Operation Impressing Stella: Attempt 1

[Stella]

She raised an eyebrow and picked up the menu looking over it a bit of panic rising in her. Most of what was there was a complete mystery to her. So she just searched for something that looked safe.

"Well hopefully when I'm old" she smirked over the menu at him, "you'll be too busy taking care of me that way you won't have time to die"

[raydensharpola]

Rayden laughed at the scenario she painted.

"Maybe we can both look after each other. You know I feed you you feed me that kinda stuff. It'd be a way to keep our relationship as fresh as today." He perused the menu, deciding on what to order immediately. The waiter appeared again to take their orders.

"I'll have French Onion Soup, Lobster in cream sauce, chicken with truffles and creme brulee."

"And the madame?" The waiter asked, turning an inquisitive face at Stella.

[Stella]

She giggled a little imagining them as an old man and woman. It would be a rather lovely way to spend their last years.

Stella froze as the waiter turned to look at her. If Rayden had been a normal eater she could have just said to give her whatever he was having. But there was no way she could eat that much and she wouldn't waste his money by over ordering.

"Rayden" she said a bit flustered glancing down at the menu again, "why don't you order for me?"

[raydensharpola]

Rayden looked at her flustered face and chided himself. He wasn't attentive enough to her, or he would've seen her discomfort earlier instead of making her embarrassed. Maybe he'd overdone it a little by bringing her to this restaurant.

"Give the lovely lady the same as mine, but leave out the chicken with truffles." Rayden said to the waiter, remembering that she'd just had chicken on their first date. Since she had said to order for her he assumed that she didn't have any allergies to seafood.

The waiter retreated from the table, taking the menu from them. Another approached with a wine list, and after picking some kind of white wine from Winhill (he wasn't really practised in this kind of thing) Rayden glanced across at Stella apologetically.

"I'm sorry Stella." He leaned across to clutch her hand. "If I knew coming here would make you uncomfortable I would've picked a cosier place..."

[Stella]

She watched Rayden as he ordered their phone and then a nice sounding bottle of wine. He looked so at ease as if he did this sort of thing all the time. If he was trying to impress her it was certainly working.

"I'm sorry Stella." He said taking her hand which made her heart start fluttering all over again. "If I knew coming here would make you uncomfortable I would've picked a cosier place..."

"Oh no.. no I love it" she said shaking her head as she felt his fingers wrap around hers. She smiled at him wanting him to know she wasn't lying, "You're right everyone should get to eat at a place like this at least once in their lives. I'm really happy to be here with you"

"I'm a little out of my element that's all. I'm not used to being treated so well, I don't really know how to act" she confessed looking down at the table cloth an embarrassed flush taking over her cheeks.

[raydensharpola]

"Just be you." He grinned at her flush. "You don't have to 'act' around me. And to tell you the truth..." He leant across the table so that he could whisper and not let his words get lost in the air. "I learnt all this from watching movies and searching the internet, so I'm as bad as you are." He smirked conspiratorily at her.

[Stella]

She looked up at him leaning in so close to her and she felt a smirk turning up her lips in response. His words were sweet to her ears and he couldn't have said anything better to get her to relax.

"Tsk, you're not supposed to tell me all your secrets, how are you going to impress me that way?" She said playfully as she squeezed his hand. Well if he wanted her to be "her" then she was going to do just that.

Under the table she moved her foot just a little so it was resting agaisnt his. Remembering their last date she ginned a little.

[waterlily43]

"Hey if I were to pick I'd choose making you comfortable over trying to impress you anyday." Rayden said in a half-serious tone but meaning every word he said. "Or do you prefer those kind of guys who think the only way to impress their dates is to bring them to all the expensive places? I'm better than that." He said snootily, cocking an expressive eyebrow at her.

He barely contained a yelp when he felt a foot nudge against him.

