Virgin in the City

6

Ryujin's

I kept my promise to keep her close as we walked to the restaurant two blocks away. A few times I just held her off the ground to keep her from tripping, and I thought it might have been easier to carry her all the way. I hope she wears heels around me again just so I can have an excuse to hug her.

"It wasn't that bad," she says when we get to the restaurant and plants her feet. Her cheeks are flushed and she's still a bit unsteady.

"Did I tell you that you look beautiful?" I say, reaching out and playing with the end of her braid. I can't seem to help but touch her.

"A couple of times on the way here, but you can repeat it."

"You look amazing." My hand trails down her arm until my fingers find hers and intertwine.

"You look great," she says as his eyes roam over my body.

"And pretty."

For a second, I think about flexing and maybe even spinning so I can get the full view. 

I don't know why, but I like to show off with her. I feel like one of those birds on the Discovery Channel where they preen, dance, and kick a nest for the girl to pick out.

"This way," the hostess says as I once again wrap my arm around Yeji to keep her from falling, watching her glance at the hostess as we walk, I lean in and keep my voice quiet.

"Everything is alright?"

"It's nothing," she says with a wave of her hand, but I can tell something bothered her.

"Do you want to go?" I ask, stopping in my tracks. I don't want him here if he's not happy. She smiles at me.

"You really would do that, wouldn't you?" If I don't like the place you picked, would we turn around and leave?

"Of course," I reply honestly.

"God, you really are so different from what I thought you would be at first. No, this is perfect. I'm starving."

Yeah, I'd build the best nest in the world if it made her keep looking at me like that. 

We sit down and the hostess hands us our menus, but I find it hard to focus on anything other than her. 

She's right in front of me and I want to ask her a thousand questions, but I don't want to bombard her.

"What are you going to get?" They have like twenty types of pasta; this place must be heaven. She looks at me, and I can feel my face mirror hers.

"I'm not supposed to eat pasta right now," I say, realizing I'm going to have to order something boring. Even I can hear the anger in my voice.

"You murdered that cupcake," she laughs, just as the waiter brings us water and tells us about the specials.

"That cupcake was the second-best thing I've ever tasted."

My mind goes back to that kiss and how it consumed me. As soon as my lips touched hers, all my control was done, and I had to have her. 

Thank God I had a little decency left because I had the strength not to mistreat her like a literal bear.

When she brings her fingers to her lips, I know she's having the same thoughts as me. That kiss was spectacular.

"Are you ready to order?" the waiter asks, and I nod Yeji to go first.

She gets the pasta with cream sauce with a side of vegetables. When she finishes ordering he gives the waiter the menu. I hand him the menu and then tell him what I can eat.