15. Heartfelt Memory
Chapter fifteen
Heartfelt Memory
Derek drove with a sort of restless energy, exuding the appearance of an excited kid on their way to a surprise. Only in this case, Derek was the one who knew what the surprise was. He would hum to every song that came on, Country music of course, his hand tapping the wheel in tandem with the beat. I caught him a couple of times peeking at me out of the corner of his eyes, and each time I did, he would quickly look away, a smile adorning his face.
I tried, numerous times, to pry out of him where we were going, but he was tight-lipped. His only answer was a kiss to my hand, his thumb rubbing circles afterward.
“So, you’re really not gonna tell me where we’re going?” One last time couldn’t hurt.
“Oh my god! You’re like a dog with a bone. I promise you’re gonna like it. Besides, you don’t really know the area that well, so even if I did say, the info would go right over your head.“ He had a point, but I wasn’t going to give up that easily.
“I can always ask my good friend The Internet. It hasn’t let me down so far.” He chuckled, mumbling under his breath how troublesome Omegas were. I sat back with a huff and tried to relax. This was a surprise, after all, and Derek clearly wanted me to enjoy it. I decided to take a lesson out of his book, dancing along to the songs and humming to the beat of the music.
We did indeed go out of town, but it was only about a thirty-minute drive or so. Crossing the bridge across the river, we made our way south on a road that hugged the river’s bank. Soon we pulled up to what seemed like a barn repurposed into a restaurant. Fairy lights were located all on the outside, winding around support columns and wrapping around the porch that covered all sides of the building.
Once I got out of the car with Derek’s help—the man raced around the front so he could open the door for me—the heady aroma of spices and meats made me realize how hungry I was. The inside was absolutely packed, which was surprising considering it was a weekday night. There was a small horde of people near the hostess’ podium, each group trying to score a table for their party.
Derek waved at the hostess, and they had a secret conversation before she waved us to the front. Like Moses parting the Red Sea, everyone quickly stepped aside as Derek led me to where the hostess waited before moving on to the back of the building, where things were quieter and more relaxed.
Being a complete gentleman tonight, Derek pulled out my chair for me before sitting down himself, ordering a bottle of wine from the waiter, who arrived moments later, along with two glasses of water. The restaurant seemed to be an Italian one, based on what was offered on the menu and from what I saw when passing by other tables. Once the bottle of wine and our glasses of water arrived—along with a basket of all-you-can-eat breadsticks—we were given a couple of minutes to decide what we wanted to eat that evening.
“This is probably one of my favorite spots.”
“I bet, the food looks amazing here! How’d you find out about this place anyway?”
“I helped the owner renovate this place back when it was still a barn. This place is usually pretty booked a couple days in advance, but I called and asked for a favor.”
“Must’ve been some favor,” I said, looking at our surroundings and our somewhat secluded table. Derek gives a boyish grin as if he’s been caught.
“I may or may not have offered to do some free renovations here and there...”
“You offered free renovations? Why would you do that?”
“Oh c’mon, you know why...” Even in the dim lighting, I could see his cheeks tinge pink. What a sweet man he was, but even in that thought, another one started to form. One that I couldn’t help but wonder as time went on and curiosity got the best of me to the point where I couldn’t stand not knowing.
“Derek, what happened—“
“Are you both ready to order?” Our waiter came back, momentarily placing my inquiry on hold. With the interruption came the sudden realization that maybe tonight wasn’t the best time to dig up someone’s past. Maybe there’ll never be a right time for a talk like that.
“I’ll have the stuffed clams and risotto, please.”
“Great choice, the clams and risotto are pretty popular.” The waiter then turned to me, pen raised to write my order down.
“I’ll have the chicken parmigiana.” The waiter nodded and whisked our menus away, leaving me praying that Derek hadn’t heard me earlier.
“What were you gonna say earlier?” Damn, so much for prayers.
“Oh, it’s nothing really...” I tried to think of something else I would have said in this moment, ’cause something told me Derek wouldn’t just shrug this off and let it go. “I was gonna ask... what happened this morning between you and Danny?” Oh thank fuck, that actually sounded believable!
