Cinnamon Caramel Cashew
Hei turned off the water, pushed back the shower curtain, and climbed out of the shower, releasing droplets of water with each step. He took his towel, an orange one, from the towel bar and began to dry off, wrapping it around his waist once he had finished. He then left the bathroom and returned to Kirsi, who was sitting absently on his bed, already dressed in her clothes from the day before. Hei had thought about offering to take her back to her place to change, but his last attempt had failed quite horrifically, and he was feeling much too blissfully exhausted to argue with her. Besides that, he wanted to spend money on celebratory ice cream, not consolatory ice cream. Kirsi looked in Hei's direction absently, but Hei was aware that she could not see him at this time.
"How are you feeling?" Hei asked again. This was perhaps the fourth time.
Kirsi replied with the same answer, "Good." Hei sat down beside her on the bed and kissed her cheek.
"So, should we go out for lunch?" he asked instead, moving on.
"Yes," Kirsi replied. She was driving Hei crazy.
For some reason Hei couldn't directly address the activities they had partaken in the night before, but he desperately wanted to talk about it. He wanted to know if Kirsi was really okay, how he did, how she felt, if it was too soon, if it would happen again, but Kirsi was as expressionless as always. They hadn't even talked about it beforehand, they just done it. And Kirsi seemed in favor, but Hei wondered if he had only been blinded by his own lust and eagerness. He could tell immediately that she was a virgin, so should he have lit candles, or bought roses, or at least fed her dinner first? Was he that much of an animal?
Or was he thinking too much?
Hei hit the floor with a thud, snapping out of his thoughts. "What?" he mumbled, sitting up.
"Both of your legs went through the same hole," Kirsi told him, twirling her finger in a vase of flowers. Hei looked down and found that his legs had indeed gone through the same leg-hole, and he had tried so hard to pull his boxers up that he had torn them a bit. He sighed.
"I guess you can't see the future then, hmm?" Hei muttered, digging a new pair out of his dresser drawer. "Or maybe you could have just said something before I fell."
"You fell first, then I looked," Kirsi replied. Hei went to his closet and fully dressed himself before beckoning Kirsi to follow him out of the bedroom.
"What sounds good?" Hei asked as they walked out the front door. He locked it and turned to Kirsi expectedly.
"Salad."
"Italian?"
"Salad," Kirsi said insistently. Hei laughed.
"I know," he said, kissing her lips. "But we can get a nice salad and soup at an Italian restaurant." Kirsi frowned playfully, one of the first emotional faces she had ever displayed. Hei kissed her hungrily once more until Kirsi pushed him away, blushing.
"Hei," Kirsi mumbled affectionately, looking down at her hands. Hei took her hand in his and they started off toward a nice Italian restaurant in town.
They decided to eat indoors because the weather was still rather chilly, and the cloud cover was not particularly beautiful to look at. They ordered a steaming-hot minestrone soup and caprese salad, which of course is not much of a salad at all. And still, they enjoyed their food just the same, as well as small talk, affectionate teases, giggles, and most importantly, cinnamon caramel cashew ice cream.
"I thought spumoni was Italian," Kirsi commented loosely, licking her spoon. "This is delicious."
"Spumoni is an Italian ice cream, but it's not the only ice cream they eat," Hei said.
"I know," Kirsi insisted. "But how is it that they fail so miserably with spumoni but make other delicious flavors?"
"Cinnamon caramel cashew isn't Italian," He explained. "It's just...a flavor." Kirsi said nothing as she finished devouring their shared bowl.
"Yummy."
"Kirsi, I need you to say something, anything," Hei begged suddenly, leaning forward with his elbows on the table.
"About?"
"Last night...you're killing me." Kirsi was silent for a time.
"I love you, Hei," she said at last, smiling faintly. "I was...happy. Nervous, but very, very happy. Is that okay?"
"Are you just telling me what I want to hear?" Hei asked persistently.
"No," Kirsi replied. "I'm telling you the truth. You are...well..." Kirsi sighed.
"What?"
"I just love you, okay?" Kirsi pleaded, her face reddening. Hei smiled.
"You think so?" he asked, understanding her.
"Well, I can't compare you to anyone," Kirsi mumbled.
"Are you going to sleep over tonight?" Hei asked. Kirsi shook her head. "Why not?"
"I don't have clothes." They were both silent for a very long time. Hei paid the bill and watched Kirsi's silent, unwavering expression.
"I won't battle you," Hei said. "You can get your clothes by yourself and meet me at my place again. I...don't want to push you anymore."
"Well..."
"Not 'well' !" Hei snapped, his eagerness and desperation getting the better of him. "Just say yes! I just want you with me....I want you to trust me."
"I do trust you." Hei sighed, then frowned as Kirsi got up and left the restaurant. What does that mean?
Hei wandered back to his apartment rather disappointed. He stopped in the ice cream parlor he had bought Kirsi's first coffee cone.
"Still haven't found her yet?" the server asked. "I thought for sure you-"
"No, no, no!" Hei insisted, smiling bashfully. "I found her, we reconciled. Everything's fine."
"Why so blue?"
"I just...want her to sleep over and she sort of...disappeared," Hei replied truthfully.
"Oh, I see," the server said, winking. "She caught on to your 'sleepover' plan, hmm?" Hei blushed deeply and hung his head.
"No, not exactly," he muttered. "I, uh...would like a vanilla cone, please." The server smiled wickedly and served Hei a cone.
"On the house," he said. "You've given me good business these last few months." Hei thanked him and left, headed towards his apartment once more.
He was surprised to find Kirsi on his doorstep with a backpack.
"Hei?" Kirsi asked.
"Yeah," Hei replied, handing Kirsi the ice cream cone. He unlocked the door and let her in.
"How did you know I would be here?" Kirsi asked, throwing her backpack onto the couch. Mao greeted them at the door and darted around Kirsi's legs. "You bit my toe this morning, didn't you?" Mao meowed mischievously and leapt into her lap, dancing in circles before settling down and closing his eyes.
"I actually have no idea why I bought that cone," Hei said uncertainly, frowning. "I guess it was instinctual."
"That's why I love you, I suppose," Kirsi said over Mao's exaggerated purring. Hei also took note of Mao's pleasure and felt something like jealousy brewing inside of him. Mao continued to purr and meow, rolling around in Kirsi's lap. That cat has a hidden agenda! Hei stomped over and tossed Mao out of Kirsi's lap. Kirsi looked up at Hei with surprise.
"She's mine, cat!" Hei snarled. Kirsi giggled, and Mao hissed.
