Chapter Twenty Two

Amelia's POV

Today felt like a redo of my meeting with Julian at the eatery that day, so I wanted to make sure it went right.

What a bad idea.

Now I found myself sitting awkwardly at a table, ten minutes too early and without the man in sight. Even worse, I couldn't decide whether the waitresses were gossiping about me sitting alone despite being obviously dressed up for a date, or if it was just my imagination.

I ordered a smoothie and sipped it slowly, trying to calm my fraying nerves. I was this close to doing jumping jacks just to ward off the awkwardness when I saw him walking in.

Finally!

I composed myself and tried not to look like I had been eating myself up. As he drew closer, it became a struggle not to drool, because damn.

It wasn't like I hadn't seen him looking gorgeous before on other occasions. Hell, this man could wear a sack and still look smouldering hot. But seeing him now, I could tell that he had put in some effort.

It shouldn't have filled me with warmth, but it did. At the very least, I could say that I was getting somewhere. He cared to look good when meeting me. That was a huge something.

"Hey," I said, smiling as I watched him take a seat across from me.

"You're too early," he replied with a teasing smile.

"Jerk," I teased back. "Who keeps a lady waiting like this?"

"I see no ladies," he said, pretending to look around with a squint.

I laughed lightly, slapping his arm.

I was actually surprised to see him acting so friendly. As someone who didn't believe in love, I had expected him to be walking into a date with a thick frown or at least an indifferent expression.

Could it be that he wasn't antagonizing me because this date was as a result of a deal rather than romance?

I didn't realize that I had asked that last question aloud until he gave me a startled look. I blinked back, wondering if I had offended him.

"Um… is something wrong?" I asked.

"No, I wouldn't say that," he replied. He looked like he was thinking about my earlier question. "Well, I guess you're right. Since this is a deal, I know you haven't come with expectations of actually getting into a relationship with me. It puts me at ease, I think."

An unexpected pang of guilt went through me when I heard that. I couldn't help wondering what he would say, how he would feel, if he ever found out that I did come with expectations of getting into a relationship with him. And not even because I loved him, but because the Domitia family needed his money.

'I won't let him find out,' I promised myself. 'He can't get hurt by it if he never finds out.'

"It's nice to be with someone who isn't demanding something I can't give," he added, driving the blade deeper into my heart.

"Does that have something to do with why you were so mad at me last time?" I asked, desperate to change the subject.

"Yes," he replied with a small smile. "That night at the bar… I was there to pretend like I was someone else. I mean, it can get tiring to be Julian Lake. Now I get to the bar, and there you are, talking to me like I'm just any regular guy."

"Ah… about that…" I muttered, chuckling nervously.

"It was wonderful, actually," he said. "You weren't impressed by me, and it was such a fresh experience. Usually, everyone falls over others just to worship me, but not you."

"Wow," I replied with a grin. "I didn't know your type is a woman that drenches you in beer the instant you meet. I should inform the fangirls."

His lips quirked in a half smile.

"You see?" he said. "That right there. I could be any random dude from the streets with the way you talk to me. Don't get me wrong, it kind of annoyed me the first time you did it. But as we spent more time together that night, I came to appreciate it. That's why I felt disappointed when I found out you were Isabella Domitia."

"You felt played," I said. "You thought I had put on an act so I could get close to you."

"Yes," he replied. "Which was an unfair assumption, now that I've thought about it. It's not like I know anything about you beyond what rumours say."

"Well, anyone would assume the same," I replied with a shrug. "I understand how it feels, you know, to have the public insist on defining you. You're the local sweetheart, and I'm the man-eater or the whore or whatever creative word they've come up with. Cheers to us."

That drew another smile from him, and it felt like a personal achievement.

"Speaking of cheers," he said, sounding very serious, "I just noticed something interesting."

"Oh?" I replied, leaning forward curiously. "Do tell."

"We haven't ordered since we got here," he said.

I looked from my empty glass of smoothie to his empty side of the table. Then I glanced around at the waiters who were trying not to look like they were watching us and very obviously wondering if we came to their restaurant to eat or to talk.

Then I bursted into laughter. I laughed so hard that my shoulders shook and other guests were turning to look at me.

"Oops," I said, clapping one hand over my mouth, but the giggles wouldn't stop escaping.

Julian looked surprised, yet pleased. I suspected that he didn't think he had the ability to be funny.

What nonsense. I hadn't laughed this much since I became Isabella Domitia.

It loosened something inside me that I hadn't known needed loosening, and left me feeling much lighter.

"Well," I said, resting a chin on my hand. "Why don't you order, Mister?"