Page 23 of Liam (The Valeur Billionaires #4)

Chapter Thirteen

ALERIA

I take a deep breath, my hand hovering over the restaurant door handle. “Just be normal,” I mutter to myself as if repeating it enough times will make it true. “Don’t talk too much about work, don’t think about Li— Nope, not even going to finish that.”

I push through the door, the warm air inside hitting me like a wall of social anxiety.

My eyes scan the room, seeking a familiar face.

I spot Jake waving from a table near the back.

I plaster on what I hope is a normal-person smile and not a grimace of panic.

I’ve never been on a double date before.

As I weave through the tables, I bump into not one but three different chairs. By the time I reach Jake, I’m pretty sure I’ve left a trail of mild destruction in my wake. Smooth, Aleria. Real smooth.

“Aleria.” Jake stands as I approach, his smile genuine and warm. “You look amazing. ”

I glance down at my dress. “Thanks,” I say. “You look dressed.” Oh no, did I say that out loud?

Jake chuckles. He gestures to the man beside him. “This is my friend, Mark.”

Mark nods, his smile friendly. “Nice to meet you, Aleria. Jake’s told me a lot about you.”

God. What has he told him? About the time I tripped over my own feet and nearly face-planted into Jake’s crotch on our first date? Or the time I accidentally called him Liam when he passed me the salt?

“Hi, everyone.” Mia swoops in like a social butterfly on a rescue mission, and we all take our seats. “Aleria, honey, you okay? You seem a little flushed.”

Mia, my lab partner and confidante, is a perfect blend of charm and brilliance. Her ability to put people at ease is a stark contrast to my social awkwardness, and that’s exactly why I asked her to join me on this double date.

I force a laugh, perhaps too loud judging by the startled looks from nearby diners. “Just excited about dinner.”

Mia sends me a glare, then turns to the men. “So, Mark, Jake, what do you guys do?”

Jake leans back, looking relaxed. “I’ve been at the bank for five years now. Investment banking.”

My mouth opens before my brain can stop it. “Oh, Liam was saying how the banking industry is—” I clamp my mouth shut, mortified. Why am I bringing up Liam? “I mean, that’s...numbers. Good. I like numbers. Science has lots of numbers.”

Jake’s eyebrows rise, but he’s smiling. “I guess it does. You’re cute when you’re flustered. ”

My cheeks burn. Mia, bless her, jumps in. “So, Mark, Jake mentioned you’re into rock climbing?”

As Jake describes his passion for the sport, Mia leans over and whispers, “You’re doing great. Just breathe and be yourself.”

I nod, grateful for the reprieve.

The server appears, handing out menus. I stare at mine, trying to focus on the words, but my mind keeps drifting.

Does Jake think I’m weird? Too intense? I sneak a glance at him over the top of my menu. He’s studying his, a slight furrow between his brows as he concentrates. He looks so...normal. Put together. Everything I’m but.

What if he’s already regretting asking me out? He’s thinking of a polite way to end the evening early. Sorry, Aleria, but I remembered I have to wash my hair. For the next year.

I imagine trying to make small talk with him for the rest of the meal. What do normal people even talk about? Weather? Sports? I know about as much about sports as I do about fifteenth-century Hungarian poetry. Which is to say, nothing.

Oh God, what if he asks me about my hobbies? Can I say obsessing over spectral analysis is a hobby? Or setting things on fire in the lab?

I grip the menu tighter, my palms sweating. Maybe if I stare at it hard enough, it’ll open up and swallow me whole. That’d be less embarrassing than trying to navigate this social minefield.

“Aleria?” Jake’s voice breaks through my spiral of panic. “Have you decided what you want?”

I lift my head, realizing I haven’t read a single word on the menu. “Oh, um... I’ll have whatever you’re having,” I blurt out, hoping it’s not something weird.

Jake smiles, and it’s warm and kind. “The steak it is, then. How do you like it cooked?”

“Peer-reviewed,” I blurt out. “I mean, medium rare?”

Jake laughs, a rich sound that makes some of my anxiety melt away. “Peer-reviewed steak? Is that a new scientific method I’m not aware of?”

My cheeks heat, but there’s no judgment in Jake’s eyes. Just amusement.

“Oh,” I say, trying to recover, “it’s when other people taste-test it before it’s served. Very rigorous process.”

Jake’s laugh grows louder. “You’re something else, Aleria.”

I’m about to respond when my phone buzzes. I glance at it, seeing Liam’s name on the screen. My heart does a little flip that I immediately scold it for. The message is strange.

Very strange even.

I stare at the screen, my mind racing. Is he drunk?

“Aleria, didn’t you mention a new project at work?”

I force a smile. “Right. Yes, we’re working on ASTRA—Advanced Spectroscopic Tissue Recognition Analysis.”

