Sweet For You, Ruthless For Others
Chapter 51: The Restaurants Special

Chapter 51: The Restaurants Special

She shrugged. "I’m just not used to all this." She gestured vaguely around them.

"To what? Dinner?"

"To... this," she said, her voice quieter now. "The luxury. The way you treat me. I like it, but it also feels... strange."

Niklaus leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table. His dark eyes locked onto hers, and for a moment, the noise of the restaurant seemed to fade. "You’re not strange for liking care, Hermia. You deserve it."

Her breath caught, and she quickly looked down, pretending to focus on the menu again. She wasn’t sure what to say to that.

As the server returned with their drinks, her stomach growled audibly, making her blush furiously.

Niklaus chuckled. "You’re hungry. Stop overthinking and order whatever you want."

She couldn’t help but smile at his easy confidence. "I’ll try."

"Good," he said, raising his wine glass. "And stop sighing so much. You’re allowed to enjoy yourself."

As she picked up her glass of iced tea, a thought lingered in her mind: Maybe, just maybe, she could.

The waitress returned with a professional yet warm demeanor, her notepad ready. "Have you decided what you’d like to order for dinner, Mr. Hathaway? Miss?"

Niklaus glanced at Hermia. "What do you think, Hermia? Do you want me to pick, or do you have something in mind?"

Hermia hesitated, glancing down at the menu again. "I’m not sure. Everything looks... fancy," she admitted, biting her lip.

Niklaus smirked. "Let’s do something interesting then." He turned to the waitress. "We’ll have the chef’s special for tonight, whatever that is. Something that surprises us."

The waitress smiled approvingly. "Excellent choice, sir. Tonight’s special is a three-course meal featuring a seared duck breast appetizer, a grilled sea bass entrée with a citrus glaze, and a rich molten chocolate cake for dessert. Will that be all right?"

"That’ll do," Niklaus said smoothly, nodding.

Hermia blinked. "That sounds... a little much," she murmured, unsure if she was ready for something so extravagant.

The waitress chuckled politely. "Our chef is renowned for these dishes. I think you’ll enjoy it, miss." She then looked at Niklaus and added, "You always make good choices, Mr. Hathaway."

Niklaus gave a small, nonchalant nod, barely acknowledging the compliment as he leaned back in his chair. "Thank you. That’ll be all."

The waitress gave a polite smile, collected the menus, and left.

Hermia glanced at him, trying to ignore the flutter in her chest. He hadn’t even blinked at the waitress’s praise. Instead, his full attention was back on her, his dark eyes studying her face.

"You’re nervous," he said, breaking the silence.

She fidgeted slightly. "Not nervous, just... hungry and tired, I guess."

His lips quirked upward. "You’re not used to being the focus, are you?"

Her cheeks flushed. "I don’t know what you mean."

"You’ve been fidgeting with your phone since we sat down."

She looked down at the device sitting on the table. "Habit," she said softly.

"Expecting a call?" he asked, his tone teasing but curious.

"No," she admitted, tucking a stray strand of hair behind her ear. "There’s no one who’d call. I just... I don’t know, it’s comforting to check."

Niklaus tilted his head slightly, his gaze softening. "Then stop checking. You’ve got me right here."

Hermia’s lips parted, but she quickly closed them again, unsure how to respond. His words were disarming, and she wasn’t sure if he meant them the way they sounded.

To avoid his penetrating gaze, she picked up her glass and took a sip of iced tea.

She was saved by the arrival of their first course, the seared duck breast appetizer, artfully plated and accompanied by a light drizzle of sauce.

The waitress set the plates down with a smile. "Enjoy," she said before retreating.

Hermia stared at the dish for a moment, unsure where to start. Niklaus picked up his fork and knife, giving her an encouraging look. "Go on. You’re starving, remember?"

She chuckled softly and took a cautious bite. The flavors were rich and unlike anything she’d tasted before, and her eyes widened slightly in surprise. "This is... amazing."

