How to Not Fall for My Boss ✔

6. Dancing on the Edge

The soft clinking and clanking of the cutlery against the ceramic plates echo from every corner of the room, muffled by the hum of people conversing over dinner. The waiters are dancing between tables with trays in their hands, carrying desserts, beverages, or dirty dishes. Despite the evening gliding away to embrace the night, only a few tables are empty, cleaned, and ready for the next guests for the following day. People seem to plan to leave this three-star restaurant nearing the closing time.

Cobie shoves the last scoop of her cheesecake sundae into her mouth. When the cheesy ice cream melts on her tongue and caresses her taste buds, she groans inwardly. The whole meal she just had was heavenly. She has to fight the urge to pick up her dessert bowl and lick it clean. She would have if Luke and Georgia weren't sitting in front of her right now.

"Gosh, I ate too much!" Georgia says, half giggling before waving her wine glass at Luke. "This is your fault, Mister. You brought us to this deli-sinfully-cious restaurant when I was starving! I've never eaten this much since I was a teenager!"

Luke chuckles. "How can it be my fault? Gigi, you have been nagging me to bring you to this very restaurant every time we have a client meeting here."

"That is so true. But I gotta be honest that I wish you took me here when it was just the two of us." Georgia smirks. "You know, as if we were on a date or something."

Luke raises one eyebrow. "Oh?"

"Look around us, this is a freaking romantic restaurant and set for couples having a candle-light dinner. What a waste."

At Georgia's remark, Cobie roams her eyes over the restaurant interior. Georgia is right. Everything about the design screams an intimate atmosphere. The vintage brick walls stand elegantly against the beaming golden light from the gigantic chandelier in the center of the room. Tall half-moon windows line up on the side of the room, displaying the mountain view which is blanketed by blinking house lights in its valley.

Stirring the rest of her Mojito, she has a few questions floating inside her head. What kind of restaurant did Luke and Georgia go to when they were on a business trip together? What would they do for the rest of the evening if they spent the night like now? Have they...ever slipped and crossed some boundaries?

"On the contrary, I'm doing this because Evans is with us right now." Luke's voice pulls Cobie's mind back to their table.

Georgia frowns as her red lips purse. "Are you saying this is a three-way date?" She gasps. "Very naughty, Mister. So, where do we start?"

Cobie winces. "Ugh, I'm not sure I want to hear this."

Luke barks his deep laugh. "Georgia with her port. Never been a good combination," he says, turning his head to Cobie. "You need to play deaf for the rest of the evening if you want to preserve your innocence, Evans."

"Right. My innocence. Not sure if I even still have it in me." Smirking, Cobie averts her eyes to him.

Their eyes meet, and she instantly forgets how to breathe.

"Innocence is subjective. Your definition of innocence and my definition of innocence can be very different, though," Luke replies, keeping his gaze on her.

Cobie is not sure what's going on, but he can't break eye contact. His stare is captivating her, making her unable to move. She doesn't even dare to blink, as if the pair of intense hazel eyes is sucking her in, threatening her to admit defeat. Defeat in what? Are they even in some kind of a battle right now? She can barely think.

"Okay," Georgia interrupts, leaning forwards and bouncing her gaze to Luke and Cobie, "are we going to talk about the definition of innocence here right now? On Friday night? If so, lemme add one more vocabulary for you two to discuss: pathetic."