Fireworks

Eva and a couple of women brought their food and smiled warmly at them.

"Enjoy, if you need anything else let me know"

"Thanks Eva," Rhys praised, giving her a swoon smile.

"You're the best."

Eva clapped her hands in glee. "Ah, I'm so happy you're here now."

She said before she left.

Once Eva left, Beatrix looked at the dish. She saw vegetables, mushrooms, meats and poultry, fish and certain food she had no idea what it was surrounding the big pot.

Beatrix bit her lips and her brows furrowed when she saw the chopsticks. How was she going to use that?

"Rhys, how do we use that?" She asked, pointing to the chopsticks.

Rhys picked his own and showed her, "Place first chopstick between pointer finger and thumb; balance it on ring finger."

Beatrix picked her own and followed his instructions.

"Second place the chopstick between the pointer finger and thumb; rest it on middle finger." He continued and she nodded once she was done.

"Then use your thumb, pointer and middle fingers to grasp the second chopstick firmly. Index and middle fingers do the lifting. Use your index and middle fingers to close chopsticks over food."

He finished and picked a vegetable to show her how it's done.

Beatrix's eyes glinted with excitement as she tried to pick a small mushroom but failed.

She pouted and her shoulders sagged in disappointment.

Rhys pinched her cheeks, "Are you going to give up in life at your first trial of failure?" He scolded softly.

Beatrix shook her head, "Of course not. I'm not a quitter!"

Rhys chuckled as he watched her brows furrowed in concentration as she tried again to pick a vegetable this time but she failed again.

She sighed, "It's harder than it seems."

"Here let me help you."

Rhys grabbed her hand and her heart thudded in her chest. Beatrix licked her lips and tried to focus on him teaching her how to use the chopsticks, not on how good he smelt.

His breath was warm and it smelt delicious as it

brushed against her skin. Beatrix fisted her left hands by her sides in order to keep herself from doing something stupid, something like taking his jaw in his hands and smothering his mouth with hers.

Okay maybe she would be able to do that only in her imagination but you get the picture?

"There." He said when they picked the vegetable.

Beatrix blinked, "Oh! I picked it!" She beamed with excitement.

Rhys chuckled, "Yeah, try it all by yourself."

Beatrix followed his instructions seriously this time and she got it. She picked the chopped carrot and waved it in front of him.

"See Rhys, I'm so smart right?"

She said, taking her lower lips in between her teeth waiting for his affirmation.

"Yeah, my little mouse is the smartest." He said and pressed a soft kiss on her forehead.

"Let's eat. This is called Sichuan hot pot. It's very spicy so get ready to get your tongue numb."

"Well if it gets numb, you're here right?"

She stuck her tongue at him and giggled.

Rhys stared at her quietly and as if time had slowed she could swear she saw her happiness reflected in his tender gaze.

"Hmm." He replied as the corners of his lips curled up into a smile.

********

After they had finished their food, Beatrix was a dying mess. When she said she wanted something spicy and hot she wasn't expecting this level of hotness and spice!

Right now she looked like a freak with red faces and tears springing from her eyes.

Six glasses of water and an orange juice she was relatively calm and her mouth didn't feel like it was about to explode.

She turned to look at Rhys whose eyes were glinting with mischievousness and glared at him.

"H-how come you're so calm and not affected?"

Rhys shrugged, "Let's say I have experienced something spicier and more hot than this."

Beatrix arched her brows at him but she kept her quiet.

"More explosive than fireworks, right?" He murmured an amused look on his face.

"I thought a kiss was the one which is supposed to be more explosive than fireworks? Not like I will know I mean I have been kissed-by you of course but I have never actually seen a firework before to know if it's that explosive. You-"

"What? Seriously? You haven't seen fireworks before?"

Rhys interrupted her.

Beatrix shrugged, "Yeah. I have seen it on TVs and all that but not in you know real life." She muttered.

Something flashed in his eyes, and before she knew what was happening, he pulled out his wallet, threw a few bills onto the table and grabbed her hand like it was the most casual thing ever,

"C'mon, I've got to show you something.

"What? Now?" Beatrix questioned, feeling the rhythm of her heart pace up as he dragged her out of the restaurant.

"Yeah. Now."

"Where are we going?"

He spared a quick glance at her and smirked, "To give your fireworks then we will know if it's my kisses that are more explosive or the hot pot or the fireworks."

*******

Fifteen minutes later, they stopped at an abandoned building with a huge padlock and metal chains were placed on the gates.

Beatrix had no idea where they were but seeing how Rhys was busily opening the locks like he had been doing this for years she knew it was nothing good.

A few seconds later, when a click was heard, the lock, as well as the metal chains fell to the ground.

Beatrix bit her lips, "Rhys isn't this illegal?"

His lips pulled into a grin and shrugged, "Nothing is illegal until you get caught."

He said as he opened the doors to reveal boxes. He opened one and took a couple of red cylinders.

"Explosives?!"

Beatrix's eyes widened in shock. How did the night come to this? Weren't they eating hot pot and now explosives?

"Yes love, do you want to light it?" He asked, looking excited.

"What?! No!"

"Relax love, I'm right here. Nothing will happen. Trust me you will love it! What is living without a little risk?"

He winked at her and Beatrix fidgeted contemplating his words.

Today was all about living so there was no turning back now.

"Alright! I hope we don't end up in jail though."

"No and even if we end in one, my brother will bail us out."

He said as a matter of fact like his brother had been doing it every day.

He threw her the matches, "Ready to lit up my world love?"