Sunday evening.
Caleb "Well, here we are, Han!" He says while opening the door to the apartment that is going to be their home for the next month.
Hanna "It's a very nice place, babe." She says after taking a look around.
Caleb "Yeah, it's not very spacious, but it'll do."
Hanna and Caleb's rented apartment in New York City is a modest yet cozy studio. It features a combined living area, compact kitchenette with essential appliances, and a sleeping area. Despite its small size, large windows allow natural light to fill the space. The living area is furnished with a comfortable sofa, a small dining table, and a TV. Caleb was drawn to this apartment because of the designated workspace in the corner, as he'll be working remotely and needs a dedicated area for that.
Hanna "I love it." She smiles at him. "Besides, we won't need too much space. I'm planning on being all over you all the time while I'm here." She grabs him by the neck and plants several noisy kisses on his cheek.
Caleb "Won't complain." He chuckles, about to wrap his arms around her, but Hanna lets go and heads to her suitcase.
Hanna "I'll go get the rest of my things from Lucas' apartment tomorrow." She says, dragging her suitcase toward the closet next to the bed.
Caleb "Do I need to rent another apartment for your clothes?" He takes his suitcase and follows her to the sleeping area.
Hanna chuckles. "I'll just keep some things in my suitcase… and maybe I can take some stuff back to Rosewood next weekend when we go there." She says, aware of the limited closet space.
She opens her suitcase and pulls out a couple of dresses to hang in the closet immediately, avoiding wrinkles.
Caleb flops down on the bed, feeling tired after having spent the whole weekend with friends, and babies, and Chocolate… and Hanna.
Hanna "Aren't you going to unpack?"
Caleb "I'm tired." He yawns, grabbing his phone. "I'll do it tomorrow."
Hanna finishes putting away the garments that might wrinkle and then takes Caleb's suitcase.
Hanna "Let me at least unpack your shirts, okay?"
Caleb "Go ahead."
She opens his suitcase and starts sorting through his clothes, separating his shirts to put them away.
Caleb watches her from the bed and notices something in Hanna's suitcase, that she left open on the floor.
Caleb "Isn't that my t-shirt?"
Hanna looks at him confused, and he points to her suitcase.
Hanna spots his t-shirt on top of her clothes that she hasn't unpacked yet. "Oh… yeah, that's your t-shirt." She casually says and turns back to resume her task.
Caleb smiles. "My favorite dark-grey t-shirt that I've been looking for everywhere for months?"
Hanna chuckles. "I must have packed it in my suitcase by mistake."
Caleb sits up. "Did you by chance also pack my black t-shirt, the one with the white stamp on the chest?" He asks, already amused.
Hanna grins, still not looking at him as she's still searching his suitcase, crouching down, facing away. "Oh, yes… That slipped into my suitcase too. It's at Lucas'."
Caleb laughs. "You, pretty thief!"
Caleb stands up from the bed and walks over to Hanna, crouching down as well and wrapping his arms around her waist from behind as she rummages through his suitcase.
Caleb "Well, if you're going to steal my shirts, I might as well steal a kiss."
Hanna laughs and leans back into his embrace, turning her head to meet his lips in a tender kiss.
Hanna "Consider that your payment for letting me 'borrow' your shirts."
Caleb "I'll need a longer kiss." He says, reconnecting their mouths.
Hanna happily kisses him back.
Caleb "Let's just finish packing tomorrow." He whispers into her ear while sliding one of his hands underneath her clothes, scratching his fingertips on the warm skin below her bra. "Let's try the bed."
Hanna smiles. "Thought you were tired."
Caleb "To pack, yes." He says while standing up. "To be with you, never." He takes her arm, helping her up.
Hanna "Oh, we really are making up for the lost time these days." She comments, already pulling his shirt up.
/
Hanna emerges from the bathroom with her phone in hand, barefoot, and clad in Caleb's t-shirt. "Done. I've ordered the pizza." She says, glancing at her phone. "It'll be here in half an hour." She climbs onto the bed where Caleb lies on his back under the covers.
Caleb "Great."
Hanna settles under the covers as well and rests her head on the pillow. "You should get dressed, you are receiving the delivery."
Caleb "Why me?"
Hanna "Because I have to call my mom and tell her about this." She explains, raising her hand to show her ring.
Caleb "Okay, that's a good excuse." He smiles. "I'll go get some groceries before the pizza arrives. I saw a store across the street."
Hanna nods while putting her phone to her ear. "Hey, mom! Guess what?" She says after a few seconds, with a wide smile on her face.
Caleb presses a tender kiss to her cheek and gets up to get dressed.
/
Later on, Caleb returns from fetching the pizza delivery downstairs and finds Hanna still on the phone with Ashley while setting a couple of glasses on the table. He grabs a Coke from the fridge, pours the drink, and takes a seat at the table.
Hanna "Okay, Mom. I've got to go. Pizza's here." She says on the phone, casually opting to sit on Caleb's lap rather than a chair. "Uh huh… Yeah… Okay, I'll tell him…" She opens the pizza box and grabs a slice. "Yeah, I understand… Okay, mom… Send Chocolate a kiss from me." She takes a bite. "See you next weekend. Bye." With her mouth full, she ends the call. "Mmm, this pizza is really good, babe." She offers some pizza to Caleb, bringing her slice to his mouth for a bite.
Caleb nods in agreement as he chews, then reaches for a napkin and grabs a slice for himself.
