When the Coldest Heart Fell

The Most Ridiculous First Date

At exactly 6:00 p.m., a black luxury car stopped outside the café.

Elena stared through the window.

"No."

Mara peeked over her shoulder.

"Oh my God."

"No."

"What?"

"That cannot be his car."

A chauffeur stepped out.

Then another vehicle stopped behind it.

Two security personnel emerged.

Elena closed her eyes.

"This man is insane."

At 6:01, Adrian walked into the café.

"Ready?"

"No."

He stopped.

"You said yes."

"I said yes to dinner. I didn't agree to joining a presidential motorcade."

Adrian looked outside.

"It's two cars."

"Exactly."

"Would you prefer three?"

"Adrian!"

A hint of amusement appeared in his eyes.

"I'm joking."

Elena stared suspiciously at him.

"Do you know how to joke?"

"Occasionally."

"That's terrifying."

He held the door open for her.

"Come."

She crossed her arms.

"There's something else."

He sighed.

"What now?"

"No expensive restaurant."

Silence.

Adrian's face gave him away.

Elena pointed at him.

"You booked an expensive restaurant."

"No."

"Adrian."

"I reserved one."

"How expensive?"

He avoided answering.

"Adrian."

"The price is irrelevant."

"Which means very expensive."

He looked annoyed.

"I made arrangements."

"Cancel them."

His eyebrows rose.

"Cancel them?"

"Yes."

"Do you realize how difficult it was to reserve the entire place tonight?"

Elena froze.

"The entire place?"

"I wanted privacy."

"You rented a whole restaurant?"

"I didn't rent it."

"Thank goodness."

"I booked every table."

Elena stared at him.

"That's practically the same thing."

"There would have been photographers otherwise."

She softened slightly.

That part, at least, made sense.

But she shook her head.

"No."

"Elena."

"I don't want our first date to be something you could've done with any actress or model."

That silenced him.

She stepped closer.

"I want something normal."

"Normal."

"Yes."

Adrian looked genuinely confused.

"What exactly does that mean?"

Elena smiled.

"Give me your car keys."

His eyes narrowed.

"No."

"Why?"

"I'm driving."

"No, you're not."

"I'm always driving."

"Then tonight you're not."

"Elena."

"Adrian."

He stared at her.

She held out her hand.

Finally, with the expression of a man surrendering his kingdom, he placed the keys in her palm.

Five minutes later, Adrian Velez was sitting in the passenger seat of his extremely expensive car while Elena drove.

His security team followed behind them.

He looked deeply unhappy.

"Slow down."

Elena glanced at the speedometer.

"I'm doing forty."

"The road is wet."

"It rained three hours ago."

"There's still moisture."

Elena slowly turned her head.

"Are you afraid of my driving?"

"No."

"Liar."

"I'm concerned."

"You're holding the door handle."

Adrian immediately released it.

Elena burst out laughing.

He glared at her.

"Eyes on the road."

That only made her laugh harder.

And despite himself, Adrian smiled.

Twenty minutes later, Elena parked beside a small roadside food market.

Adrian stared through the windshield.

"What is this?"

"Dinner."

He looked at her.

Then at the crowded stalls.

Then back at her.

"There are approximately two hundred people outside."

"Congratulations. You can count."

"I'm recognizable."

"Then put on your cap."

"Elena."

"Do celebrities not eat street food?"

He looked offended.

"Of course we do."

"When?"

Silence.

She smiled triumphantly.

"Exactly."

Adrian reluctantly put on his cap and mask.

For the next hour, Elena introduced one of the country's most famous men to her version of a perfect date.

Simple food.

Cold drinks.

Walking between tiny stalls.

Laughing over nothing.

At first, Adrian was tense.

He kept looking over his shoulder.

He kept checking Elena's surroundings.

Whenever someone walked too close to her, his hand instinctively moved toward her back.

Not touching.

Just there.

Ready.

But slowly, he relaxed.

For once, nobody was asking him for anything.

Nobody cared about movie contracts.

Nobody was asking about his next project.

Nobody was telling him how handsome he was.

Elena simply talked.

About her mother.

Her annoying younger brother.

The customers at the café.

Her dreams of someday opening a small coffee shop of her own.

And Adrian listened.

Really listened.

Then Elena suddenly stopped walking.

An elderly woman was sitting beside a small cart, selling flowers.

Most people passed without looking.

Adrian noticed Elena staring.

Before she could say anything, he walked over.

He spoke quietly to the woman.

Then handed her several bills.

The elderly woman's eyes widened.

She tried giving him change.

Adrian shook his head.

Then he returned to Elena carrying a small bunch of white flowers.

He held them toward her.

Elena looked at the flowers.

Then at him.

"You bought all of them?"

"Yes."

"You gave her much more than they cost."

He shrugged.

"She looked tired."

Those four words changed something inside Elena.

No cameras.

No reporters.

Nobody watching.

He hadn't done it to impress her.

In fact, he seemed almost uncomfortable that she had noticed.

"You do this often, don't you?"

His expression closed.

"Do what?"

"Help people."

"No."

"You're lying."

"I didn't bring you here to interrogate me."

She smiled softly.

"No. You brought me to a restaurant I refused to go to."

"You'll never let that go, will you?"

"Probably not."

He handed her the flowers.

Elena accepted them.

"Thank you."

Adrian's gaze lingered on her face.

"You're welcome."

For once, his voice wasn't cold.

