Chapter 22

Chapter 22: In which she is about to get a memorable date night.

"You know, this walk of shame usually comes after a night full of hot, passionate sex?"

"Why are you so cranky this morning?" Nate peeped around the wall to look at the parking lot, trying to imitate James Bond, who used to be his favourite character back in high school, but I think he looks better than all the actors who played that role...who I seriously know nothing about. God I hate thrillers and action movies and right now, I hate Nathan Synclair!

"Because you spent your entire high school life being a player and now you decide to be a Saint!" I muttered under my breath grudgingly.

Look, I know I'm being cranky but you would too if you served yourself up to the guy you like in a silver platter and he suddenly decides to be the righteous one and decides to do the whole 'dating' thing before we proceed to the final step! I mean, seriously! I didn't ask him to marry me, it's just sex! God, I sound like a horny bitch right now!

"Coast's clear, come on!" Nathan pulled me after him and into the parking lot of his office building, which we had entered through a side elevator which is connected to his suit. And the reason why we're being so secretive? Nathan doesn't want anyone to know we've spent the night together until we have had our first date tonight. I know. Don't ask.

So, we raced stealthily to Nathan's car like two professional thieves running away after a high class robbery, at 5.30 in the morning. Yeeeeaaaah...did I forget to tell you he woke me up at 5am? And that I'm not a morning person? I think I didn't, but now you know.

"Shit!"

"What? What now? Please don't tell me you forgot the keys!" I asked, exhausted. I mean, first I was left very unsatisfied last night, then he wakes me up at 5 in the morning to play the whole James Bond card and now I'm about to fall asleep any instant and if he had forgotten his keys then he's truly about to witness that Hell hath no fury like a Savannah scorned!

"No! God no!” He said, horrified. "That would've been catastrophic." Over-exaggerating much. "But no, I just haven't asked Tina to do the bookings yet!" He unlocked his car that Roan had delivered late last night and helped me in the passenger’s seat before hopping in the driver’s seat.

Now I was confused. "What bookings?" I asked, fastening my seat belt.

"Now that would ruin the surprise, won't it?" he raised an eyebrow at me as he started the car and set the gear on reverse as he backed out of the parking lot.

I sighed in despair. "Please don't tell me your idea of a date is a cliché romance movie and then French/Italian high class restaurant for dinner?"

Nathan gulped, loosening the tie he had managed to wear even this early in the morning.

I groaned. I hated the cliché types. Florence loves to date those dudes who had cliché taste but I didn’t. What’s the point in going out then when I can cook better than those restaurants?

Now who’s over-exaggerating?

"Alright, alright!" He blew out his breath through his mouth. "I get it. But that's not what I'm planning."

I turned to face him with a smirk. "You weren't?" It was such an obvious lie that I'm sure lie detectors all around town might be going off right now.

"Ok...so I kinda was. But now I'm not. So be prepared to face the biggest surprise of your life Miss. Tresscot." He said confidently.

"We'll see." I challenged.

"We shall." He accepted my challenge.

Now this is going to be fun.

*

*

I groaned as the alarm clock turned my ear drums to jelly...for the third time.

After Nate had dropped me off at my house around 6 am, promising to pick me up at 12 in the afternoon, I had taken that opportunity to simply strip off all my clothes and fell into bed with just my underwear on, setting an alarm for 10am. That would have given me enough time to shower and get dressed and have a quick breakfast.

But now I bought my phone closer to my eyes and jumped awake. I had totally forgotten that my snooze time was 15 minutes instead of 5, making the time 10:45 am.

I jumped out of bed, tumbling a bit from getting up so fast and ran straight to the bathroom.

After talking a quick shower and washing my hair, I went to my closet and grabbed a pair of fresh underwear, not really noticing the colour and pulled on a baby pink knee length dress with a black sash and sailor collar and I paired them with some black ballet flats. I quickly blow dried my hair and let it down and started heating the curling iron.

For my makeup I used some simple baby pink lip gloss and a thin line of eye liner to make my eyes stand out and only a bit of foundation. I did a little twirl in front of the mirror and decided that I looked good enough for whatever Nathan was planning, since he didn't give me any specifics.

I was halfway through curling my hair when the doorbell rang. Leaving the curling iron on my bathroom counter, I raced to get the door. There was no way it could be Nate, he was famous for arriving late to every date that he scheduled, but to my surprise, I opened the door to find the devil leaning against the wall, dressed in black shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows and faded blue jeans and sneakers. His hair was still wet from his shower and he held out a Starbucks café latte on one hand and a small brown paper bag in another, which filled the entire corridor with the smell of freshly baked pumpkin donuts.

I pulled him inside the house roughly and slammed the door shut.

"Whoa! What's the rush, tiger? Are you planning to take advantage of me?" He held both hands against his chest as if trying to protect his virtue.

"Who would want to!" I said with a scowl and snatched the donuts bag from his hand, tore it up like a famished bear and devoured half of the donut in one bite. The explosion of flavors in my mouth made me close my eyes and moan out. "Mmmmm! I love you, pumpkin donut!"

These were my favourite kind, pumpkin donuts, baked, not fried and dipped in caster sugar! I was absolutely in love with them and eternally thankful for Starbucks for including them in their autumn menu. I opened my eyes to see Nate watching me with amusement. "What?"

"And what do I get?" he smirked.

My scowl deepened. He was the one who had left me unsatisfied twice and yet he wants a reward! Hell to the No! So like an arrogant movie heroine I flipped my hair off my shoulders and marched past him to the bedroom, like a queen bee. The only things missing were a pair of Eiffel Tower heels which made sounds like someone was hammering nails into your brain.

But Nate only grew more amused and followed me to the bedroom and plopped on my bed, placing my coffee on the bedside table while taking a sip from his. I just finished two of four donuts and handed the rest to him and took my coffee to the bathroom with me to drink while I finished getting ready.

I did the rest of my curls and decided not to wear any jewelry, but I did don a pink and black scrunchie around my wrist like a bracelet to put my hair up if needed. Re-applying my lip gloss, I looked at myself one final time and I was ready to go.

But just as I was about to leave the bathroom, I had a call on my phone...from Samuel. I picked it up quickly and shut the bathroom door and turned on the tap, before Nate could realize I had a call. Thank God my phone was on silent because I did not want Nate listening to my conversation.

"Sam?" I answered in a hushed whisper.

"Savannah, can you meet me today?"

Crap. I couldn't do that! I know I'm being selfish but I can't spoil Nate and my first date! I've been waiting for this day to come since school. And I couldn't tell Sam about Nate either, because being as overprotective as he is, he'll ruin my chance at happiness by just being...himself. So I lied to my brother.

"No, I have loads of work at the office today. I don’t think I can sneak out." I hated lying to Sam but this time, I knew I was doing the right thing.

"That's okay, I'll fix a location tomorrow. Just wanted to tell you that Synclair Inc. just bought the shares we offered. Work hard."

I held the phone to my ear a few seconds after the line went dead. It's really happening. The plan has started.

"Not today, Savannah. Please, not today." I told myself as I calmed myself down and finally got out of the bathroom.

"Ready to go?"

Nate's voice somehow managed to bring a smile to my face even when the circumstances weren’t all that well. But today it's gonna be just about us.

Tomorrow. Samuel can wait till tomorrow.

"Yes Boss!"