"Why are you smiling like an idiot ?"

Rhys' eyes shot up to meet his cousin's across the table, watching him intensely from behind her menu, with a look he could only describe as annoyed. He couldn't exactly blame her, though. Since he'd found Feyre's number in his pocket earlier, he hadn't been able to stop thinking about it, and had grinned rather stupidly during the cab drive. Mor had obviously noticed, and he had the feeling she wouldn't let it go easily.

"I'm not smiling like an idiot."

"Oh please, you barely listened to me when I was talking to you about Keir's attitude during the board meeting today, and you didn't pester me to chose my food faster, which is something you always do. What's going on ?"

"I would have thought me leaving you some time to think about the menu would be something to enjoy, my dear cousin." Yes, he was avoiding her question in a rather obvious way, and she immediately picked up on it :

"You want to play it like that ? Alright, I'll have the poached salmon and a salad. Now tell me what's gotten into you."

He sighed. There was no getting out of this.

"Nothing, it's just… I met someone."

She laid down her menu and leaned closer to him the second the words left his mouth.

"Someone as in… someone ?"

"Well, she is a human being, so yes, I met someone, Mor. Can we drop it now ?"

"Oh we most certainly can't ! Who is she ? Where did you meet her ? When are you seeing her again ? I'm going to need to meet her soon. Is she beautiful ? Of course she is, you wouldn't be smiling like that if she wasn't. What does she look like ?"

The questions were coming out of her so fast Rhys couldn't help himself and laughed loud enough to earn a frown from one of the waiters. But the laughter seemed to stop her frenzy for informations.

"Mor, you're crazy, you know that ? She's just… a woman. I met her at the pub while I was waiting for you and we ended up talking for about an hour before we got interrupted. And that's it."

"What do you mean that's it ? What's her name ? What does she look like ? When are you seeing her again ?"

"You're exhausting. Her name is Feyre, she's an illustrator. And she's… I don't know, she's beautiful." He couldn't find another word to describe her, she wasn't pretty, she wasn't cute, she was just plain beautiful. Recalling her piercing blue-grey eyes looking at him, he continued, "I don't know when I'll see her again, I don't even know if I'll see her again, so there's no need for you to start planning what you would wear at our wedding, alright ? Can we just order please ?"

She laughed at his last remark, and he knew she had let it go - for now - when she picked up the wine menu.

Rhys waited until he was home to take the napkin out of his pocket and save Feyre's number on his phone. Since he'd spotted it hours earlier, he'd been thinking almost exclusively about the napkin, it felt like it was burning a hole in his pocket and reaching into his very core. Now that her number was safely on his contact list, he stared at the screen for a while, wondering if it would seem too eager to text her right away. He left his jacket in the hall of his townhouse, went into the spacious kitchen to pour himself a glass of water, and sank into the sofa of the living room, still debating what his next move should be. He turned on the TV and put on the newest episode of the show he was currently watching, but found himself unable to pay attention to the plot. He had been talking about that very show when her friends had interrupted them. After ten minutes of switching his eyes between the TV and his phone, he finally gave up and picked up the latest.

23:34 - That was a very nice surprise you slipped into my pocket, Feyre darling.

He was regretting his text the second it left. He'd called her Darling at the pub, but maybe she didn't feel it was appropriate when he wrote it… He should've sent something else, something less flirty and more sophisticated, now she was certainly going to…

Feyre, 23:37 - Well, you'd kept your promise, and I like to reward good behavior.

He stared at the screen for a few seconds, and wanted to slap himself in the face for his earlier scare. He was acting like a boy talking to his first crush and not knowing how to act ! He mentally forced his brain to pull itself together, and answered :

23:39 - I'm certainly glad you do, darling. Are you still out with your friends?

Feyre, 23:42 - No, one of them has two young kids so she had to go home and free the babysitter. How was your dinner ?

23:45 - Good enough, although it would have been better with you there.

Feyre, 23:48 - We'd just spent an hour together and you were already missing me ? A bit clingy, don't you think ?

23:51 - Is it my fault that you're such an interesting woman to talk to ? My cousin was a bit offended that I didn't pay attention to her tonight, she might be angry at you for stealing her night, I'd be careful.

Feyre, 23:54 - if she's that sort of woman, maybe we'd get along well and then you'll have to be careful.

23:57 - And what would you do to me, darling ?

Feyre, 00:01 - That's a question I'd rather not answer in a text. You might held me accountable one day ;)

He let out a laugh at her answer. Gods, with each text he sent, he was afraid he would be pushing his luck too far and she'd end up pushing him away. But every time, she answered with more bantering, and that was something he could learn to get used to.

00:05 - Well darling in that case, you give me no choice. I'll have to hear it directly from you, won't I ? Let's say over dinner, on Friday ?

Feyre, 00:08 - Already asking me out ? That's rather bold, mister.

Feyre, 00:09 - Can it be Saturday ? I have a thing on Friday.

00:10 - Bold seems to work so… ;) Saturday works, although I'm hurt you're trying to delay our lovely second encounter, darling.

00:13 - You can call it a date you know.

He stared at his screen, smiling widely.

00:15 - I wouldn't want you to call me "clingy" again. Plus, you already told me about rewarding good behavior so I'm doing my best.

Feyre, 00:17 - We'll see about your reward after our date I guess... Rhys, I'm exhausted, I'm gonna go to bed. Good night.

00:18 - Sweet dreams, darling.

He turned off his TV, got up the stairs and collapsed onto his bed, unable to erase the faint smile off his lips.