20. Chapter 20
Chapter 20
I t’s in one of the classrooms that Dryden sets up a romantic candle-lit dinner.
“You seem to be in high spirits,” I tell him, smiling as I let him help me into my chair.
“With good reason,” he says as he gets settled in himself.
“Really?”
“Yes,” he replies with a grin. “I’m about to have dinner with an exceedingly interesting woman, and despite ending up having to use her powers yesterday, she avoided getting recognized, which means this might turn out not to be the last time I ever see her.”
I blow a laugh through my nose. “You’re a glass-half-full kind of guy, aren’t you?”
“I am.” He leans forward, pinning me with his stare. “How about you?”
And suddenly, all I’m aware of is how intimate this place feels. I clear my throat in discomfort. “What about me?”
“What kind of person are you ?” he repeats.
I let out a slightly awkward laugh, feeling this need to shift the focus away from myself. Then it hits me. “Um, I guess I’m the kind of person who likes using first dates to talk strategy. So, I thought that maybe you could tell me if this is something that regularly happens, that general messing with your plans.”
For a second, he just looks at me, his head tilting. Then he gives me a slow smile. “We’re not very high on his priority list. But…” He locks eyes with me, the look in them turning serious. “If he were to find out we had you, he’d never leave us alone.”
“Really?” I ask, leaning forward in interest.
“Really,” he replies with a nod. Then he lets out a laugh. “Now don’t get me wrong, normally I do like a woman who appreciates strategy talk, but what about…” He looks away for a second then turns his focus back onto me. “What about your plans for when all this is over? Is the Aurora the kind of person who goes dancing, hiking or is it something else entirely?”
“I only go hiking if there’s a big fat pizza waiting for me at the top of the hill.”
His eyebrows pull down in confusion. Then he gives me a slight smile. “Ah, you were joking.”
Now it’s my turn to frown. Wasn’t that obvious?
My gaze gets drawn by a movement of his hand, and for a second, I think he’s going to take mine. I freeze with discomfort, only to see him take his glass into his hand. He takes a sip.
There’s a moment of silence that makes me desperate to establish some kind of connection. I reach for his other hand, placing my palm on it and involuntarily making my Aurora tattoos glow.
He frowns again, his eyes fixing on my hand. I pull it away.
“What was it that you just did?” he asks.
“I’m sorry, I used my Aurora powers on you, but I only did it to get a better feel for you.”
He squints at me, but then, almost immediately, I watch his face light up. “You’re nervous,” he says, his lips tugging into a soft smile. A little smug, but warm and safe.
I frown, finding myself taken aback. “What?”
His smile grows bigger. “I’ve been wondering why you jumped straight to talking about the cause. At first, I thought it was just, you know, you being what you are.”
I narrow my eyes at him. “And now you think otherwise?” I demand, an eyebrow quirked.
He laughs. “I do. I think you’re nervous about being here with me, which, I have to say, I like a lot more than the other option.”
“The other option being?”
He lowers his voice. “Me not interesting you enough to take your mind off it.”
I roll my eyes, but I’m smiling. Relaxing. Maybe this is a little uncomfortable, but we’ll get there. We always do.