“There’s no one around for miles, you idiot.” She said and laughed. “You’re just taking advantage of my good nature.”
“Are you sure you don’t find men even the slightest bit attractive? What if I put a wig on and some make up?”
“Go home, Aidan.” She yelled, and I realized I was probably overstepping the mark and maybe being offensive.
“Sorry, Bestie.” I told her and I turned and headed off back down the street towards the driver.
Chapter 8
Lori
Okay. It was safe to say I was in over my head. I was far too stoked about the fact I was going on a date with Aidan Hall and also we’d kissed twice. Twice! I kept touching my lips and imagining his warm mouth brushing against mine. It had been a long time since I’d had intimate relations with a guy, one's beyond the acting fucks, and now I had a date with a hot man and he thought I liked women! At some point I was going to have to confess my lies but for now I would enjoy spending the time with him without the pressure that usually came with dates. I knew it was cruel, but I was aware he liked me. He made it obvious enough. But he thought he couldn’t have me. The devil part of me wanted to play with that and so I deliberately dressed in a tight black dress that revealed a hint of cleavage and my best feature, the curve of my ass. Hopefully, I’d make it up to him one day, if I managed to stop him hooking up with any other women. It would be difficult and I needed to think of tactics because while I was working so many hours I could only do a date night one night a week. Meeting Aidan for coffees was eating into my free time as it was and I was determined to keep my mind on my increasing bank account and working as many shifts as possible. I’d had to turn down a shift for tonight and that couldn’t carry on. After tonight, shifts took priority over fake dates.
He picked me up on the dot at eight-thirty and held the passenger door of his car open for me.
“You need to completely get into your role as my fake girlfriend. This is a proper date I’m taking you on.” He said.
“Can’t wait.” I replied. “A billionaire taking me out. Champagne and caviar it is.”
“You can order whatever your heart desires.” He said. “And if you wish for my private helicopter to whisk us away somewhere just ask. Or if you fancy dinner on my boat, or drinks at my vineyard.”
My jaw dropped. He was so down to earth in his attitude that to really consider his wealth just then kinda blew me away. I could offer a cheap bottle of wine and a swim at the gym pool in return. It was another way I was shown that we were ill-matched. It was better I kept up my charade.
We took our seats in the restaurant and Aidan asked me if I wanted to order some wine. When I said yes, he passed me the menu. I chose the cheapest thing on there and handed it back to him. He laughed and changed our order with the waitress to a different bottle.
“What was the point of that?” I asked.
“To see how you felt about my money. You chose the cheapest thing. Lori, I am loaded. Like completely and utterly ‘I could buy every bottle of wine on the menu and it wouldn’t make a flutter in my bank account’ loaded. Tonight is a date with me, and all my wealth so we’ll drink and eat the finest there is, okay? And you will be fine with my extensive wealth because my fake date is going to become my fake wants to spend their life with me girlfriend until such time as we fake break up and decide we are better off as friends. You’ve got to be okay with my career AND my wealth.”
I sighed. “It goes against every bone in my body. I earn my own way through life and I’m proud of that.”
“Yeah, well take the stick from up your ass and spend my goddamn money.”
I picked up the menu. “In that case I can’t decide between two starters. I’d like shrimp scampi with yellow squash noodles for my main and I might order every dessert on the menu just to taste them all and only eat a spoonful of each.”
“I’m loving this idea.” He said, and he waited for our waitress to return with our wine.
“We’d like an extra three bottles of wine.” He read out the name of three more bottles from the menu. “Then for starters could you bring all ten from the menu and two plates because we’re going to try them all. The shrimp for my girlfriend and steak for myself for main please, and then all of the desserts you offer, again we will taste them all.”
“Of course, Mr. Hall.” The waitress smiled. “I would find it difficult to choose from our menu too. You may have a little wait while we get all that prepared so I’ll arrange for some appetizers to be delivered to your table along with your wines.”
I couldn’t stop smiling. “Oh my God. That’s crazy. We’ll never eat it all.”
“Who cares?” He said. “We’ll do our best and let’s rate everything out of ten as if we’re on a cooking program.”
The evening was amazing. The wine went to my head and Aidan was charming. He kept feeding me di
fferent foods, and he’d asked the waitress for a spare order pad and pen so he could note down our ratings. It had caused quite a stir in the restaurant and some other diners had also requested a selection of courses though not quite on our level of every starter and dessert on the menu.
We were on the desserts now and Aidan was feeding me a piece of tarte au citron.
“Aidan. I’m going to burst. Seriously, my guts are going to be all over this restaurant’s walls.”
“Coffee time then?” He suggested.
I made a gagging noise. “I can’t ingest another thing.”
“But I don’t want the evening to end yet. I’m enjoying myself.”