Chapter 8

• Liam
• I am back from hitting the gym. I feel alive and energized but I don't want to do any more work. I want to enjoy my weekend and the top thing on my list is to do that with Miss Manroe. For some reason, I want to spoil her. She was different from my usual dalliances, but I can't for the life of me explain why.
• Maybe it is because she is a blonde, which wasn't usually my type. Or maybe it was because her voice is so weirdly soothing. Or maybe it is because her floral perfume is dizzying in the most delightful sense of the word. I really honestly just can't tell.
• I enjoyed her company last night only that she is a very preserved individual and I respect her for that. Maybe I can arrange something and ask her out. I could have preferred to surprise her but I promised to let her know next time I want to take her out.
• I through the duffle bag with my gym clothes and grab my phone. I managed to get her phone number. I know there will be a lot of questions if I talked to her when she never gave me her number. I hope she doesn't mind. She already branded me as a stalker. This won't make any difference to it.
• I dail the number and it goes through.
• "Hello?" I hear her voice from the other side.
• "Hi, Aria. How is your day?" I ask her.
• "Mr. Carter?" she squeaks in disbelief. I hear her gasp and then says "Where did you get my number?"
• "That's not an issue, Aria. I just happened to know," I reply, not finding a reasonable excuse.
• "What? Am I supposed to believe that?" she asks.
• "Do whatever you want with it, but I called to tell you something," I say.
• "What is it?"
• "Are you free today? I want to take you somewhere," I ask her. There is silence on the other side of the line and my heart starts hammering in my chest.
• "Yeah, I mean, I don't have work this weekend. Where do you want to take me?" she responds. A wild huge grin spreads on my face as I cheer internally.
• "It's a surprise. I will be there in a thirty minutes. We will talk when I get there," I say.
• "Okay," she mumbles in disbelief. I think she is still trying to figure out what's happening. I hung up the call and dash to the bathroom to freshen up.
• Aria comes out of her apartment dressed in a pair of tight dark blue skinny jeans and a pink blouse, a small leather purse with a chain strap slung over her shoulder. Her ability to look amazing in any outfit really throws me through a loop. When I first laid eyes on her the hotel club, I never would have imagined she had such a wonderful fashion sense. She looks like a model straight off a runway –classy, sophisticated, and downright sexy.
• "Am I underdressed?" she ask sheepishly, tugging at the collar of her blouse to better conceal her cleavage.
• I want to scream, No, don't do that! But that would have made me come across way more perverted than I ever wanted to appear. I manag a smile and say, "You look beautiful." I stuck my elbow out for her to take, and am genuinely surprised when she slips her arm threw mine. I open the car door for her and she sits in. I give her a small smile before turning to get into the car beside her. Hector is on the wheel. I need him to drive according to what I have in mind.
• "So, Mister Carter, where are you taking me this fine evening?"
• I winked. "It's a surprise."
• "See, now I'm a little worried?"
• "Why?"
• "You can't tell a girl you just met that you've got a surprise planned. How do I know you're not up to something deadly?"
• "As much as I admire your need for self-preservation, I don't want you to freak yourself out when you've just gotten into the car."
• "If you'd just tell me where we're going, I wouldn't have to inform you that I have pepper spray in my purse."
• I smirk. "Well, duly noted. Fine. I'm taking you out to dinner."
• I threw her another wink and relished the way the tips of her ears turned bright red. "First of all, you look ravishing. Secondly, I'm magical. So, if you're now convinced I'm not a serial killer and just want to enjoy your company over some delicious food," I tell her.
• Aria tilts her head and frowns at me, inspecting me with her amber eyes.
• We drive for roughly twenty minutes, weaving in and out of busy city traffic until we arrived at our first destination.
• Aria raises an eyebrow at me, curious. "Forgive me for being presumptuous, but this doesn't exactly look like a restaurant."
• "You're completely right. It's a helicopter pad."
• "Why are we here?"
• "Because we're taking a helicopter?" I teas
• "S-seriously?"
• "Are you afraid of heights, Miss Manroe?"
• "Um, no. I just..." She shakes her head. "This is by far the most extravagant date I've ever been on."
• A dry little lump lodged itself in my throat. Something about her comment didn't sit right with me.
• "Is that so?" I asked.
• There is something earnest behind her gaze, something sweet and innocent and a little impressionable. She makes me feel like some knight in shining armor, a man who would never fail to impress.
• The helicopter was a grand old thing, shiny and new and well out of my area of expertise. Its blades are already whirring about in circles, ready to take off at a moment's notice. The helicopter pilot is the one to open the door for us. When Aria and I slip inside, he hands us a pair of headphones with an attached mic so that we would better be able to hear one another over the rotating blades.
• "Have you ever ridden in one of these before?" Aria asks me.
• "A couple of times," I admit. "You?"
• "Never."
• "You can hold onto me if you get scared."
• Aria laughs, but there is a slight tremor of nervousness in her voice. "You're one smooth guy, you know that?"
• The helicopter lifts off the landing pad, engine roaring loudly as we took to the skies. Over the microphone, I hear Aria let out an excited gasp as she looked out the window to view the city below. It really was something spectacular, like looking at a million twinkling stars beneath our feet. From way up above, we can see familiar yellow and red lines of traffic. People walking about looked like little ants.
• But the view couldn't compare to Aria's smile.
• A warmth spreads through my chest, a feeling I haven't experienced in years. It is combination of joy and admiration. I have seen her smile before, but not like this. This is something pure, genuinely glorious and brilliant. The air catchez in my lungs as my guts arrange themselves in a knot. In that moment, I forget about everything. I could get lost in her crooked smile.
• At some point, I am not sure when, Aria slipped her arm in mine and hugged me close. She didn't look at me, too preoccupied with the view.
• After about fifteen minutes or so, the helicopter land in a clearing a few meters away from a large lake. A perimeter of lamps about a walking path illuminate the area, accompanied by the silver glow of the moon and the winking of stars above us. I help Aria step down from the helicopter, which promptly left us to our location.
• I have arranged for a small table and two chairs to be set up by the water's side. A pristine white tablecloth covered its surface, along with dining settings for two and a pretty floral arrangement and tea candles for decoration.
• Aria giggles, but looked at me with a confused expression.
• "Well, I have to say, I'm impressed at how well you think on your feet."
• I walk over to one of the chairs and pulled it out for her to sit down. Because, you know, I'm a gentleman and all that. But I also feel the inexplicable need to impress her. She takes a seat and I help tuck her in. I sit across from her, lifting off the silver lids covering the fresh food I had delivered. It felt sort of like cheating, but I looked to be dazzling Aria just fine.
• "Please," I say "dig in."
• We take a couple of bites out of our food. I ordered a bit of everything, unsure if Aria has a preference between lobster, lamb, steak, or some vegetarian option with a fancy name I can't pronounce. I watch as her fork slipped past her lips, my eyes drawn to her mouth like some sort of moth to a flame.
• Aria moans. "Oh, wow."
• I smile. "Good?"
• "Better than good."
• "I hope you leave room for dessert."
• She grins at me.
• I shrug a shoulder nonchalantly. "That's entirely up to you. You can skip it."