Date Night - Part 2

“You been hinting… I been listening.”

She had been talking about that restaurant all week.

Not in a “take me here” type of way—she was slick with it. Dropping little hints in between conversations, scrolling on her phone with that curious tone in her voice.

“Oh, this place looks cute…”

“I heard their seafood pasta is undefeated.”

“If I ever go, I’m definitely getting the crème brûlée.”

He played it cool.

But he caught every single one.

The way he saw it—they’d been vibing heavy lately. No tension, no drama, just a steady rhythm between them.

They were laughing more. Touching more. Doing that thing where eye contact lasts a little longer than it should.

So to him, date night wasn’t optional—it was mandatory.

He made the call.

Reserved a table for two at the exact spot she’d been hinting at.

Requested a booth by the window with a view of the skyline, just in time to catch the city lights.

On the way home from work, he pulled into a flower shop. Not a gas station. Not a grocery store. An actual spot where the roses still had life in ‘em.

He walked up to the counter and said,

“I need the kind of flowers that say, ‘I see you. I hear you. I appreciate you.’”

The lady smiled and handed him a fresh bouquet of long-stemmed reds.

He nodded.

Perfect.

At the crib, he cleaned up, showered, and took his time getting dressed. Nothing crazy—just solid, intentional.

Crisp button-up, clean jeans, cologne she always complimented. He even threw on the bracelet she bought him last Christmas, just to remind her he ain’t forget.

Then he hit her line:

“Put on something grown & sexy. We stepping out tonight.”

She replied:

“Where we going?”

He hit her back:

“You’ll see. Just know—it’s the one you been lowkey campaigning for.”

When she stepped out the door?

It was a wrap.

Soft dress hugging all the right curves. Hair done with that effortless look that still took time. Heels clicking on the pavement. That “I know I’m fine” type of walk.

He handed her the roses.

She smiled instantly, then looked at him with that “you really be listening” type of energy.

“You did all this for me?”

He grinned, opened the car door.

“Nah… I did it for us.”

The ride to the restaurant had a soundtrack—one of those playlists they made together back when things were new.

Tank, HER, Brent, Usher… grown & sexy from the first note.

They pulled up to the spot, walked in hand-in-hand.

Hostess greeted them with a smile and led them to their booth by the window.

City lights behind them. Candlelight between them.

She looked around and nodded with that satisfied look.

“This is perfect,” she said.

He just leaned back and replied,

“That’s exactly what I was going for.”

Dinner was smooth.

Seafood pasta? Ordered.

Lamb chops with mashed potatoes? Got that too.

And of course—crème brûlée to top it off.

She took one bite and did that little dance in her seat.

He laughed.

“Knew you’d like it.”

But it wasn’t just the food.

It was the way he asked about her week and really listened.

It was the way she reached across the table and touched his hand mid-convo.

It was how easy it felt. Natural. Unforced.

They talked about everything—

Funny childhood stories.

Random goals they hadn’t said out loud in a while.

Places they wanted to travel.

And even that one inside joke they always brought up when wine was involved.

He looked at her while she was mid-sentence, eyes bright from the candlelight, smile soft but real.

In that moment, he didn’t care who else was in the room.

He just thought—Damn. This my person.

They closed the place down.

Took a slow walk back to the car, fingers laced like teenagers.

The drive home was all vibes.

Windows cracked.

City lights looking bright.

One hand on the wheel, other hand handling the playlist.

When they got back to the crib, he didn’t rush to get out the car. Just turned the engine off and sat in the quiet.

“You always show up for me,” he said, looking at her. “So I had to return the energy. I know it’s not just about big things—it’s the little moments. And I never want you to think I miss ‘em.”

She didn’t say anything for a second.

Just looked at him, leaned in slow, and kissed him.

One of those soft, slow, ‘thank you for loving me right’ kisses.

And that’s how the night ended—

No distractions.

Just energy.

Just love.