Read The Billionaire's First Christmas - Contemporary Romance for Free Online

some wine,” I told
him. He picked up the bottle out of the brass canister it was
chilling in and poured us each a glass of white wine. My mouth was
completely dry and I picked it up and took a sip… it was almost as
dry as me. Aaron still hadn’t cracked a smile and the butterflies
in my stomach had grown into pterodactyls. I finally just blurted
out what was on my mind.
     
    “I was playing a joke,” he still
looked confused, but he offered me a weak smile and a soft chuckle.
“I was hoping you would think it was funny.”
     
    He looked around at the others in the
restaurant before speaking.
     
    “It’s just a little… uncomfortable,
all the attention. You definitely stand out in here.”
     
    I glanced around too. He was right; we
were getting a lot of strange looks. It wouldn’t have bothered me,
but it obviously did bother him. For some reason, I wished that he
would lighten up, just a little bit. I finally gave in however,
mostly because he was my boss. Besides, I was hoping if he was more
comfortable he would relax and we could get to know each
other.
     
    “I brought the other dress,” I told
him. “I can change if you’d like.”
     
    “I’d like that, yes,” was all he
said.
     
    I was unfazed by the stares of the
other patrons as I walked across the restaurant once more. The only
thing I was feeling was disappointed that this beautiful, brilliant
man didn’t seem to have any humor at all. I thought that humor was
one of the most important things in life. Some days, mine was all
that had gotten me through. I considered walking out and just going
home for a fraction of a second, after all, this wasn’t a real
date. But he was Aaron Winters, and he was beautiful and no matter
what that said about me, it was enough to make me want to stay and
give him another shot.
     
    I quickly changed in the restroom and
ran my fingers through my hair. I reapplied my lipstick while I was
there and then I stuffed the elf costume into my bag and headed
back out to our table. I watched the expressions change again as I
walked back by, but none more so than my “date’s.”
     
    Aaron stood up when I was about three
feet from the table. This time his expression was easy to read. He
was pleased with what he saw… very pleased. He pulled my chair out
for me again and once he’d taken his seat again he said, “You look
stunning.”
     
    I smiled, “Thank you, and thank you
for the outfit. It’s beautiful, just not quite what I might pick
for myself.”
     
    “It looks like it was made for you,”
he said. “Why wouldn’t you have picked it?”
     
    “I’m just not one to go along with the
“norms” of society as I’m sure you can tell by the fact that I wore
an elf costume to dinner.” I was smiling, he was still not. He was
looking at me like he was trying to figure me out. It shouldn’t
have been that hard. I was just a girl who enjoyed having fun.
Aaron wasn’t looking like fun was something he did often to
me.
     
    I was saved from Aaron’s gaze by the
waiter who came to take our order, until I realized that I hadn’t
even looked at the menu. Aaron asked me if I minded if he ordered
for me or if it would be like the dress and I’d pull a hamburger
out of my handbag. He was making an attempt at humor and I felt
encouraged suddenly, and strangely… proud of him. He at least
possessed a sarcastic wit.
     
    “You go ahead,” I told him. “I’ll eat
pretty much anything.”
     
    I listened as he told the waiter we
would both like to have the Charcoal grilled Miyazaki wagyu. I had
no idea what that was so I quickly glanced at my menu. It offered
no explanations. It just said that it came with, “Salsify
Dauphinois, Bluefoot Mushrooms, Arrow leaf Spinach and ‘Sauce
Bordelaise,’” and that it was a hundred and twenty five dollars a
plate. So as not to embarrass him, I waited for the waiter to leave
before I asked my next question.
     
    “At the risk of sounding like an
ignorant diner… what