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Chapter Five - Double Trouble


As soon as I step through the short hallway I'm greeted by the sight of an open space. The sitting room is to my right where two arm chairs and a couch are placed by a fireplace, a glass coffee table in between them and a bookshelf beside the couch. The floor to ceiling length windows make up the edges of the penthouse and provide a stunning view of the city's skyline.

I see the kitchen and marvel at the spotless white cabinets and marble tiles, the large window perfectly placed to let natural light in. There's a wooden kitchen island in the middle with a white marble counter top, shelves at both edges and green cushioned chairs lined up neatly on one side.

Seeing my interest, Hunter proceeds to give me a tour. As we walk through two large sliding doors the interior becomes warmer. We reach the dining room with the large table in the middle, another floor to ceiling length window to my right. Hunter jokes about everything in his apartment and I can tell that he realizes how flashy everything is. But with how successful of a lawyer he is it's no wonder that he would have a beautiful place to call home.

As we walk through another hallway, I see the more private sitting room through the glass double doors and it's a lot cosier than the first one. With a warm decor and a fireplace, I love how intimate it is with its brown leather couches and armchairs. There are two grand bookshelves filled with books, ornaments and awards. A flat screen TV is also embedded into one of them.

There's three bedrooms, each with their own outdoor seating area that acts as a long wraparound balcony. The rooms are minimally decorated and two of them have king sized beds whereas the other has twin beds. I marvel at how pretty the city looks from up here, especially in the night.

As we walk back, Hunter shows me the last feature of the penthouse which is an outdoor seating area that is separate from the balcony attached to the bedrooms. There's a large stone pillar holding up a canopy that covers a lounge area and picnic table underneath.

"This place is beautiful!" I whisper in awe of the bustling city below as I look down from the balcony.

"You don't think it's a little too much?" He teases which makes me laugh.

"Pretty nice for a hotshot lawyer." I tease back and watch his ocean eyes sparkle with delight.

"Come on, I'll order dinner while we work on your project." He grins as we head back inside. "Chinese okay?"

"Yes, thank you." I smile gratefully, literally starving as the last thing I had was that coffee with Hunter.

I take a seat on the couch before powering on my laptop. We end up working into the early hours of the morning with Hunter asking numerous questions about my work, what my project is based on, what certain terms mean and much more. I must admit that I find his interest quite sweet. But eventually, around two in the morning, he fails to stay awake and ends up falling asleep behind me on the couch.

It doesn't take long for me to follow.



***



"What did we do on our first date?" Hunter quizzes me as we rush out of the college building.

"Hunter, I highly doubt they'll ask that!" I sigh heavily as I all but throw my things into the backseat of his car.

"We need to be prepared for anything!" He states firmly as he starts the car and merges in with the traffic. "One mistake and it's game over!"

"Ugh! Movie and dinner." I reply and he nods in satisfaction.

As soon as we woke up he's been telling me of what to say on this fake date we're going on this evening. From shouting across the hallway in his apartment to whispering while we wait outside my supervisor's office it's been nonstop. I'm pretty sure I'll be just fine if someone asks about us.

"Where did I grow up?" He asks while I unwrap my burger. While I was meeting with my supervisor Hunter had run out to grab us some food.

"On your family ranch in Dallas, Texas."

As he drives back to his apartment he continues to quiz me. I had told him I have a dress for the date and that I can meet him at the restaurant but he refused and told me that he has everything ready. When we finally reach his apartment and he quickly ushers me into the room I see that he's bought a dress, shoes and accessories to match. As soon as I thank him he's out the door and ordering me to hurry.

I get dressed quickly and to my surprise, everything fits perfectly. I'm wearing a red dress that has a square neckline with thin straps. The skirt is asymmetric with frills and is longer in the back than the front. The dress is slightly backless too and reveals much of my upper back. I put the black heels on and the minimal jewelry Hunter had picked. Putting on light makeup with a nude lip, I style my hair up in a bun with a few strands framing my face. It's the best I could do with how much time I had and thankfully, I really like the look.

I step out of the room with my clutch and make my way to the front door where I see Hunter waiting. He looks incredibly handsome dressed in a grey sweater, black pants and shoes. He looks up from his phone and a grin settles on his lips as his eyes roam every inch of me. I squirm, solely because of the intensity of his gaze.

"Do I look okay or...?"

"You look amazing." He smiles boyishly and I find myself blushing as he takes my hand.

We make our way downstairs and get into his car again. It doesn't take us long to reach the restaurant and as soon as I catch sight of the building I feel thankful that Hunter had picked out an outfit for me. The restaurant screams luxury and fine dining which is confirmed when we enter and are greeted by the expensive looking decoration.

