For February, the month of valentines, love and romance I am sharing with you a cute, romantic and sweet first date that a couple of my character's shared. Keep in mind that Sara is very shy, and Mitch... well he's very confident in his quest to get what he wants. And what he wants... is Sara.
Sara was impressed when they pulled up to the little Italian Bistro.
She had heard some of the girls at the office talk about it. It was definitely
one of the trendier places in town. And she had heard from more than one of the
girls that they had a chicken marsala dish that was to die for.
Mitch led Sara to their table with his hand placed at the small of her
back. When the waiter had pulled her chair out for her and waited for her to
sit, she was perplexed as to Mitch stood there watching her. When he finally
sat right after she did, though, it was obvious that he was just trying to be a
gentleman. Although it was a different experience to be on a date with someone
who had such eloquent manners, it was nice.
“This place is very nice, Mitch. Thank you for bringing me here.” Sara
nervously touched her fingers to the flatware laid out in front of her.
“Have you eaten here before?” His smile was soothing and alluring at
the same time.
“No, but I’ve heard it’s amazing. You really didn’t…it’s not necessary
for you to try and…you know what I mean.” She kept her eyes down.
Annoyed by her comment he snapped, “Sara, look at me.” He waited.
“Sara, please.”
Slowly, she lifted her gaze to meet his, and he continued, “Sara, why
do you act as though you don’t deserve to be taken to a nice dinner?”
She spoke quietly, “I don’t know.”
“Damn it, Sara. Don’t lie to me!” he said tersely.
Sara’s head jerked up, surprised by his tone. “I…fine, you want to
know, then fine. It’s not like you need to woo me to get me into bed. I’m
clearly easy. So what’s the –”
“Stop it!” If it were possible to shout quietly, he had just succeeded.
“Is that what you think this is about?” He took a steadying breath. It was
obvious he was trying to reign in his temper.
“Look, Sara. I’m sorry I snapped at you like that. I just don’t
understand you sometimes. I’m really staring to like you and I absolutely hate
the unworthiness you seem to feel for yourself!” He put up his hand to silence
her. “No, hear me out, please. Then you can say whatever is on your mind.”
She nodded and nervously placed her damp hands on her lap. Why had she
started this argument? Why couldn’t she just enjoy herself? But she knew why.
No matter how good she felt in Mitch’s arms, she felt like the same wallflower
of a girl in high school that none of the boys took an interest in. She tried
not to laugh at her juvenile opinion of herself. Here she was, twenty-three
years old, and she was still letting high school dictate how she felt.
“Good. Now, I am your lover. And, I love being that. But, I am also a
man. A man who realizes a good thing when he sees it. You are an amazing,
beautiful woman. Taking you out to dinner and showing you off is as much fun
for me as it is for you. I want to take you places and see you smile. I would
like to put a little romance into our life if you’d let me.”
After giving him a look of surprise he reached over and placed his hand
over hers. “I truly like you, Sara. I admit that our relationship is brand new
and started...well, let’s just say it began a little unconventionally. But,
nonetheless, I don’t see any reason why we can’t have a normal relationship,
with dating and,” he leaned across the table, “lots and lots of goodnight
kisses.”
“You really like me? I mean, not just the, you know.”
Mitch tightened his grip on her hands. “Sara. I wish you weren’t so
unsure of yourself. You are magnificent. In the bedroom and out.”
She smirked at him. “You only say that because we have sex everywhere.”
When she smiled again he continued, “True. But that is only because you
are so damn sexy I can’t help myself. Now please, let’s enjoy our dinner. If it
makes you feel any better, I won’t pressure you into having sex just because I
bought you dinner.”
Twinkling her eyes at him she replied, “Mitch, if I let you buy me
dinner, I will most certainly pressure you into sleeping with me!”
He rolled his eyes. “All right, fine. If I must. Geez, you are so
demanding sometimes.”
The waiter came over with a charismatic smile. “Good evening, sir,
ma’am,” he said as he bowed his head. “Would you care for a bottle of wine this
evening?”
Mitch gestured toward Sara. “Do you have any preferences?”
Smiling, Sara said, “I’ve always had a fondness for a good Riesling.”
Mitch smiled at her. “Very well. What Rieslings do you have?”
“Yes, sir. We have a 2003 Johannesburg,
a Rosemount Estate which is out of Australia, and a Schmitt-Sohne Blue Riesling
Auslese which comes from Germany.”
Waiting the appropriate time, the waiter responded. “My personal favorite is
the one out of Australia, sir.”
Mitch nodded. “That’ll be fine.”
The waiter left them alone after reciting to them the daily specials.
* * * *
Mitch watched her toy with her fork as she smiled. “You are truly
beautiful, Sara. I hope you realize that is how I see you.”
Sara looked up at him. “Mitch. You’re going to embarrass me.”
He winked and quirked up one side of his mouth in a smile. “Good.
Because when you get embarrassed, you blush. The same way you do when—" Mitch
was interrupted by the waiter returning with their wine.
Sara blushed. She knew exactly what Mitch was about to say. What the
waiter would have overheard. He smiled at her, which just made her blush more.
The waiter poured a small amount into the glass for Mitch to taste.
Swirling it around and sniffing before taking a sip, Mitch nodded to the waiter
his acceptance of the wine. Waiting as the waiter poured their glasses, Mitch
and Sara stared at each other in a way that spoke volumes of their past
twenty-four hours together.
“Have you two decided on a selection for this evening?” the waiter
asked with his impeccable manners.
“I’ve been dying to try that chicken marsala you have.” Sara’s mouth
watered as she spoke.
“Make that two. And bring us a couple of salads if you would, please.”
“Very well, sir.” The waiter took their menus and left.
Sara looked at Mitch over the rim of her glass after taking a sip.
Setting it down, she spoke candidly, “Mitch, I’m sorry for the way I acted just
a little while ago. I wish I wasn’t so unsure of myself. You told me I should
be truthful with you, so I will.”
She took a breath as she folded her fingers together on the table. “The
truth is, I really like you. And I really don’t want to do something to scare
you off. That’s why I didn’t want you to think you had to do all of this,” she
said, motioning with her hands at the ambiance of the restaurant. “But,” she
said before he could protest, “I think I could get used to you spoiling me a
little.”
“Well, I am very glad to hear that. I think I will enjoy spoiling you,
as well. Now, what are the odds I can get you to take off those panties?”
“Ahem, sorry, sir. Your, ah, salads.”
Mitch and Sara waited quietly as the waiter set their salad plates down
in front of them. When the red-faced waiter left them, they both burst out into
laughter.
Trying to regain her composure, Sara reached for her wine glass and
eyed him with disbelief. “You are going to have to do something about your
predilection toward me having a naked bottom.”
With complete disobedience in his eyes and a hint of mockery in his
tone, he said, “You know, I think you’re right. When we leave here, let’s go
pick up some lighter fluid and have ourselves a little panty barbeque on your
patio.”
She laughed for a moment before she asked, “How did you know I had a
barbeque?”
Shit! There was no way he could tell her yet. She would retreat and
run. Trying to play it casual, he said, “I just figured. Does that mean we get
to do it?” He waggled his brows at her.
“Hardly. But if you keep making me laugh like this, I might have to
reward you later. I swear, I haven’t had this much fun in such a long time.”
They ate their salads over small talk. Sharing a few laughs over some
of the people at the office, causing them both to be equally surprised to find
that when it came to their co-workers, their opinions were identical.
Amazingly, they had a lot in common.
Mitch wasn’t surprised at how compatible they seemed. When he watched
her in her window just a couple of nights ago, he knew there was something
about her. Something other than the fact that she looked absolutely magnificent
as she touched herself in the moonlight.