Hanna "My mom says she's thrilled for us. She wants to take us out for dinner to celebrate next weekend when we're back in Rosewood." She updates Caleb.
Caleb nods again while taking another bite of his own slice now.
Hanna "You know what I was thinking earlier?"
Caleb "What?"
Hanna "I told you I wanted to take things easy between us. And only a week after, I'm engaged to you." She chuckles.
Caleb "But it feels so right, doesn't it?"
Hanna "Uh huh." She pecks his lips. "Feels amazing."
After finishing their pizza and tidying up, Hanna and Caleb move to the couch to relax for a little while before going to bed. Hanna sits down first.
Hanna "I texted Lucas to let him know I'll go get the rest of my things from his apartment tomorrow." She tells Caleb as he lies down on the couch, on his back, resting his head on her bare thighs, as she's still wearing his shirt. "He suggested we go out for dinner with him and Lizzie some day this week, are you up for it?" She asks while starting to caress his hair with both of her hands.
Caleb "Sure, babe… So, you finally get to meet Lizzie, huh?" He smiles.
Hanna "Yeah, it seems like it… If Lucas doesn't change his mind first." She chuckles. "I think I insisted so much that I kind of made him nervous… maybe he would have already introduced us if I hadn't made such a big deal out of it." She grins. "I think he's more comfortable with the idea of introducing me to her now that you and I are back together and you'll be there too."
Caleb chuckles. "Why?"
Hanna "I don't know, it's just a thought. A double date seems more relaxed."
Caleb "Yeah, maybe."
Hanna moves one of her hands from his hair to his face and starts to caress him there, running her thumb along his jawline back and forth. Caleb closes his eyes, enjoying her touch. They remain in silence for a few minutes until Hanna can't help but bring up a very important subject.
Hanna "Can we talk about this beautiful ring on my hand now?"
Caleb smiles and opens his eyes. "What's there to talk about?"
Hanna smiles back. "What's on your mind about it, maybe?"
Caleb "I thought I was very clear last night. I just wanna marry you."
Hanna smiles wider. "I know, silly." She runs her hand through his hair, messing it. "I mean… When? How? Have you thought about it?"
Caleb "When? Whenever you want, sooner rather than later I hope. How? However you want, I'm okay with anything, I only want to marry you. Don't really care about how."
Hanna "Okay…"
Caleb "So? You tell me. When and how, Han?" He asks her, taking one of her hands in his, caressing her too.
Hanna smiles again. "I'm not sure… I only know that just like you, I want it to be sooner rather than later and… I don't want a big wedding like Toby's and Spencer's. I'd like something more intimate. Something special for both of us. I want it to be our day, not our guests'. Actually, I only want my mom and the guys there. And Chocolate, of course."
Caleb smiles back. "Sounds perfect, Han… just the same as I want."
Hanna "Oh, so you did know what you wanted."
Caleb "Yeah, but I just wanted you to tell me what you wanted first. I wouldn't have had any problem with organizing a big wedding if that was what you wanted. As I said, I only want to marry you."
Hanna "If you keep being this cute, I'll end up dragging you into the first courthouse I find right tomorrow, first thing in the morning."
Caleb chuckles. "I wouldn't have a problem with that either."
Hanna "Yeah, but my mom would. She would be really disappointed to be left out."
Caleb "Well, then we are doing it the right way. I wouldn't want to disappoint your mom."
Hanna "Okay, so we just figured out the "how" part, let's move on to the "when" part."
Caleb "When you finish here in New York?"
Hanna "Do you think you could wait a little longer than that? Like until spring? I don't really want to get married in winter… maybe April? It's still soon enough, isn't it?"
Caleb smiles. "April sounds perfect, Han."
Hanna grins. "I'm so happy."
Caleb "Me too, baby." He sits up. "Anything else you would like to discuss?"
Hanna "Nope, that's all I need to know for now." She leans against him and Caleb wraps his arm around her. "We can get into the details later." She rests her head on his shoulder and yawns.
Caleb "Okay, let's go to bed then." He presses a kiss on the top of her head. "Need to use the bathroom before me?" He offers.
Hanna "No, go ahead." She says while taking her phone. "Spence sent me our pics from the wedding. I want to post some of them." She moves away from him.
Caleb "Cool, mind sending them to me too? I'd like to post a few on my feed."
Hanna smiles at him. "Sure."
/
Caleb is already in bed when he finishes posting a couple of pics with Hanna on Instagram. He sets his phone to silent mode and leaves it on the bedside table before settling in, feeling completely exhausted. Actually, he's about to fall asleep when a few minutes later he senses Hanna getting into bed beside him. He's facing away from her.
Hanna "Oh, babe! I loved your post!" She says after seeing that the caption of the pictures is a simple "My beautiful fiancée" accompanied by a red heart. She likes his post, comments a very simple but still meaningful "I love you" and sets her phone aside.
Caleb turns around, and after Hanna makes herself comfortable, he wraps his arm around her waist, spooning her. "Loved yours too." He plants a kiss on her shoulder.
Hanna reaches out and turns off the bedside lamp.
Caleb "What's your schedule for tomorrow? What time do you think you'll be free?"
Hanna "Mondays are crazy for me… I have a Pilates class in the morning, I'll pick up my things at Lucas', then I'm going to the workshop because the sewing machines I bought the other day are arriving at noon. I'm meeting in person with the candidates for the designer position in the afternoon, also at the workshop because the guy from the recruitment agency and I are conducting the final interviews to define it. And since I'll be there I want to take the chance to set up and try out the sewing machines, as we'll be bringing in candidates for the seamstress positions next week for a test too. Then I have a therapy session, and... that's all, I think. I won't be finishing too late. Do you want to-"
Caleb "Therapy?" He interrupts her.
