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“Me too,” I said with a smirk.
“Oh my God, Daniel,” she said, covering herself self-consciously.
“Well, don’t do that.”
She shook her head and fought back a smile. “I can’t handle you.”
“No, I can’t handleyou.”
Her face flushed and she reached for her glass of water, taking a sip.
“So, what did you order? In English, please,” she asked, changing the subject.
“Salad with scallops. Chicken and roasted plum. Lamb and eggplant. And the sweet bread basket.”
“Wow. That sounds amazing.”
“I think you’ll enjoy it.”
And she did. When the food started to come out, I watched as she bit into everything and her eyes either closed or danced with satisfaction. I could have gone the whole meal without eating and gotten full off of her reaction to every bite. When we were finished with our main courses, I read the dessert menu to her. She chose the chocolate mousse to share.
While we waited for the dessert, she looked at me intently.
“I wanted to say thank you for the generous contribution you made to Leading to Learn,” she said.
“Oh, it was no problem at all. I’m happy to contribute.”
“Daniel, you just changed the entire trajectory of our company. I don’t think you realize.”
What I had donated was hardly missing from my bank account, but I knew it was a significant amount for the company. I was happy to do it. I’d like to say it was because I wanted to help the children, which I did. Truly. But I had mostly done it for the beautiful woman who sat across from me.
“I know how much your job means to you. How much helping others means to you. I was happy to do it.”
She looked at me for a moment before speaking so softly I could barely hear her. “You did it for me?”
“Well, yes. And for the kids, too,” I added quickly.
“Why?”
I sat back in my chair and looked at her thoughtfully before speaking.
“I’ve never met anyone as passionate as you about helping anyone other than themselves. It’s entirely new to me. I find it incredibly intriguing.”
I watched as my words landed and the effect they had on her. I hadn’t meant for it to be a line. I was being honest.
“Your chocolate mousse,” said the waiter, as he placed the decadent dessert in front of us before leaving the table.
We both picked up a spoon and took a bite. The chocolate melted on my tongue as the tanginess of the raspberries bit through the sweetness. It was the perfect balance. I watched as Addison experienced the same thing, her eyes closing in satisfaction. I remembered that same look in my bed and felt myself growing hard against my pants.
Calm down, boy.
“Good?” I asked.
“That was the best meal I’ve ever had,” she said. “I’m surprised this dress still fits.”
“Oh, stop. You look incredible.”
I reached in my jacket pocket and checked the time. We had to get going. I pulled out a few hundred-dollar bills, setting them on the table before the waiter had even brought the check. Addison looked at me curiously.