Chapter 21 – A Proper Date

Emma spent exactly thirty-two minutes deciding what to wear.

She knew because she'd checked the clock twice.

Not because Daniel had told her where they were going.

He hadn't.

Her phone buzzed.

Daniel: Are you free Saturday evening?

A smile tugged at her lips.

Emma: I think so.

His reply came almost immediately.

Daniel: Good.

She frowned.

Good?

That was it?

Before she could overthink it, another message appeared.

Daniel: I'd like to take you on a proper date.

Emma couldn't stop herself from smiling.

Emma: I thought we'd already been on dates.

Daniel: Not officially.

Emma: What's the difference?

The typing bubble appeared.

Disappeared.

Appeared again.

Daniel: Before, I was hoping you'd say yes.

Her heart skipped.

Emma: And now?

This time, he took a little longer to answer.

Then—

Daniel: Now I know you will.

Emma buried her face in her pillow.

"...He's impossible."

And somehow, thirty-two minutes later, she was still standing in front of her mirror wondering whether the navy dress looked better than the cream one she'd tried on earlier.

She sighed.

"This is entirely your fault, Daniel."

-

The doorbell rang at exactly seven.

Of course it did.

Emma opened the door to find Daniel standing in the hallway, one hand tucked into the pocket of a charcoal blazer.

He smiled the moment he saw her.

For a second, neither of them spoke.

"You look beautiful," he said.

Emma immediately looked down at herself.

"You weren't supposed to say that."

"I wasn't?"

"No."

She laughed, smoothing down her dress.

"Now I'm wondering if I should change."

"Please don't."

She looked back at him.

"Really?"

"You look exactly the way I hoped you would."

A faint blush spread across her cheeks.

"...That's a dangerous thing to say."

"Why?"

"Because now I'm smiling too much."

Daniel smiled too.

"I don't mind."

He opened the passenger door of the Mercedes for her as naturally as if he'd done it a hundred times before.

Emma slid into the seat.

"Thank you."

"My pleasure."

-

The restaurant overlooked the city skyline.

Warm lighting, polished wood, and floor-to-ceiling windows gave the dining room an elegance that made Emma instinctively sit a little straighter.

She glanced around discreetly.

"...This is really nice."

Daniel studied her expression.

"Too much?"

She shook her head.

"No."

A smile spread across her face.

"It's beautiful."

"I'm glad."

A server greeted them warmly.

"Good evening, sir."

Daniel nodded politely.

"Good evening."

The server led them to a quiet table by the window.

Emma noticed how naturally Daniel followed.

As though he didn't need directions.

As though he'd been there before.

She tucked the thought away.

-

Dinner was... easy.

There were no awkward silences.

No pressure to impress one another.

Conversation simply flowed.

Emma told him about university.

About a studio assignment that had consumed nearly every evening that week.

"And then my professor looked at my model for about five seconds before saying..."

She lowered her voice dramatically.

"'Interesting.'"

Daniel smiled.

"That's bad?"

"It's terrible."

"Interesting?"

"'Interesting' means he doesn't like it."

"I see."

"'Promising' is good."

"'Interesting' means he'll spend the next twenty minutes destroying your confidence."

Daniel laughed.

"I had no idea architecture came with its own language."

"Oh, it absolutely does."

She took another bite before narrowing her eyes at him.

"Wait."

"What?"

"You still remember my professor?"

"You've mentioned him a few times."

"A few?"

Daniel pretended to think.

"Five."

Her fork paused halfway to her mouth.

"...Five?"

"Twice over coffee."

She blinked.

"Once while we were walking."

"...Really?"

"And twice over text."

Emma groaned.

"That's embarrassing."

"I don't think so."

"You remember everything."

"I remember things that matter."

The words were spoken so simply that it took Emma a second to realize what he'd meant.

Heat crept into her cheeks.

She looked down at her plate to hide her smile.

-

By the time dessert arrived, Emma felt oddly comfortable.

Comfortable enough to ask the question that had been sitting in the back of her mind for weeks.

"...Can I ask you something?"

Daniel smiled over his coffee.

"I have a feeling you're going to."

"I am."

She rested her chin on one hand.

"What exactly do you do at Veridian?"

"I'm in business."

She sighed dramatically.

"There it is again."

"What?"

"That answer."

"It happens to be true."

"It also tells me absolutely nothing."

Daniel laughed quietly.

"I suppose it doesn't."

Emma pointed her spoon at him.

"You drive a Mercedes."

"I do."

"You brought me to a restaurant where I had to pretend not to look at the prices."

"You looked."

"I absolutely looked."

His smile widened.

"And..."

She narrowed her eyes.

"...you have CEO energy."

Daniel nearly laughed into his coffee.

"...CEO energy?"

"You know."

She gestured vaguely.

"Calm."

"Confident."

"Expensive."

"Expensive?"

"You somehow make sparkling water feel luxurious."

He shook his head, laughing.

"I'd like to be a CEO."

Emma pointed her spoon at him again.

"See?"

"That wasn't a denial."

"It also wasn't a confession."

She leaned back, folding her arms.

"You're hiding something."

"Perhaps."

"I knew it."

"You know very little."

"I know enough."

"Oh?"

She smiled to herself.

"One day..."

She pointed at him one last time.

"...I'm going to figure you out."

For a brief moment, Daniel simply looked at her.

There was something almost amused in his expression.

Something else, too.

Something softer.

"I think you will."

-

An hour later, they stepped out of the restaurant together.

The evening air was cooler now, carrying the faint sounds of the city beyond the building.

Neither of them seemed particularly eager to call it a night.

Daniel glanced toward the elevators leading down to the basement parking garage.

"Ready?"

Emma smiled.

"I suppose."

Together, they stepped into the elevator.

The doors slid shut.

Neither of them realized that saying goodnight would prove much harder than either of them expected.