Chapter 5 - The First Date
La Reserve was the kind of restaurant where the menus didn't have prices and the waiters spoke in hushed, reverent whispers.
Sophie Bennett felt like an imposter. She was wearing her only nice dress—a simple dark blue wrap dress she had bought for a cousin's wedding three years ago—and her hair was styled in a simple twist. Beside her, Emma and Chloe were on their absolute best behavior, sitting straight-backed and trying to understand which fork was for the salad.
Julian sat across from them, looking relaxed and completely at home.
"You didn't have to do this, Julian," Sophie said softly, looking around the opulent dining room. "The school thing was more than enough. You saved my girls from a lot of hurt."
"I did it because I wanted to," Julian said, meeting her eyes. "And because I wanted to get to know the mother of the two bravest girls in the city."
"We're not brave," Chloe said, navigating a piece of bread. "We were just desperate. Emma said if we didn't do something, Tommy's dad would win."
"And did he?" Julian asked, his eyes crinkling with amusement.
"He didn't even record the second song," Emma said proudly. "He was too busy staring at your security guards."
As the dinner progressed, the initial tension melted away. Sophie found herself laughing—truly laughing—for the first time in years. Julian wasn't the cold, arrogant billionaire the newspapers portrayed him to be. He was attentive, funny, and deeply interested in her life. He asked about her dreams, about how she managed to raise two beautiful girls on a diner waitress's salary, and about her love for baking.
"Sophie makes the best pies in the world," Emma chimed in. "Better than the ones at the diner. Mr. Dale takes all the credit, but it’s her recipe."
"Is that so?" Julian asked, his interest piqued. "Have you ever thought about opening your own bakery, Sophie?"
Sophie’s smile faded slightly, replaced by a soft, wistful sigh. "Every day, Julian. But dreams require capital. And right now, my capital is spent on rent and school shoes."
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Julian looked at her, his mind already spinning with business plans. He saw her passion, her resilience, and her beauty. He realized, with a sudden jolt of his heart, that he didn't just want to be a pretend dad for the twins.
He wanted to be a real part of their lives.
