“It’s too much, isn’t it?” she asked, biting her lip nervously.
My mind scrambled to find a coherent response.
Too much?If she only knew what was going on in my brain right now.
Shaking my head quickly, unable to utter any words for a few seconds, I stepped forward and handed her the white lilies.“I wanted to surprise you with these.”
Her face lit up instantly as she accepted them.“Thanks so much, Cole,” Jiya said softly. “They are gorgeous.”
Then she leaned forward and kissed me on the cheek.
The soft brush of her lips against my skin sent a sudden jolt through me.My heart skipped a beat.I could feel the warmth of where she had kissed me lingering on my cheek, and I was fairly certain my pulse had just doubled in speed.
“So are you,” I said before my brain had time to filter the words.
She looked up at me with her big, honey-brown eyes.
Those eyes had a way of undoing me every single time.
“Thanks,” she said quietly.
For a moment, her gaze lingered on mine before she looked away, a faint blush colouring her cheeks.“Shall we?”
I had madea reservation at one of the fine dining restaurants in the city. I wanted the evening to feel special without saying that out loud.
Tonight mattered… in more ways than one.
After a delicious seafood dinner, I drove toward the club with Jiya sitting beside me.
Music from the radio filled the car as the city lights flickered past the windshield.
According to the radio, the temperature was a cool twenty degrees Celsius, which would drop down to fifteen later in the night. The host spoke casually about the pleasant evening weather, but I was only half listening. My attention kept drifting toward Jiya beside me.
We chatted about work and my brother’s children as we drove, the conversation flowing easily the way it always did with her. There was something comforting about the normalcy of it, about the way she listened carefully and laughed softly at my stories. It made the drive feel shorter than it actually was.
We reached the club and hopped out of the car.
The Jazz Salsa Club was exactly like the name sounded. The faint rhythm of Latin music spilled out through the doors even before we stepped inside. Entering the club, I led Jiya to the small, private table I had reserved for the two of us in the corner.
The place was packed with couples dancing in the centre of the room, their movements fluid and confident under soft, warm lights that glowed from above. The lighting gave everything a golden hue, and the music wrapped around the room like a heartbeat.
After ordering drinks, I took off my black blazer to be more comfortable. My dark blue jeans and thin white sweater made me feel more relaxed, as if I had shed some of the nervousness that had followed me all evening.
I watched Jiya take a sip of the red wine I had ordered for her.
She had insisted even at the restaurant that she didn’t want wine, probably because she didn’t want me to feel uncomfortable. But I knew she loved wine, and I had ordered it for her.
She had glanced at the glass for a second before finally taking a small sip, and I couldn’t help smiling.
I no longer had urges with work keeping me very busy. That chapter of my life felt farther away now than it had months ago.
Watching her sit across from me tonight, laughing softly and letting herself relax, made me realize just how different things felt.
My eyes drifted to the dance floor again.
Couples moved effortlessly across the room, their steps synchronized to the music. The rhythm pulsed through the floor, and even sitting still, it was impossible not to feel it.
I glanced back at Jiya.
