'Lunchtime'

As I'm walking to the cafeteria, I pull my phone and Nick's card out. You know, I've always been terrible at making phone-calls–especially when I have to call someone that breathes authority. Now that I'm thinking that way about him, I begin to stare at both the card and my phone. I lose track of where I am and stop in the hallway. While leaning against the wall as if I'm waiting for a bus or something, I suddenly hear, "Hey Ivy!" Gina.

I look up at her and see she's checking out the card in my hand. "What's that?" she asks. I quickly put it away, "Nothing. It's just a business card." She folds her arms, "Riight...I saw the name 'Francis' on there." She looks expectant now. I'm expressionless–For the most part. "So...?" I shrug slowly. She rolls her eyes, "Okay fine, I'm going to get some coffee. Just so you know, I won't be in the cafeteria this time–I've got a date with Doctor Michelson." Oh... I grin. He's only the hottest doctor in the entire ER...

"No no no," she laughs, "It's not like that."
"Okay... Sure. If you say so." She then glances ahead of us at the cafeteria and grabs my shoulder, "Look." "What?" I follow her gaze. Oh my! There's Nicolai–Walking out, drinking a red power drink, seeming deep in thought. Has he really been here that long? What has he been doing for the last few hours? Playing the piano as he said? If he didn't leave, I must say he has tons of patience.

I inhale deeply, the jitteriness returning.
"That guy from the Lounge n' sip; I wonder why he's here..." she says.
We watch him throw his drink away and then I whisper to her, "I'll see you later."
"Oh! Yeah, okay. Let me know how everything goes." She says.

I walk up to him and he bows his head in greeting.
"Ivy, good afternoon." I study him, a smile shortly appearing on my face.
"Hi...good afternoon to you too."

He smirks at me, "Has it been a long day?"
"Hm," I barely laugh while turning my head down a bit, "It's been interesting. And yeah, a little."
"You must be starved." He waves his hand out, gesturing me to lead the way.
"Yeah." I nod briefly and start walking.

The room's crowded–just as I thought it'd be. Nick seems to be either excited about it, or he's just happy we're eating lunch together in a place he would consider close to being normal–or 'casual', he'd probably say.

We go to the grill, and before I can order what I want, he orders the most expensive things on the menu; lobster salad with some steak. The last thing is the main course. I look at him like 'are you out of your mind?' It's not because the food is expensive, it's because he's buying me lunch. I'm so not used to that. The girl behind the counter gives us our food and me a wow look as we go pay. Oh, whatever lady...

Nick glances at me like he wants me to lead, so I pick a place for us to sit. Just to see what he would do, I choose a romantic-looking place where there are lights over our heads. He doesn't really notice it; instead, he behaves like this is just a random place to sit. I'm a little bummed by that but I don't let on.

He smells his food and smiles, "Hmm...smells delicious."
I smirk at him, "Yes...thank you again." He raises an eyebrow in a 'you don't need to thank me' way. I merely smile in reply to that.

"So..." he says as he takes his Styrofoam cup of tea, "How are you doing?"
"I'm fine... and you?" I drink some of my cola, not actually fine; I'm ecstatic to be with him and I feel complete again.

"Quite well... I played the piano as I said, took a trip into the gift shop and bought a few little neat trinkets." I slowly smile, now becoming amused with the idea of him 'shopping'.

"What'd you get?" I ask. He grins down at his food, "It is rude to present things at the dining table..." he raises his eyes up to me, "Isn't it?" My smile vanishes; now I'm a bit taken aback.
"I suppose you're right." I say.
"Indeed." He takes a bite of his food and then hums in satisfaction, "This is good for hospital food." Seeing that he's happy with it, I lightly giggle.

"Eat, eat!" he tells me. "Okay!" I take a forkful and try some. Instantly, I feel like I'm in heaven. Oh, this is so good!

He leans back in his chair in a proud sort of way, holding a fork in one hand and a knife in the other. With another giggle, I wipe my mouth and notice his eyes are glistening with humor. It's almost like he hasn't made this face in a very long time. I don't understand why.

"You know, I didn't get to thank you or Walter for letting Gina and I stay for the night and for the great hospitality that was shown to us." I pick through my salad.

"Oh," he dabs a corner of his mouth with a napkin, "You are quite welcome."
"If Dmitri were there and you weren't, do you think things would've been different?" I ask.
He takes a deep breath, "Mr. Vladoiu can be a generous man but he is very, very private..." he then smirks, "He does have a soft spot for beautiful women though." Oh does he...? I blush.

"Is that so?" I ask, "Well...what if a woman that could be a supermodel shows up for the same reason I did?" I gotta hear the answer to this one...

