Page 36 of To Feel Like This Again
“Thanks, babe,” I respond, feeling a little bad.
“Thanks again for today, babe. I had a really good time,” she tells me, tiptoeing to kiss me right after I close the front door of the cabin.
“My pleasure. I love spending time with you.” I hold her hand as we walk to the car.
“Can I get a kiss?” she asks before I let go of her hand to go to the passenger side.
“Always.”
And we have a long romantic kiss, the make-believe type you only see in movies.
At 6:41pm, Lisa drops me off three blocks down from Emily’s penthouse, giving herself enough time to show her face at a 7:00pm fundraiser nearby, and giving me enough time to spend with Emily. Afterall, I can’t neglect my ‘girlfriend’for an entire day.
“Have a nice dinner” is the last thing she says before driving off. I wonder if she means it. Did Lisa really want me to have a nice dinner with Emily?
Chapter 22
Nicholas
Emily comes down to meet me
“You look stunning,” I say, admiring her green maxi dress. I’m not quite sure how to describe her outfit or what colour shade of green it really is. I mean, it has a cut-out at the bust, but today I’m more focused on her gorgeous smile.
“Thank you,” she replies, blushing. “You look really nice boo.”
“Ready to go?”
“I sure am, love.”
Hand in hand, with her leaning into me every so often, we stroll to the newly opened Italian restaurant every millennial on social media has been raving about. One major newspaper reported patrons were willing to wait up to five hours to be seated.They must be out of their goddamn minds.
True to the hype, we turn on to the street where the restaurant is located to find a queue as long as the line to get into a sold-out Taylor Swift concert. No way am I going to wait in that line unless I’m trying to fuck for the first time. The things we do for sex. Anyway, thankfully Lisa calls in a favour and so we skip the line.
Seated at a table set with elaborate dinnerware, the fanciest I have ever seen, we order from a tech device that looks like it belongs in the year 2050.
“So, now that I know you’d like to visit Kenya to tour the Safari and see the lions of course, and travel to Japan to visit the Himeji Castle and eat all the sushi your heart desires, tell me… what inspires you to serve food at a homeless shelter on Christmas day?” I ask, reaching across the table to hold her hand.
“Wow, um. From I was little, my mom instilled in me the importance of helping those in need. She’d always take me with her to volunteer at almost anything you can think of. When she died in the summer of 2010, I missed her the most on Christmas day, despite being surrounded by loving, caring and fun people. So, the following Christmas, I signed up to volunteer at a shelter where she used to help. It’s become somewhat of a tradition for me. And with the help of Lisa and others, I’ve been able to get corporate sponsorships.”
“Oh, that’s amazing, Emily,” I respond, feeling a stronger connection.
“What about you? What inspires you to finance and serve at a shelter?” she asks, leaning forward and resting her chin on her hands.
“My mother was from the inner-city. She was fortunate to receive a scholarship, get an education and eventually she moved out of the area. But she always made it her duty to give back to her community, until her passing. So, it’s my small way of honouring her,” I share, leaning forward.
“For you madam.” The waiter places a plate in front of her, pausing our conversation on philanthropy. Despite the milelong line outside, the main course is served in less thanthirty minutes, as promised on their social media campaigns or the meal is free. Impressive.
“Thank you,” Emily tells him, smiling widely.
“And for you Sir.” He places a plate in front of me.
“Thanks.”
Oh, I skipped the appetizer part. Didn’t I? I don’t remember what we had, but whatever it was, it was delicious. While we enjoy the main course, I sit there, captivated by the beautiful woman across from me as we engage in a fun, meaningful conversation.
“Can I try that?” she points at my fettuccine Alfredo, doing what girls tend to do when in the puppy love stage — ask for a bite of whatever is on their man’s plate. It hit me that she had made the same request for my appetizer.
“Of course, babe,” I say, twirling the pasta with my fork and watching as she opens her mouth in anticipation. “This isamaaaaazing,” she declares. Again, the response of every girl whenever a man feeds them in the puppy love stage.
