books44 Chapter 144: Dinner
Chapter 144: Dinner
The steam from the shower had barely cleared before Jake was buttoning a crisp black shirt. He avoided his formal work clothes, choosing instead a sharp, casual charcoal jacket. Standing in front of the mirror, he smoothed down his collar, letting out a slow, deliberate breath to clear his head after a long, exhausting afternoon.
When he stepped back into the central living room of the Zenith, Catharine was already waiting.
She stood by the floor-to-ceiling glass, looking out over the city lights that were just beginning to flicker to life. She had changed into an emerald-green silk dress that caught the ambient lighting of the penthouse beautifully, her hair pinned up loosely with a few stray curls framing her face. The exhaustion that had weighed down her eyes at the office was gone, replaced by a soft, relaxed radiance.
She turned around as she heard his footsteps, her eyes running over him with a slow, appreciative smile. "Look at you looking all handsome. Are you sure you’re the same man who was running around all afternoon?"
"The very same," Jake said, walking up to her and naturally settling his hands on her waist. He leaned down, pulling her into a slow, lingering kiss. "Though right now, the only thing I’m focused on is the dinner menu. Feels like I haven’t eaten in forever. And by the way, you look absolutely breathtaking in that dress. Emerald is definitely your color."
Catharine laughed softly, resting her palms against his chest. "Good. Because if you mention a single work email tonight, I’m ordering the most expensive bottle of wine in the house and putting it on your card."
"Deal," Jake murmured, kissing her forehead. "Let’s head down."
The restaurant Catharine had chosen was a secluded, reservation-only Italian spot tucked into the upper terrace of the glass-domed botanical gardens. It was a stark contrast to the sterile dining rooms Jake usually ended up in for business meetings. There were no bright fluorescent lights or rigid seating setups; instead, dim, warm candlelight flickered against old stone brickwork and trailing ivy vines that cascaded from the glass ceiling.
The host led them past the main dining area to a private alcove table jutting out over the edge of the terrace. Below them, the sprawling canopy of the indoor garden stretched out, lit by soft green and amber spotlights, while the distant skyline of the city provided a glittering backdrop.
"It’s perfect," Catharine whispered as Jake pulled out her chair. "We should come here often."
"I’m glad you like it," Jake said, taking his seat across from her. The table was small enough that their hands could easily meet over the dark linen cloth. "Maybe I’ll have them permanently reserve a table for us."
Catharine laughed slightly. "I’m pretty sure they would love to have a billionaire as a regular."
A waiter appeared seamlessly, pouring two glasses of a deep, velvety Tuscan red wine before leaving them with the menus.
Catharine picked up her glass, lifting it slightly. "To a night completely off the clock."
Jake smiled, clinking his glass against hers. "To a night off the clock."
The wine was rich, carrying notes of dark cherry and oak that immediately worked to dissolve the remaining tension in Jake’s shoulders. As they began eating, Catharine smiled across the table, the warm candlelight illuminating her face.
Jake looked up from his plate, and a sudden spark ignited deep behind his left eye. Right there, hovering just above Catharine’s head, a clean, vibrant golden projection materialized. It was a beautiful, upward-climbing bullish trend line, steady and strong, reflecting her solid momentum and peaceful state of mind.
Jake paused, his fork halting halfway to his plate. Curious, he shifted his gaze away from her. He looked past their alcove, letting his eyes sweep across the main dining room. He scanned the waiter standing by the kitchen doors, the elderly couple sharing a bottle of champagne three tables over, and the host greeting guests at the entrance.
Nothing. The air above their heads was completely empty.
Jake blinked, refocusing his vision back on Catharine. The glowing bullish line remained firmly in place above her hair. He looked back at the rest of the restaurant, but the empty space remained dull and ordinary.
A quiet realization settled in his chest. ’So I can only see the line if I’m interacting with them.’ The ability wasn’t a passive radar for every stranger walking the streets; it was tethered directly to his own circle. It only activated for the people whose lives crossed paths with his own.
"Jake? Are you okay?" Catharine asked, her brow furrowing slightly as she noticed his sudden silence. "You look like you were spacing out there for a second."
