(A/N I never formally give Alesa a "face" because I want you guys to feel like you can "be her" that you yourself are the main character. I give the visuals of what she's doing/wearing etc to make it easier to visualize. But I wanted the reader to be able to imagine themselves as her. I know I am as I'm writing it. Lol 😉 enjoy)
"Shall we?" He asks holding out his arm, for me to grab ahold of. This snaps me out of my trance. I take it with no hesitation we walk outside of my apartment. He holds the door for me, and he opens the door to his car for me as well.
He then jogs to the other side and settles into the drivers seat. And we're off.
"Red is you favorite color" there he goes again thinking he knows me. But I mean it's true.
"Correct, I love it. It's a color of power." I say taking a quick glance at him driving with one hand on the wheel. And the other arm perched on the gear shift. He looks so laid back, and effortless. I couldn't believe he was actually...real.
"I love it on you too" he says looking at me, lowering his sunglasses with his index finger.
"Eyes on the road" I say while not trying to crack a smile from his compliment. He laughs and turns back. Soon we arrive at the restaurant. And Thomas comes around to my side to open my door, he extends his hand to help me from the low sitting car.
Once I'm out Thomas gives the receptionist his name and we enter. He places his hand on the small of my back in an attempt to guide me to the table. The ambience of the restaurants as exquisite. I loved the atmosphere. It was beautiful to say the least, the ceiling, the chairs, the people.
I didn't realize Thomas was watching me so attentively.
"What is it exactly that your gazing at?" He asks as he pulls my chair out for me. I sit and answer his question.
"The flow and setup. I love the decorations, it's like we're sitting outside but inside simultaneously. And the lighting is just perfect. Light enough to see what you're doing. But dim enough to be in a romantic setting." I continue to ramble about the inside until I stop myself.
"Sorry, that's the designer in me coming out. Everywhere I go I make note of how things are laid out, my likes, dislikes." Thomas just nods along with every word I'm saying.
"So you're a designer?"
"Well yes, and no. Yes, because I do make a lot of my own things. No, because according to society, I haven't yet "made it". I say with finger quotes. Just then the waitress comes and asks what we're drinking.
"We'll have Cristal"
"Right away" the waitress turns to me and breaks her smile and walks away.
"I'd like to see some of your designs" his gaze is so striking I wish he'd just look away.
"Your champagne sir."
"Thank you, WE really appreciate it." I take the liberty to respond to her, she was doing what she was doing on purpose. Even though this isn't a "date" per say, we came together. It's rude to just ignore me. Thomas is just looking at me, stare at the waitress. She breaks the silence.
"Okay well are you all ready to order?" Thomas gestures to me to order first.
"I'll have the Filet Mignon special, medium rare, please." I say handing her the menu.
"Great, and for the gentleman." I'm looking at her and how she unbuttoned her shirt since dropping off the champagne. I just smile and look away. Back to admiring the restaurant. I guess I was dazed in thought, because I hadn't even hear Thomas repeat his question.
"Alesa?"
"Oh I'm sorry, what did you say?"
"Your designs...I'd love to have a look." He says drink some of his champagne. How does he even make THAT. Drink champagne like so seductive.
"Um well, you actually have seen one already, the Swarovski Crystal costume I was wearing at the club, I made that."
"Really?!" He asked with a shocked but impressed look.
"That was amazing, it looked like a true designers work. It looked extremely expensive, and the detail. You did a superb job." I was flushed at his compliment. Nobody really takes the time to admire the details, and certainly not a man at that.
"Thank you, I really appreciate that" I say while drink some of my champagne.
"So what is it you do?"
"I own MarTech, I like to "be the boss"" he says with air quotes. I realize he's doing that because of what I said earlier.
"Eh or you just like to be in control, and demanding."I say looking at him over my champagne glass.
"To an extent. I'd say it's more of, knowing what I want, and obtaining it by any means necessary, kind of thing. And you know Alesa, it's not such a bad thing to be...dominant. Y'know, having someone under you, wanting to please you."
