Some ladies talked me into doing a one-shot, so since I'm not exactly sure when Dante Falconeri blessed us with his presence in this world, I decided to use Dominic's birthday. Enjoy ladies.
Dante Falconeri awoke to the sound of birds chirping at his window and the morning sunrise spilling into his room. Beside him his bed was empty, the sheets and pillow imprints revealing his departed guest.
Damn Kate Howard.
Damn Lulu's apartment.
For once he wanted to wake up, hold her in his arms and just enjoy the moment. He didn't want to deal with her leaving to go back to her apartment, or having to check in with Michael to see what nights he was staying at Abby's.
He just wanted her with him. Especially, today.
Reluctantly, he sat up, tossed the covers aside and threw his legs over the side of the bed. He placed his head in his hands, wiped the sleepiness from his eyes and forced himself to face the day.
He walked toward the bathroom, shedding his boxer briefs along the way and moved toward the bathroom sink. He splashed water on his face and reached for the toothbrush from the sink, opened the cabinet door and retrieved the toothpaste. After he had brushed his teeth, he glanced in the mirror, his hands gripping both sides of the sink. He had expected some sort of change. But, the man staring back at him looked the same. His hands brushed the shadows beneath his eyes, a little tired, but that could be attributed to his late night. He searched throughout his mass of dark, wavy locks for that one strand that was out of place. Nothing there either.
"You're losing it, Falconeri," he said out loud, then turned toward the shower and adjusted the nozzles for the correct temperature. He stepped inside, the water jetting from the shower head, pulsing on his bare skin. The tiny beads silenced, at least for the moment, the crazy thoughts racing inside his head.
Fifteen minutes later, he stood inside Kelly's Diner, waiting for his morning coffee.
"Hey, you're back," Dante exclaimed, pleased to see his Grandpa Mike.
"Yeah, they released me yesterday. I still have to check in once a week, but I feel great."
"Hey, that's fantastic, but you're sure it's not too soon?"
"Do I still have the urge to call a bookie or get in on the newest action? Yeah, I do."
"One day at a time," Dante answered, as Mike nodded in agreement.
"Exactly. Did you look outside? What an incredible day!" Mike told Dante, peering at the doors and the sunshine streaming inside.
"Isn't it? April 21st. Amazing day," Dante smiled. Mike would know. They were family after all, he thought, wondering when his Grandpa Mike was going to say out loud just how special the day was.
"April 21st? Really? Why does that date sound familiar?" Mike said, as his finger scratched the side of his head.
My Birthday, Dante said to himself, losing patience.
Still...Nothing.
"Well, I'm sure it will come to me eventually. Must be a sign of old age," Mike laughed, placing the cups of coffee in front of Dante, "One coffee straight up, the other a Mocha Latte, no foam."
"Thanks, Mike," Dante replied, disappointed that his grandfather hadn't figured out what today was, "Have a great day!"
"You too, Dante," Mike shared, reaching for his phone, as the doors closed behind Dante.
"Hi. Yeah, he was just here. No, I didn't say a thing. Poor guy," Mike shared, as he listened to the caller on the other end, "You bet. If you need anything, don't hesitate to call. Tell Dante, Happy Birthday for me."
"So, spill, Lulu. What do you have planned?" Maxie asked, maneuvering her chair toward Lulu's desk.
"That's a surprise for Dante. I'm not telling," Lulu answered, grinning.
"Come on. I'd share with you. Is whipped cream involved? Handcuffs? Oh, I know- edible-"
"Dante!" Lulu interrupted, jumping from her seat as he entered Crimson, "What are you doing here?"
"Hey, babe," Dante said, smiling, as he kissed her on the lips, "I missed you," he said, carrying a box in his hands.
"What's that?" she asked him, as he handed her the white box.
"Ran into the delivery man downstairs. He said this cake was for Crimson. Is Kate Howard celebrating something?"
"Kate? No, this is just breakfast," Lulu admitted, holding the box out of Dante's reach.
"Breakfast? What kind?" Dante asked her, a tray with two coffees, as his other hand tried to open the top of the box.
