Mr. Lawson's Assistant

Chapter 44

I blinked at Damon's bold words, but held my tongue. Saying anything would only make me sound like an idiot or a jerk.
"Stop looking at me like that." Damon revved the engine as the light turned green.
My frown deepened. "Like what?"
"Like you don't belive me."
"I do." I said it before I could stop myself.
Did I really think he would've fought Tony over the fact that he'd beaten me? Even before he'd known me that well?
Yes.
I knew he would have. And for that reason, I felt a little better for not having told him. For whatever reason, I felt guilty not having told him of my situation, though there was no logical reason as to why. He wasn't related to me, he wasn't really a close friend, but he wasn't a stranger either.
Then what is he?
I thought, sighing and laying my head back against the seat.
"How are you feeling?"
I glanced over at Damon and raised my eyebrows. "Sore and confused."
He chuckled and smiled, not taking his eyes off the road. "Good."
"Good?" I looked at Damon and crossed my arms.
"I'm taking you out for lunch," He said, pulling out onto the highway and turning the radio up a few notches.
"No-" I started, sitting forward in my seat, but Damon shocked me by reaching over and pressing my shoulder back against the seat. I stared at him, shocked and slightly mad. Then he turned the radio up a little more and smirked to himself as he rolled his window down. I hated the fact that he looked so darn attractive while doing so. Even though the wind was messing with his hair, he had a black eye and split lip, and still, he was just as attractive to me as when he looked perfectly put together.
We drove part of the way back to Damon's house, but exited the highway a few exits early. Once we'd exited, Damon had me pick between Italian and Mexican, and after I begrudgingly chose Italian, Damon parked the car and came around to open my door.
"I'm not dressed well enough to dine in, Damon." I hesitated, as he closed the car door behind me.
Damon frowned and gave me a quick once-over. "You look fine."
"I look like I just got run over by a truck," I narrowed my eyes at Damon, "twice."
He snorted and shrugged, clicking the lock for the Range Rover.
"Too late, the car's locked." He smirked, gesturing at his vehicle. "Besides, food might actually help with the whole run-over-by-a-truck look." He winked.
I opened my mouth to sass him, but he was already half way to the front doors of the restaurant. Groaning, I gathered my hair up into a neat bun behind my head, before I followed Damon inside. Technically, I lead the way inside, because Damon stopped at the door and held it open until I finally caught up . Gentlemanly, right?
Wrong.
He was trying to annoy me. The look on his face said it more than anything, even the self-satisfied smirk he wore. For such a man, he was really just an immature teenage boy.
It's kinda adorable...
No it wasn't. It was awkward and annoying.
Right.
I rolled my eyes at my betraying thoughts, pushing them to the back of my mind as I slid into the booth across from Damon. I ignored the satisfied smile Damon was giving me, and reached down to grab the menu.
"What are you going to order?" Damon asked, vaguely flipping through his own menu.
I smiled. "Whatever costs no money," I cocked my head to the side, "so, water." Damon chuckled and lowered his eyes back to the menu.
"You realize I brought you to lunch, right?" He asked me, flicking his eyes up to me again.
I frowned. "Obviously?"
"I'm paying." He said, shaking his head. I was about to shoot Damon another sarcastic remark, but he murmured something under his breath and I paused.
"What did you say?" I asked, glancing up from the menu.
Damon held my gaze for a minute. Almost as if considering not answering me, but when I held his gaze, he finally repeated himself. "I said, it's frowned upon to take a girl on a date and not pay for her food."
Date?!???
My brain completely stopped working. The only word I managed to form was, "...Date...?" And I sounded like a complete idiot.
Damon smiled faintly and sat forward slightly to rest his hands on the table in front of him. "Date."
Oh. My. Gosh.
I opened my mouth to say something, but I wasn't sure what, so I slowly closed it again.
Damon chuckled, and raised his eyebrows. "You look like I just told you I'm a serial killer." His eyes twinkled.
"You're taking me on a date," I repeated, and suddenly words started to fill my mouth all at once, "looking like this!" I exclaimed, but he only smiled and nodded. "Absolutely not! I look like a homeless man who fell off a cliff!" I leaned forward to glare at Damon, raising my hands to exemplify my bruised face, "I'd rather starve, thank you!"
Damon's mouth twitched, and he leaned forward a fraction more. I realized in that split second how close he was to my face, and my breath caught in my throat.
"I don't care what you look like," He murmured, his eyes flickering down to my lips, all mirth fleeing from his face. "I'm content that you're even here..." He said the corner of his mouth twitching upward, "Next time, you can dress up."
I blinked at Damon in utter shock. I was about to say something, but the sound of someone clearing their throat startled me. Sitting upright, I looked over to see our waiter standing awkwardly in front of our table, his notepad in hand. I glanced to Damon and saw him stifling a laugh, and felt my face flush.
Great. He probably thinks we were making out.
I thought, growing impossibly more embarrassed.
Is that such a bad thing?
YES.
I mentally slapped myself for being so stupid, and pressed my back against the booth, trying to get as far away from Damon as I possibly could.
"Oana?"
I jerked my eyes up to Damon when he called my name, and I realized that both he and the waiter were staring expectantly at me.
"I...uhm..." I inhaled quickly and scanned my eyes across the menu. "I'll have the same as him." I blurted, trying to hide how bewildered I felt. The man jotted down the order and smiled, saying he would be back shortly with our drinks. Once he was gone, Damon started laughing. I turned to him with narrowed eyes.
"I've never seen you so flustered," He chuckled, his green eyes dancing. I opened my mouth to shut him up, but he spoke again. "It's adorable."
I scoffed, "I'm not flustered, I'm irritated." I snapped, and Damon winked.
"That's cute too."
I raised my eyebrows, "Well, then I'm about to be gorgeous." I pursed my lips.
Damon's laughter tapered and he resorted to smiling at me. And, because I was trying to stay mad at Damon,  I found myself thanking God that he rarely gave me such a smile. Even with his black eye, Damon's smile would've lit up an entire room. He had a few smile indents on either side of his lips, and the way his eyes shone, matched his pearly teeth. A smile that like, no doubt had girls falling at his feet.
Not me.
You sure about that?
Shut up.
I shook my head and pretended to look at a passing waitress so I could take my eyes off Damon.
"You know, generally, when people go on a date they talk nicely to each other." Damon started.
I plastered a smile on my face that wasn't entirely fake, and faced Damon again, "Good thing this isn't a date."
Damon smirked. "Yes, it is."
"No, it's not."
"I'm telling everyone that it was."
"Then I'll tell them that it wasn't!" I argued, crossing my arms in front of my chest.
"No one would believe you." He smirked.