Chapter Twenty
Olivia felt the cool breeze brush against her skin as Edward held the glass door open for her.
Stepping out onto the restaurant balcony, she glanced at him before turning to see the sparkling night sky before them.
It was their second date, and she had agreed to go out with Edward again in the hopes she could write a further few chapters.
Olivia had to admit she felt a bit like a bitch using men to write her novel, noting down all the things she did not like about each man and highlighting what she did, just to write a few good chapters and come up with descriptions for her now-forming leading man.
Her male protagonist was coming to life, and although Edward had blond hair, she had begun writing her male character with black wispy hair that curled around his ears.
After all, in real life (a concept she found absurd since here she was, in real life, on a date with a man but acting on behalf of her leading lady), Olivia was more attracted to dark-haired men.
Across the tiled balcony, a small two-person table was dressed in a crisp white tablecloth, a bottle of expensive-looking bubbly perched on the edge, along with a board of small but elegant appetisers.
Edward had done this for her.
For Olivia. Not Naomi. At the realisation she felt her stomach squeeze, a wash of guilt as Edward stepped aside to let her take in the balcony.
He had come up with the idea of dining at one of London’s must-visit rooftop bars and restaurants, and he’d had dinner set up under strings of fairy lights and the city’s bustling early summer night sky.
Her mouth agape, she pushed the guilt to the back of her mind.
“This is amazing. How did you even do this? It’s absolutely beautiful. ”
Edward grinned, taking a few steps towards her, hands deep in his suit pant pockets. “I knew you’d love it.”
“Well, I sure do.” Olivia glanced around and saw no tables on the balcony other than theirs.
By the door, a man wearing a black tuxedo stood quietly, a small white napkin thrown over his forearm.
“Are we really the only ones up here?” A romantic date with dim lighting and candlelit table was something Olivia had never experienced before.
”She had thought that the movie theatre was a grand gesture, but boy, this made it look small compared to the delicious appetisers and bubbly wine sitting in front of her.
Where did Theo find this guy?
Edward gave a short laugh, as she gazed out into the London skyline with awe.
The soft blur of city lights from business buildings and downtown streetlamps made the view sparkle as the twilight slipped into a blanket of dark blues.
“I rented the whole place out for the evening. The balcony is ours for the night.”
It must have taken him a while to plan this, she thought. It must have taken a lot of money.
Olivia was too busy staring into the night sky in disbelief to notice Edward move until she felt his firm hand across her lower back, turning and leading her towards the small table.
Pulling out her chair, he waited for her to settle before pushing her in like a gentleman and making his way around the table and settling into the dining chair across from her.
He offered her a glass of bubbly, before lifting it high in the air. “Cheers to our second date: one hope is as magical as the company I am keeping.”
The line was cheesy, like something written in a Hallmark movie, but Olivia still felt her heart begin to hammer slightly in her chest, a flush creeping up into her cheeks at the compliment.
“To our second date.” Olivia cheersed her drink before taking a timid sip.
The fresh burst of summer berries hit her tongue and she hummed in approval.
As the night progressed, the smooth jazz continued to hum in the background.
They had eaten a creamy broccoli soup for starters, before having grilled salmon and vegetables cooked in a sauce so delicious it made Olivia wanted to bottle it up and take it home with her.
By the time they shared a small chocolate souffle, Olivia was stuffed.
Despite the grandeur of it all, the delicious food and private location, she still felt a small seed of guilt in her stomach.
She was enjoying this date far too much.
Scooping another mouthful of the souffle into her mouth, she let out a small moan of approval.
“Where did you find this restaurant? I swear this dessert is heaven.” She sighed, licking the back of her spoon.
It was incredibly unladylike, but she wasn’t used to glamorous nightlife, or balcony restaurants on the top floor of one of London’s most prestigious locations.
She could see Big Ben in the distance, the night-lit glow of Tower Bridge reflecting a collage of colour and light onto the glassy surface of the River Thames.
Edward took his own mouthful and nodded as he placed the silver spoon on the small napkin. “A client told me about it, said it one of the finest places in London to dine, and immediately I knew I wanted to bring you here.”
Olivia felt warmth blossom in her cheeks.
But this time, for all the wrong reasons.
Immediately I knew I wanted to bring you here.
His words were meant to feel like butterflies in her stomach, but instead they felt like acid running down her throat.
Edward knew he wanted to bring her here.
He had no idea that this was a job for her, that she refused to allow herself to get tangled up in a real love affair.
This was purely for research and the seemingly perfect man sitting across the table from her had no idea about her writing.
Edward was in the dark when it came to the fact that he was just a piece in a much larger, fictional puzzle.
A piece that she would add to the picture but would ultimately forget about once the others all clicked into place.
“Are you trying to impress me?” Her flirtatious tone matched her actions as she reached across the table and ran her hands against the back of his.
If she were to finish writing her leading man, she had to play the part of her leading lady, and with Edward ticking all the boxes, it wasn’t that difficult. “Because if you are, it’s working.”
Edward leaned forward; their heads huddled close together. His eyes flicked to her lips, before focusing on her gaze. “That,” he spoke in a hushed tone, as though it were a secret to be shared just between the two of them, “is exactly what I am doing.”
Before she had a chance to blink, he had grasped her hand in his and leaned back with determination. “Dance with me.”
She let out an unsure giggle as he pulled on her hand gently. “Pardon?”
“Dance with me.” Edward grinned wickedly at her. “We have the whole balcony to ourselves and have been listening to some of the best jazz ever composed. It would be a shame to let the music play without at least one dance.”
Olivia smiled up at him as he rose from the table, hand still grasped in her own.
Drawing her close, he wound his long arms around her waist. His arms were softer than others she had danced with, and she couldn’t help but imagine the strong, defined lines of Theo’s arms and chest, and how they felt against her during the carnival, how he had felt holding her at the games night.
How warm he had been. Edward was tall, yes.
But he was lanky, his elbows too sharp, his shoulders narrow and undefined.
Where Olivia fit into Theo’s arms as though they were made for her, with Edward there was all of this… space.
Olivia let out a shaky breath, her body rattling with a slight chill.
“Are you cold?” Edward asked as they rocked side to side.
Goosebumps raised on her arms as the cool night air drifted between them.
She could understand him wanting to be gentlemanly, but would it kill him to hold her closer?
Tonight had been amazing, definitely one of the better second dates she had been on, but it felt colder than when she was spending time with Theo.
“A little,” she responded.
Edward ran his palm up and down the tops of her arms, “It’s okay, I’ll keep you warm.
” Before she knew it, he was leaning in, body still too far from hers, all long limbs and rigid.
His face came close to hers, his eyelids fluttering closed as he began to close the distance between their mouths.
Pulling back at the last second, Olivia turned her head sideways.
The night really had been amazing, but that didn’t mean she was ready to kiss him.
Maybe after another date she would, when they were more comfortable with each other.
As much as she wanted to get to know Edward, as much as he ticked all of her boxes, she felt scared.
She was beginning to like this man, who had now plastered a polite kiss on her cheek and brushed off the near kiss with gentlemanly sophistication, sending a smile her way.
The desire to see him for a third date was definitely in the forefront of her mind.
If she could imagine going on a third date, and hell, even entertaining seeing him long after she had finished writing the book, then why couldn’t she stop thinking about a certain dark-haired man?