Page 30 of Eat Slay Love

Only the person in front of you.

I should have expected it, but still, my stomach flipped when I saw our table.

The other couples were already seated.

Cosmo appeared in front of us.

“Here you go.” He walked off, and we followed.

Soon, Cosmo stopped us at one table, as if he’d already heard our conversation or at least sensed the inevitable outcome of this moment.

I turned my gaze to the table and my breath caught in my throat.

It wasn’t just a table. Beneath the sleek glass surface, an entire living world thrived.

An aquarium.

Soft, ethereal light pulsed from within, illuminating a vibrant underwater landscape of coral, delicate anemones, and slow-moving, hypnotic fish that shimmered in deep blues, golds, and iridescent pinks. The water was impossibly clear, giving the illusion that the creatures inside were floating in air rather than water.

Suspended in an infinite dream.

A school of tiny turquoise fish darted across the center.

A pair of butterflyfish—one the color of burning embers, the other as white as moonlight—circled each other in an intimate dance.

And at the very center, a single betta fish, dark crimson with a sweeping tail like fine silk, glided slowly through the water.

The entire thing was mesmerizing, surreal, and quietly breathtaking.

But then I noticed something else.

Two seats.

Positioned right next to each other.

Super close.

A deliberate lack of distance.

At first, I hesitated, taken aback by this unexpected arrangement.

But then I saw Mr. Lyon’s eyes, dancing with mischief, and I swallowed the nervous lump in my throat.

My heart pounded with the exhilaration of stepping outside my comfort zone.

Mr. Lyon gestured toward the chairs. "Shall we?"

With a deep breath, I nodded and we moved towards our seats together.

He pulled out the chair for me—a classic gesture that had my heart fluttering in my chest.

“Thank you.” I took my seat next to him, close enough to feel the warmth from his body radiating against mine.

All around us were couples—entranced by each other, oblivious to everything else.

Yet, the intimacy of our positions made everything else fade away.

Suddenly it was just me and him.

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