*Zara*
A light smile crossed my face as I reached out and placed a gentle hand on Bridgette’s shoulder. “I understand,” I said softly.
“Yeah. I really am worried about the heartbreak it could bring,” Bridgette confessed, staring off at the wall. She blinked slowly, then focused on with a light frown.
“I know. There is definitely a chance of heartbreak. But you won’t know if you don’t get out there.”
“True. But I could avoid the feelings if I just stay in here.”
Her tone was light-hearted as opposed to stubborn, and I let out a soft chuckle.
“But you don’t really want to do that, do you?” I asked.
“Not at all.”
“Good. You may be shy, but I also see confidence in you, Bridgette,” I said firmly. “This is all worth the risk if Sawyer is the one for you.”
“You really think so?”
“I know so,” I said. “And if he isn’t, well, it isn’t the end of the world. He isn’t the last guy in the world, after all. There’s always a chance to et soone new.”
“But not if I stay lying in bed.”
“Now you’re getting it. Let help you get ready so we can have lunch at Sawyer’s restaurant. How does that sound?”
She gulped but nodded, eventually getting herself up out of bed and making her way to her wardrobe. We went through a few dresses until she ca upon a pretty light pink one.
“How does this look?” she asked.
“Wonderful. That one of your favorites?”
“Yes. How’d you know?”
“You went back to it a lot and were eyeing it frequently,” I explained.
“Oh. You have an eye for detail.”
“It cos with the job!” I smiled.
I helped her pick out so makeup she wanted to wear. We took a while to decide which perfu would fit for her best, but after that, we were all set.
We made our way to Sawyer’s restaurant without a problem. I chatted with Bridgette on the way there, often reassuring her that we were doing the right thing.
When we caught sight of the restaurant, she tensed. “It’s too late to go back now, I guess?”
“You bet it is,” I said. “Co on. Your future awaits.”
When we entered the restaurant, Bridgette focused on a man who ca out of the door to the kitchen and smiled at her.
“Oh, hello Bridgette,” he said. He looked at and the warriors with . “Friends of yours?”
“Y-yes. Hi Sawyer,” she said. “I told them all about how great the food here is because of you as the cook, and I wanted to show them myself.”
“Is that so? You’re so thoughtful!” he said in a warm tone. “Let set you up properly, alright?” He whistled, and soon, a concierge escorted us to a special table.
I noticed how it was set aside and out of the way, dimly lit up by candlelight and with very fancy decor. I made sure to sit out of the way so Sawyer would have a clear view of Bridgette, but close enough to speak with her, of course.
I leaned over and whispered as we were served water, “This is quite the special treatnt from Sawyer, isn’t it?”
Bridgette blushed slightly but shook her head. “It’s just because I’m the Alpha’s daughter.”
“That can’t be true. Being the Alpha’s daughter doesn’t earn you automatic special treatnt. You think he’s the kind of guy to do that?”
“Well, no,” she confessed, rubbing the back of her neck and reaching to take a sip of her water.
“It’s okay to notice and hope,” I said to her softly, giving a wink.
“I don’t want to hope too much. I really do hope you’re right, though.” She swallowed, and I could tell she was nervous.
“You’ve got this. I know it.”
At my encouragent, she smiled, her shoulders relaxing sowhat as she reached for so bread on the table. I was glad she was able to let go at least a little bit.
Soon, none other than Sawyer ca to take our order, which was sothing I noticed imdiately. He didn’t focus on at all. He wasn’t rude, but he wasn’t spending much ti on .
With Bridgette, though, things were different.
He stared at her as if she was the only one at the table. There was a spark in his eye, one of longing. When I noticed it, I felt my heart leap.
“What tickles your fancy, Bridgette?” he asked in a cheerful tone.
“Oh! Uh, the clams in the wine sauce look really good.”
“You have wonderful taste!” he exclaid. “I love making that. It’s always a treat that warms my belly.”
“I appreciate the complint very much.”
“Of course! Hey, I’ll throw in so cheesy garlic bread for you too. Think you’ll have room for dessert? I have an idea of sothing to give you on the house!”
“On the house? But–”
“Yeah! Though I won’t bombard you with that now. I get over excited when soone delightful visits this place to try my food. I really hope you like it. Anyway, clams... wine sauce... perfect.”
As they talked, I paid close attention to them, trying to focus on my powers and see if there were any threads forming between them, even the tiniest hint.
Unfortunately, I didn’t notice anything, not even a glimr. But upon further thought, I realized that made sense. Bridgette didn’t have her wolf yet, so the threads wouldn’t form.
When the order was taken, the chef made his way back to the kitchen. Bridgette turned toward , an anxious look on her face.
“What do you think?” she asked nervously. “I blew it, didn’t I? Or did I? Did things work out?”
