The waiter ushered us to an empty two seater table by the glass wall overlooking marina and the water. Glad that the place wasn't as pack as it usually is. At a distance, a couple of yacht cruising on the water.

"Thank you," I smiled at the young waiter as I acquiescently pulled my hand away from her tiny waist.

I stopped behind the chair and pulled it for her and she smiled. She took off her blue and white checkered blazer that matched her trousers, leaving her white sleeveless top that has a plunging neckline.

My heard turned around with a start, eyeing the spacious room as I spoke. "It is cold, leave the blazer on!" I blurted out without thinking.

There was a few couples that was sitting two tables away from us along the glass wall on the other side of the room.

The Rosemary&Thyme fine dining restaurant is at the top floor of the 10 story building close to the marina.

About 3 couples and a group of four ladies sitting across us and a thorn, I mean a man. They are all probably working in the same company and was here for lunch break. I caught him staring at my Clara. My teeth clamped as I narrowed my eyes at him. They guys apparently lost his interests at the girls around him. He didn't even noticed how I was killing him with my eyes.

His constant glance at Clara's direction made my blood boil.

I moved to the other side of the table.

"I'm sweating, Alex." Clara Bell frowned as she hang her blazer on the back of the upholstered chair.

My eyes dropped to the small part of her soft, silky bare breast that was peeking through that low cut neckline as she sat comfortably. I didn't notice it awhile ago since she was wearing her blazer and I was too occupied of dealing with Mrs. Ratskin's and Tammy's manipulation.

The waiter came back with a maroon leather bound menu and a clear glass belly pitcher filled with cold water and ice cubes on his other hand.

I moved the chair that was sitting across her and placed it next to her, blocking her from the man's prying eyes.

I sat and leaned my back comfortably as I willed my eyes not to detour at her soft, inviting bare part of her chest.

"Well you've got a good view now, facing the water," Clara chuckled softly, she was looking through the clear glass wall, at the water.

My eyes suddenly found its way back to her chest. Yes, I have a perfect view. My hungry eyes was staring at the curve of her breast.

I quickly pulled my eyes away and stared at her beautiful face.

"Wanna switch?" I teased but I was hoping she'll agree. Grabbing the glass that the waiter just filled up and drank it all.

"No, I'm good," she replied. That hope deflated but I shook it off.

I put down the empty glass on the table and the waiter filled it up again.

"You'll get filled up with water," she frowned.

"I haven't drank any water since I woke up this morning," I replied.

She didn't respond as she looked up at the waiter who was now standing next to us waiting for us to finish from our conversation.

"I'd like to have the garlic prawns with salad," she smiled at him.

I turned my head and looked up to meet with the waiter's eyes. "I'd take the smoke salmon. And a bottle of P3 Plenitude Brut." I said before the waiter opened his mouth.

He gathered the menu, but before he left, he spoke. "Is there anything I can help you with?"

"That's all," Clara smiled at the waiter.

"I'll call you if we need anything," I forced a smiled, but my eyes twitched, my teeth unconsciously gritted.

As soon as the waiter left and out of earshot, Clara asked. "Was that a smile or a glare?"

Clara was biting her bottom lip, obviously subduing her amusement.

I frowned. "That's my smile."

"Well, that's the scariest smile I've ever seen."

She let out a chuckle. I joined her after.

When our our chuckled simmered down, she grabbed her glass filled with cold water and made a sip as she looked at me over the rim of the glass.

Watching her pink lips pressed against the rim of the glass made my friend below twitched and hardened painfully.

I looked away.

"So this is officially our first date as a couple?" I asked, bringing my eyes back on her face.

She puts down her half filled glass with water and nodded her head.

"Can I ask you a question?"

She straightened her back as she sat upright.

My head tilted to the side, meeting her curious eyes. I nodded my head. The changes of her facial expression from relaxed to serious made my heart beat faster.

"Is there a moment... you know? when you and Claire are still in good terms...like in love?" she trailed off, "where you thought of marrying her?"

I frowned.

"First off, I wasn't in love with her," I opposed, shaking my head. "Do we really need to talk about her on our first date as a couple?" I asked, in a teasing tone.

She nodded her head as she met my gaze. "I'm curious, and if I won't ask it, I'm gonna be chewing my head every night wondering, what was really your feelings for her. I don't know."

She looked away. "If you don't wanna talk about her, I'm fine," she said but I could hear a tinge of disappointment in her tone.

I nodded my head. "Alright!"

I didn't wanna talk about it, not right now, but I thought there will be no right time. Since is ours is serious, I need to be honest with her. And talking about our past and get it out there before we get married if she agreed, I guess is the first step.

