Our food arrived, and the conversation dwindled to comments about the food and the ambiance as we ate. I savored every delicious bite of the lobster ravioli I had ordered. I wondered if he relished his meal as much as I did, since he was probably used to eating at gourmet restaurants. Then I remembered he liked to cook.
“Would you be able to recreate this meal?” I asked. “You said you can cook.”
He brought his napkin to his mouth as he finished chewing his last bite.
“I can. I’ll make it even better if you agree to a second date at my place.”
My pulse quickened. Warmth spread through me as my brain tried to comprehend that this was actually happening.
“I…uh… I’d love for you to show me what you can do.” As soon as I said it, I was compelled to rectify, “In the kitchen.”
He chuckled. “Why don’t I start with a different meal? My specialty. It’ll be a surprise.”
“You like surprises, I see,” I said.
“I enjoy giving surprises. Not getting them. Especially not bad ones.”
“No one likes bad surprises,” I pointed out.
“True. I guess I only get the bad kind and not the good kind.”
“That’s a shame,” I said.
“You’re not going to pity the rich kid now, are you?” His eyes were dancing with mirth, betraying that he was funnier than he alleged.
I rolled my eyes. “Absolutely not.”
We ordered dessert, and then Colin suggested we have another drink at a bar he liked.
“If you’re willing to keep the night going,” he said while dropping his credit card into the bill folder.
“Just for a bit. I have to go to work tomorrow, you see. What would my boss say if I got there late?”
“Maybe he’d understand that something important came up.” The way we both smiled at each other for a full minute might have looked ridiculous to anyone watching us. But I was entranced by everything about him. His eyes, of course, would draw anyone in, but spending another whole dinner with him made me sure of one thing—I was dangerously close to falling head over heels for Colin Slade.
I wasn’tsure what sort of bar I’d pictured, but before I knew it, we were downtown, stepping into an elevator that carried us to the hotel rooftop. The doors opened to a bustling atmosphere of deep house music, floral and green walls strategically partitioning various sections, and an enormous bar right in the center. Of course, the view from so high above transformed everything. The glow of the city lights and the towering buildings surrounding us gave the night an effortless kind of grandeur.
We stepped out of the elevator, and Colin put his hand on the small of my back to guide me to the bar. It was the second time he’d ever touched me, and I was acutely aware of it.
He pulled his hand away as we approached the bar, and I sorely missed having it there. I wondered whether he would kiss me. I had taken it for granted that he would, but now I wasn’t so sure.
We’d hardly had any physical contact, and he’d already brought up the form we would have to sign with HR. He probably didn’t want to do anything until that was taken care of.
“What would you like?” he asked me and ordered for us while I took in the people around us. Everyone was dressed as you’d expect for a rooftop bar like this. A mix of classy elegance and sexy. Conversation seemed to flow easily between groups, and I found myself wondering if I’d ever look as effortless and graceful as the women I was admiring.
CouldI ever fit in? Or would this always feel like a world I was only visiting? I supposed it was something I might find out if we ended up dating. Again, the idea seemed so ludicrous that I pushed it away and tried to focus on the moment.
“Cheers,” he said, holding up his glass, and I echoed the sentiment.
We walked around, settling on an empty, tall table where I put the glass down.
I sensed the coolness of the evening and tried to ignore it, but I shivered without meaning to.
“Are you cold?” he asked.
“Just a little,” I said, passing my hands over my upper arms. Before I had finished saying it, he had taken off his jacket and put it on my shoulders.
“Thank you,” I said, warming myself in the scent of him from his jacket. The faint smell of his cologne enveloping me did things to my brain.
