Chapter 23: King of Pride: Chapter 23

As much as I looked forward to spending the holidays with Isabella, we had one more occasion to celebrate before Christmas. She insisted we roll both into one, but I wasn’t having it.

“It’s your birthday. It should be celebrated separately.” I wrapped my arms around her waist and tucked my chin between her neck and shoulder. We sat on my bed, her back pressed against my front, our bodies loose and languid after her birthday party earlier that night.

“We already celebrated.” Isabella yawned. Her friends had rented a private room at an exclusive Italian restaurant, followed by a VIP experience at a nearby nightclub. “We don’t need to do it twice.”

“Tonight was your friends’ idea. It’s not the same.” Vivian had invited me out of courtesy, but her friends didn’t know about us, which meant we spent the night acting like simple acquaintances. I couldn’t kiss her, dance with her, or talk with her like I wanted. But she’d been happy, which was what mattered. “Name your wish,” I said, rubbing a lazy thumb over her skin. She was so warm and soft I could’ve held her here, like this, forever. “Anything you want.”

Isabella twisted her head to look at me. “Really? Anything?”

“Paris for breakfast and Barcelona for dinner? I could have my jet ready in an hour.”

Her laugh brushed my chest. “Kai, we are going to Europe tomorrow.”

“I know. We’d go tonight.”

She pulled back to look at me fully. “Stop. We’re also not flying to Paris tonight.”

My mouth tugged up at the disbelief painted across her face. “Why not? It’s the weekend.” It was selfish, but I wanted to hoard all her smiles and laughs for myself. Since that wasn’t possible, I’d settle for making her smile the most. Her friends had their turn; now, it was mine. “We’d get there in time for breakfast croissants and a stroll in Montmartre. We could people watch, browse the books at Shakespeare and Company, go vintage shopping in the Marais…”

I spun a seductive portrait of Paris, my anticipation already spiking at the thought of a weekend getaway. No prying eyes, no unbreakable rules. Just us, enjoying the city together.

Isabella’s expression wavered for a split second before cementing with refusal. “Tempting, but I want something else. Something more normal.”

“Like a private performance at the Lincoln Center?” That was even easier than flying to Europe.

“

.” Isabella’s eyes gleamed with mischief, and that was when I knew, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that I’d made a horrendous mistake. “I want to go to Coney Island.”

Located on the southern tip of Brooklyn, between SeaGate and Brighton Beach, Coney Island was known for its amusement park, beaches, and boardwalk. During the summer, it swarmed with people, but in the winter, the rides shut down and the area turned into a ghost town.

That was what made it the perfect date spot for, say, a couple who was trying to stay under the radar.

“What do you think?” I chirped. “Isn’t this fun?”

“

isn’t the first word that came to mind,” Kai said dryly. He was dressed like a normal person today in a sweater and jeans. Yes, the sweater was cashmere, and yes, the jeans probably cost more than an average person’s monthly rent, but at least he’d ditched the suit and tie.

As sexy as he looked in business attire, he looked even better in casual wear.

“Oh, come on,” I said. “The beach sucks during the winter, but the hot dogs were good, right?”

“We could’ve gotten hot dogs in the city, love.”

“Not the same. Coney Island hot dogs hit different.”

Kai responded with a half-amused, half-exasperated glance.

We were walking down the boardwalk, the amusement park on one side and the Atlantic Ocean on the other. It wasn’t that cold today compared to the previous weeks, but I didn’t protest when he wrapped an arm around my shoulders and drew me closer.

Warmth radiated through my body. I bit my lip, trying and failing to constrain a cheesy smile.

Paris sounded dreamy, but this was what I wanted. A nice, normal date where we could be a nice, normal couple. As much as I loved a good adventure, I thought normality was highly underrated.

“Thank you for coming here with me,” I said. “I know it’s not Europe, but I thought a more casual outing would be nice. It’s been a hectic few weeks.”

Kai’s face softened. “When I said , I meant it. That includes visiting Coney Island.” His mouth twisted with a small grimace.

A laugh burst between my lips. “Don’t be a snob. You sound like I’m making you swim the Atlantic in the dead of winter.”

“One, I’m an excellent swimmer even in extreme temperatures. Two, I’m not a snob. I simply have exacting taste.”

“If by exacting, you mean , then you’re correct.”

Our playful banter continued to the New York Aquarium, where I had a little too much fun with the interactive “touch tanks.” After much begging and cajoling, I convinced Kai to dip his hands in the water and touch the sea life.

“Are you afraid of fish?” I asked, suppressing another laugh at his wary expression.

“No, I’m not of fish, but their texture—” He stopped when he saw my wide grin. “You’re a menace.”

“Maybe, but I’m also the birthday girl, so what I say goes. Now, how do you feel about octopi?”

For the next four hours, I dragged Kai around Coney Island. After the aquarium, we went ice skating and drank a few too many pints at a local brewery.

He wasn’t a Brooklyn or beer type of guy, but aside from the fish incident, he didn’t complain once. By the time we finished our day with jumbo slices from a well-known pizzeria, he almost looked like he was enjoying himself.

“Admit it,” I said around a mouthful of cheese and pepperoni. “You have fun.”

“Because of you.” Kai plucked a pepperoni off his slice and placed it on mine. He hated the topping and I loved it, which meant we were pizza partners made in heaven. “Not because of this place.”

Butterflies swooped in my stomach. How did he manage to say the perfect thing every time without even trying?

That was one of the things I loved most about him. He was thoughtful and caring because that was who he . There was no ulterior motive.

“So how does this birthday rank compared to your others?” he asked after we polished off our food and started walking again. The sun was hanging low over the horizon, and we wanted to head out before sunset.

“Pretty damn high. In fact…” I stopped on the boardwalk and turned to loop my arms around his neck. I stood on tiptoes and gave him a soft kiss. “It was perfect. Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.” His mouth brushed mine. “Happy birthday, love.”

He’d presented with me a beautiful gold and amethyst necklace earlier, but his best gift was accompanying and spending time with me here.

An unshakeable warmth settled in my bones. It didn’t matter that it was winter or that my face was raw from the wind. I would’ve floated away on a cloud of sunny bliss had Kai not been holding my hand.

“The first part of my birthday wish came true,” I said when we resumed our walk. “Let’s see about the second part.” Unfortunately, it wasn’t something money could buy.

Kai gave me a quizzical look. “What’s the second part?”

“To make buko pandan as good as my mother for Christmas. I’ve been trying for years.” I pictured myself puttering around the kitchen in an adorable apron and Kai’s amazed expression when he ate my masterpiece of a dessert. “It’ll happen. Just wait.”