"No! Dante Angelo Falconeri, these are for Kate," Lulu told him, showing him the various pastries and croissants. He looked like a puppy who had just had his toy taken away.
"Oh, that's a Boston Crème! Come on, babe. Just one."
"No," Lulu told him, turning to set the box on her desk next to the coffees, "Now, tell me why you're here? Did you need something? Is Michael all right?"
I wanted to spend my birthday with my girlfriend, Dante thought.
He glanced down at the files spread across both of their desks and looked back up at Lulu with a look of desperation, "Michael's fine. I thought that we could spend the day together. Maybe stop off at the market, grab some items for a picnic in the park? I brought you a coffee. What do you say?"
"Lulu, I need the Moretti file," Maxie interjected, as she walked toward them.
"Hello, Dante," she grinned, looking him over from head to toe.
"What?" he questioned her, "Did I put my shirt on inside out?"
"No. I think that the market is a good idea, Lulu. You could pick up bread, some chicken salad, whipped cream," she added, as Dante raised an eyebrow.
"No!" Lulu exclaimed, sending Maxie a look of dislike, "I mean, I would love to spend the day with you, but I am just swamped," she noted, directing his gaze to the files all over her desk.
"It's OK. I'd just hoped...I'd thought-"
"What about a late dinner?" Lulu suggested.
"Um...hello, Lulu, we have those proofs to get to Milan by 10pm tonight," Maxie interrupted, as Lulu looked confused.
"What proofs?" Lulu asked, as Maxie looked irritated.
"THE proofs? The ones that Kate wanted taken care of yesterday."
"Oh, those proofs," Lulu said, not sure what Maxie was referring to.
"It's all right. Call me when you get off," Dante said, "Promise."
"I promise. As soon as I get off," Lulu told Dante, kissing him on the lips.
Lulu reached for the coffee tray, but Maxie grabbed it first.
"OK. Time for you to go," Maxie said, stepping between them, "Mm, coffee," she grinned, spying the tray on the desk and taking Lulu's Mocha Latte, "My favorite."
"Maxie, that was mine," Lulu chastised, placing her hands on her hips.
"It's all right. You can have mine," Dante insisted, handing Lulu his black coffee, "I know it's not a Mocha-"
"Are you sure? What are you going to drink?"
"I'll just grab a cup at the station," Dante answered, as Maxie cringed.
"That swill? I'd rather drink sewer water," she told Dante, while taking a sip of Lulu's Mocha Latte. "Mm. Well, make sure you test it before you take a sip. Who knows what's lurking in that coffee," she added, setting the latte on her desk.
"You know, you should stop at Kelly's. Pick up a coffee from Mike," Maxie suggested.
"Great idea, Maxie. Why couldn't I come up with that?" Dante said in jest.
"I can't help it if I'm brilliant," Maxie informed him, dropping back into her chair, "Lulu, the Moretti files? The proofs?"
"What? Oh, yeah, sorry, Dante. Back to work. I'll call you later? What time do you get off?" Lulu asked him.
"I don't know. I hadn't planned on going in. I'll call you once I get to the station," Dante answered, kissing her forlornly on the lips, "You sure that you can't break yourself away from this? I mean today is Thursday, April 21st?"
"I can't. Is there something special about today?" Lulu said innocently, as Maxie nearly choked on her coffee.
Yes, babe. There is, Dante said to himself.
Why can't anyone remember that it's my birthday.
"If it's that important to you, I suppose-"
"No, it's fine. I'd really wished-," Dante started to say, defeated.
"Are you sure? I could juggle-" she told him, her expression one of guilt, as she watched the look of disappointment that passed over his face.
"No, really. I'll just go to work," Dante told her, kissing her soundly on the lips, "But, you're all mine this evening. No interruptions. And she's back no later than 8pm, Maxie! Understood?"
"Promise, Dante," Maxie grinned, as Lulu kissed him.
"OK. See you later," he replied, kissing Lulu one last time, before heading toward the elevator. She was busy. Any other time she would know that it was his birthday. It was understandable that she'd forgotten. The last few months had been pretty stressful. At least he knew that his pal, Ronnie would remember. They had been celebrating each other's birthday since the day they met. Yeah, Ronnie would remember, Dante thought, as the elevator door closed and he blew one last final kiss toward Lulu.