“Well, it takes more than ten minutes to tell,” I said with a smile. “But I’ll be honest... so far, so good.”
“Really? Was he truly interested in ? He did seem to be talking a lot during orders.”
“I noticed that too, as well as the way he looked at you.” I gave Bridgette a soft smile. “It was like you were the only one at this table. His eyes were fixed on you.”
“Oh, I thought that was just my imagination,” she said, blush flooding her cheeks.
I giggled and shook my head, reaching out to pat her on the shoulder. “Not at all. I noticed it too, trust .”
Bridgette bead at , and from there, we spoke a bit more about her hobbies. She was relaxed about giving information, which was such a relief and a good change from what I’d dealt with lately.
“One of my more interesting hobbies is candy making. It’s ironic because it fits well with a chef.”
“You’re right. It does,” I said. “What’s your favorite type of candy to make?”
“Chocolates... there’s a way to get the recipe just right, and I have the resources to do that.”
“Does Sawyer know you like chocolates?”
“Yeah, but I’ve never given him any of the candies I’ve made. I’m too shy.”
“You should change that soti.”
She nodded and opened her mouth to respond but was interrupted when the food was brought out to us, again by Sawyer. He gave Bridgette a dazzling smile.
“Enjoy the food. I really hope you like it, Bridgette,” he said.
“Thank you so much,” she replied.
From there, we dug in. Bridgette took her ti eating her al, savoring every bite. I could tell she was in heaven, which made my heart leap happily.
I’d ordered sothing a bit simpler for lunch... a regular sandwich with bacon, lettuce, and tomato. I added so ketchup to it, then a bit more, so mustard too. Then I thought I’d add so salt, then more ketchup.
I blinked, chuckling and realizing I was having cravings because of the baby. This would be an interesting sandwich.
At Bridgette’s curious look, I explained, “Pregnancy can lead to weird eating habits.”
She chuckled and nodded, proceeding to continue to devour her al like a hungry wolf. When we finished, it was ti for dessert.
Sawyer definitely knew that Bridgette liked chocolate because a mousse cake was brought out in front of her, which caused her to gasp. “This looks divine!” she muttered.
I nodded, very impressed by the on-the-house dessert the chef had made for her. Confidence surged through that they definitely had a connection.
It would only strengthen, I realized, and I could help with that. I smiled, watching her savor the cake as well, digging in and not leaving a bit of it behind, aside from a clean spoon she offered to try, which I obliged. I took the bite and humd happily as the rich taste of chocolate filled my tongue.
No wonder she was wolfing down that cake... it was delicious.
“He is such a good chef,” Bridgette said in a dreamy tone, causing to smile brightly.
“You should go tell him that. Head over to the kitchen and give Sawyer your complints.”
She frowned, rubbing the back of her neck. “Won’t that interrupt him?”
“It will definitely be a well-appreciated interruption,” I insisted. “Trust . Go on, do it! This is your chance to praise sothing he is passionate about, sothing you clearly enjoyed.”
After a pause, she nodded, her eyes sparkling with a newfound sense of courage. She got up from the table and made her way to the kitchen.
I sat there, leaning back in my chair and relaxing, reflecting on everything that happened. The way Sawyer looked at Bridgette, how he spoke with her, and everything else told all I needed to know.
Could my attempt to bring two people together finally be working out for a change?
Lately it had been heartbreak after heartbreak, with one bad job after another. I hadn’t been given the information I’d needed to match Gray properly.
In this case, though, Bridgette offered it freely. It wasn’t like pulling teeth, which was such a relief. Hope billowed within that this would work out for the best.
But that hope turned to worry as I realized how long Bridgette was taking. It had been fifteen minutes, and I wondered if things had gone wrong.
My stomach twisted in concern at that thought because things seed to inevitably go wrong lately.
Deciding to check on her, I got up from the table and headed toward the kitchen. My anxiety mounted the closer I got to it.
But when I got there and peered into the window, what I saw made my heart leap with joy.
Bridgette was completely lip-locked with Sawyer. They had definitely hit it off, and I sighed in relief. The feeling of happiness washed over , and I couldn’t help but grin from ear to ear.
I returned to our table, waiting for her until she got back. When she returned, she gave a wonderfully radiant smile.
“You are amazing, Zara. Thank you so, so much,” she said with a gasp.
I smiled, standing up and pushing my chair in, getting ready to conclude this very successful lunch. “I didn’t do anything but take you to lunch,” I said softly.
Bridgette gave a laugh and approached , leaning in and wrapping her arms around in a very friendly hug.
I returned it, feeling warmth flow through at such a kind gesture.
“You did so much more than that, Zara,” Bridgette said, “so much more than that.”
Reviews
All reviews (0)