It was almost shy.

"Tell Me Something Nobody Knows."

Later, they sat on a bench overlooking the city lights.

Elena held the flowers in her lap.

Adrian sat beside her.

For several minutes, neither spoke.

It was surprisingly comfortable.

Then Elena asked quietly, "Are you lonely?"

His entire body stilled.

She immediately regretted asking.

"You don't have to answer."

Adrian looked toward the city.

When he finally spoke, his voice was low.

"I don't know."

"You don't know if you're lonely?"

"I've been this way for too long."

That answer hurt more than she expected.

"Everyone thinks having millions of people know your name means you're never alone."

He smiled humorlessly.

"Sometimes it means the opposite."

Elena looked at him.

He continued staring ahead.

"I meet hundreds of people every month. Most already have an opinion about me before I speak."

"And what do they think?"

"That I'm arrogant. Difficult. Cold."

"Well..."

He turned toward her.

Elena tried not to smile.

"You're definitely difficult."

His eyes narrowed.

"And sometimes arrogant."

"Anything else?"

"Bossy."

"Elena."

"Domineering."

"You're enjoying this."

"Very much."

He shook his head.

She laughed.

And then Adrian laughed too.

Not the controlled little smile she'd seen before.

A real laugh.

Elena fell silent.

Adrian noticed.

"What?"

"I've never heard you laugh."

His smile gradually faded.

Something vulnerable entered his eyes.

"Most people aren't funny."

"Maybe you're just miserable."

"Possibly."

She nudged his shoulder.

He looked down at where their bodies touched.

Then at her.

Her smile disappeared.

Suddenly the air between them changed.

He was close.

Too close.

Her heartbeat became embarrassingly loud.

Adrian's gaze moved over her face before settling on her eyes.

"Tell me something nobody knows about you," Elena whispered.

He was silent for a long time.

Finally, he said, "Sometimes I drive around alone at night."

"Why?"

"Because inside the car, nobody wants anything from me."

Her expression softened.

"I can just be nobody."

Elena swallowed.

"Adrian..."

"I think that's why I kept coming back to the café."

"Because you like being nobody?"

"No."

His gaze held hers.

"Because that's who I was with you."

Her heart stumbled.

"You looked at me and saw an irritating man who couldn't order coffee properly."

"You were an irritating man who couldn't order coffee properly."

He almost smiled.

"But you weren't Adrian Velez with me," she whispered.

"No."

"Who were you?"

He looked at her for several quiet seconds.

"Just Adrian."

Something in Elena's chest gave way.

She reached over and gently took his hand.

He froze.

She almost pulled away.

But his fingers suddenly closed around hers.

Firmly.

Possessively.

Then, as though remembering her words from before, his grip loosened.

Elena noticed.

That tiny gesture told her more than an apology ever could.

She intertwined their fingers herself.

Adrian looked down at their hands.

Then at her.

And something in his expression became incredibly tender.

When he drove her home later that evening, Adrian insisted on driving.

Naturally.

The car stopped outside her apartment building.

Elena reached for the door.

"Thank you."

"For what?"

"The flowers."

He nodded.

"And dinner."

"You paid for dinner."

"Exactly."

Adrian looked offended all over again.

"You invited me on a date and somehow made me pay."

"You tried to pay."

"You threatened the cashier."

"I did not threaten him."

"You stared at him until he became frightened."

"That's not my fault."

She laughed.

Then reached for the door again.

"Good night, Adrian."

"Wait."

She turned.

He was staring at her.

"What?"

His expression had become serious.

"Was this a date?"

Elena blinked.

"What did you think it was?"

"You refused my restaurant. You drove my car. You chose dinner. You paid without permission."

A smile pulled at her lips.

"And?"

"I need clarification."

She laughed softly.

"Yes, Adrian. It was a date."

He nodded.

"Good."

"Good?"

"Then I'll pick you up tomorrow."

Elena stared at him.

"Tomorrow?"

"Seven."

"Excuse me?"

His commanding tone had returned.

She crossed her arms.

"We literally just discussed this."

His brows pulled together.

"Discussed what?"

"You have to ask me."

Realization crossed his face.

He sighed.

"Right."

For several seconds he looked genuinely irritated with the concept.

Then he turned completely toward her.

"Would you go on another date with me tomorrow?"

Elena pretended to consider it.

Adrian's expression darkened.

"Don't do that."

"Do what?"

"Make me wait."

"I'm thinking."

"Think faster."

She burst out laughing.

Then she leaned over and kissed him softly on the cheek.

Adrian went completely still.

"Seven o'clock," she whispered.

She opened the door and climbed out.

"Good night, Adrian."

He didn't answer.

Elena closed the door and walked toward her building, smiling to herself.

Inside the car, Adrian remained frozen.

His driver and bodyguard in the vehicle behind him watched with interest as one of the most intimidating men in the entertainment industry slowly raised his hand to his cheek.

Then Adrian smiled.

Not the smile he gave cameras.

Not the practiced expression used for magazine covers.

A quiet, private smile that belonged only to him.

And perhaps, now, a little bit to Elena.

His phone buzzed.

He looked down.

A message from his manager.

How was the date?

Adrian typed back.

She's impossible. Stubborn. Argumentative. She stole my car keys and made me eat beside the road.

The reply arrived immediately.

So it went badly?

Adrian looked toward Elena's apartment window.

A light came on upstairs.

His expression softened.

He typed three words.

I'm in trouble.