“Ah, that.” My attention definitely peaked once I heard his tone. Clearly something more was going on than I thought. We sat there in silence for so long that I thought that he wasn’t gonna answer at all. He finally gave me a sheepish grin, unable to meet my eye for longer than a few seconds.
“It’s gonna sound kinda stupid, but it’s my mug. I don’t know how else to explain it.”
“I see. Actually, that’s a lie. Not judging! I promise, but I need you to help me understand. You looked ready to tear his head off. We have plenty of other mugs in the house, you know we do, so what was so special about this one?”
“It’s special because you gave it to me,” he said in a quiet whisper. The simple revelation left me speechless, too many questions trying to fight for supremacy that I didn’t know which one to voice first. But it was during that time that I struggled to respond that I actually sat back and thought about what he said. I mean, really thought about it. It made sense now.
It was a cherished gift from his Omega, and he didn’t want another Alpha using it, especially right in front of him. I understood, especially when I put myself in his shoes. If I were to see some other Omega using something that he gave me, I’d probably start hissing like a hellcat. It was inexplicable, but no less true.
“When you put it like that, that’s not stupid. Not stupid at all.” He looked so relieved that something in me almost broke at the sight. What happened in his past for him to react like this? Something told me this wasn’t just some Alpha nonsense in play here.
I reached across the table to grab his hand, trying to impart without words how I felt in that moment.
Mercifully, the moment was cut short before it could delve into the realm of dark and depressing by the arrival of our food. My mouth instantly watered just thinking about cutting a piece of the chicken parm to taste. Unable to hold myself back anymore, I set out to do just that, also grabbing some of the spaghetti that acts as the chicken’s base.
The rich flavors that hit my tongue were damn-near orgasmic , the moan I let out making Derek chuckle across from me.
“Is it weird that I’m starting to get jealous of that chicken?”
“Oh, sorry,” I said, embarrassed. “It’s so good that I couldn’t help myself.” I mentally added chicken parmesan to my list of dinners to make at home. Derek looked at my plate with interest, forgetting his own plate in front of him entirely.
“You mind if I try some?” I nodded eagerly, cutting some chicken for him and spearing it before also grabbing some spaghetti and offering it out before I realized what a sight we must have cut. Here I was trying to offer a grown man to feed him.
My self-consciousness died in a fiery blaze as Derek leaned forward and happily munched on my fork. He made a happy sound as he took a few moments to discover the multitude of flavors in that one bite.
“Holy fuck, that’s good. Wanna try some of mine?” I eye his food warily. The pasta I was totally fine with, but as I’ve never had clams before, I was a little nervous. Derek saw my apprehension and held out one of the smaller morsels on his fork.
“You gotta live a little, Damon. Life’s too short to be scared to try new things,” He then gives me a heated look. “Besides, if you’re a good boy, I’ll give you a big reward tonight.” That admission had me biting my lip in anticipation, my little soldier perking up a bit.
“Oh please, let’s both be honest here. You were gonna give me a ‘big reward’ regardless tonight.”
“Wow! That’s mighty confident of you... but yes, you’re right.” He still held the fork out, an expectant look on his face. I sigh in defeat. He’s right, I spent most of my life stuck in one place. It’s time that I lived a little. I closed my eyes and leaned forward, Derek guiding the food in my mouth the rest of the way. I don’t know why closing my eyes helps, but it does. I take a couple of chews and open my eyes in surprise.
“Huh, it’s actually not that bad.” A shit-eating grin was Derek’s only reply as he began eating himself. And that’s how we spent the rest of the meal, both of us lapsing into a comfortable silence as we enjoyed our respective meals. The waiter came by about halfway through it, asking if we were enjoying everything. We told him it was very delicious, and before he left, Derek decided to order a slice of chocolate cake for dessert.
Derek holds his wine glass aloft, a soft smile on his face.
“A toast, to our first official date.” I quickly follow suit and raise my own glass.
“The first of many.”