LEILA {ongoing}

15.

Elijah takes us to a local steak house that he swears is the best in Austin without the jacked up price.

The outside reminds me of a farm house with its dark timber and barn style entry doors. Inside feels much the same. Warm moody lighting, red table clothes and dark leather seating at the booths. Random rusted old school farm tools are scattered around the walls as a kind of feature.

The nice waitress seats us in a booth next to a window overlooking the a park that's next to the restaurant. There are still families picnicking and kids playing on the equipment. You can faintly hear their high pitched squeals through the glass.

"This ok?" Elijah pulls my attention away from outside.

"Oh, yea. This way we can watch the sunset." I smile at him. The golden hue of the sun hitting the side of his face making his green eyes glow.

Ordering drinks and our meals the conversation veers into the topics of past relationships. More specifically his past relationships.

I naturally thought he'd be the type to have a lot of girlfriends but apparently he's only had two. Both of them when he was in junior year. Since than he's been playing the field as they say.

I'm sure this isn't the topic he was hoping to be discussing but I'm genuinely interested. 

"What so you don't cuddle...ever?"

We've jumped from the relationship part of dating to his bedroom antics.

He shakes his head, looking slightly ashamed and very uncomfortable."Why would I, she'd just get the wrong idea."

"So what do u do then?"

He shrugs. "Leave."

"Oh my goodness... You're an actual fuckboi, like proper. Geez. So you've never given a girl any sort of aftercare."

He's scowling when he looks up at me. "I'm not a fuckboi just because I don't cuddle. Plus, like I said she'd just get the wrong idea." He aimlessly plays with the salt shaker.

I'm shocked. "What, that you maybe aren't a tosser. That you're a nice guy who treats girls with respect after you have sex instead of skipping out.  I did not expect that. Just seems unlike you. I mean when we first met, definitely, but now...what about your girlfriends?"

Ruffling his hair. "The girls I went out with, I ah, I didn't sleep with my first girlfriend and my second girlfriend cheated on me before we got to that part."

"Bitch." I gasp.

"Can we not talk about this anymore." He leans back, letting his head fall against the cushioned booth. "How did we even got onto this topic! I don't really want to be talking about sleeping with other girls when I'm out with you." He pleads with hopeful eyes.

"... You know..." I continue. Eli just rolls his eyes at me. I know he's not too annoyed, I can see his mouth twitching.

"You could just say to them," I clear my throat and lower my voice. "'Hey gorgeous, that was great. I'll give you two options before I head off. Cuddle or snacks?'" I finish speaking in my impersonation of a dude.

"Honestly, she'd probably choose snacks..." He's laughing at me now, good. "Also, aftercare is literally like foreplay, or maybe 'after play'? anyway, its a fucking turn on that's what it is." I'm just staring off into space at this point watching the sun lower.

"So what aftercare treatment have you received?"

Smirking, I peer over at Elijah from the corner of my eye. "Oh no no, no. A lady never tells."