The second date was held at a sleek, trendy restaurant uptown — the kind with dim lights, soft jazz, and menus that didn't list prices.
Serena Vale arrived right on time, stunning in a simple black dress that hugged her figure and heels that could probably kill a man if she tried hard enough.
Damon Cross was already seated when she arrived, dark and dangerous in a charcoal suit that looked criminally good on him.
He stood politely as she approached — a small victory for Lila, who was hiding two tables away pretending to study the wine list.
Be normal, Lila mentally begged him.
Smile. Talk. No corporate murder vibes.
To her surprise, Damon actually smiled — a real one this time, slight but genuine — and pulled out Serena's chair.
Serena beamed.
A good start.
They ordered drinks.
They made small talk.
And for the first twenty minutes, Damon behaved.
Polite. Attentive. Even charming in his gruff, reluctant way.
It was a miracle.
Serena leaned forward at one point, laughing warmly at something he said — Lila couldn't hear what — and touched his arm lightly.
Damon didn't flinch.
He smiled, even.
See? Lila thought triumphantly. Progress!
Except...
Across the table, Damon's mind was somewhere else entirely.
Serena was beautiful.
She was smart, witty, and perfectly poised.
On paper, she was everything a man in his position should want.
So why the hell was he thinking about spilled coffee, off-key whistling, and a certain messy-haired girl who didn't know how to sit still?
Damon sipped his wine, forcing himself to focus as Serena spoke about a charity gala she was organizing.
It wasn't her fault he was distracted.
She was doing everything right.
He wasn't.
Halfway through her story about a fundraising event, Damon caught himself glancing around the restaurant.
His eyes landed on Lila — huddled behind a massive menu, peeking over the top like a terrible spy.
She caught his eye and quickly ducked behind her menu, knocking over a water glass in the process.
Damon felt an absurd smile tug at his mouth.
Serena noticed.
"You seem distracted," she said, her tone light but curious.
Damon blinked, forcing his attention back to her.
"Sorry," he said smoothly. "Long week."
Serena smiled understandingly and kept talking.
But something inside Damon had already shifted.
He wasn't supposed to notice Lila.
He wasn't supposed to want to notice her.
This whole arrangement was ridiculous.
Temporary.
Meaningless.
And yet, when Serena excused herself to the restroom, Damon found himself looking back at the clumsy little disaster crouched behind the world's largest menu, trying to wipe up the water with napkins.
His chest ached with something unfamiliar and deeply, deeply inconvenient.
You're losing your damn mind, he thought grimly.
Meanwhile.
Lila was ready to throw herself off a balcony.
Damon had smiled.
Had been polite.
Had listened — at least until his stupidly handsome face started drifting into "bored CEO" mode.
But at least he hadn't scared Serena away.
That was a win, right?
Right?
She watched Serena glide back to the table, laughing at something Damon said.
They looked good together.
Polished. Perfect.
The kind of couple you saw in glossy magazines — not clumsy middle-class girls who worked two jobs to stay afloat.
Lila smiled to herself, bittersweet but proud.
If this worked, she could finish her mission early.
Get her paycheck.
Pay off the looming problem without dragging her family into it.
Everything would go back to normal.
Normal was safe.
Normal was good.
Wasn't it?
Later that night.
Back at his penthouse, Damon stood in front of the massive windows overlooking the city.
The date had gone fine.
On paper.
Serena had even suggested they meet again soon.
Damon had agreed, because it was the logical thing to do.
The right thing.
So why was he standing here, wine untouched in his hand, wondering if a certain stubborn florist had gotten home safe?
He cursed under his breath and set the glass down.
This was ridiculous.
He didn't want Lila Hart.
She was chaos.
She was loud and stubborn and messy and —
And she made him feel things he had spent years carefully burying.
Dangerous things.
Things he couldn't afford.
Damon exhaled slowly, closing his eyes.
Tomorrow was another day.
Another date.
Another checkmark on Lila's stupid little list.
He would behave.
He would forget about the girl with fire in her eyes and kindness in her hands.
He had to.
Because if he didn't...
He wasn't sure he'd survive it.