Naia

I hope he doesn’t stand me up.

As I stare at myself in the mirror, I try to cover the worry on my face with foundation as I get ready for my date with Cole.

I’m a little more nervous now that it’s here. I haven't seen Cole since he stormed out of my apartment the other night.

My body starts to heat up as I think back to that moment. How close we were, so close that I could feel his warmth radiating off of him.

When our lips nearly touched, I swear I could feel an electric charge.

If he didn’t leave in a hurry, who knows how far things would have go ne .

The pull his body has over mine is mind-boggling. I'm swooning with just a wink of his eyes and a crook in his smile.

So why did he leave so suddenly?

My mind has been whirling ever since. Maybe he is only taking me out because he feels bad and wants to be polite. Finding me unconscious in the park that night probably made him want to help.

No. . .

He has to feel the same way I am. No one is that good at faking these emotions.

Are they?

For a moment, I recall the soft touch of his hand on mine and the way he tucked my hair behind my ear. . . so intimate, so real.

There’s no way I’m making this up.

I take one last look in the mirror, checking my lipstick and then my phone, making sure I ha ve the time right. Opening the text, I see that I’m right on track.

"I'll be there at seven." His text promised , along with yet again, another apology for his abrupt departure the other night.

Tugging at the hem of my dress, I start to feel even more nerves creep up inside of me.

Tonight, I chose a little black dress that clings to me in all the right places. I’m definitely out of my element when it comes to dressing up, but I feel the need to impress him. Cole is a man of culture and taste, something that I’m not used to, at all.

Checking my hair one last time in the mirror by the front door, I notice it looks a little careless compared to the rest of my outfit.

Grabbing the brush quickly, I try to quickly fix it in a way that looks presentable.

Knock. Knock.

Shit. . . Too late.

The sound of Cole's hand thumping on my door sends chills through my spine.

Checking the time on my phone, it seems that he’s precisely on time. I can’t be mad at that.

Trying my best not to trip in my black heels, I go to the door and fling it open, “Wow, someone’s punctual,” I say jokingly as I see Cole, dressed even better than the last time .

"Oh, my god, you look incredible," Cole nervously chokes out, admiring me from head to toe.

My body heats to it s core as my face flushes and I tuck my hair behind my ear, "Thank you. You look nice, too."

Nice?

If he only knew how my body aches for him, hell, practically screams for him to take me. . . All of me.

He's like a dream, something so real and yet so far away.

"Do you need a jacket?" Cole smiles and motions over my shoulder to the coat rack, and I nod.

"Oh, yes, let me just grab a shawl." I race over the rack and tug off a coal-gray shawl, draping it over my shoulders.

The weather is warm this time of year, but the nights can be chilly.

"Excellent, right this way." Cole holds the door for me, and I follow him out of the building.

Nerves and excitement course through my body as I watch him walk, "So, where are we going for dinner?"

"Oh, I hope you like it," Cole flashes me a flirty smile, "It's called The Cat's Tail; it's the only five-star restaurant in town."

Five-star?

Is he trying to butter me up? New s flash, no need. You already have me in the palm of your hand, you just don’t know it yet.

"Oh, that sounds lovely." I tug at my shawl as I follow him to his car.

Being the gentleman that he is, Cole opens the car door for me, allowing me to slide in before closing it for me.

We drive across town to the cute little restaurant. It’s placed beside a sweet little pond. This is the perfect romantic spot for a first date. Out front sits a big white stone fountain with illuminating lamps surrounding it.

Immediately, as we enter, there's a sense of comfort and class. Dark corners are lit by candlelight, and soft violins play over speakers throughout the space.

"Ah, yes, Mr. Harrison, how lovely to see you again. I see you have a reservation. We’ve seated you by the window. Will that be alright?" The hostess bats her long lashes at Cole.

"Yes, Camille, that would be lovely." Cole takes my hand, gently guiding me through the restaurant.

"Here you are, sir and madam. Can I get you anything to drink? Some champagne?" Ca mil l e gives me a genuine smile, and my nerves kick in.

Is this even real life?

As sad as it is to think, I've never felt so special in all my life.

My past relationships were a total disaster. All of them were my age, or younger, and they only ever cared about partying, other women, or pizza and beer. They never cared about spending time with me, or listening to me, they usually just had one thing on their mind.

To have a silver fox like Cole see something in me, let alone want to take me out on a date to a fancy dinner. . . It’s just mind boggling . I shouldn’t be sitting here questioning these things, I should be enjoying my time alone with Cole.

