Looking to his best friend, he grinned. “One thing you need to learn, my friend, is confidence. I am pulling out every stop I can even think of. First, the flowers. Second, an email with a gift card to her favorite witty shirt shop to buy whatever she wants. Then, a badass stick with a note that says, ‘You might win with it in the rematch I know you want.’ The pizza, and then the best outfit Wren could ever pick with jewelry and really fucking expensive shoes, along with a note that says ‘I want more than sex,’ and with the time the car will be there to get her. If she doesn’t show up to the restaurant, then—” He paused, shaking his head. “She’ll show.”

“Or you’ll call me to eat and drink the pain away?”

“Yup, so be on standby.” He threw his best friend a weak smile, and Jensen grinned.

“She’ll show.”

“I hope so.”

“She will. You’re really trying here.”

“I want her.”

“I know, man. I’m happy for you.”

Still, he felt like he would fail. “I fucked up, though.”

“Yeah, but I don’t think she’s the type to hold a grudge, and you’re being honest.” Vaughn sucked in a breath as he nodded. “Plus, if she doesn’t show, I’ll go talk to her.”

Vaughn laughed. “No, this is my doing. I’ll clean up my mess and make it up to her.”

When he glanced over to Jensen, he was smiling like a proud father. “I’m really excited for you, dude.”

“Me too, but please don’t get sappy on me.”

Jensen grinned as he stood, slapping him on the back. “Fine, but know it’s in me to do so.”

“Oh, I know,” he teased as Jensen headed to the back while Vaughn looked down at his to-do list. He’d wanted to stop her yesterday, but he was glad she had taken the car home that he had called to get her. He knew she needed the space, the time to think, and he wanted to give that to her. And while she was gone, he was thinking of some big things. She was right; she deserved the world. And he wasn’t sure if he could give it to her, but he was going to fucking try. He had to.

He had a reason.

Brie.

Only her, and damn it, he was going to do right by her. He wanted to be a man Nathan would be proud of it. The more he thought about it, the more he knew Nathan would want him to be happy. And he was happy when he was with her. Unless she shot him down—and she had every right to. He was going to do his best to get her to give him the chance he was begging for. The chance he needed. More than his next breath. He just hoped everything he had done would work. He wasn’t sure if she was one to take to the showering of the gifts, but he hoped they would bring more meaning to his words, his promises. He would never break a promise to her again. He just needed a chance.

He prayed that he wasn’t too late, and that by the end of the night, his lips would be on hers.

Where they belonged.

Vaughn hadn’t realized how nervous he was until the host brought him to the table he had requested, in the very back of the ritzy Etch restaurant. They had set it up to perfection, the way he had asked, with two candles in the middle of the table and the lights a little low. Hell, throw some money and his name around, and he pretty much got everything he wanted. Now he just hoped Brie would show. Unbuttoning his jacket, he sat down before ordering a Jack and Coke, needing something to take the edge off.

Sitting down, he looked at the door and then glanced at his watch. He was early, like ten minutes, and he wasn’t sure if he was going to be able to handle waiting. He wanted to see her so fucking bad. He prayed she showed. As he sat there, he went over everything he had planned to say throughout the dinner. He wanted to woo her, make her feel important, special. He felt he already did that when he was with her, but just in case, he wanted to make a note to do it. More. Man, he just wanted this to work.

She was the first girl he had done anything like this for since Hazel. He almost hadn’t recognized himself the night before. Rushing around, making plans, and putting Jensen and Wren to work to make his goal a reality. He even called Wells for advice, which he never had done before. He just wanted to make sure everything was perfect. He wanted to take her out on their first date and make it fucking memorable. He wasn’t sure what would happen or if they would even work, but inside, deep inside, he felt like it would.

He prayed it would.

As he took a long pull of his Jack and Coke, he looked up, just in time to see her enter.

And then he couldn’t breathe.

The first thing he saw was her eyes. They were so bright, so damn blue as she looked around. For him. When she turned to the host, her back to him, he had to control himself from getting up and going to her to carry her out of there. Man, Wren hadn’t held back picking out the perfect dress either. It was black, tight, with a slit up the back and completely backless. He had asked for a backless dress, and Wren came through. The gold heels she wore gave her a few inches and matched the thick gold necklace that was around her neck. Her hair was done, a little wave to it, and when she turned, her eyes meeting his, he exhaled hard.

She had come.

Standing, he buttoned his jacket as she made her way to him, a little smile on her face as her eyes stayed locked with his. “I swear, even over a sea of people, I would only see your eyes.”

Her cheeks filled with color as he reached for her, but she stopped him. “Just because I’m here doesn’t mean anything.”

He was surprised by that. “It doesn’t?”

“No. I’m here because you wanted a chance, but I don’t know if I can. So I’m giving you a chance to convince me to give you the chance you say you want.”

His lips curved. “So all my special gifts didn’t work?”

“Oh, they worked. They got me here. But we both know I’m a hard sell.”

“And stubborn.”

“That too,” she agreed as she scooted into the booth. Of course, she wouldn’t make this easy. That was her, but he knew that and he was ready. “But I am always hungry.”

“I know.” They shared a smile before he scooted in beside her, undoing the button of his jacket before he looked over at her, their eyes meeting in a hot connection. “You look gorgeous.”

“Thanks, you did well.”

“Wren picked it out for me.”