Chapter 40

Bree’s POV

The day was finally here.
I sat at the edge of my bed as I adjusted the straps of my heels with excitement bubbling through my body. It had been a long time since I last felt like this- yes I was excited about the date but I wasn’t expecting too much from it. I have had my share of heartbreaks and disappointment so I was not a believer of love. All I wanted to do was have fun, enjoy whatever came my way and see how it ended up without any strings attached. No expectations, no strings. Just fun. And tonight, Dominic is that fun.

I glanced in the mirror, smoothing out the emerald green dress that Andy had helped me pick. It clung to me in all the right ways and it stopped right above my knee as it shimmered under the soft light of my room. I felt beautiful and I knew I looked hot. I had put on just a bit of makeup to accentuate my features, I was fixing my hair to make sure it didn’t fall out of place throughout the night.

I was still on it when I heard my phone buzzing. I glanced at the lit up screen on my vanity table. It was Dominic.

Dominic: I’m outside.

My heart started racing for some reason. When was she last time I went on a date?
I glanced at the time. It was seven on dot.
Oooh, a punctual man, I love it.

I smiled at my reflection in the mirror.

“Okay, Bree. Time to unleash your charm” I whispered to myself.

I grabbed my purse from the bed and put my phone inside it as I adjusted my dress before making my way downstairs. My heels were clicking against the floor silently but it still echoed through the house. Andy was probably back to reading the book she was so engrossed in the day before. She had left after helping me get dressed.

As I stepped out of the house, the cool evening breeze brushed against my skin. He was leaning against his car that was parked outside the house and waiting for me.

He looked as good as I had remembered- better, even. His tall frame had a certain appeal to it. His dark hair was styled to perfection and he was wearing a perfectly ironed white shirt that was rolled up at the sleeves. When he saw me, his lips broke into a smile. His beautiful smile that could make anyone melt. I sighed quietly.

“You look so… amazing,” he said as he stood straight and walked over to meet me. When I got to the door, he opened the door for me like a gentleman and I got inside.

“Thank you,” I said as I sat down, the seat was soft against my skin.

Once I got comfortable and fastened my seatbelt, he closed the door and walked over to the driver’s side. He got in, fastened his seat belt and started the car.

“Ready?” he asked as his eyes flickered to mine with an amused glint.

“Yea I am,” I replied with a smile.

He drove out of the house and soon we were headed down the road to our destination. The windows were winded down and the cool evening breeze felt amazing as he kept on driving. We sat in silence for a while before he spoke up.

“So,” he started as he looked at me from the corner of his eyes. “Tell me a fun fact about yourself, something people do not know about you.”

“Wow, going straight for the deep stuff?” I laughed lightly. “Um… let’s see. I’m actually really good at painting, but I never show anyone my work.”

“Really? That’s cool.” He looked genuinely interested, which surprised me. Most guys I have met barely made it past the ‘What’s your major?’ kind of small talk.

“What about you?” I asked. “Any hidden talents?”

He smirked. “I make a mean risotto.”

“Risotto?” I raise a brow. “That’s oddly specific.”

“Trust me. It’s a total game changer.”

I let out a small laugh. I was already feeling comfortable with him. He had this charm- something that drew you to him no matter how much you resisted. Not like I was resisting anyways.

We fell into a comfortable silence and he drove for a little bit longer and soon we got to a restaurant I had never been to before. It looked classy and like it was for the elite, it was probably a boring air overpriced place and I swallowed hard because I hated places like that.

He got out of the car and before I could react, he was at my door and opening it for me. I held his hand and alighted the car, I smoothed out my dress as we started walking towards the restaurant.

“Classy,” I said as I glanced up at the restaurant’s sleek sign.

He winked at me. “Only the best.”

We walked inside and it was just like I had thought. Soft jazz music was playing and the place was simply lit and all the waiters were in a formal uniform. Dominic walked up to reception to confirm his reservation like he owned the place.

“Reservation for Dominic,” he said to the host with a charming smile.

The host nodded as he scanned the list before looking up. “Right this way, sir.”

We followed him through the restaurant, weaving between candlelit tables and elegant couples. When we got to our table, which was a cozy spot with a beautiful set up, I felt a bit awkward. This was not what I had expected and I did not know if I should burst into laughter or I should be impressed by his efforts.

Dominic pushed the chair out and helped me sit, he was such a gentleman. When he was sure I was comfortable, he went and sat across from me and leaned into me.

“I know I have said it before. But you look absolutely stunning tonight,” he complimented me yet again.

I blinked, I was caught off guard by the sincerity in his voice. “Thank you,” I managed to say, feeling a little flustered.

A waiter appeared to take our orders, and we both opted for light dishes- because let’s face it, who wanted to eat something heavy on their first date? Once the waiter left, Dominic turned his attention fully back to me, and we fell into a easy conversation.

It was strange. I was used to awkward silence during dates because they mostly just wanted to sleep with me. But it was different with Dominic, he actually wanted to know me and everything flowed naturally. The waiter brought a bottle of wine and poured us some while we waited for our food.

As I took a sip of my wine, I could not help but realize how unreal everything felt as I stared at Dominic from the corner of my eyes. It was like a dream date. He was handsome and he was not shallow but wanted to know more about me. It was both thrilling and terrifying.

I had to remind myself not to fall for him and this was not going to end up anywhere. I just wanted fun and nothing more. I had been hurt before, I was not going to take any more chances.

But Dominic made it hard not to enjoy myself. He was charming, sweet and funny. And even if I didn’t want to admit it, I was attracted to him even more than the last time I had seen him.

The waiter eventually brought our food and that pulled me out of my thoughts. We started to eat and I noticed the way he was looking at me. It was flattering but also suffocating. I drank water to get rid of the knot in my throat and distract myself from focusing on him.

Then suddenly, he dropped his fork and it made a soft sound against his plate of food. “This is too much,” he said to me with a small smile. “Do you want to get out of here?”

I looked at him with confusion in my eyes. “What? Why?”

He leaned in, his smile widening. “This place is too stuffy, don’t you think?”

I looked around the room and saw the boring look on the faces of other people there and how sophisticated everything looked and I shook my head. He was right- it was too stuffy. Too much.

“I thought I was overthinking it. Oh my God, yes, let’s go,” I said to him and I could not help but let out a laugh.

Dominic threw a few bills on the table, not even waiting for the check. It was definitely more than enough. We stood up, trying not to giggle as we walked out of there like two children trying to escape from their class. Everyone was looking at us weirdly but we did not care.

When we finally got outside, I felt much better as the cool breeze greeted me. We stood there staring at each other and smiling.

“I’m so sorry about that, I thought you’d like it,” Dominic said and I just shook my head.

“It’s fine.” I said.

“Do you have any idea where we could go to finish off the date?” He asked and I shook my head yet again.

“No clue. But I like where this night is going.”

“I know the perfect place then,” he said as he flashed me his heart stopping smile.