"Whipped Cream, Maxie? Why didn't you just scream at the top of your lungs- Hey, Dante, Lulu has a birthday surprise for you. What the hell were you thinking? And what proofs does Kate need?"
"Calm down. He has absolutely no idea that you know," Maxie grinned, "I love it. Watching his face, when you didn't tell him Happy Birthday."
"That's not funny, Maxie. It killed me not to tell him. Just the idea that he thought that I didn't remember?"
"I know. Priceless. I'd pay for moments like that," Maxie shared, taking another sip of the latte.
"Speaking of paying- how about a favor instead?" Lulu begged, as Maxie, opened the box and reached for a croissant from the top.
"Good thing you had the bakery put these on top," Maxie said, grabbing the croissant, "You would have been busted."
"Be careful," Lulu scolded, removing the remaining pastries and pulling out the top tray, revealing the cake beneath, "I'm just glad he didn't see his birthday cake."
Dante Falconeri was on his way to the station when he got the call from his brother, Michael Corrinthos.
"Hey, Michael, what's up?" Dante asked, as he placed the blue tooth against his ear.
"Do you have a few minutes? I know it's your birthday, but I kind of hoped that you could give me your opinion on something."
Well, it wasn't a Happy Birthday, but seeing as how Michael was the only one to acknowledge that it was his birthday, Dante decided he'd take it.
"What do you need?"
"Can you stop by this address?" Michael asked, as Dante reached for a pen and paper from his console.
"OK. Fire away," Dante said, jotting down the address on Church Street, "Are you in trouble?"
"No," Michael told his brother, "Just get over here as soon as you can. Thanks, Dante."
"No problem. I'll be there in a few minutes," Dante told him, making an illegal U-turn, as several cars honked with displeasure.
He turned onto Church Street, a narrow road that was lined with trees and brick faced buildings on both sides, driving several feet, before finding the fourth building on the right and pulling behind Michael's parked truck.
"Thanks again for coming, Dante. I really appreciate it," Michael told him, as Dante stepped out of his car.
"Hi, Dante. Michael told me that today is-"
"It's OK. Apparently, it wasn't that important of a date," Dante said, shrugging, "What did you want to show me?" Dante asked, looking with curiosity at the building before him.
"Abby and I are thinking of renting it," Michael shared, as he and Abby led Dante toward the building, "We wanted your opinion."
"Me? Why not Sonny's?"
"Dad, would hate this place and you know it, Dante. It's not close enough to him, or my Mom. Plus, he's still getting used to the idea of me and Abby," Michael reminded Dante, "I'm not sure that telling him that we're moving in together is such a good idea."
"He's going to find out, Michael. Sooner or later."
"Well, I'd rather that it was later. Now, do you want to see the place, or not?"
"Sure. I'll take a look at it. But, you're telling Sonny," Dante informed Michael, not wanting anything to do with sharing that news, "Show me what you've found."
"He's not here, Lulu. I don't know what is keeping him," Ronnie Dimestico answered, rifling through the files on his desk.
"But, he said that he was going straight to the station?" Lulu answered, worried.
She stood inside the market, a small basket in her hand with marinara sauce and pasta noodles. The store was empty this time of morning and she was able to traverse the aisles without worry that she would be interrupted, or run into anyone that she knew.
"Maybe he decided to go back to the loft," Ronnie told her, as Lulu gasped on the other end, "You have to stop him. He can't go back there yet, Ronnie."
"It's his place, Lulu. What do you want me to do? Arrest him?"
"I am counting on you, to make sure that he is busy, Ronnie. Send him on some wild goose chase. Anything. Just keep him away from the loft," Lulu instructed.
"There better be a slice of cake left over for me," Ronnie informed her, hanging up the phone, as Mac Scorpio dropped a file onto Ronnie's desk.
"What did you say the rent is?" Dante asked Michael, as he scanned the apartment.
