by M. L. Young
“Where what began?” I asked, confused.
“Where I knew I’d found the one,” he replied, closing the car door behind me.
A rush of emotions flooded through my body as I felt my skin tingling and my face flush. Smiling, I held his hand and followed him inside the restaurant, where a man in a suit was waiting for us.
“Good evening, and welcome to you both. I am Gene St. Claude, and I am the general manager. We’re very honored and excited to have you both here tonight, and we’re very happy that you’ve chosen to dine with us again. If you’d please follow me, I’ll be escorting you to your table,” Gene said.
“You’re really all full of surprises, aren’t you?” I whispered as we walked behind Gene.
“The biggest one is still to come,” he said, and I felt goose-bumps form over my body.
“Here we are. A private table for two,” Gene said as he set the menus down on our table.
“Thank you very much, Gene,” Blake said.
“It is my pleasure, Mr. Hunter. Your waitress, Nicole, will be with you shortly. Once again, thank you for dining with us again. Enjoy.”
We were at the same table as last time, or at least I thought it was the same table. As usual, we were in a secluded spot, but I could hear children in the next room gasping as they likely found out for the first time that their meal was really chock-full of creepy crawlers that were trying to poke out wherever they could. I was almost nervous myself to have to go through it again, but I was more excited at the fact that Blake left his comfort zone again to come to a place like this. And what was that about the biggest surprise still yet to come?
“Good evening, how are you two doing tonight?” a woman, who I guessed to be Nicole, asked.
“Wonderful, and yourself?” Blake replied.
“I’m doing well, thank you. Can I start you off with some drinks? Are we celebrating anything tonight?” Nicole asked.
“Yes to drinks, and hopefully to the celebrating,” Blake said.
“Congratulations early. What can I get you to drink?” Nicole asked.
“I’ll have the tropical lemonade, but can you spike it? Maybe some of your finest rum?” Blake asked.
“We certainly can. And for you?” Nicole said.
“I’ll have the same. It sounds good,” I said.
“Great. I’ll get those for you and be right back. If you have any questions after looking over the menu, please let me know!”
Though Blake kept bringing up some surprise and telling Nicole he hoped we’d be celebrating something tonight, he didn’t say a word after she left. He looked over the menu like nothing was going on tonight and left me absolutely hanging. He wasn’t going to do it tonight, was he? He wasn’t going to ask me to be his girlfriend. He couldn’t. Well, he could, but would he really do it here? I was glad I didn’t bet money with Nic.
“What looks good to you?” Blake asked.
“I’m not sure,” I said, before I started to actually look at the menu.
“I’m liking the bison meatloaf with the crushed cricket and breadcrumb crust. Even comes with mashed potatoes, green beans, and a side of pan-fried mealworms. Yum,” he said, with obvious sarcasm at the end.
“I could go for the baja chicken tacos with the ant salsa,” I said as I looked at the somewhat appetizing picture inside.
“A woman who takes risks—I like it,” he said.
“Okay, here you guys go. I have your drinks for you,” Nicole said, setting them down in front of us.
The swirl of colors ran throughout the glass as a twist of my straw made them meld together, ruining the picture-perfect look.
“Have you two decided on something?” Nicole asked.
“I’m ready,” I said.
“Ladies first,” Blake said, extending his hand.
“I’ll have the baja chicken tacos,” I said as I pointed to it on the menu.
“Excellent choice. And for you?” she asked.
“I’ll have the bison meatloaf meal,” Blake said.
“One of my personal favorites. You’ll love it. I’ll have someone bring out some complimentary house bread and get the orders in for you right away,” Nicole said before walking away.
“So, what is tonight about?” I asked confidently.
“What do you mean?” Blake asked.
“Well, you told people about a surprise or celebration tonight. Did something happen? Did the merger finalize?” I asked.
“No, not yet, unfortunately. I had something else in mind to celebrate tonight,” he said.
