Chloe had dressed carefully for the evening. She’d expected a nice restaurant, perhaps a candlelit table and a decent bottle of wine.
She hadn’t expected Maison élise.
A single reservation here could easily cost more than a thousand dollars, yet Adrian had pulled up to the entrance in his Ferrari as casually as if he’d stopped at a gas station.
He offered his hand as she stepped out of the car. She placed her fingers in his, though they trembled slightly.
A young attendant in a crisp white shirt approached them with a leather-bound reservation book.
"Good evening, and welcome to Maison élise. Do you have a reservation?"
"Under Adrian Vale."
The attendant ran a finger down the page. His expression changed.
He checked the name again, then looked up with a polite frown before glancing toward the security staff stationed near the entrance.
Adrian noticed the hesitation.
"Oh," he said. "It’s a VIP table."
The attendant paused.
So did Chloe.
’A VIP table?’
The young man flipped to another section of the book. His eyebrows lifted slightly.
"Ah. Yes, here it is. My apologies, Mr. Vale. Please allow me to escort you personally."
They followed him through the entrance and into the main dining room.
Chandeliers cast a warm glow across the room, reflecting off polished silverware and crystal glasses. The atmosphere was unusually quiet, the kind of silence that came from people who were accustomed to expensive surroundings and didn’t need to announce it.
The diners looked like they belonged in business magazines. Executives, celebrities, wealthy heirs, and people Chloe suspected were important even if she didn’t recognize them.
Several heads turned when Adrian and Chloe entered.
Some looked away almost immediately.
Others lingered.
Chloe tried not to notice. She already felt conspicuous enough in a room like this, and her red hair against the blue dress certainly wasn’t helping. A few men glanced at her twice before noticing who she was with.
Then they noticed where the attendant was taking them.
The VIP section.
The atmosphere shifted almost imperceptibly.
A few curious looks turned into whispers.
Chloe’s hands began to shake.
She clasped them together in her lap as the attendant pulled out her chair. Adrian took the seat opposite her, and only after the young man had left did she lean forward.
"Everyone’s looking at us."
"Are they?"
"Yes." She glanced around nervously. "I’ve never been anywhere like this. Aren’t you nervous?"
Adrian looked around the room, then back at her with a faint smile.
"I heard the food tastes better in the VIP section. I wanted to find out for myself."
Chloe stared at him for a second.
Then she laughed despite herself.
"That’s a terrible reason."
"It’s the only one I had."
He rested an arm comfortably against the table.
"You brought me that wonderful meatloaf. I might’ve actually starved that night. This is my way of saying thank you."
"I really don’t think you would’ve starved."
"You don’t know that."
Her smile widened.
A waiter arrived carrying two tablet menus. Adrian accepted one and scrolled through it.
He’d already looked through the menu that afternoon, so he didn’t need long.
"The Golden Wagyu and the yuzu and white chocolate éclair."
The waiter turned toward Chloe.
She hadn’t even opened her menu.
She’d been too busy trying not to stare at the chandeliers.
"I’ll have the same as him."
Adrian glanced at her.
’She’s too shy to order for herself.’
A small smile tugged at his mouth.
’Cute.’
"Very good. Your meals should be ready in about thirty minutes."
The waiter collected the tablets and left.
Adrian leaned back in his chair.
’Thirty minutes.’
He glanced at Chloe.
’I could’ve eaten at McRichie’s and been halfway home by now.’
She was twisting a strand of red hair around her finger, occasionally looking at the crystal glasses, silverware, and chandeliers before quickly returning her attention to the table.
Adrian smiled.
"Chloe, I’ve been meaning to ask you something. What do you do for a living?"
She blinked.
"Oh. I, well... I don’t really have a job."
She hesitated.
"Unless streaming counts."
Adrian sat up.
"You’re a streamer?"
"Yes."
"That’s great. What do you do?"
"Mostly gaming. Sometimes I just talk about random things." She gave a small shrug. "It’s really nothing special. I’m not popular. Forty or fifty people on a good night."
"Forty or fifty people?"
Adrian looked genuinely surprised.
"Chloe, that’s a full classroom showing up to listen to you talk every night."
She stared at him. Something small and surprised flickered across her face. No one had ever described it that way.
"And on a good night," Adrian continued, "I bet it feels like you’re just talking to a friend."
Her expression softened.
"That’s exactly what it feels like."
She smiled.
"It’s the only place I don’t get scared. When I’m playing, I forget people are watching. I just talk."
Her cheeks turned pink.
"In real life, I can barely order a coffee."
She looked down, smiling.
Adrian watched her for a moment.
’She’s not popular?’
It had to be the algorithm. Someone this warm should have thousands of viewers.
"So, Adrian..."
Her voice pulled him back.
She had started twisting the corner of her napkin between her fingers.
"After dinner, are we going straight back to the apartment?"
Adrian hesitated.
Her ears were pink. He understood the question immediately.
’She thinks I’m spending all this money because I expect something.’
"If you want to," he said carefully. "Whenever you’re ready. It’s completely up to you."
Chloe’s shoulders relaxed.
Then her entire face flushed.
"Oh! No, I didn’t mean..." She shook her head quickly. "I was asking because I have a big meeting tomorrow morning."
Adrian waited.
"A friend of mine works at Northwind Interactive, the tech company. She’s trying to help me get a sponsorship deal. They want to meet at nine."
"Northwind?"
Adrian let out a low whistle.
"That’s huge."
"I know." Chloe gave a nervous laugh. "I’m terrified."
"You’ll be fine."
"She thinks it’ll go well. I just don’t want to be out too late."
"She sounds like a good friend."
"She is." Chloe nodded. "The best."
Adrian watched her twist the napkin between her fingers. Something quiet settled in his chest.
He’d spent years surrounded by people who wanted something from him. Gamblers. Dealers. Opportunists. Even Silas Crane had wanted something from him.
It had been a long time since he’d sat across from someone who seemed to want nothing more than a good meal and a decent night’s sleep before an important meeting.
Under the warm chandelier light, Chloe looked even more beautiful than she had standing in her doorway.
Adrian smiled faintly.
Then an old instinct stirred.
It was almost automatic.
He looked at her and started wondering about the number.
’I bet she could rack up twenty times that amount of viewers before the end of the month.’
[Ding!]
[Gamble with System Detected!]