"$1800 a month," Michael told him, watching Dante's face, as he looked at the rooms.
"Too much?"
"Well, it has a decent sized kitchen, a large living area and at least it has a separate bedroom," Dante noted, sitting on the sofa.
"Sofa's nice. Does it come with the place?"
"Fully furnished. What do you think?" Michael asked, waiting for Dante to answer.
"Well, seems high, but it is New York. You know, Sonny would find you a place a hundred times better than this and you wouldn't pay a dime."
"I'm not a child, Dante. I don't want my Mom, or Dad to keep treating me like one. I want to be responsible. I know the rent's a little high, but with Abby's help-"
"You don't have to convince me, Michael. I think it's great. Nice neighborhood. Go for it," Dante told Michael, smiling.
He was finally going to have his loft to himself. He couldn't wait to tell Lulu the news. She could finally move in. No more waking up without her by his side. This news was fantastic.
"Will you go with me to tell Dad?" Michael asked.
"To Sonny's? Don't you think that Abby should go?"
"Abby has to get back to PCU," Michael informed Dante.
"I'm working in administration. It doesn't pay like the club, but it's extra cash," she said, looking down at her watch, "Oh, speaking of class, I should get going," Abby told them, placing a quick peck on Michael's cheek.
"It was good seeing you, Dante. Michael, I'll call you when class is almost over."
"See you, later, Abby," Michael said, practically gushing.
"You really like her, don't you?" Dante smiled, as Michael locked the apartment door.
"She's amazing, Dante."
"Good. You seem happy. Now, about Sonny-" Dante said, "You're going to have to deal with this one on your own, little brother. You want to be an adult. You don't need me by your side. Now, if things don't go your way, call me and I'll see what I can do, but I have to stay out of this one."
"I was afraid that you were going to say that. It would have been easier with you by my side, but I understand," Michael replied, reluctant to give up, "You know, we could invite Dad over for dinner tonight?"
"No. Bad idea. Besides, I'm hoping to have plans with Lulu," Dante grinned.
"So, you'd like to know if I'll be at Abby's tonight?" Michael laughed, "Yes, Dante. The loft is yours."
"I don't need you to bring over a casserole, Olivia," Lulu informed her, as she shut the door, "I just wanted to know if you've heard from Dante."
Lulu retrieved the items from the canvas recycle bags and placed them on the counter.
"Yes, I can handle pasta," Lulu replied, holding the phone in disbelief, "How hard can it be? You boil some water, stick the noodles in and make the sauce."
Lulu was putting the milk and eggs in the refrigerator when she stopped mid-stride, "Yes, sauce from a jar."
She shook her head, Dante's mother was the greatest, but if she showed up tonight.
"Olivia, I appreciate that you want to make sure that Dante's dinner is great, but I really can handle this," Lulu informed Dante's mother, while she grinned. When Dante walked through that door and saw her in the kitchen, he would not be thinking about whether or not she overcooked the pasta.
"I have a lot to finish up before Dante arrives, so I'll talk to you tomorrow, Olivia. Yes, tomorrow," Lulu reminded Olivia, "Just remember to call first."
Lulu Spencer looked down at her watch, and grimaced. Was it almost noon already?
What if she couldn't pull this off?
No, she could do this, she thought confidently, reaching for the items in the bag.
Dante walked into the station, a look of exhaustion on his face, as he walked toward the coffee pot and poured himself a cup. He'd had a rough morning and the thought of coffee good, or bad, was just the thing he needed-
"Hey, I was about to drink that," Dante said, as Ronnie grabbed the cup from his hand, and took a sip.
"Ah, just what I needed. Thanks, pal," he told Dante, smacking him on his ass, before sauntering over to his desk, plopping into the chair and throwing his legs onto his desk, "So, buddy, what's on the agenda for today? Did Sonny whack anyone lately?"
Dante shook his head in disbelief, turned and poured himself another coffee, before taking a sip and then moving toward his desk.
"Do you have any idea what today is, Ronnie?" Dante asked his partner.
