Trunks was on the phone with Le Claire de Lune as soon as they opened the next morning. Reservations were filled but the owner was willing to make accommodations for Trunks. So it was set. Trunks was on edge all day waiting for the date. He was really taking Pan on a date. He didn't care if this was all the result of some stupid game of cat-and-mouse that they had created in an alleyway one night outside a club. He was falling for her. Okay, he had taken a woman home the day before yesterday when he was out at the 95th birthday party for the ex-prime minister of France. But that didn't count now. He was going to wait for Pan to take him to bed, even if he did have to beg.
He didn't get half the work he should have gotten done by the end of the day. He wondered what color dress she was going to wear so he could coordinate her. He texted her but she just replied that he needed to cool it and just wear black. Did this matter as much to her as it did to him?
Pan hadn't ever worn this dress. She had been saving it for a real date, if she ever had one. It was a strapless red sateen A-line dress that hit right at her knees. She liked it mostly because when she twirled in it, the skirt puffed out, which tickled her to no end. She wore a pair of strappy black stilettos with it. She had on the only pair of diamond earrings she owned, which her mother and father had given to her as a college graduation gift. She also decided to wear her diamond teardrop necklace, which Bra had given to her to wear to a formal a few years back. She hadn't worn it since that formal.
She did her hair three times before she liked the style, which ended up being pinned back on one side with a crystal barrette and curled into soft waves. She critiqued herself in the mirror over and over again until Trunks knocked on her door. She went and opened it to him, looking at him shyly, secretly hoping she would pass his test. He'd gone a million places with a million beautiful women on his arm. She was just a normal girl compared to all the women who had rolled in and out of his life. Whereas, he was always the most beautiful man in the world, no matter how many men rolled in and out of her life.
"Hey," she said softly, letting him in.
"Hey," he said, finding his voice, looking at her. She was beautiful. The most beautiful woman he had ever seen. "You're beautiful," he said, smiling. She smiled a small smile, the kind that says, 'you're just saying that to say it.' But she was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen…her eyes were bright, lips were full. He wanted to look in to her eyes all day and kiss her lips all night. The dress she had on was perfect for her; she looked like she had just stepped off the red carpet. And her hair…he wanted to comb his fingers through the loose curls, even though she would get mad at him for messing them up. "Oh, um, here, I brought these for you. I know you say you don't like people getting you flowers…" he started explaining. She lifted the roses from his hands and walked them over to the kitchen, getting out a lovely crystal vase before fixing them up in it. She hadn't liked getting flowers before just now. She changed her mind.
"I love them," she said, smiling brightly. "Thank you, Mr. Briefs."
"You are welcome, Miss Son." She walked over to him and brushed an invisible hair off of his shoulder. He was wearing what she referred to as his 007 suit.
"Sometimes, boxer boy, I wish that Vegeta had managed to scar you or deform you in some way so you wouldn't be so damn attractive." For a second his ego puffed up from her backhanded compliment. "Because it gives me a complex to stand next to you." Deflated.
"That's just because you don't know how attractive you are yourself," he said, kissing her hand. She rolled her eyes at him and went to pick up her clutch so they could go.
They got to the restaurant five minutes to eight and were taken straight back to their seats. The place was packed out, but, good to his word, the owner got Trunks good seats. As he pulled out the seat for Pan, she looked at him curiously.
"What?" he asked.
"Oh, nothing." He sat down across from her and raised an eyebrow. "It has been a long time since anyone has pulled a chair out for me is all." Trunks made a note that he needed to take Pan out places more so he could be courteous. After she made the statement, she felt slightly awkward, in that way that she knew she was edging on unsophisticated, even though she knew she and Trunks were pretty much on the same level. "So what is good to get?" she said, looking down at the menu. He glanced at his.
"The canard à l'Orange is good. The braised beef here is good, too…What are you hungry for?" Pan started to ask if that was a loaded question.
"I'll let you order for me. Surprise me." Trunks quirked a grin at her as the waiter came up. And then he proceeded to order everything in perfect French. Of course. "I hate you."
"It's not my fault you decided to take Latin in college." She pouted at him playfully. The server brought back a bottle of cabernet and poured their glasses of wine before quietly leaving. "So," he said, taking a sip of wine, "how was your day?"
"Oh, you know, a malfunctioning robot here, a test module there…same old same old. A little tired from last night." Trunks copped a grin.
"Last night was priceless."
"The look on Vegeta's face was priceless."
"The look on everyone's face was priceless. We should do that again." She quirked an eyebrow. "I had a lot of fun last night…the most I've had in a long time." She smiled.
"I did, too." And after that moment, they went back to being friends chattering about everything in the world but ignoring the elephant in the room that was giving both of them butterflies. The food came out in four courses, and, when they were finished, Pan nodded over to the dance floor.
"Shall we?" Trunks asked, holding out his hand.
