In Love With Mr. Billionaire

CHAPTER 9- DINNER DATE

The drive to wherever he was taking me was in silence. Aaron drove through the heavy traffic while I looked out of the window at the colorful lights surrounding the streets. There were times when I felt him staring at me, but when I did look at him, his eyes were on the road ahead.

This was completely new for me. I had never been on a date before. For most of my life, I was not allowed to walk out of the house. When I finally was, it was to work at Mike's cafe. Even then, I was warned not to go anywhere without dad's permission. There were times when I had tried to betray that warning, by going to visit Nadia, and had learned the hard way that I should not go against my father.

After all these years of knowing Nadia, despite their hatred for her, I was later allowed to go out with her. But she was where they drew the line.

It was not like I had not been asked out before, but I declined them without a single thought. I knew dad would not be pleased and I did not wish to create problems for someone and even more problems for myself.

All had changed with this man sitting next to me because 'he didn't ask'.

Aaron stopped the car outside an elegant Italian restaurant. I twisted my head to look at the place and audibly gasped. The Italianate architecture combined with the exotic outside lighting screamed of luxury.

Although I had never visited this place before, I had heard of it to be one of the finest places to dine. The reservations had to be done months prior and the costs were outrageously high. This was exactly the place I would never want to be in.

Aaron tossed the keys to the valet and came to my side to open the door for me. He offered me his hand that I took without hesitation. He must have sensed my nervousness as he asked, "You're alright?"

"We might not be able to get a table here," I told him. That was only one part of it. Looking around myself with men and women dressed formally, walking in the restaurant, I felt out of place.

"We can't say that without trying, can we?" Aaron said, placing his hand on the small of my back and guided me towards the restaurant.

I trembled at his touch, the warmth of his hand almost burning a hole through my dress. He was walking too close to me and for a brief moment, the nervousness of being near him overpowered my nervousness about the restaurant.

If the outside of the restaurant was luxurious, the inside was exquisite. The interior gave out a royal feel that made it intimidating just as much as it was beautiful.

"Couldn't we have gone somewhere..." I struggled to find the word, "a little casual?"

"We'll do that next time," Aaron said, leaning towards me. His breath fanned over the shell of my ear, clouding my brain. It was when the clouds disappeared that I replayed his words in my head. Next time? There was going to be a next time?

A man, neatly dressed in a suit, made his way towards us. He greeted Aaron and me with a polite smile, then ushered us to our table near the window, while making small talks with Aaron. Our table was a little farther than the normal crowd and I pressed my lips in irritation as realization struck me. Of course, Aaron Woodwords can have any table he wants at any restaurant.

"See, we got a table," he teased, drawing a chair for me to sit on.

"You seem to know that man quite well, you come here often?" I asked to hide my embarrassment for my earlier statement.

"He's the manager here, also a friend," said Aaron. I nodded.

A man in his early twenties came to our table to take our orders. He greeted Aaron then looked at me and did the same. I had to force a smile because of his suggestive tone. He pulled out his notepad and asked for my order. I nervously glanced at Aaron as not a word on the menu made any sense to me, and the way the waiter's eyes moved over me, made me uncomfortable.