Chapter One - White Rose

"Happy birthday!"

"Shhh!" I hissed through my teeth as Reed came running towards me, sealing me in a tight hug. I scanned the room to check if any of our co-workers had heard us, but thankfully everyone seemed to be busy as far as I could tell. Last thing I needed was everyone's attention on me.

She groaned, the sound coming out muffled as her head was buried in my shoulder, which she could barely reach. I still failed to understand how someone could possibly be so tiny. I mean, I was pretty small myself, but nothing close to Reed. She was like five pounds. "Don't start." She grumbled. "This is a super special birthday and everyone should know about it."

"A super special birthday?" I repeated with a frown and received a glare.

"Apart from celebrating the 28th birthday of the world's biggest prude…" she trailed off, to which I responded with a small hit on her shoulder –barely putting any pressure, but apparently just enough to send her three feet away. I chuckled and she raised a tiny finger, pointing towards me in a warning. "Cut it off, April!" she whined. "Anyways, I was going to say we are also celebrating the first decade of you being an adult but apparently you never really got to that phase, did you?"

"You are one to talk." I pointed out, and at that she cracked a smile. Oh, she knew pretty well I was not the immature one here. Or, at least, not the kind of immature one would expect a person to be like in their late twenties. That type of person fit Reed perfectly. No matter how tiny and cute she looked with that short red hear of hers, you shouldn't let her fool you. My roommate hid inside her Satan himself, ready to be unleashed at any given opportunity. Which was quite often, in fact. There was no party Reed hadn't attended. No weekend she hadn't gone clubbing, and no night she hadn't brought a guy home. Reed was the girl that wouldn't hesitate engaging in threesomes or take a whip of weed when offered. Thankfully, all of those habits of hers had died down a bit after meeting her boyfriend. Still, she was so wild and confident, and immature and stupid, but I would be lying if I said I didn't envy her for that. Because when it came to me… well, I guess I really was a prude. And I always had been.

Growing up, I was that girl at the first desk with the glasses, the braces and the awful acne. I was that girl with the perfect grades but horrible social life. And by horrible, I really mean non-existent. I had no friends, only enemies I had never asked for. Kids had been picking on me for as long as I can remember, and frankly I couldn't really blame them. I had always been kind of a freak. An ugly duckling. Well, I still was, I guess. I might have gotten rid of the glasses, the braces, the pimples and the bullies and even had managed to make two good friends, but nothing else had really changed in my life.

Well, apart from the fact that I was a surgical resident, which was kind of badass. So there's that.

I felt someone's arms embracing me from behind, and startled I turned around with a quick move, only to smash my shoulder against the nose of the brunette standing behind me.

"Ouch."

My eyes widened. "Oh my God, Lexie, are you okay?"

She winced and rubbed her nose. "Uh… happy birthday?" she exclaimed with a pained expression, causing Reed to burst out laughing.

"I'm sorry! I'm so sorry Lex, I was just thinking about stuff and didn't expect you to come at me like that and I got startled and you know how clumsy I can be at times and –Oh, God, I didn't break it, right? Is it broken? We might have to take you to the ER to check cause if I broke it you might-"

She raised her hands, cutting off my nervous rambling. "April, slow down! I'm fine. Relax."

"Oh." I blinked. "Good, okay."

"Yeah, April. Don't be so tied up." Reed added in a weird tone, and when I turned to look at her, a question in my eyes, she wasn't looking at me but Lexie. "You should relax more." She added with her infamous devil smirk, and I felt my guts sink to the ground.

"What do you mean?" I asked, taking my eyes off hers to glance at Lexie, who was also now grinning widely. "Uh… what's going on?" my voice rose as I begun panicking. Knowing my friends, this behavior of theirs, on my birthday of all days, was definitely bad news for me.

"Nothing." They both replied quickly and shared another look, but before I got the chance to ask for further information, our superior, Dr. Bailey, walked into the room and begun giving us orders.

The rest of the day wasn't that busy at all. After doing our rounds I scrubbed in a colostomy and before I knew it I found myself crossing the busy cafeteria, heading for the table where the three of us usually sat. Only when I got there did I notice something was different. Reed and Lexie were there, just as I expected. But along with them were two other people as well.

