56 His Voice

"Uh, Extravagant restaurant, eh? Why can't I wrap my head around that name?" Julie jokingly asked with a little giggle.

Steven glanced at her before staring at the road again. He kept one hand on the steering wheel and used his other to hold Julie's hand, squeezing it gently, but tightly.

"Come on, babe. It's a new and fancy restaurant that had recently opened, that's why you don't know it. You are my queen, and I want to treat you as such." Steven replied.

Julie gave him an awkward smile and reluctant expression that made Steven feel like he had said something wrong or ridiculous.

"What? Did I say something bad?" He asked, feeling confused and uncertain about why she made such a face.

"I don't know. But you and I curled up on the sofa watching an old school movie with some bags of chips will sure make me feel like a queen too." Julie calmly answered as she covered Steven's hand with her left hand and tenderly stroked it.

"What are you saying? You don't want to go someplace fancy?" Steven stiffly asked, feeling tense inside. Their conversation was going off-topic, but he did not need all these misunderstandings to get suppressed within his thoughts and not express them.

"That's not what I'm implying," Julie said. She could tell that her words were getting misconstrued. But it was something that did not make her mad since she knew that everything could have gotten avoided if she had been straightforward with what she meant.

"What are you suggesting then? Should I turn the car around and carry you home and reschedule a more casual date or you don't mind that we are going on this date? Because I am absolutely confused right now." Steven openly replied.

"What I meant was, whatever we do together will make me feel special because it's not about the place, price, or appearance. Just being with you and you loving me is what truly matters to me." Julie answered. She felt self-conscious after expressing how she genuinely felt about him, and it made her feel vulnerable, yet content inside.

Steven did not know what to say or how to react. He had been doing all the confessing since they got together and now hearing her being so bold with him about how he meant everything to her made him cherish her more.

"I love you," Steven replied.

He lifted her hand and kissed the top of it before screaming through the window, "I love you, Julie Harper!"

Julie brightly giggles. A moment like this was something she had been missing for years, and yet it was also her worst fear. Now Julie does not know what to expect when all these favorable moments end. She can only be excited for now because that's what counts. And if tomorrow becomes bitter, then that's something to worry about later on.

"I love you too, Steven Manson!" Julie happily yelled, and they both chuckled.

The evening breeze blew from every angle, and the wind whispered, but the air remained filled with the laughing sound of Julie and Steven as they drove.

Twenty-five minutes passed, Steven steered his car into the parking lot of the deluxe building and parked into a free parking space.

Julie clutches onto her necklace tightly. She was feeling nervous since this was her first date in a long while, and she wanted it to go well.

"My lady." Steven's voice took her out of her thought. Julie turned and saw that the car door was open with Steven extending his hand to her. She held his hand, and Steven helped her out of the vehicle. He guided her out of the parking lot and into the building.

They entered the lobby, and the interior design of the place astonished Julie. All the furniture was fabulous and delightful to her eyes. She could see why Steven had chosen this restaurant.

Steven approached the desk and talked with the receptionist. After a brief interaction, a waiter directed Julie and Steven to a private table. Steven pulled out a chair for Julie before he took his seat.

They place their order in and the waiter when to get their order. However, while waiting for their food and drink, Julie experienced cramps in her stomach. With every passing moment, the pain keeps getting uncomfortable for her. Yet she held it in because she did not want to ruin their date.

Chloe and Matt finally arrived at Extravagant restaurant. They spent their entire ride arguing about how much Matt was speeding, or they did not talk at all. Even if Matt tries to start a conversation, Chloe does not give him a reply, she gives him an unfriendly gaze, and that was enough to make him mad or shut him up.

Three minutes went by, and the waiter served the first course of their meal. Steven had planned a lavish and expensive seven-course meal with a live band playing for them. As Julie and Steven's plates got set before them, and their wine got pulled into their glass, Julie's dress felt wet at the backside. She could not believe this was happening now.

"Are you all right, babe?" Steven asked, seeing the discomfort in Julie's expression. She shook her head and folded her lips together. The embarrassment she was undergoing kept increasing every time he looked at her.

"Do you want to tell me what's going on?" Steven asked as he laid down his fork at the side of his plate.

Julie nodded her head, yet she was not talking. It took Steven a few seconds to figure out that what Julie had to say was not something she could tell him in the open. So Steven lifted from his seat, approached Julie, and bent his ear for her to whisper in it.

"I am on my period." Julie shyly mumbles.

'What?' Steven thought before realizing what she meant. 'She's menstruating, you dummy!' He screamed in his mind.

Within a second, Steven pulled his jacket from on his chair and threw it over her shoulder. He took cash from his pocket and tipped the musicians, plus the waiter. Steven then helped Julie up and put his hand around her, drawing Julie into his arm as they left their table.

"Is there something wrong with the food, Mr. Manson?" The chef ran after Steven and asked.

"No, no. Everything was lovely. But I am not in the mood for dinner tonight. Maybe next time." Steven replied.

"Thank you for dining with us then. Hope to see you soon, Mr. Manson." The chef stated before leaving them alone.

Steven and Julie continued to walk towards the restaurant door, and at that same moment, Matt and Chloe entered the building.

"Can you smile a little? People may think I force you to be here with me." Matt said to Chloe with a smirk on his face.

"They would be right to have such ideas because you pressured me to be here with you." She replied, frowning even more.

"That's true. But you can still smile for me." Matt stated as he playfully poked her in the jaw.

His actions made Chloe angry. She pushed him from beside her and turned her face the other way. Her force made Matt lose his balance, and he knocked into Steven.

"My bad," Matt told Steven. He tried to keep his anger and embarrassment under control as he found his balance and stood up straight.

Steven was so focused on getting Julie out of there that he did not pay any attention to what had happened. Steven just glanced at Matt and replied, "No problem." Then he and Julie walked past Matt and headed outside the exit.

Nobody seemed to care about what happened between Matt and Chloe, so he forgave her, though she did not apologize. Matt walked toward the receptionist. However, Chloe did not follow him. She froze like a statue after hearing Steven's voice. Although Chloe did not see him, she could recognize his voice even in her sleep.

With no second to spare, Chloe turns around and races after Steven. Running in heels was very uncomfortable and painful for her, but Chloe was not thinking straight, all she wanted now was to see that pair of green eyes.