Hanna "Yeah, I'm doing therapy."
Caleb "You didn't mention it."
Hanna "It just didn't come up. I've been going for almost three months now. It's been helpful. I mean, not enjoyable, obviously. But... I don't know, it's okay, I guess."
Caleb "Is it because of the panic attacks, Han? Have you had more?"
Hanna "No, actually... The last panic attack I had was at my store in Rosewood, I told you about it. I haven't had another one since then, so it's been months... I did talk about them with my therapist, and she gave me some tips in case it happens again. But that wasn't the main reason... I just... I don't know, I had been thinking about trying therapy, but I didn't have the time. During that first month here in New York, when we hadn't gotten the investment to get started yet, I was really sad and I had a lot of free time, so I just decided to give it a try. I don't have much time now, but I still manage to go once a week."
Caleb "So your therapist must not be a big fan of me…"
Hanna "Why?"
Caleb "Because I was the one who made you sad then."
Hanna rolls over to face him, and even though they are in the darkness, she finds his mouth and gives him a peck on the lips. She feels his arm tighten around her waist. "I was upset about the break, that was all. But I only said nice things about you, and my therapist actually thinks we have a very healthy relationship despite those problems we had. You were never the problem, you're actually my safe place, so... when I didn't have you to make me feel better, or even Chocolate, I had to find other ways." She pecks his lips again.
Caleb "Well, I'm glad you finally had the time to give therapy a try and that it was helpful to you." He strokes her lower back with his fingertips.
Hanna "There were many people who hurt me, Caleb... Jordan, George, even my dad. But you are not on that list."
Caleb kisses her lips so softly that Hanna closes her eyes and keeps her own lips still, just letting him kiss her for a few seconds.
Caleb "What were you going to ask me before I interrupted you earlier?"
Hanna "When?"
Caleb "When you were telling me about your day tomorrow. You were asking me if I wanted to do something, I think."
Hanna "Oh, yeah... I was just going to ask you if you wanted to go for a walk at Hudson River Park... We could meet up there and find a nice place to have dinner after."
Caleb "I would love to."
Hanna smiles and pecks his lips, then she wraps her arms around his neck, hugging him. "Feels so good to fall asleep with you again." She says, closing her eyes.
Caleb "Same here."
Hanna "Goodnight, baby."
Caleb "Night, babe."
/
The next day, Caleb waits at Hudson River Park, leaning against the railing, trying to brace himself against the cold. His warmest coat and a snug beanie shield him from the chilly air. He receives a text from Hanna.
Hanna: "Hey, I'm here. Where are you?"
Scanning the area, he spots her. She's bundled up too, yet still stylish as always, wearing a black dress with black pantyhose peeking between the hem of her dress and her sleek knee-high boots, topped off with a chic coat.
Caleb: "Over by the railing, baby. I see you. Looking smoking hot, BTW."
He observes Hanna receiving his text and then looking around, searching for him. Waving at her, he watches as a huge grin lights up her face, and she hurries toward him.
Her arms wrap around Caleb's neck as she reaches him.
Hanna "Hey, babe!" She pecks his lips as Caleb's arms envelop her waist too. "Guess what?" She asks, very excitedly.
Caleb "What?" He smiles too, sharing in her happiness.
Hanna "I've found the designer who's going to be my eyes here in New York." She grins.
Caleb "That's great, Han!"
Hanna "Wanna know how I made my choice?" She tells him, letting go of his neck and taking his hand instead.
Caleb "Sure, tell me."
They start walking.
Hanna "He was the only one who didn't lie to me." She chuckles.
Caleb "How so?" He asks, intrigued.
Hanna "I sneaked in a hideous design between my sketches on purpose, and he was the only one who had the guts to point it out and be sincere about it. So, I knew right away he was the right choice. I feel like I can rely on this guy. His name is Leo."
Caleb chuckles. "Very clever of you, Han."
Hanna "I just wanted to be sure I was picking out the right person… So, how was your day, babe? Were you comfortable working at the apartment? Was the Wi-Fi connection good enough for you?"
Caleb "Yeah, everything was good. My day went smoothly…"
They continue sharing about their days as they walk along the river, holding hands.
/
That Thursday.
It's the evening and Hanna arrives at their apartment. As soon as she walks through the door, given that it's a studio apartment, she spots Caleb sprawled all across the bed, taking up most of the space, with his legs extended to one side and his shoes suspended in the air. He looks like he just fell asleep there after finishing work, fully dressed on top of the bed.
She leaves her stuff on the dining table being as quiet as possible, and then goes to the bed, placing a tender kiss on his temple before sitting down next to him.
Hanna "Hey." She says softly while caressing his hair. "Baby…" She tries to wake him up again.
Caleb finally responds. "Hey." His eyes still shut.
Hanna "We are going out for dinner with Lucas and Lizzie, remember?"
Caleb "Huh…"
Hanna smiles and stands up. "I'll go freshen up."
Caleb rolls to his back, opening his eyes. "You look very good already in that dress." He comments as Hanna looks into their closet.
Hanna shoots him a smile. "I just want to dress up a little, in case Lucas made a reservation at some fancy place."
