Page 81 of Brittle Heart

“Ouch. Okay, okay, she’ll definitely not hate it, and that must be good enough,” he laughs, rubbing his side.

Sophia has sent Carolina on a little scavenger hunt to gather some things they don’t need so we can set up everything in the office area of the lab. We pushed the desks to the back of the room and arranged a small folding table with two chairs. Then, I added a tablecloth to make it look nicer.

I placed a bowl of chocolate fondue in the middle of the table, the chocolate kept warm and fluid by a candle beneath it. Around the bowl are strawberries, bananas, and marshmallows to dip into the chocolate. On another corner of the table, I placed a cooler with ice cubes to keep the alcohol-free sweet sparkling wine I bought nice and cold.

As soft music plays in the background, I know I did the best I could with the circumstances. We only have the time we usually have to eat something in the cafeteria before we both have to work again. But I’m determined to make the most of it.

“Let’s go, she’s going to come back any minute now,” Sophia tells Clay, ushering him out of the lab.

“Don’t do anything I wouldn’t.” Clay winks at me.

I stand there, my nerves getting the best of me as I wait for her. My pulse is racing. I want this to work out so badly. No, Ineedit to work out. I can’t stop thinking about her. The last time I felt so infatuated was back in high school, but that was just a silly crush. This time, with her, there’s something more.

She has the potential to be my everything.

The door opens, and in walks Carolina, looking absolutely stunning. She’s focused on the stuff she’s carrying, but her hair is styled in soft waves, and she’s wearing a bit more makeup than usual. Her lips are a pretty dark red shade that I’d love to kiss. She’s wearing her usual black clothes, but the buttons on her shirt are open just enough to show a bit of cleavage.

“You were right, Mr. Donovan is a total jerk,” she comments, only looking up when I laugh. She seems to be searching for Sophia, but then her eyes land on the table I set up.

“Wow,” she says as she puts everything on the lab bench and walks over to me.

“Hey,” I smile at her, and when she’s close enough, I take her hand and pull her in to give her a hug. She twitches lightly. “I’m so happy you could make it to our first date,” I say into her hair, which smells like apples.

“Of course, I made sure I was on time. I wasn’t just stumbling into it,” she jokes.

I kiss her head and let go, walking over to the table and pulling out a chair for her. “Please, have a seat.”

She sits, looking over everything with a smile. I’m still not used to seeing anything other than her blasé expression. “This looks so beautiful,” she says.

“No, you’re the one looking beautiful,” I say, inwardly cringing at that lame line.

Walking over to my chair, I trip over the cloth and end up on my knees.

“Fuck, are you okay?” she asks, ready to get up.

But I just laugh it off and turn myself to kneel in front of her. “I told you I don’t mind kneeling in front of you.” I grin before I get up, quickly sitting in my chair, my cheeks heating with a blush.

Why am I so unsmooth?

My nerves are getting to me like never before.

“How are you? How was your day?” I ask, hoping she’ll fill the silence for a moment so I can calm my racing heartbeat.

“I’m okay, thanks,” she says, smiling and fidgeting with her hands, pulling down the sleeve of her Henley. “H-How are you?”

“I’m good, thank you. Really happy you could make it,” I say, realizing I’ve already said that.

I curse myself internally.Whatiswrong with me?

She chuckles a little at my repetition.

“You mentioned you like chocolate, so I figured chocolate fondue couldn’t go wrong. Have you ever tried it?” I ask as I take out the sparkling wine from the ice, filling both our glasses before handing one to her.

“No, but I’m excited to,” she says, clinking her glass with mine. She takes a sip but then sets her glass down again.

The silence at the table is loud, and the tension builds, becoming uneasy.

Come on, do something, you idiot.She’s not going to go out with you again if this date is going to be nothing but uncomfortable.

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