Page 36 of One More Weekend

“Aw, thank you.” I nodded as she departed and left Jenna and me at our private table at the back of the restaurant. It was easy to forget what time it was back here, no sun to help you guess. Instead, soft orange lights hide behind columns of bronze.

Jenna covered her face with her hand as she laughed. “Sy, what the actual fuck? How are you doing all of this?”

Shrugging, I reached across the table. “I have connections in high places.”

When Jenna put her hand in mine, I gave it a light squeeze. My chest tightened at her touch, all of the magic of that first night flooding back as I looked over at her.

“No, this is way too expensive.” Jenna scoffed when she flipped open the menu.

“Seriously, trust me. Geo put us down as VIPs, we’re barely going to pay.” I tried to ease her mind. Of course I couldn’t be sure what the bill would look like, but when a woman likethisgets dressed up likethat, you buy her the world.

Or at least as close as you can get.

When the waiter arrived, I smiled up at him and placed our drink and appetizer orders. We settled on Crispy Calamari and a Burrata and Eggplant dish along with two Orangecello Cosmopolitans.

While we were waiting for our food, Jenna bit her lip. “I don’t know how I’m supposed to repay you for this. You’re doing all of this for me just to leave.”

Breathing out, I met her crystal blue eyes. “Jen, I don’t know how to tell you that this is the closest to repaying you I can get for being my rock for eight years. I’d never have had the courage to strike my own path without you. And if all I can do in return is show you this city in all of its hidden and touristy beauty, I’m honored to do it.”

I felt my heart racing in every inch of my body. Who knew how much longer she would let me get away with saying shit like that before she called me out?

But until she did, I was going to get as close to the truth as I could without spilling my guts on the floor of this bougie restaurant.

24

JENNA

Our table waslike a revolving door of incredible food, all stuffed between perfect conversion and endless laughter – aka, the Sy special.

We cleaned the appetizer plates which were lifted away as soon as we finished, making space for the next round of food.

“I cannot wait for that steak.” Sy licked her lips, somehow just as hungry after the apps as she was when we first sat down.

A part of me still couldn’t believe she had pulled this off. There was no way I wasn’t about to find a way to pay her back, even if it was small. Ever since I’d lost my job, Sy had been working overtime to make these last few months special. And she deserved the same back.

“Me too.” I smiled across the table at her, my eyes moving down her neck to the collar of her shirt. Still shocked by how good she looked, I struggled to keep my eyes to myself throughout the meal.

But before I could get carried away, a waiter appeared with two pristine plates and set them down before us. We’d decided to order a steak and a salmon filet and share both of them, both of us too indecisive to decide on one dish.

My mouth watered as soon as I looked at the steak, a round filet mignon atop a lush pile of mashed potatoes with a thick brown, bourbon peppercorn sauce. On the side, a delicate nest of watercress greens decorated the plate.

“Damn,” was all I could manage as the words left my lips.

Sy nodded as the second plate was set down, a gorgeous crispy salmon on a bed of orzo. “No kidding.”

We thanked our waiters who brought us a plate of oysters, on the house.

Once they left us, we each took a bite of the steak. Sy cut into the perfectly rare meat, a bit of juice flowing down the potatoes. Holding up her fork for me, I leaned forward and took the bite from her.

The meat melted on my tongue like it was made of warm butter.

“Jesus.” I moaned, closer to how I sounded in bed than I meant it to be.

But Sy joined in, harmonizing with her deeper voice as we chewed the steak. Our drinks were empty but we both decided to avoid another round, trying to stop ourselves from having another close call.

Looking over at her as she chewed, her jaw tensing, I knew it wouldn’t take any alcohol to convince me that kissing her was a good idea. Even if I knew how complicated it would make all of this.

The only thing stopping me was her rejection. I’d already almost broken our deal and she had been the one to shut it down.

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