She turned away from him. "You’ve never really treated me like a real girlfriend."
"That's not—"
"Sex in the storage room, paying me to pretend to be your lover. Maybe we started out on the wrong foot and we will never be able to fix it."
Carter shook his head. "We can always fix it. We're both alive. You have a job now, a really good one." He took a deep breath. "Let's try."
"I don't—"
"I'm not saying you have to be my girlfriend," he said, trying to contain his frustration. "I'm just saying that I want to take you out. On a date—a real one. I have reservations someplace fancy, I'll give you a kiss when I drop you off after walking you to your door, and then I'll leave. Let me do this for you."
"All right, all right," she said and smiled at him. "Take me out on the town, Mr. Holbrook."
Carter whooped and jumped up, banging his head on the low ceiling.
"Ow!" he said as Allie inspected his head. He leaned into the feel of her fingers softly running over his scalp. He gave a little shiver as her nails ran lightly over his face.
"I think you're fine," she said and slipped on a pair of heels. "Where are we going?"
"I hope you like sushi," he said as he handed Allie her purse.
"I do."
"When did you have it in North Carolina?" he asked.
"I've been living in New York City for months," she retorted as Carter helped her into the waiting car. "I've eaten sushi."
"I don't think you’ve had this sushi," he said as they drove to the restaurant.
Allie seemed impressed when they pulled up.
"This is the best sushi restaurant in New York City," Carter said, opening the door for Allie.
Carter saw Allie visibly relax as soon as they entered the restaurant. The décor was contemporary Japan, with clean lines and rich woods. The restaurant was filled with other elegant, well-dressed people.
After they were seated at a small table, Carter explained, "There's no menu. The chef makes what he wants to make, and you eat it."
"Sounds like an adventure," Allie said, smiling at him as the waiters brought out their drinks, after which came a parade of sushi, each piece more perfect than the last.
"It's almost like art. It's too pretty to eat," Allie said.
"I know," Carter said, picking up her piece with his chopsticks and feeding it to her. "But it's so good!"
They lingered in the restaurant after they were finished. For the first time since he'd decided that he couldn't live without Allie, he felt as if they had finally had one perfect evening that he hadn't managed to screw up.
He realized he might have jinxed it when they walked out of the restaurant and were confronted with several paparazzi yelling questions and taking pictures.
"Who is the lucky lady?" they asked. "Is that Allie?"
Carter thought about what Grant had said, how he needed to make things official with Allie.
He hugged Allie close to him and smiled for the cameras.
"Yes, this is Allie, my dream girl and one of the best analysts you'll ever meet."
"Where'd you meet her?" one reporter called out.
"We were interns together, and now she's technically my boss."
