Chapter 9: An Unexpected Dinner Date

Charlotte stood in front of her bedroom mirror, applying the final touches of mascara while staring at her reflection. She wasn’t too worried about what to wear tonight—it was just Elijah, after all. A casual pizza night had been their tradition for as long as she could remember. So she opted for a comfy pair of jeans and a light sweater, pulling her hair up into a messy bun.

“Pizza and movies, the perfect end to a long week,” she muttered to herself, smiling at the thought. She glanced at her phone to check the time—Elijah was set to pick her up in twenty minutes.

As she slipped into her sneakers, she grabbed her jacket and bag. A simple night, no need to overthink it. After all, Elijah had said it would just be a laid-back evening. They had these kinds of hangouts all the time—nothing fancy, just good food, great company, and lots of laughter.

When her phone buzzed with Elijah’s text saying he was outside, she hurried down from her apartment. But as soon as she stepped outside and saw Elijah leaning against his car, a sly grin on his face, she knew something was up.

“You’re not dressed for pizza,” she teased, noticing his crisp button-down shirt and polished shoes.

Elijah shrugged innocently. “Who says you can’t look good for pizza?”

Charlotte raised an eyebrow, crossing her arms. “Okay, spill it. What’s going on?”

He grinned, opening the passenger door for her. “Let’s just say tonight’s not your average pizza night.”

Suspicious but curious, Charlotte climbed into the car. As they drove through the city, Elijah was annoyingly tight-lipped about where they were going. “You’re acting really secretive for someone who’s just taking me to pizza,” she joked, trying to get him to spill the beans.

But Elijah just kept his eyes on the road, his grin widening. “You’ll see,” he said mysteriously.

A few minutes later, Charlotte’s suspicions were confirmed when Elijah pulled up in front of a well-known Italian restaurant in the city—**the** Italian restaurant that was nearly impossible to get into without booking months in advance.

Her eyes widened as she turned to him, mouth slightly open in disbelief. “Elijah! This is not pizza!”

Elijah chuckled, parking the car. “No, it’s not. But I figured you deserved something special tonight. We’ve had pizza a hundred times—thought I’d surprise you.”

Charlotte shook her head, trying to hide her smile. “I cannot believe you. You could’ve at least given me a heads-up! I look like I’m going to a sleepover.”

Elijah glanced at her, his eyes softening. “You look perfect. Trust me.”

That made Charlotte blush, and for a second, she didn’t know how to respond. She was used to Elijah’s compliments, but tonight felt... different. There was something in his tone, in the way he looked at her, that felt a little more serious.

They walked into the restaurant, which was cozy and dimly lit, with warm candlelight flickering on the tables. The air smelled like fresh pasta and garlic, and the ambiance was intimate. As they were seated, Charlotte couldn’t help but giggle. “This is a long way from our usual pizza joint.”

“I figured we’d change it up a bit,” Elijah replied with a wink. “Besides, I wanted to treat you. You’ve been working yourself too hard.”

The waiter came over with the menus, and as they started discussing their options, Elijah insisted on ordering for both of them. “Trust me, the lasagna here is life-changing,” he said, closing the menu with a confident flourish.

“Alright, Mr. Fancy Dinner, I’ll trust you this time,” Charlotte said, rolling her eyes playfully. “But you still owe me pizza next time.”

As they waited for their food, the conversation flowed effortlessly. They talked about their childhood memories, their latest work dramas, and random funny stories. At one point, Charlotte almost choked on her water from laughing too hard at Elijah’s impression of their old high school teacher.

But there were quieter moments too—moments where Charlotte caught Elijah looking at her a little longer than usual, his smile softer, his gaze filled with something deeper than friendship. She tried to shake it off, telling herself she was imagining things, but it was hard to ignore the shift in his energy tonight.

Halfway through dinner, Elijah finally admitted why he’d chosen this particular place.

“I just wanted to do something special for you,” he said, his voice sincere as he met her eyes. “You’ve been through a lot lately, with work and... everything else. I wanted to remind you how important you are to me.”

Charlotte blinked, momentarily caught off guard by the seriousness in his voice. “Eli... that’s really sweet. But you didn’t have to go to all this trouble.”

“I wanted to,” he insisted, his hand reaching across the table to lightly brush hers. “You deserve it.”

The warmth of his touch sent a small shiver up her spine, and she found herself blushing again, her heart doing a little flip. For the first time in a long time, she wondered if there was something more to Elijah’s feelings—something she’d never noticed before.

The conversation slowed after that, dipping into more personal territory. They talked about their dreams, their fears, and everything in between. Elijah shared stories about his latest work challenges, and Charlotte opened up about how overwhelming it had been navigating her new job and the strange dynamics at Kingsley Corporation.

At one point, when the food had long been cleared and they were lingering over dessert, Elijah leaned in slightly, his eyes locked on hers. “I’ve always admired how strong you are, Char. You take on everything and never let it show when you’re struggling. It’s one of the things I love about you.”

Charlotte’s breath caught in her throat, the word **love** hanging between them. She didn’t know if he meant it the way it sounded or if it was just an innocent slip, but the weight of it made her heart race.

Before she could respond, the waiter arrived with the bill, breaking the moment.

“Well,” Elijah said, breaking the tension with a lighthearted grin. “That was quite the dinner date. Better than pizza?”

Charlotte smiled, her heart still fluttering. “Okay, fine. This might beat pizza—just a little.”

As they left the restaurant, the cool night air hit Charlotte’s cheeks, and she found herself feeling lighter, more aware of Elijah in a way she hadn’t before. She couldn’t quite put her finger on it, but something had definitely changed between them tonight. Something important.

And as Elijah walked her to his car, their hands brushing against each other, Charlotte couldn’t help but wonder if their relationship was about to shift in a direction she hadn’t expected.