The Perfect Gift

Ch. 15

"Neens, after that lecture you gave me last time, I don't think I'll ever forget," he says with a snort.

She chuckles a bit sheepishly. "Sorry."

He joins in on the chuckling. "It's alright. I love it when you get all feisty."

Nini grins and lets him continue in silence for a while, before she starts thinking back to dinner.

"Did you have fun? Meeting my friends during dinner, I mean?" she asks curiously.

"I think they got to know me better than I got to know them," he admits with a small laugh. "But they were pretty cool," he says. "We should hang out with them again some time soon."

She twists around in her seat and gives him a suspicious look. "Really? You mean that? Or are you just saying that?" she asks, clearly ridden with paranoia. She turns all the way around now, so she can properly face him with her questioning expression.

He moves the comb away and lifts an eyebrow at her. Half her hair is slick and smooth from his combing while the other half is still a frizzy, tangled mess. It should look ridiculous, but he thinks it's oddly endearing and she's just as adorable as ever. "I wouldn't lie to you, Nini" he says bemusedly. "I like them," he says earnestly, tucking a combed lock of hair behind her ear. "Kourtney is sarcastic and cool and Devon is a chill and funny guy. And they weren't nearly as volatile as you made them out to be."

She gives him a look. "I made them promise to behave themselves tonight. They'll slowly leak more and more of their crazy as they get to know you," she says in a grave manner.

His eyebrows shoot up. "Ah. I see," he muses quietly. He tilts his head and looks at her. "Well, what about you? Did you feel like tonight was a success?"

She nods happily and beams at him. "Kourtney hasn't texted to tell me how much she hated you, so you did well." She pats him condescendingly on the cheek, giggling at his eye roll. She's about to pull her hand away but he catches it in the palm of his. His head turns to the side and his lips press a quick kiss to her palm.

"Couldn't disappoint my girl," he murmurs against her skin.

She feels him smiling into her palm and she grins as their gazes meet. Her pupils flit back and forth as she studies his eyes, staring unwaveringly back at her. Everything about this moment, from the way he's looking at her, to his hand covering her own, to his lips still pressed against the inner lines of her palm, makes her heart come to a stuttering stop, makes her forget how to breathe, makes her want to concentrate on this moment for however long it will take to ensure a precise and accurate recollection.

Something in the back of her mind tells her that she'll have to make room for future memories to come.

Ricky slowly brings their hands down to rest in her lap, his thumb brushing back and forth along hers as they sit in a comfortable silence.

"So... would now be a bad time to tell you that I heard everything when you guys were out in the hall?"

Her smile drops. "Everything?" she squeaks.

He nods and smirks cockily at her. "Uh huh."

Nini's eyes widen and she covers her face with her hands and whines feebly. "Why are my friends so crazy?" she whimpers. Her head shakes from side to side in a slow, agonized manner.

"I pretty much loved them before they even stepped foot into your apartment."

Her whining gets louder.

"They've got excellent taste in men."

******

Really, it's all Ricky's fault that she's running late and has to use the elevator this morning.