Caleb "Actually, he called me earlier. You were right, he was a bit nervous about the whole thing and asked me for my opinion about where we should go tonight. And yes, he wanted to make a reservation at some fancy restaurant, he mentioned something about some chef and his famous 'multi-course menu' and stuff."
Hanna "Ugh, sounds lame. Please tell me you talked him into something else."
Caleb chuckles. "Yeah, I just couldn't help laughing to his face and reminding him that we are not fifty and that this is just a friends' night out in New York."
Hanna chuckles too. "So?"
Caleb "I suggested a gastropub that I saw the other day while taking a walk that seemed nice and cool, and he was okay with it. They have craft beers and gourmet burgers."
Hanna "But Lucas doesn't drink alcohol… and I don't know much about Lizzie, but maybe she doesn't too."
Caleb "I know, they've got lots of soft drinks for Lucas, and also some veggie options in the menu, we don't even know if Lizzie eats meat."
Hanna "Sounds perfect, babe."
Caleb "Yeah, at least way more relaxed than Lucas' original idea."
Hanna "Okay… so… I guess I don't need to get changed then." She climbs onto the bed and lies down next to Caleb, resting her head on his chest.
Caleb "Nope, you are perfectly fine." He wraps his arm around her.
Hanna "Good… I could use a ten-minute nap."
Caleb "You are not taking a nap after you just woke me up from mine."
Hanna smiles, her eyes already closed. "Watch me."
Caleb grins and starts tickling her.
Hanna laughs. "Okay, fine! Stop it!" She pushes his hand away. "I won't sleep." She lifts her torso and looks at him. "How was your day?"
Caleb "Boring." He only says before taking his hand to her nape and pulling her to his mouth for a kiss.
Hanna smiles against his mouth and kisses him back.
/
Hanna and Caleb arrive at the pub hand in hand, and after scanning the place, Hanna spots Lucas and Lizzie sitting at a table towards the back.
Hanna "Over there, babe." She tells Caleb and gently pulls him along.
Caleb "Hey, guys!" He smiles warmly and greets them as they approach the table.
Lucas "Hey there!" He greets them back. "This is Lizzie, guys." He says, introducing his girlfriend. "Liz, Hanna and Caleb."
Caleb "Hi, Lizzie!" He says while pulling out a chair for Hanna with a gentlemanly gesture.
Hanna "Nice to finally meet you, Lizzie!" She smiles at the girl as she takes a seat.
Lizzie "Nice to meet you two." She smiles back.
Caleb takes a seat as well.
Lucas "This place is really nice, Caleb. Great choice!"
Lizzie "Yeah, this honey beer is amazing." She gestures toward her glass.
Caleb "Sounds good, I'll have one too."
Lucas "You just need to scan the QR code here and place your order. They'll bring it right over." He points to the QR sticker on the side of the table.
Hanna "Cool, thanks for the tip." She already has her phone out, ready to scan.
Lizzie "I'm starving, we should order some food too."
Hanna immediately smiles at Lizzie. "Totally! I like you already, Liz!"
Caleb chuckles.
They order their food, and then Lizzie initiates the conversation.
Lizzie "So, Caleb, Lucas mentioned you're diving into cyber security software. What's your focus?"
Caleb "Yeah, I'm deep into encryption algorithms right now, trying to enhance data protection. How about you? What's your latest project?"
Lizzie "I'm knee-deep in game mechanics for this new RPG I'm developing. It's all about dynamic storytelling and player choices."
Caleb "That sounds fascinating. Ever dabbled in AI integration for NPC behavior?"
Lizzie "Absolutely, it's a game-changer for immersion. But dealing with scalability issues is a headache."
Caleb "Tell me about it. Scaling without sacrificing security is the ultimate challenge."
Lizzie "Exactly. Have you explored quantum computing for faster encryption yet?"
Caleb "Not yet, but it's on my radar. The potential is mind-blowing. How about you? Any breakthroughs in virtual reality integration?"
Lizzie "Getting there. Combining VR with interactive narratives is the future. It's all about blurring the lines between reality and gaming."
Caleb "Couldn't agree more. It's a brave new world out there."
Hanna "Yeah, totally, I couldn't agree more either." She says, causing Lucas to burst out laughing because he knows very well that Hanna didn't catch a single word of Caleb's and Lizzie's conversation.
Lizzie "Oh, you are into programming too, Hanna?" She asks, politely.
Caleb "No, she's not. She's just being silly." He rolls his eyes but still smiles a bit, amused.
Hanna "Seriously, guys. Can we go back to speaking in English, please?"
Lizzie chuckles. "Sure, I'm sorry. I just got carried away."
Lucas takes Lizzie's hand and smiles at her.
Hanna "It's fine, I was just kidding. Lucas and Caleb start talking about computer stuff that I don't get all the time when we get together, so I'm used to it."
Lizzie "Lucas told me everything about your dress business, Hanna. I think it's fantastic! Designing your own clothes must be incredibly rewarding. He mentioned your designs are exclusive, that must require a lot of creativity. I mean, coming up with so many designs."
Hanna smiles warmly at her, appreciating her interest and her kind gesture to make some conversation with her as well. "Thank you! Yes, it's definitely a rollercoaster of creativity, though. Some days, inspiration strikes like lightning, and I'm overflowing with new ideas. Other times, it's very hard to come up with something fresh, especially under pressure."
Lizzie "I hear you! Last week was a nightmare for me too. Deadlines coming out of my ears. Working under pressure is the worst, isn't it?"
