Love & Conditions (New York Billionaires Book 2)

23| Respect

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Respect

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Chapter 23: Respect (Christian's POV)

"One mint chocolate chip and one strawberry ice cream, please," I told the employee before handing over my card. 

"Who the hell likes mint chocolate chip ice cream? I still can't believe you eat that crap," Jules muttered beside me. 

I turned to her, lifting a brow. "Don't knock it till you try it." 

"I did try it," she scoffed. 

"No, I don't quite think that me smearing ice cream all over your face counts as you trying it." 

She shot me a subtle glare and rolled her eyes with a huff, "I'll get a table." She wandered off after that, grabbing a small, round table for two behind the glass window. 

"Girlfriend?" 

My head snapped over to the employee as I forced myself to look away from Jules. "Hmm?" 

"Is she your girlfriend?" she asked, sticking a spoon in one of the cups before handing it to me. 

"No," I answered, "Fiancé. She's my fiancé." I took the second cup using my left hand, noticing the way her eyes slipped to the band around my finger before she held out my card. 

"Have a nice day," she cleared her throat. 

I nodded once before moving out of line and walking to the table, placing the strawberry cup in front of Jules before sitting across from her. 

"I wanted a cone," she frowned, resting her arms on the table and staring at me. 

"You didn't say that." 

"I always get a cone." 

"Since when? You hate when it starts melting down your arm and becomes sticky. You never get ice cream in a cone," I shrugged, watching her in confusion. 

She leaned back, taking her cup and looking at it once before meeting my gaze again. "You're right. I hate the cone." 

I scoffed, "Was that a test?" 

"No." 

My eyes narrowed. "It was totally a test." 

She turned to stare out the window, watching the cars that drove by, the people that walked by, the dogs that walked by on leashes. After taking a spoonful, she paused and opened her purse, reaching inside and then pulling out the ring, placing it on the table between us. "I brought it. Just in case," she said, eating another spoonful while staring at me. 

I glanced from the ring to her. "What do you want me to do with it?" 

"Why did you choose this ring?" she questioned. 

"What do you mean?" 

"When you bought it for me, why this one?"