Sweet For You, Ruthless For Others
Chapter 53: Desert By Him

Chapter 53: Desert By Him

"Been busy," Niklaus replied, his tone clipped and cold.

Liam rolled his eyes dramatically, letting his gaze slide over to Hermia.

His brows furrowed as recognition dawned. "Isn’t this the bestie "...from the function?" Liam finished, tilting his head curiously as his eyes fixed on Hermia.

Hermia offered a shy smile, her voice barely above a whisper. "Hello."

Niklaus’s expression darkened instantly. "Ignore him," he said sharply, his scowl deepening.

Liam leaned back in his chair, his smirk widening. "Jasmine’s been looking for you, you know. She hasn’t stopped talking about you since that night. I don’t know how the two of you managed not to exchange numbers. Chaos, I suppose?"

Hermia brightened at the mention of Jasmine. "Oh, yes, we completely forgot. It’s always so busy when we’re together. I could give you my number now, and—"

"No," Niklaus interrupted firmly, his voice like steel. "You’ll give it to Jasmine directly. You can’t trust everyone with your private number, Mia."

Liam raised an eyebrow, clearly amused. "Seriously, Nik? You know how Jazzy is. She’s harmless."

Niklaus shot him a dry look. "No, I don’t know how she is. Oh wait, I do. And I know she’d rather get the number herself."

Liam groaned dramatically, throwing his hands in the air. "You’re just being petty. I’m your best friend!"

"Not anymore," Niklaus said, his tone as flat as a rock, though his smirk betrayed a hint of mischief.

"That’s unfortunate for you," Liam quipped, leaning forward challengingly.

Niklaus mirrored his movement, his smirk growing. "Most unfortunate for you."

Hermia couldn’t suppress the soft laugh that escaped her lips.

She watched the two men trade jabs like sparring partners, their playful argument contrasting sharply with their powerful and polished exteriors.

These were two of the richest and most influential men in the country, and yet here they were, bickering like a couple of high school boys.

What’s happening? she thought, unable to wipe the amused smile off her face.

The absurdity of the situation was endearing in its own strange way.

"Okay, can you just give me her social media handle?" Hermia interrupted their banter, her voice cutting through the tension with a touch of exasperation.

Liam immediately perked up, leaning back in his chair with a grin. "Yes, yes, we could do that. This idiot here is being..." He trailed off, turning to Niklaus with a mock-serious expression. "Wait a second. Is she your girlfriend? Did you finally get a girlfriend?"

Niklaus didn’t even look up from his plate. "I don’t date," he replied flatly, his tone dismissive as he continued eating.

Hermia blinked, stunned by the declaration.

He doesn’t date? she mused, her fork paused mid-air. But he wanted to get married.

How did that even make sense? She sighed and resumed eating, trying to ignore the strange flutter in her chest.

Liam, however, was having a field day. "You don’t date?" he repeated, laughing as if Niklaus had told the world’s funniest joke. "You’ve been saying that since we became friends, and it’s still as ridiculous as ever. You sound like an alien."

Niklaus scowled, his knife and fork clinking against his plate. "Unlike you, Liam, I don’t waste time on meaningless relationships. And don’t even start—your track record with women is embarrassing."

Liam leaned back, unfazed, his grin widening. "Oh, I know. I date, I break up, I move on. It’s called living life, my friend. You should try it sometime."

Ignoring Niklaus’s murderous glare, Liam flagged down a passing waitress, charming her with an effortless smile. "Can I borrow a piece of paper, please?"

The waitress returned moments later, handing him a notepad with a small blush.

Liam scribbled something down quickly, tearing off the sheet and handing it to Hermia. "There you go—Jasmine’s social media handle. She’ll be thrilled to hear from you."

Hermia smiled, taking the paper gratefully. "Thank you, Liam. This means a lot."

"You’re welcome," Liam replied, shooting her a wink before standing.

He clapped Niklaus on the shoulder, earning an annoyed grunt. "Try not to scare her off, buddy."

"Get lost, Liam," Niklaus growled, his glare icy.

Liam only laughed as he walked away, throwing a cheeky wave over his shoulder. "You two enjoy your date!"

