Chapter 3 - THE SHADOW OF THE CITY
By the time dessert arrived, Leo had consumed three breadsticks, rejected the asparagus as "suspiciously green," and fallen back asleep with his head resting against Adrien’s jacket, which Adrien had quietly folded into a pillow and placed on the velvet bench beside him.
I leaned back, swirling the remainder of my wine, watching the way Adrien’s long fingers casually traced the edge of his glass.
"You counted, didn't you?" I asked.
"Counted what?"
"How many times I apologized tonight."
"Ten," Adrien said calmly. "You apologized for being late, for your shoes, for Leo's questions, for the breadcrumbs, for the water spill, and five times for taking up my time."
"That's unsettling," I muttered. "Why are you keeping score?"
"Occupational habit. I keep track of details."
I looked past him to the two security guards, who hadn't shifted their stance in two hours. "Which brings me to my next question. What exactly is your occupation, Adrien? You don't look like a tax attorney."
The atmosphere at the table shifted instantly. The air grew slightly colder, the easy warmth in Adrien's eyes cooling into something guarded and impenetrable.
"I manage investments," he said slowly. "Real estate. Logistics. Shipping. Complicated things."
"Complicated things," I repeated. "That sounds aggressively legal."
He let out a short, quiet laugh. "It is legal, Maya. You don't need to worry."
"I'm not worried about me," I said, glancing at Leo’s sleeping face. "I'm just careful. I have to be."
Adrien’s expression softened again, the guarded wall slipping down just enough for me to see the intent behind his eyes. "Tell me about him."
I took a deep breath, looking down at my hands. "His parents—my sister Sara and her husband—died in a car crash on I-90 two years ago. Leo was three. One night I was just his fun aunt who bought him ice cream, and the next morning I was doing funeral arrangements and filling out custody papers."
"Family stepped in?" Adrien asked quietly.
"Relatives offered temporary fixes. 'We can take him for the summer,' 'We can hold onto him until you get settled.' Nobody offered forever." I met Adrien’s gaze squarely. "So I did. I opened my hair salon, paid my lease, learned how to handle pediatric night terrors, and became his mom. I didn't have time to ask if I was ready. I just had to be."
Adrien stared at me for a long moment. There was no pity in his face—only a deep, profound respect that made my chest ache.
Outside, the valet brought my beat-up silver SUV to the curb, parking it right behind Adrien’s sleek, armored black sedan. Adrien walked me to my driver’s side door, holding Leo in his arms as effortlessly as if he were carrying a bag of groceries.
He placed Leo gently into his car seat, buckling the harness with practiced precision, before turning to me.
He looked down at the silver duct tape holding my passenger mirror together.
"Don't," I warned, pointing a finger at him.
"I didn't say a word," Adrien replied, his hands slipping into his pant pockets.
"You looked at it."
"It has duct tape, Maya."
"It has personality," I corrected.
Adrien smiled, stepping closer until the scent of his expensive cedarwood cologne wrapped around me. "Next Friday."
I blinked. "What?"
"Next Friday. Dinner again. Somewhere with fewer chandeliers and better oatmeal."
"You want another date?" I asked, genuinely shocked. "Even after the bare feet, the bodyguards, and the shark debates?"
"Yes."
May you like
"Are you sure?"
"Not at all," Adrien said smoothly, opening my car door for me. "But I am thoroughly interested."
