Chapter 9.5 – Dinner.
Levi smiled when he heard her words, "I thought you'd never ask," she allowed a shy smile to play on her dry lips, "I'm starving."
Eren stood from the sofa and walked in front of Levi, his eyes followed her as she headed towards the bathroom, but turned and walked into the door opposite of it. 'That must be her bedroom' he thought to himself, he turned and leaned his back into the couch, allowing himself to relax his body and begin to release the tension that had built up.
He let a small sigh escape his lips and tilted his head back on the sofa, his lids closed and he sat there in a comfortable silence while Eren began dressing to go out for dinner.
Eren rounded the corner and walked into her bedroom; she closed the door behind her and let her robe fall off her shoulders and onto the floor. She rushed to put on some undergarments, not paying much attention to whether either each piece matched or not. She turned and walked into her closet and raked through the articles until she picked out the few pieces she'd imagined together earlier in the day. A long sleeved, cream chiffon blouse with a large droopy bow tied on the front, and a simple but classy pair of black skinny jeans. She held the pieces up to each other and nodded in approval. She quickly laid them out on her bed and went back into the closet to decide on accessories.
After rejecting the idea of a necklace, she decided on a pretty pair of silver dangly earrings, the dangles were shaped like scalloped fish scales, four hung from each stud. She slipped a simple silver ring over her thumb and then pulled out a pair of black heels; each one had a small, sophisticated bow on the heel. Satisfied with her choices, Eren rushed to put on a lacey camisole and then hurriedly put on the rest of the garments and accessories.
She burst out of her bedroom and then went straight into the bathroom to fix her hair and throw on a little eye makeup. She started with her face first, doing a casual take on the classic cat eye. She finished off the eye look with a few coats of her favorite mascara. She put a few layers of chapstick on her dried out lips to set and soften them up while she started on her hair. It was almost completely dry, a little dampness in a few places along her roots, but not enough for her to bother with pulling out the blow dryer.
After messing with a few different styles, Eren decided on braiding the front sections of her hair, one on either side, leaving a few strands loose to frame her face, along with her fringe. She pulled these two loose braids back and tied them off in the back, leaving the rest of her hair down and untouched in the back. Satisfied with the look, Eren moved back to her makeup box, and pulled out a few lip glosses. She decided on doing a natural look, picking the one closest to her rosy-mauve color and glided a layer of it across her lips. Eren gave herself a quick once over and hurried out the bathroom, not caring about the clacking noise her heels made when they hit against the tile floor.
Eren had been gone for twenty minutes, and in those twenty minutes, Levi thought about possible topics of conversation he could bring up to carry the two through the rest of the evening. He'd settled on a few basic, 'getting to know you' kind of starters, then prepared a set of other topics depending on how the mood was and how well the pair seemed get along. He decided that he would try and be a bit less sarcastic and try not to make fun of Eren too much, 'I'm going to try… but I'm not making any promises,' he mused to himself. His thoughts were interrupted by the oil deprived hinges of the bathroom door squeaking as the door was quickly opened. He heard the clacking of heels and turned to see the cause of the noise.
Eren walked away from the bathroom and back towards her bedroom without glancing at Levi, whose mouth had opened to a small 'o' while looking at her outfit choice. 'That was quick…she looks nice,' he thought. He clicked his tongue as his eyes made their way down to her feet, 'could have done without the damn heels though… maybe I should invest in inserts?' he glared at the wall at the thought, annoyed with even having to consider it as an option. He knew he was shorter than average, and it wasn't like he angry about it. It's not like there was anything really wrong with it, though he'd been rejected, some times more politely than others, by many girls and women in his life time due to his lack of height.
Levi sighed and stood from the couch, stretching just enough to let his back pop comfortably. He walked towards the doorway and began to slip his shoes on while he waited for Eren to come out. A few moments later she did, carrying a small cobalt clutch, which made the emerald color of her eyes more prominent.
