Chapter 189
Aria’s POV
I smirked to myself as Aiden took my hand, leading me to the garage where he opened the passenger door for me like a gentleman.
“Tha—” I started to say thank you, but caught his amused gaze and stopped mid- word, swallowing the rest. His eyes crinkled at the corners, enjoying my discomfort.
After buckling my seatbelt, a sudden thought struck me. “Wait, what are we eating?” I asked, turning to look at him.
Aiden’s expression softened at my expectant look. “Trust me on this one p>
“Absolutely!” I replied without hesitation. When it came to food, Aiden was much pickier than me. If he thought something was good, I knew I’d love it.
He drove us to Riverside, an upscale restaurant specializing in contemporary American cuisine. I’d been there once with Lillian, and aside from being expensive, I couldn’t fault the place.
Their berry soufflé was my favorite-sweet but not cloying, with a texture that melted in your mouth. I’m not usually big on desserts, but that one had me hooked.
The restaurant was packed for the weekend. I’d worried about getting a table, but when we arrived, Aiden simply took my hand and walked straight in.
“Mr. Carter,” the host greeted him with immediate recognition, and we were promptly escorted to a private room.
The window-facing rooms were notoriously difficult to book. Lillian had mentioned trying several times without success. Our table overlooked the restaurant’s signature feature—a small artificial stream with water lilies floating on the surface and two white swans gliding across the water. The landscaped banks featured cherry trees that, even out of season, created a picturesque setting.
I snapped a quick photo to send to Lillian, then set my phone aside and picked up the tablet to order.
Last time with Lillian, we’d tried the braised short ribs and drunken shrimp. This time, I selected the herb-crusted sea bass with lemon butter, garlic prawns, and the slow-cooked chicken wings with chestnuts.
Just as I was about to hand the tablet to Aiden, I remembered he disliked things that were too sweet or too sour. I glanced at him across the table and changed my sea bass order to the pan-seared halibut instead.
“I’m done ordering,” I announced.
Aiden added a braised meatball dish before finalizing our order.
“These private rooms are so hard to book,” I mused. “Lillian tried for days and couldn’t get one p>
Aiden sipped his tea calmly. “Ryan’s aunt owns this place. I can have him reserve a room for you anytime p>
My eyes widened. “Really? That’s too much p>
“It’s nothing,” he shrugged. “Next time you or Lillian come, just use my name p>
I looked at him earnestly, my excitement probably showing in my eyes. “Are you sure p>
His finger tapped lightly against the table as he held my gaze. “Why not? Or you could simply say you’re Mrs. Carter. That works too p>
I made a small sound of protest and lifted my teacup to hide my embarrassment, but my burning ears betrayed me, turning as red as cooked lobster.
The food justified its price tag. Though the portions weren’t huge, each dish was exquisitely prepared, and the quality was undeniable. Between the two of us, we had just enough.
After dinner, I sipped my jasmine tea and slowly savored my long-awaited berry soufflé, taking small bites.
Aiden watched me, his eyes tracking the movement of my cheeks as I chewed. “Is it really that good?” he asked.
I looked down at my soufflé, then back at him. “It’s not overly sweet. Want to try p>
“I might, if Mrs. Carter feeds me,” he replied with a smirk.
My face heated up, but I defiantly held out my half-eaten soufflé toward his lips.
To my surprise, Aiden leaned forward and took a bite, his lips briefly brushing against my fingertip.
I quickly pulled my hand back, blinking at him. “So? Is it good p>
“Too sweet,” he said decisively.
“No way!” I protested, picking up the last piece from my plate and taking a bite. It was perfectly balanced-sweet but not cloying, with a texture that dissolved on my tongue.
“It’s only slightly sweet!” I insisted.
He wiped his hands with a moist towelette, taking his time. “Perhaps anything from Mrs. Carter’s hands tastes exceptionally sweet p>
I had no comeback for that.
Aiden’s lips curved upward. “Full, Mrs. Carter p>
“Definitely.” I glanced down at my slightly distended stomach. I wasn’t just full-l was stuffed!
“Ready to head home p>
“Yes, please.” I’d need to take a walk later to help digest all this food, or my stomach would stay bloated.
Aiden took my hand, and we left the private room.
We’d only taken a few steps when a woman’s voice I didn’t recognize called out: “Aiden p>
I instinctively turned toward the voice. A woman in her late forties
wearing an elegant emerald dress t
.n
emerged from a nearby private. room She looked surprised to see us together, though she quickly composed herself.
“Fiona,” Aiden acknowledged.
Fiona Winter looked at me with interest. “And this must be Aria p>
I was caught completely off guard. I
hadn’t expected to run into any of Aiden’s relatives today. I kept my
expression polite, but inside /et
panicking. Meeting Aiden’s father and stepmother had been one thing-I’d been mentally prepared. This was different. Contént
Sensing my tension, Aiden squeezed my hand reassuringly before making introductions. “Fiona, this is my wife, Aria. Aria, this is my mother’s sister, Fiona p>
Fiona’s face lit up with a warm smile. “I’ve heard so much about you, Aria. You’re even lovelier than your photos p>
I worked to steady my nerves and looked up at Aiden’s aunt. “It’s nice to meet you p>
I said with what I hoped was a composed smile.
“Such a lovely girl!” Fiona beamed.
“Thomas returned from his overseas trip last week, and we’ve been hoping to have you both over for to you over-po dinne Since we’ve run into each
other, I insist-tomorrow evening,
you’ll join us, won’t you p>
I glanced at Aiden, uncertain. He gave me a reassuring look. “We’d love to, Fiona p>
“Wonderful! You two go enjoy your evening. I’m here with friends,” she said,
gesturing back toward her room.
“We’ll see you tomorrow, then,” Aiden replied.
“See you tomorrow, Fiona,” I added quickly.
“Looking forward to it, Aria,” she said warmly.
As we walked away, I could hear Fiona telling her friends how beautiful I was. Her voice wasn’t particularly loud, but the hallway was quiet, and we’d only taken a few steps—I could hear every word clearly.
My face burned with embarrassment.
Aiden glanced at me with amusement. “She’s right, you know p>
I pressed my lips together. “Then why are you smiling like that p>
“When my wife receives compliments, I feel proud,” he said smoothly.
I had no idea Aiden could be so silver-tongued.
In another stroke of coincidence, we ran into Elena Pierce on our way out. Instinctively, I moved closer to Aiden’s side.
But today, Elena surprised me with her self-awareness. She simply smiled politely,
greeted us briefly, and continued on her way.
Her nonchalance made my defensive reaction seem overly dramatic by comparison.