Chapter 10
738 Words
Chapter 10
HER POV
I regretted agreeing to dinner the moment I woke up.
Not because of Daniel.
Because I had work.
I had three emails waiting for responses, a proposal that needed corrections, and a meeting scheduled with one of the local suppliers.
But Benedicta had already made up her mind.
“You're going.”
I looked at her from across the hotel room.
“I never said I wasn't.”
“You were thinking about cancelling.”
“I was thinking about moving it.”
“To another day?”
“Yes.”
“No.”
I sighed.
“Why are you so invested in this?”
“Because you're twenty-four and already behaving like a forty-year-old married woman.”
I laughed.
“I'm focused.”
“You're obsessed.”
“There's a difference.”
“Not when you spend fourteen hours working.”
I ignored her.
By seven, I was ready.
I wore a simple black dress with a pair of heels. Nothing dramatic. My hair fell over my shoulders, and I kept my makeup light.
When I arrived at the restaurant, Daniel was already waiting.
He stood when he saw me.
“You look beautiful.”
“Thank you.”
He pulled out the chair for me.
I sat.
“So,” he said, taking his seat. “How was your day?”
“Busy.”
“Work?”
“Yes.”
He smiled.
“You really work a lot.”
I shrugged.
“I have a company.”
“I know.”
The waiter came, and we ordered.
At first, the conversation was easy.
Daniel was charming.
He knew how to keep a conversation going without making it awkward.
We talked about business, traveling, food, and the city.
I found myself laughing a few times.
Not because I was attracted to him.
He was simply funny.
Then my phone vibrated.
I glanced at the screen.
An email from my business manager.
I opened it.
Daniel watched me.
“Work again?”
“Yes. It'll only take a minute.”
I started typing.
He leaned back.
“Do you ever switch off?”
I looked up.
“Sometimes.”
“When?”
“When I'm sleeping.”
He laughed.
I smiled.
But something about his expression changed.
Just slightly.
“That's not healthy.”
“I didn't say it was.”
The food arrived.
I put my phone away.
“I'm sorry.”
He smiled again.
“It's fine.”
We continued eating.
A few minutes later, he asked, “Do you plan to stay in Aurelia long?”
“I'm not sure.”
“Because of the business expansion?”
“Yes.”
“You could always slow down.”
I looked at him.
“Why would I?”
He shrugged.
“Nothing. I'm just saying you don't have to do everything yourself.”
I smiled politely.
“I know.”
He studied me.
“You don't seem like someone who likes accepting help.”
“Depends on the help.”
He laughed.
“Fair enough.”
The rest of dinner went smoothly.
By the time we left, I had to admit something.
Daniel wasn't unpleasant.
He was actually good company.
But I didn't feel anything.
No excitement.
No nervousness.
No desire to see him again immediately.
Just...
He was nice.
That was all.
He walked me to my car.
“I had a good time,” he said.
“So did I.”
“Can I see you again?”
I hesitated.
I thought about the evening.
It hadn't been bad.
Maybe I should give him another chance.
“Sure.”
His smile returned.
“Tomorrow?”
“Tomorrow is difficult.”
“Then the day after?”
I nodded.
“Okay.”
“Good.”
He opened my car door.
I got in.
“Goodnight, Angela.”
“Goodnight.”
I drove away.
As I looked at the road ahead, I realized something.
I wasn't falling for Daniel.
Not even close.
But maybe that wasn't the point.
Maybe dating didn't have to begin with fireworks.
Maybe sometimes you simply met someone, spent time with them, and discovered where things went.
I had no idea that while I was trying to decide whether Daniel deserved a second date, another man had just returned to the city.
And unlike Daniel...
he had been thinking about me long before I ever knew his name.
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