"What day? Um...Thursday," Ronnie replied, looking at his calendar, "Why, we got a hot date?" Ronnie smiled, "Tell me you finally got something on crazy Anthony Zacchara and his whack job of a son?"
"This is serious, Ronnie," Dante answered, shuffling some files on his desk, "I can't believe you don't remember."
"Remember what, pal? Look, I was never good at those puzzle things, so why don't you spell it out for me, huh, pal?"
"Just forget about it, Ronnie. It's not a big deal," Dante insisted, opening one of the files and pretending to assess the information inside.
"No, start talking, pal. Something has got you all wound up like a pitcher at his first game. So, what is it?"
"My birthday, Ronnie. Today is my birthday. I thought that you, of all people, would remember," Dante replied, irritated.
"Your birthday? Nah...that's not until," Ronnie started to say, as he glanced back at the calendar date, "April 21st. Crap," Ronnie added, running his hand through his dark hair, "Sorry, pal. Guess I forgot."
"Michael remembered and he barely knows me. You, buddy, we go way back. I would have remembered," Dante said, practically sulking.
"What do you want me to say? You want me to buy you a beer at Jake's? Me and Sebi Johnson can sing to you," Ronnie stated, grabbing the stuffed monkey from the corner of his desk, standing and starting to belt out the song, "Happy Birthday to youuuuu, Happy Birthday to youuuuu-"
"Ronnie! Enough. I don't want you to sing to me. EVER," Dante laughed, as Ronnie grinned, "Now, sit down before someone sees you. It's embarrassing."
"Hey, don't knock it, pal. Me and Sebi, I think we can take this thing on the road. Spanish, Italian, you name it, we can sing it. I see our name in lights," Ronnie told Dante, tossing Sebi Johnson at Dante and smiling.
"You're demented, you know that, Ronnie," Dante laughed, staring down at the monkey dressed in New York Yankees attire. He tossed it back to Ronnie and turned his monitor on, "Let's get to work."
"Hey, I really do mean it, buddy. Happy Birthday," Ronnie told Dante, reaching for a file on his desk, "And the offer still stands if you want to get a beer after work."
"Thanks, Ronnie. But, I think I'm just going to head back to the loft. Lulu has to work late, but I want to make her dinner. Surprise her," Dante told his partner, who just shrugged his shoulders and grinned.
"Suit yourself, pal. Now, let's find something incriminating and bust some freaking mobsters."
"Penne Puttanesca," Lulu said out loud, reading the title of one of Dante's favorite recipes, "onion, garlic, olive oil, olives and sun-dried tomatoes," she recited, "sounds easy enough."
She grabbed a skillet from one of the lower cabinets and placed it on the stove. 4:30pm, she noted, glancing at the clock. The recipe said she needed roughly 40 minutes, so she added an extra ten for this being her first attempt.
That left her about twenty minutes before Dante left work and another ten or fifteen minutes until he walked through that door.
"That's plenty of time," Lulu said assured herself, "I can do this."
She glanced over at the sauce from a jar.
"Who am I kidding? I can't do this," she argued with herself, starting to reach for the jar, "No. It's Dante's birthday. I'm doing this," she demanded, pointing at the jar of sauce, "You will not ruin this for me. I am not making sauce from a jar," she yelled at the jar, as her cellphone rang.
"Hello," she answered, smiling, as she heard the caller on the other end.
"Hi, honey. No, you didn't catch me at a bad time. The proofs? Maxie and I are almost finished. Swing by and pick me up? No, probably not a good idea. Maxie and I have a few more ends to tie up. Why don't I meet you at the loft? I could pick up some dinner. How does a sausage and mushroom pizza sound?" Lulu told him, trying to sway him from going to Crimson.
"You're Mom's making a casserole? No, I'm not disappointed," Lulu answered, staring down at the array of ingredients for Dante's special dinner, "That sounds great. Maxie and I should be finished by then. Love you, too."
Lulu stared at the phone in disbelief, he was leaving an hour early? She sat fuming for a few seconds before she dialed again, tapping her fingers, as she waited for the caller to answer.
"Yeah," the caller on the other end answered.
