Milk (closed for heartofcourage)

Susan had never had a kiss before that sparked such electricity down her spine. She practically melted as Dominic gasped before returning her kiss. She sighed softly, her eyes fluttering close as his hands reached to cradle her cheeks. She didn’t want the moment to end, but soon the kiss was ending, her eyes were opening back to reality and she was being pulled into that little smile on his lips.

“Promise?” She said softly as he slowly released her face and wrapped her shoulders up in a strong embrace.

That hug was what she needed to feel whole. It felt good, almost too good, and before she knew it, her cheeks were painted pink again. She shivered as she wrapped her arms around him and buried her nose against his neck, letting the warm scent of his skin seep into her senses and further calm her nerves.

The sound of someone clearing their throat had her jerking away and she turned her sheepish gaze towards the man that was introducing himself. She’d never seen him before but then again she’d had very few run ins during her career with the crew from HR.

“Yes. My employment was terminated last night and I would like to clean out my locker. I figured it would be easier than it has been so far.”

Dominic smiled at Susan, reassuringly squeezed her hand, and nodded, before he fully turned to greet the HR representative. The man wore a clean suit, and carried a cool, distanced, expression on his face as he returned Dominic’s handshake. Now that he was facing him, Dominic could get a good view at the man’s aging face, green eyes, and receding line of hair, which already turned from dark brown to light gray in several spots.

“Dominic Morris, I’m a friend of Mrs. Quinn. I’ll be open, I’d have never thought that this simple task could have turned into such an unpleasant experience. I guess we don’t need to state what happened, but apparently some of Susan’s former colleagues want to really rub it in, not even stopping from verbal abuse.”

For a second, Dominic thought about bringing up the situation they had had with Frank, but eventually decided against it. Such a discussion would not get them anywhere, just unnecessarily prolong their stay at the hospital, and make them look like troublemakers. Instead, Dominic took a deep breath and recited his statement again.

“We’re not here to stir up any trouble. We’re just going to grab what we need to get, and then we’ll be gone again. I’d really appreciate it if we could get through this without any further incidents. I know that it’s probably impossible to not run into any of her former coworkers, but perhaps your presence for a couple of minutes could help keep things civil and professional. I think getting this sorted out in a clean way is in the best interest of all involved parties.”

McAllister looked from Dominic to Susan and let out a sigh, nodding his head. He turned around and gestured them to follow him, leading them towards a staff-only corridor.

“Yes, of course it is. Mrs. Quinn, I'm aware of the situation and circumstances of the cancelation of your employment. Please follow me. I’ll see what I can do.”

With his left hand he retrieved a small mobile device from a pocket. While he looked up which locker was assigned to Susan, he stole a glance at her and shook his head barely noticeably. The small group quickly made it to the changing area’s main locker room. Even though they ran into several people who obviously knew Susie, the presence of the HR manager kept most of them silent.

Susan had a hard time keeping her head up but with her hand held so tightly by Dominic she certainly did a good job of faking it. Only he knew how she felt and when she was afraid that the panic would grow too great, she squeezed his hand tightly and then slowly released it. She glanced at him once as they walked through the hallways and saw his confident gaze. It gave her hope that she would get through this in one piece.

She had never seen a more welcome thought then that of her locker. Under the watchful gaze of the HR manager, she undid the lock and pulled open the metal door, looking at her things that rested inside. The first thing she did was pull out her book bag, handing it to Dominic before she started to pull her extra set of clothing and items from within. Carefully, she placed them in the bag and when that was filled, she started to fill her purse that was there as well.

It only took about fifteen minutes before everything was cleaned out. She took a moment to pull her coat on, sighing as she felt warm for the first time all day. Glancing at Dominic, she offered to take the bag but the way he held it told her that he had no desire to hand it over.

“I think we’re finished.” She said softly, glancing towards the HR manager to let him know that she was done getting what she wanted.

