Chapter 7
CHAPTER SEVEN
Ever the gentleman, Leon opens the door of my cab, ushering me out. He lets out a long whistle of approval, mischief dancing in his eyes, before he says, “Fuck, you look beautiful tonight.”
“Just tonight?” I ask, mirroring his playful tone.
My heart stutters in my chest as he looks me up and down, his gaze lingering a little too long on my legs.
He does this often, but tonight, standing in my black bodycon dress and red heels, I feel like he’s really looking at me, like he wants to eat me alive.
But that can’t be true. It’s all in my imagination, since he’s still getting over Gigi, his ex.
“You look beautiful every day.” He throws me a cheeky wink, then closes the car door as I step onto the sidewalk. “Happy birthday.”
I suddenly feel shy, nerves fluttering in my stomach. “Thank you.”
“No, thank you for coming tonight. I know it was a last-minute invite, and I know it’s your birthday and you wanted to be a couch potato, but you have no idea how grateful I am, Erika.
” He approaches me and gestures toward the entrance of the upscale restaurant he invited me to.
Since he’s meeting a potential client tonight, another hockey player, I believe, he likes to have a date with him, especially if they bring their partner.
According to Leon, it apparently helps the conversation flow.
Leon gently places his hand on my lower back, sending goosebumps across my skin with his tender touch. To strangers, we look like a couple, though we’re not. Leon and I spend so much time together that it wouldn’t be the first time people have mistaken us for one.
“Evening, sir, madam.” The restaurant doorman tips his hat as he opens the door for us to enter.
With Leon’s hand still placed on the small of my back, I step through the entryway first as Leon follows close behind. Everywhere we go, he’s never far away, sometimes close enough to feel his breath on my neck.
Tucking a wavy lock of hair behind my ear, I survey the busy restaurant as I teeter on my skyscraper heels.
The ones with the designer red soles Leon bought me for my birthday.
He surprised me earlier by sending them to my house by courier, along with a beautiful note wishing me a happy birthday and urging me to wear them tonight.
He even got my shoe size right. I have no idea how he knows that.
I often think he knows me better than I know myself.
“My usual table?” Leon asks the host whom he seems to know.
“Yes, Mr. Hill. This way, sir.” The host then walks through a pathway between the tables.
Leon juts his chin, gesturing for me to move, his hand never leaving the bottom of my spine.
He’s always touching me, not inappropriately, but sometimes, just sometimes, his touch feels like we could be more than just friends.
I push those stupid thoughts aside. “So, who are we meeting with tonight?” I ask through the side of my mouth, keeping my voice low as we pass by the diners enjoying dinner.
“You’ll see,” he replies.
“Do I know them?” I discreetly pull the hem of my short dress down, since it likes to creep upward.
“Yes,” he confirms, easing my nerves.
For some reason, I’ve felt on edge all day because everyone has been acting strangely.
For starters, when Lily stopped by my house earlier, she apologized for leaving my present on her desk, then only stayed for a quick cup of coffee before running off to pick up the kids from school.
Then my mom called to say something had come up and she wouldn’t be able to stop by today after all, even though she has never missed seeing me on my birthday and makes a big deal about.
I haven’t heard from Ash today. Not even my two best friends, Lucia and Sofia, have been in touch.
Weird. Although I only have myself to blame, I did tell everyone I was taking a day off to laze on the sofa and watch movies, with no intention of leaving my house.
That was, until Leon called at lunch, begging me to join him as his plus one tonight.
“What’s your usual table?” It’s weird he’s never mentioned this place before.
“It’s a private dining room.”
I roll my eyes at how ostentatious he is. “You’re a flashy jerk sometimes, Leon Hill.”
“And you can be a brat sometimes, Ms. Johansson,” he counters, causing me to chuckle.
The host stops in his tracks outside a gold door marked Orangery and opens it for us to walk through.
Confusion has me squinting in the pitch-black room until Leon whispers in my ear, “Happy Birthday, Erika,” just as the room is flooded with light, illuminating a sea of familiar faces: my friends and family.
“Surprise,” they all shout together in unison, their mouths wide with smiles, as they fill the room with laughter, cheering, and whooping.
I throw my hand to my chest in shock as a wave of emotion hits me full force, tears of happiness clouding my vision. “Oh my god,” I mutter as my mom and Lily run toward me, surrounding me in a three-way hug.
“I didn’t forget your present, Erika. I was saving it for tonight,” Lily confesses. “I told a little white lie today.”
My mom jumps in, squeezing me tightly. “I’m sorry if you thought I wasn’t going to see you today. Happy birthday, sweetheart.”
“This is amazing.” I look over their shoulders, waving to everyone staring at me as my mom and sister-in-law hold on to me as if not wanting to let me go. “Thank you for organizing this, Lily.”
Lily and my mom release me.
“Oh, I had nothing to do with this.” Lily motions to the room filled with fairy lights and what looks like at least a hundred cream and soft lavender-colored helium balloons with ‘Happy Birthday, Erika’ printed across them in pale gold.
“The champagne, the food, the venue, the music, it was all Leon’s doing.
He should have been a wedding planner.” She chuckles.
“What?” I ask, aghast, surveying the elegant decorations, my eyes devouring every beautiful detail, from the table linens to the three-tier cream-colored cake, decorated with the finest gold, cream, and pale purple peonies that spiral around it and look edible.
“Why would he do this?” I whisper, feeling like the luckiest girl in the world to have a best friend like Leon.
“You’re a smart woman, Erika, I’m sure you can work out why.” Lily winks before walking off with my mom, arm in arm, looking like a pair of conspirators.
I shake my head in confusion, not understanding what the heck she’s talking about.
Before I can think it through, I’m swamped as my friends and family circle me, showering me with birthday wishes, hugs, and kisses.
My night takes an unexpected twist, and it’s better than I could ever have imagined.
This feels incredible, and I feel so special.
No one has ever done anything like this for me before.
As I hug my last guest, I glance over their shoulder and find Leon staring right at me, watching my every move.
I mouth a thank you, and in return, he blows me a kiss from across the room, then mouths back, you look beautiful. His lips form a wide smile before he takes a sip of his champagne.
On nights like tonight, I sometimes, okay, maybe more than sometimes, wish that Leon wasn’t just my friend… sometimes I wish he were mine.