He's her boyfriend. He should be having dinner with her, not me.
And I should be having dinner with the guy waiting for me inside. Why can't I just be happy with Tanner? Why do I keep wanting what I can't have?
Chapter Nine
Sophie
It's court day and I arrived an hour early, not wanting to risk being late. I've been pacing the hallway, waiting for my time to appear in front of the judge. I still can't believe this is happening. I've never had to appear in court before. My extent of involvement with the police has been three speeding tickets, which I paid by mail. How could one water bottle falling out my window result in having to appear in court?
"You're early."
My pulse quickens the moment I hear the smooth deep sound of his voice.
"Aiden," I say, turning to face him. He's wearing a dark gray suit with a white shirt and gray necktie. His hair looks freshly cut and his face is shaved smooth. He looks hot. Sophisticated. Beyond handsome.
My heart beats even faster and I have to force myself to look away. I glance behind him. "Where's Celine?"
"She couldn't make it. I called you before I left to see if you wanted a ride but I got your voicemail."
"You called me?" I check my phone. It's full of messages but I thought they were all from Bianca. She kept calling me on the drive up here but the service is spotty so her calls kept going to voicemail. I see Aiden's call way down on the list. "Sorry, I didn't see it."
"It's fine. You'd probably already left when I called."
"I did," I say, checking the time. "I left early so I wouldn't be late." I put my phone in my purse. "So what happened with Celine? Did she have to work?"
"She didn't want to miss her yoga class."
"Oh," I say, surprised. "Didn't she already know she'd be missing it when she made plans to come here with you?"
"She thought we'd be leaving later in the morning. She didn't realize it was a four hour drive."
I don't buy it. That's something she could've easily looked up. I think Celine knew all along she wasn't coming here. She only said she was to keep me from accepting Aiden's offer to give me a ride. She didn't want us spending all that time together in the car.
"Are you heading back after the court hearing?" I ask.
"I haven't decided."
"I suppose there's not really a reason to stay now that your romantic weekend isn't happening," I say with a nervous laugh. I'm not sure why I'm nervous. It's not Aiden making me nervous but myself. I'm nervous I'll do or say something to give away how much I like him. Just being around him has me feeling breathless.
"Celine wants me back for a dinner party her parents are hosting tonight. It starts at seven, and with Friday traffic, I'd have to leave as soon as we're done here, which I'd rather not do."
"Then maybe you should stay. You already have a room, right?"
"Actually, I don't. Celine booked it for the wrong weekend. That's another reason she decided not to come. I told her we could drive to another town to get a place but..." He looks down, rubbing his jaw.
He seems frustrated, and maybe a little angry. I would be too if I'd planned a romantic night with my significant other only to have them cancel at the last minute.
It's obvious Celine never planned to come here. Booking the inn for the wrong night? Celine would never do that. She's a perfectionist, like Bianca. She double and triple checks every detail to make sure it's right, which I know after having to work with her the past week. She demands everything be perfect, even the tiniest detail, like how the napkins are folded for this client dinner she's planning. There's no way she'd book the wrong night at the inn. She did it so Aiden wouldn't have a place to stay tonight, so he'd go back to New York and not be here with me.
"I guess I'll just head back," Aiden says.
"You could check with Tom. Maybe there was a cancellation."
"You want me to stay?" he asks with a smile.
I shrug. "You don't have to but it'd be nice to have a dinner companion. It's either you or the book I'm reading, and although the book is good, I'd rather have you." I feel my cheeks warm as I realize how flirtatious that sounded.