AllFreeNovel
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I take a quick shower, get dressed and say my goodbyes to Yvette. Ed is waiting right out front with the car and has the back door open for me.
We ride in silence as I replay my conversation with Joe. His personal life is the main reason he works so hard, having several ex-wives to support. I feel bad for him, but he made his bed. I sigh and stare out the window.
I need to stop overthinking this. I’m not planning to marry this woman tonight so I just need to slow down and stop putting the cart before the horse.
It’s not long before we pull up to Jade’s building and park right in front. Normally, I prefer to escort my date directly from her home, but since I’m not exactly sure which place is hers, I wait anxiously in the lobby near the elevator. I twist and turn the paperclip in my pocket to calm my nerves. It’s my lucky paperclip and I never leave home without it. An old college professor taught me the trick after I expressed that public speaking makes me nervous. It doesn’t anymore, but I still carry the paperclip with me.
Every time the elevator doors open, I perk up momentarily, and then slump back in disappointment. I check my watch for what seems like the hundredth time in the last ten minutes. To help occupy my mind, I grab my phone from my pocket and check my messages. I have several emails from Amelia, a few text messages from Mr. Tanaka, and a text from Joe urging me to come out for drinks with him instead of going on my date. I’m so focused on my phone that I don’t notice Jade until she’s standing in front of me. Her perfume greets me first, with its light flowery scent. I notice her shoes next, black with straps around the ankles and a high heel. Her toes are painted fire red, and while I’m not into fetishes, I can’t ignore how cute her little feet are.
My eyes travel the short distance from her ankle to her upper thigh where her dress ends. I take my time taking in every inch of her, like I’m unwrapping a highly anticipated birthday present. The dress hugs her body, making her curves stand out on her petite frame. My gaze finally reaches her face and I’m speechless. Her make-up is minimal and compliments her features perfectly. The long blonde hair I’ve seen wrapped in a bun is now flowing freely over her shoulders.
She shuffles from one foot to the other and clutches her purse in her hands. “Am I dressed okay? I wasn’t sure where you wanted to go so I just guessed about the dress code.”
I reach out, take her hand and kiss it. “You look amazing,” I say.
She smiles and pushes a loose strand of hair behind her ear. “Thank you, you look quite handsome yourself.”
I glance down at my outfit and look back up at her. “I pale in comparison standing next to you,” I say walking her to the door.
Ed is ready and waiting at the back door.
“This is Ed, our driver for the evening. Ed, this is Ms. Sinclair.”
“Miss,” says Ed, tilting his hat at her.
“Hello, Ed,” she says.
“All right, let’s head to our reservation,” I say.
Jade slides in first, I slide in next to her, and Ed closes the door behind us.
“Where are we going?” she asks.
“It’s a surprise,” I say, reaching for her hand again.
We make small talk during the ride over to the restaurant. Nothing too deep, just enough to break the silence. We pull up at Mon Amour and I help Jade get out. She looks around for a moment then smiles.
I offer her my arm and we walk inside and head straight to the maître d’.
“I have a reservation for two under the name Jordan,” I say.
The man nods and motions for us to follow him to the private dining room I have reserved. Jade is the kind of woman I don’t mind having a little bit of privacy with.
I pull out Jade’s chair and ensure she’s settled in before taking a seat myself. We’re sitting right next to a colorful saltwater fish tank, one of my favorite parts of the restaurant. We receive our menus and I slide closer to Jade.
“Everything is in French, but if you tell me what you like, I can help narrow down the options,” I say.
“I think I’ve got it covered,” she says with a nod.
Feisty, gorgeous and confident. Three of my favorite things.
The server comes back, ready to take our order. Before I open my mouth to offer help again, Jade starts to order her food… in French. She stumbles over a few words a couple of times, but otherwise she orders her food without my help.
