Meanwhile, in Allenstown, the sun began to set over the horizon, casting its orange glow over the seaside town.
Allenstown was the neighboring city to Herland, and since they were both seaside towns, dawn and dusk came significantly earlier than the mainland areas. Although it was just past six o’clock, the night was already beginning to fall.
Scott left the meeting room with Jay following closely behind as he gave him a rundown of his upcoming schedule. All of a sudden, Scott’s phone buzzed, and Jay immediately clamped his mouth shut. Scott took his phone out of his pocket.
It was Dylan.
He stared at Dylan’s name on the screen for a few moments before picking up. “Hello?”
Dylan was sprawled comfortably on the white leather couch with one arm slung lazily across the back. His legs were crossed on top of each other as he drawled, smiling, “Are you back yet?”
There was no hint of anger or frustration in his tone anymore. It was as though what happened the day before was forgotten. Before Scott could even reply, however, Dylan added, “I’m bringing Naomi to Sicily Pub for happy hour later, and if you come back from Allenstown now.”
He glanced at his watch and grinned. “You might just make it in time but don’t worry. It’s fine even if you can’t make it. Naomi doesn’t need you around anyway. I’ll hop off now. I wouldn’t want to take up any more of your time, you busy bee. Bye!”
With that, he hung up, as though the call was just a mere formality. Before he could even piece together what was happening, Dylan’s voice was replaced by the cold beep of the dial tone, as though it were reminding him that time was running out.
He put down his phone and glanced at the time. “Have you booked the flight tickets?”
Jay immediately replied, “I have. The flight is scheduled for 9:05 pm tonight.”
Scott glanced at him. “Book an earlier one.”
Meanwhile, Dylan tossed his phone aside and grinned as he sipped his tea. He was looking forward to the upcoming events that he planned for the night.
Naomi visited a spa before. The first and last time she did so was when Scott’s grandmother brought her to a beauty parlor for a skin treatment before their wedding. However, she opted for the simplest treatment without all the fancy gadgets or facial peels. This was because Naomi did not think it was necessary to have them, and neither did Edith. All she wanted was for Naomi to get a hydrating facial so that her skin would look plump for the wedding. After all, this was a once-in-a-lifetime event, and Edith wanted Naomi to feel her best.
That was the last time Naomi ever went to a spa.
Madam Hilary was the one who gave Naomi her treatment. Before they started, Naomi asked her what was included in her treatment plan, and Madam Hilary gave her a rundown of everything she was doing. They consisted mostly of simple facial treatments and a few massages to ease the tension out of her body.
It would appear that she misunderstood Dylan. It turned out that Dylan brought her here so that she could unwind after a hectic few days in Herland. How nice of him!
Naomi finally relaxed and closed her eyes, allowing her mind to drift away. She could not help recalling everything she collected over the past few days.
Herland was a city rich in culture, history, and religion, and Naomi could incorporate these into her woodwork. However, her understanding of the town was still very superficial, and she needed to take a look at some of the famous historical sites around Herland to further deepen her understanding of the town’s culture.
With the information she gathered, Naomi was already beginning to see a framework of what she would design. All that was left was to hone in on the details.
Time slipped by in the blink of an eye, and by the time Naomi got up from the bed, it was already past 8 pm. Naomi stared at her phone in bewilderment. She did not realize how fast time went by.