Just then the waitress comes back with our food. And thank goodness she did because chile. I can just tell this man don't play. The way he was talking I just know he was hinting to something other than running his company.
"Filet Mignon, for the lady. And Sautéed Mushrooms and Truffle Salt Crostini for the gentleman. If there is anything, anything whatsoever I can do to please you, don't hesitate to let me know." She says eyeing Thomas.
This has got be a joke at this point.
"Yes we will, that will be all" he says shooing her away with his hand.
"She wanted to "please" you. Isn't that what you want?" I ask fake confused.
"Not from her" he says completely serious. Like staring into my soul.
"So Alesa, how long have you been dancing?"
"You can say it, stripping. For about a 3 years now, but I've been dancing in general since 7."
"Well I don't see it as stripping"
"That's what it is though, I mean it's funding my dream and it's easy money, and I make a decent amount of it at that, it's putting me through college, and gives me money to send to my mom. Which is extremely important to me."
One thing about me is I ramble so much, too much even. I instantly regretted telling him my business, I spoke too much. He doesn't need to know about what it is I'm doing, or why I'm doing it at that.
"I admire that, you're determined, and you're doing well for yourself, what is it your in school for?"
"Major in Apparel deigns minor in entrepreneurship."
"You want to own your own business."
"Yup, my own store front right here in Seattle. As well as my own clothing line, I want to sell it in house. I can't wait to graduate, I'm literally so close." I say giggling. Thinking about graduation, and finally starting on my dream makes me ecstatic.
"Do you think you'll continue to dance when you've graduated?"
"Well, I'd like to stop but that's my whole income, and nobody just get a job. Especially in the fashion industry straight out of college. That's unheard of."
"You can do it. And having men gawk at you, we don't want that."
"We?" I say puzzled, I don't mind it. And why would he care.
"You're not the one being stared at, so it doesn't affect you in anyway. And I don't mind it, they don't get to touch me, the way I see it is I'm the art, and the people that watch me are the gallery."
"But it does affect me when they're looking at what I want."
He says it like it's nothing. It just rolls off his tongue, so nonchalantly. I just look back at him. He never breaks eye contact. The waitress came back, she just keeps saving me, but at the same time pissing me off.
"Save any room for desert?" She says only looking at Thomas again.
"Oh yes plenty of room, but what I want isn't on the menu." He says looking at me taking one last drink of his champagne.
"Um, okay well I'll be right back with the bill." She walks away
"Why would you say that?" I say rolling my eyes
"Say what? They don't have ice cream on their menu" I roll my eyes at him saying that.
"You know damn well you weren't talking about ice cream"
"Didn't I tell you that rolling your eyes isn't proper etiquette, especially not at the table, I'll have to teach you."
The waitress returns with the check and Thomas pulls out $300 and slaps it in, while handing it back to her.
"Come back and see us." She says biting her lip. We exit the restaurant and Thomas opens my door.
"Okay now for desert, I know a really good ice cream shop."
"Well what are we waiting fo." Before I can even form my sentence Thomas peels off like we're playing Midnight Club. And the pull from the car pushed me back.
"Was that necessary?"
"Well I didn't want to keep you waiting." He says with a smile.
We arrive at the ice cream shop and like clockwork he was on my side of the car opening my door and helping me out. We get inside and I instantly look around at how adorable and quaint it is.
"Hello welcome to Cool Mess, my name is Chelsea and I'll be assisting you guys on your ice cream journey." Ice cream journey? They must really get into their work here.
We sit down at one of the stations and Chelsea explains what it is we are supposed to do.
"Okay so you guys are in charge of creating your ice cream, from the flavor, to the toppings, I'll supply you with the milk, we have Various options and the flavor of ice cream powered you'd like. When you're ready you place everything into the blender, and then add ice, once that's finished you'll put in your ingredients and vaw-la. You've become ice cream artists." I smile at this because it's such a cute creative concept.
"So any particular milk"
"Do you guys have vanilla oat milk" I ask her.
