I'm Sorry, Who's Your Mate?

*Bonus Chapter*

Conrad stayed for the next hour or so before he went upstairs to join Paige and help her finish packing. I resumed my work and before I knew it, it was close to six and I had just about finished all my work. Scrambling up, I restacked all the files and shut the computer I’d been working on down. I’d had the thought to leave an extra change of clothes in the guest bedroom because I knew Paige would want the bedroom to herself to get ready.

I spent the next half hour getting ready for my date while also putting the finishing touches on everything. I called the restaurant and made sure my request was noted and that everything was going according to plan before finally getting dressed. By the time I was done it was nearing six. Upstairs, I could hear Paige and Nora laughing while music played in the background. I waited at the bottom of the stairs, wanting to be as traditional as possible. After waiting another ten minutes, Nora came down the stairs with an eager smile on her face.

“You’re going to be blown away.” She grinned.

“I have no doubt about that.” I murmured back.

And boy was she right.

Paige was dressed to the nines with a tight but classy black dress that displayed her creamy arms and legs. Her hair was curled and left down, done in that sexily messed up fashion. She wore no accessories other than the thin silver bracelet encrusted with diamonds that I’d given her for her birthday the month before. Paige looked absolutely stunning. And positively sexy. I had to think of gross thoughts to make sure my lower region refrained from stirring.

“You clean up well.” She murmured when she reached me. She was positively glowing with an inner light.

“I could say the same for you.” I brushed a curl away from her face before stepping back. “Since I really want this to be as traditional as possible seeing as how we’ve never really had a first date…”

I trailed off and headed for the front door. Paige stared at me in confusion as I opened the door and stepped out, shutting the door behind me. I took a deep breath and grabbed what I’d hidden on the porch before ringing the doorbell. A moment later, Paige opened the door with a smile on her face. She laughed when she saw the singe rose I held in my hand.

“I’ll admit, that is very cute.” Paige chuckled and wrapped her arms around my shoulders.

“Thank you. I thought of it all by myself.” I stated, grinning smugly in Nora’s direction. She glared at me and not so nicely, stuck a certain finger in my direction. “Just between you and me, your friend isn’t very nice.” I whispered in Paige’s ear, knowing Nora could hear me, and heard Conrad laugh loudly as he came in from the kitchen.

“Just between you and me,” Paige whispered back. “Your friend is an idiot.”

This time Nora laughed loudly while Conrad scowled.

“It’s official, we have weird friends.” I proclaimed loudly while pulling Paige down the porch steps and toward the car.

“Hush up. Have fun you two! Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do!” Conrad yelled out.

“Which is nothing.” Nora muttered sardonically.

I took Paige to the best Italian restaurant in town since it was her favorite type of food. I can honestly say we have something similar to pasta every week whether it be lasagna, chicken alfredo, or just traditional spaghetti and meatballs. Since I wasn’t in the habit of denying my mate anything that she enjoyed, I went along with her eating regimen without complaint. Needless to say, it took Paige nearly a half hour to decide what she wanted as most of the menu appealed to her.

Even though we were both dressed for the high end, sophisticated restaurant I couldn’t help but feel a little out of place. Judging from the slight stiffness in her shoulders, Paige felt the same way. Quickly trying to ease the uncomfortable feeling creeping upon our dinner, I started up one of our favorite games that basically came down to making up stories for every person around us. Was it childish? Yes. By the end of our meal, however, the tension had completely disappeared from Paige’s body and we were both laughing until we were red in the face.