He puts his silverware down and leans forward a little, eyes darkening in a devilish way, "I don't think you would want to know what he would do with her." My cheeks redden even more. He looks at my mouth as I bite my bottom lip. He stares at it until finally returning to his meal, "Bah... he is an old man. He is just nicer to women. But he is rarely at that castle, so it is I who deals with the 'uninvited guests' when I am there, that is–If they get past Walter."
I start to laugh.

"What?" He doesn't get it. I slightly point at him, "You make Walter sound like a mean 'guard dog'."

"Oh..." he thinks for a moment, then he shakes his head in amusement, "Yes, I see what you mean now..." He laughs with me.

When we slow down to a stop, I say, "So you're surrounded by old men; how old are you exactly?–If you don't mind me asking?"

"I'm 32. How about you?" He says. Whoa, he's 10 years older than me! I expected that, yet at the same time–I didn't.

"22–I'm 22."
"You are a baby." He teases. I roll my eyes, "If you say so."
"A cute baby." He winks. I smile stupidly at that, "Thanks..." I'm being sarcastic. A fox-like smile curls up at the corners of his lips, resembling a hungry wolf, and his eyes are even more intense now. He looks down at his food and says, "I bet you would be tasty." Wait, what?! "Excuse me?" I lightly gasp. How forward! And that look! Whoa...

He clears his throat, "I mean my lobster salad." He takes a bite of it.
I turn my head slightly to the left, staring at him strangely, "Oh...?"
"Yes, it's delightful." He says. Ohh-kay...

"So, do tell me, how was the boat ride back home?" He asks. "...It was good... Leonardo didn't talk much but his sister was a little friendlier. Thanks." They're a little weird in my opinion.

"Hm," He sounds like he expected me to say something like that. Yeah...well I'm still wondering about what he said just a minute ago. My cheeks are hot and I have to admit my stomach jumped. That smile he showed sent shivers all up and down my spine. Yet again I'm trying hard not to squirm in my seat.

My phone goes off. Both he and I look around.
"Hang on, I'm sorry–I need to check this." I glance down at it and see that Gina left a text about her date. Here I thought it was important, but no–It's not.

As I go to tuck it back in my pocket, I feel him grab my other hand. I quickly look at him. His eyes are glowing bright blue. "Oh my-" He tilts his head slowly. "Morning coffee at Lounge 'n Sip?" His voice is quiet and smooth. I gasp, and oddly...the air is feeling slightly heavy all of a sudden. His eyes... They're so...

His lips move but I hear a woman's voice replacing his, "Of course you want to agree...Ivy..." She's very soothing to the ears. So soothing–It's like a tender caress.

"Of course...I'd love to." Slowly, I smile. He smiles back genuinely, "Great. What time do you go to work?"
"I clock in at 9 tomorrow."

"Wonderful. How about 7:30?" He calmly asks.
A bit surprised, I say, "You get up early..."

"Oh," he laughs, "I have a bit of insomnia. It's something I am used to."
"...I couldn't really sleep last night." I mutter, still staring into his eyes, and he slightly tilts his head. "Bad dream...?" He asks, voice seeming quieter... and deeper.

"Yeah...it was frightening yet quite an interesting one." Wow...

His eyes stop glowing as he says, "Hm, that's unfortunate... maybe you can tell me about it later." I blink slowly in awe of him, "Okay..." I form a puzzled face. I feel like something just happened but my mind was elsewhere when it took place. What could it have been? I know I agreed to meet up with him at the coffee place but there was something about it that was spectacular. Damn, what was it? And I really want to tell him about that dream I had but now isn't the time.

"Good." He says as I look around in a baffled way.
"Nick, did something just happen?" I turn back to him.

Finishing his food with a few more bites, he says, "What do you mean?" I watch him, then slowly do the same. There is something really strange about this guy. I wish I knew what.

He pushes his plate aside and smiles at me, "Well! I'm finished." "Me too." I say. Time to come back down to earth perhaps...

"Allow me," he takes my plate while standing up, pushing his chair in. "Oh! Thanks."
"Not a problem." he gestures me to follow him away from the table, and I do. We go to the trash conveyer belt and put our leftovers there, then find our way out of the cafeteria.

We stop outside and he takes my hand, and quietly says, "I look forward to our first official date Ivy," he brings it up to his lips and kisses it softly, looking into my eyes all the while...just like before at the castle. My heart flutters–Not only because of his hot touch, but because of his mannerism. I gulp as my throat goes dry, "...Me too." He straightens his posture and smiles at me; that warm genuine smile that takes my breath away. He nods once and walks on. I put my hand on my chest and rub the place he kissed. My mind is in a whirl right now.

"Oh my gosh..."