Chapter 134: The First Date

Aina

The sleek sports car cut smoothly through the winding mountain roads, the powerful engine humming a low, steady tune as Vance steered them farther away from the dreary grey stone walls of Moonside Academy.

Sitting in the passenger seat, Aina pressed her face against the side window, watching the thick pine trees blur into a sea of green. Her mind was spinning in circles. I am actually on a date with Vance, she thought, a knot of disbelief tightening in her stomach. The same Vance who spent the last month trying to make my life an absolute living hell. This is completely insane. If someone told me this morning that I’d be riding in a luxury sports car with a royal prince to go eat dinner, I would have laughed in their face.

Yet here she was.

After a twenty-minute drive, the car crested a final hill and began descending toward a massive, shimmering body of water. Right in the middle of the natural lagoon sat Cliffside, reputed to be the number one restaurant in the entire world. It carried a crazy, untouchable reputation and a pricelist that could fund a small village, yet people with deep enough pockets always swore it was worth every single gold coin.

At night, thousands of floating lanterns illuminated the water around it, casting a soft, golden glow over the stone architecture, while the daytime brought out the untouched, breathtaking beauty of the surrounding nature.

Vance pulled the car into the valet parking area and tossed his keys to an attendant before walking around to open her door.

Aina stepped out, her jaw dropping slightly as she looked around. Damn, this place is nice, she thought, her eyes wide as she took in the towering arches, the polished marble pathways, and the impossibly wealthy people wandering around in silk dresses and tailored suits.

She had never stepped foot in a restaurant before in her life. Not a casual one, and certainly not one that looked like a palace built for gods. So... are all restaurants this fancy? she wondered silently, feeling completely out of place in her simple school uniform and glasses. Is this how normal people live? Well, I suppose rich people aren’t normal people.

A sharp-dressed receptionist stepped forward, bowing her head gracefully. "Greetings, Your Highness. And you are?"

Aina quickly stepped up, offering her hand awkwardly. "I’m Travis. Travis Whitelock."

Vance smiled smoothly, resting a hand lightly on the small of her back. "Hi, Courtney. Can you please take us to our seats?"

"Right this way," the receptionist said, leading them past a cascading indoor fountain toward an open-air terrace overlooking the shimmering lagoon.

As they walked, Aina found her emotions conflicting inside her chest. She didn’t like the fact that she was here on a forced date with Vance, she still wanted nothing to do with him, and the reminder that he was her fated mate terrified her.

But she couldn’t deny that she loved Cliffside. She loved the ambiance. She loved the fresh, clean air carrying the scent of blooming night-jasmine and water lilies. She loved watching the wealthy patrons glide past without a care in the world.

They were seated at a small, candlelit table right at the edge of the terrace, with the water brushing gently against the stone pillars below. A heavy, leather-bound menu was placed in front of her.

Aina opened it, and nearly stopped breathing.

Ten gold coins for a freaking starter?! she thought, her eyes bulging as she stared at the numbers. Are these potatoes made of solid platinum? What kind of insane economy is this capital running on?!

She suddenly remembered how much she had been forced to pay for her first class train ticket just to get to the academy, and a wave of pure indignation hit her. Well, she reasoned, a wicked little smirk tugging at her lips, I am definitely not paying for this. And since Vance is footing the bill through he’s bottomless pockets, I might as well enjoy myself.

Without blinking, she pointed a finger at the fanciest-sounding item on the page, something called Glazed Saffron-Drenched Dragon-Fish Medallion, having absolute zero idea what it actually was.

Once the waiter took their orders and scurried away, Aina was forced to drag her attention back to Vance, who had already launched into a full-scale monologue about himself.

"I mean, people just don’t understand the sheer pressure of managing an estate in the eastern provinces," Vance was saying, puffing his chest out as he adjusted his collar. He leaned back in his chair, flexing his biceps subtly under his jacket.

"When I was only four years old—yes, four—I successfully negotiated a trade treaty with the mountain pack. My father looked at me and said, ’Vance, you are destined for absolute greatness.’ Most shifters can’t even shift by then, but me? Total prodigy."

Aina rested her chin in her hands, blinking slowly as she listened to him ramble. She was biting the inside of her cheek so hard to keep from laughing out loud that it almost hurt.