Dominic helped Susan with cleaning out her locker as best as he could. He held her book bag when she handed it to him, carefully slinging it over his right shoulder, and lent her a hand whenever she needed one to hold something, always asking if he could help her with something. After quarter an hour, she said she was finished, pulling her coat tighter against her body and glancing to McAllister. The HR manager simply nodded, and held out his mobile device to her, the screen showing some form sheet.

“Very well. Now I only need a confirmation from you that you retrieved all your possessions and that nothing belonging to you remains in the hospital’s property. After that, I’ll accompany you back to the entrance and then you are free to leave.”

Dominic was standing next to her, his arm around her shoulder holding her close, while the man explained the last step of their visit. Dominic released her so that she could easily sign the form, and a minute later, they were being led back towards the foyer. He held Susan’s hand all the way, not letting go of it. Finally, they were back at the security desk, where McAllister retrieved their visitor passes and signed them out, while Frank kept his mouth shut with the HR man around. Wishing them both good luck and saying his goodbye, McAllister turned away and disappeared into another staff only corridor.

Not wanting to stay a moment longer than necessary, Dominic took Susie’s hand and guided her back to the parking deck. On the way, he gently squeezed her hand and looked at her, hoping to see any signs of relief on her face.

“Are you okay, Susie? It’s over, you’ll never have to come back here. They can’t hurt you any more.”

Susan took the mobile device that was handed to her, looking over the sheets that she was being asked to sign. She didn’t see anything that could come back later and bite her in the ass, so she gladly signed what she was asked to. She handed the device back to him, glancing over at Dominic as he stood beside her like a faithful friend.

As they were being led back through the halls of the hospital, he held her hand, her own fingers gripping his tightly. They would get through this together. Nothing more would happen in this place, she thought to herself as she handed back her visitor’s pass and allowed Dominic to escort her out. She let out a long breath, trying to figure out just how she felt.

“I guess I am.” She said softly, glancing over at Dominic for a long moment. “My entire life I’ve wanted to be a doctor and I guess it hurts that the chance has been taken away from me, but I’m glad to be out of that situation.”

She tried to give him a smile, knowing that it wasn’t quite sincere. She wanted to show him that she would be alright in time. She just needed some space to think. Reaching up, Susan gently touched his cheek, her eyes looking into his for a long moment.

“I’m really glad that I met you, Dominic.” She said softly, hoping that he returned the sentiment.

Dominic listened to her when she told him about her situation. He could only imagine how disappointed she had to be, now that her dream of becoming a doctor was pushed out of her reach. When Susan reached up and touched his cheek, he met her gaze, looking into her dark eyes, and putting his own hand on hers.

“And so am I, Susie. Nobody deserves to be treated like you’ve been treated. I… I only hope I can offer you a good life. I’ll try my best to make you happy.”

Dominic pulled Susan then into a welcoming embrace, hugging her and softly rubbing her shoulders with his hands. It just felt so good to hold her, the sensation of her soft body pressed against him. He took a deep breath, and smiled when he smelled a whiff of her own scent mixed with that of his shower gel from earlier. A long moment later, he released her from his embrace and looked at her, meeting her gaze again.

“Come, let’s go. We have no business here any longer.”

A few minutes later Dominic had retrieved his car from the parking deck, and they were back on the road.

“Okay, where to now?”

Susan smiled for him as he told her that he was glad that he met her as well. She felt a pull in her belly, one that was slightly painful and she let out a whimper as Dominic pulled her into a welcome embrace. She sighed softly, her arms wrapping around his body tightly as they simply held one another. She heard him inhale, taking in the scent of her hair and instead of being creeped out, she let out a little moan for him.

When he let her go, she looked into his eyes with a nod and took his hand, allowing him to lead her towards the parking deck. After they were back on the road, he asked where to now. She thought for a moment and then glanced at him with a smile.

“You know, I think I’d like to go out for a good lunch. There’s a good diner next to my apartment with amazing home style food. I’m sure you’d like it.” She said with a smile, brightening up for him as she reached over and held his hand. “And I’ll pay this time.”

