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“Are you okay?” Leo asks me, soft and gentle. I adore the tenderness in his eyes, but I'm in no state of mind to enjoy it.
“I'm fine, I think, but the more important question is what are you doing here?”
He cocks his head to the side. “We agreed to meet for dinner, remember?”
Guilt washes over me. After a full day of strenuous rehearsal and then the unexpected grilling from the cops, I'd completely forgotten. “Oh my God, you're right. I'm so sorry, I totally forgot.”
“It's alright. Truly.”
“No, no, I…” I anxiously rub the back of my neck. This is turning out to be a horrible day. “Why did you say you were my counsel? I mean, I appreciate your help, but won't you get in trouble? Isn't that illegal or something?”
“Not necessarily,” he says easily, like it isn't a big deal. “I'm not under oath. I'm perfectly within my rights to offer advice, that's all.”
I press my palms against my cheeks. I'm overheating. “Well, thank you. I'm pretty sure I would have been a nervous wreck without you.”
“You did great,” he assures. “You can breathe easier now, Nikita.”
I follow his advice and inhale deeply. The scent of his cologne brings me an immediate sense of peace. Despite my confusion and anxiety, having him here is a great comfort. “Do you still feel like going out to dinner?” I ask him.
“I would love—”
“Nikita!” my mother's shrill voice interjects. I cringe. I should have known she was lurking around the corner somewhere. “How did it go? What did they ask you? And what ishedoing here?” she pelts me with questions, her syllables so sharp they remind me of a machine gun.
“Everything went fine,” I answer. “And Leo is taking me out to dinner.”
“I forbid it.”
I furrow my brows, swallowing my irritation. “What do you mean you forbid it?”
“I don't want you going out with this man. I've already made myself perfectly clear.”
“Mother, you're embarrassing me.”
“We'll talk about this more when we get home.”
Reaching down quickly, I take Leo's hand. “I'm going out to dinner. Don't wait up.”
The vein in my mother's temple pulses. “Listen here, young lady—”
Leo and I are already headed out the door.
“Are you sure this is a good idea?” he asks me.
“Don't you want to grab a bite to eat?”
“Of course, but not at the risk of putting a wedge between you and your mother.”
“That's very considerate of you, but don't worry. I promised you tonight.”
There's a warmth in his eyes I have a hard time describing. His soft gaze makes me feel tingly all over. Better yet, the corner of his lip curls up into the smallest of smiles. I'm earning it, little by little. One of these days, I'm going to see him beam. I’m going to see that side of him he wouldn’t show me on our first night together.
“So,” I say the moment we exit the building together, “did you have a place in mind?”
He nods. “I think you're going to love it.”
* * *
He has his hands over my eyes, obscuring my view. I have no idea where he's taking me, but I like the element of surprise. All I know is we're someplace with high altitude. It's chilly up here; thank goodness for his overcoat. At this point, I'm just going to ask him if I can keep it. It seems he doesn't mind draping it over my shoulders when I have even the slightest of chills.