"I never loved her, I wanna clear that out," I started.

Her eyebrow raised as she drifted her eyes back to me. "Claire told me that you're the first man in her life," she said, her eyes narrowed at me a little, not believing me.

That hurt a bit.

"Yes, I was. But that's because she wanted to make it believe that she's into me. If I kept ignoring her, I'm sure, she'll give it to any man that can help her climb the ladder of fame faster,"

I recalled the first time we met. It was in a gala. The guy she was with was a friend of mine. She started flirting with me, but I didn't really entertained her that time. And whenever party I go, she seemed to be there always.

I don't do dates. One night stand if I'm tired of self gratification, but I rarely picked up a girl.

"You two lasted for years," she probed.

True. That was what Claire showed to people, my mistake for not clearing it out early.

I nodded my head but not agreeing actually. I stared at her beautiful cerulean eyes. I don't know how she felt at the moment and I'm really nervous right now.

"True, but not in real sense of relationship. My silence made the people believe that we are a real couple."

"Because unconsciously, you like it too, Alex." She half-smiled.

I shook my head in disapproval. "I guess we men thinks differently," I muttered mostly to myself. "I let the people conclude cause I thought it's a waste of time. And letting those women thinks we were a couple, I don't need to chase them away. Not really into hurting their feelings," I chuckled but it sounded hollow.

She didn't say anything. Our eyes locked, and it made me even nervous. My palms felt clammy.

I swallowed hard. "Claire knew at the beginning that I'm not into any relationship. She agreed...she offered me her virginity. I didn't believe her. The way she flirted, she looked like she has been doing it all her whole life. The next time we met again, I was completely drunk, and telling me she's a virgin and she wanted me to have it, I wasn't completely convinced. With alcohol in my system and weeks of no sex, there's only one way to prove she wasn't fooling me. I gave in."

I stared at her, gauging a reaction from her, but she didn't say anything. She was staring at me, curious? I can't read what else in those beautiful eyes of hers and it made me apprehensive.

Only her could make me feel that.

"And it was a mistake the next time we met, I took her again. She became territorial of me, and she appeared wherever I am, the paparazzis made an assumptions. I didn't deny it nor confirmed it, thinking the rumor will die as the time passed by. But Claire made sure to instilled in every people's mind that we are still an item."

My heart now was drumming against my ribcage. Fear starting to settled in my chest.

"Say something," I murmured.

A wounded sadness flitted across her eyes.

"But she expected more from you, but you thought she understood that it was just sex?" she finally spoke.

"Yes. I thought she did. She was actually seeing different men. She never obliged me of anything, so I thought that instead of taking another woman, I'll just stick to her if I needed...." I swallowed hard, "a release, but we never had sex after that. You may not believe that."

I know she won't believe me with my last statement. But I truly felt disgusted of Claire after knowing she had been with different men.

I let out a hard sigh. "Yes. I told her more than once, that we should stop seeing each other. Well, it's not like we always see each other. The only time I see her if I have a party to attend and she fulfill the part being my company. And that's all. But then she told me that she needed my help."

"Like what?"

"She was also a struggling model back then, and with her associated with me, she finally got offers from established companies. At some point I felt that maybe that's the only way I could pay, perhaps her virginity that she gave me or because I felt like I was using her. And then, you became friends."

Clara's eyebrows snapped together in a deep frown. "What does it have to do with my relationship with her?" she scowled at me.

When I saw Claire with Clara, it made the nonexistent relationship fun. Clara being Claire's fairy godmother.

"I used to avoid every party or gatherings that I know Claire would be present, but then when you got closer to her, and almost inseparable, taunting you, seeing you losing your temper made me—"

"Happy!" she interjected. She rolled her eyes. "It's as if your life mission is to make my life miserable," she glared at me, but her lips curled into a half-smile.

Realization dawned on me. I know that each party where Clara is with Claire, I always find a way to appear. And I spent my time pestering her, but it made me feel really happy seeing her face turning red, losing her calm posture.

"Hey, Ice Princess!"

"Alex."

Her voice was clipped, obviously holding back her temper.

"I like the party goer, Clara Bell." I commented, smiling at her. She rarely seen in parties, but I just said that to goad her.

She narrowed her eyes at me.

"Don't you have shame?"

I chuckled.

"You are flirting with every girl here and your girlfriend is watching!" she snapped.

"I'm not flirting with anyone..." I paused, grinning at her like a cheshire cat. "I am flirting with you," I drawled.

I was standing next to her and she briskly turned her head to meet my eyes.

Recalling one of those moments with her, something clicked in my head.

