I stared wide-eyed and open-mouthed at the incredible scene before me. I couldn’t even begin to comprehend how stupid I must’ve looked. All I could see - all I could realize - was the amazing sight that engulfed my field of vision. I should’ve known not to be too shocked when I saw the intricately carved, marble archway that led to the ground-level reservation floor of the two-story restaurant.

Nothing could’ve prepared me for the absolute masterpiece that lay spread out, in a visual feast I couldn’t get enough of. The floor was a shimmering mix of black, bright reds, and flecks of oranges - it was as if a dark opal had been melted onto the surface. Soft lighting made the most of the flooring, but as my gaze trailed over the sleek glass protecting it, I made a second, more profound discovery.

There was a real, running stream cutting right through the center of the floor. Large, smooth, polished, light-gray rocks lined either side and the water flowed a bright, fiery reddish-orange. Whether it was because of lights or dye, or both, the water created a current whose branches spread out from the main brook and up into the walls. Water trickled from expertly disguised and hidden tubes, like a rock wall at a sushi place.

“This is way better than a sushi place …” I spoke the first thing that came to mind, and I blinked hard, only to realize what I’d said. Paul’s laughter bounced around me, deep and heavy, and I blushed hard as he squeezed my waist. He must’ve understood where I was coming from and he smirked at me broadly with pride shining out of every pore on his face.

“I’m glad you like it.” Paul didn’t say anything else before a slight commotion from his right caught our attention. I peeked beyond him, from under furrowed brows and watched as several waiters glanced our way, whispering amongst themselves, before a short woman pushed her way through them. Even from so far away and over the live violin music that played, I could read her lips as she told her staff to get back to work.

When she came over to us, she was all smiles, and she grinned at Paul and me, equally, before holding her hand out to him.

“I was wondering when you’d be coming in, again, Paul. I read about your brother on the police’s social media - I thought maybe you’d bring your mom again.” Just like my father, Paul’s brother seemed to loom over him like a shadow he couldn’t get rid of. I glanced at the man next to me as he shook the woman’s hand and licked my lips anxiously, only to be blindsided when she turned to speak directly to me. “It’s wonderful to meet you. I’m Elizabeth, and I own this place. Is this your first time here …?”

“Uh – McKayla … yeah, it is. I actually never thought I’d come here … I’ve seen this place on the news a few times.” For the first time, I noticed how young Elizabeth was; she couldn’t have been much older than I was. Her bright, healthy, blonde hair was pulled into a tight bun, and her smile was just as vibrant when she turned it on me.

“Well, I hope you like it here, ‘Uh - McKayla’.” Winking animatedly, Elizabeth’s little joke pulled a giggle out of me, before she gestured us to follow. “Right this way, please.”

The table Elizabeth gave us sat at the end of the stream, as it emptied into a small pool to be recycled. I smoothed my dress against my lap from nerves. Everything around me was so nice, and knots formed in my belly as I looked around. The sheer amount of money people were wearing, let alone spent here was insane; that much was clear with just a quick scan.

“Did Elizabeth surprise you?” My eyes whipped to Paul and widened at the teasing smirk he wore. I nodded dumbly. His shoulders were relaxed and his body lax in his seat. He didn’t seem at all perturbed by what he was wearing. I pulled my lower lip between my teeth and took a deep breath, holding it for a few moments before exhaling through my nose.

“I - she’s… she’s kind of young, right? I mean, I just didn’t expect her to be … her.” Failing miserably to explain myself, I felt heat creep up my neck as Paul smiled wider.

“She has that effect on everyone. I remember thinking the same thing when she hired me for such an expensive project. When I came on the job, she’d already been through two or three other contractors because they wouldn’t accept that she knew what she wanted for this place. They thought she was just headstrong and young, and that she didn’t understand the scope of the project.”

“You mean she designed this all herself?” Surprise colored my voice, but Paul shook his head as he picked up his fancy menu.

“No, but she knew what she wanted. She knew what she wanted everything to look like - to feel like. All I did was fill in the blanks, like color, design tweaks, what would make for the best impact. Elizabeth is insanely rich, so she didn’t have a problem with price. That being said, I managed all of this quality at about three-quarters of what the other contractors wanted. I know it doesn’t sound like much that way, but it was almost a million dollars.” My eyes widened at that, and Paul glanced at his menu, as if that kind of money was within the realms of his wildest dreams.

I didn’t grow up poor, and I wasn’t poor at the moment, but a million dollars was still hard to comprehend.

“That’s … I - … wow … How long did it take?” Almost desperate to get my mind off the price of this place, I dragged my fingertips down the fabric edge of my menu before carefully flipping it open. The print was elegant but easy to read, and I found myself pleasantly surprised at the options. I browsed the available dishes and the word, glad, couldn’t describe what I felt when I realized I knew what most of them were.

“A year and three months from start to finish. I’d initially estimated it to take longer, but we had surprisingly snags. I think everyone involved was so focused on pleasing Elizabeth, so they’d get a bump in high-profile works.” My mouth twitched in a smirk at Paul’s explanation, even as it watered, and I narrowed my eyes on a steak salad plate to scan the ingredients. “I was expanding into residential, but this is the place that got me into commercial.”

“It’s amazing – and it’s amazing that you can do something like this. I remember - when I was, like, eleven. I wanted to be a professional soccer player. I’ve always been good at it, and I was in leagues when I was growing up, but the middle school I was going to had team try outs. I was one of the lead midfielders.” I paused as a waitress in a sharp, crisp uniform sidled up to the table. I glanced away from my menu and to her face. Her usual, peppy greeting phrase went over my head, and I fingered the edges of my menu absently before my inner beast rustled in the back of my mind.

Taking a soft breath through flared nostrils, I cocked my head slightly as I held her scent in my lungs. She smelled… heavy, but I couldn’t understand how. Gradually, my senses sharpened, and my eyes widened as realization came up on me like the impact from a brick to the face.

“- ayla… Babe - ,” Paul’s voice snapped me out of my daze, and I whipped to face him before shaking my head wildly. “Are you ready to order?”

“Uh – uh – yeah …” Heat flushed my cheeks even while I prattled off what I wanted, and I watched the waitress walk off with our menus through blown pupils. Paul took my hand, his eyes searching and curious when I met them, and I pulled my lips between my teeth before speaking up. “She’s pregnant … I wonder if she knows …”

“You’ve never smelled a pregnant woman before?” Embarrassment burned my cheeks and ears at the question, and Paul chuckled even as I nodded furiously.

“Of course … I just - I’ve never been so close to one before. It just surprised me. It’s not like I’m an idiot, but I sometimes forget that humans can get pregnant at any time.” Paul nodded firmly, in understanding but didn’t let go of my hand, and I slowly flipped his palm to trace his roughened, hard flesh. Decades of work were in his hands, and a comfortable silence settled between us before he broke it.

“Speaking of, it’ll be winter soon. How do you deal with that? It’s one of those times of the year that Jon and I don’t have much contact since my work gets so busy.”

“Hibernation.” For the first time, I realized how tough having a human mate was going to be, and I sighed heavily as Paul trained his intense, dark eyes on me. “Not like that. I just will sleep a lot - like, eighty percent of the time - days at a time. When I get hungry, I’ll wake up, but it won’t be for more than a few hours. I usually go to my mom’s house since she has a basement - it feels better.”

Which means we won’t be spending too much time together. My thought was written on Paul’s face, and my small smile was filled with guilt. Not that I can do anything about it. Damn, crap instincts.