SWNOVELS Chapter 826
This girl, she really is something else... Mr. Tanner found himself at a loss for words. After freshening up, Flora threw on a simple cotton dress and a face mask, then made her way out the door.
By the time Flora finally showed up, it was nearly 1 PM. Mr. Tanner and his crew had been waiting with growling stomachs, yet none of them showed even a hint of impatience. Of course, having Flora agree to join them for lunch was already a big deal. No one dared to be impatient. Heck, they would've waited until dinner if they had to. Only Joy and Debra wore sour expressions, as if someone owed them a million bucks. "Sorry for keeping you waiting," Flora said calmly, her face serene as ever. "Oh no, it wasn't long at all," they all chimed in quickly, their voices tinged with a bit of flattery.
After the preliminaries and semi-finals, they were all thoroughly impressed by Flora's skills. Without her, how would their team have taken the lead and snagged the top spot? They might not have even made it past the semi-finals without her help. They needed Flora to help them clinch the finals and get into the medical research center. Plus, Flora seemed to have some clout on Lone Island, and getting on her good side could only help their future prospects there. They were eager to win her favor.
"Alright, everyone's here. Let's head in," Mr. Tanner said, ushering Flora and the group inside. They had originally booked another restaurant, but switched to this one when they heard Flora was coming. They could have settled for anything, but Flora wasn't the type to compromise, as seen by the company she kept. Even knowing this place would be pricey, Mr. Tanner winced at the menu. This meal would easily run up a tab of several thousand dollars. Mr. Tanner could afford it, but being the frugal sort, he wasn't used to splurging like this. The others were equally taken aback by the costs.
This meal could be worth a year's earnings for an average family. Like Mr. Tanner, they could afford it, but none of them were rolling in dough, and the expense stung a bit. "Order whatever you like, it's on me," Flora said, catching Mr. Tanner's pained look. "Oh no, we can't let you pay," Mr. Tanner quickly objected. "Flora, I know you're well-off, but as the team leader, I can't let you foot the bill."
What kind of impression would that leave? "No worries, the owner's a friend of mine. Eat up; we don't have to pay," Flora said casually, adding a few more dishes to the order. The restaurant was owned by Ray. She never paid when she ate at Ray's place.
Mr. Tanner and the rest were speechless. Is this what having influence looks like? Friends everywhere, never needing to pay for meals. Felene couldn't help but twitch a smile. Thanks to the distinctive signs of Ray's restaurants, she knew this was one of his. Even though she was Ray's sister, their relationship wasn't all that tight. She couldn't just waltz in and get a free meal like Flora. A pang of envy hit her.
The food came out quickly, and Luiz was the first to stand. "Flora, I've been thoughtless before and have said things that weren't fair to you. I want to apologize."