A waiter brings their food, and they continue chatting while enjoying their meal. As the evening wears on, Lucas visibly relaxes, pleased to see Lizzie getting along so well with Hanna and Caleb. Everything goes so smoothly that they stay after dinner and order more drinks, hanging out at the now crowded pub.
Hanna "I'll go to the ladies' room, guys." She says, standing up.
Lizzie "Oh, I'm coming with you." She stands up as well, ready to follow Hanna.
Caleb leans in slightly, nodding towards where the girls disappeared. "Looks like things are going smoothly, huh? Lizzie and Hanna seem to be getting along just fine." He gives Lucas a reassuring smile.
Lucas smiles back. "Yeah… I was just a bit anxious because they don't have much in common, you know? I was afraid there might be awkward silences and stuff… that's why I wanted you to be present as well. I knew you would have more interests in common with Lizzie to talk about, but… I was wrong. They seem to be getting on quite well."
Caleb "Yeah, you know Han. She's good with people, everyone likes her."
Lucas "Yes, she's fun." He sips his drink. "Look, there's something I want to ask you."
Caleb "Sure."
Lucas "I'll need you to grant access to Hanna's website and all the business's social media accounts to the girl we hired to manage them, as well as to a web designer I just closed a deal with this afternoon. We're renovating the website almost entirely and relaunching it, hopefully in a couple of weeks."
Caleb "Oh, okay… sure, just put me in contact with them, and I'll hand it all over."
Lucas "Great!"
Caleb "What do you have on mind if I may ask?"
Lucas "To start, Hanna's exclusive designs will no longer be available for sale online. We're only uploading a catalog of her best designs for people to view, but only the new mass-produced line will be available for online shopping. I want her exclusive designs to be less 'reachable'. I want people to have to visit her store to purchase them, and at higher prices. It's a marketing strategy."
Caleb nods. "Yeah, I get it. You're making them more difficult to obtain."
Lucas "Exactly. That way, they become more valued. Plus, it'll give Hanna a break. She'll have more time to work on her designs, and the people at the workshop will have more time to make the dresses."
Caleb "Sounds perfect." He takes a sip of his beer.
Lucas "Yeah… Besides, it was crazy that she had the exclusive dresses available for sale both at her store and on the website. She can't rely on her employees to remember to remove the dresses from the website every time they make a sale in-store. Or vice versa, to remove the dress from the rack at the store immediately after it's sold online. She told me she had the same dress sold twice once. From now on, only the non-exclusive dresses will be available for purchase both in-store and online."
Caleb "Yeah, it was okay when her business was smaller, but you're right. She needs to manage her stock more carefully now."
Lucas "Anyway, there's a small problem…"
Caleb "What?" He asks, confused.
Lucas "Hanna refuses to renovate the website because you developed it for her, so… you need to convince her."
Caleb smiles, touched by Hanna's reasoning. "Sure, no problem. I'll talk to her."
The girls return from the ladies' room a couple of minutes later.
Hanna pushes her chair closer to Caleb's before sitting down.
Hanna "Did you miss me?" She hugs Caleb from the side, enveloping her arms around his neck and pressing a kiss against his cheek.
Caleb "Always." He smiles at her, placing his arm around her lower back.
Hanna smiles back and they share a tender kiss.
Lizzie "We should make a toast to your engagement, guys!" She suggests, raising her glass.
Lucas "To Hanna and Caleb!"
Hanna and Caleb grin and join them in the toast.
Hanna takes a sip of her drink before placing her glass back on the table and taking her hand to Caleb's face to pull him into another kiss.
Lucas "I had forgotten how 'entertaining' it was to go out with these two." He says sarcastically, as Hanna and Caleb keep kissing.
Lizzie chuckles. "Leave them alone, they just got engaged, they are in love. Besides…" She gently cups Lucas' face. "You have me now." She kisses his lips.
Hanna pulls away from Caleb's mouth and rests her head on his shoulder. "You seem pretty entertained to me now, Luc." She teases him, a smile on her face.
Lizzie smiles at Hanna.
Lucas "Wanna get going, Liz?" He asks to his girlfriend and then turns to Hanna and Caleb. "She gets up way too early." He explains.
Lizzie "Yeah, let's get going, sweetie." She caresses his face softly.
Lucas "I'll go get the check."
Lizzie "Hanna already did."
Lucas looks at Hanna.
Hanna shoots him a smile. "It's just my way to thank you for everything you are doing for me. It's not enough, but still."
Lucas smiles back. "Thanks, Han. This night was just perfect, guys." He looks at Caleb too.
Caleb "Let's do this another time, then."
Lizzie "Sure! I had a lot of fun! Nice to meet you two!"
Hanna "Likewise, Liz."
Lucas and Lizzie stand up from their seats.
Lucas "Goodbye, guys!" He says, taking Lizzie's hand.
Lizzie "See you around!"
Caleb "Bye, guys!"
Hanna "Finally alone with you." She says, cupping Caleb's cheeks and leaning in for another kiss.
Caleb "Not so alone." He chuckles, as the pub is pretty crowded.
Hanna smiles. "Yeah, but no one knows us here. That's the fun of New York. No need to behave." She smirks.
Caleb "I like the sound of that. Let's make the most of our anonymity then." He starts the kiss that Hanna intended to start herself a few seconds ago, a very passionate kiss, as he places one of his hands on the side of her face, caressing her hair with his fingertips while keeping his other arm around her waist.
