“You could try.”
She narrowed her eyes at me before smiling slightly. “You’re in a good mood tonight.”
“Maybe.”
“Maybe?”
“Maybe I missed you.”
Her expression softened. “You saw me this morning.”
“It’s been a long day.” That answer seemed to satisfy her.
When I pulled into the underground garage of the office building, she looked over at me slowly. “You brought me to work?”
“Not exactly.”
We got out of the car and headed toward the elevator. The building was almost empty at this hour, the quiet echo of our footsteps bouncing softly through the lobby. When the elevator opened on the executive floor, Vani glanced around.
“This feels illegal.”
“It’s my building.”
“That doesn’t mean I can’t feel like we’re sneaking in.”
Instead of heading toward my office, I walked to the stairwell door.
Her curiosity clearly spiked. “Where are we—”
“Up.”
We climbed one flight of stairs before I pushed open the rooftop door. The cool night air drifted over us instantly. The skyline stretched wide around the building, the city lightssparkling endlessly below. But Vani barely noticed the view.
In the center of the rooftop, a picnic blanket sat, surrounded by small lanterns glowing softly in the evening breeze. A low wooden table held neatly arranged food, wine glasses, and a bouquet of weeping begonias because she called them pretty.
She stared ahead, her lips parted in awe. “You did this?”
I shrugged slightly. “I had some help.”
Her gaze moved slowly across the setup again. “This is beautiful.”
Something in my chest tightened hearing the quiet amazement in her voice. “I thought we could have a date. Will you let me?”
She smiled as she stepped toward the blanket. “I feel spoiled.”
“You should.”
She slipped off her shoes before sitting down.
“Well,” she said, glancing up at me, “this is definitely the best surprise ever.”
“That sounds like a challenge.”
“It isn’t, though I look forward to you trying to top this.”
I sat beside her and poured two glasses of wine. She accepted hers with a small smile. “To random rooftop dates.”
I clinked my glass gently against hers. “To random rooftop dates.”
