Note: Each chapter, starting with chapter 3, either has a direct quote from a Marvel movie or a nod to a quote from a Marvel movie. See if you can find them! Chapter 2, while it doesn't have a Marvel quote, does have a quote from a different TV series. If you find them, leave a comment! Chapters 3 and 4 both reference Avengers, and this chapter has a quote from Thor: Ragnarok.
"Alright…" The waitress sidled up to the table and set down a cheeseboard with 2 matching wine flights. "So, for the cheeseboard from left to right we have Buche de Chevre, a goat cheese from the Poitou-Charentes region of France. That pairs with the Sauvignon Blanc which is the far white wine on your flight. Next is a Bleu D 'Auvergne which has a salty and spicy taste and that pairs with the Cabernet Sauvignon in the middle. Last is the Comté which has a really complex flavor and pairs with the Pinot Noir on the end. Any questions? Want me to get a food order going while you enjoy these?"
"Yes, one second." Larry picked up the menu and glanced at it. "I'll have the duck, I think. What about you, Darling?"
"The Le Coq a Vin for me, please" Kat said politely after glancing down at her own menu. She desperately tried to ignore the fact that the waitress was paying her no attention at all as she continued to stare at Larry. At least Larry wasn't staring back.
"Alright. One duck and one Coq a Vin. I'll get those started right away. Enjoy your cheese." After one last overly saccharine smile at Larry, she left the table.
"Where would you like to start? I've never had one of these," Kat admitted sheepishly.
"I think the Chevre would be best to start with. We'll save the Bleu for last. It will have the strongest flavor. Now, I want you to close your eyes and open your mouth. Will you do that for me?"
She narrowed her eyes at him suspiciously. Larry sighed.
"I promise I'm just going to feed you, Kitten. This time. I want you to focus on the flavor and the texture without being distracted." Begrudgingly Kat closed her eyes. "Mouth open." She felt one of his fingers gently tap her lips. Slowly, hesitantly, she parted them. "Good girl" Larry nearly purred. Kat felt her insides clench. Good Lord, this man was not fair. He placed the first piece of cheese in her mouth, deliberately brushing her lips with his fingers. Chewing, she tried to find the words to describe the experience. She had to admit that he was right; everything was much more distinct with her eyes closed. "Now, describe it to me."
"Mild flavor, but there is a particular taste I can't put my finger on. I think it might be just because it's a goat cheese. Really soft. Really creamy."
"And do you like it?"
"It wouldn't be my favorite cheese. But it's not bad."
"Alright, Pet. Open again." This time Kat did so willingly and obediently. Another piece of cheese went into her mouth. This time Larry withdrew even slower, taking extra time to trace her bottom lip with his thumb.
"Woah. She wasn't kidding when she said that this was complex. I can't make out anything distinct, but I'm getting a bunch of different notes. This is the Comté, right?"
"Yes, Darling. Are you ready for the Bleu?" Kat nodded in response, obediently opening her mouth again. This time when Larry went to slowly withdraw, she captured his thumb in her mouth, running her tongue along the pad as he pulled it out. The hitch in his breathing sent a swell of pride through her. "Ooh naughty, naughty, Kitten."
"Well, if you can tease me, surely I can tease you back, right?" Kat tried her best to sound innocent, but even without opening her eyes she knew he didn't buy it.
"Chew, and then describe it to me." His tone was commanding, but she could hear both his amusement at her toying with him, and his frustration that it had worked so obviously. Best not to push her luck too far.
"Definitely getting the salty and spicy notes she was talking about. It's crumbly but then turns creamier as you chew. Has that distinctive bleu cheese funky flavor…" her analysis petered off as she swallowed. "Can I open my eyes now?"
"Not quite yet. I want you to lean forward. Can you do that for me, Darling?" Kat sorted through her options in her head. Really, what was the worst thing he could do? They were in a public space. Plus, she was trying to let herself be out of control, right? Was there anything more out of control than taking orders from a near stranger? Taking a breath to steel herself, she leaned forward. Larry's strong fingers grabbed her chin as he gently pressed his lips to hers, kissing her softly but thoroughly. "Now you can open." She opened her eyes without pulling away and found herself staring straight into his sea blue eyes. He hadn't pulled away either. He rubbed the tip of his nose against hers, smiling softly. "You needed a palette cleanser." He pecked her lips one more time before releasing her chin and moving back.
"Alright! I have our entrees here." The waitress walked up to the table carrying two plates. "A Coq a Vin for the lady." She set the plate in front of Kat. Honestly, the food looked incredible. Larry definitely had picked a good place. "And duck for the gentleman." She leaned over farther than she needed to, attempting to give Larry a glimpse down her shirt. Larry kept his eyes firmly on Kat, and she noticed he smirked when he caught her rolling her eyes. "If those look good, is there anything else at all that you need?"