Hanna "I'll order another drink… want another beer for yourself?" She asks, pulling away from his mouth and taking her phone to scan the QR code.
Caleb "Sure."
Hanna "What beer do you want?"
Caleb "An IPA, please."
Hanna nods and Caleb continues stroking her hair as she places their new order.
Hanna "Done." She says and places her phone on the table. "Now, where were we?" She playfully asks, grabbing his face again and starting another deep kiss.
Caleb kisses her back with the same intensity, but pulls away after a couple of minutes. He moves his arm to her shoulders and gently pulls her to him, making her lean into him, holding her from the side. "I love you so much."
Hanna grins. "I think I do too." She says, her head resting on his shoulder as she buries her face to press a tender kiss on his neck.
Caleb "Oh, you think?" He plays along, caressing her leg with his free hand, pushing her dress a little up to uncover her skin.
Hanna "Yeah, I think I love you a little bit… a little bit too much." She kisses his neck again, breathing in his soft cologne.
A waiter brings over their drinks, so they pull away to start enjoying them.
Caleb "Lucas mentioned your plans for the new website…" He comments, after taking a sip of his fresh beer.
Hanna "His plans. I told him to stay away from my website." She sips her drink as well.
Caleb smiles. "I think he's got very good ideas for it… it could use a relaunch, it's been down too long and a fresh start with the new line sounds perfect."
Hanna chooses to ignore him and sip her drink again.
Caleb "So?"
Hanna leaves her glass on the table and turns to him. "So, I want another kiss." She places her hand on his shoulder and starts a new kiss.
Caleb "C'mon, Han." He says against her lips and pulls away. "You know Lucas means well. He's just trying to help elevate your brand."
Hanna "You won't let go of it, will you?" She turns to take her glass again. "You spent too many hours working on my website and I just like it the way it is." She sips. "I wanna keep it."
Caleb "Yeah, it's true. I worked hard on it because I wanted it to be perfect for your business. And it was, at first, when you only sold your dresses online. But your business grew, Han… and its needs are different now. I love you appreciating my work, and I'm happy to have been able to support you with it at first, but… The website as it is has run its course. It's time for a fresh start."
Hanna "You don't mind?"
Caleb shakes his head. "We're building something much bigger than just a website." He touches her engagement ring with his index finger. "I think we can let that one go."
Hanna smiles.
Caleb smiles back.
Hanna "Okay."
Caleb "Okay meaning I have your permission to hand it over?"
Hanna "Okay you have my permission for anything." She says, mischievously.
Caleb chuckles. "Anything? You sure?"
Hanna "Well, almost anything." She grins and kisses his lips tenderly.
Hanna and Caleb continue drinking, chatting, laughing, and teasing, engaging in lively banter throughout their conversation. As the night progresses, the pub grows more crowded, the music louder, and only drinks are being served. They completely forget about the fact that they have to work the following day. Immersed in their fun and romance, they gradually finish their fourth round of drinks, in addition to those they had during dinner with Lucas and Lizzie.
Hanna leaves her empty glass on the table and turns to Caleb, enveloping her arms around his neck. "Can we go back to enjoying our anony… anonymi…mity?"
Caleb bursts out laughing. "You're drunk as fuck, Han." He grabs her by the waist.
Hanna laughs too. "Yeah, well… you got what I meant." She says and starts a very passionate kiss.
Caleb slides his hand underneath her dress, caressing her upper thigh by scratching his fingertips against her skin. Hanna takes his hand, and Caleb thinks for a moment that she's going to push it away, but she guides it further instead, placing it right over the lace of her panties.
Hanna "I'm in the mood for something naughty tonight." She whispers into his ear.
Caleb breathes out through his slightly parted lips. He starts rubbing his thumb against her center, feeling the texture of her lacy panties and her warmth.
Hanna "Need you, babe… let's go somewhere else…"
Caleb nods, already feeling the effect of her words on his crotch. "I'll go pay for our drinks."
Hanna "No need to." She takes her phone. "There's an option to pay the whole check from the QR. The guy from the bar told me when I went to pay the dinner check earlier." She explains, already trying to scan the code again, but as she's drunk, she's a bit clumsy with her movements.
Caleb "Let me." He takes his own phone. "You've already paid for everyone's dinner."
Once Caleb's done paying for their drinks, he stands up, realizing he's more drunk than he thought. Hanna hands him his jacket, and grabbing hers as well, she gets to her feet.
Caleb puts on his jacket and then helps Hanna with hers, noticing she's struggling to slip her arms into the sleeves.
Caleb "There you go, baby." He smiles.
Hanna retrieves her small purse from the back of her chair and slings it across her body. "Wanna give me your phone?" she asks, tucking hers inside her purse.
Caleb nods and hands her his phone.
Once she's ready to go, Hanna takes Caleb's hand. He starts to guide her away, with the intention of leaving the place, but Hanna has something different in mind.
Hanna "Here." She pulls from their joined hands, leading him to the back of the place instead, and then to the hallway to the restrooms. There's a line for the ladies' room, but not for the men's restroom, which seems occupied anyway.
She gently pushes him against the wall and, placing her hands on his face, she starts another kiss. Caleb slides his hands underneath her jacket and places them on her back while kissing back.
Hanna "Don't be shy, baby." She whispers as she takes one of Caleb's hands and moves it down to her butt.
Caleb "You are killing me." He gives her a squeeze there.
