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“Ah …” Mars sounded like he cracked the code to something valuable. “So you’re a material girl?”
“No, no, I wouldn’t call myself that. I like to get things done. I don’t particularly like wandering aimlessly through the city. I’m a lawyer with a lot of goals in mind. I don’t have time to waste on things like that.”
“Yeah. I should have figured that out sooner. You’re a woman who gets what she wants when she wants it. Right?”
Rhiannon pursed her lips together in thought. “Well, sure, if you want to describe it like that.” She nearly tripped on a crack in the ground while she spoke, but lucky for her, Mars was staring ahead when it happened. “I’ve had to work hard for what I’ve gotten.”
“So have I.”
“You have the world at your fingertips, though. I’m sure it’s easier to get stuff done. One finger snap is all you need to have people at your feet.”
“I know, but recently, I’ve been taking a more hands-on approach with my business. I have a bunch of interns running around and taking emails for me, which is helpful. I can’t stand the thought of sitting at a computer all day and talking to people through a screen. I like being outside and looking at people eye-to-eye. That’s always been my thing.”
“Is that why you’re here with me right now?”
Mars didn’t respond right away. Instead, he glanced at her with the beginnings of a smile tugging his lips upwards. Then, he turned away quickly. He tapped her on the wrist.
“Come on. We’re almost there.”
“Where are we going?” Rhiannon asked, having to jog slightly to catch up to his strides. “Did you not come with a car?”
“In one of my private vehicles, yes, but then I told the chauffeur to take the night off. I didn’t want to ruin my time with you by wasting it in traffic. It’s better to walk, and by the sounds of it, you don’t do it very much.”
“I …” Rhiannon flushed, but Mars laughed and nudged her on the shoulder.
“Sorry. It’s fun teasing you. I know we just met and all, but it feels like I’ve known you for my entire life. It’s easy to talk to you.”
Those words sucked the air out of her lungs in an instant. She thought the same thing, but to hear it vocalized, coming out of Mars’s mouth, made it so much morereal. This wasn’t her imagination or her mind playing cruel tricks on her. No. This man wanted to talk to her, get to know her, and spend time with her. Why? Who fucking knew? But she liked it. A warm fuzzy feeling manifested in her chest, right around where her heart was.
“We’re going to a restaurant, by the way,” Mars said once the question popped into her mind again. “It’s nearby, so don’t worry about breaking a sweat. Getting a reservation to this place is hard, so I had to pull a few strings to sneak us in.”
“Really?” Rhiannon’s eyes widened. “You didn’t have to do all that for me.”
“Why not?”
The question rang loudly in her mind.Why not?
Was she worth the trouble in his eyes? Seemed like it.
“Here.” Mars reached into his pocket and handed her a set of sunglasses from a brand with a foreign name. Gold-encrusted rims, by the way. “In case the paparazzi comes by. I assume you want to keep your identity on the down-low.”
“Why would they be here?”
“The people who dine here have a tendency to pretend to be better than everyone else, to put things lightly,” Mars explained, slowing his steps and linking his arm with hers. He, too, placed sunglasses on despite the darkness of the night. “They tell the photographers exactly where they’re going to be in the hopes of getting some pictures of themselves in whatever sleazy tabloid is making the rounds.”
“Thanks for letting me know,” she whispered, slipping the sunglasses on once they turned a corner.
She saw luxurious cars and finely-dressed people in front of the restaurant in question. Clenching her jaw, she soon realized that her attire was nothing like theirs. Most of her clothing, dresses, blouses, and skirts, were hand-me-down from other people. Meanwhile, these people shopped directly from extravagant designers who displayed their works on the models in Paris or Milan.
“Just ignore them,” Mars whispered, leaning so close to Rhiannon that his lips sent shockwaves down her spine. “Our spot is in a secluded part of the restaurant, so we won’t have to worry about them at all.”
Soon afterward, he straightened himself and greeted the server, who quickly recognized him. Her eyes trailed to Rhi, an indecipherable look in her green eyes. Rhiannon smiled, not knowing what else to do.
“Follow me, please,” the server replied brusquely, ponytail whipping with her sudden movements.
Mars led her by the hand through the labyrinth of the restaurant until they found themselves near the back in a dimly lit section that overlooked the rest of the tables and the bar. Mars, the gentleman, pulled out a chair for her. Rhiannon thanked him quietly.
“What would you like for starters?”
