I Hate the Way...

Part 48: "Special Occasion"

"You ready, love?"

Josie tilts her head as if she's in thought, "Almost..."

She grins before leaning forward to close the small distance between them, bringing their lips together in a slow, brief kiss. When they part, the tension between them is palpable, something unspoken, a shift in the air. Josie takes her lip between her teeth before she whispers, suddenly breathless, "Now I'm ready."

Hope nods, leaning away after a moment and clearing her throat as she opens her door and gets out of the car without another word.

She lets out a long breath as she straightens out her suit and walks over to the passenger side door. She opens the door and holds her hand out to help Josie out of the car, which the brunette gratefully accepts.

When she's out of the car, Josie finally pays attention to her surroundings, realizing that Hope has brought her to the nicest restaurant on the coast. She's never been here before, though.

Hope guides her inside, never releasing her hand as she speaks to the hostess, giving her name for their reservation. The woman smiles warmly, "Right this way," She guides them all the way to their table for two before leaving them, and Josie looks around in awe as Hope pulls out her very expensive looking chair for her.

"Wow, red leather booths and everything..." Josie observes.

"Is it too much?" Hope asks worriedly.

Josie finally looks to her wife, shaking her head with a smile, "Not at all." She takes her seat, allowing Hope to slide her chair in before she goes over to her own. Josie glances down to look at all the aligned cutlery, the extensive drink menu laid out, "You bring all your dates here?" She teases.

Hope smirks as she looks over the drink menu, "You're the second person I've ever brought here."

Josie's lips gape in offense, waiting for Hope to elaborate. Hope finally glances up from her drink menu to see the look on Josie's face and she chuckles, "The first was Raf."

Josie chuckles and shakes her head, knowing Hope was messing with her on purpose.

Hope continues, "He wanted to test it out before he brought Ethan here to propose. He practiced his proposal and everything."

Josie smiles, "That's sweet."

Hope nods, "It was. I nearly said yes."

Josie laughs softly at that, and Hope admires with a small smile.

"Well, I'm honored," Josie says truly, taking Hope's hand across the table.

The moment is politely interrupted by their server coming over to greet them. Then he turns to Josie, "What would you like to drink this evening, Mrs. Mikaelson?"

Josie doesn't know why being addressed like that makes her a bit flustered, and she feels her cheeks tint pink with Hope's eyes on her knowingly, but she tries to hide it with a smile, "I'll have the rosé champagne."

The server smiles warmly, "Excellent choice.  Celebrating tonight?"

Josie nods and glances over to her wife with a grin, "Special occasion."

Hope raises an eyebrow before turning to the server, "I'll have the same, then."

He nods with a smile, "Certainly. I'll be right back with your drinks," He takes the drink menus, handing them each dinner menus before he leaves them.

Josie tries to focus on looking through the options on the menu, but her eyes continue to glance up and across the table at her wife. After about the fifth time of feeling those brown eyes on her, Hope glances up, catching Josie just as she averts her gaze again. Hope tries not to smirk at the pink across Josie's cheeks, looking back down at her menu.