Over Reed's sitting figure was hovering her boyfriend, Charles. Charles was a large, muscular guy with dark hair and eyes, but despite the intimidating outside, anyone who met him would agree he was just a huge, awkward teddy bear. The exact opposite of Reed, that is. I guess the "opposites attract" motto would be very fitting in their case. Charles had just recently quit his previous job and was currently working part time as a waiter. He did have his own house, but unfortunately for me he spent almost every night at our place. Not that I didn't like him. I really, really did. What I wasn't quite fond of were the noises coming from their room in the middle of the night, but there was no way I was ever going to mention that to anyone.

On the other side of the table, holding Lexie in his lap was Mark. Mark was… hot. And that coming from me is definitely something in worth of consideration. He was blond and tall with light eyes and a little beard, and a mischievous smile constantly glued to his face. He was quite older than us, but it really didn't show. We had met him the one time I had agreed to let them take me out clubbing, back when we were in med school. The worst mistake of my life. After what had been the loudest, longest hours of my existence, both Lexie and Reed had gotten so drunk they could barely walk, but I hadn't gotten my driving license yet and there was no way I was going to drive us home without it. To Lexie, though, leaving the car unattended next to a night club was out of the question, and I finally gave in and let her drive us -carefully and super slowly- home. Which was yet another huge mistake, as we got pulled off by the police and the alcohol test they performed on her… well… let's just say we spent the night in jail and leave it at that. That night was the night that a very, very drunk, chatty Lexie met the hot police officer that a few years later would come to be her fiancé. Mark was a very good guy, but, unfortunately for poor virgin me, he came with a very, very inappropriate sense of humor.

Oh, right. I forgot to mention I was still a virgin. Well, I was. That was the thing with me… Ever since I was a little girl I had always had this idea of what my life would be like. I would get married to a nice, handsome Christian who would love me more than anything and he would be my prince charming. I would lose my virginity to him on our wedding night –which would take place in a field with wildflowers everywhere and butterflies would be released when I said 'I do'. That goes for the wedding. I cringed at the single thought of my own husband seeing me naked, public sex was completely out of the question for me. The plan, then, was for us to have three kids, two boys and a girl, and grow old together and live our happily ever after. Well, being all grown now, I wasn't so sure about the prince charming and the happily ever after part, but I really did want to lose my virginity to someone special.

Fact was, I probably waited too long for that guy to come. And not only that, but having a really, really close cycle of friends, I very rarely got to meet new people, and even when I did, I was pretty sure all those guys found me annoying. At this rate, I was certain I would probably end up alone in a tiny apartment with only company Netflix and a dozen of cats. And I was fine with that, actually. Cats were nice. I loved cats. Cats were my life, my other halves. I couldn't live without cats.

Anyways, I never got why everyone had to always make such a huge deal out of that. Yeah, I was a twenty-eight year old virgin. It wasn't something I liked to talk about, especially not with my friend's fiancé. But with Mark, well… I guess that fact coming up at least once every single time that we saw each other was pretty much unavoidable.

So, standing there in front of them open mouthed, wondering what on earth could all of them be doing here, was when I noticed the enormous white birthday cake that was placed on the table, a scary number of little red candles lighted on top. The cake had all of three floors and it was twice Reed's size. It was very simple, decorated with a few white flowers here and there, and a single red cherry on top. My hand flew to my mouth and it remained there as water filled my widened eyes.

And then they began singing.

"Happy birthday to you,
Happy birthday to you,
Happy birthday dear April-"
"-Virgin Mary-" Mark added with a wink.
"Happy birthday to you!" They all sang out loud, Charles keeping the last note a little too long, and definitely out of pitch, causing everyone to burst out laughing.

And Gosh… I can't remember having been this happy in a long, long time. "Oh my God…" I whispered in awe.

"Come blow the candles!" Reed cheered, and got up from her seat to drag me to the table.

"Wish first!" Lexie yelled, as she jumped once up and down on Mark's lap, causing him to wince in pain.

