AllFreeNovel
Share Us
* * *
I try and fail to get my head out of the gutter as we make our way down the stairs. But all I can think about is Paige. Paige’s ankle in my hands. Paige’s perfume in my nose. Paige’s lips on my—
No.
She turns for the front foyer, but I stop her and point in the direction of the French doors at the rear. Her doubt turns to delight as we take the garden path towards the greenhouse.
When she sees it, she stops cold. “Oh my God!”
I had half the staff toiling on our little date night venue all day today. Mario and Danica spent most of the afternoon stringing fairy lights through the greenhouse rafters. The whole thing glows like it has a night sky of its own trapped beneath its glass roof, shining out to match the one above. Green and gold as far as the eye can see, bejeweled for us and us alone.
Paige clutches the single rose to her chest. “It’s magical.”
“We aren’t even inside yet.” I take her hand and lead her into the greenhouse.
A table and two chairs have been arranged under a canopy of lush greenery. Candlelight flickers off the glass panes.
“I can’t believe you did all this,” Paige breathes.
“When I do something, I don’t do it halfway.”
I pull a chair out for her and sit across from her. Our knees brush under the table, and she gives me a shy smile.
When she notices the menu on the edge of the table, she picks it up with trembling fingers. I watch, knowing what she’s reading as her eyes flick down the page and her lips slowly part.
Caviar and lobster.
Fragrant greens with black truffle.
Lemony, butter-rich risotto and pan-seared scallops still dripping ocean water.
When she finally looks up at me, I realize that her eyes are watery.
“I… I just… I didn’t expect all this, Misha. No one’s ever made this kind of effort for me. Whether I asked for it or not.”
How could anyone not make an effort for this woman? She’s fucking flawless.
Sitting in the presence of her grace and beauty, I realize something: treating her right doesn’t feel like it takes any effort at all.
25
PAIGE
Misha in a suit is a sight to behold.
When I made my demand for a date, I expected him to drag his feet through every aspect of it. I expected a generic dinner, maybe a movie if I really pushed my luck. But a three-piece suit, personalized five-course meal, and hundreds upon hundreds of fairy lights threaded through the rafters overhead? It’s beyond my wildest imagination.
And the craziest thing of all is, I think Misha might actually be enjoying himself.
I lean back in my chair and sip my sparkling grape juice. My stomach is painfully full with five courses of deliciousness, but my taste buds are still buzzing pleasantly. “This may be the best date I’ve ever been on.”
“Good. I’ve never done this before, so I’m glad it worked out.”
“You’ve never planned a date like this before?”
He shakes his head. “I’ve never been on any kind of a date before.”
I nearly drop my glass. “That’s… that’s not possible.”
