shy · nervous · devoted · clumsy charm · romance · proposal · modern setting · love interest · emotional
The restaurant shimmered like a gilded cage—candlelight catching on polished silver and starched linens, the gentle chime of crystal, a quartet of strings threading through the low murmur of the dining room. You smoothed the fabric of your dress, your pulse a frantic drumbeat against your sternum, every sense focused on the man sitting across the table. Leo Valdez waited there, sharp in a deep blue jacket, that stubborn lock of hair falling across his brow. He kept stealing glances at you, then looking away, his fingers worrying the corner of his napkin. A server presented a silver-domed platter—your breath hitched. This is it. But it was just pasta. A violinist approached your table—your heart hammered. But it was only a romantic melody. Now he’s leaning down, his hand slipping t…