Milkshake Hearts

Chapter 161: Fish

As much as fancy has never been either of their scene, Courtney doesn't hate the opportunity to wear another new dress again purchased with the intent to fluster her husband just a little. It works – or at least, he kisses her sharply and tells her she looks gorgeous – and, at Shayne's request, she lets him play Instagram husband for a moment as she poses near the window of their suite and he leans back on the couch a little to get a better angle for her.

"You wanna get over here, too, baby?" she asks him, after a while, watching as Shayne pretends to be indecisive before he moves to her side, arm wrapping almost instinctively around her as he hands her phone back to her so she can hold it out in front of them for the selfie they both know will end up part of each of their Instagram-dumps from their trip away (although Courtney has a feeling Shayne's will mostly be pictures of scenery from the hike they've already been on and the further ones they're planning).

They both tilt their heads towards each other, gently pressing together as she wraps her own arm around his waist to pull him closer and takes the selfie, before dropping her arm down and instead turning to wrap him in a hug.

"I used to struggle to believe that all this was really my life but it just... is, and I'm so happy," she tells him, feeling Shayne's hand drift across her back as he slowly traces out a heart, brushing against her skin as he does in the cut-out at the back of her dress.

"Nothing makes me want to just keep living my life more than knowing I get to do it all beside you," he answers, his own voice deep and genuine and making her squeeze him tightly before, reluctantly, pulling back and shaking off the sappiness a little.

"Come on, we have all week to be cute, we've got a reservation to make," she reminds him, Shayne grinning at her.

"Yeah? Well, I'm ready, it's you that still needs to put on jewellery," he tells her, Courtney rolling her eyes as she turns to walk back towards the bedroom.

"Yeah, but I need you to help do up my necklace so technically you aren't ready either," she calls back to him, Shayne shaking his head fondly to himself as he wanders into the bedroom behind her to, as always, help do up the chain behind her neck and absolutely use it as an excuse to kiss her neck, too, knowing it will make her look back at him with that look that tries to be annoyed but can never quite hide how much she loves him.

They drive to the restaurant downtown, Courtney quietly marvelling at how she doesn't have to fight anyone to find a park and no one is being an asshole on the roads but there's still enough people around the district overlooking the old port where the restaurant they chose is located that it's comfortable, not eerie – maybe one day they'll get sick of LA life and move somewhere quieter.

Or maybe they both secretly love the chaos, and they'll just keep taking their holidays in quieter places like this.

The restaurant is full of exposed wood and red brick walls, much like a lot of the city is, and the cool of the night air is forgotten outside as the wood-burning fires in the kitchen – right in the middle of the main dining space – keep the restaurant comfortably warm. There's a handful of couples and families and businesspeople scattered around, but it's not packed, and both Shayne and Courtney are pleased when they're led to a table tucked away in a corner that affords them at least some sense of privacy.

Being Maine, at least half the menu is seafood, and as much as she's never loved it, Courtney figures she should at least try the lobster appetiser for a little bit of the local vibe, and just lean on the (very nice-sounding) vegetarian entrée if she doesn't enjoy it. Shayne, for his part, feels his childhood memories of fishing off the coast of Florida coming back with force as he orders his own food all of the sea variety, although he's equally as happy when the server steps away after taking their orders and they're left in comfortable peace to talk between themselves while they wait for their meals.