Dominic looked at Susan a bit confused when she mentioned lunch, stealing a quick glance at his watch. Time had passed much more quickly than he would have thought, and it has already been two hours since their breakfast.

“Oh wow, time really flies. Wouldn’t have thought that it’d be already lunchtime. That place sounds great, and I’d gladly try their food.”

Then she mentioned paying the bill this time, and Dominic’s eyebrows furrowed in an instant, despite the wonderful feeling of her holding his hand. He turned his hand so that they were holding each other, softly squeezing hers.

“Susie, you really don’t have to. I appreciate the gesture, but please, let me pay, or at least let us split the bill. I don’t want you to spend your money for me, not after you lost your job. You don’t have to do anything to repay me in any kind of way. What you agreed to help me with is worth more than all the cash in the city.”

Dominic smiled at Susan, his eyes carefully gauging her expression. He hoped his statement did not hurt her, but he was just thinking about her future. She had lost her job, and it would probably be a long time before she could get another one. So for the time being, every dollar she spent would come out of her savings, and he did not want to accelerate that drain if he could help it. He turned his focus back to the dashboard of his car for a moment, and set up the diner Susie had mentioned as destination. The computer’s voice again stated the estimated travel time, telling them that they would arrive at the place in about 25 minutes.

“I can’t let you always pay for things, Dominic.” She said softly, squeezing his hand as he turned back to the dashboard for a moment to set up their destination. She smiled to herself, thinking about the kind man that her new friend was. He stood up for her, he did things that not even her own family would do for her…it made her heart clench in the strangest way.

“So…besides what I already know about you, tell me about yourself.” Susan said, looking into his eyes with a smile on her lips. “I think it only fair that I know a little bit about you, Dom.”

If she knew more about him, it could lead to things in the future. She could see a future with Dominic, the kind where they were romantically involved. Why are you thinking about that, she scolded herself. There is no way this man would ever want anything to do with you. Still, she tried to be optimistic about the future and the thought that this kind man would choose her out of everyone else filled her with a kind of hope that was very rare these days.

Dominic looked at Susan, considering her words. The amount of money he would spend on covering her expenses would still be miniscule compared to what he earned, so he had little reason to let her live off her savings while she was staying with him. However, they would have more than enough time to discuss that particular topic once they got back home later. He did not want to ruin the apparently good mood she was in right now with such a discussion, so he just nodded and returned her smile.

“Okay, Susie. You pay lunch this time.”

Her question about himself took a bit off guard. Dominic knew he should have expected it, considering they would be living together for the next several months – if not years – but it still came quite unexpected.

“Uhm… I guess I should have expected that question, shouldn’t I? Okay, let’s see… I’m almost 41 years old. I was born in Payson, Arizona, a small city just about 140km northeast of Phoenix. I went to school and college there, and then joined the University of Arizona to study Molecular Engineering. I finished with a bachelor’s degree and started working for Versa-Life. Actually, I’ve been working for them before, as a part-time lab assistant even before I started studying, but once I had my degree I could join the company as an actual engineer.”

Dominic took a deep breath before he continued. It was quite an unfamiliar situation for him, telling someone else so much about his life.

“I’ve been with Versa-Life ever since, for the past 19 years, and worked up my way through the ranks. I started out as a junior engineer, proceeded to associate, then senior. Eventually I made it to lead engineer, and was promoted to the chief level just two years ago. While working at Versa-Life, I got the chance to get a master's degree extra occupational, with the company helping me a lot with it. What else…? Well, my parents are still living in Payson. My mom’s still working as an accountant for the city’s small airport, but she’ll retire next year. My dad’s been a cop for pretty much his whole life, but he went on pension 4 years ago. They have a wooden house on the north end of the city. I think you’d like it there.”

The last statement made him stop and think for a long moment. At some point, he would have to visit his parents. Would he bring Susie along? Or rather, could he bring her along? Would she want to come with him? What would he tell his parents who she was? A whole bunch of questions started moving his train of thoughts off track.