"Careful there." He mumbled. "It's still sore."

"Right. Sorry."

I frowned at the exchange but decided I really didn't want to know. Instead, I took a moment to appreciate the little dancing flames of the candles, before I closed my eyes shut and clenched my fists.

I wish everything stays exactly as perfect as it is right now.

After all, what else could I possibly need?

I blew a wisp of air, and it did take me a while but I eventually managed to blow all the little candles. My friends erupted in a round of clapping and cheering, and I was so happy I was barely aware of the fact that I as probably the color of crimson red by now.

When the time came to cut the cake, I obviously went for the cherry.

"Eh, eh! What do you think you're doing?" Mark shouted, stopping my movement mid-air.

I raised my eyebrow. "…Eating the cherry?" he shook his head, disapprovingly. "What?" I protested. "My birthday, my cake, I get to eat the cherry."

I saw him fight back a smile. "I have a better idea." He said, and put his hand in his pocket, only to pull out a small object and offer it to me. "Here."

I cautiously took the object in my hands and carefully examined it. It was a needle. "Uh… what?" I asked confused, as Reed snorted and Charles let out a chuckle.

Mark smirked. "Pop it."

I frowned. The cherry? He told me to…

Oh. Pop the cherry.

"Oh my God!" I yelled as I let the needle fall from my hands so that I could burry my head into them.

Loud laughter erupted all over the cafeteria, and had I known this would be the first minute after my wish I would for sure have taken it back.

"Oh, and I chose the color myself." Mark managed to choke out between chuckles. "It's virgin white!"

"Mark!" I shrieked and picked up the knife, waving it towards him in warning. But killing a police officer would get me a pretty big amount of jail time, and you can't have cats in jail, can you now? I sighed and moved on to attack the cake instead.

"Hey, let me warn you…" Mark said. "The flowers aren't edible. The cake needs deflowering."

Good. Lord.

Yep, I was definitely taking that wish back.

"Did you tell her to shave down there too?"

"Why would I? No one shaves down there."

"What are you talking about? Everyone does!"

"I never do."

I gasped and pulled the shower's curtain –just a tiny bit- to stare at Lexie in shock. "You never shave your legs?"

For the first time in minutes my roommates seemed to finally acknowledge my existence. And I have to say I would much rather they hadn't. They both stared at me like I was missing something brighter than the sun. And then it hit me.

"Oh." I mumbled. "You didn't mean the legs. Right." I shut the curtain closed, only to pull it back again. "Wait, why would I possibly need to shave my… down there?"

Reed grabbed the curtain and pulled in front of my face. "How many times do I have to tell you that it's a surprise?"

I groaned and stared down at the raiser in my hands. "If it's a strip club, I swear to God…"

"It's not a strip club." Lexie said emphasizing the word, and I heard Reed shushing her.

Oh. Not a strip club. That was so them that I had been fearing that this was what was up for me tonight. "Is it a club though?" I tried. The more information I had, the better I could prepare myself for what was coming.

"Well…" Lexie's voice came again and I heard a slapping sound. "Ouch!"

Goodness, I swear, they could be such babies sometimes.

About an hour later I had taken a shower, my legs were all soft and shaved, my make-up done –nothing fancy though, I wouldn't let them- my red hair was falling on my shoulders a bit curlier than they normally were, and I was dressed in a deep red dress that was too tight and short for my tastes, but not enough for me to absolutely refuse to wear it. And in black heels. Gosh, those weren't heels, those were true deathtraps. I could barely walk in them. Seriously, I was certain that at some point during the night I would definitely sprain my ankle, and even if I didn't I was sure I would have to remove them sooner or later as my feet had already begun to hurt after wearing them for a mere five minutes.

I was also handed a small black purse, in which I could only fit my keys and cellphone, and lastly they tried to fill me up with all kinds of jewelry, but I wouldn't let them. Clumsy as I was, I would probably lose them or someone would steal them without me even noticing. And I might didn't know where they were taking me, but from the dress code I was sure it would be some sort of club, and me with jewelry in those sort of places weren't the best combination. The only thing I did wear, though, was the bracelet with my silver cross. I never took that off, and would definitely notice if it went missing. After all, I would for sure need God with me tonight…

It was only when I was all set and ready to go that I realized that while they had been dressing me up like a doll, they themselves wore nothing but jeans and sweaters. "Aren't you gonna dress?" I wondered aloud.

