“No weird crime museums?” Elise added.
“No weirdness at all,” he said to her and then looked back at me, those dimples on display, and that set of green eyes sparkling—and sober. “Just dinner and a movie."
“Classic,” Elise said, laughing.
I hummed, looking down at my daisy dress with the tassels. "Do we know how to do that?”
"Absolutely not." He dropped his hand and grinned. "But we are going to try, dammit.”
So, here I am.
Fancy restaurants smell like butter, smoke, and sandalwood, I swear. I’m wearing a plain white dress that doesnothave daisies on it—no cowboy boots or tassels in sight— sitting opposite a dimple-faced man I’m somewhat in love with and somewhat obsessed with and entirely a sucker for.
Social Blesk. Tick.
Dating Blesk. Tick.
Processing…
Most nights in his apartment.
I smooth my hands down the white tablecloth and try to take in the scenery, because I’ve never been taken to a fancy restaurant before. Candles flicker on each table, shiny utensils catch the dim light, leather-bound menus arranged in military formation, and a very handsome server introduces himself asSebastian.He describes the Specials Menu with the seriousness of a herald announcing the entrance of a king, and I try not to laugh because he issoserious.
Konnor,my Konnor, is dressed in a black shirt with actual buttons, no hoodie, no sneakers. Freshly shaven, which only highlights his dimples further. His hair is styled and sort of spiky at the tips. If I brush my fingers through it, I think I’ll get stuck, which doesn’t sound like a bad place to be stuck, really.
Happiness moves through me.
Sebastian has left us alone to read our menus, and I chew my lips. It's fine. It's completely fine.
“What’s wrong?”
I look up at Konnor with his spiky hair, and his smooth jawline. “You have spiky hair.”
“It’s wax. You don’t like my spiky tips?”
“I mean… I do.”
“You don’t.”
I giggle at him and lean across the table, lowering my voice. “Two kids from The District in theirunnaturalhabitat.”
He grins. “Two kids from?—”
Sebastian clears his throat, materialising suddenly beside us and cutting Konnor off.
Konnor’s brows furrow as our server looks down on me with a bright smile. His view directly down my dress is unavoidable, and I catch his pupils dilate, then bounce to my forehead for safety.
Konnor’s hand inches towards his fork.
“Drinks?” Sebastian asks, voice rough, and oddly deep for someone named Sebastian.
I blush. “Sparkling water, please.”
Sebastian grins at me. "Excellent choice."
Konnor's jaw tightens. "I'll have sparkling water, too.”
"Certainly," Sebastian says, already moving away from the table, heading towards the bar.
