45
SELENA
FLASHBACK
I'd never been on a real date. That thought hit me as I stood in front of my tiny mirror, staring at myself in a dress I'd bought that morning. Navy blue. Simple. Elegant. Something I never would have worn before.
With Kai, there were no dates. No dressing up. No nice restaurants. I was his girlfriend by default, his fiancé by obligation. He never asked me out. Never planned anything. Never looked at me across a table and smiled like I was someone worth showing off. I was just there. Convenient. Hidden.
I thought that was normal. I thought I didn't deserve more.
But standing here now, in a dress I chose for myself, waiting for a man who actually planned an evening, I realized something. No one had ever thought I was worth a nice meal. No one had ever wanted to dress up for me. No one had ever spent money on me just to see me smile.
Until him.
A knock at the door made my heart leap. I opened it. Lucien stood there. Dark suit. No tie. That smile. Behind him, a sleek black car waited at the curb.
"You're early."
"I couldn't wait." His eyes traveled over me. Soft. Warm. "You look..." He trailed off.
"What?"
"Like I'm the luckiest man in London."
I blushed. Actually blushed.
"Ready?" He offered his hand. I took it.
The restaurant was on the top floor of a building I'd only ever seen from ground level. Windows everywhere. City lights spread out below us like diamonds. They seated us by the window. The best table in the house.
"Did you plan this?"
"I may have made a few calls."
"A few calls."
"Okay, several calls." He grinned. "Worth it."
We talked for hours. About everything. About nothing. He asked questions. Real questions. And he listened.
"You're different than I expected," he said.
"Different how?"
"Quieter. But not in a sad way. In a thoughtful way. Like you're always thinking about something deeper."
"Maybe I am."
"What are you thinking about right now?"
I hesitated. "That I've never done this before."
"Never had dinner?"
I laughed. "Never had a real date."
He tilted his head. "Never?"
I nodded.
"Then I'm glad I get to be your first."
He tried to make me laugh all night. Terrible jokes. Stupid faces. I pretended not to find them funny. I failed.
At my door, we stood facing each other.
"I had a really good time," he said.
"Me too."
He looked at me for a long moment. "Can I kiss you?"
The question undid me. Not a grab. Not an assumption. He asked. I nodded.
He leaned in. Slow. Gentle. His lips touched my forehead. Soft. Warm. Reverent. He pulled back. Smiled.
"Goodnight, Selena."
He turned to go.
"Lucien."
He stopped.
"Can I have a real one?"
"A real what?"
"A real kiss. If you want."
He turned back. That smile. "I've wanted to kiss you since the day you spilled coffee on yourself in the break room."
"I didn't spill—"
"You absolutely did. It was adorable."
He stepped closer. Cupped my face. "You're sure?"
I nodded.
He kissed me. Soft at first. Then deeper. Like he'd been waiting his whole life. I kissed him back. For the first time, I kissed someone because I wanted to. Not because I was hoping they'd stay. Just because.
When we finally pulled apart, he rested his forehead against mine.
"That was worth every terrible joke I told tonight."
I laughed. Actually laughed. "They were pretty terrible."
"But you laughed."
"I did."
He smiled. "Goodnight, Selena."
"Goodnight, Lucien."
He walked to the car. Got in. Drove away.
I stood there, hand on my lips, heart racing. No one had ever kissed me like that. No one had ever asked. No one had ever made me feel like I was worth waiting for.
I thought about all the years I spent accepting less. Accepting nothing. Believing I didn't deserve a man who would dress up for me, plan for me, spend money on me just to see me happy. Kai never did any of that. And I never asked. Because some part of me believed I wasn't worth asking for.
But tonight, Lucien showed me something I'd never known. A first date isn't just about dinner. It's about someone saying, without words, that you matter. That you're worth the effort. That you deserve to be seen.
I went inside. Sat on my bed. And for the first time in years, I smiled. Really smiled.
You are a garden. Some people water you. Some people take your flowers and throw them on the ground. Your job is not to give more flowers. Your job is to stop giving flowers to people who don't bring water. I never noticed how dehydrated I was after giving all my water to Kai. Until Lucien came along and watered me without me ever having to ask.