7

Jason's POV

As the elevator doors slid shut, I couldn't help but smile at Elena. She’d agreed to dinner, and I wanted to make it something special. "I didn’t know you’d be on board so soon. How’s everything going?" she asked with that charming smile of hers, the kind that made it hard to look away.

"So far, so good. And now, even better. I wanted to thank you for the job," I replied, trying to keep my tone casual. "Maybe I could treat you to dinner tonight?"

Elena chuckled softly. "Oh, I barely did anything—you earned that for yourself."

"Still, I wouldn’t have had the opportunity without your help. C'mon, I know a great place. I think you’ll love it." I kept my voice light, but I hoped she’d sense how much I meant it.

She hesitated, then giggled. "O…okay, but just so we’re clear, this is just returning the favor. I owe you nothing."

I laughed as we reached the lobby, stepping out of the elevator. "See you after work," I said, waving, and she waved back, a hint of warmth in her eyes.

As soon as the doors closed, I pulled out my phone and dialed my restaurant. "Hey, I’m bringing an important guest tonight," I said to one of the waiters. "Pretend you don’t know me, alright?"

"Understood, sir," he replied, and I hung up, grinning.

---

Later that evening, I walked up to Elena’s office as she was closing her laptop and slipping her things into her purse. She looked up, surprised but pleased to see me. "Hi, closed for work?"

"Yeah," she responded, her voice a bit tired but still cheerful.

“Shall we?” I asked, motioning to the door.

We headed to her car, and I opened the driver’s side. "I’ll drive," I said with a smirk, and she just nodded, handing over the keys with a playful roll of her eyes.

---

The restaurant was already set up to perfection when we arrived. I opened her door and led her inside, watching as her eyes widened at the dim lighting, tasteful decor, and live music playing softly in the background.

“Wow, Jason. I didn’t expect you to find such a fancy place,” she said, looking around with genuine surprise and delight.

I shrugged, smiling. "I didn’t want to seem…lousy."

But then, her face changed, her smile fading as she looked across the room. "Holy… Lucas? And Aurora?" Her voice wavered slightly. I saw her eyes fix on the couple sitting across the restaurant, and it didn’t take long to piece things together.

I leaned in, frowning. "Is everything alright?"

She took a quick breath. "Do you mind if we go somewhere else?"

I looked back toward Lucas and Aurora, understanding dawning. "Your ex-husband?" I asked quietly.

"Yeah." She chuckled nervously. "And his… ‘friend,’ I guess."

"You don’t have to hide from them, Elena. They don’t define you."

She shook her head, trying to wave it off. "No, I’m not hiding. I just really don’t want to deal with them right now."

"Understood." I offered her a reassuring smile, then excused myself for a moment.

---

I made my way to the bar, where one of my managers recognized me and hurried over. “Boss, is there a problem? Were you not well attended to?”

I gave him a firm look. “See those two over there?” I nodded toward Lucas and Aurora. “They need to leave. My guest isn’t comfortable with them here.”

He nodded immediately. “Understood, sir.”

---

Back at the table, Elena gave me a curious look as I sat down. "Restroom break," I said with a wink, and she smirked, looking a bit more at ease.

Moments later, we watched as the bartender approached Lucas and Aurora’s table, asking them to leave, claiming the restaurant was closing early tonight. Aurora’s expression turned into a furious glare as she looked around, clearly noticing me and Elena sitting nearby.

“That lady is a platinum VIP,” the bartender told them when Aurora started to protest, voice full of venom.

“What? How could *she* become a platinum VIP?” she nearly shrieked, her face twisted in disbelief.

Lucas tried to pull her away, but she looked livid. "She’s from the slums!" she spat, loud enough for us to hear.

Elena just chuckled beside me, rolling her eyes. I admired how calm she was—no anger, no bitterness, just pure indifference. There was a quiet strength in her that Lucas had obviously underestimated.

Finally, Lucas dragged a reluctant Aurora out of the restaurant, her protests fading as they left the building.

Elena glanced at me with a curious look. “Wow, they’re actually leaving. What did you do?”

I shrugged, playing it cool. "Oh, the manager and I are old college buddies."

She eyed me skeptically, a grin tugging at her lips. “College buddies? Jason, that guy looks like he’s at least ten years older than you.”

I stammered slightly, laughing. "Okay, fine, he… started late, I guess!"

She laughed, shaking her head. “Alright, alright. Problem solved. Let’s eat.”

She's really beautiful.