His eyes scanned her body up and down, stopping on the dark spots on her
upper left arm. Bruises he had caused. He started to apologize, but she
interrupted him. "Don't worry about it. I didn't even notice them until
you started staring at them." She smiled at him.
"You look beautiful," he said, handing her the rose. The dress fit her perfectly, hugging her curves and hitting her leg at just the right spot. She was breathtaking. He was really glad he had gotten the private room, otherwise he would have had to fight other men off, he just knew it.
"Thank you. You don't look too bad yourself," she said after letting her eyes scan his body in return. The years had been very good to the both of them. She stepped to the side to let him into the room. He walked forward, stopping when he was in front of her and her back was against the door. He gently ran a hand down her left arm, pausing briefly on the bruises, and placed his hand in hers. Looking in her eyes, he said, "I am sorry. I never meant to hurt you."
"Really Jack, it's okay."
Their proximity to each other was getting to both of them. Irina's breath quickened, her heart rate increased. Jack flushed and inched closer to her. He lowered his lips to her ear, his breath falling on her neck. "We have reservations. We should get going," he whispered.
Irina nodded and moved away from him, trying to catch her breath. He had no clue what he did to her. She put the rose in the vase with the other flowers. "Where are we going?" she asked as she grabbed her purse. She turned around and Jack was right behind her, openly staring at her body.
Bringing his eyes back to hers, he smiled. "You'll see. Are you ready to go?" With her looking like that, he had no idea how he was going to get through the night.
"I think so."
"Then let's go." He let her go in front of him, a hand on her back, leading her. When they got in the hallway, he offered her his arm and she took it. They walked down the hallway, through the lobby to the restaurant, talking the whole way. They avoided dangerous topics, neither wanting to start another fight.
They reached the restaurant and were led to their private dining room. "Jack, where is he taking us?" she asked when she saw they were passing through the main dining room. He didn't answer, only smiled at her and kept on walking. The waiter opened the door to the room and Jack let Irina enter first. Jack followed and the waiter closed the door behind him, leaving them alone.
Irina looked around the room and didn't know what to say. The only light came from the strands around the room and the numerous candles placed around. "Jack, it-it's beautiful. What have you done?" And he had accused her of being up to something.
"I haven't done anything. Come on, it's time to eat." He took her hand and led her to the table, practically having to drag her because she was still looking around the room in amazement. He pulled her chair out for her, helping her sit.
When she was seated, Jack took his seat across from her. In the candlelight, she seemed to glow. "Thank you," she said, startling him from his thoughts.
"For what?" The waiter who had brought them to the room came in through a back door, carrying two plates. He set one in front of Irina, the other in front of Jack. Then he poured them each a glass of wine from bottle that was chilling on the table and was gone.
"For everything. You didn't have to do any of this, especially after I slapped you this morning. I'm sorry for that; I don't know what came over me." She looked at her plate; the food looked delicious. And she was starving: she hadn't eaten breakfast and then was too caught up in getting ready to eat lunch.
Jack took a sip of wine before answering. "I do. I was being a jackass. I never should have said anything, let alone that you couldn't leave the room until we went after the artifact. That was me being stupid, and I'm sorry." He picked up his chopsticks, ready to eat. He hadn't eaten anything, either.
Irina let out a small laugh. "Can we just agree that we're both sorry and move on? We obviously won't get anywhere if we keep trying to apologize to each other all night. And besides, this certainly makes up for everything you were being an ass about."
He stopped, chopsticks in mid-air. "Hey! Alright, let's just both agree that we're sorry and that I was being an ass, okay? Does that work for you?" He went back to eating, smiling to himself. He had walked right into that one.
"Yes, it does. So tell me Jack, how did you do all this?" She was really enjoying this. They weren't fighting and things were going well.
"It was easy really. When you left, I came down here and rented this room. Then, I got the flowers, found the dress and this suit and then I got ready."
"Yeah, but how did you know I would come?"
"I umm, didn't really. When I was in the shower I was plagued with doubt. I kept thinking 'what if she didn't go back to the room yet, what if she doesn't want to come because she's so mad at me?' Trust me, I didn't even know if you would answer the door until I heard your footsteps."
