He shrugs. “No need to overthink it, Paige. You deserve a nice night out,” he says. “Let's just enjoy each other's company and have a good evening together.”
He reaches across and takes my hand in his, and sets my heart fluttering as he brings it to his lips, placing a soft kiss on my knuckles. My insides suddenly feel warm and mushy, and I know that isn't a good sign if I'm not looking to get attached. And I'm not. Not right now anyway.
The more time I spend with him, however, the more difficult it is becoming to avoid getting attached to him. Liam is so perfect, and unlike any other man I've ever been with. He's almost too perfect, which is leaving me waiting for the other shoe to drop.
My luck with men has never been very good. I've been with liars. Cheaters. And worse. I've got plenty of scars and baggage from my failed relationships. This is what led me to bury myself in the bookstore so deeply in the first place. Why I avoid romantic entanglements. Relationships never tend to end well for me, so I've vowed to avoid them. To avoid attachment or romantic feelings. For my own sake. For my own sanity.
But, Liam is making it so damn difficult to hold to that vow.
A moment after we're seated, our server introduces himself as Michael and hands us our menus. The moment I open the menu, I feel my eyes grow so wide, I'm sure they're about to pop right out of my head and fall on the table in front of me.
I've never seen prices like this in a restaurant before and I scan the menu for the cheapest option available. I am not going to let Liam pay that kind of money for dinner. I flip the menu over, hoping to see more options – cheaper options. The knot in my stomach tightens when I see the menus is incredibly limited – limited to only items way outside of my price range.
“Because it's a special evening,” Michael says, his voice radiating snootiness as he points at the top of the menu, “we have prix fixe options. We have a full four-course meal for the lovely couple. All you need to do is select from these options.”
“Does that mean we have to go with the full four-courses?” I ask.
After our waiter's explanation, I understand why the menu is so limited. The price of the full four-course meal is more than I've made in a month. It's more than the mortgage payment on my house. I'm a frugal person by nature, always looking for the best deals I can on whatever I can. And I just cannot fathom spending that kind of money on one meal, regardless of the number of courses.
Michael opens his mouth to answer, but Liam waves him off. “That's what we'll be having. We just need a moment to finalize our selections.”
I gawk at Liam and want to object, but he gives me a small smile and a shake of the head.
“Very good, sir,” Michael says. “Have you decided on a wine you'd like to start with?”
“Opus One Merlot,” Liam says, never breaking eye contact with me. “The 2013, please.”
“Very good, sir. Excellent choice,” Michael says before stepping away.
Liam looks over the menu as if nothing is amiss and nothing is shocking about what he's looking at. And then I realize it's because this is normal for him. I look at the menu again and have to fight to keep my eyes from bulging out of their sockets. It's hard to imagine how this could ever feel normal for a person.
“I've heard their lobster thermidor is amazing,” he says. “If you like lobster, that is.”
“I honestly don't know if I do,” I laugh. “Can't say I've ever had it.”
Liam looks at me, astonished but also pleased, and says, “Well then, unless you're allergic to shellfish, I think one of us needs to get it. You need to at least try it.”
“I'm not allergic to shellfish. But, the price of everything here is about to make me break out into hives,” I say, not really thinking about my words.
Liam reaches across the table and gently squeezes my hand again. “Don't even think about that tonight, Paige,” he says. “Please? This is my gift to you.”
“Hard not to.” I smile. “I've never been anywhere like this before, and I hate making you pay –”
The waiter comes back and sets a glass down in front of each of us. He uncorks the bottle of wine and pours a small amount in Liam's glass. Liam picks it up and swirls it around for a moment before smelling it and then, finally tasting it.
“Excellent,” he says, a pleased smile on his face. “You may pour.”
“Very good, sir,” Michael says.
The waiter pours our wine and I still have no idea what I want to order. I look at the menu blankly, honestly, not even knowing what half the stuff is. Liam gives me a small smile, a twinkle in his eye. I think he understands my dilemma.
Michael finishes pouring and stands at attention. He's so stiff and rigid – most definitely not like the waiters in restaurants I'm used to. They're a little more fun and outgoing, while Michael is bland and has no personality. If anything, he seems rather snooty to me.
“We'll take the oysters for our starter, along with the lobster thermidor and the Wagyu filet mignon for our main course, along with the wine pairings, please,” he says. “We will decide on the next course and dessert once we're finished with the first.”
“Very good, sir,” Michael says, taking our menus and leaving us once more. “Wonderful choices. I know that you'll be pleased with them.”
He turns on his heel and stalks off without another word. I turn to look at Liam, feeling the color rising in my cheeks.
“I have no idea what any of that means,” I say. “I've never heard of most of the things on the menu.”
I'm honestly feeling a little sheepish as if I'm out of my element and Liam is going to grow tired of it. As if he'll think I'm just some backwoods, uncultured, bumpkin who doesn't belong in his world. But Liam smiles back at me and it's a warm, gentle smile that melts my insides.
“It means it's going to taste amazing,” he says. “Hopefully it's the best meal you've ever had.”
It'll be the most expensive, that's for certain. But, I bite my tongue and don't say anything. I know that would be tactless, at the very least. It's crazy though, to think that the price of this meal, although financially devastating for me, is nothing to a man like Liam. He has the money to spend and apparently has no problem dropping this kind of cash for a night out.
It boggles my mind. But, I'm not going to lie, I'm very much looking forward to it. Although I'm used to, if not comfortable with, lower-end food options – at least, compared to what I'm being exposed to tonight – there's always been a part of me that’s curious about what rich people eat.
I can't explain it. I know it's a weird curiosity to have. But, it's a curiosity nonetheless.
We sip our wine, a comfortable silence between us as I look around the interior of the restaurant, soaking it all in. I know that I'm probably never going to set foot in a place like this again, so I want to commit it all to memory. I want to file away every detail in my mind. This place just exudes wealth and class. It's beautiful. More than beautiful. I don't even think exquisite is the right word to capture it.
“What do you think?” Liam asks, his eyes fixed on mine.
“I think this place is completely amazing,” I say. “I've never seen anything like it before, let alone sat at a table.”
He shrugs. “I have to admit, it is pretty nice here.”
“It's more than nice,” I say. “Way more than nice.”
He smiles and takes a drink of his wine, letting me ogle the restaurant a little more.
“So, have Damon or the mayor bothered you lately?” Liam asks, setting his glass down on the table.
I cringe at the mention of their names. “Not since the last time we talked, no,” I say. “Which means it's coming. They seem to follow a predictable enough pattern.”
Liam laughs. “I'm sure it is,” he says. “And you're still not willing to sell, huh?”
“Nope,” I say. “I have absolutely no desire to sell to those cretins.”