The Love Algorithm - Vol. III

【35】Birthday Girl

"Baby, it looks so good! Lasagna has got to be one of my favorite dishes ever."

"Yeah, I know. You told me a while back. Since I couldn't exactly practice, I've been studying various recipes. But it didn't all go as I planned."

My heart tripled in size in my chest, and I went to chase away his scowl with a thankful kiss. "I'm sure it'll be perfect, Lex."

"Hmm... We'll see."

Well, after a few forkfuls, I had to admit it wasn't perfect. But it was still pretty damn good. It was a little too dry, could have used a little more salt, and the bechamel sauce had tiny lumps. For a first attempt, though, it was impressive.

When I asked for a lasagna refill, I clearly saw the reassurance in his eyes. How could this man even have insecurities? It made no sense to me, since everything about him was utter perfection.

Did he perceive it the same way when I suffered from anxiety and insecurities about us? If he loved me as much as I loved him, which I truly believed he did, he probably found me just as utterly perfect, and didn't see anything wrong with me.

Our three weeks trial had gone smoothly, without a single wave. We were highly compatible together, and living in the same place was easy, like breathing. Although, I did make some efforts, and kept things tidier than I would normally have, made the bed when I was the last one up, making sure there wasn't a wrinkle on the sheets, and tried not to leave a mess behind me in general. But while I was doing it for him, out of respect for his preferences, those were good habits that I was happy to work on.

As for himself, he made time for me, so we could watch a movie together in the evening, indulged in my occasional antics, and had even set up a game consoles station in the small living room. We sometimes played together, and while I didn't have any proof, I was almost certain he purposefully let me win more often than not.

Yes, living with him was a fucking dream, and I was impatient to see what we would be like in a month, a year, a decade... By his side, I would evolve to become the best version of myself I could be, and it was the same for him. We balanced each other out, brought out the best in one another, and would thrive from it all.

Once lunch was over, I joined him in the kitchen to help him clean up. It was an absolute mess – which was understandable given his lack of practice in the kitchen. Lex tried to argue, insisting this wasn't an appropriate birthday activity, but I dismissed his worries. Not only did I not mind, but I also wanted us to move along to more unpacking. We'd eaten much later than usual, and given the boxes we had left, we'd just have enough time for a long bath together if we wanted to be on time for our reservation.

I'd been intrigued by this restaurant for months now, so there was no way I'd let us miss it.

• • •

My expectations were met, above and beyond. Sweet baby Jesus, Moroccan cuisine might move up to become one of my favorites.

Adding to the delicious food, the place was absolutely magnificent, which was why I'd wanted to eat here ever since I'd first glimpsed at the lush decorations of the restaurant. I'd never been to northern Africa, but I could entirely believe I was there. The smell of exotic spices, the music in the background, the decorations... A couple of belly dancers, with beautiful traditional outfits and golden coins that tinted with their every move, were dancing in the room, going from table to table to entertain the clientele.

The place was much fancier than what I was used to, but a birthday girl deserved a treat. Lex had insisted that he'd pay for the dinner, and I hadn't fought him on it. It was complicated to wrap my head around just how rich he really was, but my understanding was that he was filthy rich. Basically, the bill for this would be the equivalent to him as me buying a BigMac – if even. If the man wanted to spoil me for my birthday, I wasn't about to refuse him this. And really, we'd be sharing everything, eventually. Much more than his apartment.