Page 64 of One Night

"Because you might like one of the other ones better." I hold out my fork, which I've loaded up with spaghetti and sauce. "Try it."

"I don't like sausage. It's always got that gristle in it that's hard to chew."

"Not this one. You might like it. Just try it."

She sighs, then leans forward and parts her lips just enough for me to slip the fork in her mouth, which for some reason I find arousing. I've never fed a girl anything but now I'm thinking this is something I should add to my repertoire.

She closes her eyes and chews, then smiles slightly as she opens her eyes. "It's good."

"Better than the marinara?"

"Hmm. Maybe."

"You want some more?"

She sets her fork down and leans forward again.

"Hold on." I get up and go to the other side of the booth and sit next to her.

"What are you doing?"

"I can't reach from that side." I slide my plate over and load up another forkful of spaghetti and hold it up to her.

"I can feed myself." She tries to take the fork from me but I don't let her have it.

"It's more fun this way." I chuckle when I see her cheeks turning pink. She's embarrassed because the older couple at the table next to ours is giving us strange looks.

"Dylan, go back to your seat," she says in a hushed tone.

"This IS my seat. Now have a taste." I hold my fork up.

She quickly takes a bite. "Yeah, it's good. Now go sit over there." She points to the other side of the booth.

"I like this side better," I say, going back to eating my spaghetti.

She picks up her fork. "This is totally breaking the rules. We shouldn't be out like this."

"Forget the rules. Obviously the universe wants us together so we might as well be together."

"I'm pretty sure the universe is not involved in this."

I stop eating and turn to her. "Do you really think that?"

She pauses, her eyes on her plate. "No."

"So stop fighting it and just go with it."

Turning to me, she says, "Okay, yes, I agree there's something going on here. Some cosmic force that keeps bringing us together, but that doesn't mean we can't take some time apart to get to know each other."

"I can't get to know you with just the letters. It's not enough. We need to see each other. Spend time together."

"We can't."

"Why not?" I set my fork down and turn to face her.

"Because we can't..." She drops her voice to a whisper. "We can't stop ourselves when we're together. Alone."

"We were alone together yesterday and we didn't do anything."

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