Chapter 14

APOV

I wake up not feeling so fresh with butterflies in my stomach. If I am being honest, the butterflies have more to do with a certain best man than copious amounts of wine. I just get out of the shower when my phone rings. I pick it up and am happy to hear the voice on the other end.

"Good morning, Anastasia. How are you feeling this morning?" His voice is seductive even with small talk.

"Good morning, Christian. I am feeling well, especially because some smart, good looking man told me to drink water and take Advil before bed." I can hear him smile on the other end.

"Would you still like to go to lunch with me today?" It surprises me to hear someone who is usually so confident and commanding sound nervous and unsure.

"Of course. Shall I meet you at your apartment? I'm still at the hotel."

"Actually, how about I meet you in the lobby? I stayed in the hotel last night too."

Suddenly, I feel nervous. This is really happening. "OK, what time?"

"An hour?"

"OK, I'll see you in an hour." I hang up and now I have to decide what to wear. I didn't pack a lot since I hadn't anticipated going on a date but I don't think my usual jeans would be appropriate. I open my carry-on suitcase to see what I've packed. I have my long sleeved floral chiffon dress from Fraiche by J, knee high heeled black boots, and my black leather moto jacket. I hope this is nice enough for whatever we're doing.

I make my way down to the lobby and as I am walking to the bar, I can see Christian standing there looking mischievous. He is so good looking I almost forget to breathe. He gives me a lady-killer smile when our eyes meet.

CPOV

I see Ana before she sees me. She's just walked out of the elevator and is looking around. She's dazzling wearing a short, flowy floral dress with knee-high black boots and a black leather jacket. I don't think I have ever been so taken with someone before. It takes all I have in me not to run up to her, so I just stand here silently imploring her to look at me. When she does, she looks up at me and immediately blushes making me smile.

I meet her half way and resist the urge to kiss her fervidly, opting to give her a sweet kiss on the cheek. "Anastasia, you look amazing."

She blushes again before she quickly looks down. "Thank you, Christian, so do you." I wonder if she always blushes like this. I wish I had paid more attention the previous times I've met her.

"Are you hungry?" I can't help looking at her eyes. They are so beautiful and consuming. She nods at me and I reach down to grab her hand in mine. I have actually never held hands with anyone before but this is nice, really nice. The valet brings my R8 up and I open the passenger door for Ana. She looks surprised at my car but doesn't say anything.

I have a day planned already but since this is new to me, I'm nervous about it. About ten minutes later, we arrive at Elliott's Oyster House. "Interesting name…" Ana teases me.

"Yes, the name is unfortunate but the food is delicious." I give her a cheeky grin. "Stay put, I'll come open your door." I get out the car and walk around to open the door for Ana. She places her hand in mine when she exits the car. I'm unable to help myself and I kiss her hand.

Once we are seated at a quiet table in the corner of the restaurant away from the other diners, the waiter comes for our drink order. Ana is looking at the menu appearing slightly overwhelmed. "I don't know what to get."

I smile, "would you like me to order for us?" Normally, I would have automatically done so but I have a feeling she would not appreciate that behavior.

"OK. That would be great." She gives me a shy smile. I give our order to the waiter.

"We'll start with a bottle of the Flowers Chardonnay and a glass of water each. Then we'll have a dozen Taylor Kumamoto oysters. As our entrees, we'll have the seared scallops and braised beef."

"Very good choice, Sir." The waiter quickly returns to the kitchen.

"You're very precise," Ana says as she studies me.

"I just know what I want." As I answer her, I know I am not just talking about food or wine. I want her too, in every way. I want her to be mine and only mine. She blushes once again and looks a bit unsure of herself. "Ana, your speech yesterday was very good. It was easy to see how much you care for Kate. How did the two of you meet again?"

"We were paired as roommates our freshman year. Before the semester started, Kate's parents upgraded the dorm so it was just the two of us instead of the usual four girls to share a suite. It was nice since we got our own rooms then."

"You were an English major, correct?"

"Yes."

"Who inspired you?"

"What?"

"Which author made you want to become a literature major? Jane Austen?"

"Actually, it was Thomas Hardy." That shocks me a little.

"Really? You mentioned it on the plane but still, I wouldn't have guessed that."

"Why? You don't like Hardy?"

"I do. But, I thought you would appreciate the more idealistic Elizabeth Bennett over the pained and haunted Tess Durbeyfield."

"People can surprise you, once you get to know them." She gives me a little smile.

The waiter brings us the oysters. "Do you like oysters, Ana?"

"I've never had them." I pick one up, squeeze some lemon onto it and hand it to her.

"Try it. You'll like it." She takes it from me, presses it into her bottom lip, and tips her head back to swallow it. She really has no idea how sexy she is right now. The rest of the meal goes great and I am surprised how easy the conversation flows between us and how much information she is able to inveigle out of me.

After lunch, I take her to the Seattle Wheel for a private ride in the VIP gondola. "Have you ever been on this?"

"No, but it looks like fun!" She practically hops into the gondola once it stops for us to get on. She sits into one of the seats and looks down at the glass bottom, "this is so cool!"

Her wide-eyed excitement is contagious. "It goes up about 175 feet. It's not nearly as tall as the Space Needle but it's cool because it goes over the water." As the ride starts, she is enthusiastically looking around trying to get the view from all angles. I'm enjoying myself just watching her. After about twenty minutes, the ride is over. We exit the gondola and make our way to my car. "Would you like to go somewhere else?"

Her smile gets huge in response to my question. "I think I'd like that."