"I've been working non-stop for a week, so Old Parker gave me three days off."
"I was just about to make breakfast. Want to join me?"
Hunter knew Mia had probably stopped by the garage before coming here, but he explained his presence anyway, smoothly transitioning into an invitation.
Mia had actually eaten breakfast already.
She opened her mouth to decline, but then... memories of the two dinners Hunter had cooked flooded her mind. The savory beef stew. The sweet and spicy chicken.
The words died in her throat.
She shook her head instinctively, then realized how awkward that looked.
"I... actually came to thank you, Hunter," she stammered. "The car is running perfectly now. You even fixed the little rattles it had."
Hunter waved the carton of milk in his hand with a smile.
"It was nothing. Just a quick fix."
"Give me a few minutes."
He didn't want to keep her waiting, so he opted for speed.
Chicken, beef, onions, tomatoes, lettuce, and a dash of pickled cucumber relish, all wrapped in store-bought Mexican tortillas.
Hunter whipped up two burritos in record time, pairing them with glasses of warm milk sweetened with a touch of condensed milk and honey.
He brought the tray to the table, and they shared a simple but appetizing breakfast.
"Hunter, your cooking really is amazing," Mia mumbled between bites.
She had only sat down out of politeness, fully expecting to be too full to eat.
But the moment she took the first bite?
The tangy, savory filling combined with the rich, sweet milk was irresistible. Before she knew it, she had demolished the entire burrito and drained the glass.
Hunter grinned as the notification for a massive chunk of Cooking EXP chimed in his head.
"I've always cooked for myself. Didn't have many other hobbies," he said casually. "I figured if I have free time, I might as well treat myself to something good."
"If you like it, come over anytime."
"Just tell me what you want to eat. Right now I can only do Chinese and some simple Mexican dishes, but I'm learning. I'd love to try new recipes."
After quickly washing the dishes, Hunter looked at Mia and dropped his next proposal.
"By the way, I was planning to head to the beach today."
"Maybe do a solo barbecue."
"Mia, want to come along?"
Hunter had indeed planned a beach trip, mostly to grind his Swimming skill.
Los Angeles was a coastal city; beaches were everywhere.
In his past life, crushed under the "Three Mountains" of mortgage, car loans, and marriage pressure, he never had the energy to enjoy life.
Now? He was going to reclaim every ounce of joy he had missed.
Mia fell silent. She hesitated.
She knew exactly what her brother had been doing all these years. Dom never hid his business from her.
Consequently, she also understood Dom's tacit approval of Vince's behavior. Dom turned a blind eye to Vince harassing her suitors because, deep down, he wanted Mia to end up with one of hiscrew.
He wanted to keep her "in the family," under his protection.
That patriarchal control was exactly what Mia hated.
Recently, because she had visited Hunter twice—once staying late and leaving her car overnight—Dom had exploded. He lectured her furiously.
It happened right when he was planning the new heist, so he was paranoid about leaks. He used that as an excuse to ground her for half a month.
Yesterday was the first day she was allowed out.
She had already sensed Dom's hostility toward Hunter. She didn't know why she came back today, but she was terrified that if she kept seeing him, Dom would target Hunter next.
Just like he let Vince bully Hunter before.
She wavered.
Hunter didn't know her internal struggle, but seeing her hesitation, he assumed she wasn't interested.
"Mia, don't worry about it," he said, masking his disappointment. "If you're busy, it's fine. We can hang out another time."
Hearing the disappointment in his voice, Mia panicked.
She looked at this handsome Chinese-American boy—someone her age, someone kind, someone who made her feel normal.
She suddenly felt that if she said no now, the distance between them would grow until he disappeared from her life completely.
"No, I don't have plans!" she blurted out.
"But... I have to be home early tonight."
Hunter's smile returned instantly, brighter than before.
"No problem!"
He sent Mia down to get the car while he retrieved the grill and charcoal from his Personal Inventory.
His inventory had grown to 31 cubic meters. Storing a BBQ grill was nothing; he kept all his valuables in there now.
He carried the gear downstairs. Since he didn't have a car and couldn't expose his spatial storage, he loaded everything into Mia's Honda.
They drove to a beach less than twelve miles away.
The day was perfect.
They swam. They splashed each other like kids. They rented a jet ski and tore across the waves for two hours.
At noon, Hunter grilled lunch on the sand.
They rubbed sunscreen on each other's backs—lingering touches that sent electricity through them both.
They sunbathed. They swam again. They even tried a bit of surf fishing.
By 4:00 PM, the wind started to pick up.
Reluctantly, they packed up, rinsed off the salt and sand at the public showers, and drove back to Hunter's apartment.
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