TWELVE

We don't take long to arrive at Aliyah's building and park right in front of it. Normally, I would prefer to accompany my date directly from her home, but because I'm not sure which location is hers, I wait anxiously in the lobby near the elevator. To calm my nerves, I twist and turn the paperclip in my pocket. It's my lucky paperclip, and I don't leave the house without it. After I mentioned that public speaking makes me nervous, an old college professor taught me the trick. It no longer does, but I still keep the paperclip with me.

Every time the elevator doors open, I perk up for a split second before slumping back in disappointment. I look at my watch for the hundredth time in the last ten minutes. To keep my mind occupied, I pull my phone from my pocket and check my messages. I have several emails from Amelia, a few text messages from Mr. Tanaka, and a text from Joe inviting me out for drinks instead of going on my date. I'm so preoccupied with my phone that I don't even notice Aliyah until she's right in front of me. Her perfume, with its light flowery scent, is the first to greet me. Next, I notice her shoes, which are black with ankle straps and a high heel. Her toes are painted bright red, and while I'm not a fan of fetishes, I can't help but notice how adorable her little feet are.

My gaze travels from her ankle to her upper thigh, where her dress ends. I take my time admiring every detail of her, as if I were unwrapping a much-anticipated birthday present. The dress clings to her body, emphasizing her curves on her petite frame. I'm speechless when my gaze reaches her face. Her make-up is simple and flattering on her features. Her long blonde hair, which had previously been wrapped in a bun, is now flowing freely over her shoulders.

She shuffles from one foot to the other, clutching her purse. "Do you think I'm dressed properly?" I wasn't sure where you wanted to go, so I made a wild guess about the dress code."

I extend my hand, take her hand, and kiss it. "You look fantastic," I say.

She smiles and tucks a strand of her hair behind her ear. "Thank you; you're quite attractive."

I look down at my outfit before returning my gaze to her. "I pale in comparison to you," I say as I walk her to the door.

Eric is standing at the back door, ready to go.

"My name is Eric, and I'll be your driver for the evening." "This is Ms. Delos Reyes, Eric."

"Miss," Eric says, tilting his hat to her.

"Hello, Eric," she greets him.

"OK, let's go to our reservation," I say.

Aliyah enters first, followed by me, and Eric closes the door behind us.

"Whither are we going?"

" she inquires.

"It's a surprise," I say as I reach for her hand once more.

We make small talk on the way to the restaurant. Nothing too profound, but just enough to break the silence. We arrive at Mon Amour and I assist Aliyah in getting out. She takes a moment to look around before smiling.

I extend my arm to her, and we walk inside, straight to the maître d'.

"I have a reservation for two called Jordan," I say.

The man motions for us to follow him to the private dining room I've reserved for us. Aliyah is the type of woman I don't mind having some privacy with.

I take Aliyah's chair and make sure she's comfortable before taking a seat myself. We're seated right next to a vibrant saltwater fish tank, which is one of my favorite features of the restaurant. We get our menus, and I move closer to Aliyah.

"Everything is in French," I explain, "but if you tell me what you like, I can help narrow down your options."

"I think I've got it," she says, nodding.

Feisty, gorgeous, and self-assured. These are three of my favorite things.

The server returns, eager to take our order. Aliyah begins to order her food... in French, just as I open my mouth to offer assistance again. She stumbles over a few words here and there, but she orders her food without my assistance.

Before returning my attention to Aliyah, I place my order and hand the menu to the server.

"Someone understands French," I say.

Aliyah carefully unfolds and places her napkin in her lap. "Yeah, I'm full of surprises."

I can't argue with you on that.

"You absolutely are, Ms. Delos Reyes," I say. "I'm curious what other little surprises you have planned for the evening."

**********************************************

Jordan's expression when I order my food in French is priceless, but I swallow the laugh that is tickling my throat. Nobody is as surprised as I am.

Those obnoxious French lessons must be paying off.

I recognized enough words on the menu to form a few coherent sentences as soon as I saw it. It also helped to study Italian in high school. Marie would be overjoyed.

Throughout dinner, we talk and laugh. My cheeks were actually hurting from smiling so much.

This guy is hilarious. He gets extra points for having a great sense of humor.

After dinner, Jordan points out the various saltwater fish in the tank next to us as we share a delicious apple pie with vanilla ice cream on the side. The time and effort he put into planning this date is appreciated.

We slowly pack our belongings and prepare to leave. I don't want the evening to come to an end. As we wait for Jordan's car, he pulls me in close to him.