"No, I think we're just perfect here," Larry responded dismissively.
"Well, I will just check back with you in a little bit. Enjoy your food!"
Kat watched as Larry carefully unrolled his napkin, removed his silverware, and placed the napkin in his lap. She mimicked him, and he smiled at her.
"Sorry if my manners are lacking. It's been a minute since I've been out with anyone."
"It's been a long time for me as well," Larry replied. "No need to be concerned."
"Says the guy with perfect manners," she grumbled. Larry just chuckled in response.
Kat cut into her chicken, watching the juice flow out and mix with the sauce. Her mouth watered. It had been a long time since she'd eaten out at a restaurant and she clearly had missed fancy food. She stabbed the chicken and a pearl onion with her fork. The moment the food touched her tongue, she felt like she was in heaven. Yep, Larry had definitely picked a great restaurant.
"I'm guessing that's good?" Larry asked, barely restraining a laugh. "You were making yummy noises."
Kat blushed and her hand shot out to cover her mouth. Heat spread through her cheeks all the way to her forehead.
"Don't be embarrassed, Darling. I liked them." She saw a glint in his eyes that had nothing to do with food. Clearly, they had reminded him of another type of noise.
"It is really good. Do you want a bite?" Now that she knew that he liked them, she figured she might as well own it. It wasn't like everyone else wasn't already judging her for being with him. As long as he didn't care, what did it matter?
"Do you want to share?" Larry asked, raising his eyebrow. Her heart squeezed. She loved that he asked. When she was younger her parents had constantly monitored her food intake, which just caused her to hide food and become very food defensive. Eventually she got used to sharing without getting upset, but there was always a twinge of anxiety that she couldn't quite get rid of. The fact that he'd recognized that she might not want to share something she thought was so good just made him even more attractive. Did this guy even have any flaws?
"Yes, I want to share. I can't be the only one of us to taste how delicious this is. It would be a crime to deprive you of the experience." Kat cut off and speared another bite of chicken as well as another pearl onion. "Open up, babe."
"Babe, hm? I like it." He smiled at her; a smile so full of happiness that she couldn't resist smiling back. "Your turn to feed me this time?"
"Do you want this delicious bite or not?" Larry chuckled and opened his mouth obediently. She held up the fork and guided the food into his mouth, fascinated with the way his lips wrapped around the metal. He chewed carefully and swallowed, but she could already see the appreciation in his eyes.
"You were right, Darling. That is delicious."
"Is it better than the duck?" Kat was curious. She had never had duck before. All she'd heard is that sometimes it tasted gamey, whatever that meant. She had no clue what gamey tasted like either.
"Why don't you decide which is better?" He held up a bite of his duck and guided it towards her. Leaning forward she took the bite, her expressions changing slightly as she processed the flavors. So, that's what gamey tasted like.
"I've never had duck before" she admitted sheepishly. "And while it was definitely an educational experience, I think I'll stick with my chicken."
"Then it's a good thing that I like what I ordered." Larry smiled at her.
A short time later they were finishing their meals after making more small talk about their days apart. Kat had told him about the food project she was having students complete so they could name different types of macromolecules in their food. Larry then told her about a meeting he'd had the day before with the security council for his company. After the food was finished, she excused herself to the restroom, telling him to order whatever he wanted for dessert for them while she was gone. She had forgotten how quickly alcohol moved through her. To get to the bathroom she had to walk to the opposite corner of the restaurant, right past the kitchens. And that was when she heard it.
It was their waitress, Christina. "I don't get what he's doing with that fat chick. He is absolutely gorgeous."
Another waitress spoke, someone they hadn't met. "Girl, you should write your number on the receipt, for when he gets bored with her. And by the sounds of it that will happen right quick. You're more in his league than she is!"
"Oh, I should definitely do that!" Christina replied. "I'm sure the interest he has in her is all for show. I bet he feels bad for her. I do."
Kat tried to remind herself that she had agreed to let herself have this, that only what Larry thought mattered, but after their cruel words she couldn't quite believe those things anymore. If nobody else thought she was worthy of him, why was she the only person he seemed to be interested in? Did he really think she was worthy when everybody else didn't? She gave herself 5 minutes to cry in the bathroom. No more. No less. She wasn't going to waste any more emotional energy on those bitches tonight. After the 5 minutes she wiped away her tears, splashed some water on her face, and walked back to the table.
"Welcome back, Darling. I ordered us crème brûlée for dessert." As soon as she sat down, she felt his sea blue eyes searching hers. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing's wrong," Kat insisted, flicking her eyes away from his so he wouldn't see the pain behind her gaze.
