“Okay. Okay. So I get excited sometimes and it’s hard to keep it to myself.”
“Uh-huh. Hence the blindfold.” He gestured for her to turn around.
She hesitated.
“You don’t want to miss the surprise, do you?”
Without a word, she turned around and let him affix the blindfold. He was careful not to draw the loose curls of her hair into the knot. And then he tucked her hand securely in the crook of his arm. Joined together, he led her outside to the garden.
“Where are we going?” Popi asked.
“You’ll see soon.”
They continued walking. He was careful to keep her from walking into the statues in the garden or from running into any garden walls or vegetation.
“This isn’t the way to the car.”
“No, it’s not.”
“So we’re walking to the destination?” When he didn’t respond, she said, “Apollo, at least give me a hint.”
He stopped walking. He glanced around, making sure that everything was how he’d envisioned. To his great relief, it was.
“Apollo? What is it? Would you say something?” She tugged on his arm.
A smile lifted his lips. “Is someone impatient?”
“Yes.”
She sniffed the air. “Mmm... It smells so sweet.”
He’d made sure to include some aromatic flowers in every part of the garden. He’d wanted it to be a more-than-visual experience.
“Okay. Stand still.” He moved behind her and removed the blindfold.
Popi gasped.
She stepped forward, checking out the table for two in the garden path. The table was set with white linen and candles. She glanced back at him. “You did all of this for me?”
He nodded. “Do you like it?”
“I love it.” Her gaze lifted to the glass lanterns with candles dangling from tree branches.
Those had been a bit more of a challenge than he’d been planning, as he’d had to move the dinner spot to an older section of the garden, where the trees were mature enough to handle the weight of the lanterns. In the background, a romantic ballad was carried by the gentle breeze.
“This is much more than a little something.”
He held his hand out to her. “Would you care to dance?”
Without a word, she slipped her hand in his and he drew her close. His arm wrapped around her slender waist, while his other hand wrapped around hers. Their bodies swayed together as the sun sank below the horizon and the lanterns cast streaks of light across the garden.
She lifted her head so that her gaze met his. It was then that he realized how close they were. If he were to lean just a little bit forward, he could kiss her. The temptation lured him. But he wondered how Popi would react. Would she welcome the advance? Or would she push him away?
The look in her eyes wasn’t telling him anything. Had he always been this bad at reading women? Or was it his worry about messing things up with Popi that had him second-guessing his every move with her?
“Why did you do this?” she asked. “It’s so special—so amazing.”
“Because I wanted to make you smile.” And it did make her smile.
Before he could say more and explain how much she’d come to mean to him, their dinner arrived. A parade of three servers carried covered trays and placed them on the small table.
Apollo held his arm out to her. “Shall we?”
Popi once more placed her hand in the crook of his arm and let him escort her to the table, where he pulled out her chair. As they enjoyed the meal, the lanterns cast a warm glow around them. It was as if they were in their own secret world.
He glanced down to find her moving the food around her plate. “Don’t you like the food?”
Her gaze lifted. “It’s delicious.”
“Then why are you barely eating?”
“I’m sorry.” She took a bite.
The magic of the evening was slipping away and he desperately wanted to get it back. There was something weighing on Popi’s mind, but how did he get her to open up to him? Was it something he’d done? Was this cozy dinner a bad idea?
* * *
This was the sweetest gesture anyone had ever done for her.
And she didn’t deserve it.
If only he knew the truth.
Popi couldn’t get the conversation with her mother out of her mind. Everyone seemed to think she was someone great, but the truth was she was not—not even close. She felt like a total imposter.