Page 84 of Their Courtesan
Laughing, Seth released her hand and snaked his arm around her midsection. “Now come on, I’m sure that there’ssomethingyou want to do, fair Judith. We have all afternoon to do whatever we want.”
She stopped in front of the next shop. “Buy me some ice cream.”
“You got it.”
It had been a long time since Seth was out on a date like this, and he doubted the last one felt so good. Few women made him feel so comfortable, and Judith had the magical ability to make him so at ease that he almost made a fool of himself multiple times. Kissing her. Touching her. Tucking her stray hairs back into her loose ponytail and straightening out her bag so it fell comfortably at her side. He wanted to take care of her. To make her feel as good as she made him feel. He wanted to hear her opinions on this shopping district, on that restaurant, on that elderly couple holding hands as they shuffled out of a penny theater. When Judith dripped ice cream on her hand, Seth snatched it and kissed away the vanilla droplets. As she smiled, the elderly woman passing by asked her husband, “Why aren’t you that sweet with me anymore?” He informed her that if he could, he would cover her in ice cream and lick it all away. They continued down the sidewalk, laughing.
“Now that’s my kind of old couple.” Judith crunched into her cone. “You ever think about where you’ll be when you’re that age?”
“No idea.”
“Me neither.”
Seth tucked more of her hair back. It was an excuse to touch her face and nothing more. “All we can do is prepare for the future. We don’t actually know what’s going to happen.”
“Pragmatic for an artist.”
“I was a doctor first.”
Judith held her ice cream to the side so she could lean in and peck him on the lips. “You’re sweet, Seth. I mean it. This is the most low-key date I’ve ever been on, and I’m already having a lot of fun.”
His heart warmed to hear it.
Seth could’ve done the usual rich guy routine with her. He had done it with other women before, and God knew he watched Zack and others do it on a constant basis. He could dress Judith up in a beautiful gown. Take her to the fanciest restaurant in town. Take her to the opera or any number of galleries he was familiar with. Parties. Soirees. Galas. There were a million opportunities to show her off to the world, even though most of those other men had probably seen her at the work before. Seth wasn’t bothered by that. What hewasbothered by was how much fun she was having… or not. To hear her say she was having fun was what he needed to smile back at her.
Women he took on the circuit were for appearances only. To remind the world that he was a heterosexual male who was capable of socializing. These kinds of dates were different. They were forhim,first and foremost.I would give up every gala for the rest of my life if it meant having more dates like this one.He pulled Judith into a deep, satisfying kiss right in the middle of the sidewalk. Normally he would deride PDA, but for the first time in his life, it felt right. Necessary.
Judith was the first one to break away. “I’m glad I got to come out on a date with you,” she whispered. “I’m looking forward to more.”
***
He took her home for dinner, having already bought enough groceries the day before to feed Cox’s army. Judith stood on the stoop of his townhouse, taking it in – and taking pictures. “Chelsea loves this kind of old architecture. She’ll go crazy for this.”
She took more pictures of the interior. Seth never thought much of his décor before. It was minimal as a result, but at least there were paintings and prints he considered special. Judith squealed over his Picasso originals. Seth didn’t have the heart to tell her that having a Picasso original wasn’t a big deal, especially for an art collector.
While she wandered around his spacious townhouse, Seth started dinner in the kitchen. One of his favorite dishes to make was Greek spaghetti, complete with capers, olives, and feta cheese. The original recipe didn’t call for fresh tomatoes, but he always added those in lieu of a lot of sauce anyway. On the side, he made an autumn salad of squash and pumpkin, sprinkled with lemon juice and a pinch of vinegar. By the time his concoction was cooking on the stove, Judith was sitting at the counter, demanding he cook faster to satiate her empty stomach.
“When are you going to show me your paintings, hm?” She nodded to the one door that remained closed. He had allowed her to snoop in all the others, including his bedroom. “I’ve only seen that one you gave me. I want to see the whole collection.”
“Later. After dinner.” Seth had planned that out too. “Do you like garlic bread?”
“Do I like… are you going to load me up with some carbs or what?”
Grinning, Seth pulled the bread out of its box and found the garlic butter in the fridge. “Don’t get to eat this many carbs usually, huh?”
“Do you remember what I do for a living? I’m not in my early 20s anymore. I have to watch the carbs, sodium,andsugar. The chefs at the Château are good, but… I get tired of lean protein and whole grain brown rice all the time.”
“Vegetables are okay, though?”
“Vegetables are totally okay.”
Seth set the table with red china dishware and long tapers. After lighting all three, he dug through his small but extravagant wine collection and pulled out the first red he saw. Judith whistled to see the make and vintage.
“Good tastes, Dr. Christens.”
He winked at her. “I’m with you, aren’t I?”
She brought the salad and bread over to the table. “I see your point, and it’s a good one.”
