“So what do you order?” I ask Faye, looking at the overly complicated menu.

“I get the meatballs.”

“Okay, now this is just getting weird.”

“What do you mean?” she questions me, setting her menu down.

“You said this was Vietnamese soup, what place do meatballs have in any of that.”

“Would you stop bitching?” she calls me out, and frankly, it turns me on. Setting my menu down I tell her, “You can order for me, ‘cause apparently, you know best.”

Just then the waitress walks up and sets our drinks down and what looks like a tray of grass. My beer looks so good that I take a swig of it, needing to get drunk to make it through this meal.

“What can I get you two to eat?” the waitress ask us.

“I’m gonna have the meatball pho, and he’s gonna have the number fifty-seven.”

What the fuck is that?

But I can’t figure it out as she takes our menus and walks off to place our order.

“So what, is that like code for something?” I ask her.

“No, it was on the menu. Didn’t you see most of the items were numbered?”

“No, I didn’t notice, I was a little preoccupied with all the meatballs and boba talk.”

“You wanna drink?” she asks me, sipping a huge blue ball into her mouth through her straw.

“No, thanks. I’d prefer to keep blue balls as far away from me as possible.”

She slurps another one through her massive clear straw, and I can’t help but cringe watching her chomp down on it.

“So be honest, you really only like this place ‘cause of all their balls, huh?”

She rolls her eyes as the waitress sets down our steaming hot soups. Looking down at the raw meat, I realize, I’ve been juked.

“Can I get you anything else?”

“No, we’re good.”

“You might be good,” I mumble under my breath and Faye giggles.

“You know how to use chopsticks, big guy?”

“Yes, I know.”

“Well, get ‘em out and stick your meat into the broth.”

“My meat’s not going anywhere near that broth.” She laughs and slams her fist on the table.

“Not your meat, that meat, silly.”

Taking my chopsticks, I push the meat down and watch the pink disappear; the broth is so hot it cooks it. Watching Faye squeeze all sorts of crap into her soup and tear blades from the grass that’s on the table, I just follow what she’s doing.

“Oh, so now you know what to do?”

I roll my eyes, and then together we both bring a bite to our lips.

Here goes nothing.

As I open my mouth and the first thing touches my tongue, my palate awakens. The flavor is incredible. Chewing the bite, I don’t think I’ve ever tasted something so good.

“You like it?” she asks me.

“I…I love it,” I tell her shoveling another chopstick load into my mouth.

She eats slowly, watching me, and as I consume mine in what I’m sure is record speed, I can tell now why this is her favorite.

* * *

“That was amazing!” I tell Faye, as we walk out of the restaurant.

“See? I told you, you’d love it.”

“Why have I never had it before?” I ask, grabbing her hand, our fingers locking together so tightly.

“I don’t know why, but trust me, it’s all you’ll want now.”

“I could eat another bowl.”

“Oh, I couldn’t,” she says rubbing over her slim stomach. “I’m stuffed.”

“Yeah, you really look like it.”

She bumps shoulders with me, and I laugh, letting go of her hand and draping my arm over her shoulder. She smells so good, unbelievably good, and being with her like this again is amazing.

As we cross the bridge to where we parked, the lights from downtown Seattle twinkle, illuminating the Puget Sound. She stops walking, and we both look out at the glassy water.

Standing in silence, I wonder what’s going through her head. For me, all I can think about is her; she consumes me. But for her, I worry if she’s starting to second-guess things again, so I ask her, “What are you thinking?”

“Oh, nothing.”

“Tell me?” I plead, wanting inside her head.

“It’s about Ben.”

“Okay, I still want to know.”

She sighs, remembering something and then says, “He used to come here to fish all the time. I was thinking maybe I could show Braxley how to one day.”

“I think that would be nice. Jack and I can come too.”

“I’d like that,” she says, her eyes still concentrating on the water.

“So would I.” I turn her towards me and can now see the tears that are glazed over her eyes.

“Don’t cry, Faye.” She blinks and her mascara trails down her face.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t want to get upset tonight.”

“Don’t be sorry. Please just be however you feel and let me inside here,” I tell her and touch her heart. “And here,” I lay a soft, gentle kiss on her temple.

Her arms fold behind my back, and we stand together, silently enjoying one another.

* * *

“Thank you for tonight,” Faye tells me as I pull into her driveway.

“Of course.” I put my car in park, and hate that the night has to come to an end. But she said she wanted things to start over between us, so I don’t want to push her.

“Aren’t you coming in?”

“No, I should get home.”

“Oh…okay,” she sounds surprised and reaches for the door handle a little hesitantly. “Will you at least walk me to my door?”

“Sure.” I turn my car off and follow her to her door. My heart is steady, but when she stops and looks into my eyes, everything inside of me awakens, and I know I should’ve left when I had the chance.

Her lips are slightly parted, her breath is warm as it hits me, and I’m aware getting out of my car was a bad idea. She can sense it too. Being this close with her has my blood running wild, and then she wraps her arms around my neck. “Thank you for dinner,” she says.

My cock growing from the closeness, I nod, losing my voice as she leans in pressing her body against mine. Obviously feeling what she does to me, we go to kiss, and I yank the keys from her hand, opening the door and hustling her inside. With her back against the door, I grind into her. Wanting to be inside of her so badly.

We both get lost in this passionate moment. She wraps her arms and legs around me, clinging to me. Our lips are a tangled mess, both of us wanting the same thing. I kiss her neck, and she moans. My hands are wound around her thighs holding her up, and the friction of my dick inside of my pants makes my balls burn. I set her down, and we both begin to undress the other in between kisses.

I push her coat to the floor, my tongue working hers. Her moans drive me wild. We pull away briefly and remove our shirts, standing only with our pants on, and as she starts to unbutton hers, I drop mine to my knees. The feeling of freeing my cock is stimulating. She steps out of her pants now stark naked, and I slide two fingers into her slit. Looking into her eyes for reassurance, to make sure she’s okay with this and before I go any further, she pulls me towards her by my shaft.

I let go of her sex, looking down as she slides me inside her. My cock feels like it’s about to explode and I prepare to fuck her. Holding on to her by the back of her thighs, her back is against the door, and together we move in sync.

She grips the door handle with one hand and holds onto my neck with the other with her head slumped down, watching me move in and out of her. My movements are swift; there’s nothing gentle about them as I give us what we both want. I know she likes it hard, she’s told me. Every slap of my balls against her ass echoes through the foyer of her house, followed by her sweet cries.

“Yes, Thane,” she chants repeatedly, and I don’t think I’ve ever enjoyed hearing my name like I do when Faye says it.

Grunting with every single thrust, our bodies are sweaty, and in this moment, with our eyes locked on each other’s, I pray this is the beginning of our future, because I don’t want it any other way, and I don’t want anyone else.