"Okay, a better question then. Why did you do this?" It was something she had wanted to know since she found the flowers. What was he up to?
"You look beautiful," he said, handing her the rose. The dress fit her perfectly, hugging her curves and hitting her leg at just the right spot. She was breathtaking. He was really glad he had gotten the private room, otherwise he would have had to fight other men off, he just knew it.
"Thank you. You don't look too bad yourself," she said after letting her eyes scan his body in return. The years had been very good to the both of them. She stepped to the side to let him into the room. He walked forward, stopping when he was in front of her and her back was against the door. He gently ran a hand down her left arm, pausing briefly on the bruises, and placed his hand in hers. Looking in her eyes, he said, "I am sorry. I never meant to hurt you."
"Really Jack, it's okay."
Their proximity to each other was getting to both of them. Irina's breath quickened, her heart rate increased. Jack flushed and inched closer to her. He lowered his lips to her ear, his breath falling on her neck. "We have reservations. We should get going," he whispered.
Irina nodded and moved away from him, trying to catch her breath. He had no clue what he did to her. She put the rose in the vase with the other flowers. "Where are we going?" she asked as she grabbed her purse. She turned around and Jack was right behind her, openly staring at her body.
Bringing his eyes back to hers, he smiled. "You'll see. Are you ready to go?" With her looking like that, he had no idea how he was going to get through the night.
"I think so."
"Then let's go." He let her go in front of him, a hand on her back, leading her. When they got in the hallway, he offered her his arm and she took it. They walked down the hallway, through the lobby to the restaurant, talking the whole way. They avoided dangerous topics, neither wanting to start another fight.
They reached the restaurant and were led to their private dining room. "Jack, where is he taking us?" she asked when she saw they were passing through the main dining room. He didn't answer, only smiled at her and kept on walking. The waiter opened the door to the room and Jack let Irina enter first. Jack followed and the waiter closed the door behind him, leaving them alone.
Irina looked around the room and didn't know what to say. The only light came from the strands around the room and the numerous candles placed around. "Jack, it-it's beautiful. What have you done?" And he had accused her of being up to something.
"I haven't done anything. Come on, it's time to eat." He took her hand and led her to the table, practically having to drag her because she was still looking around the room in amazement. He pulled her chair out for her, helping her sit.
When she was seated, Jack took his seat across from her. In the candlelight, she seemed to glow. "Thank you," she said, startling him from his thoughts.
"For what?" The waiter who had brought them to the room came in through a back door, carrying two plates. He set one in front of Irina, the other in front of Jack. Then he poured them each a glass of wine from bottle that was chilling on the table and was gone.
"For everything. You didn't have to do any of this, especially after I slapped you this morning. I'm sorry for that; I don't know what came over me." She looked at her plate; the food looked delicious. And she was starving: she hadn't eaten breakfast and then was too caught up in getting ready to eat lunch.
Jack took a sip of wine before answering. "I do. I was being a jackass. I never should have said anything, let alone that you couldn't leave the room until we went after the artifact. That was me being stupid, and I'm sorry." He picked up his chopsticks, ready to eat. He hadn't eaten anything, either.
Irina let out a small laugh. "Can we just agree that we're both sorry and move on? We obviously won't get anywhere if we keep trying to apologize to each other all night. And besides, this certainly makes up for everything you were being an ass about."
He stopped, chopsticks in mid-air. "Hey! Alright, let's just both agree that we're sorry and that I was being an ass, okay? Does that work for you?" He went back to eating, smiling to himself. He had walked right into that one.
"Yes, it does. So tell me Jack, how did you do all this?" She was really enjoying this. They weren't fighting and things were going well.
"It was easy really. When you left, I came down here and rented this room. Then, I got the flowers, found the dress and this suit and then I got ready."
"Yeah, but how did you know I would come?"
"I umm, didn't really. When I was in the shower I was plagued with doubt. I kept thinking 'what if she didn't go back to the room yet, what if she doesn't want to come because she's so mad at me?' Trust me, I didn't even know if you would answer the door until I heard your footsteps."
"Okay, a better question then. Why did you do this?" It was something she had wanted to know since she found the flowers. What was he up to?
