Page 162 of Aria

I supposed I had to laugh at my plight. It was better than crying. “Poor Thomas,” I mused, my shoulders sagging with defeat. “He doesn’t stand a chance.”

“Oh, stop. You’re going to have a great time,” Elsa said. “Why don’t you head out now and get a head start? I’ll finish payroll.”

I stared at her, slack-jawed. “I still have—”

“I’ll take care of it.” Elsa smiled. “Go rest up and have fun tonight. I will be turning my phone off silent mode as I await all of the juicy details.”

“Are you sure? I—”

“Go!” Elsa and Anne both shouted in unison.

I grinned through the bundle of nerves in my belly. “Okay… thank you. I’ll see you guys tomorrow.”

As I breezed through the lobby a few minutes later, there was a new skip in my step. I glanced over at Jon and Maggie, who were sitting by the fountain feature, huddled in close and making moon-eyes at each other. A smile crested on my mouth.

Maybe there was hope for me, after all.

* * *

I sauntered into Mackenzie’s that evening feeling equally intimidated and excited about my date with Thomas.

Mackenzie’s was a laidback restaurant with a bar and big screen TVs. It was busy and boisterous, and it had two pool tables in the far corner. It was full of distractions, which made it a prime first date location. I didn’t need to worry about fancy dinner etiquette or awkward silences.

A Freeze Frame song was playing as I pushed through the double doors, causing me to pause in my tracks. I closed my eyes for a moment, soaking in the memories before casting them aside.

“Bloody hell.”

Thomas appeared in front of me looking extraordinarily handsome in a cerulean button-down and crisp jeans. I beamed up at him as I entered. “Hey, you.”

“You look… smashing,” he said. His eyes were drinking me in like I was a high-end liquor. “I’m the luckiest bloke in the room right now.”

I blushed beneath his gaze. I felt particularly pretty in a black cocktail dress with off-the-shoulder sleeves and a low neckline, my hair in curls, my face painted. It had been years since I’d dressed up for any occasion.

“Shall we take a seat?” Thomas offered, extending his hand to a nearby table.

Nodding, I clutched my purse tightly between nervous fingers, then glanced down at it when I saw my phone light up from inside. Lisa’s name was flashing across the screen.

I’d have to call her back later.

We slid into opposite sides of a booth as menus were set in front of us. I lifted the menu to my face, more to hide behind the plastic pages than to actually read through the dinner selections. Food was the last thing on my mind while my belly churned with nerves.

“Do you fancy this place?” Thomas asked.

I lowered the menu slightly, peering over the top as I cleared my throat. “This is my first time here, actually. I’m not exactly a social butterfly.”

Thomas’ laugh was gritty and sensual. “I don’t suppose you are. I like that about you. You’re… refreshing.”

“Or boring, in some cultures,” I cringed.

“Rubbish. You’re a breath of fresh air, love. Once you stop hiding behind your tormented past and that bloody menu, you’ll see what I see. What everyone sees, really.”

I almost choked on a breath.

“I see what Sam sees. And Devon. And probably every person you cross paths with. I’ll never understand how you don’t see it, too.”

Noah’s words slammed into me like a sucker-punch to the gut as I set the menu down on the table. I picked at the peeling plastic, trying to collect my thoughts. A heavy silence settled in.

“Is it something I said, love?”

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