Chapter 20

Summer's POV

His words hung in the air between us, making my heart skip several beats. It's just you. The weight of those three simple words seemed to fill the entire car, and I found myself staring out the window, desperately trying to collect my thoughts.

"Mr. Stark," I said, desperate to break the loaded silence, "did you ever visit the food streets near Columbia when you were a student?"

He turned those dark eyes on me, one perfect eyebrow arching slightly. "Skipping classes?"

"What? No!" Heat flooded my cheeks. "We always went after classes!" The corner of his mouth lifted in a subtle, amused smile. He looked different here—more relaxed, almost approachable.

When we reached the campus, I led him toward a tiny, bustling eatery. "Oh! Someone's leaving!" Without thinking, I caught his sleeve to pull him toward the vacant table. When I realized the familiarity of my gesture, I quickly stepped back. "Is something wrong? We can go somewhere else if you think it's too... casual."

"No." He sat down before I could finish. "This is perfect."

"Summer!" The owner's enthusiastic voice made me jump. "Long time no see!" Her eyes darted between Brandon and me. "And who's this? Your boyfriend?"

"No, he's—" I started, but Brandon smoothly cut me off by handing me a menu.

"Shall we order?" His voice was perfectly calm, but there was a glint of mischief in his eyes.

We ordered the famous cheese steak sandwiches and herbal teas. As we waited, I could hear the whispers from nearby tables—mostly students marvelling at Brandon’s striking presence. In this setting, he stood out even more.

"See something you like?" He teased, catching me looking at him.

"Mr. Stark is being very confident," I countered.

The owner returned with our food, giving Brandon another appreciative look. "Your boyfriend is so handsome!"

"Thank you," he responded naturally, making my heart do a sudden flip.

I stared at my sandwich, which was nearly twice the normal size. "This is... excessive. They never give portions this big."

Brandon leaned back, his movements elegant even in this cramped space. "Perhaps good looks buy special treatment, Miss Taylor. Was that a compliment?"

"I was commenting on the restaurant's double standards!" I protested.

"So you agree that I am..." He paused deliberately. "Striking?"