"I'm ready," she breathed out, setting the clutch on the sorry excuse for a counter in her tiny kitchen to double check that she had everything she deemed necessary.
Levi quirked a brow, "No you're not," he walked over the narrow coat closet and pulled his overcoat, "it's cold out Eren," he then searched through the few hanging coats and jackets, and pulled out a simple black trench, "put this on." He handed it to her and then slid his own coat on.
Eren pouted a moment and then accepted the trench. She followed Levi's example and threw the coat over her clothing, buttoning it up to the lapels.
Levi chuckled at the face she made and walked towards the door to unlock it and open it for Eren to exit first. She handed him the key as she waltzed out, smirking at the more apparent height difference due to her choice of footwear. He pretended that he didn't see the overly smug look on her face and turned out the lights, closing the door and locking it before returning the key to Eren. Well, not really returning the key so much as ignoring her outreached hand in favor of sliding the object into her trench pocket. He let his hand rest there a little longer than necessary and offered his own satisfied smirk, rendering her earlier smugness obsolete as a shocked and embarrassed expression dawned her features.
Eren stood, frozen for a moment while Levi walked on, as if nothing had ever happened. He was halfway to the elevator when Eren finally thawed. She started a quick pace to catch up to him and join him on the ride down to the garage.
The car ride was filled with the low buzz of ambient music and the comfortable lack of conversation between the two occupants as they neared their destination.
Levi parked his car in a somewhat crowded lot, a fair walking distance away from a shopping strip that Eren had never been to before. He got out and walked around to open the door and help Eren out, he bowed slightly as he offered her his hand. She placed hers in his and he helped her out, lightly gripping her fingers and giving them a quick squeeze before letting go of her hand and dropping his own to his side.
The pair made their way through the crowded car lot and towards the shops, which were erected along a walkway around a lake. Eren couldn't see how big the lake was because the lights from the shops only allowed a limited view in the darkness of the night. As they got closer, she was able to see several little restaurants scattered along the strip, each with their own unique lighting and outdoor seating areas. She was so engrossed in looking at the restaurants that were growing closer with every passing moment and step she took, that she didn't notice a part of a curb that jutted out, broken from the rest of its form which encased some grass and a well kept tree. The tip of her shoe caught it and she stumbled forward.
She would have fallen onto the paved ground if Levi hadn't stuck out his hand and grabbed her own, stabilizing her and preventing her jeaned knees from kissing the cement.
"Watch where you're walking," he snapped, pausing for a moment while Eren stabilized, then continued to walk on towards their destination, only this time, he kept a firm grip on her hand.
They settled into a comfortable stance, hand in hand as they finally approached the restaurant.
Eren gazed at the area in awe with an open mouthed, wonder filled look decorating her face as she took in the sight.
There were small lanterns all along the perimeter of the outdoor seating area located in the front of the restaurant, overlooking the onyx lake. There were several tables in the area; all of them were covered by large black outdoor umbrellas to protect the table, chairs, and occupants from rain, and intense rays of sunlight. She returned her attention to the entrance, which was lit up with similar lanterns, lined up along the granite staircase that lead up to two large, rectangular columns that were striped with gold and dark gray metallic paint.
Levi let Eren's eyes wander a few minutes before gently tugging at her hand, still cradled in his own. When she turned her bright eyed face back to him, he nodded his head towards the stairs and started to walk towards it. She followed him, smiling down at their connected hands.
Levi, reluctantly, released Eren's hand as the approached the counter; he let Eren stay a few paces behind him while he approached the waiter and exchanged a few words. The man handed him a round buzzer, and then nodded respectfully to Levi as he turned and walked back towards Eren. They walked over and stood against a free space on the wall, since all the seating in the waiting area was occupied.
"I called in earlier to reserve a table, it seems like whoever I talked to was new because that man," Levi gestured towards the man he'd just spoken with using the buzzer, "informed me that they don't keep reservations on their busiest nights. First come, first serve." He finished.
