juststopped | for Krem

It isn't the first time she's ended up somewhere she didn't necessarily intend. In private, she's done her fair share of crying over Flemming - she misses her daughter like a part of her, even after so many years - but in public, she's decided to put a brave face on it. After he'd delivered her to her apartment, Krem had told her that he'd be happy to take her for dinner, once she felt more settled. Adaline's done a little bit to make the apartment her own. She's gone back to the place that Sam bought her and put together a capsule wardrobe that's a sad shadow of her guest room back in San Francisco. She is, in short, trying. And that has to count for something.

It's the middle of the afternoon when she texts Krem.

Dinner would be nice - Adaline.

They arrange to meet at a place that Adaline's walked past a few times. It's not a particularly showy place, but she does make an effort, putting on a dress with a full skirt that reminds her of something she might have bought new in the fifties. She does her hair and make-up. She considers heels for a long time and then decides to wear them anyway. Krem strikes her as someone who doesn't lack for confidence, quiet though it seems to be.

She's a little late when she steps into the restaurant, shrugging out of her coat to let the hostess check it for her.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

From:

juststopped

"Thank you," she says. It might have been a long, long time, but that doesn't mean his sympathy is any less valuable to her. Her hand itches to reach out for his again; she picks up her wine glass instead. She prefers not to think about Ellis, so she nods, but then she turns her attention the dessert in front of her.

"Well, I don't know if I like you that much," she teases.

From:

krempuff

"Oh, that's fair," Krem said, nodding somberly. He filled up their glasses with the port, humming at the rose-amber color of it, a good sort of sappy color almost. It smelled sweet even just from the bottle. "You'll have to tell me if it meets expectation, then."

He did steal a blueberry out of her collection of fruit, though, grinning cheekily as he tossed it in the air and leaned back to catch it in his mouth.

From:

juststopped

Adaline makes a small, delighted sound when he catches the berry and then she picks up a spoon and tastes the chocolate. Her eyelashes flutter. The sound she makes is borderline obscene.

"You definitely have to try that."

From:

krempuff

Krem smiled, sipping the port. He was unduly impressed with himself for not sputtering or blushing too heavily when Adaline made that noise. For a moment, he merely stared at her across the table, lower lip bent in to catch between his teeth discretely.

He reached over and picked up the spare spoon, grabbing himself a bite of the chocolate.

It was awfully good chocolate.

From:

juststopped

The chocolate does go well with the port and for a second, Adaline's just reveling in the sensual pleasure of it, all on her own. She glances at Krem across the table, a warm glow in her cheeks, from the alcohol and the chocolate and the company. She picks up a strawberry and bites into it, enjoying the sudden sharpness.

"This place was an excellent choice."

From:

krempuff

"Certainly," he agreed, delicately licking his spoon clean of the chocolate still on it, merrily content, before washing the rich bite back with some of the port.

He watched her bite into the strawberry and he to look away from that as well, feeling impulsive and giddy, having to remind himself that he just said he needed time and she just said she'd left someone behind.

"Do you mind if I have another bite?" He chuckled softly. "I'm going to have to make sure my lemon cake is very good."

From:

juststopped

Adaline gets entirely distracted watching him lick his spoon and she decides she's clearly had too much to drink, which doesn't stop her taking another sip of her port. It's got a warmer, richer taste to it than the wine. She enjoys the feeling of warmth that spreads through her chest.

"Help yourself," she says. "I'm in a very giving sort of mood all of a sudden."

From:

krempuff

"I certainly appreciate this giving mood," Krem said, taking another bite from the chocolate and humming softly. He stole one of the strawberries as well, chasing the chocolate with the tart sweetness of the berry.

"And I do hope that I can do more to inspire other giving moods, as well."

From:

juststopped

She's definitely drunk. She has to close her eyes for a moment, press the back of one hand against her heated cheek.

"Oh, I'm sure the opportunity will come around."

