“Yes, please. I would like a nice rosé.” The waiter gave a light nod. As he disappeared, Stephan looked back at Mickey, “I hope you don’t mind, but I already took the liberty of placing our orders, so we won’t be getting any menus tonight.”
“Oh! Um, sure.”
Stephan smirked, snapping his fingers instantly. Their table was in a sheltered but breezy spot at the edge of the patio, overlooking the ocean, and she couldn’t imagine anything better.
Suddenly, a waiter appeared with a tray for the first course. Upon it there were oysters on the half shell, crab legs, and shrimp cocktail for two. She arched a brow as the waiter placed it down in front of them.
After Mickey finished relishing every bite, she peeked up to notice that Stephan had been watching her while she ate. “Is there a problem?”
“No, not at all. I just rather enjoy watching you and the unrelenting joy that is flashing across your face as you eat. It is clear you quite enjoy the dishes.”
Mickey chuckled, blushing slightly. “Um, okay.”
“I don’t think I have ever seen someone enjoy eating like you do,” he stated matter-of-factly.
“Well, I doloveseafood. It’s something that gives me great pleasure,” she admitted.
“Well, then it appears I chose well for our dinner.”
She smiled and nodded as he cracked a crab leg. He lifted his eyes to meet with hers and then reached across the small table to feed it to her. She opened her mouth as he placed it on her tongue and moaned lightly. Stephan chuckled and Mickey felt herself flush bright red. Stephan leaned forward and took yet another crab leg,
“I wouldn’t think someone from Colorado would love seafood. I can’t imagine it’s fresh there,” he said.
“It isn’t, but my friend Sarai married a dra…a…a devilishly handsome rich man. He often has crab legs, lobster, and oysters flown in from Maine. So, I am quite lucky quite often.” Sarai let out a big sigh of relief as she realized that she had almost just blurted that Sarai’s husband was a dragon shifter. She thanked God as she managed to change her words. That was something she could never tell anyone in her life, no matter how much important that person was.
Maybe, just maybe, this Stephan guy might prove to be more than she had first bargained for, and as he smiled at her across the table, all Mickey could do was hope. Hope that, maybe, something magical might come from their paths crossing. And yet, something seemed just a little odd about him. Something just a little off. Shaking her head, she decided to blow it off, intent on actually enjoying herself. Something she knew she was long overdue for.
Stephan raised his brows as if he knew Mickey just attempted to hide something. But he decided not make her feel awkward, so he asked, “Well, then it seems to me you do enjoy a bit of the splendor in the world already. Tell me, what does your friend, Sarai, do?”
“She owns Petals to the Metal,but since she got married and had children, she’s been very busy and unable to be around much. That’s why you wound up with yours truly,” she explained.
“Ah, well at least she is doing something as lovely as being there with her children. If possible, it is best for a mother to be with her offspring. I hope, if ever I should have any, my wife would be able to do just the same,” he said.
“Is that so?” she frowned.
“Indeed, it is. I mean, I wouldn’t oppose if my spouse wished to work outside of the home, either. And I am by no means the sort of man who would prevent my loved one from pursuing their heart’s desires. But while children are young, it is always nice for their parents to be more involved. After all, they grow so swiftly,” Stephan said.
“Wow, you might make quite the family man someday, Stephan.” Mickey smiled, her heart warming up from the tenderness of his kind words. Mickey had never imagined that she, herself, would be the sort to want to have kids but, then again, she had never encountered anyone who had the strange ability to make her feel like Stephan seemed to. Stephan chuckled lightly and snapped his fingers once again. This time, the waiter appeared with a main dish of what appeared to be succulent salmon.
Wow, Mickey thought,this guy really does go all out!
His gaze washed over her in silence several times, heating her to the core. When their fingers brushed against each other on several occasions, her body flushed, goosebumps raised over her arms and the back of her neck. It made her stomach churn and heat, and she wondered what he expected at the end of the night.
He was such a gentleman, but he flirted with her in very subtle ways. When dessert came, he forked off a carefully small piece, feeding it to her gingerly and seeming to devour her with his gaze as she took it with her teeth and nearly melted at the delicious sweetness.
After Mickey and Stephan shared the most incredible dinner, she smiled up at him – feeling completely blown away by the amount of pampering he had done. It had certainly been breathtaking and magical.
“Are you about ready to head back to the hotel?” he asked her curiously. Mickey tilted her head.
“As much fun as I’ve had tonight, it is a little sad to see it ending already, but I am quite exhausted, to be honest,” she replied. Stephan leaned forward, smiling softly as he slid his finger up through Mickey’s hair. He pushed a tendril of her locks back behind her ear, and Mickey felt her skin instantly tremble in response. Something about even the most subtle of touches was enough to make her skin feel aflame, but she dare not let Stephan know it. Not on the first date, anyway!
“I am delighted to hear that you enjoyed the night. I must admit, I have too. I really hope I get to see you again before you leave,” he said.
Mickey smiled. “That would be lovely. We shall see,” she said with a smile.
“Of course, come!” Stephan said, reaching out toward her with a grin as he stood up. Mickey slid her palm into his and rose, her cheeks flaming slightly. How was it that he constantly made her feel so shy? It was a feeling she wasn’t at all familiar with. Usually, she was extroverted, a woman in full control of her own self. Just the way she liked it.
When they finally finished and left, her nerves got the best of her, and she locked up, silent and staring out the window. “Mickey?” She turned to glance at him as he called her name with a low, deep tone. He reached toward her, pinching the tress of hair that had fallen on her cheek between his finger and thumb. He rubbed it gently for a moment and then, with a sigh, tucked it behind her ear. The sensation of his touch was overwhelming, and her breath caught in her chest as she met his eyes briefly.