Eren nodded and said, "that's alright, I've gone most of the day without eating, what's a few more minutes going to hurt," she joked, cringing slightly at the look Levi shot her, "so…how long did he say the wait would be?" she tried to change the subject.
"Not too long actually," he started, "only about-"his words were interrupted by the vibration and light show that the buzzer displayed, "five minutes. Or now." He looked up at Eren and smiled, then walked towards the man again, this time with Eren following closely.
They were seated and a few moments later a thick set woman with beautiful curly brown hair came by and asked them for their drink orders. Eren ordered an ice water with a few slices of lemon on the side while Levi ordered a chilled glass and a beer.
Eren laughed when the waitress asked to see his ID, he offered a blank stare while she checked the date on the card, eyes widening briefly as she looked back and forth between the card and the owner of it before handing it back with a somewhat surprised look.
"What was that about?" Eren managed to speak out, after her little giggle fit.
"She must not have believed my birth year." He stated.
The waitress returned a moment later, with a chilled beer glass and bottle, setting it down on the table in front of Levi along with a glass of ice water. She placed a small bowl of lemon wedges in front of Eren and her own glass of water.
"Why?" Eren continued when the waitress left the area again, "Are you that old?"She asked with amusement in her voice, playfully emphasizing 'that,' as she said it.
"I'm not that old." Levi stated, mimicking the unnecessary emphasis placed by Eren. He popped open the beer and poured the fizzy amber liquid into the frosted glass.
Eren giggled a little, "Well then, Mr. Not 'That' Old," she used air quotes this time on 'that,' "how old are you?"
Levi sighed, taking a sip of his drink and looking up to meet Eren's curious gaze. 'I knew she was going to ask again, but not right off the bat.'
"I'm thirty five." He stated, then took another sip of his beverage and set it back down on the table.
Eren's eyes widened a bit, "Wow, you're a lot older than you look, I thought you were still in your twenties." Eren said, unabashed.
Levi stared at her a moment before picking up the menu and searching through it, a blank look on his face to mask his internal pout. 'Great. Fantastic. Just splendid, now I really look like an old pervert.'
Levi's silence alerted Eren that she might have said something offensive, she quickly thought back to her words from a moment before. "N-not that you're old or anything! No, I didn't mean it like that, I mean, you just really don't look your age, it's hard for me to believe that you're closer to forty than twenty is all." She bit her tongue, 'wow Eren, not helping. What is wrong with me, do I have verbal diarrhea or something?'
As if reading her mind, Levi spoke, eyes still intently studying the menu, though he already knew from the moment he made the reservation that he wanted pizza and a beer, "You really should think before you talk. One of these days you're going to run into someone who won't take as kindly to your Freudian slips."
"I-I didn't mean to offend you." she stuttered nervously.
"You didn't offend me. I'm more than aware of our age difference, and it would be childish of me to be riled up by you pointing it out." he stated, paging through the menu to find the pizza selection.
Levi looked up momentarily, glancing behind Eren to see the waitress pacing in the background, obviously waiting for them to order. He settled his gaze back on Eren and offered her a calm smile, one meant to ease away the nervous tension that showed on her overly expressive face.
"Are you ready to order?" he asked her.
Eren shook he head, "No, not yet. There are so many options to choose from, I don't even know where to start."
Levi chuckled and set his menu down, motioning with a few graceful flicks of his fingers to get the waitress's attention. "How about I order an appetizer to start, that will give you more time to decide what you want and give our waitress something to do."
Eren smiled and nodded, looking back down and searching at a more relaxed pace through the seven paged menu.
When the waitress came over, she topped off the pair's water glasses, and then took Levi's order. He ordered an appetizer medley that included spinach and artichoke dip, an assortment of hors d'oeuvres, and baked macaroni balls with a white truffle sauce.
When the waitress left, Eren scrunched her face in confusion at the last few items he ordered, "Macaroni with white chocolate truffles?" she questioned, "is that even allowed in the world of food pairings?"