Shit!

Realizations dawned on me.

I am already in love with her before that kiss.

When I look at her before, all I could think of was her pink plump lips moving as she pours out her hatred to me. Her fiery eyes as she direct them to me with withering look. The way her face switch with different emotions, it was a sight to see. A satisfying feeling. It was hard to explain.

I always felt drained up after our banter. The whole time, I was holding back that urges to kiss her, it was like a vacuum that had sucked up all my energy. And that night on her father's birthday, I finally got a chance to taste her lips.

"What?" Clara Bell's curious tone dragged me out of my reverie. She was leaning now on the table, face filled with interest. "You look like you have seen a ghost," she commented.

Before I could respond, our food arrived.

"Sorry for the delay, Sir, Ma'am," the waiter said apologetically as he set down our food.

Clara Bell's attention drifted to the food in front of her. A bright smile lit up her face.

The smokey smell of my dish assaulted my nose, I also caught a whiff of Clara Bell's garlic prawn salad. It made my stomach rumbled.

"Smells so good," Clara Bell murmured as she picked up her fork with great enthusiasm and eagerness.

I smiled.

The waiter opened the wine with such ease. I watched him poured wine on the glass that has a sharp, crisp line, with a geometric look with an average stem height. He placed Clara Bell's wine next to her bloody red table napkin.

I looked over my shoulder and saw Langdon on the table that was closer to the exit door. I felt relieve that he followed us. I told him to join us but he refused. I'm glad he came as he hasn't had any food since the whole morning, all we did was driving around to see these people.

I turned my head back to look at the waiter as he put down the bottle that was half filled on the table closer to the clear glass wall next t the small containers of seasonings; salt and pepper.

"The guy seated close to the exit, put it on my tab," I reminded him before I forgot. He should recognize it easily as Langdon was the only only close to the exit. The other tables close to him was empty.

"Is there anything I can get you?" the waiter asked.

"I think we are good," I responded, slipping him a grateful glance before I turned my attention to my mouthwatering smoked salmon. I had it before and it was the best salmon I've ever had.

"Enjoy." The waiter left and Clara was already engrossed on her food, sipping her wine once in a while.

"Is that all you'll gonna have?" I asked as I take my fork.

"This is enough," she smiled. Her eyes dropped on my plate.

"That looks good," she commented. She picked an orange-reddish glazed prawn with her fork and popped it in her mouth.

"Would you like to try mine?" I asked as I dusted the small olive-like little green balls but smaller than green peas off my salmon, occasionally glancing at her.

I cut a piece and place the fork close to her lips. She opened her mouth and I gingerly slipped it inside and her lips slowly closed, wrapping it around the fork and pulled away carefully.

I swallowed hard as I looked away. I shifted on my seat trying to get a comfortable position cause my crotch is starting to get tight and uncomfortable.

I willed my concentration on the smokey salmon. But the pinkish salmon only reminds me of her plump lips.

I reached out for my wine and made a few sips. The elegant taste of the wine worth the cost. Crisp, light and refreshing. A balanced acidity with a long citrus finish. It's pale pink in color almost as the color of my salmon.

"Would you like some more?" I asked.

"Would you mind?" she asked, she looked embarrassed but her eyes sparkled, her excitement gave away. "It's surprisingly delightful," she grinned.

I chuckled. "I don't mind, babe. You can have all of mine." I offered, putting my fork and knife next to the plate. I took my plate and was about to switch with her empty plate but she refused. Her hand shot out, stopping the plate, her palm pressed across the plate rim.

"No. That's too much, I'll have a quarter," she smiled sheepishly, pushing ever so gently the plate away.

"Are you sure?" I asked, placing the plate back down.

"Yes. Hundred percent," she shook her blonde head, grinning.

I nodded my head and then cut a quarter of the salmon and carefully carried it with my fork and knife to her plate. "Would like some asparagus?" I asked.

She shook her head. "No, thank you. I had enough veggie," she smiled gratefully.

"It is really good," she said as she popped another piece of salmon in her mouth. A soft hum escaped her lips as she savoured the taste of the salmon.

I sipped my wine, entertained watching her as she enjoyed the salmon. I decided not to touch mine incase she decided to have some more.

"The wine and the salmon was a perfect couple," she beamed at me.

"Like us?" I grinned, bringing the glass close to my mouth.

"Are we?" she provoked in a playful way, popping the last piece of salmon in her mouth.

"I think so? You're gorgeous, I'm handsome?" I teased back.

She burst into laughters.

........

I think we have more than two chapters.. I wanted to them to have more sweet moments together.

Enjoy.