Jake cut his vision, letting the golden frequency dissolve back into the candlelight. He smiled smoothly, reaching across the table to wrap his fingers around hers. "I’m fine. Just admiring how good you look in this light."
Catharine’s cheeks flushed a soft pink, and she let out an amused laugh. "Smooth. But don’t think flattery is going to save you from telling me about your day. Did you actually check on Aliya? And I don’t mean through a phone call."
"Yeah, I told you that I stopped by the house before picking you up," Jake said, taking a sip of his wine. "She’s doing alright, all things considered. She actually threw a couch pillow at me."
"She really threw a pillow at you?" Catharine asked, her eyes crinkling with amusement as she cut into her mushroom risotto.
"Missed by an inch," Jake countered. "She claimed she was practicing her hand-eye coordination for macroeconomics. I think she was just mad I wouldn’t support her campaign to get a brand new car right after losing her A4."
"Well, you cannot really blame her, she had just gotten her own first car and now it’s gone. And you know she looks up to you, even if she’d rather swallow glass than admit it," Catharine said gently, her expression softening. "But I’m glad you went. It’s important."
"Yeah. Actually, speaking of family, my parents, Aliya, and I are going to South Africa for the weekend."
Catharine blinked in surprise, her fork hovering over her plate. "South Africa? Is Aliya even okay to travel right now? She only just got discharged from the hospital this morning."
Jake let out a fond, slightly exasperated chuckle, shaking his head. "Believe me, I raised the exact same concern. But Aliya is the one who insists on going. She’s been planning this trip for weeks for our mother’s birthday, and she flatly refused to let anyone cancel it. She told me that if we tried to leave her behind, she’d just book her own flight anyway."
Catharine smiled warmly, a soft laugh escaping her. "That sounds exactly like her. She really is stubborn, but it’s incredibly sweet that she cares that much about your mom’s birthday."
"Stubborn is an understatement, I bet she just wants to experience getting out of the country for the first time," Jake said, his thumb tracing the smooth skin of Catharine’s hand. "But it’ll be good for her to get out of the city for a few days. And good for my parents, too."
"Definitely. Just promise you won’t let her overexert herself," Catharine said, leaning forward slightly.
"I’ll do my best, but you know how she is when she sets her mind to something," Jake replied with a smile.
As the evening progressed, the restaurant grew quieter, the soft strains of a live acoustic guitar filtering through the trees below them. For dessert, they shared a rich, dark chocolate fondant with fresh raspberries, laughing as Catharine intentionally stole the last piece of berry right off his fork.
By the time they finished their wine, the clock on the wall read just past nine. The frantic rush of the past week felt miles away, completely eclipsed by the quiet comfort of the woman sitting across from him.
Jake settled the bill, standing up to guide Catharine out of the alcove. As they walked down the stone steps of the terrace, Catharine slipped her arm through his, leaning her head against his shoulder.
"That was a nice experience," she murmured warmly against the cool night air filtering through the open pavilion.
"Couldn’t agree more," Jake replied, tightening his grip on her hand as they stepped out into the courtyard where Elias had the car idling quietly, ready to take them back home.
Jake glanced down at her as Elias held the rear door open. "Are you spending the night at your apartment, or are you coming with me back to the Zenith?"
Catharine smiled up at him, her fingers intertwining with his as she slid into the back seat. "The Zenith sounds much better tonight."
The drive back to the penthouse was quiet and peaceful. Once inside the sprawling space, the heavy city sounds faded entirely behind the thick glass. They headed to their respective rooms to freshen up, letting the lingering exhaustion of the long day wash away under the hot water.
When Jake walked back into the master bedroom, wearing only a pair of dark lounge pants, the room was dimly lit by the faint glow of the city grid outside. Catharine stepped out of the bathroom a moment later, wrapped in a soft silk robe, her hair falling loosely over her shoulders.
She walked over to the bed, her eyes meeting his in the quiet room. The distance between them vanished as Jake reached out, his hands finding her waist and pulling her gently against him. Catharine leaned in, her lips meeting his in a warm, unhurried kiss that spoke of absolute comfort and shared intimacy. As his hands slid up to untie the silk belt of her robe, the rest of the world dissolved into the quiet dark, the promise of the night unfolding silently between them.
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