Lexie threw a little black coat on me and pushed me towards the door, while I struggled to balance on the heels. "Stop asking questions, April."

We soon got to Lexie's car and she begun driving. They were so secretive about the whole thing that I bet they would have also blindfolded me were they not afraid of ruining my hair and make-up. That wouldn't really be needed, though, since it wasn't long before I completely lost sense of where we were. That fact surprised me, since I had been living in Seattle during med school, internship and now residency. And it also terrified the crap out of me. Cause the only part of Seattle that I hadn't actually cared to explore had been the one only worth exploring at night. And that meant I was screwed.

The drive seemed to be taking forever, and just as I was about to ask how much longer it would take to get wherever on earth we were going, Lexie finally pulled over the car, and anxious as I was, I all but glued my face on the window. All I could see, though, was the dark, empty street across from us, only lighted buy a couple of yellow lights, and some kind of fancy restaurant down the corner.

I frowned. Nothing loud or extreme seemed to be happening anywhere around here. "Will you now tell me what's going on?"

Lexie cleared her throat. "Okay. So… you see that restaurant over there?" she asked, gesturing towards it. I reluctantly nodded. She gulped. "You will get in there, and at the back corner on your left hand should be a table with a very hot guy waiting alone and holding a white rose…" She hesitated for a second, looking towards Reed for reassurance, giving just enough time for her words to actually settle in.

"You set me up on a blind date?!" I shrieked, my heartbeat starting to race.

Lexie winced and Reed snorted. "Well…" the little devil trailed off. "I wouldn't call it that exactly…"

I felt my hands beginning to sweat. "What?! No! Oh, I can't go in there, no way! He's gonna… He… Who even agreed to this, does he even know who I am?" I gasped. "Oh God, do I know him? He doesn't work in the hospital, does he? Please, please tell me he doesn't!"

"No, no he doesn't. And he doesn't really know who you are… he's heard about you though. And seen your picture."

My mouth dropped. Oh, no. "Which one?" I asked, panic in my voice.

Lexie snorted. "Does it matter?"

Of course it freaking matters! It must have been a dark and low quality one or else he wouldn't for the world have agreed to this. "Where did you even find him?"

Reed was the one to answer. "He is an old friend of Charles'."

An old friend of Charles'.

An old friend of Charles'.

Oh, please don't let that mean what I think it means.

"When you say an old friend…" I exclaimed slowly, a slight tremor in my voice.

Reed took a deep breath. "He and Charles used to work together."

I blinked once.

Twice.

This wasn't happening. This could not be happening to me.

I shut my eyes, feeling the blood pounding against my ears. "Take me home." I mumbled, my voice surprisingly calm and steady.

"April…"

"Take. Me. Home." I demanded.

"No. Not until you listen to what we have to say."

My eyes snapped open, and if a stare could kill, Charles would need to find himself a new girlfriend. "Have you completely lost you mind?!" I cried. "I thought a club was too much, and you go and buy me a freaking prostitute?!"

"He is an escort, and you are not giving us a chance to explain-"

"Explain what, Reed? The fact that you got me something you know is against all my beliefs and wishes?" Realization drew me in, and my breath hitched in my throat. There was a man in that restaurant, a man who had seen my picture and probably knew my name too, who had come here today to… who expected of me to have sex with him. "Oh my God… Do you have any idea… How could you do this to me?!" I cried. "You are supposed to be my best friends, you are supposed to know me better than anyone, how could you even consider that I would-"

"April!" Lexie snapped. "Just let us speak for a second, damn it!"

"Someone go get in there right now and tell that… man to forget my face, forget my name, and forget anything that has to do with me, so that we can go back home!" None of them moved. "Lexie! Now!"

