Simple Submission

Chapter 3-revision 1

“Okay,” she grinned up at him.

The waiter came to take their order.  He smiled at Aubrey not sparing a glance at Ethan.  “What can I get for you?” She smiled back as she quickly perused the menu, nothing on it had any prices. She decided on a house salad and soup, since it was surely the cheapest item on the menu. She looked up at the waiter who seemed to be staring at her chest “I’ll….” She was interrupted.

“I think we will share the Table d'hôte with recommended wine pairings.”

“Excellent choice, sir. Your first course will be out shortly, if you need anything miss, just let me know, my name is Timothy.” 

“Thank you, Timothy.” She said as she rested her hand under her chin, he winked at her.

“Christ, the staff here are insufferable this evening, I swear I am going to talk to the manager.”

“What do you mean?”

“Don’t play dumb Aubrey, he was flirting with you, and you were flirting right back!”

“I do not flirt. I don’t even know how to flirt.”

“Then what do you call that?” he said, motioning to her.

“Um, sitting?”

He huffed softly, taking her chin between his thumb and forefinger bringing her eyes up to meet his. “You are here with me and you would do well to remember that Aubrey.”

“Look, Master, you do not own me, and I agreed, against my better judgment to come on a date with you, not marry you. I mean I don’t even know your name.”

“Ethan.”

“Oh.”

“You can call me Master though.”

She narrowed her eyes at him. She didn’t hear any teasing in his voice, not even a hint of amusement.  She was about to reply when the waiter appeared with a bottle of wine and two glasses.  She didn’t look at the waiter when he approached, she didn’t want Ethan to think that she was purposefully flirting with the man.

Ethan nodded at the waiter as he left the glasses.  The waiter had seemed a bit put off when Aubrey hadn’t looked at him. Ethan was glad that she had kept her gaze to the table.  She was a natural.  When he had shown displeasure she had sought to please him.  He rewarded her with a gentle caress along the palm of her hand and a kiss to her cheek, as the waiter walked away.

She picked up her wine glass and took a big gulp, her nose scrunching. Apparently she wasn’t one for red wine, he chuckled.

“So, since you agreed to come on a date with me I can only assume that you are currently single?”

She mumbled something under her breath.

“What was that?”

“Yes, I’m single.”

He nodded. “Good.”

She looked up at him quizzically.

“Why is that good?”

“I don’t have any current competition. I prefer it that way.”

She scoffed at his comment and shook her head.

“What?”

“I don’t know of any man who could give you much competition, Ethan.”

“You flatter me Aubrey.”

“I still don’t understand why you asked me on a date.  I was fairly certain, and had convinced myself, that you were playing a practical joke on me and were going to stand me up.”