What A Secret Looks Like | ✓

11: tessa

Other than the few times I'd dressed up to go clubbing with some of the other models out of sheer boredom, I hadn't dressed up for a date night since Sebastian and I broke up. But Grayson made it a point to ask for dinner, and this time I made sure to wear something that actually covers, instead of that terrible dress from the first time we met.

I added a few curls into my bob to add to the texture of it, a dark lip to go with my white button up shirt and black fitted pants I'm wearing. I donned it a worthy occasion to wear my Louboutin pumps I refer to as my 'fuck me' pumps. Coincidentally, I wore them the first night I met Grayson.

I'd never been to this restaurant before, but I'd heard good things about it when I lived here for college. It's not hard to guess why he picked it; it's quiet which makes it a good place for us, and it smells fantastic.

Walking into the restaurant, the nervous flutter of butterflies in my stomach beat a little faster, while my hands grip the clutch in my hand tightly. I'm breaking every rule I've made for myself since Liam. The way everything went down made me realize that I'm not cut out for relationships. They all end the same way: bad.

But then I see Grayson sitting at our table, the butterflies settle, and Liam is forgotten. It's hard to realize how much you actually missed someone until you're face to face with them again.

"Hi," I say, wanting to kick myself once it leaves my mouth because there's so many other things I could say. I missed you. I'm glad to see you. Hell even a 'I showed up this time' would have been a better option than just saying hi.

But Grayson gets out of his seat, and pulls the chair out for me to sit in. He surprises me by pressing a fleeting kiss on the side of my cheek, just long enough for me to feel the stubble on his face. "You came," He teases, sitting down and I chuckle softly.

"You didn't think I would?"

The smile doesn't fall from his face, "I hoped you would. But another part of me was convinced that it was all a dream, and I'd end up crashing your hotel room again to bring you food."

"It was definitely real," I reassure, reaching slightly across the table to loop a few of my fingers around his.

"You look beautiful," Grayson states, and the smile on my face grows.

"Thanks Gray, not too shabby yourself." And he definitely does not look shabby at all. A light green button down that hints towards the color of his eyes, and his dark hair was styled. "How have you been?" I ask, and he shrugs.

"Work is work. I started working on a pro-bono case for this woman that was fired without probable cause, and is now claiming sexual harassment against her former boss." He shrugs, glancing down at the menu.

I chew on the inside of my cheek as I look at my menu also, "What's going to happen to her?" I ask, looking up at Grayson.

"There's a few different outcomes that could happen from my experience with cases like this: one, the boss pays her off to keep her quiet. Two, he claims that it was consensual and we take it to trial with her word against his. Three, he intimidates her and she drops the lawsuit all together and there's nothing I can do. I don't normally take cases like these because I hate how the system doesn't do more to help people like my client."

"I think you're doing a good thing helping her, it sounds like she really needs someone to advocate for her. Not everyone always has someone to speak up for them." I say it, trying to ignore all the memories that have been stirred up.

Grayson thankfully changes the conversation to an easier topic, "How was Milan?"

An instant smile grows, "Each time I go it just gets better and better. There's just so much history and the art museums are so much better than the ones here."