Hanna grins and resumes the kiss.
Only a couple of minutes later, the door to the men's restroom opens, and a guy comes out.
Hanna pulls away from Caleb, taking his hand, and leads him into the single-use restroom.
Caleb "Oh, I thought we were in line for you to use the ladies' room." He says, as Hanna locks the door.
Hanna turns around with an amused smile on her face. "Told you I was in the mood for something naughty."
Caleb "You sure?"
Hanna "Yeah." She says, already unbuckling his belt. "Come on, we don't have much time." She adds, unzipping his jeans.
Caleb "God, Han." He gasps, feeling her hands on him already as she takes him out of his underwear.
He takes the initiative now and pulls Hanna's dress up a little, finding her panties and pulling them down. Hanna helps him, lifting her legs, so he can take them off.
After placing her panties in the pocket of his jacket, Caleb wraps an arm around Hanna's waist, starting a kiss, an open-mouthed wet kiss, as his other hand reaches down between her legs.
Caleb "You want me right here?" He asks her, already sliding two fingers inside of her, also finding her clit with his thumb and stroking her gently.
Hanna "Yes, baby…. Want you... Right there…" She moans softly.
Very aware of the fact that they don't have much more than just a few minutes, Caleb grabs her by her thighs, wrapping his arms around them, and lifts her up. Taking a few steps, he rests her back against the wall next to the door.
He resumes the kissing and tries to connect their bodies in one movement but fails.
Caleb "Care to give me a hand?" He says, moving his mouth from her lips to her neck.
Hanna reaches down between them and guides him, placing him right over her entrance. "There you go, baby." She tells him, still holding him in her hand.
Caleb pushes forward and finally feels her warmth all around him, groaning a little against her neck.
Hanna moves her arm back to his shoulders. "Fuck me, babe…" She encourages him. "We fit so good together."
Caleb "Fuck, Han!" His voice comes out raspy.
Caleb starts thrusting into her just the way she asked, no time for foreplay. He looks up at her, and she has her head slightly tilted back against the wall, her eyes shut, her arms holding onto his neck very tightly. He goes on and on with his moves, very attentive to Hanna's facial expression.
Caleb "Touch yourself." He instructs after a few minutes.
Hanna looks at him.
Caleb "Can't do it myself, I'm too drunk to hold you… with only one arm… and won't last too much longer." He explains while pulling back a bit from her, making some space between their bodies.
Hanna keeps one arm around his neck and reaches down with her other, meeting Caleb's request.
Caleb can't keep his eyes off of Hanna's hand as she starts rubbing herself. The hottest thing he's ever seen. Continuing with his deep movements, he shifts his eyes back to her face at some point and gets to see the exact moment when Hanna reaches her orgasm, her mouth opening to let out a few soft moans.
Right at that moment, someone knocks on the door.
Caleb "Just a moment!" He manages to say, despite his heavy breathing.
Hanna "Ahh, baby…" She says, with the last of her breath, and takes her arm back around his neck.
Now, Caleb takes the opportunity to only focus on himself, burying his face into the crook of her neck while thrusting into her rapidly and deeply.
Hanna "Fill me up, babe." She whispers into his ear, with the clear intention of sending him straight to his edge.
And she does achieve her purpose. It only takes him a few more seconds to reach his peak as well.
Then, stopping his movements but staying inside, he takes a moment to hug Hanna against the wall.
Hanna "This was so hot, babe." She says, gently caressing his hair.
Another knock on the door interrupts them again.
Caleb "Be right out. I just lost… contact lens here." He lies.
Hanna laughs.
Caleb "This was so fucking good, Han." He kisses her lips gently.
Hanna "Best quickie ever." She grins, relaxing into his arms for a moment.
But there's another knock, so Caleb finally slides out of her and puts her back down on her feet. Then adjusts his underwear and his pants, zipping them up.
Hanna "You have my panties, right?" She asks as he starts buckling his belt.
Caleb "Oh, yeah, sorry." He responds, taking them from his pocket and handing them back to her.
Hanna chuckles. "Your swimmers came out." She says amusedly while wiping herself clean with some toilet paper.
Caleb smiles amusedly too.
Hanna puts her panties back on and goes to the sink to wash her hands. Caleb finishes with his belt and does the same.
Caleb "Ready for the walk of shame?" He jokes, offering his hand to her.
Hanna shrugs. "I'm too wasted to give a damn." She takes his hand.
As the gentleman that he is, Caleb opens the door and heads out before her.
Guy "About time! Get a fucking room you, fuckers!"
Hanna laughs as they walk away.
They step outside the pub, and even though it's very cold, the alcohol still running through their veins dulls the chill.
Hanna "Good thing we're only a few blocks from the apartment."
Caleb "Yeah…"
They walk only half a block when suddenly, a group of men approaching from the opposite direction on the sidewalk get into a fight, shouting threats and throwing punches. One of them shoves another to the ground.
Caleb instinctively wraps his arm around Hanna's shoulder, pulling her close. "We should get a ride." He suggests.
Hanna nods in agreement.
As they pass the brawling group, they reach the corner.
Caleb "Give me my phone, I'll order an Uber." He tells her, keeping his arm around her.
Hanna digs into her purse and hands him his phone. "Here you go, baby."
As Caleb attempts to request a ride, some guys from the group of troublemakers come back toward them.
Guy "Hey, blondie… What's a pretty thing like you doing with a loser like him?" Drunken laughter follows his words.