From:

krempuff

"...is that a face that I shouldn't refill your glass again?" He was refilling his own, feeling pleasantly flushed and a bit punchy for it. He took another bite off the chocolate, contemplating if they ought to get their check soon so that he could see Adaline home.

From:

juststopped

"You should absolutely fill my glass again," she says, holding it out without opening her eyes. "I'm old enough to make my own descions where that's concerned, thank you very much." A smirk lifts the corner of her mouth.

From:

krempuff

Krem laughed, bright and happy, glad to fill her glass again, with a soft and affirmative, "Yes ma'am," that thrummed with just a little bit of contentment to hear such an authoritative tone. It was, most definitely, just the soldier in him. But he allowed himself the privacy of his flush while she had her eyes closed.

From:

juststopped

"Oh, I like that," says Adaline, opening her eyes again as she takes another sip of her wine. "Too many boys these days don't have good manners. It was different when I was a girl. Everything was different."

From:

krempuff

"I'm nearly thirty," Krem playfully grumbled, narrowing his eyes just a touch as he gestured with his wine glass and spoon in combination. "Don't let the height and young face be deceptive. And you can't be hardly older than me, if you are at all."

He hummed though. "But you're right. Some of the younger generation does have a certain lack of manners. And there are an awful lot of teenagers in this city."

From:

juststopped

Adaline makes a moue of distaste with red lips, taking another spoonful of chocolate and taking her time eating it.

"A lady never tells her age," she says. "But you're right - you do look younger than thirty." She smiles. "Well done."

From:

krempuff

"Oh, that wasn't...wasn't meant to..."

Krem's voice squeaked, just a little, in part because it just did that sometimes these days, and in part because he was staring a bit more than he ought to. He looked down at the chocolate bashfully and cleared his throat, sipping his port.

"Sorry if I offended."

From:

juststopped

"I'm sure you'll make it up to me eventually," she says, but she can't keep her face straight for long and it bursts into a grin. "You didn't offend me. It's fine."

From:

krempuff

"Maybe I'll pick up dessert," he said, mild contrition even as he began to smile again to match her bright, brilliant smile. "Just to make sure you don't hold a grudge. I wouldn't want to ruin my chances to share that lemon cake with you and taste your bread, after all."

From:

juststopped

God, she hopes that's as much of a euphemism as it sounds. She manages to keep her face straight, for a moment, and then she collapses into helpless, drunken giggles.

"Oh, God," she manages to get out once she's got her breath. "I'm so glad I met you."

From:

krempuff

Krem's smile stayed a bit bashful, even as Adaline laughed. He watched her dimples and the way her eyes crinkled, and he looked down a bit, tugging at his earlobe, when looking at her too long became a bit like looking too long into a fire, too bright and brilliant to stand.

"I'm glad I met you as well, Adaline."

From:

juststopped

It makes it easier, losing Ellis, leaving Flemming behind. She lets herself be distracted so that she can pretend that none of it matters. That her heart isn't broken.

She takes another sip of her port.

"I feel like this could all have been so much worse."

From:

krempuff

Krem hummed speculatively. There were a lot of things that could have made it much worse, he was sure, and Krem didn't want to mention any of those, lest he imply that Darrow were, fundamentally, bad. It wasn't, for the most part. Strange. Odd. But not bad, he had found.

"It's true," he said, and then sniggered a little. "You could have come during Valentines, and this chocolate cake might have made is spout poetry at each other like imbeciles."

From:

juststopped

Both of Addie's eyebrows raise and she pauses with a fork almost, but not quite, to her mouth.

"That happened?"

From:

krempuff

"Well, I don't know if it was all chocolate," Krem admitted. He shrugged a little and laughed, soft, polishing off the last of his port. He checked the bottle, but it was empty already; not surprising, they'd each had two fairly full glasses of it each.

"But there was all sorts of shenanigans going on around the city. A friend of mine proposed to his girlfriend. Another had some sort of run about with his girl that they didn't speak to each other for a few days after. I made some silly mistakes of my own. It only lasted the day though."