"You cannot make dinner for Dante! And I need you to stall him," Lulu shouted into the phone at Dante's mother.
"Yo, Lulu, hello to you, too. I wasn't planning on making Dante dinner, but-"
"No, you can't. What do you mean you weren't planning...Dante said that he was picking up a casserole from you for dinner tonight."
"It's news to me, Lulu. Do you want me to call him? Better yet, the offer still stands if you want me to drop off a dish," Olivia suggested, remembering Lulu's insistence at making sauce from a jar.
"No. I'm making dinner for Dante. You don't think he suspects, do you?" Lulu asked, as she pulled the garlic cloves from the bag and placed them next to the olive oil.
"Dante? Nah...he couldn't. He hasn't hinted-"
"No. He hasn't said a thing. But, he's leaving early. I'm sure he doesn't know. He was supposed to get off at 5:30. That would have given me plenty of time," Lulu informed Olivia, glancing nervously at the clock.
"If he thinks something is up, I give him half hour tops, maybe less."
"No. He can't come early. I'm not ready, Olivia. You have to stall him. I don't care how," Lulu told her desperate."
"I'll see what I can do. If you need any help, any help at all, you just call me, honey," Olivia told Lulu.
"I want to do this myself. But, thanks, Olivia. Just give me 45 minutes."
"What do you mean I can't leave?" Dante replied, as Ronnie blocked the exit to the station.
"I have...I have a file that you need to see," Ronnie told Dante, darting past him and reaching for the first manila folder he saw.
"A file," Dante said, opening the folder and rolling his eyes, "Mrs. Carbunkle over on Canal Street? Ronnie you know as well as I do that lady is crazy as a loon. She's paranoid," he said running his hand through his hair, "She'll keep me in her apartment for hours. I'm making Lulu dinner. Can't this wait until tomorrow?"
"Fine, pal. You go make dinner, while that poor lady worries about her next subscription for Soap Opera Digest." Ronnie baited, hands on his hips.
"Why don't you go?" Dante told Ronnie, realizing that his partner was stalling him for some reason.
"Me? I can't go. I have...well, I have plans."
"What kind of plans?" Dante questioned, watching Ronnie's face for the trusty lie-detector signs.
"The kind that don't involve crazy ladies," Ronnie answered, defiantly.
"Sorry, buddy. Can't help you out? Find another detective," Dante told him, pulling on his leather jacket.
"Come on, Dante, pal," Ronnie pleaded, as Dante walked out of the precinct.
"Bye, Ronnie. Say hello to Mrs. Carbunkle for me."
Ronnie grabbed his cellphone from his pocket and dialed her number.
"It's Ronnie. The cuckoo has flown the nest," Ronnie yelled, "I repeat, the cuckoo has flown the nest."
"What?" Lulu asked, confused.
"Dante. He's on his way. I tried to stall, but he flew faster than Sonny with the entire FBI on his heels."
"Thanks for trying, Ronnie," Lulu said, hanging up the phone.
She had exactly thirty minutes before Dante showed up- at the earliest- and she needed nearly forty-five minutes to cook dinner and get naked.
She glanced over at the sauce from the jar and shook her head, "I will not make sauce from a jar."
Dante Falconeri pushed the cart through his favorite Italian market, smelling the different kinds of cheese that were spread out like a buffet and choosing the Parmigiano Riaggiano. He placed it in his basket and continued on down the aisle. He needed a loaf of fresh Italian bread, a little olive oil and a lot of garlic. He was going to make his famous Aglio et Olgio for Lulu tonight. He was practically salivating just thinking about that garlic on his tongue.
He reached for a few garlic cloves and added them to his basket, just as his phone rang, "Dante," he answered.
"Thank God," Olivia shouted, desperately, "Please, tell me you are nearby. This is an emergency."
"What's wrong, Ma?" Dante replied, stopping in his tracks and sounding concerned.
"I need garlic," his mother told him.
"Garlic? That's your emergency, Ma?" Dante answered, in bewilderment.
"Yo, don't make me take you over my knee, Dante," Olivia scolded him, her voice changing to begging, "Please, bring some to me."
