Page 117 of Meant for Mayhem

I smiled back at him, resting my hands on his chest. “I did.”

“Good.”

That was it. No grand declaration. No dramatic birthday speech. And yet, I’d never had anyone ask me such a simple question and be so invested in the answer.

He wasn’t asking to be polite, the same way he didn’t ask after he’d planned one of Leena’s and my outings.

He cared.

I pulled at the lapels of his jacket, trying to ground myself in the present. “What’s this for? Are you headed out?”

“We’re headed out.”

“Uncle Logan’s gonna hold the fort down, right little buddy?” Leena looked at Logan, then put her knuckles up against his.

I looked back at Mikko, one eyebrow raised. “Are you sure?”

“Positive.”

“Should I change?”

He shrugged. “If you want. We’re going to dinner and a bookstore.”

“A bookstore?” I asked.

“I thought you’d like that.”

I smiled despite myself, then my gaze drifted from his suit back to my scrubs.

“I’ll go change.”

“Take your time.”

Like a true brat, I did the opposite, rushing down the hall and into the shower. It was long enough to wash the day away, but short enough that I didn’t let myself get too excited about whatever he had in store for us. Each time he planned a day trip for Leena and me, it felt like a date he wasn’t even on… so what would an actual date with him be like?

I stood in front of my closet, evaluating the row of black hanging in front of me. A bookstore didn’t exactly scream cocktail attire, and neither did dinner. But Mikko’s suit was the most I’d ever seen him dress up, so this wasn’t exactly a jeans date either.

I reached for a black dress I’d never worn before. A structured, vest-inspired bodice that hugged my waist before giving way to a flowing skirt. The deep V neckline and bare shoulders framed the gold jewelry I never left home without, while the black fabric made the roses curling over my pale skin stand out even more.

It wasn’t soft or sweet, but it was beautiful, and it felt like me.

Before I grabbed a bra and panties, my eyes landed on the box tucked into the back corner of the closet. Books were still stacked inside, but a splash of red showed through the clear plastic side. My hand hesitated.

It was ridiculous.

Completely unnecessary, even.

We were going to dinner and a bookstore, that was all.

I pulled the box open anyway, grabbing the matching red lace lingerie set inside.

“This is for me,” I muttered to my reflection once I had it on. Sometimes confidence came in strange forms, and it made me feel good. This wasn’t for Mikko, it was for me.

Satisfied with that completely rational explanation, I changed, slipped into the dress, fastened on my favorite hoop earrings, and gave myself one last look in the mirror.

“It’s a birthday dinner,” I reminded myself, hating the stupid butterflies that took flight in my belly. “Get a grip.”

Mikko drove my car to the restaurant, pulling under the awning of an old building in downtown Denver. A red carpet leading into the restaurant was my first clue that this wasn’t just dinner. Or, at the very least, not any kind of dinner I’d had before. He handed the keys to a valet, then put his hand on my low back, leading me inside.