"You need to lighten up!" Reed shouted. "We know it, you know it and everyone knows it! Even Dr. Bailey told you so the other day in the OR. You are so tied up all the time, and this is not just affecting you as a person but as a surgeon too. You have to relax, April! And sex is not a bad thing! It's actually so exciting and satisfying and it feels good. And especially if it is with the right person, they can make you see stars! Stop being afraid of letting go and enjoying life for once!"

"Oh, and so the only way for me to have sex is with paying someone to do the job right?" I yelled.

Lexie rubbed her forehead and glanced towards Reed. "I told you she would take it this way…"

"Oh, what way was I supposed to take it, Lexie? If not that you don't think I'm capable of having a man even wanting to have sex with me unless he is paid?"

"That is not what we think, April, and you know that pretty damn well."

I threw my arms in the air, frustrated. "Then why?! Why would you hire me a prostitute?!"

"He's an escort."

"Same thing!"

"But it's not, April, this is what you're missing here!" Reed shouted. "We hired a man –the best there is- to be yours for tonight. He will escort you for dinner and then you can do whatever you want to do. You can have him take you for a ride around town, do you a massage, cook for you, dance for you, take you swimming or to the cinema and hell, even play board games or cuddle on the couch all night!" she exclaimed, and I blinked in surprise.

Cuddling really does sound kind of nice…

Not you too!

"He did get you a room at a hotel nearby where you can spend the night, and you can have sex with him if you want to, but nothing here is expected of you. He is just yours for tonight. You can do anything you want with him."

What in the name of…

I groaned. "I don't want this! I don't want a slave that will do anything I ask him to! And I don't want to have sex with someone whom I don't even know!"

"All we want…" Lexie added. "Is that you get a taste of what we have. We've been trying to set you up with guys for years now, and you always make excuses for yourself and push them away. But April, even 'the one' won't just appear in a puff of smoke. You have to find him. And you refuse to look!" she shook her head. "And all we want for you tonight is to have some fun. To get spoiled and get adventurous or just sit back and relax. We want you to see what you are missing so that you will finally take it on you and claim it yourself, instead of pushing away opportunity after opportunity. And in case…" she cleared her throat, looking at me carefully. "In case… you decide you want to go ahead and… pop your cherry…" Reed snorted and Lexie low-key elbowed her. "Know that this man is experienced and will be kind, and sweet and loving to you, and give you exactly what you want from him. He won't take advantage of you like so many would. He will not try to please himself but you. His every focus will be on your pleasure and that only."

I buried my head in my hands. I was dreaming. This was a freaking nightmare and I would wake up any moment now.

Right?!

"That's why we got him for you. So that we know that this guy will know how to treat you right, like a real lady, the way you deserve to be treated. We didn't want your first time to be with some… amateur. We wanted you to have the best."

"And he really is the best." Reed cut in. "He is Charles' best friend and he recommended him without a second thought. But the thing is, you don't even have to sleep with him."

"Right. You don't."

"You can just let him spoil you and then leave."

"Exactly. Just leave."

"Cause that's what an escort is."

"According to the Free Dictionary, an Escort is a person who is hired to spend time with another as a temporary companion and may or may not be used for sex. Escorts have expenses that enable them to charge higher fees, and are paid by the hour, not the act."

I rolled my eyes. "I know what an escort is, Lexiepedia." I said, and immediately the corners of both of their lips slightly twisted upwards in response. They knew me too well to know that when the nicknaming began, I had already pretty much gave in.

And that fact scared me to death.

I wasn't really considering this, was I?

"Come here." Lexie said and unbuckled her belt to get out of the car.

I shook my head. "Are you insane? I am not going anywhere but home!"

"Just come see him. See what you think about him."

"There's nothing to think about, I am not moving." I crossed my arms on my chest, emphasizing my words.

"Yeah, let's go take a look." Reed agreed and got out of the car as well. "I am curious to see what he looks like in person."

I shook my head. "Nah-ah. No way."

"Oh, come on, April. He won't even know we're there. We'll just look through the glass wall."

"Don't make us drag you."

I took a moment to weigh my options.