Niklaus smirked. "Told you. Trust me more often, Hermia."

She nodded, taking another bite, the earlier tension slowly melting away as the meal unfolded. For the first time that day, she allowed herself to relax and enjoy.

Niklaus’s movements were slow and deliberate as he ate, his focus subtly divided between his meal and the woman seated across from him.

The food wasn’t the best he’d ever tasted—he had been to far grander dinners in his life—but tonight, it wasn’t about the food.

This was his first dinner with her.

He found himself smiling as he looked down at his plate, an uncharacteristically soft expression flickering across his face.

The feeling was unexpected, almost startling, yet not unwelcome.

Unbeknownst to him, Hermia caught the smile mid-bite.

Her fork paused halfway to her mouth. She tilted her head slightly, curiosity sparking in her golden eyes.

What had made him smile like that? He didn’t seem the type to let his guard down so easily.

"Why are you smiling?" she asked cautiously, her voice soft but tinged with curiosity.

He looked up, caught off guard for a moment, but quickly recovered, the corners of his mouth lifting into a smirk. "Just thinking," he replied vaguely.

She narrowed her eyes playfully. "About?"

"Work," he lied smoothly, though his eyes betrayed him, flicking to her and back down. "And how we’ve made good progress today."

Hermia wasn’t entirely convinced, but she didn’t press further. "If you say so," she murmured, taking another bite.

Niklaus leaned back in his chair, casually pulling out his phone. His fingers moved swiftly across the screen as he marked something on his calendar. The action was quick, deliberate, and precise. When he was done, he set the phone down and smirked to himself, his expression a mix of satisfaction and pride.

Hermia noticed this too, her brows furrowing slightly. "What’s with the smirk now?" she asked, unable to hide her curiosity.

He leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table, his gaze locking with hers. "Just making a note," he said cryptically, his voice low and teasing.

"A note about what?"

His smirk deepened. "You’ll find out eventually."

Hermia rolled her eyes but couldn’t suppress the small smile that tugged at her lips. "You’re so weird, you know that?"

Niklaus chuckled, a deep, rich sound that sent a warm flutter through her. "I’ve been called worse," he quipped.

As the eating went on, Hermia couldn’t help but feel that there was more to his actions than he let on.

But for now, she decided to let it go, focusing instead on the man across from her and the strange, magnetic energy that seemed to radiate from him.

Niklaus’s eyes lingered on Hermia as she grew more comfortable, her posture relaxing as she spoke.

He couldn’t help but notice how her confidence had blossomed over the evening.

Was it the relief of securing the loan? Or perhaps the luxurious dinner they were sharing?

Either way, it warmed something deep within him.

"So," Niklaus began, leaning back slightly in his chair, his voice casual but filled with genuine interest. "How’s your head? And the sneeze attack earlier? That dust you stirred up looked ready to declare war on your sinuses."

Hermia chuckled softly, her cheeks tinged with embarrassment. "I’m fine now, thanks to you and Steffon. The antihistamines worked wonders." She paused, a flicker of thought crossing her face. "Speaking of Steffon, where is he?"

Niklaus set his fork down and reached for his glass of water, taking a sip before answering. "Still at the office," he said matter-of-factly.

Hermia’s brows knitted together. "At the office? At this hour?"

Niklaus smirked. "You sound concerned. Don’t worry about Steffon; he’s used to late nights."

Her lips pressed into a thin line as a small wave of guilt washed over her. "I hope I didn’t leave too early. I mean, the workday isn’t strictly defined, but..."

Niklaus cut her off with a soft laugh. "You didn’t leave too early, Mia. You’re not Steffon, and I wouldn’t expect you to pull his hours. Besides," his gaze softened as it rested on her, "I like seeing you prioritize your health. Don’t make a habit of overworking yourself."

Hermia glanced down at her plate, her fork absently pushing a piece of food around. His words struck a chord, both comforting and unsettling. She wasn’t used to this level of care from someone who wasn’t obligated to offer it.

"Thanks,"