Chapter 15

15

" W here are we going?" I asked as Noah pulled into a social complex. It wasn't the weekend yet, but there were dozens of people strolling about the sidewalks, ducking into shops and restaurants. This was most definitely not his neighborhood, if he even lived in one.

In my mind, he must have lived in a bachelor's mansion out in the middle of the woods where no neighbors could be seen for kilometers. Seemed like the snobbish thing to do.

"Seeing as I have no interest in cooking dinner for either of us tonight, I'm taking you for dinner before we head back to my flat." Both of his hands gripped the steering wheel with white knuckles.

His words threw me for such a loop, I couldn't even respond. In all honestly, I'd forgotten we'd long missed dinner on campus because my primary goal had been getting the new potion underway.

"That's…" I paused, searching my brain for the right word. "Thoughtful."

I couldn't bear to see his reaction to my poor response in my periphery, so I turned to watch the people as Noah drove slowly down the crowded street. Plenty of patrons were sitting outside of the restaurants, sipping on beverages and enjoying the evening with their friends. It wasn't an entirely foreign concept to me, but I'd only had evening outings with Ivy and Remy, and we typically just spent time in each other's homes.

As I continued to study the strangers basking in the evening breeze, though, I couldn't help but wonder what I was missing. Most of these people seemed pleased with their decision, the weight of stress absent from their expressions. I didn't think of myself as a stressed person, but I certainly didn't look as relaxed as those I watched out the window.

"Pizza alright?" Noah asked as he turned the car down an alley to find parking. Behind the strip of buildings, he pulled into a lot and parked so quickly, it almost gave me whiplash.

"Pizza is great," I said, hoping I sounded more grateful for the stop than I did earlier. My stomach was grumbling, and I knew I would have been miserable going back to his flat to study if I let my hunger go ignored. The idea of eating in his home felt sickening, though, so I was doubly as thankful for the stop. Pizza was a great alternative.

Noah jumped out of the car, and before I could even unbuckle my seatbelt, he was opening my door, hand outstretched. I just stared at it for a second, considering brushing it off. But that would be horribly rude, so I took his hand and allowed him to pull me from his car.

When he didn't let go of my hand and instead used our connection to guide me down the cobblestoned street, I considered that maybe his actions had a different meaning.

There were two feasible options, but only one made sense. The first—and most likely—option was that he took manners and etiquette incredibly seriously, and he would continue to treat me properly so long as we were in the public eye. He had never done so in the eight years I'd known him, but this felt as though it could be an exception.

The other option was a laughable one, but I supposed I couldn't completely remove it from the list. Noah could have been enjoying this. Enjoying the two of us away from the academy and out in public together. Just two people, not academic rivals constantly at one another's throats.

And if I let myself think on that too long, I would have to admit that, just maybe, I liked that he didn't let go of my hand. Or that I liked the way he placed his hand on my lower back after opening the restaurant door, ushering me to the hostess stand.

But that option was ridiculous, so I wouldn't dwell on it any longer. Noah was just behaving like a gentleman.

The hostess led us to a dark booth in the back of the restaurant, a corner clearly made for only two people. Noah gestured for me to take a seat, and I couldn't take my eyes off him as I slid into the cozy booth. His face was stoic, but his eyes tracked my every movement with curiosity. I hated to admit it, but now that I'd allowed myself to think of him as attractive, it was all I could see when I looked at him. The sharp jaw, strong nose, and porcelain skin. How I'd never noticed such a thing before was astounding.

And once again, I wondered if I'd missed something. For years, how did I not notice how handsome Noah Lawrence was?

Once he sat, the hostess placed our menus in front of us.

"No need." Noah handed them back to her, earning a confused look. "May we have the bruschetta and a number two? Oh, and two glasses of the Montepulciano Francesco Cirelli."

The woman nodded, her eyes lingering on Noah for longer than was probably necessary—but seriously, why did I care?—and then, she was gone.

"What's a number two?" I asked, smiling at how he had so confidently ordered for the both of us without consulting me. It was a very…date-like thing to do. Though I had no idea what drink he ordered, I found his behavior too enchanting.

