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I feel my neck get hot with embarrassment as some of the other men at the meeting chuckle.
“No, it’s fine. Continue.”
I keep my hands at my sides now, trying to focus on the meeting. But as the minutes tick by, I can feel the tension building inside of me. Finally, my dad wraps up the meeting and I stand up, eager to leave.
“I really have to go, but Karl is here and will report everything to me tomorrow morning,” I say quickly, already moving toward the door.
My dad nods, but I know him well enough that I will get an earful about my behavior later.
I rush out of the conference room, practically sprinting down the hallway. I can feel the adrenaline coursing through my veins as I race toward the exit. Stepping outside, I take a deep breath of the cool evening air, digging my keys out of my pocket as I make my way to my car. It’s time to make up for lost time.
As soon as I shut the driver’s side door, I pull my phone out of my pocket and call Julia. She answers quickly, and hearing her cheerful voice reassures me that the night is still likely to go just the way I’ve planned it.
“Julia,” I begin, my heart nearly racing in my throat. “I’m on my way, but I’m running late. Something came up at work, but I’ll be there as soon as I can.”
She makes an amused noise. “And here I was so sure that you canceled on me.”
“Canceling plans with you? Never in a million years,” I assure her, and she giggles again. Just hearing her joy gives me a rush of endorphins like nothing else in my life does.
Maneuvering through the evening traffic, my mind is filled with thoughts of the young woman that has bewitched me. I went from being determined to end any sort of contact between us to agreeing to attend and planning this extravagant date. There’s something special about her, I can’t pinpoint what it is exactly, but all I know is that I want more of her every minute of every day. Her mother might not approve, but as long as Julia is still willing to see me, I won’t deny her. Plus, compared to all the cutthroats I deal with at work, how scary can Margaret Van Dieren really be?
Julia is waiting for me outside of her building when I pull up, and seeing he makes my heart flip-flop in my chest. I step out of my car and make my way toward her, watching a warm, welcoming smile spread across her sweet face. My eyes are immediately drawn to her stunning figure–she is wearing a beautiful white blouse and a long flowing skirt that sways with every step she takes toward me. Her hair is tied back in a neat bun, a few strands fluttering loose around her face, and her makeup is subtle but elegant. I feel a surge of desire rush through me as I take her in, but tamp it down. It’s much too early for anything like that to be occupying my thoughts.
“Glad to see that you made it,” she says with a teasing voice. I can’t help but admire her smile. It’s the kind of smile that can make a man forget all of his problems for a little while, and that’s exactly what it does for me.
I take her hand and lead her to my car, opening the door for her. “Yep, it wasn’t easy but I managed to carve out some time for you this evening.”
She chuckles in return, head shaking, her expression bright. “I suppose I should feel honored that the all-important Sebastian van den Bosch cleared his schedule for someone like me, then.”
I’m about to be just as sarcastic, but when our eyes lock, only the truth seems to come out. “You’re one of the few people I will make time for, Julia.” She smiles back at me but doesn’t say a word and I wait until she tucks her skirt into the car to shut the door so I can slide into the driver’s seat.
Julia peppers me with questions about where we are going and what I have planned for the night, but I keep my responses vague, wanting to see the look of surprise on her face when we finally arrive. All the while, the scent of her perfume, florals and vanilla, drifts around us and makes it difficult for me to concentrate on anything else except for wondering how much sweeter she would smell if I could bury my face in the crook of her neck, kissing her silky skin. I swallow hard, the thought much too tempting to humor for long. The last thing I want is for Julia to see me get hard just driving her to a date.
We drive for what feels like forever until we finally arrive at a picturesque canal, the water reflecting the buildings and the sky rapidly going orange with the sunset. A boat is waiting for us, slim and modern, with a canopy covering the dining table I had specifically added for tonight. The boat has been made cozy and intimate, with a spread of picnic foods like a variety of cheeses, fresh and dried fruit, a selection of cured meat, and sparkling champagne in tall flutes. Julia had wanted to have a picnic, so I made sure to turn it up a notch. This will be a picnic that she will never forget, I’ve made sure of it.
Our waiter and captain greet us at the ramp, and I take Julia’s hand to help her walk down onto the deck.
“This is so incredible,” she gushes, looking up at me with the most brilliant smile. “I can’t believe you planned all this on such short notice!”
Once we are both inside, the boat moves gracefully away from the dock, and we sit down at the picnic table. The sun is beginning to set, casting a warm golden glow over the surroundings and sparkling on the water like a million little diamonds. I can see the admiration in Julia’s eyes as she takes in the view, and the gentle sound of the water lapping on the side of the boat as we slowly cruise through the water as soothing as the gentle breeze.
Julia is obviously excited, looking in every direction as she slowly drinks her champagne, nibbling on a strawberry between drinks. I didn’t think it was possible for her to be more beautiful, but the warm sunset colors suit her so well.
“So, was it worth it to switch from a picnic in the park to one here?” I ask, gesturing around us at the boat.
She turns to me, a huge grin on her face. “Absolutely. This is amazing. I’ve never been on a boat picnic before.”
I feel a sense of relief wash over me. I had been nervous about whether she would like this better or not, concerned that I had possibly gone a little overboard, but her reaction makes me feel like I’ve made the right choice.
Why does this woman make me second guess every single little decision I make? Funny how I can’t think of this as anything but a date, considering that we both agreed to just be friends.
“How did you come up with this idea?” Julia asks, interrupting my thoughts. “I mean, I know we already talked about a picnic, but this is so much more unique.”
“I just wanted to do something special for you,” I reply with a smile. “And judging from how unenthused you were at the ball, I figured that you would prefer an outing away from the general public. Just you…” I reach across the table and take her hand. “And me.”
“Well, you definitely succeeded,” she says, giving my hand a playful squeeze. “You’re going to have a hard time topping this when we go on our next date.”
I raise my eyebrows at her statement. “Oh, you’re so sure I want to take you on another date?”
