Remembering Niko liked to be early, I made sure I was ready well before six. Taking a sip of ice water to calm my nerves, I checked the mirror one last time.
I’d pulled one side of my hair up and secured it with a fancy pin. Besides a slightly smoky eye and a berry lipstain, my makeup was light and as natural as possible. After watching several IG reels, I realized ‘natural look’ took as many steps as not wearing any at all.
I could only hope the whole look was somewhere between a pretend date and a real date outfit. How was this my life?
After spritzing on my favorite perfume, which had strong vanilla notes, I was ready. It had been a long time since I’d felt this beautiful. I wasn’t sure what to expect for the evening, but there was no denying my desire to get a reaction from him.
When the knock came, I checked my phone, and sure enough, he was ten minutes early.
I walked barefoot to the door so he wouldn’t have to stand out there waiting, then opened it. Niko was in a navy-blue suit that looked made for him. His light-blue button-down shirt was open a few buttons from the top. The butterflies took flight inside me, and suddenly I couldn’t care less about that other woman.
Niko’s eyes scanned me from head to toe, then held my gaze. “Wow, Leyla. You’ve rendered me speechless.”
Mission accomplished.
“That’s very sweet, Niko. Thank you. Come in. I just need to slip on my shoes, and I’m ready,” fighting back a girlie giggle.
He stepped in, handing me a bouquet of pink-and-white stargazer lilies I hadn’t even noticed when I opened the door.
“These are beautiful. I love lilies. Thank you.” Gesturing for him to follow me into the kitchen to get a vase, I turned away from him and reached for one in the cabinet.
“I had a feeling you might. My mom and sister had a garden when we were kids, and they grew them in all colors. My mom used to say lilies tend to leave an impression long after they are noticed. Just like some people.”
When I turned to look at him, he was smiling, and I fought hard not to hug him. Oh, the words he said. Was it getting hot in here?
I filled the vase with water and unraveled the bouquet from its brown wrapper. Pulling them close, I closed my eyes as the sweet smell filled my senses. “They’re just perfect.” With a quick arrangement, I set it in the middle of the counter, already knowing one of them would come into my room later that night.
“Can I get you something to drink before we go?”
“No, I’m fine, thanks. We can leave whenever you’re ready.”
“Shoes! Yes, one second.” When I returned to the living room, Niko gave an appreciative glance at me once more.
“Have I mentioned how lovely you look?” he asked, jamming his hands into his pockets.
My mouth twitched with recognition of his nervous tell. “You have, but I’m fine with hearing it again.”
He bent closer and said, “You look lovely tonight, Leyla. Your dress matches your eyes.”
When I blushed, he nodded and held the door for me as I grabbed my small purse. Once I locked my door, he led me to his car, his hand on the small of my back.
Oh, how I loved it when a man did that. It had been a long time. Every time I went to give him suggestions like that, he was already doing it.
He helped me into the car, then slipped into the driver’s seat. He gripped the steering wheel, then opened and closed his mouth twice, and glanced at me a few times. His nervousness was evident, so I started a conversation to help him out.
“Luke, Sofia, and I went surfing this morning. They teased me that you were the one who finally convinced me to go back. Thanks again for that. It meant a lot to me.”
He looked at me for a moment, then turned back to the road. “All I did was give the invitation. You made the decision to come. It was all you.Yourbravery. You’re an amazing woman, Leyla.”
Grateful for the car’s dark interior, I blushed red. “There you go again,” I whispered.
“There I go again, what?” he asked, his hands twitching on the steering wheel.
It was a testament to how unhinged I’d gotten around him that his twitching fingers made me think of his forearms and biceps inches away from me when he backed the car up the other day. Oh, how I hoped he needed to do that again tonight.
“There you go again, saying things like that. You’re very charming, Mr. Demir,” I said demurely.
He didn’t answer for several minutes, and I was trying to decipher why when he spoke again.