“Oh? What’s that, exactly? Should I be scared?” I asked with a smile.
“Maybe, maybe not. I guess you’ll just have to wait and find out,” he said, smirking.
“No, tell me!” I said, pouting like one of the kids in the restaurant.
“It’ll spoil everything if I tell. You’ll just have to wait until dessert,” he said, before catching himself.
“Oh, so that’s the time, huh? So maybe I should just shovel my food down my throat so I can get to dessert, then,” I said.
“I have to get done with my meal too, you know,” he said.
“Yeah, yeah, whatever you say,” I replied, tapping my fingers on the table.
“So, what did you do today?” he asked before taking a sip of his lemonade.
“Not too much. I was just coding before I got ready for the date,” I replied.
“Coding? What are you working on?” he asked.
“Just some dumb game I’ve been working on for a few years. It’s just a fun thing to do to pass the time and keep my skills fresh,” I said.
“I’d love to see and play it sometime if you’d let me,” he said.
“Eh,” I replied, shifting in my seat.
“If you don’t want to, you don’t have to, but I’d love to see it if you’d let me,” he said.
“How come you want to see it?” I asked.
“Because it’s something you’re working on and I’m interested in your work. I want to be supportive and help you achieve your goals and dreams,” he said.
“It’s not like I plan on ever doing anything with it,” I said.
“How come?” he asked.
“Because it’s just a dumb little game. Nobody would even care about it, anyway,” I said.
“That’s not true. I bet it’s a fun, addictive game and tons of people would like it. I won’t press the issue any more, but if you ever want to publish it, I’ll help you. I don’t mind at all,” he said.
“Thank you. It means a lot to me,” I said as a man came up beside me and dropped off our bread assortment and some plates.
The breads, which were rustic looking, came with whipped butter, regular butter, and oil with pepper on the side. I broke off a piece of the bread, dipped it in a tiny bit of oil, and took a bite before it melted against my taste buds and made me want to close my eyes.
“This is really good,” I said with my mouth still half full.
“I wonder what’s in it. It is pretty tasty,” Blake said.
Before replying, I ripped off another piece and picked up a knife before slathering some of the whipped butter on top. I couldn’t get it to my mouth fast enough before I felt the coolness of the butter against my tongue. I think I waited too long between meals before coming here. I definitely should’ve eaten lunch because now I just looked like a hungry dog.
While waiting for our meals to arrive, Blake and I talked about everything from school and work to new movies that were coming out that we wanted to see. I said I wanted to see the new one with Kurt Simmons coming out next week, and he said he’d call the director to see if he could get a home copy sent to him. I didn’t know that was a thing before he told me, but apparently with enough money and notoriety anything is possible.
After checking on us once and refilling Blake’s glass, Nicole soon came out with our food. The aroma alone was enough to make me salivate. Blake’s meatloaf looked delicious, especially the gravy-soaked mashed potatoes,
and my tacos were jam-packed with cabbage slaw, cilantro, chicken, the ant salsa, avocado, and a creamy ranch sauce that was drizzled in a zigzag formation on top of each taco.
“Is there anything else I can get you?” Nicole asked as she looked back and forth at us.
“Need anything?” Blake asked, looking at me.
“Nope, I think I’m good,” I said.
“Same here,” Blake replied.
“If you need anything, just let me know!” Nicole said before walking away.
I could feel the warmth of the freshly cooked chicken as it pierced through the flour tortilla against my fingers. Sauce and juices oozed out of the back as I pinched it together and tried to stop the contents from slipping out. I succeeded, though just barely, as I took my first bite and got a little ranch sauce on my upper lip.
“How is it?” Blake asked as he cut his meatloaf a little smaller.
“Oh my god, it’s amazing,” I said, licking the sauce off of my lip.
Biting into his, Blake kept eye contact with me before closing his eyes and exhaling deeply through his nose. I didn’t even have to reciprocate the question.
