07:00 PM
"197, 19th floor... must be here." I look at the text message on my phone.
I knock twice.
He opens the door, the first thing I noticed was, he had taken off his jacket and his tie, leaving 2 buttons open and I had a glimpse of his chest. Part of me, wanted a glimpse of more.
"Good evening." He repeated, catching me staring at him.
I blink nervously. "What? Hi! Didn't even see you there!" I'm a terrible liar.
He smirked and made way for me to enter, the ultra modern apartment was smaller than I had imagined. For some reason, I always thought Theodore was a man of extravagant tastes and gigantic spaces. But no, it was a small modern minimalist space, almost like an apart hotel.
"私の家はあなたの家です."*
I stare at him pleasantly surprised. "I never heard you speaking Japanese before, what does it mean?"
"My house is your house." He smiles amused.
"So I brought us some stuff, I'm gonna make you real food and you're gonna a take shower." I say, tapping lightly on his chest as an excuse to feel the gym results and I kiss him.
Theodore grabs my hands and he stops, before we skip dinner.
"I'm scared." He joked.
I kick him to the shower and get started on the stroganoff, one of my favourite dishes and the perfect comfort food for our first night in. Thankfully, he had a wine stock at home.
Once everything was set and the food was on the stove, I sat on the kitchen counter killing time on my phone while I waited for Theodore, it was still a little surreal to me our whole situation.
"Should I be concerned why it smells so good in my living room?" He finally walked out, matching a light grey sweater and sweatpants, his hair dripping to his shoulders and he was barefoot. I loved this relaxed side of Theodore.
"It's what real food smells like." I joked.
He opened the lid, picked up the wooden spoon and tasted the stroganoff.
"Oh my god, I could eat this every Sunday." He said with this mouth full.
"Every Sunday, Ha!" I chuckle.
Dinner went by very quickly, I was pleased to see Theodore actually liked my stroganoff, being one of the few dishes I knew how to cook. The more I spoke to him, the more I loved talking to him, our conversations had substance and it didn't feel like I was a smartass like Paul used to call me, we were equals.
Once the wine bottle was finished, he held my hand in the dim lights of his living room, slightly wine tipsy smiling at me.
"I never thought wine made you this beautiful."
"It took you a whole bottle to realize that." We both laughed.
"I noticed that the moment I saw you at that bar, Maddie."
"When are you going to Shanghai?" I asked.
"Next week, I have to go to Tokyo first then I'm going to Shanghai. I really wish you'd be my plus one." He admitted, wine confessions.
I smiled, there was no way I could go to Shanghai with him.
"It's late, I must go. I told my parents I was with Julia." I said getting up and getting ready to leave.
"How many times Madison?" He asked me in a soft voice.
"It's just a white lie and it was just this once, plus I don't think they would agree to this, like ever."
Theodore sat quietly on the table, looking at the empty glasses with a heavy expression. It worried me.
"Are you sure you want a relationship with me Madison?" He questioned me seriously.
"Of course."
"Then what if they see me with you on the streets? Will you lie I'm Julia too?" He was on his feet now, crossing his arms against his chest.
"Jesus Theo, no! Please don't go that way."
"Please understand my position Madison, I'm 42, it's not everyday I have someone 20 years younger than me wanting a relationship. Put yourself in my shoes, I know this was once but I wonder, how long is once going to happen?" He sighed. "I'm not looking for games, understand please, I don't want to go to bed tonight slowly falling for you or day dreaming of someone, who in the end is gonna change her mind and realize I'm not who she wants."
He was right. Absolutely right. Even I, would've thought worse.
"Don't convince me we make sense, if you're going to lie to other people." He finished in a low tone.
"I was giving some time Theo but you're right, it's not worth to keep on dating if it's not actually going anywhere. I'm not hiding you and I don't want to." I take a few steps to be closer to him "I thought about Shanghai, all day. I just couldn't figure how to escape from home, so... What better way to ask for permission to Shanghai than introducing my boyfriend to them?"
Theodore's puzzled expression said he didn't believe what he was hearing.
"This Saturday, 1 pm, I want you Theodore Jason Han to get your butt to my house."
Look at this snack: