Chapter 3
Elena stood in front of her mirror longer than she should have. The soft blue dress hung off her shoulders just right, and for the first time in years, she allowed herself the small thrill of expectation. She smoothed her hair nervously, then laughed at herself.
“It’s just dinner,” she whispered. “Just dinner with a stranger.”
But when Adrian’s message had arrived — Let me take you somewhere you’ll never forget — something inside her had leapt.
At seven sharp, the knock on her door came. When she opened it, Adrian stood there in a charcoal jacket, a single white rose in his hand.
“For you,” he said, voice velvet-smooth.
Elena blinked. “A rose? You’re serious?”
“Do I look like I joke with flowers?”
She took it, fighting a smile. “You’re ridiculously old-fashioned.”
“Maybe,” he said, eyes glinting. “But maybe that’s what you need.”
The car ride was quiet at first, but not the uncomfortable kind. City lights smeared past the window, glowing against the night.
“So,” Elena said, breaking the silence, “are you going to tell me where we’re going, or is this some secret mission?”
Adrian’s mouth curved. “Would you like it to be a mission?”
She laughed. “As long as it doesn’t involve espionage.”
“Then consider it an adventure,” he replied. “Trust me?”
Her heart gave a strange flutter. “I don’t know. Should I?”
His gaze flicked to her, steady. “Yes.”
When they pulled up, Elena gasped. The restaurant wasn’t one of the trendy glass-and-steel boxes she expected. Instead, it was tucked into a side street — an old brownstone with ivy clinging to its walls and golden light spilling through wide windows. Inside, it was like stepping into another world: chandeliers, velvet drapes, the low hum of a piano.
Elena turned to him. “You’re joking. This place is impossible to get into.”
Adrian only offered his arm. “Then tonight, it isn’t.”
Her fingers slipped into the crook of his elbow almost without thought.
They were seated at a table near the window, a candle glowing between them. Elena’s eyes darted around the room — silk gowns, sharp tuxedos, waiters gliding like shadows — but Adrian seemed at home here, as though he belonged in this world of whispered luxury.
“You’re full of surprises,” she murmured.
“Do you like surprises?”
“When they’re good ones.”
“Then tonight, I’ll only give you good ones.”
The waiter appeared, pouring wine into crystal glasses. Adrian lifted his, studying her over the rim. “To unexpected meetings.”
Elena clinked her glass lightly. “And unexpected strangers.”
They drank, and she couldn’t help the warmth spreading through her chest.
The conversation flowed like the wine. He asked about her childhood, her favorite songs, the last time she truly felt happy. She found herself confessing things she rarely said aloud — how lonely New York could feel, how her past relationships always seemed to end in disappointment, how sometimes she wondered if real love even existed.
“You sound like you’ve been hurt,” Adrian said quietly.
“Who hasn’t?” Elena replied with a shrug.
“But you still hope,” he observed.
She hesitated, then nodded. “I guess I do.”
He leaned forward, his gaze almost too intense. “That’s rare.”
“Rare?” she teased lightly, trying to break the heaviness.
“Rare… and beautiful,” he said simply.
Her cheeks flushed, and for a moment she couldn’t look at him.
The food arrived, delicate dishes that looked like art. Adrian cut a piece of his and slid it onto her plate.
“Try this.”
“You don’t even know if I’ll like it.”
“Trust me,” he said again.
She tasted it, and laughed. “Okay… fine. You’re right.”
His smile was slow, satisfied. “I usually am.”
“Arrogant much?”
“Confident,” he corrected.
“And if you’re wrong?”
“I learn quickly,” Adrian replied. “And I don’t make the same mistake twice.”
There was something in his tone, something that made her shiver, but before she could dwell on it, he changed the subject, asking about the first book that ever made her cry.
By the time dessert arrived — a shared plate of chocolate and berries — Elena’s laughter was free, easy, like she’d shed years of caution in the space of a single evening.
Afterward, he led her outside, but instead of heading to the car, he gestured down the street.
“Walk with me.”
The night air was cool, the city alive with distant horns and murmurs. They strolled past shop windows, the white rose still in Elena’s hand, petals glowing under the streetlamps.
“This feels unreal,” she admitted softly.
“What does?”
“Tonight. You. All of it.”
Adrian stopped, turning to her. “Why unreal?”
“Because things like this don’t happen to me.”
“Maybe they do now,” he said, his voice steady.
Her chest tightened. “You make it sound like fate.”
“Maybe it is.”
Elena laughed nervously. “Do you believe in fate?”
“I believe some things are inevitable,” he said.
Their eyes locked, and the air between them thickened. For a moment, the noise of the city faded, leaving only the pulse in her ears and the nearness of him.
He reached for her hand. She let him.
They walked to the river, where the water reflected the glittering skyline. Adrian leaned against the railing, pulling her gently closer.
“Beautiful view,” she said.
“Agreed,” he murmured, but his eyes didn’t leave her face.
Elena swallowed. “You’re very good at this.”
“At what?”
“Making a girl feel like she’s the only one in the world.”
“Maybe that’s because, right now, you are.”
Her breath caught. For a moment, she thought he might kiss her, and her whole body ached with the anticipation. But he didn’t. He only held her gaze until she felt dizzy, then finally looked out at the river.
“Tell me something,” he said. “What scares you the most?”
The question startled her. “That’s…dark for a first date.”
“Humor me.”
She hesitated. “Losing myself. Giving everything to someone, and finding out they never cared.”
Adrian’s jaw tightened almost imperceptibly. “Then don’t give everything,” he said softly.
“Isn’t that what love is?”
His eyes met hers again, unreadable. “Sometimes love is survival.”
The words puzzled her, but before she could ask, he squeezed her hand. “Come on. I’ll take you home.”
The ride back was quiet. Elena stared out the window, her reflection ghosting over the city lights. She felt as though she were floating, both giddy and unsettled.
When they reached her building, she lingered at the curb. “Thank you…for tonight. It really was unforgettable.”
Adrian leaned in, his voice low. “It’s only the beginning.”
Her breath caught again, but before she could respond, he kissed her cheek — not her lips, not yet — and then stepped back, leaving her trembling with the ache of wanting more.
“Goodnight, Elena.”
She smiled weakly. “Goodnight.”
Inside her apartment, she pressed the rose to her chest, her mind spinning.
Fate, she thought. It had to be fate.
What else could explain a stranger who already felt so impossibly close?
What else could explain how alive she felt, standing on the edge of something that terrified and thrilled her all at once?
She didn’t know the answer. She only knew she couldn’t wait to see him again.
