Nice try Mr.CEO

Chapter 18

Walking to the bedroom, heart in my head, I began to get dressed. The choice for the night was a dark blue dress with a small v line and black flats. Quickly releasing my hair from its ponytail, I run to the mirror to put on some more makeup. After finishing getting ready, I walk out to Mark, a grin stretched across my face.

"You ready to go, babe?"

"Yep!" I respond and take his outstretched hand.

Once out of the building, we get into the car and Mark begins to drive. Apparently we're going to a restaurant a little bit farther away from home than usual. Our hands had never separated since we had left the apartment, except to get into our respective seats.

Mark seemed so happy to be with me, that all thought about him cheating on me seemed to be washing away like grains of sand in high tide. Although, me being me, I still had to know for sure why he lied to me. If he isn't cheating on me, then why did he lie to me about being at his "friend's house"?

"Hey, babe?" I began.

"Yeah?"

I finally looked at him and began to think. How am I supposed to bring this up with him? Should I just be abrupt about it and tell him that I know he lied to me? Or should I be more subtle and try to ease into it?

"Nevermind babe, I'm just glad we're going on this date together," I reply not finding the courage to bring it up yet. I'll just have to wait until dinner.

An hour and a half later, filled with laughter, music, and us recalling fond memories, we arrived. That car ride, Mark seemed to slowly relax around me the farther we got from town. He was so joyful, happy, and less tense than I had seen him in the past week.

He got out to open my door for me as I giggled and took the hand he had offered me. Still smiling from ear to ear, we walk up to the restaurant and a waiter comes up to ask if it was for a reservation. Mark replies and we get seated.

Curiosity spikes as I begin to look around the restaurant. Obviously this wasn't anything like the town we lived in, so I didn't understand why Mark chose this restaurant so far away from our home.

"Honey? Why'd you pick this restaurant so far away from town?" I ask. He nervously glances at me, looking down and back.

"Well, I thought the farther we were, the more we could focus on us instead of the things weighing us down back home." He responds with an unsteady chuckle and smile.

I nod my head in agreement with a small smile playing on my lips, even though that phrase had set me on edge.

After receiving our food and beginning to eat, I thought it was the right time to bring up what had been bothering me for the past day. It was only today that he had lied to me and now he's taking me on a date? Is he trying to make up for something?

"Hey, baby? Why did you want to take me on a date tonight?"

He smiles and looks up from his steak.

"Well, since I had you worried while I was at a friend's house, I thought it would be a nice surprise to take you to dinner." He replies smoothly, almost rehearsed. I nod and look down at my caesar salad.

"Well, thank you for this lovely dinner. It was very sweet of you."

Why can't I just say it? Why can't I just confront him about this? I know that he was lying, and still here I am, on a date with him while god knows what else he has lied about. It's not like I caught him cheating on me or anything, but it's still a betrayal.

"Are you ok babe?" He asks while scrunching his brows together like he's thinking.

I shake my head no and smile.

I continue eating my salad while mulling over my thoughts like I'm trying to squash grapes under my feet to make wine. Even though sadly, doing that to my thoughts won't make them into wine or some kind of brain juice. It'll just give me a headache.

After our date, we begin our long drive back. After all the conversations Mark and I had on our date, I am now positive that he loves me, and only me. He was never a player in college, and I don't believe he's a player now.

I'll give it a week to mull over in my head. I have a whole week of lectures and I'm going to work because of them. Maybe that's for the best. Things have gotten way too intense lately anyways. I softly sigh and see Mark for some reason, instinctively checking his phone. I laugh.

"Maybe you should change my ringtone to a sigh too? It seems like I sigh a lot anyways." I say and continue laughing.

He smiles at me and mutters, "I would but we wouldn't want too many people having the same ringtone would we."

He turns onto the interstate that takes us home.