"Where?", the taxi driver wheezed without turning around. Jen wasn't even in the car yet.
"The Spot, please." She sat in the middle of the back seat and turned to Furio. "There's gum on the seat", she explained.
Furio looked over her and saw that there was in fact gum on the seat next to her.
"Is ok as long as you do no care to sit next to someone who maybe throws the rocks at you." Again he heard the laugh.
"Not at all."
Furio closed the door and the car pulled away. He could smell her perfume. It was sweet and a little bit fruity. Their arms were touching. This was a fact that escaped neither of them.
Furio: How am I going to take an entire night of this?
Jen: That gum was a Godsend. I hope that I'm torturing him.
Furio: This is torture. She's so close...
Jen: God, he's close...
Furio: I need to kiss her...
Jen: I will not kiss him, I will not kiss him, I will not kiss him. No, wait. I will not kiss him yet, I will not kiss him yet, I will not kiss him yet...
Furio: She's making me crazy.
Jen: I'll wait. I'll make him crazy.
The cab stopped and Jen opened her purse.
"No, I will get it." Furio reached for his pocket.
"No, really." Jen pulled out a change purse and Furio covered her hand with his. They both froze.
Jen: Not yet, not yet, not yet, not yet...
"Um, you are doing this fora me. I will pay. Please." Jen nodded and when he looked away she let out her breath quietly.
The line went around the block. Furio groaned and Jen laughed at him.
"Hey, don't worry", she did her best mobster voice. "You got connections."
This time I was Furio who laughed. Jen grasped his arm and led him alongside the line of people to the door.
"Howdy." Jen stuck her face just under that of a large man with a clip board. He looked at her and broke out in a grin.
"Damn! You clean up nice!" He had a southern accent, but Furio wasn't sure it warranted a 'Howdy'. "I thought you'd forgot about me."
"What? Never!" With that the man pushed the crowd aside and opened the door. There was some groaning and yelling from the crowd. A girl near the front said loudly, "Hey, I'd let him in too."
Jen turned to Furio as the door closed behind them.
"Sounds like I need to keep an eye on you or you might go home with someone else." Shit. Furio raised an eyebrow.
"Am I otherwise going home with you?", he moved closer.
Don't panic, Jen. Stay cool... think of something good...
She moved closer to him and brought her face near his.
"Of course you are."
Furio was surprised his head didn't explode.
"That's where your car is."
Jen came down off of her tip toes and turned her back to him nonchalantly. She walked to the bar that was directly in front of them and leaned forward on it, talking to the bar tender.
Does she know everyone?
It was a very nice view, Furio mused. Her dress was so short that he was sure if she leaned forward an inch more the view would improve significantly.
How does she stay so cool? Maybe I misjudged, maybe she really is just showing me around...
Jen turned and motioned for him to follow her again.
"Are you ready to eat?" Furio nodded and they took the elevator to the second floor. "The food here is great." The doors opened and Jen stepped out and moved forward. Furio was disappointed that she didn't take his arm this time. Then he realized what he was thinking and shrugged it off.