This date has turned out much better than I expected.

Jordan places his hand in the middle of my lower back, guiding me inside the Rolls-Royce. As soon as I see what's in store for us, I smile. A bouquet of roses sits next to two glasses of chilled Champagne on a small silver tray.

"Are these meant for me?"

" I inquire.

Jordan smiles at me and hands me a glass of Champagne. "Of course they're for you, and there's also a card in there."

I take a sip from my glass and search for the card that has become entangled in the bouquet.

"Let's see what we've got here," I say as I open the small card. "It says, 'Thank you Aliyah for such a lovely evening.' Aww, that's cute." But how did you know this evening would be so pleasant? ”

Jordan encircles me with one arm and drapes the other across my thighs. "It's just a guess," he shrugs. "Fortunately for me, most of the time my guesses are correct."

From my head to my toes, a rush of heat rushes through me. I haven't been this close to a man in a long time, and I'm looking forward to finally getting my goodnight kiss.

"Well, I'm glad you got it right," I say. "I don't go out much, so I wasn't sure what to expect this evening." Things definitely turned out better than I expected, and I'm grateful."

"Tell me about it," Jordan says. "Because my job consumes so much of my time, I rarely go out." I'm either in a meeting, reviewing documents, or scouting new businesses. In fact, I'm sure my secretary sent several emails and texts while we were eating. You've kept my mind off work tonight, so I haven't even wanted to check my phone. When we're on the subject of phones, put your number in mine so I can call you later. When I'm ready to plan our next date, I'll need a way to contact you."

He hands me the phone, and I quickly enter my phone number.

"Oh, you're Mr. Confident, aren't you?" What makes you think I'll want to go on another date with you? ”

"I've already told you that I'm a good guesser. Do you want to go on another date with me? "Tell me if I'm wrong, but I think we both know I'm right about this one as well," he says with a smirk.

I grin and roll my eyes as I hand him his phone back. "Yeah, yeah, so far so good," I say, trying to keep a cool head.

Is he already planning our next date? Wow, an investor and a nanny sounds like a bad soap opera plot.

I laugh at how different our worlds are. Jordan leans in and nuzzles the back of my neck.

"What's so amusing about it?"

" he inquires, his fingertips trailing up and down my thigh. "I enjoy a good joke."

His breath is warm against my neck, and I find it difficult to concentrate.

"I was thinking about how different our jobs are. You're a businessman who owns your own company. You're always busy and make a lot of money doing what you do. My job, on the other hand, isn't as demanding as yours, and I certainly don't make as much as you do. Despite our very different backgrounds, we both hold very important jobs."

He gently kisses the crook of my neck, waking up the dull throb between my thighs. "Go ahead," he says. "Don't stop talking."

"All right," I say. "I'm a nanny, and I've been a live-in nanny to the most incredible little boy ever for the last three months."

"You must adore children." Have you got any of your own? " he inquires.

"No way, no how," I say. "Being Andrew's nanny will suffice for the time being." Because he's still young, I get a lot of hands-on experience. With him, every day is a new adventure."

Jordan pulls away from my leg and stops stroking it. "Um, um, what was his name again?"

I take note of his odd behavior and try to figure out what I said to cause him to react in this manner.

"Andrew," I introduce myself. "He's nine months old and has the most beautiful green eyes I've ever seen." His parents spend a lot of time doing their own thing, so Andrew is in my care 95% of the time, which is why I'm rarely ever free."

Jordan steps away from me and places his hands in his lap. "What are his parents up to?" " he inquires.

"His mother is trying to relaunch her modeling career, and his father works with hedge funds," I explain.

Jordan's face loses color, and I notice his jaw tense several times. I lean in close and place my hand on top of his.

"Are you all right?" I inquire. "What exactly is it? What's the problem? ”

He slowly shakes his head as the limo comes to a stop in front of my building. Ed opens the door for us, and I walk out directly behind Jordan. He holds open the lobby door and leads me to the elevators.

"There's nothing wrong, everything's fine." So you live in this house with Andrew and his parents? " he inquires.

"No," I respond. "It's just Romina." Jonas has his own apartment. But enough about my work. I'd like to thank you for a wonderful evening. I had a great time spending time with you."

"Similarly," he says.

We wait for the elevator in silence. I don't know what else to say. Jordan's entire demeanor has shifted, and I'm not sure why. The elevator doors open, and I enter.

"All right," I say. "I'll contact you later."

Jordan nods and walks back to the lobby doors. He doesn't even give me a goodnight kiss before walking away.

What in the world just happened?