Total pages in book: 74
Estimated words: 67432 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 337(@200wpm)___ 270(@250wpm)___ 225(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 67432 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 337(@200wpm)___ 270(@250wpm)___ 225(@300wpm)
Reese Witherspoon was going to have to watch out if our book club kept growing at this rate.
I got into the elevator and felt the butterflies stir up again. They didn’t settle down for the entire fifteen-minute drive to the restaurant, which consisted of me blasting Bad Bunny and only hyping myself up even more.
As I parked my car in the restaurant’s parking lot, I realized just why I was feeling so nervous. This was a date. Maybe not an official one, but a “fake” one at the very least, and that was way more than we’d ever had back when we were secretly together. I couldn’t even imagine going out in public as just us two—my fear of being linked together would have been too strong.
Fuck… I wish I could turn back time.
Unfortunately, that was something not even the all-powerful Cher could do, so I was stuck with the past and had to focus instead on the future. That was something I could at least attempt to affect.
“Hey there, Eric.” I turned just before entering the restaurant, spotting Colton getting up from a bench previously hidden by a perfectly manicured hedge made to look like a model’s posed hand. The restaurant we were at was called the Grove, and it was famous for the floral art installations and excellent food.
“Hey, handsome.” I couldn’t help it—Colton was more than handsome. He looked like a high-end fashion model with his fresh haircut and sharp navy blue sports jacket, making his tan watch and belt pop against the white T-shirt, French-tucked into a pair of slick blue pants.
“I wasn’t sure what the dress code was here,” he said, and I detected a slight pink color entering his cheeks.
“I’m pretty sure you nailed whatever the dress code is.” I opened the door for him. We entered the waiting area, which was covered from floor to ceiling in vibrant green plants. The hostess station was made to look like the stump of a tree, and it sat under the tendrils of a rose-covered ivy.
We gawked at the rest of the restaurant as we were led to our table, set against a window that looked out to a colorful garden lit up by different-colored hues, the lights changing periodically and creating different effects with the otherwise still foliage.
It was stunning, and yet I couldn’t quite take my eyes off Colton, who popped against the wall of purple lavender behind him.
Not a date, not a date, this is not a date.
“Great choice,” he said, settling into the red leather seat and grabbing the menu.
“It’s been on my radar for a bit. Figured tonight would be the perfect night to check it out.”
The waiter came by, a smiley guy with a curly mustache and a couple of visible tattoos of different insects, and took our drink order, complimenting Colton on how fresh his haircut looked. Colton gave him a wink and a thanks before cracking his knuckles and settling his eyes back on mine.
“Well, looks like we won’t be needing to ask for refills tonight. I’ve got a feeling he’ll keep a close eye on us,” I said, smirking at Colton.
He brushed my comment off with another laugh before setting aside the menu, his blue eyes digging a hole directly through my core. “So, should we talk about the case?” Colton asked. An air of business came over him as he sat back, face set in a stern and unreadable look. I tried to decipher those stormy blue orbs as best I could but couldn’t crack the code.
Colton used to be so easy to read for me. I would be able to tell his mood through a simple grunt or headshake. Now, with years separating us, I could barely even tell if he was happy or not to be here.
“Give me another day or two to get things together on the case. Tonight, I think it should be about us.” I decided it was best if I clicked into business mode with him. We had work to do, as special as all of this felt. At the end of the day, we were together to help figure out what really happened to Amelia. That was my top priority, and I couldn’t let anything—or anyone—distract me from that.
“Before we show up at the chateau,” I continued, “we need to be on the same page about everything. I have to know the ins and outs of your family. Plus, it’ll help with the case.”
The waiter cut in with our drinks and a freshly baked bread basket, pouring a full glass of pinot noir for me and giving Colton his Juniper Junebug cocktail, a sparkly neon pink drink with a dragon fruit perched on the rim of the glass.
“Cheers,” Colton said, raising his glass and clinking it against mine. “To us reconnecting.”