“I can’t even taste the crickets,” he said as he crumbled some with his fork.
“Yeah, the ants aren’t detectable in my salsa. They do such a good job of blending the flavors and making sure you don’t taste them at all,” I said.
“So, are you glad I brought you here?” Blake asked.
“For the food, yes, I am. For the surprise, I’m not quite sure. I still don’t know what you have planned,” I said.
“I’m fairly certain that you’ll like what I have in store. Would I ever steer you wrong?” he asked.
“No, I guess not,” I said, even though I knew he had in the past.
The meal was quiet, as no other tables were too close to us. One older couple was about ten or fifteen feet away, but other than that it was like Blake and I were in our own little rainforest with the décor they had all around us. I always loved themed restaurants so much, especially when they were a little off the wall and goofy.
We ate our meal at a fairly leisurely rate. I had Nicole bring me a water instead of having another lemonade, which was making me a little buzzed. Blake was almost done with his second, and I made him get some water instead of a third one even though he said he was barely even buzzed. It’s better to be safe than sorry.
Just after we finished our meals and pushed our plates forward, Nicole came and picked them up, asking if we’d like dessert. She was looking at Blake the entire time. He looked at her, at me, and then back at her.
“Yes, I think we would like some,” he said before she left with the plates.
“What was that about?” I asked.
“Oh, nothing. I just like to be friendly,” he said.
“Yeah, I bet,” I replied.
Nicole soon came out with a molten brownie cake that had vanilla ice cream, whipped cream, and hot fudge oozing out of the sides. Two cherries were on top, one for each of us, and there were two spoons, one stuck in either side. She set it down, smiling, and walked away. I was left with even more questions that I knew I wouldn’t get answers to.
“Dig in,” he said as he picked up a spoon.
I did the same, taking off a chunk of the brownie cake and snagging some whipped cream and ice cream covered in hot fudge. I barely had any room in my stomach from those tacos and bread, but I couldn’t help myself around chocolate—especially molten chocolate. It was like a drug that I wanted to be addicted to.
“So, I’ve been thinking a lot lately,” he said.
Oh god, here it was, and while I had whipped cream all over my face. I quickly wiped it away, not wanting the moment to be ruined as I sat there nervously, listening intently.
“You and I have been through a lot during our time together. We’ve had ups and very bad downs, but I think we both agree that we stuck it out and it was the best decision. I know I haven’t always been the easiest to be with, and you could’ve left me so many times, but you didn’t. You worked it out with me, and we’re having the best time of our lives right now,” he said.
“I agree. I really enjoy what we have together,” I said, my hands placed neatly in my lap.
“But what I want, what I want with you, is so much more than that. Right now I’m nothing but some guy you’re dating. You’re not mine, and I’m not yours. We’re not each other’s in any true sense of the word, at least not officially. I want to change that,” he said.
“Yeah?” I asked, feeling my cheeks warming up.
“I guess what I’m asking is if you’ll be my girlfriend. To take this to the next level and commit one-hundred-percent to one another and be totally exclusive. Not that we weren’t before, but you know, officially,” he said.
I sat there looking him in the eyes after he asked me what I’d waited so long to hear. I didn’t have any burning secrets to tell him this time that would ruin us, and he didn’t have anything that would hurt me. We were in the best possible spot we’d ever been in, and as I looked him in the eyes, I knew I wanted it more than anything. I wanted him more than anything.
“Yes,” I said, smiling.
“Yes?” he asked, a smile growing on his face.
“Absolutely yes,” I said.
Leaning over the table, he kissed me slowly, and I felt a flood of emotions barrel over, through, and across my body. It finally happened. We were finally together.
CHAPTER TWELVE
Blake
My life had seemingly come full circle in what felt like an instant. Penny and I had been together for a while now, going through our ups and downs, trying to make sense of it all, and now all that trial and error seemed to have paid off.