Now, I have an entire five-star restaurant at my fingertips. Looking around, I notice how every woman is in very expensive high end dresses.

If it wasn't so exciting and intriguing, I might feel out of place, but Cole is starting to make me feel like I deserve good things in life. There’s something about him that screams comfort. Why should I always suffer?

" Champagne would be great, thank you," Cole tells the hostess as he pulls my chair out for me.

"Thank you." I blush as I scoot into my chair.

First the car door, and now the chair. I've never had a man do these things for me before; it's something I've only ever seen in movies.

As we sit, waiting for our drinks to arrive, I think back on a few times a man would bring me out to a nice dinner, nice being anywhere other than fast food. They would always expect things from me just because they paid for a meal that I could have paid for myself.

Will Cole expect that from me?

I mean, I’m so attracted to him, and I would happily do it, but I want it to be mutual, not something that is just expected of me because he paid for a meal.

I don't know what to expect or what he wants from me.

Cole is not at all what I'm used to; he's such a gentleman. The time ticks away in what feels like brief moments as we converse and sip our drinks. Cole orders for us, something that would usually annoy me, but I trust him to know what’s good here.

Once our food arrives, I’m elated. Everything looks so fancy, so delicious. I almost don’t even want to dig in. I don’t want to mess up this masterpiece.

Our conversation continue s as we eat and this feels like second nature now. Like I've known him my whole life.

Cole makes me laugh. He makes me feel good about myself, and I wonder what the hell I've been doing all this time.

The bar of my standards is below low, and here is a man willing to pick it up and hang it on the moon for me.

How could I not fall for someone like him?

Everything about Cole is impressive. He's all I ever wanted and more.

"You're different from everyone I've ever known," my words come out before I realize I'm speaking.

"Oh? Do explain." Cole laughs as he sips from his cup.

I consider my words carefully. "Something about you makes me feel safe. You have a savior's presence."

Cole blushes as I turn away, lifting my champagne flute to my lips.

A savior is a great word to describe it, but there's something almost commanding about his protective and affectionate nature.

I nearly choke on my own thoughts.

"I hope to always make you feel safe, Naia." Cole clears his throat, "And on that note, let's take an evening stroll."

Cole pays the bill and leads me out of the restaurant, his hand on my lower back sending chills to my core.

He notices me shivering and places his jacket over my shoulders, along with his arm, “here, I’ll keep you warm.”

At that moment, I want him to keep that promise, for the rest of my life.

"This spot is special to me; what do you think?"Cole says as we approach a small bench near a babbling creek.

This place is gorgeous and picture-perfect, "It's magnificent."

My heart warms as I notice the moon's reflection on the water's surface.

Cole's finger traces down my back as he leads me to the bench. The romantic vibes pull me in a direction I've never known.

"What do you feel? What do you see?" Cole's voice is almost a whisper.

This place is beautiful, but something in his tone gives me a sense of urgency as if he expects me to say something magical, something that will make sense of our intense feelings.

"Oh, I don't know," I turn away from him, "It's really nice, and I like being here with you."

Cole nods and takes a deep breath, "Do you feel like you belong here?"

I have no idea what he could be leading to, but I answer him honestly, "Since setting foot in Reece Point, I've felt it was as if it were my home all along. Like I've been searching for it and finally found my way."

I don't know what compels me to say this or where these words come from, but I know it’s true.

Cole smiles and gently kisses the back of my hand. He seems delighted by my answer, and that causes my heart to thump dangerously in my chest.

"Really? That's incredible." Cole's hand squeezes mine.

"It's as if whatever I've been searching for all along is right here, in front of me." I clear my throat and look away, worried I may have said too much.

"Naia, as long as you are here with me, I'll never let anything bad happen to you. You can find a home here." Cole leans back beside me, and we look at the creek.

We sit in comfortable silence, listening to the magic of the night as the water trickles by before a chill takes the air, and I shiver.

"Let's get you home." Cole rubs my shoulders and leads me away from his special spot.

As we draw nearer to my apartment, a sense of urgency courses through me.

I don't want the night to end.

"Here you are." Cole beams as we approach my front door.

I'm desperate to keep him closer to me, "Will you come up?"

My eyes flick to Cole's, and his cheeks redden.

I don't know what I'm thinking or what I am doing, but I am ready to throw caution into the wind.