Only Yours

14. Imagine

Tamina

As we eat, we both cast sneaky glances at one another, and the motion of his leg caressing mine has my insides going gooey. Making tentative strokes in return, he chuckles lightly.

"Do you have any other hobbies you enjoy apart from reading?" he questions while scooping some chicken and rice onto his fork with his knife.

Humming around a mouthful of naan, I swallow and reply, "Yes, I like to write sometimes." Sheepishly shrugging, I pick off another piece and dip it into the curry, but judging by the look in his eyes, it's something I should be proud of.

"Is that so?" he wonders. "Do you have anything I can look at?" Those four words alone are enough for me to feel honoured.

Bashfully, I say, "Nothing published, just a few sentences scrawled on paper in a drawer." Watching him dab at his lips with a napkin distracts me momentarily. "How about you, Brandon? Anything you like to do in your spare time?"

Swallowing his bite, his lips pull into a knowing smile. "I don't have a lot of free time, although, there is this nice girl I've been seeing recently."

Sporting a grin, I raise a cheeky brow. "So, I'm a hobby?"

He meets me head on, and the slow curl of his lips steal my breath away. "Of course not, but I'll still love doing you."

My hands swipe up the soda for a needed sip or I'd have never been able to calm down. It's beginning to get too hot in here, and it wasn't solely down to the steam from the kitchens.

"I'm sorry, it was only a joke, perhaps a little too far." He chuckles, then thankfully asks, "Do you have a favourite colour?"

"S-sorry, I wasn't expecting it, that's all. Yes, my favourite colours are purple and black, I can't pick out of the two." I shrug, taking a forkful of biryani, chewing quickly before swallowing. "You?"

"Not bad choices, and I'd say spring blue."

"How come?" I offer, intrigued by the specific shade.

"Your eyes, they remind me of water in the spring."

My jaw drops. "OK, that was a good line, I'll give you that. Now, what's it really?"

"Thank you, but it's the truth." He grins, melting my heart.

As the meal goes on, I've been able to learn many things about Brandon, like his favourite style of music down to his dream car. By the time we finish, I'm stuffed like a roast chicken, and it only burns the reminder of treating him next time in my brain more.

"Next time, can I treat you to something?" I remark hopefully, yet shyly.

His eyes narrow on my playfully. "So, there will be a next time?"

I nod. "Yes, if you still want that, that is. I've enjoyed the time we spent together, and although I'm happy with being just friends. . . I do want to see where it can go."

His tongue sweeps out across his lower lip, and I've got to bite my own to concentrate. It's a sight to see, and it only makes my mind trail off to our kiss conversation. The image of it creates tingles in the pit of my stomach, and the sensation intensifies the longer he stares at me.

"Tamina?"

Shaking my head to clear the thoughts to the back of my mind, my voice comes out quietly. "Sorry, I was daydreaming, the food was delicious, thank you." My hand pats my stomach for emphasis, and his expression softens. "Could you repeat it again, please?"

"Are you ready to make a move, sweetheart? Or would you rather we stay here a little longer?"

"I'm happy to make a move if you are."