I Gave Him My Heart, but Not My Name

What was it like to date a billionaire's son? I knew. I'd done it myself. The man I'd gone out with drove a Vespera. We first met at an upscale restaurant in Bellmont Hills. I wore my best dress and shoes—knockoffs I'd bought online. He was already seated in a private dining area at the back. I still remembered exactly what he'd worn that day. His suit fit as though it had been cut just for him. When he lifted his wrist, an Aurelius watch peeked out beneath his cuff, and his Maison Laurent cuff links caught the light. I knew those brands. The watch alone was probably worth enough to open another store like mine. I tucked the frayed strap of my purse into my palm and hid it beneath the table. My name was Nora Bennett. I was 25, and success was still a long way off. But at that moment, I was someone else. "You're Richard's daughter, Chloe, right?" Those were his first words to me. I nodded and forced an easy smile. "Yes. Just call me Chloe." In reality, I was so nervous my palms were sweating. "Ethan Ashford. You can call me Ethan." His cologne smelled wonderful. Maybe that was what money smelled like. He'd told me to call him Ethan, but I was so afraid of sounding overly familiar that I could barely get his name out without making it awkward. "It's nice to meet you, Ethan," I finally managed. The server came to take our order. I picked up the menu and tried to look relaxed. I'd studied the restaurant's website beforehand, so ordering went smoothly. Even so, after telling the server how I wanted my steak cooked, I couldn't help glancing at the price. Then came the conversation. I had to make him believe I'd grown up rich too. Before answering every question, I had to guess what Chloe would have said. Asking someone who's broke to pretend they have money is almost impossible. I asked about his hobbies. He said scuba diving. "I tried it once on a trip to Westaria one August, but I never went again. Maybe you could teach me sometime?" It sounded safe. I came across as someone who vacationed abroad, and I wouldn't have to discuss any actual diving techniques. Besides, Chloe really had spent one summer vacation in Westaria. Ethan looked up. "In August? At Azure Reef?" "No, Harbor City." I blurted out the first place that came to mind. He nodded slowly, almost impressed. A few seconds later, it hit me. Summer vacation in the Northern Hemisphere meant winter in Westaria. Harbor City would have been cold. I felt my face heat up, but I kept going. "Oh, I don't mind swimming in cold water." After a few more exchanges, I decided to end the date before I said anything even stupider. I waved the server over. "This one's on me." I handed over the debit card Chloe had given me. That was when things got complicated. The payment terminal asked for a 4-digit PIN, and I couldn't remember the number Chloe had told me. After three wrong attempts, the terminal locked the card. Trying to look casual, I handed the server my own credit card instead. Surely my own card would work. "I'm sorry, but this one was declined too," the server said politely. Only then did I remember that buying equipment for my business had nearly maxed it out. "Use mine." Ethan held out a black card. "I feel terrible making you pay." I made no move to stop him. I had no other option. After settling the bill, he flipped both declined cards face down and slid them back to me without mentioning what had happened. Somehow, that only made it more embarrassing. We left the restaurant after dinner. "Where did you park?" I asked. He pointed to one side. "Over there. You?" I immediately pointed in the opposite direction. "That way." After we said goodbye, I watched him walk away. I couldn't find a single fault in the broad line of his shoulders or his easy stride. I walked alone into the night, replaying the whole absurd evening. A few months earlier, I'd opened an escape room. My college classmate Chloe had visited and taken an interest in my employee, Sam. She'd grown up rich and seemed to believe she could have anything she wanted. At first, I'd worried she only wanted some fun. Eventually, I became convinced that she was serious. Once I saw that Sam liked her too, I let go of my concerns. The day before my date, she'd asked me for a favor. "Will you go on a date for me?" "What?" "My dad doesn't know about Sam. He arranged dinner with his business partner's son because we're both in town and he thinks we should meet." She'd lowered her voice. "He says it's just dinner, but he's trying to set us up. If Sam finds out, he'll think I'm not taking our relationship seriously." "Can't you cancel?" "Dad already accepted for me." "And who am I supposed to be?" "Me." She wanted me to show up as her for one dinner. Afterward, she would tell her father there had been no chemistry and put an end to his matchmaking. She begged for so long that I finally agreed. I told myself it was only dinner. I could observe how rich people lived and gather material for my writing. I wrote novels on the side too. That was how I'd ended up having dinner with Ethan. After walking several blocks, I stopped at a bus stop. The night breeze felt good. I could wait there for the next bus. Then a Vespera pulled up in front of me. The window lowered, and Ethan waved. "Need a ride?"