Running Game(39)
“Oooh!” she said, smiling up at me from her seat.
“And then, my lady, you may choose from Seared King Salmon, Beef Wellington au Poivre, or a lovely Dry Aged Magret Duck Breast.”
“I have no idea what half of that is, but it still sounds amazing. Do I really have to choose?” she asked.
“Nope, we can eat it all! Mizuna does small plates, so feel free to treat yourself…”
“Thank you for this,” she said, her voice soft and quiet, “it’s very nice.” She seemed shy all of a sudden, and it was completely endearing. I closed the distance between us and kissed her gently again before taking my seat next to her.
“It’s my pleasure, trust me, Maisey. I’m so glad you’re here.”
“Me, too, Jesse. Me, too,” her eyes peered into mine deeply. I wanted to take her again, right there, right then, but I was determined to do this right. I’d already ripped her clothes off and taken her on my floor like she was just any other girl. Tonight, I wanted to show her that wasn’t really what I thought of her, that I thought more of her than that, that I thought the world of her - she deserved so much more from me.
“Wine?” I asked, willing my cock to settle down. My body wasn’t making my job here any easier, but Maisey just had that effect on me, I guess. What was that? Chemistry? Pure sexual attraction? Whatever it was, it had a firm grip on my cock, but to tell you the truth, I didn’t mind it one bit. The air was so sexually charged, it was invigorating.
“Yes, please,” she replied, holding her glass up to me while I poured.
“This is a bordeaux from Armand Rousseau. Apparently, Charmes-Chambertin is one of the most famous Grand Cru vineyards in the Côte de Nuits region of Burgundy.”
“Wow, sounds fancy. You’re into wine?” she asked.
“No… I just ordered the most expensive bottle they had and wrote down everything they told me. I’m more of a beer and whiskey guy to tell you the truth. In fact, I’m usually more of a pizza guy as well.”
Her laughter trickled into the air and I laughed with her, reaching out and pushing a lock of hair behind her ear. She stopped laughing and looked over at me with such sweetness on her face.
“Thank you, Jesse,” she said, “but I want you to know I would have been completely happy with pizza and beer.”
“I know you would have,” I said. “But you deserve nice things, too, Maise.”
She smiled slowly, pensively, and I wished so badly that I could hear her thoughts. It was obvious to me that Maisey had a lot to think about, and probably a lot of pressure on her, as well. I wanted to take her away from all that. I wanted to give her just a little bit of an escape from normal, every day life. Even if it was just for one night.
“Thank you, Jesse,” she whispered, reaching out and putting her hand on mine.
“Shall we toast?” I said, raising my glass to hers.
“Sure,” she nodded.
“To tonight,” I said, clinking her glass to mine, “and good friends.”
“Tonight,” she nodded. “Yes, and good friends.” She sipped her wine, staring at me over the edge of her glass for a long moment. I leaned forward, kissing her wine stained lips quickly and sitting back.
“Let’s eat!” I said. “I’m starved!”
We dug into the dinner like starving animals. Maisey ate with gusto, devouring the oysters and escargot like a champ. Before long, we were feeling the effects of the wine and laughing uncontrollably together. A pink sunset poured a soft pink glow onto her face, the light softly fading into night, until we were sitting under a sky studded with sparkling stars.
“This was amazing… Thank you,” she said. She’d relaxed, she was happy, and she was smiling.
Mission accomplished.
Well, almost.
“I have one more surprise for you,” I said, pulling her to her feet.
“Dessert?” she asked.
“Well, yes, there’s a chocolate mousse in the fridge, but we’ll get to that later.”
“What then?” she asked.
“We have to go downstairs first,” I said.
“Why?”
“Do you always ask so many questions?” I teased. “Come on.” I grabbed the small box that I’d left on the kitchen counter earlier and then led her out my front door and down the hall to the elevator.
“Evening, Jesse,” Grady nodded, holding the elevator for us.
“Grady, we’ll be back in a few minutes. Stay here.”
“Yes, Sir,” he nodded, as the elevator doors closed between us. I pushed the button that led to the parking garage and pulled Maisey close for the ride down the twenty-five floors below us.