Page 83 of Bloom: Part 1

A lump formed in my throat. He’d chosen something so deliberate and meaningful that all I could do was stare at him in awe. How was this the same man who’d rejected me?

He kissed the back of my hand. “If you don’t like it, I can get you something more in line with your style, but when I saw this, it reminded me of you.”

“No. I love it. I’ll wear it all the time. Thank you.” I hated that the long sleeve covered it, but at least I knew it was there.

Logan and I drove to the restaurant in his car. I didn’t even put up a fight when he told me I couldn’t ride my bike. I kept touching the bracelet, and whenever I did, I smiled for no reason other than knowing Logan cared about me.

He opened the car door for me. I got out but tugged on his hand when he moved. “Logan.”

“Hmm?”

“Before, when I thought maybe you gave in to me because you wanted my body, I was okay with that. I didn’t care if I needed to give it to you several times a day to make you happy. But it’s not just the sex, is it?”

He rubbed a thumb over my bottom lip. “If it was just the sex, I wouldn’t have touched you. I can get sex easily, but someone like you doesn’t come along very often.”

We entered the restaurant hand in hand. Maybe I gawked. I had never been inside such a beautiful place. Diners, bars, and drive-thrus were pretty much what I was used to, but nothing like this, with pristine, white linen tablecloths and a grand chandelier hanging from the ceiling.

Soft, romantic music played in the background, blending with the low hum of conversations. A hostess, a beautiful older woman close to Logan’s age, greeted us with a smile that made me worry for a second, but Logan didn’t let his eyes linger on her and kept glancing at me as if checking I was okay.

“Mr. Collier. This way, please.” We followed her through a maze of tables. Heads turned in our direction. I was out of my element. When I faltered, Logan steadied me with a soft smile, bolstering my confidence.

The hostess brought us to a table by the window overlooking the city—the nice part of the city—with its amazing skyline dotted with skyscrapers. Everything was incredibly beautiful, and a shiver of excitement coursed through me. I’d wanted to be with Logan, but I’d never imagined us going on a date. Who would take a wild, rabid monster like me to someplace so elegant?

Logan pulled out my chair and gently guided me into my seat. He sat across the table, his dark eyes never leaving mine, as if nobody else mattered except for us two.

“A waiter will be with you shortly,” the hostess said. “Enjoy your evening.”

"Thank you," Logan replied.

“She’s very beautiful.”

“I didn’t notice.” Logan reached across the table and took my hand. Sparks shot up my arm. “What do you think?”

“This place is out of my league. I don’t want to embarrass you.”

“Hey, don’t go getting nervous on me. What’s the worst you can do?”

“Use the wrong knife and fork, which I’ll probably do anyway.”

“It all takes the food to the same place, doesn’t it? Relax. We’re here to have a decent meal and talk. Isn’t this nice? Just the two of us?”

I knew exactly what he meant. The restaurant was almost at full capacity, but it felt like we were the only ones here. Relaxing, I allowed him to order for me. I learned he was a vegetarian, something I should have already known.

The meal was delicious. I took Logan's cue for what fork to use. As someone who never cared for my vegetables, I was surprised when I found the grilled asparagus, roasted bell peppers, and portobello mushrooms quite tasty. I wouldn’t eat it every day, but it wasn’t as horrible as the names sounded.

Throughout dinner, we talked a lot. He had a way of making me feel relaxed until I forgot where we were and that we weren’t alone. I didn’t mind getting out of my comfort zone when I was with him. I shared some tidbits about the club, but mostly he regaled me with stories about his work and his vacations in Europe. His trips sounded great.

“I have my next vacation in a couple of months,” he said. “I’ll take you with me to Greece.”

I’d never thought about Greece, but Logan had been there, and he made it sound exciting.

“I can’t go.”

“Why not? It doesn’t have to be Greece. We can go somewhere else.”

“I can’t go anywhere. Logan, on paper, I don’t exist.”

“Dammit, that’s right. I’m sure there’s something we can do. You can’t spend the rest of your life without an identity. That’s just wrong.”

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