"It's the most fantastic pizza you'll ever have, trust me."

"Oh, I do. You didn't hesitate."

Noah smiled, and my stomach did a flip. Seeing him in this state was so odd. I was so accustomed to his features being formed into a sneer or a scowl or a glare, yet the muscles in his face were relaxed, and he was smiling at me.

I realized my expression mimicked his and that we were making far too much eye contact, so I looked down at the table.

"When was the last time you left campus?" Noah leaned sideways into the corner of the booth, putting his face much closer to mine.

"Ivy and I leave campus once a month to go to a market in Bamonte. Other than that, I don't suppose I leave often." I chewed on my lip under his scrutinizing gaze. "Campus has everything I need, so I don't see a reason to leave much."

"That's so dull of you, Henrietta. You should get out more and enjoy your weekends. Go to a club with your friends, go see a film, anything to get you away from your obsession with achieving the highest marks." The waitress dropped the wine glasses off at the table, and Noah gave her a quick nod before grabbing his glass and returning his gaze to me. I gripped my glass, holding it close to my chest as I considered his words.

They hit right on the head of what I'd been thinking earlier. I'd been letting my years drain away, experiencing none of the fun life had to offer. But of course, I found studying enjoyable, so it wasn't like I was just living a boring life.

"When would I have the time for such things?" I said as I swirled my drink around in its glass, avoiding his green eyes.

"Do you mean to tell me your schedule is so entirely booked that you never have time to go out for drinks on the weekend?"

"Well, it's difficult making sure I can get all my studying and assignments in. I'm sure you know I'm taking the maximum number of classes this semester."

"Ever the over-achiever, Baker. And for what? So you can get the marks you would get even if you didn't do all the studying?"

His statement left me speechless. It was surprisingly flattering to hear him say such a thing.

"Not to mention, you've made more than enough time to research this love potion and work on brewing it. Your assignments have all been completed on time, and you've passed all assessments with flying colors. Am I right?"

"You're correct," I mumbled, wondering what I filled my time with before the potion. I dedicated at least six hours a week, if not more, to this project of ours, and I still had plenty of time to study and finish schoolwork. "But now, my time is filled with the potion work, so I still technically do not have time to go out on the weekends. Until we find a solution, I should spend all my free time on the potion."

"Sure, Baker. If that's the case, then you have to promise me that when we find the solution, you'll spend a weekend just doing recreational things."

I tilted my head, refusing to look away from the challenge in his eyes as I leaned in.

"Deal." I tapped my wine glass against his to seal the promise before taking my first sip.

I was sure by the time we figured all of this out, he wouldn't hold me to the promise. He'd be ready to go back to normal and only show me attention to mock me. So the deal meant nothing, and I wouldn't be held to it.

"Splendid. I'll make an itinerary for you because I know that will motivate you to stick to the deal. On the first night, a Friday, of course, we'll hit the cinema for the latest release. Then, on Saturday, we will go to a museum of art or history, and just when you start to feel the need to return to campus to study your heart out, we'll go to a hipster restaurant, and from there to a club for the remainder of the night. Sunday, you will have to sleep in until at least noon and then order take-out and watch films for the rest of the day."

I giggled at his schedule for the weekend of entertainment that I knew would never happen. Still, I couldn't help but imagine all of it in my mind, from the film to the club, all of it with Noah. I was sure he would snobbishly tell me about the art I knew nothing of, his nose turning up at street food that he'd secretly love when I forced him to try it.

"Your plans sound great, but we have to get the potion figured out first."

"That just gives me more motivation."

Wheels turned in my head as I took his plan seriously now. He truly intended on this happening and was motivated by it. I ran back all his words and could hardly breathe.

Before I could delve down that train of thought any longer, the appetizer was placed in front of us. I averted my eyes and sat up straight.

"This looks wonderful," I commented, hoping to move on from the previous conversation. It made me uncomfortable in more ways than I could comprehend, gave me thoughts I wasn't ready to comprehend.

"It does," Noah said, his smile tight as we ate like our plans didn't exist.