Dancing through life

Dinner

Eventually I give in change my shoes and off we go. We hail a taxi and Ricky gives the address. I nervously wring my hands together, I'm not very comfortable at the moment and with my cloth I feel so insecure. Suddenly I feel a hand grab my hands and still them. His thumbs stroke my hands and I can't help myself, I look up into his eyes. They are so blue I could drown in them. He looks reassuringly at me and says.

"Everything is alright you don't need to be nervous. You are beautiful just the way you are."

I blush a deep crimson red at his words. I look out the car window to try to cover it, but I'm sure he has seen it. Our hands are still linked and it seems as no one of us wants to let go.

After some time we arrive at an little lovely Italian place. It looks so sweet little wooden tables with white red checkered tablecloth. We enter and take a table towards the back and sit down. Soon a waiter arrives to take our order. I order a pizza with salmon and spinach and a water. He laughs at my choice and orders lasagna, boring. normal lasagna. When the waiter leaves I turn to Ricky and say:

Me: " Don't you dare laugh at my choice of food, the mix is delicious."

He surrenders and says:

Ricky: "Have I said anything?"

Me: " Just you wait with your boring lasagna."

Ricky: " Ok, ok I understand no jokes about your food. So now that we are here, feel better?"

I look around and I notice there are not much people around that's what comforts me the most. No one to judge me about my attire. I look back at Ricky and notice that his eyes are still on me. I smile at him.

Me: " Yeah it's alright. Not many people here to worry about. So I think it is fine. Want to talk music?"

Ricky: "Yeah sure. Battles are round the corner and I already know which song you will be singing and with who."

He tells me with a devil gleam in his eyes. He knows I'm curious as hell and I want to know more than anything.

Me: "Please tell me please please. I'm so nervous about the next song because I can't choose for myself."

Ricky: "I think you will be alright with the song. The artist is kinda unexpected and I think normally not your kind of music. But the song suits you so much."

Me:" So tell me already I know you want to. When you tell me I tell you a secret of mine."

Ricky: "Hm let me think a moment. A secret for a secret? Seems like a good deal. Ok I take it." He leans to me and whispers in my ear "You are going to sing I knew you were trouble by Taylor Swift and your battle partner will be Jade. So now shoot I want to hear your dirty little secret."

I smile at him "Who has said anything about dirty? I have no dirty secrets I am always the good girl. What you don't know about me till now is that I can also play the guitar. And now back to my song. Taylor Swift? Really? I'm not a girly girl. You knew that already why should I like this song?"

Ricky: "Have you heard this song before? Here one moment."

He grabs his phone and soon the first notes of a song fill the air. I listen to it carefully. And Ricky is right the song is really good.

Me: " And this is really Taylor Swift I can't believe it. It is so different to her other songs. I think now I trust you to choose my songs."

He grins at that. Our food arrives and we dig in. It's really good Ricky hasn't promised to much.

Over dinner we talk more about the voice and our schedules. Rehearsals for the battles start in three days. And then we have three days to prepare for the battles. I'm so exited now. The evening slowly comes to an end and I dig in my pocket to grab my wallet,  but soon my hands are once again stilled by another hand. I look up at him with raised eyebrows.

Ricky: "It's on me. I told you I would invite you, and when I invite a beautiful girl to dinner they don't have to pay."

I shake my head at his cuteness. He is so sweet. I wonder if this is his real self. I mean there are no cameras, but who can tell.

Me:" Thank you, that is very sweet of you."

Ricky: "My pleasure." 

We stand up and he helps me into my jacket. What a gentleman. He stands behind me and leans down to whisper in my ear. "That really was an amazing afternoon and evening." Goosebumps erase on my arms and I shiver slightly. We walk out of the restaurant into the cold evening air and I start to shiver more, I should have taken a warmer jacket with me. Suddenly I feel something cover my arms and shoulders. Ricky has shed his jacket and hung it round my shoulders. It smells so nice. I'm in heaven. As I shook out of my trance I say: "You shouldn't have now you must be cold please take it back it is not far to the bus so I can cope." 

Ricky turns to me and grabs my hands. "Your hands are like ice cubes so don't tell me you can cope. I don't want you to freeze to death. I can cope without my jacket my hands are still very much warm as you can feel. And forget about the bus I already called a cab it should be here soon I'm taking you home. I don't let a beautiful young woman find her way home alone. If anything would happen to you I couldn't forgive myself. And hush don't say anything because this is the way it is." 

I really opened my mouth to protest but I closed it again after I heard that. He rubs my hands between his larger warm hands and puffs warm air onto them to get them to warm up. I'm so flattered I don't know what to do with myself, so I only stand there and look at our joined hands. When I look up into his eyes I'm transfixed I can't look away and truthfully I don't want to. I have no idea how long we stand together like that, he slightly leans down to me but unfortunately right at this time the taxi arrives and the moment has passed. 

We climb in the taxi and I tell the driver my address. The car journey is spent in silence but our hands are still linked. When we arrive Ricky tells the driver to wait a moment and then leaves the car with me. I feel like on a date he brings to my door. I grab my keys from my bag and turn to him "It was a beautiful evening thank you very much Ricky." He leans down to me, kisses my cheek, lingers a little longer then necessary and then moves to whisper in my ear again. "It was for me too. And I very much hope we can repeat it some time soon. Sleep well Sky." He turns and walks back to the cab. I'm rooted to the spot I watch him get in the cab and drive away but I can't seem to get myself to move. After sometime it seems like hours I turn to my door open it and get inside.