Option number one; I refused to go and they actually tried to drag me. I knew I had Reed in hand, but Lexie I wasn't so sure about, and there was no way I could overpower both of them together.

Option number two; I jumped in the front seat and drove my own way home. The key was in the ignition, everything was set and ready to go. But that meant I would have to leave those two idiots behind, and I was too good a friend and too nice a person to just leave my friends alone in the dark in the middle of nowhere. Even if at this particular moment that was more than tempting.

Option number three; I agreed to go take one look. As soon as I laid my eyes on him I would say I didn't like him and they couldn't argue with that. So all this madness would be over.

And despite everything, I somehow chose option number three.

Letting out a long sigh, I unbuckled my seatbelt and got out of the car, ignoring the victory sounds that came out of both of them, and with determination I crossed the road with rushed steps and reached the glass wall of the restaurant. The restaurant itself wasn't big or too fancy as I expected. Instead, the word best fit to describe it would be cozy. The atmosphere inside was warm and welcoming, the lighting rather low and romantic matching the music perfectly. The floors and walls were the perfect combination of wood and stone, and little paper lanterns decorated every table. This would be a perfect place for a first date, a small, cozy nest for a new romance to bloom. Suddenly the blind date idea didn't seem so awful. But the whole escort fiasco still did.

Letting out a long sigh, I glanced towards the back of the restaurant, looking for any guy that was sitting alone and holding a white rose, but found none. I frowned. I was pretty sure the girls had paid him a fortune, but apparently that still wasn't enough to make him come. I for sure didn't blame him.

"Looking for something?"

The man's voice was like nothing I had ever heard before. It was low and soft but powerful enough to send chills through my entire body, and once I turned around to see who it belonged to, I felt my breath hitch in my throat.

He was tall and slender, but strong build at the same time. He had smooth flawless dark skin that glinted under the moonlight and short shaved dark hair. His face was strong, his features molded from granite. His full, sultry lips were curled in a cocky smirk, and at the sight of them I felt my tongue unconsciously lick my own. A short, thin beard was covering his strong jaw, above of which stood prominent cheekbones, a well-defined chin and nose and dark eyebrows that were framing his eyes. And those eyes… Dear Lord. His eyes were dangerously beautiful. They were mostly light green, with blue creeping in around the edges as if it was trying to take over. Under the dim street light, the soft emerald was combined with the color of deep ocean shimmering in the moonlight, creating the most excruciating pair of eyes I had never begun to imagine could possibly exist.

He had the kind of face that stopped you in your tracks. I guessed he must had been used to that, the sudden pause in a person's natural expression when they looked his way followed by overcompensating with a nonchalant gaze and a weak smile. In my case, also accompanied with what I was sure was a lively red blush.

I barely noticed his hand slowly shifting upwards, until I front of my face stood proudly a beautiful white rose.

Well, crap.

"April." He said while offering it to me, and I swear my name had never sounded so sweet. I felt my knees go weak and my heart pounding like crazy inside my chest, but I still somehow managed to raise my hand and take the rose.

I blinked furiously, trying to stop gawking at him and absolutely failing. "Uh… thanks but… I should… eh, I can't… I-I have to…" I struggled with my own words and glanced behind his shoulder in desperate need of my friends' help, but in horror I realized they weren't there. They weren't anywhere to be seen, and neither was the car. The paralyzing hurt spread through my body like icy, liquid metal, as fear bubbled up in my chest. They had never crossed the road behind me. They just left me here alone, in the middle of nowhere on my birthday with a freaking prostitute!

Escort.

Whatever!

"Oh, they already left." The man pointed out and I looked up at him in surprise. "They warned me an ambush would be necessary to keep you here, and I'm afraid I had no other option but to play along." He said, an apologetic look on his face. "I hope you can forgive me."

As if I could possibly ever stay mad at you.

What in the name of…?

I squeezed my eyes shut and violently shook my head in an attempt to finally wake up. When I opened them again, though, I was met with his worried ones. He probably thought I was insane. Well, good. Maybe he'd take me home an hour earlier that way.

