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After drying my hair, I rush to the closet to get dressed.
Let’s see. What do you wear to a casual dinner with a guy who is kinda your ex but not really? You know, because we were never actually dating, according to him.
I still don’t have all of my clothes from my apartment, so I’m somewhat limited in my choices. I flip through and reject everything until I finally put my hands on a sundress. It has short, capped sleeves, a fitted waist, and flares at the bottom. And the cornflower blue of the flowers brings out the blue of my eyes. It is flattering on me, but not so much so that it gives off the wrong type of vibes.
I don’t want Ethan to think I’m trying to look good for him.
I keep that in mind as I put on my makeup, just a light application of concealer, blush, eye shadow, and mascara.
I still need to do something with my hair. I usually just twist it up in a bun. Strangely, though, I don’t feel like doing that tonight. I think I might leave it down. I take out my curling iron. Maybe just a little curl on the ends will look nice.
I finish my hair just as there is a knock on my bedroom door. I steal a look at the clock and jump up when I realize it’s five minutes to six. I hadn’t realized that I was taking so long to get ready.
The nanny calls through the door. “Ms. Liz, you asked me to remind you when it was time to go.”
“Thank you! I’ll be right out.”
I grab my strappy sandals and quickly put them on. I grab my lipstick and swipe it on my lips before putting it in my bag. As I walk toward the door, I glance in the mirror one final time. Confident that this is as good as it’s going to get, I head out my door.
Ethan should be here any minute, so I might as well just meet him downstairs. No sense for him to come all the way up. I kiss Matthew and give the nanny a few last-minute instructions. Since we are only planning to go out for a quick bite to eat, I tell her we shouldn’t be gone long and to text me with any problems.
She smiles at me and tells me to have a good time and not to worry about anything. The poor woman has no idea Ethan and I are barely on speaking terms.
Just as I’m about to open the door, Ethan opens it for me.
And he stops. I hear him inhale quickly. He doesn’t say anything right away, and I begin to feel nervous.
He lifts a hand to my hair. “You wore your hair down for tonight? I love it like this,” he says softly.
I feel my face heat up and hope he doesn’t notice. The memories of what I did in the shower are fresh in my mind. And his compliment is throwing me off balance. “Thank you. I just wanted to do something different. Are you ready to go?”
“Yes, we have reservations. I guess we better get going.”
“Reservations? I thought we were just getting something quick. Casual?”
“Oh, it’s casual. But they require reservations since the place caters to only a small crowd at a time.”
“That sounds nice. Am I dressed okay for the restaurant?”
“You’re beautiful. You’re always beautiful. And I told you, it doesn’t matter what you wear. There’s no dress code at the place we’re going to.”
I feel myself blush. Feeling embarrassed by the compliment, I decided not to ask any more questions. I hate that a few sweet commentsmake me so easily forget what happened between us. At least he’s trying. I should do the same. I have to push aside my anger for Matthew’s sake.
He puts his hand on my lower back as we walk toward the elevators. The warmth of his hand feels like it’s burning my skin. I could swear his hand is hotter than the water in the shower.
“The car is waiting for us downstairs. I hope you don’t mind, but I have a stop to make before dinner. Shouldn’t take too long.”
“Sure, as long as we have time. I’d hate to be late for our reservation.”
He smiles down at me as he helps me into the back seat of the car. “I have a feeling they’ll save our table. But it’s okay. We won’t be late. This is a planned stop.”
The buildings rush by as the car speeds down the city streets. The driver manages to find a route that avoids some of the worst traffic. My confusion grows when we drive closer and closer to the river and away from most of the trendy restaurants Ethan likes to frequent.
Soon, we’re parking, and Ethan is helping me out of the car. Grabbing my hand, he pulls me along. “It’s just this way.”
“Ethan? Why are we here?” I ask suspiciously.
“It’s just right over here. Come on.” He takes my hand. Just as we are about to round a corner, he stops. “I have a little surprise for you.”