"Princess." He hissed softly. "Just because you have the upper hand cos I can't slip out my foot easily here doesn't mean you can take advantage of it." He frowned deeply, trying to contain a laugh. "If I wasn't afraid of getting kicked out--"

A discreet cough interrupted him. Rayden turned to see the wine staff with the bottle of white wine in his hand.
Rayden let go of Stella's hand reluctantly and leant back, letting the man pour their wine delicately, after doing all that wine-sniffing and swirling stuff that he'd learnt hastily at last minute.

The man retreated with a respectable manner, and Rayden turned to Stella again.

"That is one of the stuffiest things I've ever experienced. Maybe it's a good thing you're not used to such restaurants or I would've embarrassed myself in front of you." He smirked.

[Stella]

"Well we could have been embarrassed together because I had no idea what you two were doing" she said with a giggle as soon as the wine guy had left leaving them alone again. Being a good girl she simply let her foot rest next to his not moving it at all.

"You fooled me," Stella grinned across the table at him reaching out for his hand again, "I figured you just knew what you were doing. All that sniffing and swirling... I prefer to drink my wine"

"A toast then," Carefully she lifted her wine glass looking at the white liquid settled in the bottom of it. She looked up at him meeting his gaze.

"To us" she said quietly.

[waterlily43]

"To us and many other dates ahead of us." He grinned in his most dazzling manner and clinked her glass lightly, then brought his own to his lips draining it at one go. Oh he wasn't sure if he was supposed to do that but he thought Stella wouldn't mind.

"I prefer to drink my wine too." He laughed softly. "But I dunno I guess I wouldn't want to have a disapproving look on that wine server's face ruining our evening. At least I didn't stuff my foot in the mouth by attempting to describe the wine." He rolled his eyes. "I propose that we only do this kind of thing on very special occassions like 25th anniversary." He smirked. "Because based on past experience you probably prefer restaurants where you can sneak-attack my foot without getting kicked out."

[Stella]

She chinked her glass agaisnt his with a smile and then took a dainty sip. But he was really going for it so she tipped her head back and downed hers as well enjoying the taste as it slid down her throat.

"25 years huh? you plan on being with me that long?" she said playfully, smirking, her eyes sparkling as she looked across the table at him.

[waterlily43]

"What? You don't plan to or something?" He looked, astonished, back at her. "What about that part about us growing old together? You think we'd grow old without 25 years passing us by?" He shook at finger at her. "I may not look like it but I have far sight." He said proudly. "This is the only way I can recoup my 'investment' to the full value. Haha."

[Stella]

She laughed a little and looked down at her dress with a grin. It looked so pretty under the fancy lighting in the restaurant. Pale and white making her really feel like a Princess.

"I don't really plan on anything," her voice was so soft that she was worried he might not hear her, "but I wouldn't object to many years with you in my future"

"Your investment" she ran her hand over the dress lovingly. "Words just aren't enough to thank you for all of this... but I have something in mind for later that just might do"

[waterlily43]

"What is it?" Rayden went all googly eyed in anticipation. It was like giving him a gift to be unwrapped later. "I hope it doesn't interfere with our programme later though." He smirked mysteriously.

Another discreet cough that sounded almost identical to the one the wine server gave interrupted again. The waiter had arrived with the first course.

"French Onion Soup." He announced with a professional smile, pretending that the patrons of the table didn't have their hands linked together. He placed the soups in front of Rayden and Stella, then retreated.

"No wonder they call this a Gaian Star restaurant." He raised an eyebrow at Stella. "I thought he would be all disapproving at this." He raised the hand linking with hers a little. "I guess the concept of snooty waiters is so pre-Adel era."

He squeezed her hand gently. "So you're thinking of finishing the dinner holding my hand all through the three courses? I wouldn't mind but it might be a tad inconvenient."

[Stella]

Luckily the food arrived so that she wouldn't have to endure anymore prying about her thank you later on.

She flushed in embarrassment when she realized she was clinging to his hand pretty desperately. Her cheeks were hot under the lights. Knowing her she probably looked like a giant tomato. Reluctantly she slid her hands from his.

"Sorry" she mumbled looking down at her soup. Carefully she picked a spoon up off the table and inspected the stuff in the bowl before she tried it.