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Her eyes widen. "You did this for me?"
I nod.
This is nothing, honey.
"Do you always go to such lengths to impress a girl?" I can see a hint of humor in her eyes.
I smirk, shrugging. "Only for the special ones."
We both smile.
Our waiter approaches, cradling a bottle of vintage wine in his hands, 'Le Petit Prince'. Bailey's eyes widen at the name.
"You recognize the wine?"
"Not the wine, the name. 'Le Petit Prince'... it's my favorite book."
The waiter pours the ruby liquid into our glasses.
"So, you're a reader, huh?"
Bailey nods, her green eyes lighting up with passion. "I love to read, yes. Books take you to different worlds. You can live a thousand lives, experience a thousand emotions... all from the comfort of your own home."
As she talks, I find myself genuinely fascinated. Bailey, the raging bookworm? It's unexpected, and yet... it suits her. There's an intellectual depth to her and it's attractive.
"Really?" I lean back in my chair, swirling the wine in my glass. "So, if you could live any life from a book, which one would it be?" I'm curious now, eager to peel back another layer of the enigma that is Bailey.
She considers the question, her eyes twinkling in the soft glow of the lanterns, and I'm reminded yet again of how beautiful she is. I watch her, a slow smile creeping onto my face as I realize that I'm actually looking forward to her answer.
"Oh, I'd for sure choose Jo March's life from Little Women."
I raise a surprised eyebrow, prompting her to continue.
"She’s strong, independent, she doesn’t need a man to make her happy, and she turns down a proposal from a rich guy who's madly in love with her."
There she is.
The sass is back.
"Sounds pretty badass to me." She sets down her wine glass, her gaze challenging, daring me to respond.
I chuckle, acknowledging the playful jab for what it is. "So, you're saying I need to be a rich guy madly in love with you for you to turn me down?" The tease is clear in my voice.
Bailey’s eyes flash as she catches onto the bait. "Well, Logan, first, you'd need to be madly in love." She pauses. "I don't know if you've got it in you..."
"Bailey, you've turned me down multiple times before tonight anyway," I say, the humor evident in my voice. "So clearly, the love piece isn't totally necessary for you to turn me down."
She laughs with me. "Well, you're not wrong, but let me revise my earlier statement. You'd need to be madly in love... and not a player."
I lean forward, my gaze locked onto hers. "Who says a player can't fall madly in love?"
She stammers, taken back by the intensity in my voice. "I... I mean..." She tries to recover, the words trip over her tongue. "Oh, look at that view. Isn't it gorgeous?" She gestures towards the cityscape below us, attempting to shift the conversation away from the deep waters we'd waded into.
"Nice try, Bailey, but a little vulnerability won't kill you, you know." As I say this, I reach across the table and take her hand in mine. I feel her stiffen slightly, but she doesn't pull away.
Looking at her, I can see a mix of emotions in her eyes. The moment loaded with sexual tension, the air thick and charged. I run my thumb over the back of her hand, watching her reaction.
"You're not wrong again, Logan," Bailey admits, her gaze focused on our intertwined hands.