"We sure do. Any particular ice cream flavor you favor"
"Hmm...Y'know. I'm really...really in the mood for some chocolate, I've been craving it." Thomas says in a low growl, while looking at me. I think the waitress caught his drift.
"Okay, well I'll go ahead and grab what you folks need." she says laughing
"Really..."
"What can I say...I love chocolate...ice cream."
"Yeah, Ight." I say rolling my eyes laughing. I could hear him about to say something about it but he was cut off
"So, here is the milk, here is you chocolate powder, and here is the ice. So I'll come back to check on you all, and offer you need help if needed."
"Thanks you so much." I say with a grin. She walks away.
"Eeek, I'm so excited" I say clapping Thomas just laughs. But I haven't been able to just be a kid for so long. The pressures of adulting is annoying.
"How do you know about this place it's so cute"
"I suppose it is, a friend of mine owns it, he's very adamant about family, he wanted to own a business where he could bring his kids, and have fun with the whole family."
"Oh wow, that's very admirable. I love the whole concept. I would've never thought about doing something like this." I say while pouring in the milk
"How much chocolate powder do You think we should add?"
"I'll pour and you just tell me when." He says. He proceeds to pour and I stop him at about a cup. Then I add the ice and blend it. We were blending for about two minutes before we got the perfect consistency.
"Perfect" I say
"What toppings would you like?"
"Whatever you like is fine with me."
I walk to the back of the store, to fill up our bowls with toppings. I may have went over board but hey🤷🏾♀️. It's ice cream.
"Okay so I got brownie bites, cookie dough, Oreos, white chocolate chips, milk chocolate chips, gummy bears and sprinkles"
"You're going to put all of that in there" he asks raising an eyebrow
"You said whatever I want is fine, and you're gonna eat it either way."
"Well you're right about that, I am gonna eat it." We pour in all the ingredients and we have to use the spoon to mix it in.
"Do you want to spoon or shall I."
"You really think you're so hilarious." I say grabbing it out of his hand. He really thought my reaction was funny because he was dying. Chelsea comes back
"Oh wow that looks great, gummy bears in chocolate, I've never thought to try that. Okay now this is standard for all our first time visitors"
she pulls out a Polaroid camera and motions for us to bunch together. Thomas snakes his arm around my waist and I hold the ice cream up.
"Okay 1...2...3" she snaps the picture and hands it to me. I set it down while we wait for it to develop. I grab a spoon for myself, and one for Thomas and we dig in.
"Oh wow, this is so fucking good." I say rolling my eyes in the back of my head. And I wasn't even trying to be extra I don't think I've ever had better tasting ice cream.
"It is really delicious." He says licking his finger. After a while of just eating and talking. It was almost 12 A.M. we'd just been in there for hours talking. So we say bye to Chelsea I thank her for being such a good host, and I tip her $50. She really was super sweet.
We pull back up in front of my apartment and I look at the Polaroid.
"Oh wow, our picture looks great, but you're not even looking at the camera." Thomas was looking at me in our picture, his eyes filled with lust.
"I'm looking at what I want...the ice cream." That made me laugh. He was so corny, but the picture really was cute. Thomas wanted me to keep it.
"You can frame it, put it by your bed, so I'll be sleeping next to you."
"Yeah way to ruin the moment." I say laughing, I go to open the handle of my door but Thomas stops me. He insisted on walking me to my apartment. No matter how much I protested. We finally reach my door.
"Alesa,I want to see you again." He says taking both my hands to his lips and kissing them. Then he just walks away. And I enter my apartment.
I'm laying in my bed and I can't help but wonder who this man is. Like I've never heard of him until...well this morning. But that facade he puts on, it's not who he really is. I don't have time for a man, I have a career to worry about. I don't want men, I want cash.
A/N okayyyyyyy guys, girls, and non-binary friends. How did y'all like this chapter?? Thoughts? I know I was like no this waitress didn't just do that, not in front of Alesa. I know the lead up is slow, but I promise a lot more is in store, I have so many ideas 😉