After dinner, the group exited the restaurant. A cool spring breeze wrapped around them as the streetlights bathed their faces in soft hues.
Nicholas turned to James with a friendly smile.
"I'm glad we met, James. You've got my number—let's stay in touch."
James reached out his hand.
"Definitely. I'll stop by your gallery sometime."
"I'd love that."
Then Nicholas turned to Mary and Ava.
"I'll drive you and Helen home."
Deniz, holding James's hand, smiled.
"Well, we'll head out then."
After a brief farewell, the two got in their car and drove away.
Ava followed them with her gaze, smiling, and whispered to Mary,
"I still can't believe those two were standing next to each other."
Helen looked at them curiously.
"Why are you laughing?"
Mary replied,
"Half the girls at uni were after James just because he's the university president's son. Deniz met him years later at work, and now look…"
Nicholas cut in with a chuckle,
"She's a smart one… You should take notes."
Ava and Helen both gave him surprised looks.
Helen said,
"Here we go again!"
Nicholas shrugged,
"Hey, I'm just kidding!"
They all got in the car, ending the evening with scattered laughs and lingering glances under the calm night sky.
Tuesday morning, Mary stepped into Mr. Connor's office.
"Mr. Connor, do you have a moment?"
"Sure, Mary. Come in."
"I wanted to ask about taking a three-day leave. Could I use it this weekend?"
Connor gave her a kind smile.
"Of course. Things are slow right now. A lot of people took their leave last week. Go ahead—take some time off and rest."
"Thank you so much."
As Mary returned to her desk, Deniz approached.
"Did you get your leave?"
"Yeah. I'm planning to visit some painting exhibitions."
"With Nicholas?"
"No. Just me."
"I think it'd be better if you went with Nicholas."
"Deniz, not this again."
"Even James said after dinner that he feels like Nicholas really likes you."
"I've told you a hundred times—he's just a friend."
"Maybe… But if you two spent more time together, something might change."
Mary replied firmly,
"I don't want to distract myself with pointless thoughts. Everything's been clear from the start."
Deniz sighed and said softly,
"Maybe you're just lying to yourself."
Mary said nothing.
Deniz didn't push further.
Wednesday, Mary visited two art exhibitions by renowned masters. She was mesmerized by the paintings. The ceiling lights fell perfectly on each frame, and every piece gave her more than just colors and canvas—it stirred something deeper.
As she reached the final row of artworks, a voice called out behind her.
"Mary."
She turned around and saw Yong.
"Hi! You're here too? Did Diana come?"
"No, she couldn't make it. I've been here for a couple of hours. You?"
"I've been here a little while too."
"It's a big exhibition. The paintings are amazing."
"They really are."
They walked together, discussing the pieces. Yong said,
"Whenever I come to exhibitions like this, I dream of one day having a show of my own."
Mary smiled.
"Me too. But whenever I say it out loud, people laugh."
"Well, many people think competing with great masters is impossible."
"Maybe they're just being realistic."
"Art isn't about logic. It's about passion. You and I—we fell in love with art."
As the visit came to an end, Yong said,
"I'm going to Professor Marissa's exhibition tomorrow. Want to come?"
"Actually, I was going to tell you. There's also another one—Professor Wang's, at 4 PM."
"Great, then I'll see you tomorrow."
That night, Deniz called Mary.
"Hey, how was your day?"
"Amazing. So inspiring."
"What's your plan for tomorrow?"
"I'm going to Professor Marissa's exhibition. She's French."
"Hope you enjoy it."
After the call, Deniz turned to James.
"Professor Marissa is French… Tell him."
James smiled, picked up his phone, and dialed.
"Nicholas? Just a heads-up—Professor Marissa is apparently French…"
"Thanks. Let's keep this between us. Tell Deniz too."
"Got it."
The next day, as soon as Mary arrived at the exhibition, she spotted Nicholas at the entrance.
"Nicholas? You're here?"
"Came to see you."
"Me?"
"I'm kidding! I'm a painter, remember? Where else would I be?"
They walked in together. Half an hour later, Mary's phone rang.
"Hello?"
"Mary? I'm here. Where are you?"
"By the big pillar on the left side."
"I see you. I'm coming."
Yong approached and spotted Nicholas next to Mary. He raised an eyebrow slightly, but smiled.
"Nicholas, you're here too?"
"Yeah. I didn't know you'd already made plans with Mary."
Mary frowned.
"What do you mean? We just bumped into each other at another exhibition yesterday. That's it."
Yong coolly replied,
"Even if we had made plans—got a problem with that? You're her friend, and so am I."
Nicholas hesitated.
"I didn't mean it like that. It came out wrong."
"Let's just go look at the paintings."
But the atmosphere had shifted. Both men began analyzing the paintings, each trying to subtly outshine the other. Sensing the tension, Mary stepped ahead, putting a little distance between herself and their silent competition.
As Yong walked behind her, he muttered in a teasing tone,
"Funny how you just happened to know Mary would be here…"
"It was purely coincidental."
Yong smirked.
"Sure… I believe you."