"No, something's wrong. I can tell. Please don't lie to me, Kitten. What happened?" His expression softened.
She took a deep breath in and let it out again to steady herself before she told him about the conversation she had overheard between the waitresses. For a second she saw a flicker of genuine fury behind Larry's eyes before it cooled to something far more cunning and calculating.
"Do you want to make some mischief with me, Darling?" he asked.
"You know I can play along with your games just fine" Kat reminded him. "What are we doing this time?"
"I want your reaction to be genuine, so I'm not going to tell you what I have planned. Do you trust me?" he quirked an eyebrow up questioningly, his eyes pinning her in place.
"Yes, I trust you."
"Then follow along, Pet," he whispered as their waitress approached their table, carrying their dessert in one hand and the folder containing their check in the other.
"Alright, I have that crème brûlée here for dessert and-" She set the dessert on the table, but Larry cut her off before she could finish her sentence.
"Is that the bill?" Larry asked.
"Yeah! I figured you would want to pay after dessert…" she trailed off.
"Actually, I was wanting to add something else, if you don't mind, of course." Ever the gentleman, Kat thought to herself.
"Of course not! What would you like?" the waitress asked.
"A bottle of your best champagne."
"Champagne, baby?" Kat was definitely confused now, though doing her best to play along like he'd asked.
"Are you celebrating something?" the waitress inquired.
"In fact, we are." Larry responded. "This wonderful woman is about to agree to become my wife." Everything suddenly made sense. A fake proposal. He was going to make a show of commitment to her to throw his interest in her back in the waitress' face. She loved how petty and devious it was, yet still so subtle. Now, she just had to play along.
"Larry you're… you're joking…" She let the shock she felt at his bold plan seep into her voice.
"I am not, my love." Larry fished in his blazer pocket for a moment before producing a ring case. Where had that come from? In a flash he had gotten himself up from his side of the booth and on one knee in front of her. "I want nothing else in this life than to be with you. To listen and watch you. Your beautiful voice; your beauty. To argue with you; to laugh with you. To show you things and share things with you. To explore your magnificent mind. To explore your wonderful body." His eyes flashed up at down her form, lust momentarily moving through them. Kat felt herself start to tear up. Nobody had said things like this to her before. And had he made up all this on the spot? "To help you, protect you, serve you, and bash you on the head when I think you're wrong." Larry let out a slight chuckle. Kat chuckled in return, but her chuckle sounded distinctly watery. "Not to put too fine a point on it, I consider I'm the only man outside mythology to have found the crock of gold at the rainbow's end. I love you. Will you marry me?"
He opened the ring box to reveal a beautiful ring that was absolutely unlike any other engagement ring she'd seen before. It had an intricately carved yellow gold band, with a large emerald inlaid in the center. Small diamonds traveled down the band on both sides of the center stone. It was easily one of the most beautiful rings she'd ever seen. Now she understood why Larry hadn't wanted to tell her his plan. Her reaction was much more convincing since she hadn't had time to prepare. In response to his speech all she could do was nod and choke back a sob. Larry slid the ring onto her hand, the wrong finger, but she didn't mind that. He then stood up and pulled her to her feet, kissing her deeply and fully. She kissed him back with fervor, lost in the moment until he pulled away. He held her eyes for a moment, his fingers tracing her cheekbones, wiping away her tears. Kat would remember the look in the waitress' eyes for as long as she lived; a mix of shock, embarrassment, and horror. She said she would retrieve the champagne and get them a new check right away. Kat bet her next paycheck that this one wouldn't have her phone number on it.
After they had finished the incredible dessert and Larry paid for the egregiously expensive bottle of champagne that they only drank half of, they found themselves back outside on the New York City sidewalk. Night was beginning to fall now, and the streetlamps were coming on. Kat was glad her apartment was close to the restaurant.
"Can I walk you home?" Larry asked once they were outside. "I'd like to know that you got back safely."
"I'd like that" Kat answered with a smile, taking Larry's offered arm.
"I had a magnificent time tonight. I hope you did as well."
"Oh, it was alright I suppose." Kat tried her best to hide her smirk, but she failed.
"I beg your pardon?" Larry asked with false exasperation.
"You know I had a great time. I always do with you" she found herself admitting. "Don't you go letting that get to your head."
"Too late" Larry smirked at her, but she just rolled her eyes back at him.
"I don't think we can eat there again, unless we want waitresses asking us about our wedding plans" Kat realized.
"I do believe you're right, Darling. Don't worry, we'll find another spot. Plus, you have to admit, that was a lot of fun." He smiled down at her, a mischievous twinkle in his eyes.
