When Ivy arrived at the hospital, Jamison was already waiting, dressed and ready to go.

After their phone call, Jamison hadn’t driven his own car. Instead, following Ivy’s directions, he found her parking spot.

“Why didn’t you drive yourself?” Ivy rolled down her window, eyeing him curiously.

“It’s a hassle for two people to take two cars, don’t you think? Hop out and take the passenger seat—I’ll drive.” Jamison opened her door before she could protest, motioning for her to get out.

Ivy raised an eyebrow. “What, too macho to ride in a car driven by a woman?”

Jamison just grinned, leaned in, unbuckled her seatbelt, and pressed a kiss to her cheek. “Silly, I just don’t want you to get tired driving.”

He reached over, his hand brushing the back of her knee. “Want me to carry you to the passenger seat?”

“No, no, don’t!” Ivy squeaked, pushing him away. “I can get out myself.”

Jamison, victorious, stepped back with a knowing smile and waited for her. Today, Ivy had taken a little extra time with her appearance before heading out.

Her makeup was light, accentuating her bright, lovely features.

She wore a flowing dress—elegant, feminine, and sophisticated.

Since she was driving, she’d chosen a pair of low-heeled leather shoes. She looked effortlessly fresh, yet undeniably captivating.

The reputation of Neo Haven’s former leading socialite seemed only to be growing.

“Dressed up for me tonight?” Jamison saw right through her little ploy and asked outright.

“Please. Don’t flatter yourself—I just threw something on.” Ivy, of course, wouldn’t admit to any such thing, responding coolly.

Jamison just smiled, saying nothing. When she reached the passenger door and got in, he slid behind the wheel and adjusted his seat.

“So, where should we eat?”

“How about The Gilded Fork? They’ve got a few dishes I really like.” Ivy buckled up, answering offhandedly, before glancing at Jamison and adding with emphasis, “Dinner’s on me tonight.”

Jamison’s smile widened. “All right, I’ll let you treat me.”

They hit traffic on the way.

Jamison turned toward her.

Now that they had feelings for each other, every glance seemed to spark something new. Every little detail about the other became impossibly endearing.

Ivy felt his gaze and grew self-conscious. “Eyes on the road! Why are you looking at me?”

Dr. Ludwig chuckled and, out of the blue, said, “I was actually supposed to have dinner with my department tonight—birthday celebration for a colleague. But since you, Miss Ivy, finally asked me out, I ditched them to be with you.”

“What?” Ivy’s eyes widened in surprise. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

“It’s no big deal. I sent a group gift to apologize.” Jamison’s smile grew even more mischievous. “Told them I was with my girlfriend. They totally understood.”

Ivy stared at him, speechless, astonished by his lack of subtlety. He really didn’t hold back—practically wanted to broadcast it to the world.

“Ivy, since we’ve got the license, when do you want to have the wedding?”

A wedding? Ivy was caught off guard, her mind immediately flashing back to a recent WhatsApp chat with Dr. Handsome, who was getting married soon. The group had been discussing weddings, joking about meeting up at someone’s ceremony.

She’d told them she wasn’t planning on having one.

And here Jamison was, bringing it up.

“With our backgrounds, don’t you think we’ve got enough on our plates? You want to make a big deal out of it?” Ivy asked, genuinely puzzled.

Jamison answered matter-of-factly, “Why not? We’re both single—nothing stopping us from celebrating properly.”

Ivy fell silent, unable to argue.

Truth was, her mind was elsewhere tonight. She didn’t have the energy to think about something as big as a wedding.

“Let’s talk about that later. Actually, there’s something else I wanted to discuss with you tonight.” She quickly changed the subject, shifting to the real reason she’d insisted on dinner.