"Now? But, I need to get back to the loft," Dante insisted, as his mother let out a sigh on the other end.
"No, I understand. I spent seven hours in labor, waiting for you to show up- you were late of course- but, you need to go home. Don't mind your Ma, Dante. I'm sure that I can...find something else to add to your grandmother's puttanesca."
"Fine. I'll be right there, Ma," Dante answered reluctantly, standing in line at the checkout. So much for Algio et Olgio with Lulu.
Lulu had just finished the onions and olive oil and was adding the sun-dried tomatoes and olives when the phone rang.
"It's Olivia, you have thirty minutes."
Twenty-nine minutes later, Lulu was adding the finishing touches to Dante's surprise birthday celebration.
She had just strained the penne noodles and was adding the puttanesca over top when she heard the elevator.
Dammit. She thought she had more time.
She placed the puttanesca on the table along with the bottle of wine, shed her clothes in record speed and tossed them behind the couch. She shook her head and tossed her hair, praying that she could pull this off, racing toward the kitchen counter.
The elevator opened and Dante stood speechless, his eyes glued to Lulu and a growing smile on his face.
"Surprise. Happy Birthday, Dante," Lulu exclaimed standing in front of his kitchen, wearing nothing, but his birthday cake.
"Wow, you look...amazing," Dante told her, closing the gate behind him and walking toward her.
"I made dinner," Lulu told him, as Dante quickly took in the plates of pasta and the bottle of wine.
"What's for dessert?" he grinned, as he checked her out in all her glory, from head to toe, using his finger to steal icing from the edge of the cake.
"Chocolate cake...Hey," she teased, as he stuck his finger in his mouth.
"Mm, that's fantastic," he told her, shedding his jacket and tossing it onto the couch.
"Dinner is going to get cold," Lulu reminded him, as he gently reached for the cake and placed in on the coffee table behind him.
"I've always liked dessert first," Dante said., grinning, as he kissed her thoroughly, while she made quick work of his buttons, "We'll just save the pasta for later," he whispered between soft kisses behind her earlobe, beneath her chin and in the hollow of her neck.
"But, I have wine, too," Lulu shared, releasing his belt, as Dante threw his shirt to the floor and she tossed his belt alongside of it.
He lifted her into his arms and carried her toward the couch, pulling off his shoes, while she lay on the arm of the sofa.
"What about Michael?" Lulu asked, concerned.
"You're worried about Michael, now? Weren't you just standing in our living room, in nothing, but you're birthday suit?" Dante grinned, moving over her, to nuzzle her neck."
"I wanted to surprise you," Lulu smiled, as Dante looked up, "Oh, I was surprised, all right."
"You like it," Lulu gestured to the table and cake.
"I love it," Dante answered, not taking his eyes off of Lulu.
"Good," Lulu replied, smiling, "Now, do you think that you could get into your birthday suit. I'm feeling a slight chill and I could use something to warm me up."
"I could grab that blanket," Dante said grinning, as he attempted to get up and move toward the chair.
"Don't you dare!" Lulu shouted, pulling Dante back down and placing her hands in his hair, "Not an inch. Don't move at all," she ordered.
"Motionless. I think I can do that," Dante said softly, his chest rising and falling faster, as his breathing tried to keep pace with his rapid pulse.
"Dante, I-"
Dante leaned over and kissed her, one hand holding her head in place, while his lips coaxed hers to open. He was quite thorough, his tongue mating with hers, devouring her like she was the finest icing on a cake.
"I told you not to move," Lulu answered, breathless, as he shifted, spreading her legs, so that he could get closer.
"Sorry, you were just so tempting," he said, placing his hands on either side of her, resting them on the arm of the couch, "You were saying."
"We didn't discuss what you wanted for your birthday," Lulu told him, playing with the button of his jeans and wrestling with his zipper.
"My birthday?" Dante grinned, helping Lulu pull his jeans off and tossing them to the floor alongside his shirt.
He reclined over her, wearing nothing but his black boxer briefs and a cocky grin on his face, "Tickets to the Yankees, an endless supply of vanilla ice cream with chocolate sauce, cold pasta in bed-"
"I'm serious, Dante," Lulu exclaimed, punching him in the chest, as he laughed back at her.