"Look, I really don't bite." He muttered and gave me a reassuring smile. And somehow, as soon as he smiled at me, my fear whisked away like a bunch of fruit-flies caught in a heavy gust of wind. "I'm Jackson." He said then, and raised his hand between us.

Jackson.

Before I knew it, my own hand rose to meet his, and as soon as we made contact I felt as if an electrical current run through my skin, shaking me to the core. He shook the unison of our hands once, but didn't let go like I expected him to. I gulped. "I'm April."

He softly chuckled, slowly and warmly, reminding me of honey. "Yeah." He mumbled, and lifted our hands near his face. "I know." He whispered, and I could feel his warm breath on my hand, sending shivers down my spine. And then, with the smallest of moves, he brushed his lips against my skin in a soft kiss.

Was everything spinning or was it just me?

"So, April…" he trailed off. "Do you want me to take you home?"

I blinked. "Uh… what?"

His smile got wider. "I understand you don't want to be here." He said kindly. "And you should know that no one is forcing you to do anything. Whatever happens tonight will be your choice. And if what you want is for me to drive you home and leave you alone, then that is exactly what I will do."

I looked up at him in disbelief. "You will?"

He nodded. "Of course I will. If that's what you want."

I bit my lower lip. Well, it was what I wanted.

Wasn't it?

"Can I just ask for one thing, though?" His voice came out soft as he asked the question, and I noticed his body slightly leaning closer to mine. Yet, I somehow still managed to nod.

"This restaurant…" He said and pointed behind me. "Makes hell of a nice food, and I haven't eaten since this morning." He pursed his lips. "And it's all kind of already paid for by your lovely friends… I don't know about you but I would hate all that going to waste."

'Going to waste'? I huffed. Yeah right he had guessed from the single minute he knew me that I had a sweet spot for wasting food. "Did they tell you to say that?"

He seemed impressed for a second –probably because I had actually managed to form a full sentence- and then I watched his smile grow wider. Of course they told him. "I really am hungry, though." He pointed out. "And the food is pretty great. Their lasagna is the best there is."

"Lasagna?" Who on earth orders lasagna in a restaurant?

"'The simpler it is, the better I like it' -Peter Lynch." He quoted with a smile, making me raise my eyebrows. "Plus it makes you feel like home." He added and winked at me, and as expected my heartbeat flew and my cheeks flushed in response. I noticed his eyes laying over my red skin before he finally looked back into mine again. "So. Would you like to have dinner with me?" he asked, his tone sounding genuinely hopeful for some reason. But then again, he was paid to be a good actor, wasn't he? "Let's just eat something. And then if you still want me to take you home, I promise I will."

I felt something squeeze my hand, and that was when I realized that it was still in his, long slender dark fingers coming in contrast with my pale skin. I didn't know what reason he could have to still be holding my hand, but I was not nearly complaining. His touch… it felt as something natural. Something right. Which was completely irrational, of course, since he was just an escort paid to fill me with lies and make me feel good. And I had to admit that this did feel good.

Well, it was just dinner. It would be like having dinner with any other regular guy. Only I didn't have dinner with any guys, but that wasn't what I was getting at. What I was getting at was, why not? He seemed like an interesting enough guy to have a conversation with over dinner, and I would really not mind staring into those ocean eyes for a while longer. Nobody said anything about any kind of romantic stuff. And plus, I really was hungry too. "Okay." I mumbled.

His lips twisted into a crooked grin. "Okay?"

I shrugged and for the first time that night I smiled back. "Well, since it's all paid for…"

His warm and hearty chuckle rang into my ears like jingling bells and he began walking towards the door, his hand still holding mine.

And this time, I followed without offering any kind of resistance. For once, I just let go.

[A/N] Okay, I wasn't planning on posting this yet, but the lovely ladies of the one and only Japril Group Chat went a bit overexcited about it so I couldn't leave them waiting... I love you girls! I will try to update as soon as I can but with mayor exams on the way I don't know when that will be... Stick around, though, I think this story I have in mind will be worth the wait.

And please, review! I always love to hear what you guys think, good and bad.

Also, find me on tumblr - it's japrilgreys