he couldn’t help feeling that the call had taken longer than expected. The system had announced his reward yesterday morning, yet only now was someone contacting him about it.

"Yes, sir! Sorry about the wait. Your Lamborghini took a little longer to get here from Italy, but she’s finally here. Beautiful machine, Mr. Carter. Would you like me to have her delivered?"

Charles sounded cheerful over the phone, his usual professional tone barely hiding his excitement.