Susan’s smile grew large as he finally relented to her buying lunch. She fought off the urge to lean across the car and kiss him squarely on the lips. She found herself fighting that urge a lot lately for some strange reason. He had such a perfect, kissable set of lips. The kind that would feel amazing not only on hers but elsewhere…

Susan shook her head, her dark eyes showing her surprise at such thoughts. She couldn’t figure out where the came from and she actually blushed as Dom started to talk about his life before he had met her. It didn’t surprise her that he had something to do with engineering. The technology in his apartment attested to that and she smiled as he talked about his work and then his family. He didn’t mention an ex-wife. He didn’t mention children. How did a man like him make it 41 years without one?

“I’ve never been to Arizona. In fact, I’ve never been out of the city.” Susan commented as he seemed to go off into his own thoughts. “I always thought it would be fun to travel, but I’ve never had the chance or the finances to even think about it. Such is the life of a doctor though…”

There wasn’t much else to tell him about her life. She had brothers. She had a father. They all still lived in her childhood home, but she had broken free a long time ago. She liked her independence and she liked exploring the world on her own. That would change, she thought as she considered what living with Dominic would be like.

Dominic’s heart sank a little when Susie told him that she had never been out of the city. Something inside him wanted to just take her hand and run off with her, showing her the world and all its wonders. It saddened him to hear that she had never seen anything but this city. Dominic turned his head, looking at Susie again, and smiled softly.

“I’m sure there’s something we could do about that some time. Perhaps next year? I’d be glad to take you with me on vacation. Of course only if you want to come along.”

Dominic then took a deep breath as his thoughts returned to his family, his eyes lowering as he continued to speak. Susie had asked him about his life, so it was only fair to tell her of that dark chapter as well. It was still hard for him to talk about what had happened all those years ago. He knew that at some point, he would have to let go, but until today, he never managed to do so. Dominic had to start the sentence three times before he got a hold on his emotions. Only barely did he manage not to tear up.

“There was… my parents had… I also had a younger sister. Her name was Lisa. We were ten years apart, and I think you’d have liked her. She was always so outgoing, so cheerful. She got addicted a couple of months after Milk first showed up. We knew nothing about the drug back then. Her condition got worse daily. In the end she… she killed herself. She died in my arms. I couldn’t do anything to save her.”

Dominic’s voice was trembling as he finished. He was looking out of the window, not daring to face Susie. Taking another deep breath, he tried to calm down, trying to push the painful memories of that day aside again.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to... I can imagine what you're thinking now.”

“Oh…Dom…” Susan said softly as he told her the story of his beloved little sister. “I’m so sorry.”

She took his hand and held it tightly, rubbing her hand over the top of his as he looked out the window. She could only imagine the pain that he had at losing his sister in such a horrible way. She had seen many women go down that road. Hell, she herself had even tried to end her life by jumping off that bridge last night.

And here was Dominic, perhaps the most kindhearted person that she had met in her entire life. He looked so sad, trembling with his emotions and she wanted to do nothing else but wrap him up in a tight hug and rock him until the terrible images went away.

“I’m not thinking of anything but you, Dom. It’s horrible to watch a young girl go through that kind of thing. I can only imaging what you were thinking last night when you came upon me on the bridge.” Susan reached over and touched his cheek, turning his tear filled eyes towards her.

“And I will make you this promise now…no matter how bad things get with this addiction, I will not make a decision without talking to you first.” She said softly, knowing that he probably wished that his sister had promised him the same. “Besides, I kind of like hearing you opinion on things.”

Dominic blinked back the wetness in his eyes as Susan cupped his cheek. He followed the gentle force of her touch and turned his head to look at her, still struggling with his emotions. Dominic softly put his own hand on hers, before taking a deep breath.

“Thank you, Susie. You can’t imagine how much that means to me. Yes, when I looked into your eyes on the bridge yesterday, I was instantly reminded of my sister. I saw the same pain, the same despair. I just needed to reach out to you.”

He let out a deep sigh, and then reluctantly moved his hand away from hers.