Jake leans in, looking interested. “That sounds intriguing. What does it do?”

For a moment, I forget my awkwardness, passion taking over. “We’re adapting techniques from astronomical spectroscopy to create a medical device for early disease detection.”

I pause, realizing I’m talking too much. “Sorry, I get a bit...excited about this stuff. ”

Jake chuckles. “No, it’s great. I love seeing people passionate about their work. Any challenges you’re facing?”

“Oh, where do I start?” I laugh. “The technology is complex, and miniaturizing it is a huge challenge. Plus, the funding... Let’s just say innovative medical research isn’t cheap.

My boss— I mean, Liam, uh, Mr. Valeur, has been very supportive of the project.

But enough about my work finances. So, um, how about those. ..numbers you work with at the bank?”

I want to crawl under the table. Why can’t I stop mentioning Liam?

“Liam Valeur?” Mark perks up. “The CEO of Valeur Tech? You work with him?”

Great. Now I’ve done it. “Oh, you know, not directly. He’s...around. Like air. Or gravity. Or the crushing weight of social awkwardness.” I laugh, praying for a meteor to strike me down right this instant.

Jake’s expression has shifted, a mix of curiosity and something else I can’t quite place. “You seem to mention him a lot. Are you two...close?”

“Close?” I squeak. “No. No, no, no. We’re just...coworkers. Professional. Very professional. So professional, we could write a book on professionalism. Which we won’t. Because we’re not close. At all. I don’t even like him.”

I grasp my water glass, gulping it down to stop the torrent of words.

Mia stands and gives me a pointed stare. “Aleria, want to join me in freshening up?”

It’s not a question.

I nod, excusing myself from the table.

In the restroom, Mia checks that we’re alone before turning to me, hands on her hips. “Okay, spill. What’s going on with you and Liam?”

I busy myself with fixing my hair in the mirror. “Nothing’s going on. He’s the boss, that’s all.”

Mia raises an eyebrow. “Really? Because you’ve mentioned him more times than you’ve mentioned your actual date tonight.”

I wince. “Have I? I didn’t realize?—”

“Oh, you have,” Mia says. “So, let me ask you straight. Are you hot for him?”

“What? No!” I sputter. “It’s not like that. He’s just Liam.”

Mia’s eyes narrow. “And how come you call the investor by his first name?”

I freeze, realizing my slip-up. “Oh, um, we were in college together.”

“You mentioned it,” Mia says. “Were you close?”

I bite my lip, avoiding her gaze. “I thought we were.”

Mia’s eyes widen. “Oh my God, you slept with him.”

“ Shhhh !” I hiss, glancing at the bathroom door. “No, I didn’t! Well, almost. But he made it clear he didn’t want me. He was just having fun.”

Mia’s expression softens. “And you weren’t?”

I stay quiet, studying the pattern on the bathroom tiles.

“Fuck, Aleria,” Mia breathes. “You were in love with him, weren’t you?”

A lump forms in my throat.

Mia puts a hand on my arm, her voice gentle. “Are you still in love with him?”

“No!” I blurt. Too fast. Mia’s eyebrows raise.

“I’m not,” I insist. “It was a long time ago. I was young and stupid and we hung together for a while, and I thought he felt something...”

“And he broke your heart,” Mia finishes for me.

I nod, feeling tears prick at the corners of my eyes.

“I never told anyone. It was so embarrassing. We had calculus together. We had this connection, you know? We’d spend hours talking about everything.

We studied together, like a lot. And I started to have feelings for him.

Then one night, we were studying late in the library, and. ..”

“And?” Mia prompts.

“And we made out,” I whisper, my cheeks burning. “He touched me. Made me come on his fingers. It was intense and wonderful and...”

I trail off, swallowing hard. Mia squeezes my hand.

“And then he stopped. Pulled away like I’d burned him,” I continue, my voice cracking. “He mumbled some excuse and left. After that, he acted like nothing had ever happened. Like he didn’t even recognize me. Wouldn’t even look at me in class. Thank God I didn’t sleep with him.”

Mia pulls me into a hug. “Oh, Aleria. I’m so sorry. What a jerk.”

I laugh against her shoulder. “It’s not like he promised me anything. I was the one who read too much into it.”

Mia pushes me back, holding me at arm’s length. “No, Aleria. Don’t you dare blame yourself. He knew exactly what he was doing.”

I shrug, trying to blink back the tears threatening to spill. “It doesn’t matter now. It was a long time ago.”

“But you’re working with him,” Mia points out. “And clearly, it’s still affecting you.”

I nod, unable to deny it. “I was sure I was over it. That I could handle working with him. You know, for the project's sake. But being around him every day, seeing him be all...Liam-like. It’s stirring up old feelings that I thought were long gone.”