Noah’s briefcase sat next to th
e stairs, and I heard their voices in the living room.
Noah went into the satellite office once a week to consult on the operations of his company. I knew he couldn’t stay away forever, but since he “retired,” he was particular about the amount of time he spent there. And since going back, he had weekends off to travel with us, and he was always home before five. I was happy that he could fit in his job with his new lifestyle. It only took him a year to figure it all out.
I walked into the kitchen and smiled when I saw Noah sitting on the couch with Gina. He wore a suit from work, but this one was a little more dressy than normal. I’d been right about tonight. I didn’t pry, but I had a feeling that Noah thought tonight would be special too.
He stood up and crossed the room.
When he reached me, he took my hands in his. “You look absolutely breathtaking.”
“Thanks.”
He turned to Gina. “Shall we?”
Noah hadn’t told us where we were going for dinner that night. But I was surprised when he got onto the highway toward Sydney.
For other dinners, we stayed local to Mona Vale or one or two towns over. But this time it appeared I’d been right about tonight being more special than just a regular dinner out with the family.
Gina kept Noah preoccupied with the events of the day, so I didn’t get a chance to ask where we were going.
Though, when the Sydney Harbor Bridge came into view, I knew for a fact that Noah had something up his sleeve. We hadn’t traveled that far before during our monthly family night.
What was he up to?
Gina openly gaped out the window at the brilliant lights around the Sydney Opera House and the Harbor Bridge. She distracted me enough that I didn’t realize it when we reached our distraction.
Noah pulled the car up to the curb of a restaurant. He lifted my hand and kissed it before getting out of the car to greet the valet. Two other valets came around to open the doors for Gina and me.
“Thank you,” I said to the valet.
Noah rounded the car and took Gina and my hand in his.
“Where did you find out about this place?” I asked him.
“I wanted to do something new for tonight,” he said. “I did my research.”
We entered the restaurant, and it was definitely one of the more expensive places. I knew my outfit was fine for the occasion, but my mind was unprepared for the elegant venue.
Noah strode over to the hostess and announced our arrival. The young girl beamed up at Noah and then signaled for us to follow her. I had no issue with the way women responded to Noah. It was almost like second nature for them to be attracted to his charm and good looks.
The hostess’ ponytail swished around as she walked through the restaurant toward our table.
Noah held tight onto my hand, and with my free hand, I held Gina’s. The place was packed, though I know Noah liked to have a window seat for these dinners. Gina’s manners weren’t of concern, but he really liked nice views. And I couldn’t imagine him making a reservation at this place without having a view.
As we neared the floor-to-ceiling windows facing the water, the Opera House appeared to float right in front of us.
The hostess pushed through the glass doors leading to the outside deck.
The edges of the deck were adorned with twinkle lights strung across the entire perimeter. There were hundreds of flowers in various clusters around the deck. A table set for three was the focal point of the space. And other than a bucket with champagne chilling inside, the table and chairs were the only other pieces of furniture.
“Noah,” I breathed. “Is this for us?”
“Yes,” he said.
The hostess retreated back inside the restaurant, and we went toward the table. A single red rose adorned two of the plates. Noah went over to Gina and helped her into the chair with the booster, and then he came over to me. I was still a little stunned and he had to prompt me to sit down.
I glanced around our general vicinity. It had been a warm day, and the heat still lingered under the cool breeze rippling off the water.