<h4>Chapter 141: A Date Night From Nowhere</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    Saturday passed far more peacefully than I was expecting.


    River didn’t show up at the Council headquarters at all, and for once, there wasn’t a mountain of work waiting for me. The silence and calm were... refreshing.


    I managed toplete my assigned tasks by five in the evening. My bag was already slung over my shoulder as I made my way to the elevator, mentally nning a quiet evening with some snacks and research material for History assignment, when my phone started buzzing in my hand.


    It was Draven.


    A small smile tugged at my lips, but I quicklyposed myself before answering.


    "Hey," I said, trying to sound casual.


    "Hey," he replied, and just like that, my heart was doing that strange fluttery thing again. "What time will you be done?"


    "I’m just about to leave," I told him. "Heading back to the Academy now."


    There was a pause on his end, and then his voice dropped slightly. It was softer, more hesitant, like he was treading carefully. "Would you... like to go out for dinner with me tonight?"


    For a moment, I forgot how to breathe.


    Dinner. With Draven.


    Our first date.


    I blinked at the elevator panel, unsure if I had heard him right. "Are you asking me on a date?"


    "I am," he said simply, but confidently. "If you arefortable with it."


    I was. I really was.


    But being seen with him was going to lead to too many questions - ones I wasn’t ready to answer.


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    He must have sensed my hesitation because he spoke again quickly. "You don’t have to head back to the Academy first. Meet me at Willowcross, the small town just next to Lakeshire. I’ll pick you up there, and we’ll head to one of the nearby cities. No one from the Academy will see us."


    My heart started pounding harder.


    He had thought this through. He wanted this. He wanted me.


    I looked down at myself. ck trousers. A brown button-down shirt. Low heels. My hair was twisted up in a bun from the morning rush. I wasn’t exactly dressed for a date, definitely not the kind Draven probably had in mind. And going back to the Academy to change would ruin the n.


    But I didn’t want to say no.


    I couldn’t miss this chance.


    "Okay," I said softly. "I’ll meet you there."


    Instead of heading to the lobby, I ducked into the women’s restroom near the office wing. It was empty, thankfully. I pulled my hair out of the bun and fluffed it slightly, frowning at the slight crease on my shirt and the dull look on my face.


    I sshed cold water on my skin and patted it dry, feeling a little bit of lip gloss wouldn’t hurt. I pulled the small bottle from my bag and started applying it when the restroom door swung open.


    Be and Emily walked in the next moment. The two of them were some of nicest assistants I had gotten to know during my weeks here. Be worked under Alpha Caden, and Emily worked under Alpha Reed.


    Both women paused when they spotted me at the mirror.


    "Well, well," Be grinned, arching an eyebrow. "Is that lip gloss I see?"


    Emily’s eyes sparkled with interest. "Someone’s getting ready for something."


    I smiled awkwardly at being caught red-handed. "I, uh... might be going on a date."


    Both of them gasped - dramatically, of course - and suddenly I was surrounded.


    "A date?" Emily practically squealed. "That’s amazing!"


    "With who?" Be asked, arms crossed, pretending to be stern. "Is he a student from Academy?"


    I just nodded my head in s positive response.


    I wasn’t nning to say more than that, and thankfully they didn’t push. Instead, they noticed my outfit and how not so date-coded it was, and immediately switched into helper mode.


    "We can fix this," Be dered.


    "I don’t have much time," I warned, but that didn’t stop them.


    They got to work like they had done this a hundred times.


    Be started with my clothes. She rolled up the sleeves of my shirt and unbuttoned just enough of the top to offer a subtle glimpse of cleavage. She took off her gold pendant and matching earrings and ced them gently into my hands.


    "Wear these. You can give them back tomorrow," she said with a wink.


    Emily unstrapped her sleek golden watch and handed it to me with a yful grin. "To make your wrist look expensive."


    I tried to argue, but they wouldn’t hear it. "You are going on a date, girl," Be insisted. "You deserve to look stunning."


    I sat on the bench while they worked on my hair and makeup.


    Emily used a mini curler to put gentle waves in my silver locks, letting them fall around my shoulders in soft curls. Be applied just enough makeup to enhance my features - coral blush to match the outfit and the vibes of the season, a little highlighter on my cheekbones, a touch of mascara, and a lip tint that brought out the warmth in my amber eyes.


    By the time they were done, I didn’t even recognize myself.


    I looked... confident. Glowing. Like someone who deserved a perfect first date.


    When I looked in the mirror, I could hardly believe how much a little care and effort had transformed me. I didn’t look overdressed, just elegant in a subtle way. My trousers were perfectly fitted, the shirt was now chic with its minor alterations. The essories tied it all together.


    "You are going to make someone very, very breathless tonight," Emily whispered with a grin.


    "And if he doesn’t treat you right, just let us know," Be added with a genuineugh.


    "Thank you both," I said sincerely, hugging them one at a time.


    They walked me to the lobby before heading to their respective rides, and I sent a quick message to Draven that I was on my way to Willowcross.


    With butterflies in my stomach and my heart thudding with excitement, I stepped out into thete evening light, looking nothing like the tired assistant from minutes ago.


    No. Tonight, I was just Evaline.


    And I was going on my first date with my soulmate.