I put my foot on the pedal the minute we’re out of my compound, the streets lying empty for my taking. Lilibeth turns and watches the compound gates swing close behind us.
“Unbelievable,” she gushes in an exaggerated tone.
“What is?” I ask, my neck craning to see her. She looks like an absolute treat for the eyes tonight in that pretty little chiffon dress she has on. She’s done something different with her hair tonight, tying it half up in a ponytail, while leaving the rest to cascade down her shoulders. She’s only twenty-four, but she appears even younger.
“The brat Agafon Letvin driving his own car? I expected at least six bodyguards and a chauffeur,” she teases, her dimples appearing like twin conspirators on her cheeks.
“Disappointed you’re stuck with just me?” I ask with a grin. Around Lilibeth, I find myself smiling more and more.
“Not at all. I like being able to talk without sentinels looming over us.”
“Sentinels,” I snigger, wondering how my head of security would react at being called such a thing.
Lilibeth leans forward to change the music on the stereo of my Bentley. I glance over to see if she might need any help, but hold back a groan when I see what the position does to her neckline, and quickly look away before I get distracted.
She leans back in her seat and, to my surprise, begins to sing along. I steal a glance her way, enamored by her youthfulness and carefree disposition. I don’t remember the last time a woman sang in my car, if ever.
“What?” she asks, suddenly self-conscious.
“Just looking,” I reply, returning my attention to the road. “You clean up well.”
“You clean up well yourself,” she laughs, but I catch her blushing. “Where are we going, by the way?”
“You’ll see,” I say, but refuse to divulge more details.
I pull into the drive-thru of Golden Dragon, the best Chinese takeout in the city, and beside me, Lilibeth looks confused. “Wait…” she asks as we wait for our turn to place our order, her neck craning out of the window to make sure we are where we are.
“What do you think?” I throw her a sideways glance.
She looks utterly confused, but I see she keeps her smile on. “I don’t know what to think,” she says with an honesty that makes me chuckle.
I say nothing as we pull up to the ordering booth. The woman at the window knows me by name, given my usual visits.
“Mr. Letvin! The usual?” she calls out.
“Make it a double portion of each, please,” I nod at her.
Lilibeth's eyebrows shoot up her forehead. “The usual? You're a regular at a drive-thru? And, wait, this is our date? A drive-thru?”
I can't help but chuckle at her expression. “This is just the first stop, you curious kitten.”
“Oh my god, you just called me a curious kitten,” she whispers, then louder: “You have a pet name for me!”
I feel a traitorous heat crawling up my neck. “Well, you’re certainly acting nosy.”
“That’s because I’m a curious kitten,” she counters, triumphant.
After collecting our food, I continue driving toward the outskirts of the city.
“Are you taking me somewhere to kill me?” Lilibeth asks, peering out the window as buildings give way to trees. “Because I should warn you, my brother Lion once tracked down a kid in primary school who stole my favorite pen and made him give it back to me.”
“Your imagination is concerning,” I reply dryly. “Though I'm curious about this pen.”
“It was a nice pen.” She shrugs, then leans closer to me, her scent invading my senses. “Seriously, where are we going? If you don't tell me, I'll... I'll sing the most annoying song I know for the rest of the drive.”
“Is that supposed to be a threat?”
Her eyes narrow. “I know all the words to 'Baby Shark.'“