“Please believe me when I say, that I’ll do anything to keep all harm and hurt away from you. I don’t do this because you remind me of my sister. I do it because I believe nobody deserves to suffer such a fate. And… and I’m glad you like my opinion on things.”

With his last statement, Dominic breathed what was almost a soft laugh, curling his lips up slightly, while his expression relaxed and his face looked much more happy now.

Susan returned his growing smile as Dominic’s expression turned happy at last. She heard such passion and conviction in his voice that she believed he would truly change the world one day. He just needed someone that trusted him and believed in his mission. She thought that maybe she could be the person that did that for him.

She was about to speak again when the car announced that they had arrived and she looked out the window to see the restaurant. She waited until the seatbelt released before she opened the door and stepped out of the car to take a deep breath of fresh air. She felt lighter and free and she looked over her shoulder at Dom with a grin on her face. She was actually feeling normal…

“Shall we? I swear you’ll think this is the best food you’ve ever had.” She said, holding out her hand for him.

The tender moment they shared was unceremoniously interrupted by the car’s computer, announcing their arrival at the diner. Dominic reluctantly moved his eyes away from her beautiful face and looked out of the window, taking in the sight of the surprisingly small building. He resumed control of the car from the computer and navigated to the parking lot, finding them a spot close to the diner. Once they had gotten out of the car, Susie grinned at him and called for him, holding out her hand.

Dominic returned her grin and took her hand. Feeling their fingers slide between each other and entwine felt better than he would have expected, better than he would have hoped. He was still lost in his thoughts, wondering why he hadn’t taken her hand the usual way, when she softly tugged on his hand and led him towards the diner’s entrance.

“How did you find this diner? It certainly doesn’t look like a place I’d have expected a young woman going to regularly. But it seems to be a nice location, and I’m very curious about the menu. Speaking of which, anything you could recommend?”

Dominic happily followed Susie as they entered the diner. While the building seemed somewhat small on the outside, the inside was not as crowded and confined as Dominic had expected. Apparently, the building was longer than it seemed from the parking lot. The furniture did not look as modern as in most of the restaurants these days, but it was clean and neat and fit the overall style very well. Even before he had completed getting a good view of the inside, Dominic’s nose picked up the various scents of the food being served or prepared, and he had to admit, that it smelled great.

There were several patrons filling out the available space well, without making the place crowded. Looking around, Dominic found one of the three-seat corner booths being free, and pointed it out to Susie. A few moments later, they were seated comfortably in the booth, and Dominic did not hesitate to grab the menu card from its holder.

Susan felt light and free, a smile of pure joy on her features as she took Dominic’s hand and tugged him towards the diner. She didn’t miss the way that he laced his fingers with hers, holding her hand so intimately and tightly. It sent a shiver down her spine and she looked over her should at the man that had completely changed her life in the most unexpected way practically over night.

“I’m not really sure how I found this place. I was out walking one night and saw it and thought that it looked like a good place to eat.” She said as she pushed open the door to the cheerful jingle of an old fashioned bell over head.

The inside was made out of brick and mortar, completely unlike the modern buildings that had been built up and around the city in recent years. It smelled of good home cooked food with cheerful conversation from the patrons that had filled the old fashioned diner booths and tables. There was a bar that had every seat taken and when Dominic pointed out the booth in the corner, she nodded and pulled him towards it.

Sitting down, she grinned at him as he took the menu and looked it over. “Anything is great, really. I like their chicken fried steak with the mashed potatoes and gravy. It’s so mouthwatering.” She said, not even needing to look at the menu.

Dominic browsed the menu, while listening to Susan mentioning one of her favorite dishes. It seemed she had already decided on that chicken fried steak, as she did not even pick up the menu. Looking at the lists of meals, Dominic noticed that the diner served mostly home cooking meals, offering good traditional fare with very little fancy or designer foods, which had become more and more common over the past couple years. Dominic put down the menu and smiled at Susie.

