Chapter 31

Chapter 31

I tried to keep my spirits up on the drive home for Noah, but I kept thinking about Andrew and the anger with which he had glared at us. Could he truly have been that mad about seeing me with another male? No, that couldn’t be possible.

Andrew could have any female-any person-he wanted. He wouldn’t be mad about me being with someone else, even if we had gotten close to being intimate ourselves. Unless, of course, it wounded his male ego to see that, then Noah and I might be in trouble.

I shook the thought out of my head. Andrew was the Alpha King; he was above such immature games of dominance. And yet I could not rid my mind of that. ferocious look on his face.

Following my directions, Noah pulled up to my apartment building. It was late when we finally got home, and I debated inviting Noah to stay the night so that he wouldn’t have to drive back to his place tired. Before I could make up my mind, Noah spoke.

“Crystal, I’ve been thinking, we haven’t been able to make up that date we missed yet,” he said.

“No, we haven’t. It’s been pretty hectic these past few days.”

Honestly, it hadn’t been that long since the missed date, and it had been the last thing on my mind. Apparently, the same couldn’t be said for Noah.

“So, why don’t we try tomorrow?”

I smiled and grabbed his hand.

“Sure, why not?”

I couldn’t tell for certain in the darkness, but I thought I felt his b*dy stiffen beneath my hand. Was he really still nervous about every little interaction we had after all this time?

“Great, great. I’ll pick you up after work.”

“It’s a date.”

I gave him a peck on the cheek before leaving the car. I walked to my

10:35 Tue. 2 Jan

Chapter 31

apartment and then stood at the doorway, watching as Noah’s car drove off. For a moment, I wondered if I were encouraging the wrong relationship.

Noah arrived right at closing, as promised. Terri and I were finishing cleaning up for the day when Noah entered the store. Similar to last time, he held at bouquet of red roses and a box of what I smelled was fresh-baked banana bread.

How sweet, I thought.

Terri nudged me in the ribs and gave me a wink, to which I rolled my eyes and stuck out my tongue.

“Hello, Noah,” I said as I put away the last of the planning folders. “You showed up just in the nick of time. I’m almost done here.”

“Great! No hurries on my account, of course.”

“Of course. Terri’s volunteered to close up so that I can leave a little early with you.”

Noah looked around the racks of dresses until he saw Terri.

“Thank you!” he said.

Terri laughed.

“No problem,” she replied. “Just make sure to show Crystal a good time.”

“I will. I mean, I plan to.”

I shook my head and stepped out from behind the counter. Noah’s jaw dropped as he saw what I was wearing. I smirked; I knew that would be his

reaction.

I wore one of my signature red dresses with a low-cut n*eckline and scooping back; the hem reached four inches above my knee. Dark see-through tights covered my legs, and I strutted in six-inch red high heels. Loosely curled hair and light red l*pstick finished the ensemble.

I took the flowers and banana bread from Noah.

“Thank you, Noah. We can keep these in your car until you take me home.”

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Chapter 31

All Noah did was nod.

“Well, Terri, do you think he’s ready?” I asked with a grin.

Terri stepped out of the dresses and tilted her head at Noah.

“I think he thinks he’s ready, even if he doesn’t know what he’s not ready for.” she said.

Noah blinked in confusion.

“I-what? What am I not ready for?”

Terri and I laughed. I walked up to Noah and patted him gently on the chest.

“We’re just having a little fun with you. Don’t worry about it.”

Noah, still looking confused, just nodded his head.

“Come on, let’s go,” I said, taking Noah by the hand and leading him out the door. “Thanks again. Terri!”

“Have fun, you two!”

Noah took me to a fairly expensive Italian restaurant downtown, Delizioso.

The

Everything, from the décor to the people, screamed of the Italian countryside. instant we stepped in, the decadent smell of authentic Italian cooking wrapped around me like a warm blanket. The sound of Italian folk music gently pulled us forward, and the staff greeted us with friendly smiles.

The wall that we sat next to featured real bricks and wine grape vines growing up the side of it. As Noah pulled my chair out for me, the iron scraped against the hard ground. The authenticity-and Noah’s manners-made me smile.

Noah ordered balsamic and rosemary-marinated Florentine steak, I had pork medallions with onion marmalade. He let me have red wine while he drank soda, so that he could remain the designated driver.

From the restaurant to the gifts to Noah’s gentlemanly ways, it was the recipe for a perfect date. Still, deep inside me, I felt as though something were missing.

10:35 Tue, 2 Jan

Chapter 31

“Andrew,” Susan solved the mystery for me.

As nice and cute as Noah was, he was Andrew. He wasn’t as handsome, as strong, as mysterious…as dangerous..

“So, how is your dressmaker friend?” Noah asked.

“Nikolas? He’s fine.”

“Do you think he’ll be out of the hospital soon?”

“I hope so.” I chewed a bite of my pork medallions. “Any news on my previous company?”

Noah swallowed.

“The accountant and I think we have something.” His brows scrunched together. “I’ve been trying to get into contact with him to arrange a meeting for the three of us, but he hasn’t been returning my phone calls.”

My blood ran cold.

“Do you think he’s all right?”

He shrugged.

“I’m sure that he’s fine. Probably just busy. He has a day job, after all.”

I nodded, but I couldn’t help thinking that Andrew would take charge, find out where this accountant lived, and confront him himself after the first three missed calls.

We shared a small plate of raspberry jam bomboloni for dessert, then left for my apartment. Noah walked me to my apartment door as we talked and laughed about something Lily did as a child.

“Seriously? She stuck a chunk of sponge up there?” I said through my laughter.

“Right up her left nostril,” Noah said, hardly able to contain his own chuckles, “and she didn’t tell her parents about it for maybe two days.”

“She just let it stay there? How did she breathe?”

Chapter 31

“Not well. That’s what finally made her tell them.”

“That had to be one embarrassing trip to the ER.”

Noah shrugged.

“Not as embarrassing as getting a fidget spinner stuck to your you-know-what, if you’re a guy.”

I laughed even harder.

“I can’t imagine some guy thinking that’s a good idea…”

I trailed off as Noah’s cheeks reddened.

“Oh my Goddess, you didn’t.”

“It was college, and I did it on a dare.”

“You did it on a dare, of course. What was the dare?”

“That my you-know-what couldn’t fit through the hole in the fidget spinner. And I was right, I could make it fit through one way-I just couldn’t make it fit back the other way.”

Andrew’s certainly wouldn’t have fit through it, I thought.

I shook my head.

“You and Lily, I swear. You didn’t fall far from the same crazy tree.”

Noah shrugged with a sheepish grin.

I touched him lightly on the arm.

“It’s a good thing I happen to like that particular tree.”

He chuckled. Then his expression changed, suddenly serious. He leaned forward, eyes closed, as he tried to k*ss me.

Even though I had k*ssed him before, all I could think of was Andrew’s angry expression after he caught us. I didn’t want to make Andrew feel like that again

or make myself feel that bad again.

Just before Noah’s l*ps could make contact with mine, I turned my head so that he k*ssed my cheek. When he pulled away, the hurt in his eyes was

evident.

“I’m sorry, Noah,” I said. “I just can’t focus on our relationship while this matter with Bob and my previous company goes unresolved. You understand, right?”

Noah nodded, but the pain did not leave his expression.

“Of course, I completely understand.”

I k*ssed his cheek.

“Thank you. Goodnight, Noah.”

“Goodnight, Crystal.”

I watched him slump back to his car and found myself comparing his stooped shoulders to Andrew’s tall, proud stature, even after he found us together.