Date Night
Part 1 of 3
PART 1: THE DINNER
They didn't get a lot of time to be alone. In fact, most of the time they were alone, it was never for anything more than bickering and playing detective about Alison and Toby's mother. Just when Spencer was recovering from her pill addiction, he was gone and in London. It was like they couldn't catch a break where they could just sit down together and hold hands, doing what couples do.
But finally, Toby was back from London, and Spencer couldn't have been happier. She put all of her detective work aside and made room for the one man that meant more to her than anyone in the world. A day after Toby got back from London, they made plans for their first date night in a long time. He was going to pick Spencer up at six o' clock that day, and happily escort her to the most affordably good restaurant he could.
The best he could do on a carpenter's salary was Buccali's. It wasn't some exotically expensive restaurant, but it had good food, and Spencer actually loved it. Back when they spent more time together, Buccali's was always the place they went to get take-out for dinner. They would spend long nights eating the take-out by the fireplace when Spencer's parents were out, going no further than a few passionate kisses.
"Good evening, beautiful," Toby greeted, leaning in to peck her lips gently. "Shall we go to Buccali's tonight?" She nodded her head and grabbed his hand. They started walking towards his truck, and they drove off to Buccali's for their dinner date. Nothing was going to stop Toby from making the night perfect for he and his girlfriend.
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Ordering their food, the two of them gazed at each other for a moment. Toby reached across the table, taking Spencer's hand and lacing their fingers. He smiled at her sweetly as his pointer finger traced circles around the soft skin of her hand. Just as he was about to lean in to give her a kiss, the waiter came back with plates of food, cutting their moment short. Their lips were inches away before the waiters came.
"Here's your penne paste, fettucini alfredo, a Caesar salad, with a side of minestrone soup," the waiter said, sliding the bowls and plates onto their table. "Enjoy your dinner, and call me if you need anything else."
As soon as the waiter left, they both dived into the food. It really looked so good. Grabbing their forks and spoons, their craving for the delicious food had overcome their thoughts of finishing that sweet moment they were having before the waiter came.
"This is really nice," Toby commented, wiping his mouth with a napkin. "Being here with you on a date... it's been a while since we both could just relax and spend some time together. I've missed you so much. There wasn't a day in London that I wasn't thinking about coming home to see your face."
Spencer smiled at him and took his hand again.
"Would it be a crime to ask if I could come over after dinner?" Spencer asked, toying with his hand cutely. "My parents are finally relaxing now that my relapse thing is over, so they're back to their usual never being home situation. But that's a good thing, because you're back, and now we can have alone time together."
Toby bit his lip. He couldn't stop thinking about what alone time meant to her. Feeling attracted to her, he leaned in to place a sweet, chaste kiss on her lips, his hands stroking her hair gently.
"You're always welcome in my loft," Toby told her, smiling. "It's like your home to me. You're a part of me, and that means my loft is yours, too." He paused for a moment, grabbing something out of his bag. "Spencer, I've been waiting for the right time to give you this, but I think we've been dating long enough." He handed her something in the palm of her hand, and it was a key.
"Is this a key to your loft?" Spencer asked, her heart racing. "Toby..."
"I'm not asking you to move in with me or anything just yet, but I think we can take this step," Toby said, cupping her cheeks. "I want you to have a key to my loft, and come over any time you want to. It's half your home, too, you know."
"This means a lot to me," Spencer said, and leaned across the table to peck his lips. "Let's get out of here, Toby."
"Get out of here?" Toby asked, confused.
"Yeah, eat your dinner fast, handsome," Spencer said, smiling. "Let's get out of here and go spend the night at your loft, okay?"
Shoving as much pasta down his throat as he could, Toby nodded. He was dying for the alone time with her as much as she was.