"Are you sure you got the right restaurant?" he asked mockingly. He is drinking sake and eating the appetizer that was served on the table. He came because he was curious about the girl that made Noah excited.

Since Jess has not arrived yet, their waiter has not served anything other than some appetizer. He glanced at his watch, they have been waiting for about thirty minutes now.

Since Stefan keeps asking if Jess is coming every five minutes, he starts to get annoyed and is worried Jess will change her mind.

"Don't give her a call," he said when he pulled out his phone from his pocket. "Bro, girls don't like it when boys are too clingy. You are getting really old now. You no longer know the rules of the game." he clicked his tongue in disapproval.

"Leave!" he said pointing at the door. "Now!"

"Come on, I was just kidding." he half crawled on the tatami floor. "I was just passing my boredom, and because my legs are cramping from sitting in this position," he said, talking about seiza, -- the traditional and proper way of sitting in Japan.

"That's why I'm telling you to leave," he snapped at him. He now wishes he hadn't agreed to bring this moron to this dinner.

"Don't be mad, I promised to behave." he raised his left hand, pledging his words. He could see that his cousin is really pissed off, so he stopped playing around. "I will leave as soon as I say my greetings to your girl."

"Stop drinking," he snarled at him, still pissed.

"I was not informed that I will be the third wheel at this dinner."

She knew she was late. She made sure of that. Tiefenbacher should learn to sit down and wait for her, but she didn't expect him to do so with a young man on his lap!

When she gave Noah's name at the reception desk of the restaurant, she was led to this private room, yet she insisted to find her own way. She is familiar with the private rooms of this place for she has been in this restaurant several times.

She mentally apologized to her friend for not telling him this piece of information. She tried to justify it that Luke didn't actually ask. And that doesn't count as a lie if you didn't say any information that misleads the other person.

Now, with Noah playing around with another boy, the purpose of her being late was useless. She gripped her purse in her hand and lifted her eyebrow with the scene in front of her.

Noah pushed the drunk Stefan away from him, "Jess, it's not what it looks like…"

She sighed and look at the waiter that has been standing in the corner like a statue. He was well trained not to show any emotions in this kind of situation.

"Deteike."

The server blinked his eyes, and without any word stepped out of the private room, then softly closed the door behind him.

Jess turned her attention to the two men sitting properly on the tatami floor. She bit her cheeks not to burst into laughter. They look so darn adorable. Like two well-behaved Shiba waiting for her command.

She noticed that the younger man had many similarities with Noah. For starters, they both share the same color of eyes, though Noah's are darker shades of blue. They have the same tall noses and sharp jawlines too.

They could be brothers, but she knew from the information that she got from her friend about Noah, that he didn't have any brother.

"Jess…"

"Shut up, Tiefenbacher." she sighed, lowered her body to the tatami floor. She folded her knees into the proper sitting position. She then poured herself some sake.

As she watched Noah fidget in his sitting posture, she propped her elbow on the table and cupped her chin.

Grinning inwardly, she thought Noah isn't used to sitting in seiza. She wondered, why did he choose this room when there are other private rooms in this restaurant that are more modern.

"You know, I'm not discriminating any form of love. But you really have to tell me this thing in advance. I had this dress for you when apparently I'm not really your type." she pouted, clearly insinuating a relationship between the two.

What Jess said made Stefan throw his head back in laughter. However, his laughter was cut short for Noah gave him a dagger look.

"My name is Stefan. I'm Noah's favorite cousin," he said extending his hand towards Jess for a handshake. Laughter is still visible in his voice.

"I can see why you are Noah's favorite." she grinned back as she accepted his hand for a shake. "My name is Jess. I am Noah's current side dish. Nice to meet you, Stefan."

Noah heaved a deep sigh realizing that Jess was just playing around. He massaged his legs and unfolded his knees and crisscrossed his legs on the tatami mat.

He turned his attention to Stefan, "You already introduced yourself, now go!"

"Miss Jess, can we meet again? Without him, if possible," he said, tilting his head at Noah.

"Hmm, what do you like to do in your free time?"

"I hang out at the marina. I just got a new boat," he said with his eyes sparkling like a child beaming in pride with his new toy.

"Really? Then you can meet me again." she grinned. She watched Noah's annoyed expression from the corner of her eyes, and she swallowed the smile that was about to escape from her lips. Noah is so fun to toy around!

Stefan was pulling his wallet from his back jeans pocket when he fell on his back at the tatami mat. Noah kicked him.

"Leave now while I'm still being nice," he said in an icy tone.

Seeing his cousin's cold threatening eyes, Stefan shoved back his wallet in his jeans pocket, grabbed Jess' hands, kissed them before scurrying out of the room.

"I'll find you, Miss Jess," he said before closing the door.

Noah and Jess were left in the room, staring at each other across the table.

Noah was the first one to break the silence, "You look lovely, Miss Zimmerman," he breathed the compliment with his eyes burning a hole on Jess' face.

Jess lifted her eyebrow and pouted her lips, "You didn't wait for me the way you should." she said in a sullen mood.

Noah swallowed the saliva that pooled in his throat. 'Hell and damnation! She's hot!'