"So even after all that, you still want another date with me?" Kat wasn't sure whether she was surprised or not. On the one hand, his interest in her hadn't appeared to waver, but on the other they just had to fake a proposal so a waitress wouldn't slip him her number. At least he seemed to enjoy their petty acts of revenge. In a way, she did too. In a deep, dark part of herself she knew she would relish the look on the waitress' face forever.
"Of course." he looked confused, as if he'd never considered that not going out again was an option. "You still haven't agreed to be mine yet."
"Well, in a way I have." Kat laughed, holding up her hand and pointing to the ring.
"That was just a show, and you were a wonderful actress, by the way." His tone sounded reassuring, but she suddenly felt uneasy. She rubbed the ring on her finger, twisting it gently. Just a show. Right.
"I suppose you'll want the ring back. Where did it even come from anyway?" That was something about their restaurant proposal plan that still confused her. Where the heck had the ring come from?
"It was my mother's. I keep it with me at all times." A sadness flittered across his features, but it was gone as soon as she'd noticed it.
"Then you'll definitely want it back." Kat had turned to face him. They'd arrived at the door to her apartment building. She moved to slide the ring off her finger, but Larry stopped her placing his hand on top of hers.
"Keep it," he said with a smile. "An excuse for me to come see you next week."
"How about next week we have dinner here at my apartment? On a Friday this time rather than a Thursday?" Kat blurted out, making the split-second offer before she'd have a chance to reconsider.
"I'd like that very much. I suppose I could make Friday work. Are you going to cook for me, Kitten?" he asked.
"I have a few tricks up my sleeve. Do you want to walk me upstairs, so you know which room it is?" Kat hoped she wasn't being too obvious, but Larry's smirk implied that he'd definitely caught on.
"Lead on" he indicated, ushering her toward the keypad by the door. Kat typed in the code.
"When you come next week, you'll just call up to my apartment and I'll buzz you in. For now, though, we can use my super-secret access code." She winked at him and he chuckled. After typing in her code and leading Larry up two flights of stairs and down a hallway to the left she stopped in front of apartment 305. "Well… this is me."
"Do I get to come in?" Larry asked with a mischievous smile.
"Not tonight." Kat took a step closer to him. "I did want to do this one more time though." She grabbed Larry's tie, pulling him down to kiss her. His hands went to her hips, holding her against him as her lips moved on his. He backed her up against her door, her breath hitching when she felt it against her back. She moved her tongue forward to trace his lips and he brought his tongue forward to meet hers, tangling them together in a contest for dominance she already knew she was going to lose. Kissing had never felt like this before. The fire from their earlier kiss raced through her veins, lighting up parts of her body that had been long forgotten and neglected. He pressed her back harder into the door and she moaned into his mouth. That just seemed to excite him. He pulled one of her legs up against his thigh, fitting himself between her legs and grinding into her, his tongue still plundering her mouth over and over again. She let go of his tie and let her hand travel up his neck to tangle in his hair, tugging gently.
Larry broke their kiss with a slight groan, trailing kisses along her jawbone to her neck. "I loved how you played along tonight," he whispered in her ear. "You're such a clever little kitten. It drives me wild." He was so worked up that the word "wild" nearly came out as a growl. Kat let out a whimper. She could already tell she was incredibly wet. An alarm bell sounded at the back of her mind. If she didn't stop this now there would be no stopping it, and she'd promised herself she'd make him wait at least one more week.
"Larry," she nearly gasped as he kissed his way back to her mouth. She gently pushed on his chest, indicating that he should stop. After one last kiss to her now bruised lips, he pulled away.
"Getting a little carried away there, weren't we, Pet?" he asked her with a smug smile, his breath still coming out in rasps.
"Let's save that for next week, hm?" Kat asked, hoping she was making it obvious what her plans were. "7 PM. Here. Next Friday." She purposefully mimicked the way he'd set this date the week before.
"I'll be there," he said, pecking her lips one more time. "At the very least I have to come back for this." He pulled the hand with the ring up to his lips and kissed it. "Though seeing you again is a nice bonus." He winked.
"That you do" Kat said with a smile, pulling her keys out of her clutch and unlocking her door. "Well, goodnight. I'll see you then." He gave her one last peck as she stepped inside, as if he couldn't quite get enough of her. When she closed the door, she watched through the peephole as he walked down the hallway and out of sight. As soon as he was gone, she turned around and slid her back down the door until she was sitting on the floor, her fingers gently pressed against her lips. Wow, he was incredible. Her heart was still racing in her chest. Oh, she had it bad.
Be prepared for some spice next chapter! Probably a 3/5 on the spiciness scale. (If you like REALLY spicy, there will be a 4.5/5 in a few chapters, so just bear with me).
Thank you all for reading! I'm in love with this series so far! I love getting reviews. They absolutely make my day and are really inspiring, so leave me one if you really liked it!
Much love,
Kitty