“I think you’ve convinced me to try the chicken fried steak as well. It does sound delicious. Everything on the menu sounds great. If the food even tastes only half as good as it smells in here, I guess we have to come here more often to try out the rest as well.”

As they waited for a waiter or waitress, Dominic took another glance around the place. It had been a very long time since he saw a traditional diner like this, and he had thought that there was none left in the city. The interior decoration was old fashioned, but gave the place a unique charm most of the polished glass-and-steel restaurants in the city center were missing. He looked at the framed posters on the walls, smiling as he took in the centuries old cars and zeppelins shown on them.

After a few minutes, a young waitress approached their booth. She wore a blue and white uniform, perfectly matching the style and time period of the rest of the diner, and greeted them with a wide smile, asking for their order. Dominic waited for Susie to place her order, and then added his own.

“I’ll also have the chicken fried steak, with mashed potatoes and gravy, and a large coke.”

“You’re not going to be disappointed, I promise.” Susan said with a smile as the waitress appeared in her familiar blue and white uniform.

“I’d like the chicken fried steak with the mashed potatoes and gravy. I’d also like a cup of coffee and a water too, please.” She said, waiting until after Dominic as finished before she gave the waitress another smile. “Oh, and I’d like to have two slices of cherry pie for dessert, please.”

Handing her menu back to Dominic, she gave him another smile and reached across the table to take his hand again. It felt good to touch him, to hold his warm hand. She got a lot of comfort from his touch and the feel of his skin against hers. Again, she got a strange feeling as she looked into his eyes, her body squirming on her seat.

“Dom…well, I feel like there’s something that I need to tell you.” She said softly, gripping his hand tightly in hers. “I…I think that you are really handsome.”

He quirked a brow when Susan ordered cherry pie for dessert. Dominic’s lips were curled up in a soft smile, but his thoughts were wandering as he looked at his companion. She was sitting there, across the table, and happily smiling at him. To be here with this young woman almost felt like being on a date, something he had not done for almost seven years now.

The touch of Susie’s hand instantly pulled Dominic out of his thoughts. He blinked, focusing his eyes on the beautiful face just an arm’s reach away from him. He smiled as he opened his fingers, gently returning the soft touch of her hand. Her skin was so soft, so warm, and he had to fight back the thought of how her fingers would feel on the rest of his body. Then she gripped his hand tightly, as if to steady herself, and told him she found him handsome.

“Susie… why, thank you. I… it’s been a very long time since I’ve heard those words, and it feels good hearing a compliment like this. Especially from such a wonderful and… beautiful woman like you. Again, thank you.”

Dominic returned her squeeze, and protectively placed his other hand on hers. His eyes were focused on her face as they sat there, holding each other’s hands. He could only imagine what an odd couple they were making, considering the differences in both color and age. Eventually, Dominic gently lifted her hand to his face, and placed a soft, warm kiss against the back of her hand.

Susan had never had a man in her life tell her that she was beautiful in quite that same way that Dominic had. He was sincere and she felt her heart melt as his gaze found hers and held it as he pressed a kiss so tenderly to the back of her hand. She could almost imagine being with someone as nice and sensitive as Dominic, but then she remembered that she was only here because she’d been dosed with a nasty and addictive drug.

That certainly put a damper on her feelings, she thought to herself as she gripped his fingers tightly. Would she ever be able to have a normal relationship again, she asked herself as she looked at Dominic. She knew that he would never take advantage of her, but there were other men that would. The world was filled with men that would screw her over.

“I think it’s horrible that this drug had been set out upon unsuspecting women like this.” She said softly, letting him known the dark thoughts that were filling her mind. "And all for what? Because someone wants to control someone else. I mean, what kind of future might I have? What kind of man is going to want me?"

As Dominic listened to Susan’s words, his wish to just hug and hold her grew steadily. He could hear the despair, the hurt, the pain in her voice, and he wanted nothing more than to keep all those things away from her. His hands were gently, but still firmly, holding her hands, squeezing her reassuringly as they talked.

