Sheets | Chaelisa converted

Chapter 11

Mingyu was already waiting at the restaurant by the time she arrived, even though she was early. She could see him through the front window of the store, his face half obscured by the freshly painted sign across the glass. 'Nicoletta's' was emblazoned across the glass in bright red font rimmed with white, the cursive bold and crisp. Chaeyoung grimaced a little at the name that bore a strong resemblance to someone else's, her lips immediately feeling chapped. She pushed the unsettled feeling aside as she stepped in, a small bell above the door dinging, making a few patrons glance over at her, including Mingyu. She found herself relaxing as he waved her over, a soft smile on his face.

Out of his school uniform, Mingyu looked a little different than how she was used to seeing him; a loose, light pink designer sweater pulled over a while collard shirt was hanging over his muscly body, pairing very well with the black fabric of his jeans. The restaurant wasn't fancy, so his semi-casual wear was perfect for the occasion. His thick brown hair was pushed backwards out of his face, but a few stray wisps fell against the side of eyes, which crinkled upwards as he smiled at Chaeyoung. His brown eyes were soft and gentle tonight although Chaeyoung could see a hint of excitement and nervousness in them. He really was good looking, Chaeyoung had noticed. He was a lot of things many girls would fall for, he was muscly, sharp jawline, kind eyes, and cute smile, plus his personality was just as pretty as he was.

"Sorry I'm late," she said, Mingyu just laughing, shaking his hand.

"You're still early," Mingyu said, flashing Chaeyoung a small smile, his teeth perfectly straight. "It's nice to know that you're punctual. God knows Nayeon and Sana aren't." she laughed at that, sitting down across from Mingyu. A candle flickered on the table between them, the freshly laid white table cloth scraping the tops of Chaeyoung's thighs. Her leg bumped Mingyu's beneath the table, the boy's face only changing for a fleeting moment before returning to its gentle smile, his cheeks a little pinker. She ignored the slight change in his complexion as she plucked up one of the menus from the table, eyes scanning the contents quickly, her mouth salivating. The taste of Lisa's pasta was long gone from her tongue, but she could remember its flavour so vividly.

"I think I'm gonna get the risotto," she said, brow creased before she sighed and changed her mind. "Or the prawn linguine. Or the carbonara."

"Anything you don't want?" Mingyu laughed, Chaeyoung kicking his shin under the table.

"Shut up," she laughed, twirling a stray lock of hair around her finger.

"If you want I could get the risotto and you get the carbonara? I'll let you have some of mine," He said, and Chaeyoung's eyes lit up, her cheeks warming and heart feeling lighter.

"Really?" she asked and Mingyu leaned over the table, his hand resting over hers. She gulped as his thumb ran over her skin in a slow, smooth circle. His hands were soft, the pad of his finger fleshy and hot.

"Y-Yeah, they both sound good so..." He started. His eyes trailed over her face, the smile on his own deepening as he looked down at their hands.

"Thanks, Mingyu..." Chaeyoung said, her eyes returning to his. Lashes blinked as his thumb stilled, his fingers instead squeezing her hand tight.

A brusque cough from beside their table made them both jump, Mingyu's hand retracting in a flash as Chaeyoung's darted to her lap. Her elbow hit the back of her chair and the jolt sent tingles up her arm, her eyes wincing a little. A waiter tapped on his notepad impatiently, Mingyu turning crimson as Chaeyoung looked down at the menu as if it were a priceless work of art.

"Ready to order?" the waiter sighed, his flat words sounding more like an order than a question. Mingyu nodded and quickly pointed to the two menu items with his index finger, the waiter ripping the paper out of his hands as soon as he was done jotting down the order. Mingyu and Chaeyoung were silent as the waiter walked away quickly, the tail of his waist apron flickering across his hip.