“It’s perfect.”
We take a seat in the beautiful restaurant. A piano player plays softly in the background, and red roses sit on the center of the table.
“Do you like red wine?” Cedric asks.
“Yes,” I say.
I glance down at the wine list and find that my favorite is listed, the one Killian got me hooked on. I’m just about to suggest it, but Cedric interrupts me.
“I think we should share a bottle of the house cabernet. Is that okay with you?”
I sigh. I’m not going to get my favorite. But that’s okay. I don’t want to be thinking about Killian anyway. And drinking that wine will make me think of him. It will make me wonder if he has already convinced the woman he was with to go to his hotel with him—although I don’t think Killian would have to do much convincing. I think most women he meets would willingly jump into bed with him. That means, if he’s asked, she’s already made her way to his bed.
“Sounds perfect,” I say, trying not to think about Killian.
I watch Cedric order our wine. It felt nice that he asked my opinion before just ordering for me. I’m so used to Killian, who just orders whatever he wants.
“Where did you go to school?” Cedric asks.
“Yale.”
His eyes widen. “Seriously?”
My smile drops from my face. “Yeah. I studied theater…although I don’t think that’s what I want to do. I don’t technically have my degree yet, but they should be sending it soon. I missed finals, but my grades were high enough that I didn’t need to make them up.”
“Why did you miss finals?”
I look down, not ready to hear his I’m sorry that is going to follow what I say next. “My father died the weekend before finals.”
He reaches his hand across the table and grabs ahold of my hand in a comforting manner. “I’m sorry.”
I smile
weakly. “Thanks.”
An awkward pause passes where I don’t want to talk further about my father, but Cedric isn’t sure if he can change the topic or not.
“I’m not really sure about what I want to do next with my life,” I say. That’s not completely true though. I just don’t know exactly what I want to do with my life. I know it doesn’t involve marrying Killian. “What do you want to do once you finish your law degree?”
“I want to start my own firm. I like corporate law. And then I want to settle down with a beautiful girl like you. Somewhere warm.”
“Of course,” I say, smiling.
“And I want to marry her. I want to have kids with her. I want my life to be her.”
I blush. “I hope you find that someday.”
His eyes stay transfixed on mine. “I’m getting close.”
His eyes sparkle, and I quickly lose myself in them. It would be nice to be married to someone like Cedric. He seems nice. He seems like a gentleman. He seems like husband material, unlike Killian who is too focused on his work to ever give proper attention to a wife and family.
“Kinsley?” my grandfather says.
I turn and see my grandfather standing at the end of our table. He has a stern look on his face. I see Killian standing behind him with a small smirk on his face.
I try to pull my hand away from Cedric’s, but he doesn’t understand what’s happening. He just tightens his grip as his thumb slowly moves over my palm.
“Hi, Granddad,” I say.