The waiter took their salad plates away, and Mitch took a swig of wine
before refilling both of their glasses. “Feel like playing a game?”
She smirked. “I am not going
to take off my panties, and that is final. Wait until we get home.”
He wanted to laugh at her comment. But something about the way she said
‘until we get home’ caused a small flutter in his stomach. Could he actually
really be falling for her? They haven’t even been dating for a week yet. He
tried to ignore the sensation. “You’ve heard of word association games, right?”
Sipping her wine, she nodded.
“Well, it can be kind of interesting sometimes. Do you want to try?”
“Sure, why not?”
“Good. I’ll start. But remember, you have to say the first word that
comes into your mind. So, I’ll start with, ah,” Mitch looked around the room
for inspiration and saw it, “Leprechaun.”
Sara glanced around the restaurant until she saw a sweet little man
with red hair. The only thing missing on him was a green suit, she laughed.
“Okay, St. Patrick.”
“Beer.”
“Pub.”
“Fish and chips.”
“That’s three words,” Sara chided him.
He shrugged. “Hey, you got away with St. Patrick. That’s two words.”
“Fine. Cheater.”
“I’m not a cheater!” He laughed.
“No, my word is cheater.”
“Oh, okay. Um, never.”
She eyed him, as though thinking of what to say next. “Land.”
“Land? What does – oh, I get it. From Peter Pan, Never Land. Okay, um, airplane.”
“Flying.” She smiled while sipping her wine.
“Climax.” Mitch watched as her face reddened.
Obviously not willing to back down, Sara responded quickly, “Euphoria.”
“Ecstasy.”
“Happiness.”
“You.” He whispered the word with a gleam in his eye.
She stared at him speechless. The waiter brought their dinners over to
them then.
“Enjoy your dinner. I shall come back momentarily to check on you.
Meanwhile, may I get you anything else?”
Staring at Sara, Mitch shook his head. “No, we’re fine, thank you.”
Sara picked up her fork to try her dish when Mitch took her hand,
interrupting her. “You didn’t say a word.”
She smiled up at him, knowing there could be no way for her to explain
to him how good he made her feel about herself. She shrugged. “I could only
think of two.”
Mitch was waiting while she took a bite. Watching her chew and swallow
before delicately dabbing her mouth with her napkin he finally asked, “Well?
What are they?”
“Thank you.”
He smiled. “You’re welcome, honey. Is it good?” He indicated the chicken
marsala as he dug in for his first bite.
On her second mouthful, Sara nodded. “Mmm, hmm.”
Throughout dinner, they asked each other questions about one another.
They spoke about their families and their friends. They learned about each
other’s childhoods and laughed over one another’s stories.
Sara watched as Mitch seemed to be fighting against something, but she
tried to push the thought aside, not wanting to worry about what it might be.
Signing the credit card receipt, Mitch offered her some more wine, which
she shook her head at. “No thanks. Do you have an early day tomorrow? Should we
get home or – yeah, we should head home.”
“Sara. Am I going to have to spank you right here in the restaurant?”
Sara hid her face in her hands and tried to muffle her laughter. The
waiter had just walked up behind Mitch as he said the word spank. The shock on
his face was too hilarious for her to hold back. Waiting for the waiter to walk
away, Sara looked back up at him with tears in her eyes from laughing so hard.
“Ha ha. Very funny. You could have warned me, you know. Besides, it’s
your fault. Why don’t you just tell me what you want to do?”
“I never said I…all right. How do you do that, anyway? You always know
when I’m holding back with you.”
“It’s a gift.” He winked at her, quirking one eyebrow up.
“I was thinking that maybe we could take a walk downtown here. You know,
burn some of the dinner off.”
Getting up from his chair and going around to pull hers out for her, he
whispered in her ear. “Okay, but sooner or later, those panties are coming
off.”
She looked over her shoulder at him and couldn’t help but smile. “I
would expect nothing less of you.”