Sure, we should’ve and could’ve been here a long time ago, but I think it was better to have it late than never, and believe me, we were looking at never having it. First I lied to her, then she lied to me, and then we finally moved past it all and made peace with ourselves and with each other.
As I looked across the table and matched eyes with her, I couldn’t help but feel a sense of relief and joy as the woman looking back at me, the one I’d just kissed, was finally mine. I’d be able to introduce her as my girlfriend, she’d introduce me to her friends and family as her boyfriend, and hopefully this would be just the first step to a longer amount of time together, which as of now I hoped would never end.
After about ten minutes of smiling and talking, Nicole brought the check and we paid before walking out of the restaurant hand in hand. The general manager, who was still there, thanked us for coming, and as we walked out, Gustav was waiting just like I’d planned.
“I thought you drove here,” she said.
“Nope, I sent him to get you after he dropped me off here. I wanted to make sure we could celebrate tonight without worrying about driving,” I said.
“The celebration is just about to get started,” she said, getting into the car.
I walked around to the other side and got in before putting on my seatbelt and wrapping my arm around Penny. She cozied up to me, her body against mine, as her right hand reached up and held onto my hand that was hanging over her shoulder. I caught her looking at me briefly, as I could sense her loving gaze before I turned to her, locked eyes, and kissed her softly. She smiled as I did so, our lips still pushed together, causing me to do the same before I pulled back and looked at her again. She was beautiful.
Gustav pulled into my garage and I got out of my side before walking around the car and opening the door for her. She grabbed my hand upon exiting, and I waved goodbye to Gustav before he pulled out of the lot and back into the street.
The elevator doors opened instantly and it seemed as though we couldn’t keep our hands off of one another as we entered it. Her arms were wrapped around me, her head was pushed up against my chest, and as I kissed her forehead, I finally felt as if the curse was broken. I was no longer the playboy billionaire who could have any girl he wanted. I was the more ma
ture billionaire who had exactly the girl he wanted.
“Have any champagne?” she asked as we walked into my apartment.
“Of course. Wanting to celebrate?” I asked.
“I believe this is an appropriate night to celebrate,” she said.
Opening my cooler, I pulled out a bottle of champagne and uncorked it. Standing with two glasses, Penny tilted them as I slowly poured in the fizzing champagne. The foam soon subsided and I set down the opened bottle on the countertop before taking my glass from her and watching the bubbles fly.
“To us,” I said as I raised my flute.
“To us,” she replied, doing the same.
We gently clinked our glasses together and brought them up to our lips, and I felt the fizzing bubbles pop against my upper lip and nose before I took a sip and reveled in the taste.
Penny made a sour face before swallowing hers and coughing a little.
“Too much for you?” I asked, smiling.
“Nope, just right,” she said, setting her flute on the counter.
“Come here,” I said, setting my flute down, before pulling her close and kissing her gently.
She didn’t waste any time at all. As her tongue found its way into my mouth I could still taste the bubbles that lay dormant on her tongue. I put my hand against her jaw and pushed back her hair as her hands, looking for something to grab onto, gripped my biceps and squeezed them gently. I could feel the excitement and ecstasy flowing through my veins, as I seemed to know what was going to come next tonight.
“Want to take this upstairs?” I asked.
“Yes, but not just anywhere,” she said.
“The bedroom?” I asked.
“Not the bedroom, but a special room up there we haven’t used in a while,” she said.
I hadn’t used that room since that night with her, almost forgetting it was up there, but I couldn’t forget the fun and toys that were inside.
“Let’s go,” I replied.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Penelope
Even though I had the dampening effects of liquor in my system, I still felt a little nervous as Blake led me to his room. I’d only barely ever been in there even though I’d craved it more times than I can count. What was I nervous about, though? I couldn’t quite figure that out. I knew this time in his room was going to be a lot different than the first time in there, and that it might be better, if that was even possible.