Levi let a brisk laugh escape his lips before meeting Eren's confused face, "White truffle sauce, it's not chocolate. Truffles are a type of fungi," Levi stated, he smirked at the look of disgust on Eren's face when he said 'fungi', "just so you know, mushrooms are fungi too, anyway, be sure to try it, I'm sure you'll like the combination."
"Hmm," Eren hummed while she looked the menu. "Alright, but only because you insist..., however…if I don't like it, I expect a delicious dessert to make up for the bad taste in my mouth." she smiled and looked up from the laminated menu and asked, "What are you going to order?"
"Deal," He smirked, "but if you like the truffle sauce, you have to let me have a bite of whatever you order." He then paused to let the condition settle in before answering, "I'm going to get a pizza, and maybe a salad to go with it."
"Really? Out of all the things on the menu...you're choosing pizza? Why not go to an Italian place for that then?"
Levi's small smile turned back down as his blank expression returned. 'Well we would have already had Italian if someone wasn't late getting out of work...' he thought to himself.
"You'd be surprised; the pizza here is actually really good."
"Oh?" Eren stated, she turned to the "gourmet pies" section and began reading over all the choices and possible combinations, which were almost more overwhelming than the variety of food the restaurant offered.
She mumbled softly to herself, but just loud enough that Levi was able to hear it, "Maybe I'll get pizza too."
Levi smirked and signaled the waitress over, much to Eren's distress. She didn't think he'd heard her, but he went ahead and order two pies, a large salad to share, and asked for a dessert sampler to be brought out after they finished their meal.
The waitress took their menus and was already walking towards the back before Eren could register what happened.
Eren sighed as she reluctantly handed over a few slices of her pizza to Levi, who'd obviously won the truffle taste bet. Eren loved it; she ate most of the little cheesy pasta bites dowsed in the tantalizing sauce herself, Levi barely got two bites.
He chuckled as she relinquished the slices, 'her pouting face is adorable… I don't know whether I like her blushing or pouting more… I wonder what other faces she can make…' Levi's mind wandered as he ate his newly won slices in a daze. He almost didn't catch Eren trying to steal one of his own.
"I see you Eren." He said, she stilled her slithering fingers and nervously met his eyes. He grinned and placed his hand atop hers, grabbing a hold of it and cradling it in his own while he used his other to place a slice of his pizza on her plate. "You could have just asked," he paused and took a sip of his beer, "I probably would have given you more than one slice if you had asked nicely." He directed his gaze back down to his meal and continued to eat. He didn't let her hand go, nor did Eren try to pull it away.
They finished their dinner, alternating between small talk and the silence that comes with really good food. Levi learned a little more about Eren, how she was an only child born to a, once successful doctor who had his license and practice revoked for multiple charges of malpractice and negligence after Eren's mother suddenly passed away. He discovered her favorite color was blue, cobalt blue to be exact; she was quite good with computers and fond of digital media and art. She also loved dogs, and wished that she had the time and money to afford one. He added all this new information to his gradually growing, mental list of things about Eren.
Overall, Eren seemed like a sweet girl who was smart, strong, and independent. And at the same time she was strangely adorable, and undeniably attractive. By the time their night came to a close, both Eren and Levi were stuffed and more than satisfied.
Eren excused herself to the restroom and Levi took the opportunity to pay for their meal and wonderful night out. When Eren returned, he escorted her out of the restaurant, despite her protesting and insisting on at least paying for herself. He simply chuckled and led her out into the starlit night sky, making his way towards the walkway along the lake.
When she caught up to him, and they were side by side, he removed a hand from his coat pocket and caught a hold of her own, that was dangling to the side.
With intertwined fingers, the pair strolled along the lantern lit pathway, listening to the calming sound of the dark water pushing up against its man-made barriers and the faint, but lively buzz of music and chatter coming from the shops that decorated the area.
Both Levi and Eren had smiles on their faces. Levi's was a small and barely detectable curve on either side of thin pink lips, while Eren's was a goofy smile, one so wide it was hard to miss.