The Mate

Chapter Seven

He watched her walk out the door of the small bakery and ice cream shop. She sat outside on the bench by the doors, once she patted the seat beside her he sat down.

"So, if this is our second date, how was the first one?" he asked her.

"Let me tell you about this dude I just had a date with." she looked at him as he licked his ice cream. While she watched him lick all she could think about was how his tongue would feel against herself.

"Yes, tell me. Was he a bore?" he asked. "My sister went on a date with someone and she came home and was not happy."

"Oh, yes! The man just sat there the entire date and didn't talk much. I guess he didn't like me much. He did ask a lot of questions though." she licked her ice cream. "I mean I did talk a lot so he probably couldn't get a chance to say anything to me. He didn't even tell me goodbye. He just walked me to another place after we ate." she rolled her eyes and laughed.

"Well that seems rude." he joked with her.

"But I guess I will go out on another date with him."

"Why's that?" he asked her.

"Because the dude was sexy." she realized what she said and covered her mouth. "I'm sorry. That wasn't meant to be said out loud." her cheeks blushed.

"Sexy? Not, like, handsome? Or hot? Just... sexy?"

"I am so sorry. I really didn't mean for that to come out."

"It's okay." he chuckled. "I at least know, now, that I'm sexy."

"Now, you're making fun of me."

"No, I'm enjoying this. Really."

"Whatever." she rolled her eyes. "But seriously. I did talk a lot about myself. What about you? We both know what we do for jobs. What do you do for fun?"

He could think about quite a few things he wanted to do with her for fun. "My job is my business."

"Wait, so you own that bank?"

"Yes. It was my fathers but he stepped down and now it's mine. Kinda a family business ordeal."

"What? Like the mafia?"

"Oh, the mafia is tame compared to my family business."

"Banking world that serious?" she inquired.

A smile came to his face. "Very."

"I have my mother and father. And four annoying little sisters. I am of the ripe old age of twenty four-"

"That's not old at all."

"Sometimes it feels like it. But I have a set of twin sisters that are twenty three and they are both married and happy. And my third sister is twenty two. My youngest sister is nineteen. Mom and dad took a break after the third sister. We were a handful but we had the help around the house."

"Help?"

"Well, we live in a giant house. It's kinda like..." how was he going to explain this to her? "It's like a giant family house. We all live under one roof."

"That must be fun." her eyes lit up. "Do you get in each other's way?"

"No, it's a really big house. We do eat supper together every night. And we eat breakfast on the weekends together. All the kids come and we have a good time. You should come tomorrow night to my place. Eat dinner with us. I can tell the cook to make you a birthday dinner. Well, an early one at least."

The thought of her meeting his family made her stomach jerk. "Uhhh, I have to work."

"So? I'll pick you up." he was getting excited about his family meeting her.