CHAPTER 78: THE DATE

Night of the next day soon arrived and Lillian soon found herself in the dress Aria had chosen.

Looking at her reflection on the mirror, Lillian realized how right Aria was in picking this dress. It wasn’t too formal nor too casual, and it didn’t make her feel out of place either.

The dress felt like it was made for only her.

Giving herself a once over, Lillian turned to Aria who sat on the bed with a wide grin on her face. One would think her face was now permanently stuck with that as she had been holding that grin since she started helping Lillian get ready, a few hours ago.

But no, she was just like this because she was getting teasing material to use against her.

"Alright," Aria clapped her hands together, snapping her from her thoughts. "Let’s hurry it up, Ethan will be here in a few minutes."

Lillian’s heart skipped at the mention of his name. "I-it’s time already? I thought we still had time..."

Aria raised a brow. "What, you planning on running away before he knocks?"

"No!" Lillian shot back a little too quickly, earning a mischievous smirk from her friend. She turned back to the mirror, smoothing her dress for the hundredth time. "I just... don’t want to look like I’m trying too hard."

Aria leaned forward on her elbows, her grin refusing to fade. "Trust me, Lil. You look like you’re trying just enough. Any less, and he’d think you don’t care. Any more, and he’d think you’re obsessed. Right now? Perfect balance."

Just as stated, a knock soon came and Lillian immediately froze.

Aria turned to her with a wicked glint in her eye. "That’s your cue, Miss Hayes. Go get your prince."

Lillian groaned, muttering, "He’s not—" but the words died in her throat as the knock came again, firmer this time.

Aria was already pushing her toward the door. "Don’t keep him waiting."

Her legs felt like stone as she reached for the handle. She drew a shaky breath, gathering every shred of composure she had. Then, slowly, she opened the door.

Outside stood Ethan and although he was still the same Ethan she knew, her heart couldn’t help but skip a beat.

He had on a charcoal suit, with the same colored shirt underneath, coupled with formal black shoes.

Although she knew he might not have spent as much time as she did on her outfit, he looked naturally charming.

A thought which immediately caused Lillian to blush a bit. But if she looked closer, she’d notice that even with his calm look, there was a bit of nervousness underneath.

In his hand was a slim, rectangular box wrapped neatly in dark blue paper.

"This is for you," Ethan said simply, holding it out.

Lillian blinked in surprise, carefully accepting it. "O-oh... what is it?"

"A pen," Ethan replied, his tone casual. "I thought it might be useful, considering the work you’ll be doing soon."

Relief washed through her, it wasn’t flowers or jewelry or anything that could be mistaken for that.

She opened it to reveal a silver pen nestled inside, its weight speaking of quiet value.

"It’s... beautiful," she murmured, tracing it lightly with her finger. "Thank you."

"You’ll need it," Ethan said, adjusting his cufflinks before gesturing toward the hallway. "Shall we?"

"Remember to bring me something on your way back!" Aria’s shout came from inside the hotel room as Lillian took Ethan’s hand.

Lillian flushed at Aria’s parting remark but quickly looked away, tucking the pen box carefully into her bag as she stepped into the hallway. Ethan smiled in response to Aria’s remark before leading Lillian towards the elevator.

The ride down was quiet, but not uncomfortable. Lillian clutched her clutch bag a little too tightly, trying not to fidget. She was acutely aware of Ethan’s presence beside her, the calm composure he always seemed to carry, as if nothing could shake him.... Or so she thought.

Ethan could’ve sworn that he was completely prepared for this date. In his mind, it was only a way to reward her for successfully closing the deal with Google.

But he suddenly started feeling conscious of it. For some reason, her drunk antics always flashed in his mind when he thought of the date.

How she had tried kissing him played over and over in his mind. But he chucked it all to him being young again, maybe his hormones were acting up again.

He stole a quick glance at her reflection in the elevator’s polished steel wall. Lillian was biting her lip, pretending to adjust her hair when in reality, she was just trying to hide her nerves.

Ethan almost chuckled. For someone who had handled negotiations with Google so cleanly, she looked like she was heading into battle.

The elevator chimed, and the doors slid open allowing the hotel lobby’s warm lighting to spill in, and Ethan offered her his arm with a simple motion.

Lillian hesitated, then slipped her hand into the crook of his elbow. The contact sent a tiny shiver through her, one she quickly tried to suppress.

"Where are we going?" she asked, her voice a bit lower than usual.

"A restaurant nearby," Ethan replied before pausing and turning to her, "do you have somewhere else in mind?"

"N-no," she shook her head quickly, her grip on his arm tightening just a little. "I was just... curious."

Ethan gave a small nod, the corner of his mouth twitching as though he wanted to smile but kept it restrained. "Good. I think you’ll like it."

With that, the walked towards the hotel’s door where a black car with its driver waiting with the door held open.

Lillian was a bit surprised since this almost seemed a bit too much but she said nothing and slowly entered the car. Her nerves were getting higher by the second but she couldn’t back down now.

Not after what Aria had said about someone else stealing his heart before she even had the chance to.

Ethan entered after her and the driver closed the door, went to the driver’s side and started driving towards their destination.

Lillian clasped her hands together in her lap, trying to still the restless tapping of her fingers against her clutch. The space between them wasn’t large, and with a single movement, they’ll be touching each other.

She shifted slightly, her shoulder brushing the seat just inches from Ethan’s. The closeness made her hyperaware of every detail—his steady breathing, the faint scent of his cologne, even the way his fingers tapped once against his knee before resting still again.

"You’re nervous," Ethan finally said, his tone even but not unkind.

Lillian’s head snapped toward him, her cheeks warming. "I—what makes you think that?"

His lips curved, the faintest trace of amusement dancing there. "You’ve tapped your clutch eight times in the last minute."

Her mouth fell open. "You were... counting?"

Ethan’s smirk deepened, though his eyes remained gentle. "You make it hard not to notice."

"W-well this is my first time doing something like this," she muttered nervously.

"The date?" Ethan asked causing her cheeks to get hotter.

Lillian froze. Her fingers tightened around her clutch as if it could shield her. "...It’s my first," she admitted in a small voice, her cheeks heating until she thought they might burn.

His gaze turned toward her, unreadable in the low light. "Your first?"

She nodded quickly, eyes darting anywhere but him. "Yes. As in... ever. No one’s ever... asked me out before. Not really." The words tumbled out, awkwardly and rushed, like she was afraid of holding them in.

For a moment, silence stretched between them, and she braced herself for laughter or teasing. Instead, Ethan simply leaned back, his tone calm but softer than usual.

"Then tonight," he said, "we’ll make sure it’s worth remembering."

Lillian blinked at him, stunned. There was no mockery or sarcasm in his tone, he sounded completely genuine which shocked her since she thought he only saw this the same as their former breakfasts.

Her heart fluttered, and she quickly looked back toward the window, trying—and failing—to hide the smile tugging at her lips.

The car turned, slowing as warm golden lights came into view. Strings of lanterns draped across the street, leading to a restaurant that glowed like a scene from a dream.

The faint notes of live piano drifted out through the tall windows, carrying on the night breeze.

As the car eased to a stop, Lillian’s hands fidgeted within her clutch again. She didn’t even realize Ethan had already stepped out until the door opened and he stood there, his hand extended toward her.

"Careful," he said simply.

Her breath caught. For a second, she hesitated, then placed her hand in his. His palm was steady, warm, grounding.

The moment her feet touched the pavement, she whispered without thinking, "Feels like a dream."

Ethan glanced at her, then down at their joined hands. "Nope," he said, his voice steady. "This is real."