Look at him, she thought, watching him push out his chest. He is actually pushing his chest out like a bloated pigeon. Every single word that comes out of his mouth is nonsense. I am learning entirely too much about a person I despise.

"And let me tell you about the time I pranked my wet nurse," Vance continued, completely oblivious to her expression. "I replaced her favorite tea with sour-leaf extract. She chased me around the palace gardens for three solid hours! Classic me. Honestly, I’m surprised the empire didn’t collapse right then and there without my tactical genius."

Aina let out a short, wheezing snort, quickly turning it into a cough. "Right. Total tactical genius."

"Exactly," Vance said, missing the sarcasm entirely. "Not to mention my seventy-three past girlfriends—"

"Wait, seventy-three?" Aina interrupted, raising an eyebrow. "How is that even possible?"

"Well, what can I say, the girls want me...bad," Vance boasted smoothly before he began talking about each of his past girlfriends one by one. He was about to launch the story on how he met girlfriend number twenty-one when the waiter arrived, placing their plates down on the table.

This boy is for the streets, I was right about bullies. They have small dicks. Aina was so baffled that Vance was showing off how many people she dated that she almost failed to notice the absolute drama of a plate put in front of her. Almost.

Aina looked down at her plate. It was something wildly dramatic, a piece of fish covered in glowing gold flakes, resting on a bed of purple foam with a tiny, smoking sprig of rosemary sticking out of the top. She had no idea what it was, but the rich, buttery aroma hitting her nose made her mouth water instantly.

Intrigued and desperate to distract herself from Vance who just keeps talking, she picked up her fork and took a bite.

The flavors exploded across her tongue, a perfect, rich balance of savory sweetness, herbs, and melt-in-your-mouth tenderness. It was, without a single doubt, the most incredible thing she had ever tasted in her entire life.

Oh, my god, Aina thought, her eyes closing in pure bliss as she chewed. I don’t care. Vance can sit here and talk about his army of girlfriends all night long. This food is worth selling my soul for. I could literally do this date again just to eat this fish.

The moment she surrendered to the meal, Vance’s voice simply faded into background noise. He kept talking, something about a summer home in the southern hills and a horse he once outran, while Aina blissfully ignored him, happily shoveling the expensive food into her mouth.

About an hour later, the plates were completely empty, and they walked side by side toward the valet station to head back to the car.

Vance shoved his hands into his pockets, smiling down at her. "So... I have to say, this date was amazing."

Aina stopped dead in her tracks, turning to stare at him with a surprised expression. "Are you actually kidding me right now? This was easily one of the worst dates I have ever been on."

Vance’s smile faltered. "What?"

"Not saying that I’ve ever been on a real date before," Aina clarified, crossing her arms, "but I’ve seen them go down a hell of a lot better in movies and books. If this is how all three of your dates are going to go, you are not only making it way too easy for me to reject you after date number three, but you are actively giving me multiple icks every second you open your mouth."

Vance stared at her, genuinely wounded. "I don’t understand. What did I do wrong?!"

"Except for everything?" Aina asked, throwing her hands up in disbelief. "You just talked about you, and you, and you. I now know that you shifted at four. I now know you had seventy-three girlfriends, which is mathematically exhausting, by the way. I know you pranked your poor wet nurse. I now know a mountain of useless facts I never wanted lodged in my brain. So, thank you for that."

Vance opened his mouth to defend himself, but Aina cut him off. "Do you even know a single thing about me?" she demanded, stepping closer. "Do you even know my real name? Do you know my favorite color, my history, anything?!"

Vance blinked, looking slightly guilty. "Well... I thought you wouldn’t want to tell me."

"Of course I wouldn’t have told you if you asked!" Aina said, laughing dryly. " But that’s doesn’t mean you shouldn’t ask me, you should, so I can still reject you."

She shook her head, a genuine smile breaking through her annoyance as she turned back toward the car. This is going to be fun, she thought, feeling a strange, wicked spark of amusement. I am going to torture him on these next two dates.

Vance stood frozen for a second, watching her walk away. Then, realizing his manners, he scrambled after her, jogging until he caught up.

"Wait—let me get that door for you, my lady," Vance said, rushing ahead to pull the passenger door open.

Aina rolled her eyes, stepping into the car. "I told you not to call me that."