A short while later, they arrived at the night market. In James’s opinion, it had very traditional vibes to it, and the majority of the patrons were elderly Taiwanese. Honestly, it felt like a dying night market. There were more nail salons, clothing shops for old people, and massage parlors than food stalls. James bought the pork rib soup and braised pork rice, and he was fondly reminded of the ones that his late grandparents had cooked for him many years ago. Kevin, Daniel, and Parker shared the red bean soup, pudding tofu dessert, and grilled mochi. The mocha or rice cake puffed up, and it was lightly brown on the outside. It had a crispy skin and a chewy interior. James and Kevin preferred the savory seasoning with the mocha, but Daniel and Parker opted for the sweet one.

After eating the guabao or Taiwanese hamburger, which consisted of a fatty slab of pork belly in a steamed bun with peanut butter and cilantro, James was still hungry, and apparently, he wasn’t the only one because Kevin, Daniel, and Parker kept on looking around and trying to decide what food they wanted next. Nothing piqued their interest, though. Eventually, they walked too far away from the night market, and they came upon a neighborhood that had many shops, most of which were closed for the day. The ones that were still open for business were restaurants, but the menus didn’t have any pictures on them. James was hesitant to go in because he didn’t know what the restaurants were selling.

“Oh, shit! I’m so -- Mr. Eckhard!”

James glanced in Parker’s direction. Parker must have accidentally bumped into Lawrence, and the man must have caught him before he could topple over backward. James had seen Lawrence while the man was being interviewed. Lawrence’s videos, along with several of his photographs, were all over the internet. However, they didn’t do justice to how incredibly handsome he really was in real life. James was more than a little bit mesmerized by Lawrence’s face. It was the kind of face that would make any living, breathing human stop and take a second look. Or a lot more than that. Lawrence’s blessings didn’t end there. He was tall, and his body, even though it was covered up, was definitely one that was worth drooling over.

“Hello again, and please call me Lawrence.”

“But --”

“I insist!”

Parker was quiet for a second or two before nodding. “Okay. You should also address me by my first name then.”

“Sure thing.”

Then Parker pointed at Daniel, Kevin, and James, one at a time, while introducing them to Lawrence. When James shook hands with Lawrence, he swooned a bit. Lawrence had a firm grip, and his hand was large and warm. He also had beautiful eyes and perfect teeth. James found it difficult to focus, though. Lawrence was too attractive beyond words. James wondered what Lawrence’s sexuality was. He didn’t want to assume. Lawrence was a public figure due to his position and influence within the business world, but a big part of his personal life remained a mystery. There had been rumors floating around the internet, but nothing was confirmed.

“Are you here alone?” Kevin asked.

“Yeah,” Lawrence replied. “Flynn, my personal assistant, went out to have fun, and I chose not to tag along because I wasn’t invited. I also thought that it might be uncomfortable for him if I was there with him. So, here I am.”

“Have you eaten?”

“I’ve tried out some of the food at Huaxi Night Market, but I’m still starving,” Lawrence answered James’s question while chuckling loudly. “I need something much more substantial to fill up my stomach.”

Parker grinned upon hearing that. “Same. If you don’t mind, why don’t you join us for dinner? We’re still searching for a restaurant so we can decide on it together.”

Lawrence looked delighted. Then he darted his eyes toward Kevin, Daniel, and James.

“I would love to, but only if it’s okay with all four of you.”

“Of course!” James exclaimed.