CHAPTER 50
FRANKIE
∞
That poor waiter. We’re putting him through some trauma tonight, and he’s probably regretting working right now. Wren drags his hand down his face in exasperation as Harris runs off again, trying to get as far away from our fucked-up table as possible. I’m at least entertaining myself as I tease Wren. Alex seems pretty entertained himself, if I’m being honest.
His body is shaking as he tries to contain his laughter at Wren’s embarrassment over the whole situation. Poor guy. Little did he realize I wasn’t going to make this dinner easy for him, but I’m looking forward to what’s going to happen after dinner is over. If I rile him up enough, he’ll be begging to fuck me in no time. I know he’s already rock fucking hard sitting there. This is going to be a very uncomfortable dinner for him.
I hold out my glass to him, and he finally looks up at me from the cage of avoidance he created with his hands. He grabs the bottle and pours me out a taste, and I raise my eyebrow at him.
“Try it first, you might not like it,” he sighs.
I pull back the glass and shoot back the pathetic portion and hold the glass back out to him. Both him and Alex are staring at me with wide eyes. “What? I like wine fine. I’m not picky.”
“You don’t shoot back four-hundred-dollar wine, Chess.”
“No one told you to buy expensive wine, Wren. I’m a cheap drunk, I promise.”
“I’m not trying to get you drunk.”
“Hmm, shitty for you then.”
I pull back the half full glass and take a large gulp before setting it down on the table and grabbing myself a plate. “This smells awesome. I’m starving.”
“Nothing new for you then,”
he mumbles, and Alex punches him in the arm. He rubs at it and glares at Alex before turning back to look at me. His gaze softens and he leans closer to me across the table. “Eat as much as you like. No more starvation for you.”
I pull a couple of the mushrooms onto the plate and eye the escargot warily. “I don’t know if I’ll like that. It’s snails, right?”
Wren and Alex both pop one into their mouths. Alex laughs and Wren smiles, pulling another one onto his fork. He leans across the table and holds it out to me. “I promise, you’ll love these. They’re really good, and I think you should at least try something before you just dismiss it and say you don’t like it.”
“You’re right…I shouldn’t judge before I know.”
Just like I shouldn’t have judged him. I part my lips for him, and he slowly slides his fork into my mouth. I feel it touch my tongue and close my lips around it. He pulls it away and lifts his thumb to my lips, wiping away a small bit of butter that dripped against them, and slipping his thumb into his mouth.
“How is it?”
He asks quietly, watching my mouth as I lick my lips and swallow.
“It’s good,”
I admit. “The garlic butter is really rich and creamy.”
“Yes. Things are better when they’re rich and creamy, Chess.”
He’s staring at my mouth, and my lips part at the thought of that mouth on me. Licking, and sucking, and…I shake my head and lean away from him, back into my chair. His cheeks dimple from the smile he’s giving me, and his eyes rim with light.
“This is the weirdest dinner,”
Alex laughs. “I don’t know if I rather this or you two fighting it out and throwing shit.”
He settles back into his seat and we’re all pretty docile as we finish off the appetizers, and Harris comes back with our meals. My mouth waters when he sets my plate in front of me. It looks fucking delicious, and I quickly grab my fork and swirl some noodles onto it.
“Oh my god,”
I moan. Wren is staring at me while Alex shakes his head with a smirk, spearing his own noodles. “Sorry, it’s just really good,”
I sigh. I chug back the rest of my wine and reach for the bottle again. Wren watches me as I poor out the last bit, and motions to get Harris’ attention again.
“Can we get another bottle.”
“Absolutely.”
He gives Wren a small bow, which pulls a smile from his lips.
I watch as he cuts through his steak and pulls the piece into his mouth. It looks really good too. The sear is perfect and it’s perfectly pink in the middle.
“Did you want to try some?”
I startle at his voice, not realizing I was hyper-focused on him. “No, that’s okay. It’s yours and I have mine, and mine is really good…”
I’m fucking rambling like a bumbling idiot.
“I don’t mind, Chess.”
“It’s okay, Wren.”
He ignores me and drops a strip of his steak onto my plate. I glare at him, but he just keeps his face neutral…serene even.
I stab my fork into it and the flavours explode in my mouth. My eyes practically roll into the back of my head. I haven’t had steak in a very long time. I can’t afford it on my own…all I can really afford to spoil myself, is noodles.
“What’s wrong?”
Wren asks, concerned, and I look at him confused.
“What?”
I feel a tear trickle down my cheek, and I panic, quickly wiping it away. My neck and cheeks flame with heat at the embarrassment gripping at my chest. I just cried…over food. The joy and sadness I felt having that one piece of steak, overwhelmed my emotions, and they betrayed me.
“Why are you crying, Chess? Did I say something to upset you?”
“No!”
I say quickly. I don’t want to tell him that I cried because the food tasted so good it brought me to tears. That I’m so poor and starved myself so much, that I don’t even know the joys of food anymore. He’s been spoiling me without even realizing it. From the day he made me pancakes, I’ve been thankful.
He sighs and settles back into his chair, dropping his eyes from me. I feel Alex staring at me and glance over at him. His brows are furrowed, and I catch a glint of concern in his eyes as well.
“I promise I’m fine. I just…the steak was really good,”
I murmur, and I want nothing more than to hide under this fucking table.
“You were crying because of the steak?”
Alex asks, confused.
“I don’t even remember the last time I ate steak…”
Wren grabs my plate of pasta and pulls it away from me towards him. “Wren---”
I snap my mouth closed when he slides his plate in front of me instead.
“Eat it, Chess.”
“I want my noodles back, Wren.”
He glares at me and points to the plate. “Eat. Don’t complain, just eat the fucking steak.”
“I’m fine with the pasta. You know I love alfredo.”
“I should have allowed you to order what you wanted. I will never deny you what you want, Chess. Ever.”