"We shall," she replied, slipping her small hand in his and letting him lead her out on the floor. He slid his hand onto the small of her back, while she softly rested her hand on his shoulder. The band in the back corner of the room struck up a classic waltz and the two proceeded to impress with their perfect form.
"I didn't know you knew how to ballroom dance," Trunks said, very impressed that Pan, who traditionally shied away from fancy dresses and dancing, had taken so well to the art.
"Yeah, well, I took some lessons and practiced with Vegeta."
"What?! Not only did you actually take lessons but you practiced with my dad?!" Pan looked at him indignantly.
"Well, if you must know, it was at his insistence and a few years ago. He told me that I was the last person who needed to look like a fool at one of Capsule's galas when you could dance like a professional. I suppose he thought I might dance with you one day." Trunks smirked.
"Oh, Panny, how little did you know that we'd be here, at this place, right now, dancing hand-in-hand."
"And how do you know I didn't plan this long ago."
"You never had the foresight. I had the reasoning, you had the impulsiveness." She blushed. He was right. They danced in silence until the song changed. The piano hit a low, trembling chord. Trunks waggled his eyebrows at her suggestively.
"Can you tango?" he asked.
"The question is: can you?" she said, standing back from him, ready to pounce. He winked at her and slid off his jacket, tossing it on the closest chair and rolled up his sleeves.
"Bring it on, Panny-chan."
"With pleasure, Boxer Boy." And the jolting, tumultuous music began, and, quickly, Trunks realized that Pan could tango very well. Her body was so close to him that he could almost feel the heat radiating as their legs fought a tough battle back and forth across the floor. Other dancers had cleared out to make room for the practiced couple. She whipped from his arms, sending him a vixen-like look over her shoulder as she forced him to pursue her across the dance floor before he captured her and pulled her close and they began again, a battle between them raging like a passionate love affair. Their faces came close; her hand stroked his cheek; he pushed her away; she came back to him, legs twining themselves in his. The music was their pulse…the crowd had vanished and here they were, playing out their game on a dance floor, taunting and teasing, running and chasing. And they would meet again and again, and, in the end, he caught her and cradled her into the final dip, coming to a sudden halt as the piano hit the final note.
And standing over her, looking into her warm eyes, he realized that he was where he was supposed to be. He wasn't going to admit to himself openly that he was head-over-heels for her, but he truly was. He righted her and still their eyes were locked on the other's, until the people in the room started clapping for them, breaking their moment. As if on cue, they both laughed and took a bow, and Trunks picked up his jacket from the chair.
"Let's go," Pan said. "We can go for a walk through the park and cool off."
They took the long way through the city park, and their date ended at Pan's door. She turned and looked at him, and he knew she wasn't going to invite him in. She was going to leave him at the door. "Thanks for dinner and dancing," she said softly.
"We should do it more often," Trunks replied, sliding his hands into his pockets because all he wanted to do was put them all over her. But, he was going to play the part of the gentleman.
"We should," she said, half smiling. She leaned up and kissed him on the lips, resting her hands on his shoulders. Kami she was nervous…it was a nerve racking thing, going on a date and saying goodnight. He caught her softly under the chin and returned the kiss, gently before pulling back.
"Thanks for going out with me," he said quietly. She wondered if he was thinking about how hard it is to leave someone you are really attracted to and had already gone to third base with at the door. And he was wondering the same damn thing.
"I guess I'll see you tomorrow or something?"
"Yeah, or something. Good night, Panny."
"Good night Trunks." And he turned and walked away, and she went on into her apartment.
Pan didn't know what to do with herself. Yeah, Trunks was pretty much an ideal man. Strong, smart, sexy and single. But he was also her prey…and falling for her prey in anything but a sexual way was not what she had hoped to accomplish. Tonight, she had initially planned on continuing her plan by implementing the guilt phase of her master plan. But after she got around to it, she didn't want to do that. She wanted something…something honest.
There was something both satisfying and unsatisfying that she was on the cusp of getting the man she had had a crush on since she was old enough to like boys. She hadn't wanted to win him in some kind of game. But he was responding to her. They had just gone on a date. That was the way that she had wanted it to go…but neither of their lifestyles were conducive to dating. And she still had the aching need for the sex she couldn't manage without. Perhaps it was a Saiyan thing…which would explain why Goten and Bra had gotten married so quickly…they had found the other person to fill the void they had felt. Maybe she would ask Bra about that sometime, but Bra didn't really know that Pan had so many men running in and out of her bed.
She went in and took a shower, sighing contentedly at the thought of her date with Trunks. He did know it was a real date, right? He had paid for dinner, although, he always paid for a dinner. They had tangoed. He had walked her home. That wasn't typical. They usually had just gone their separate ways. She hoped he thought it was a real date and not some kind of seductive game she was playing. Although, she had to admit that with dating and playing their game, the desired end was the same. But she wanted to keep him around for a while.
"Trunks," she whispered in the shower, "Don't make me love you."
Hope you liked the chapter!