Last Date

January 3, 20XX (Thursday)

Zhao Manor

Mei Li paid with a grinning Yang behind her. The CEO had been teasing Mei Li about being his sugar mommy. She had smacked his shoulders to quiet him when the waiter took the bill and her credit card to the cashier. A large grin of happiness replaced Yang's usual annoying smile for the whole day.

They went out of the restaurant with full stomachs and Yang's arms wrapped on her waist, and his chin rested on top of hers. When they went back to Yang's Maybach, Mei Li had memorized Yang's smell since the CEO's arms refuse to separate from her waist and she can smell his perfume like she was the one wearing it. It was only when Mei Li have to sit on the passenger seat that Yang had let go of her.

At first, Mei Li had paid no mind to his tactile touches. But in the middle of their walk, she had a sudden realization that intimate actions with him are an everyday occurrence now. When they had met in Paris, Mei Li would evade him and would try her best to stay away from him.

"When are you moving to the condo?" Yang broke her train of thoughts with this question while starting to drive out of the restaurant's parking lot.

"This Sunday," Mei Li replied, grabbing his phone and entering Mother Zhao's birthday in his password, then turned on the soft piano medley that Yang is starting to hate. Why is she always listening to Yiruma? Mei Li had been playing the piano pieces by Yiruma every minute of every day. He had long been bored with listening to the same piano songs. Now, he drowns the sounds of repeated piano music with his deep and loud thoughts of her.

"Do you need me to change the furniture?"

Mei Li immediately answered, "No need, Trisha and I are going to revamp it with her friends that need some extra cash."

Yang's eyebrow twitches. When had she and Trisha Fuller become so close? They do work together for the interior designs but he was with her almost twenty-four seven, yet he wasn't that comfortable with talking to her as Trisha does on the phone. Must be something that women only understands.

"You need help?" He asked after a little while of silence.

Mei LI immediately agrees, still playing on his phone, "Sure, but it's going to be dirty."

Yang reply contained a joking tone, "I'm not afraid of dust and dirt."

"I'm not questioning your manliness!" Mei stuck her little tongue out, immediately realizing that he was baiting her.

"I didn't say that you were," Yang retorted.

"But you implied it," Mei Li claimed.

"What I wanted to imply is different than what you said."

"Shut up and drive," Mei Li tried to pinch Yang's left hand on the steering wheel, but the CEO noticed it and moved his left hand. Mei Li's right hand awkwardly touched the part of the steering wheel where his hand was. Yang, suddenly, took Mei Li's right with his left hand and placing a quick kiss on the palm and then the back before he let go to concentrate on driving. Honestly, he could drive with one hand only, but he will not risk Mei Li's safety just for a stolen kiss.

Mei Li smiled feeling nostalgic at their banters in Paris, and a little shy that their verbal showdowns are more intimate now than back then. They touched more frequently too, and Mei Li had found that she wasn't opposed nor dislike it. Having his warmth in this cold weather is a blessing in disguise. Mei Li had also realized that she also initiates most of their intimate touches and would sometime be bolder than him. She could not remember when it had started. Mei Li believed it began after he comforted her from the nightmares caused by her temporary paralysis and fire. What surprised her more is how comfortable she found herself when spending time with him. She had asked him on a date purely for curiosity's sake on the new vegan restaurant that she was recommended to try, but she did not expect that the person who popped out of her mind to accompany her was Yang.

Meanwhile, Yang's thoughts become certain. He had been struggling with himself between waiting for a couple of months or taking the plunge and asking her to be his girlfriend. Yang had even asked suggestions from his mother and his little sister, which both women were not helpful as they had started to squeal and gush and were not making sense to him.

But this day had given him the greatest encouragement he needed to take the plunge and dive into deeper waters in her heart. He had teased her, and she had not complained. He had touched her skin in every possible way, and she had not repelled it. He had behaved like a child, and she had taken care of him. He had stolen blatant kisses, and she had smiled.

After she is settled down on her new condo, he'll ask her to be his girlfriend, but for now, he'll need to think of ways to do so, and he badly needs to make plans on how he is going to tell Chang Min.

Hopefully, he can make it out alive.