Overlooked(1)(144)

I can see the waitress blushing and I can’t say that I blame her.

“I think I’ll have the steak, thanks. Medium-well.” He flashes another smile.

With a sigh, I glance at the menu yet again. Unable to decide what I really want, I choose something simple, “Just the chicken salad, thank you.”

The waitress nods and saunters off, her skirt swirling as she does, swinging her hips a bit more than necessary. She wanders into the kitchen and Cade’s eyes follow her all the way through the doors.

I frown and lean against the table. I gently take Cade’s hand in my own and, surprised, he meets my eyes. We gaze deeply into each other’s eyes for a long moment, before I smile a sweet smile, and hiss in low tones, “If you keep staring at the waitress’s butt, you’re going to blow it.”

“What? Her butt? Yes, thanks. Did you see it?” He grins easily and I let go of his hand, drawing back quickly across the table.

“You’re going to blow our cover.” I know that I sound petulant, but I am in no mood to have my date check out other women while I am sitting right here – not even if it is a date that is fake as hell.

Cade sighs and leans back into his chair, looking around the restaurant, “All right, all right.” He glances at me with a smirk. “So does that mean I am free to check you out?” he asks, looking me up and down. Despite the table, despite my clothes, I suddenly feel very naked, as if he is looking right into me.

“I mean…” he continues, “you are my girlfriend, after all.”

I shiver at the thought of his eyes all over me, his hands following close behind. I firm my resolve and shoot him a dark look.

“This is purely a performance, Cade.” My voice is quiet, hard, but my insides feel as if they have melted into a puddle, twisted into nothing, because I cannot stop imagining his hands on my skin, his lips on mine, and it is driving me insane.

Cade shrugs and lifts his glass of wine, sipping it gracefully. I am struck by the uncanny feeling that he can see through my clothes, into my thoughts and he knows exactly what I am thinking. He sure acts confident enough for it. Confident, wealthy and in no hurry to settle down.

“The wine is great,” he smiles, lifting his glass. “You should try some.”

I lift it thoughtfully, bringing it to my lips. It is the perfect combination of light flavor and alcohol and I find myself taking another sip. It is delicious, but I suppose that is to be expected from a restaurant that is this well-known and has a wait list a mile long.

“Good?” he asks with a knowing smile.

I take a breath, remembering that he is supposed to be the love of my life. I smile, “Excellent choice.”

Cade smirks in triumph, and I glance away, taking in the atmosphere. It is gorgeous, opulent and lovely. The room itself is large, with high ceilings and sweeping chandeliers. There are several tables, all dressed with crisp, white linen and elegant table settings. The cutlery is polished and the flowers and candles that decorated each table were breath-taking. I had not known where to look when I had first stepped into the room.

The wait staff are all dressed perfectly, and look more suited to modeling careers, if I am being honest. Lavish drapes and low, soft music finished it all off. The service is superb, the wine is delectable and the company…

I look back at Cade, where he surveys the room just like I had. He is handsome, there is no denying it. If this wasn’t a strictly professional arrangement… I swallow, fighting the urge to bite my lip. I don’t want my lipstick to smudge.

“Here you go, ma’am.” The waitress appears at my side and sets down my salad.

“Thanks.” It looks delicious, even for a simple salad and I feel my stomach rumble quietly with hunger.

Next comes Cade’s plate and he smiles, “Thank you.” His voice, low and soft, manages to sound seductive even through the crowded room. The minute the waitress is out of earshot, I shoot him a glare.

“What?” He raises an eyebrow, “I was being polite. Let’s start, shall we?”

I have to admit that the food is absolutely amazing. The chicken seems to melt on my tongue – it is so wonderfully done. The vegetables are crisp and full of flavor, and pair with the wine wonderfully. It is an experience all right, one that I am not used to.

It isn’t often that I go out for dinner and I have never been at a restaurant this fancy in all my life. I nervously smooth down my dress, a simple black number, and try not to focus on the fact that I feel completely out of place in a fancy establishment such as this one.

Cade might be able to afford it quite comfortably, but for me, this would have been totally out of my reach were it not for him. I glance at him enjoying his steak as if he was eating a sandwich from his own kitchen. Casual and so completely at ease. I touch my hair for a second, reminding myself that it, at least, was looking good.