Blake grinned at Farrah’s reaction. “It’s called Moller Villa. It belonged to some rich European guy, but it’s a hotel now. Don’t worry—there’s a restaurant inside.”
“How did you find this place? I can’t believe I’ve never heard of it and I’m supposed to be the design student.”
“It’s not in a lot of Shanghai guides. I only know about it because I was hanging out in a cafe nearby, and one of the staff recommended it.”
Farrah slid a glance in his direction. “You met quite a few new people while we were gone.”
She was no doubt referring to Mina. For his own sake, Blake chose not to take the bait.
They didn’t have reservations, but the hostess squeezed them in after Farrah said something to her in Mandarin. He couldn’t understand everything she said, but he picked up on the words “boyfriend” (nan pengyou) and “one year” (yi nian).
“What did you tell her?” he whispered as the hostess led them to their table.
“I told her you’re my boyfriend and it’s our one-year anniversary. This was where we had our first date, but you forgot to make reservations.”
“Throwing me under the bus. Typical girlfriend behavior.”
Her silvery laugh was music to his ears.
Chill, man. Stop acting like you’ve never been on a date—
He caught himself in the nick of time. This wasn’t a date. This was—why were they here again? Right. He was thanking her for the elephant.
It was 100% not a date.
Just a guy and a girl he found wildly attractive, having dinner in a romantic hotel in Shanghai.
Shit.
They took their seats and examined their menus. Blake hadn’t been lying when he said he didn’t know if the food was good. Judging by the way Farrah’s eyes roved the room, examining every detail, it didn’t matter. They both knew what they were here for, and it wasn’t the lamb.
“You really love it.”
Her gaze snapped to his. “What?”
“Design. You haven’t stopped staring at the architecture since we arrived.”
“Sorry. I’m being a bad dinner companion.” Farrah bit her lip. “This design contest is taking over my life.”
“It’s nothing to apologize for.” In fact, her passion fascinated him. What was it like to wake up every day feeling that excited about something? Pretty nice, he’d bet. “How did you get so interested in interior design?”
“You could say it’s been a lifelong dream.” Farrah smiled. “Sounds cheesy but when I was seven, my parents redecorated the house, and I tagged along with them to the furniture and paint stores. Most kids my age would’ve found it boring. I loved it. Turns out I had a knack for matching colors and arranging furniture. My dad even brought me to his office—” A shadow crossed her face. Farrah cleared her throat and sipped her water. “Anyway, the rest is history.”
“A seven-year-old prodigy,” Blake teased. He stabbed a piece of meat with his fork. “Do you think you like design so much because you’re good at it, or you’re good at it because you like it?”
“I never thought about it.” Farrah traced the rim of her glass with her finger. “Both, I guess. I’m good at it and I like it. I love taking a space and helping it fulfill its potential. Like this restaurant is just a room, right? But with the right furniture and colors, it’s a formal dinner spot. Change things up, and it can be a cozy library or a modern minimalist gallery. It can be anything. My job is to mold a space into something that’s perfect for the owner—something that’ll transform it from just a room into an experience, or a home. We spend most of our lives indoors. How incredible is it to shape something that’s such a huge part of people’s lives?”
Blake was so swept up in Farrah’s enthusiasm he could picture everything she was saying—the library, the gallery, the gasps of delight when the owners saw their redecorated homes for the first time.
“I’m rambling.”
“No. I love hearing you talk about it. It’s…captivating.” The word slipped out without thought. Part of Blake wanted to take it back, but it was the perfect word to describe how he felt seeing the sparkle in Farrah’s eyes and hearing the animation in her voice.
Farrah blushed.
Blake’s stomach did a slow roll. He thought he’d gotten over the silly things his body did when he was around her. After all, he’d had enough sex the past three days to get any girl out of his system.
Guess not.