"Amara—" he started.
He stared at her, trying to avert his gaze, but he couldn't.
She was dressed in a beautiful black dress that clung to her figure in all the right ways, her hair pinned up with a few strands left falling, just calling for someone to reach out and tuck them behind her ears.
Her lips were—
Before he could complete his observation, he quickly pulled out of his thoughts, guilt sinking in like a wave crashing to shore.
He shouldn't be noticing those details. He had a fiancée.
After internally scolding himself, he continued,
"Amara, you clean up nice," he said, clearing his throat, trying to make the conversation feel natural.
She simply offered a light nod. "Thank you," she said, her voice calm, distant, untouched by the weight of his lingering stare.
"I try," she added as she walked closer to him with the boxed dress in hand.
That's when his eyes finally noticed the dress—the real reason he was here.
Xavier cleared his throat again, suddenly feeling the collar of his shirt too stiff, too tight.
He had completely forgotten about the dress the moment he saw her.
He forced his attention back to the package now in his hands. "I trust everything inside is as we discussed?"
She gave a slight nod. "Every stitch, every line. I double-checked the measurements. It should fit her perfectly."
"Do you mind if I open it? I'd love to get a look at the dress before we present it."
Amara, surprised that he asked her permission before opening the work he had paid for, quickly agreed. "Of course, feel free."
Hearing her agreement, he carefully opened the neatly packed box.
Then he saw it.
A golden-colored dress, lined with a beautiful shade. He wasn't able to see the full thing because it was carefully arranged and tucked in, and he didn't want to ruin her packaging by pulling it out.
But he could tell it was beautiful.
"Wow. You did a good job, like always. I'm sure she'll love it."
Oddly reassured by what he said, Amara gave a small smile. "Shall we? I don't want to keep the guests waiting, and I'd like to come back quickly."
"Sure," he replied, leading her to the car and opening the back door for her to enter. But she walked directly to the front seat and sat down.
Not thinking too much about it, he sat in the back, telling himself it was probably for the best—for them to keep their distance.
Silence enveloped the car. Awkward, but not too uncomfortable.
After driving for a few hours, they finally arrived at the restaurant. They had decided to hold the meeting in one of the private rooms.
Because Mr. Dravin was quite busy, they'd agreed to have the meeting in the evening.
Stepping out of the car, Xavier instinctively moved to help Amara with the door, but before he could, she had already opened it and walked out herself.
Clearing his throat, he handed her the box. "I think it'll be better if you give the dress to her yourself."
Without thinking too much about it, Amara took the box from him, and they both made their way inside.