"What? You asked. I hadn't even gotten to the best gift yet," he told her, as his hands fondled her breasts and his fingers teased her nipples, causing them to harden.
"What's that?" Lulu gasped, as he moved lower and she felt his hands caressing the sides of her thighs.
"You," he said, seriously, placing kisses on her abdomen and trailing his lips lower. Lulu lost all track of thinking. Her emotions taking over. He didn't stop until he heard her inhaled breath, until he felt her body react beneath his lips, until he felt her fingers grip him tightly. She shuddered beneath his lips and hands, the convulsions telling him that she was ready. Only then, did he lift his head and meet her eyes.
"You, Lulu. You're the best birthday gift I could ever get," Dante assured her, pulling himself over her, as she discarded his last article of clothing on the pile on the floor and welcomed his first invasion.
They moved in tandem, countering each other, anticipating their mate's movements, adjusting to increase their pleasure. Her nails scored his back, his hands gripped desperately at her hair, their breathing raspy, their pulses racing faster, as they struggled to maintain control. Both, admitted defeat, their bodies taking over, as Dante reached for her legs, lifting them and Lulu locked her ankles behind his back. She felt like she was flying, each thrust lifting her off of the couch and nearly over the arm, so close to the edge, but just out of reach. A bird whose wings have been clipped, falling helplessly, daringly, toward the ground.
Dante felt like he was on a freight train, its cars out of control, barreling down the track toward its destination. He shuddered, trying to force himself to maintain control, to slow that impending crash. But, he couldn't, the will of the train much stronger than his own and so, he did the only thing he could. He welcomed the crash. He embraced it, full-on.
Several minutes later they lay on the floor, in between the couch and the coffee table, a blanket spread over them, Dante's grin spread across his face.
"Mm, this is fantastic," Lulu said, as Dante fed her chocolate cake from the plate that rested on the blanket.
"The best chocolate cake that I have EVER had," Dante shared, cutting the cake with his fork.
"Stop," Lulu laughed as Dante's fork dived into the chocolate cake, "I promised Ronnie that we'd save him a slice."
"Uh-uh," Dante answered with a mouth full of chocolate cake, "He can get his own."
"Didn't anyone tell you it's rude not to share," Lulu reminded him, as Dante placed the cake back on the coffee table, but still within reach.
"I love to share, Lulu," Dante assured her, pulling the blanket out from beneath them and dipping his finger into the chocolate icing.
"Mm," she sighed, as she sucked on his finger, the icing melting in her mouth.
"I just don't want to share with Ronnie," he grinned, kissing her once again, before changing positions and laying down, his back to the floor.
"What about me?" Lulu asked, dragging her finger against the side of the cake and pulling off the chocolate icing, "Will you share-"
Dante grabbed her finger and sucked the icing from its tip, before pulling her on top of him, angling her head toward him for a kiss.
He kissed her softly, then broke free and contemplated her question, the wheels spinning in his head,
"No, I don't want to share-"
"What?" Lulu laughed, slugging him playfully, while he wrestled with her on the floor, pinning her beneath him, his head nestled between her breasts. Their breathing rapid.
"That's the last chocolate cake, I'll ever-" Lulu started to say, as Dante interrupted, silencing her rant with the press of his lips.
Minutes later, he broke away, his hand brushing the wet strands of her hair from her brow, his eyes filled with love and devotion, "I'd share everything with you, Lulu. Chocolate cake, pasta, the loft, my heart. Everything. I love you."
"I know. I love you, too," Lulu smiled, completely assured of his love for her, confident in whatever future lied ahead for them. She just loved him.
"What? Why are you grinning?" Lulu questioned him, as Dante stroked the side of her arm.
"You didn't forget," Dante smiled.
"Forget what?" Lulu asked, innocently.
"My birthday," Dante answered, kissing her softly on the lips and grinning.
"Of course, I didn't. Happy Birthday, Dante," Lulu said, as she lifted her head from the cradle of his arms and kissed him.