Unfortunately, my dates usually involve five-star restaurants, expensive gifts, and sometimes even tickets for an impromptu weekend away to Paris or Barcelona. My money and status don’t mean much when I can’t leave this house. Still, I am nothing if not resourceful, and I have every intention of giving Elle the date of a lifetime. I might not have the world at my fingertips as I usually do, but I still have my charms, after all. She’s still smiling at me as I release her fingers. How is it that something as simple as a smile from a woman can tie my stomach up in knots? She doesn’t smile nearly enough—and I intend to change that. While we’re trapped here together, I want her to do nothing but smile. Know nothing but joy and laughter. We’ll have to face the rest of the world soon enough. I keep my grin on my face as I lead her into the kitchen, but inside, the implications of what I’ve done are starting to sink in.