Hermia flushed, ducking her head, ’This isn’t a date,’ she thought, while Niklaus sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "He’s an idiot," he muttered, glaring at Liam’s retreating figure.

Hermia couldn’t help but laugh softly. "He seems nice."

"He’s exhausting," Niklaus corrected, but there was a faint, begrudging smirk tugging at his lips.

Hermia smiled softly as Liam walked away, his playful banter lingering in her mind.

For a moment, the world felt quieter, calmer.

She and Niklaus sat in comfortable silence, finishing the last bites of their meal.

Niklaus glanced at her, noting the subtle ease on her face. "You’re smiling," he remarked, his tone almost teasing.

"I’m just always glad to see people with best friends, no matter how chaotic," she said, a small chuckle escaping her lips.

He smirked. "Liam is chaos, but he’s useful sometimes... barely."

Hermia shook her head, amused, as she picked up her napkin and dabbed at her lips.

Just then, the waitress approached their table, her professional demeanor intact, though her smile lingered a little too long on Niklaus.

"Would you both like dessert?" she asked, her tone polite yet warm.

Her eyes darted briefly to Hermia, then back to Niklaus, almost expectantly.

Niklaus nodded before Hermia could speak. "Yes, we’ll take a look at the menu."

Hermia, however, interjected. "Actually, I’m too full," she said quickly, holding up her hand. "But maybe I could take something home?"

The waitress’s smile wavered slightly, her attention now fully on Hermia. "Of course, ma’am. Would you like me to bring a dessert menu for you to choose from?"

Niklaus leaned back, his sharp gaze settling on Hermia. "Why take one dessert home when you can take several?"

Hermia blinked, confused. "I don’t need—"

He cut her off, his tone matter-of-fact. "You’ve had a long day. A few desserts won’t hurt." He turned to the waitress. "Bring her a selection. A dozen, maybe more."

"A dozen?" Hermia echoed, incredulous.

The waitress, trying to suppress her surprise, nodded quickly. "I’ll bring out some options from the chef’s specials," she said and hurried off.

Hermia turned to Niklaus, her brows furrowed. "A dozen desserts? Are you trying to turn me into a sugar addict?"

He smirked, unbothered by her tone. "You deserve it. Consider it a reward for putting up with Liam tonight."

Hermia rolled her eyes, though warmth crept into her chest at his thoughtfulness. "You’re impossible."

"I prefer the term generous," he quipped, his lips curving into a sly smile.

Moments later, the waitress returned, her arms laden with trays of decadent desserts.

She began listing them off as she set each one down on the table.

"This is our signature triple-chocolate mousse cake," she began, placing a small plate with layers of rich chocolate in front of Hermia. "Here we have a crème brûlée with fresh vanilla bean. This is our seasonal fruit tart..."

The list continued—raspberry cheesecake, tiramisu, molten lava cake, pistachio macarons, lemon meringue pie, strawberry shortcake, éclairs filled with hazelnut cream, and more.

Hermia stared at the table in shock, her eyes wide. "This is... excessive," she murmured, though her mouth watered at the sight of the beautifully plated treats.

Niklaus smirked at her reaction, clearly pleased. "Excessive? Maybe. But you deserve every bite."

The waitress, sensing the tension, smiled and placed a takeaway box beside Hermia. "If there’s anything you’d like packed up, just let me know."

"Thank you," Hermia said, her voice soft. She looked at the array of desserts again, unsure where to begin.

Niklaus watched her closely, his gaze lingering on the way her eyes lit up despite her protests.

He reached for a macaron and handed it to her. "Start with this."

Hermia hesitated before taking it.

She tasted it and the sweetness melted on her tongue, and she couldn’t help the small hum of approval that escaped her lips. "Okay, that’s really good," she admitted.

Niklaus chuckled. "See? I know what I’m doing."

As they worked through a few bites of the desserts, Hermia’s mood lightened further.

She caught herself smiling more, laughing softly at Niklaus’s dry remarks about Liam’s antics earlier.

When it was time to leave, the waitress returned to help pack the remaining desserts.