“You look incredible,” Lex says as he approaches me, his voice slightly uneven. He clears his throat, apparently as mesmerized by me as I am by him, and extends the bouquet toward me. “These are for you.”
Butterflies swirl in my stomach as I take them, breathing in their delicate scent. “Thank you, Lex. They’re beautiful.”
He follows me to the kitchen, where I fetch a vase from a cupboard. While it fills with water, he nervously says, “Google said red roses mean desire, passion, and true love, so I thought it was a good fit.”
Fuck the date. We can spend the evening in my room right here. I’ll be his dinner, and he’ll be mine.
“You asked Google for help?” I wonder, cutting thebouquet’s wrapping.
“Well, it was my first time planning a date, so I needed all the help I could get. And I’m afraid I don’t know what your favorite flowers are yet.”
Shit, how is he so fucking adorable and hot at the same time?
“Tulips.”
“Really?”
“Yes, I love it when they’re barely open because I get to see them bloom.”
“Noted. Red tulips next time.”
As soon as the roses are in the water, I turn to him and find the strength to get us out before I drag him to my room. “Should we go?”
“Do you have everything you need?”
“Just missing a coat on my way out.”
“Then let’s go.”
He helps me put on my coat, lets me into the elevator first, and then opens the door for me when we’re at the car. He’s trying so hard that my ovaries might burst. Although I attempt to get it out of him, I’m still clueless about where we’re going when he parks the car. We’re downtown, but I’ve never been around here before. And it’s not even five yet, which is a little early to grab dinner.
He gets out first, comes around to open my door, and offers me his solid hand to get out. I stay silent as he leads me down the street, looking ahead and trying to guess where we’re going. When I recognize one of the signs, my heart drops a little.
The Hourglass.
It’s known for being one of the most expensive restaurants in Seattle, and I’m suddenly worried about what Google suggested for tonight. Bringing your girl to the most exclusive place in the city is peak romance, but tiny portions and overpriced food aren’t a good fit for a feral raccoon. Far from it.
A lump grows in my throat as I walk toward the fancy restaurant, my jolly mood dipping.
“Andrea, where are you going?” Lex calls behind me, his voice laced with amusement.
I stop in my tracks and turn around to find him standing a few steps back in front of a building’s entrance.
“Oh, sorry, I thought you were taking me there,” I confess as I walk to him, pointing at the restaurant.
He hesitates for a moment, brows knitted together. “Do youwantme to take you there?”
“Oh, God, no. I was so scared that was the plan.”
He chuckles with a shake of his head and then clicks his tongue. “Do you not trust me to show you a good time, Andrea?”
“I’ll trust you even more if this is a secret hotel by the hour,” I joke. This isn’t a shop or a restaurant, and nothing indicates any sort of business in there aside from a chiropractor. Maybe he wants to make sure I’m prepared for the back-blowing action later? “Where are we?”
“I shall keep the surprise all the way to the end.”
He rings one of the buttons, and when I try to read the name, he puts a flat hand between my eyes and the sticker.Where the fuck are we?!
Someone buzzes us in, and we take the elevator to the fourth floor. “I am so confused right now,” I tell him as he knocks on a random door.