Hanna looks at the guy.
Guy "You think you can handle a real man like me?" He continues, checking her out from head to toe.
Caleb lifts his gaze from his phone now and looks at the guy and his other two companions.
Hanna laughs and gives the guy the middle finger. "You are the loser."
Caleb "Hanna, please." He whispers to her.
Hanna "What?"
Caleb "Just ignore them."
Guy "Why don't you ditch the coward and come have some real fun?" He says, having heard Caleb.
Hanna "Oh, don't worry, I have real fun with this one here all the time." She tilts her head to the side, resting it on Caleb's shoulder, as he's still holding her by her shoulders. "You look like you could use some action yourself… maybe if you didn't waste your time throwing fists with your loser friends, you could pick up some chick."
Guy 2 "Whoa! Blondie just burned you!" He says, making fun of his friend.
Caleb "Easy, Hanna. He's not worth it. Let's just get out of here." He says seriously, leading her past the guys around the corner.
Guy "Your loss, blondie… had a big thick piece for you here." The guy yells after them.
Hanna "Yeah, well, find someone else to stick your tiny pee-pee into." She yells back as Caleb leads her away.
Caleb "Hanna, just stop it already!"
Luckily for Caleb, a cab shows up down the street, and he stops it.
Hanna smiles amusedly as she gets into the cab.
Caleb hops into the car as well and gives the driver the address.
Hanna leans into Caleb as the driver starts driving away. "Tonight was really fun, babe." She comments, taking his hand and closing her eyes.
Caleb remains silent, and for the rest of their short ride, neither of them speaks. Hanna completely unaware of Caleb's mood.
/
They arrive at the apartment, and Hanna heads straight to the bathroom.
When she comes out, completely naked, she spots Caleb lying fully dressed on the bed.
Hanna "Bathroom is all yours." She tells him, while rummaging through a drawer for clean underwear.
After slipping on her panties, Hanna notices Caleb still immobile on the bed. She approaches him and removes his shoes, a task made difficult by her drunken clumsiness.
Hanna "There you go." She says, dropping his shoes to the floor before climbing onto the bed. "You okay?"
Caleb "Huh…" He replies, his gaze fixed on the ceiling, still feeling the effects of the alcohol.
Hanna smiles and moves closer, lying on her stomach. She places her hand on his cheek and pulls him into a kiss. Then casually, she takes one of his hands and places it on one of her bare breasts.
Caleb "I'm not in the mood right now." He says, taking his hand away.
Hanna pulls back and looks at him. Caleb's gaze fixes back on the ceiling.
Moving away, Hanna gets under the covers. Lying on her stomach again, she stares at him, trying to figure out if he's too drunk, mad, or whatever. Unable to decipher him, she decides to just ask.
Hanna "Hey, what's up, baby?" She asks, her tone gentle yet concerned, as she notices Caleb's distant gaze fixed on the ceiling.
Caleb looks at her now.
Hanna "Are you feeling okay? Are you mad at me or something?"
Caleb "Honestly, I'm just a bit annoyed about earlier. I asked you to let it go, but you kept throwing comebacks at that guy."
Hanna "Oh, you are mad because of that?" She stares at him.
Caleb sits up and starts unbuttoning his shirt. "Yeah, seems little to you? You put us both in danger."
Hanna "I didn't think it was that big of a deal. We were fine. Those guys didn't even seem dangerous. They were just drunk suckers."
Caleb "It's not about that, Hanna. It's about avoiding unnecessary confrontations, especially when we're outnumbered and drunk. You are right, they were just drunk idiots, but what if they had been thugs? I was too drunk to protect you… they could have beaten the shit out of me and done god knows what to you." He explains, tossing his shirt aside and standing up from the bed to unbuckle his belt.
Hanna "I'm sorry, babe… I didn't realize I was putting us in danger. I was just too drunk to think straight. You are right, I won't do it again… next time we get drunk, I'll let you do the talking. You're clearly a more cautious drunk than me." She smiles.
Caleb "Yeah, don't worry. I'm not getting drunk with you again." He kicks off his jeans, holding onto the bedside table for balance. "At least not at the same time."
Caleb lifts the covers and gets into bed. He lies on his back and rests his head on the pillow.
Hanna "Hey! We had a lot of fun together tonight!" She gets closer to him. "I'm sorry for what I did, I wasn't thinking." She apologizes again. "Please, let's not let it ruin our night." She gently places her hand on his cheek and makes him look at her. "It won't happen again, I promise." She smiles at him.
Caleb smiles slightly. "Yeah, well… it was pretty fun…" He admits.
Hanna grins. "Am I forgiven?"
Caleb "Yeah, can't stay mad at you, blondie." He jokes.
Hanna chuckles. "I love you so much." She places a tender kiss on his mouth.
Caleb "Anyway, second round will have to wait until tomorrow. I feel like I might throw up all over you if we do it right now."
Hanna laughs. "Yeah, I'm tired anyway… and I don't find vomiting in bed so sexy, I'm not into that kind of thing." She jokes, resting her head on his chest.
Caleb "Oh, I thought you liked trying new stuff." He teases, placing his arm around her.
Hanna "I do… just not anything." She smiles. "We better go to sleep. I know I'll want to kill myself tomorrow morning when my alarm goes off."
Caleb reaches out to turn the bedside lamp off. "Night, babe. I love you and your big mouth."
Hanna grins. "Love you, baby." She places her hand on his chest, ready to fall asleep in his arms.
