"Hey." Chase said it stronger this time to get Emma's attention, and she finally turned to him. "You just ordered a really fucking expensive hamburger, and I'm not going to allow you to wallow over there as you eat that gold-leaf bread. You're going to eat that burger, and you're going to share some of it with me because I honestly don't know what a five-thousand-dollar burger tastes like and I'm really curious."
"It'll taste like regret and bitterness."
Chase gave her a chastising look. "It's going to taste amazing, and I'm going to force you to enjoy it."
"Really?"
"Really," he said. "I know you don't like this, but Nana said you had to have fun with it. You can't fulfill her challenge if you don't have fun."
"That is one of the dumbest things I've ever heard. Just like this challenge is stupid as hell."
"Ugh, you wound me." He grabbed his chest in mocking pain. "I don't know how much more my fragile movie-star ego can take."
That finally got a smile from Emma and he chalked it up as a little victory for now.
"Good evening, Mr. Warwick."
A man stepped up to the table with their wine and showed Chase the label with an extra flourish. Then he opened it in front of them and poured a little bit into a glass in front of Chase. The star swished it around, trying to look fancy, when he only knew how to do this because he had learned it once for a movie. Emma seemed unimpressed, but he could see the smirk teasing at her lips. At least he was amusing her a little.
"This is wonderful," he said after taking a sip.
The sommelier gave him an approving smile before pouring Emma a full glass and topping off Chase's wine.
"Mr. Warwick?" Emma asked sarcastically when the sommelier was out of sight.
"Apparently, he didn't realize that you're the one treating me tonight."
Emma rolled her eyes. "Apparently."
Yeah, it was going to be tough to make sure she enjoyed this dinner, but in the meantime, he did appreciate her sarcasm. That was better than the dourness she came in with.
"Should we make a toast?" Chase asked as he raised his glass. "To Nana, wherever you are. Thank you for bringing us together."
Emma gave him a small but real smile and clinked her glass against his. "To Nana, and to spending lots of money."
"To spending money."
He watched as Emma pulled the glass up toher gorgeous red lips and took a drink. The ecstasy that spread across her face was instantaneous.
"Wow," she said. "That really does taste like an expensive bottle of wine."
"Better than the cheap stuff at the grocery store, right?"
"Better than the box stuff I usually had with..." Her voice trailed off and she gave Chase a watery smile. "Well, let's just say that Nana wasn't really picky about her wine."
He couldn't help but give her a reassuring smile back. Without saying a word, he tried to tell Emma that this was going to be fine, it was going to be OK. Hell, she may actually warm up to him and enjoy this whole journey after all.
He was going to have to convince himself of the same thing. This was going to be weird and odd for him. But then again, he needed to just keep reminding himself that this wasn't about him. It was about Emma.
Chapter Five
"Can we get some desserts to go?" Emma asked.
The waiter nodded as Emma rattled off a few more things she wanted them to pack up. She had been a champ eating most of that gold-leafed burger, and she was nice enough to share some with Chase. It was the best burger Chase ever ate, but it still didn't taste like it was worth five thousand dollars.
Emma kept going though as they rolled the dessert cart over. Her eyes went wide and he knew neither of them could eat another bite. He had to give her credit for finding another way to add to her spending spree tonight and listened intently as she picked the huge slab of chocolate cake, a carrot cake, and the petit fours.
"No cheesecake?" Chase asked sarcastically.