“Believe me, I’d give anything to undo what has been done to you, or to Lisa, or to all those other women. But I can’t, and that hurts me more than you can imagine. I can’t tell you what your future might look like, or whom you’d be with. I can only offer you what I already gave you, my honest help and support. No matter what happens, I’ll always be there for you. Even when our agreement will end one day, you could still stay with me for however long you want.”

Dominic paused for a second when the waitress came back with their drinks before he continued.

“I’m notoriously bad with relationship advice, and you probably don’t want to hear any of the usual phrases about the night being darkest before the dawn and such. You are a wonderful young woman, Susan. Don’t ever let anyone tell you otherwise. You are strong, independent, clever, and very beautiful. I am sure you’ll find a man who will love you despite what happened.”

He did not know where the thought came from, but he had barely finished talking, when the statement, “Perhaps you’ve already found him,” formed in his mind. Dominic cleared his through and reached for his coke to take a sip to avoid accidentally spilling these words. However, no matter how hard he tried to shake that sentence from his mind, the thought seemed to have entrenched itself and refused to disappear.

He wanted her to stay with him, even when their agreement ended. What exactly did that mean, she asked herself as the waitress came back with their drinks and he continued talking. He was trying to boost her confidence, show her that things weren’t so bleak and dark as they had once seemed. Above all, she wished that he would simply tell her that her feelings for him were shared, but Dominic stopped just short, taking a sip from his drink.

Susan nodded, staring down towards her own glass for a long moment before she reached out to pick it up. He always seemed to stop short of telling her his true feelings. She wasn’t sure what to make of that. Did he feel the same growing attraction that she did or was she reading him all wrong?

“Dom…I…” She was cut short when the waitress reappeared and place two large plates of steaming hot food in front of them, dashing off with a smile as they were both left to stare at their plates of food.

“I told you that they treated people good here.” She said with a slowly growing smile, her former statement disappearing as her eyes met his and held them for a long moment. “Dig in!”

She immediately grabbed her knife and fork, setting upon the food like she were dying of hunger. Her belly rumbled for a moment, happily sated when she took a bite of the delicious potatoes and gravy, humming to herself for a moment before she let out a satisfied sigh.

Dominic did not miss Susan wanting to say more when they were interrupted again. He was pleasantly surprised by how quick the food arrived, and he admitted with an approving nod how great the meals smelled. Deciding to come back to whatever topic Susan wanted to talk about a bit later, he picked up his own cutlery and started eating when Susan started with her plate.

He smiled as he saw his companion happily digging into her food. The chicken was just the right degree of spicy, the mashed potatoes were soft without clumps, and the gravy added a great flavor to it. Dominic let out a soft moan as he continued with his portion. Putting down his form and knife to take another sip from his coke, he smiled at Susan as he commented on the food.

“This is delicious! Thank you for taking me here.”

Aside from a couple of comments, both of them were busy with eating most of the time. The portions were quite large, more than what Dominic expected to get when eating out. Eventually, they had finished their plates, and he flashed Susan a teasing grin as he playfully patted his belly.

“I’d say after a few more visits you could roll me home. That was quite a bit on the plate. Not that I’m complaining, it was really good.”

Susan took bite after bite of her meal until she was almost too stuffed to move. She let out a sigh and sat back in her seat at the booth and looked at Dominic with a grin. She was so happy that he was enjoying the meal and that he seemed to enjoy one of her favorite places. She couldn’t really describe the feeling that she got from the simple moment that they were sharing.

“You’re very welcome. Perhaps we’ll have to make this a regular outing.” She said with another smile as they both continued to eat until the plates were finished and they both simply sat in the aftermath of the amazing meal.

“Well, we’ll have to go for a jog or something to make sure that I don’t have to roll you anywhere.” Susan said, reaching across the table and taking his hand again, squeezing it with a smile on her face.

It felt good to hold his hand and even better to share a smile with him. It had been so long since she had someone in her life that had filled her with such joy and hope. She hoped that the feelings lasted for a very long time.