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CASSIAN

"Not that one." Raven's soft voice drifts over from where she lounges back on my bed with her laptop squarely resting between her knees.

"Really?" I hold up the blue shirt and shake it a little to free it of any wrinkles. "I love this shirt."

"You're going on a date, not to a barbecue. Dress smarter." She lifts her head and our eyes meet over the top of her laptop. "Wear the silver one."

I follow her line of sight into my closet and put the blue shirt back in place, then I grab the silver one hanging three shirts down. It's a lighter material than the blue one with a couple of white, pearlescent buttons near the collar.

"This one?"

"Mmhmm."

"Won't it make me look…" I suck air in through my teeth. "I dunno. Like some kind of pretentious candle?"

Raven snorts with laughter and flops back down onto the bed. "Oh, my God, Cassian. Just wear the shirt."

"If she walks out of the date in the first five minutes, I'm blaming you and this shirt."

As Raven sits back up, she heavily rolls her eyes and sighs. "Nervous?"

"For?"

"The date, idiot."

"Why would I be nervous?"

"When was the last time you went on a date?"

Pulling the shirt closed across my shoulders, I swiftly button it up and shrug. "I dunno."

"I do. Seven years ago."

"It's so creepy that you know that."

"It's my job to know things like that."

"Including my dating life?" A spritz of cologne around my wrists and I'm ready.

"Everyone's dating life. I keep tabs on everything. You know that."

"I know." Approaching her, I lean over the laptop and press a kiss to the top of her head. "Thanks, Raven."

"You didn't answer my question."

"Bye, Raven."

"Cassian!"

Her yell follows me out of the bedroom and down the hall, but just as I expect, she doesn't follow. Her curiosity only lasts for so long, and whatever work she's busy with is always more important than anything else.

But I am nervous.

Raven's right, I haven't been on a date in years. Life has just been too hectic and for a long time, it felt like people in the Suit simply couldn't date. Our responsibilities were far too intense to ever involve someone from the outside.

Until Ruslan broke the mold.