"If you find a man who’s always thinking with his dick, you’ll be the one crying later." Clara Grant couldn’t agree.

"It’s a good thing when a man desires you. A man liking a woman’s body is also a form of liking her. When a man is no longer interested in your body, that’s when you know he truly doesn’t have you in his heart anymore."

"So, are you saying there’s no love between a man and a woman without sex?" Although her friend had a point, Clara Grant still didn’t subscribe to her theory.

"Men are different from women. Maybe a woman’s love can exist without sex, but for men... it’s a long shot," Sarah Shelby said with a shrug.

"So, by your logic, I should be grateful that Seth Quinn is still interested in my body?" Clara Grant said, unconvinced.

Sarah Shelby glanced at her with a smile, offering no comment.

...

The car soon arrived at the busiest and most bustling street in Novaria. Just as they parked and before they could even unbuckle their seatbelts, Clara Grant’s phone rang again.

She quickly pulled out her phone. Seeing the name, she felt a wave of exasperation. ’He must have a lot of time on his hands, calling twice in less than half an hour.’

Seeing her expression, Sarah Shelby asked, "Is that Seth Quinn again?"

Clara Grant nodded at her and answered the call.

"Where are you?" Seth Quinn’s deep voice came from the other end.

"Bexley Street. We just got here, haven’t even gotten out of the car yet." If his voice wasn’t so pleasant, she figured her tone wouldn’t be nearly as friendly.

"It’s crowded there, so be careful. Don’t let anyone bump into you," Seth Quinn’s voice remained deep and gentle.

"Mm, I know. You must be busy right now, right?" Clara Grant said as she unbuckled her seatbelt. Given his concern, she felt too awkward to just hang up on him directly.

So she took a roundabout approach, hoping he would say, "Yeah, I’m pretty busy," which would give her an excuse to hang up so she wouldn’t take up his time.

But Seth Quinn’s reply was, "It’s fine. I’m not too busy."

Clara Grant was momentarily thrown for a loop. ’Why can’t he just take the hint?’

Sarah had already gotten out of the car and was holding the door open for her, mouthing for her to hurry up.

Clara Grant gave a dry laugh into the phone. "Um, Sarah and I are about to head into the mall, so I can’t talk right now. Hanging up, bye."

Without waiting for Seth Quinn to respond, she hung up the phone.

Seth Quinn stared at the phone call that had been disconnected, his brow furrowed. Then, he shook his head with a resigned helplessness, a doting smile gracing the corners of his lips.

The two of them entered the mall. They had been shopping for less than twenty minutes when the phone rang again...

And so it went. When the phone rang for the fifth time, Clara Grant finally couldn’t take it anymore and was ready to explode.

"Seth Quinn, are you ever going to let me shop in peace? You’ve called five times in just over an hour! Am I supposed to be shopping, or am I supposed to be answering your calls?"

Seth Quinn on the other end seemed unprepared for her to blow up the moment she answered. He was stunned for a moment before saying, "I... I just missed you."

Clara Grant wondered if something was wrong with her ears. Did she actually detect a hint of grievance in Seth Quinn’s tone, and even a touch of... pouting?

For a moment, she was at a loss for words. After a two-second pause, she said, "But I can’t even shop like this. You’re interrupting me."

Though her words were still a complaint, her tone had softened considerably.

Clara Grant heard Seth Quinn start to say something, but he stopped short. Then, she heard him say, "Come in." Someone must have knocked on his office door.

There were two seconds of silence on the line, and then another voice reached Clara Grant’s ear. "President Quinn, the meeting is about to start. All the department heads have arrived."