Then, it’s a date.
I set down my phone and look up, only to see Shawn staring at me with a raised eyebrow.
“What?” I ask and then turn around to get back to work, not really wanting him to answer.
“Hot date?” He walks over to me and leans against the counter, so he’s facing me.
I normally don’t discuss my personal life with Shawn even though I know his entire life, but Charity was at work last night, and I’m dying to tell someone about my date.
“Yes, actually.” I blush, and I feel it all the way to my toes.
“Lawyer?”
“Yes. We went out after he helped me get out of my lease, and he just asked me out again.”
“Damn, girl. Look at you. Getting the attention of some high-class attorney. When’s the date?”
“Next Friday.” I turn to head into my office to grab the address I’m supposed to mail these to even though I don’t need it right this second. I just don’t want to hear—
“As in next week?” He follows me into the office.
I try to act nonchalant. “Yes, he has a busy schedule, and he said he wanted to—”
“Pencil you in?”
“Oh, stop. I think it’s considerate and cute. He wanted to make sure he had something to look forward to since he’s working on a big case.”
“Interesting plan. He keeps the girls waiting and wanting more. Do you think I could get away with that? Maybe say I have a huge order we need to get out?”
I laugh. “Sorry, Shawn. No one will believe chocolate is that busy of a job, no matter how much I want it to be.”
Shawn was right when he said having the date planned that far out would keep me waiting and wanting more. Every day, I looked at the calendar, counting down the nights until I got to see him again. I swear it was the longest week of my life.
Now that it’s Friday, I can’t wait until tonight. I haven’t been this excited for a day to come since I was a little girl, waiting on Christmas to arrive.
Sebastian texted late last night, saying he was at work but wanted to make sure we were still on. When I responded, I got so giddy that I had to make myself a drink to calm down my excitement.
Then, he called this morning, saying to be ready by six and he’d pick me up to go to Ocean Prime—the fanciest steak house in the city.
I’m wearing my sexiest red dress with black pumps and a necklace that draws attention to my décolletage—one of my favorite parts of my body.
Not wanting to explain having to go through the gym or have him walk through the alley, I decide to wait out front for him to arrive.
An exotic black car pulls up. The purr of the engine is so low that it’s almost silent. I glance in to see Sebastian putting it in park and unbuckling his seat belt before hopping out. Since he’s not expecting me to be standing here, he’s caught off guard, and he stops in his tracks when he sees me.
The expression on his face is one I’ve only seen in movies. Those chocolate eyes move down my body like silk coating my skin. From my shoulders, down the curve of my waist, and over my hips, lowering from one leg to the other, all with pure appreciation of the person standing in front of him.
And that person is me.
“You look amazing,” he says breathlessly.
A grin spreads across my face. “You don’t look too bad yourself.”
I reach out my hand and lightly tug on the blue designer button-up that fits his body like a glove. Sebastian has always presented himself well, but in this shirt, I can see the definition of his broad chest, fit torso, and the curve of his biceps.
He escorts me to the passenger side and opens the door like a true gentleman.
“What kind of car is this?” I ask as I slide in. “I’ve never seen it before.”
“A BMW i8. It’s fully electric and a blast to drive.”
He shuts the door and heads over to the driver’s side as I take in the high-tech interior.
As he buckles his seat belt, he grins in my direction. “So glad we set this up early. Seeing you again is the one thing that helped get me through the trial this week.”
I instantly blush again. He has a way of making me do that. He’s so sweet and honest. Those are rare traits, and I like it.
“I hope this doesn’t ruin the night, but did you win?”
He glances at me out the side of his eye. A devilish smirk crosses his face. “At the risk of sounding like an egomaniac … abso-fucking-lutely.”
I laugh out loud. “Good for you. Now, we have something to celebrate.”
He lifts my hand and kisses my knuckle. His warm mouth presses firmly to my skin, sending a wave of excited chills up my arm and straight down the front of my body. I might let out a tiny quiver that I can’t hide.
“I’d like that,” he says, releasing my hand and putting the car in drive.
A few minutes later, we pull up to the corner restaurant made of brick, and my mouth salivates. I’ve only heard of this place but never treated myself to a meal here.
I open my door, and Sebastian walks around the car to join me, instantly intertwining his fingers with mine as we head toward the entrance. I try to hide the way it affects me, but inside, I’m a twelve-year-old girl, holding hands with her crush.
The place is bustling with people at tables and lining the bar. Elegance drips from every corner, and I’m glad I chose this dress, as I feel like I fit in here perfectly even though I’m currently sleeping on a futon and living out of my office, which has been making me feel like a vagabond lately.
“Two for Blake,” Sebastian says as we approach the hostess station.
“Yes, Mr. Blake. We have your table ready. Right this way,” the hostess responds as she grabs two menus.
He motions for me to go first, and I follow her through the restaurant to a private table near the window.
I take my seat as Sebastian takes his, and the waitress hands us our menus. After we order some drinks, our conversation continues with ease. This time, I get to learn some more about him.
“Since my father was a surgeon, as a kid, I used to sit in his office after school and shadow him. He wanted me to follow in his footsteps badly.”
“Didn’t have the stomach for slicing and dicing?”
“Actually, I wanted to be an actor.” He takes a sip of his drink.
“Really? Are we talking Shakespearean plays, toothpaste commercials, or full-on Timothée Chalamet?”
“More like Michael B. Jordan action kind of stuff. That guy is an amazing actor and has the kind of career I would have wanted. He was the new Rocky after all.”
“Agreed. He’s also really hot.” I cheers and take a sip of my drink. “What made you give up on the acting dream?”
“I joined the debate team in high school for extra credit and found I was just as good with arguing in public as I was with reciting lines. In college, my mother encouraged me to take prelaw classes to see how I’d do. I figured they’d help me in the days when I starred on Law & Order.”
“Because every actor starts out with a role on Law & Order.”
“Exactly. I quickly learned that I really liked studying casework. I found it was easy to understand and challenging enough to make me want to get better. Conducting a deposition or giving an opening argument is very much like acting. You read from a script and put in the right amount of emotion to get your point across and be convincing. When you’re onstage, you should know how to improvise in case something goes wrong. Same with the courtroom. You have to have enough legal research in your brain to be able to spew it off the cuff to counter an argument. It’s challenging and fun, if you’re doing it right.”