We're immediately led to a table where a blonde-haired woman with deep green eyes sits. She's slender and stunning with her delicate features. Her skin is flawless and I refrain from wondering what her skin regime is before focusing on the man next to her. He has dark brown hair with grey eyes and freckles dotted across his cheeks. He's very cute if I must admit but a certain blonde haired, blue eyed devil has been running circles in my mind.

"Hunter!" He grins widely before standing to hug him. "It's good to see you!"

"You too, this is my girlfriend Zoe." He smiles down at me and I feel his hand press against my back. "Zoe, this is Cory. He's a good friend of mine."

"Hi Cory, it's lovely to meet you."

"Likewise, this is my beautiful fiancee Jordan." He replies and I lean over to hug and greet her.

"I'm so happy to finally meet you! Hunter has talked about you so much!" She grins and her eyes sparkle with excitement as we take our seats.

"Has he now?" I smirk in amusement as I glance at Hunter who only smiles innocently at me in response.

"Of course! I can see why he's kept you all to himself for a while!" She teases and I laugh along as the waiter comes to give us our menus.

We order our meals and drinks before resuming the conversation. Apparently, Cory and Hunter both started at the same law firm and have been close friends for a few years now. But just three years ago Cory relocated to the United Kingdom where he met Jordan. They're back now to start afresh in Manhattan.

"So, how long have you guys been dating for?" He asks curiously as he takes a sip of his wine.

"Six months." I say just as Hunter replies with "Two years."

We turn to each other with wide eyes before he fake laughs and tucks me into his side. "It feels like I've known this one for years. Doesn't it, darlin'?

I chuckle albeit in confusion as I turn to whisper in his ear while Jordan and Cory seem occupied. "How the hell did you go from six months to two years?!"

"I'm..." He yawns discreetly and adorably might I add. "Sleepy. Plus, they bought it."

I shake my head at him but can't help the amused smile that blooms across my lips. He grins handsomely and squeezes my hand that he hasn't let go of ever since we entered the restaurant. It makes my tummy flip but I force myself to not think too much into it. This is just a favor.

The double date goes well but me and Hunter do have some more slip ups that nearly cost us our cover that we spent so many hours trying to perfect. Thankfully, Cory and Jordan are oblivious to it. I connected well with Jordan especially as we chatted throughout the night. Turns out she loves photography too and has worked for some famous magazines, companies and celebrities. I'm surprised I never heard of her before since I'm in the same industry.

Around eleven at night, after an amazing dessert, we finally decide to head home. Cory and Jordan are a little tipsy so Hunter offers to drop them to their hotel. But they refuse and state that they've called a taxi. Jordan and I exchange numbers and I nod enthusiastically when she tells me to call or text her anytime if I need help or some girl time.

We bid them goodbye with one last hug before leaving the restaurant. It's chilly outside and I wrap my arms around myself as we make our way to the parking lot. I can't wait to take off my makeup and have a hot shower before bed tonight.

"We were horrible in there!" I mutter as we walk towards his car

"You didn't enjoy our first date?!" Hunter gasps in mock outrage with a hand over his heart. "I felt like we bonded so well!"

"Over lies?" I retort incredulously and watch him grin devilishly. "That was the worst date I've ever been on. Next time ask someone else."

"You're lying! This can't be the worst, name another horrible date you've been on."

I remain silent and instead stare at the ground as if it's the most interesting thing I've ever seen. Unfortunately, Hunter catches on and stops me by grabbing my elbow. He tilts my chin up with his index finger as his ocean blues search my emerald ones.

"You've never been on a date before?" He asks softly with a tender look in his eyes.

I shrug halfheartedly as my cheeks heat in embarrassment. "I was always focused on my studies and besides, everyone thinks my sister is prettier anyways."

"I think you're pretty."

My eyes widen and I look up to see him staring at me with complete seriousness. Blushing, I tuck a strand of hair behind my ear and mutter a low "thank you."

"Well, forget this evening because we're going to have our official first date on...Saturday?" He trails off uncertainly with his brows raised in question.

"Hunter, you don't have to –" I laugh but am quickly interrupted.

"Trust me, I want to." He wraps an arm around my waist and pulls me flush against his chest. The intensity of his eyes makes me swallow harshly. "Let me take you on a date, Red. I promise you won't regret it."

I stare at him for a long moment, mainly because I'm speechless. A date won't hurt anyone, will it? I think to myself as I lean more and more towards agreeing.

"Okay." I finally nod and watch as a happy smile blooms across his lips.

"It's a date then."






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