Order Up, 3/3
Order Up - Part Three
Harvey Wallbanger
1 measure vodka
3 measures orange juice
to float Galliano herbal liqueur
ice
Shake the vodka and orange juice and pour over ice in a Collins glass. Carefully float a table spoon, (or more, if preferred) of Galliano Liqueur on top.
Sex, before, had mostly been an embarrassing thing. Something she'd done with a couple short-term boyfriends because they were dating and that was what people who dated did sometimes. Something that never made her come and often hurt because her boyfriends were as inexperienced as she was. She'd really never talked about it with anyone, mostly because the classmates and friends and co-workers she knew had been with more people, had done it more. What could someone like Miwa contribute to a gossipy talk about sex?
But now, Miwa had decided, sex was good. Sex was better than a whiskey sour after a ten-hour long workday in heels. Sex was better than the first juicy bite of Uncle's fried chicken. Sex was better than three years' worth of fantasy sex and her own fingers that didn't feel like his did. Because sex with Sasakura Ryu was something done out of love and with her own feelings and wants an equal part of the equation. Not that he'd actually used the word "love" in her presence yet, but Miwa felt it. Miwa lived it every minute in his presence now, in the drinks he made her, in the way he didn't even hesitate to hold her hand. Miwa felt it even when he teased her or said some stupid, unintentionally insulting thing.
Of course, they were still ridiculously busy. Business only ramped up at the hotel, and Ryu had won another bartending award, so Eden Hall was often packed all the way up until closing time with people curious to taste one of his special cocktails. Sometimes they went more than a week without seeing each other, but she knew he was loyal, that he cared. She got photo messages on her phone from him, a picture of a drink he'd made her that was sitting behind the bar even though she couldn't stop by.
And when they did see each other, he made her feel special. He let her drag him shopping, and hadn't even once suggested she pay for dinner even when she offered to do so. He tugged her ponytail, played footsie with her under the table at the Sakura Snack Shop, and gave her one of his spare ties from his Eden Hall uniform so she could carry a bit of him everywhere when he knew that work was keeping them apart. He loved her body, worshipped it with his callused hands and his soft lips. When she spent the night with him on that silly boat, she always woke with his arm around her or his hand squeezing hers.
It had been their longest separation yet since they'd gotten together, a week and a half. She'd only gotten through it with the help of a small buzzing companion shoved in the bottom of her luggage. They were supposed to meet at Sakura Snack Shop the following day for lunch, but Miwa caught an earlier train back from the hotel management conference she'd attended. Of course, she hadn't told him, instead deciding to surprise him at Eden Hall. She'd been in Kyoto, stuck in hotel banquet rooms that weren't as fancy as the Cardinal's for the better part of a week. If anything was going to welcome her home, it would be Sasakura Ryu and a relaxing drink.
Well, in Miwa's mind they would skip the drink.
She unpacked, changing into a t-shirt and cardigan he loved, mostly because he was a guy and the shirt was a little tight. She'd been on the verge of chucking it out when Ryu had stuttered out a vehement protest. It was probably the best t-shirt in her arsenal. She put on a comfortable skirt to make up for the shirt and grabbed her purse, telling Auntie and Uncle not to wait up for her. They were expecting the marriage announcement any day now, but Miwa doubted that was on the horizon after barely three months. But things were moving at a good enough pace to keep Miwa quite satisfied.
Miwa timed her arrival at Eden Hall to be just in time for last call, and she stifled a yawn as she took one of the last trains to Tokyo Station. It had been a busy week and a long travel day, but she was certain that a surprise was going to make Ryu's night.
She saw Danny in the street when she was on her way, and he smiled big at the sight of her. He'd just gotten a promotion at work and would be teaching full-time. He'd be leaving Eden Hall in June to devote his full attention to work. He gave her a hug, surprising her a bit, but that was just his way. "Thank god you're back," Danny said with a grin. "He's been awful without you."
Miwa was a bit pleased to hear this. "Awful how?"
"Every couple that came in...he was so sad. Well, the customers could never tell he was, that's part of his skill. But he will be very happy you are here again."
Danny waved goodbye, jogging off to catch his train, but not before calling over his shoulder that the bar was already empty for the night.
With this new insider information, Miwa slipped inside the entryway, softly turning the lock behind her. She entered the bar proper, feeling immediate warmth and comfort in the familiar surroundings, the shelves of colorful bottles, the tan bar stools, and the dim light. It was empty as Danny had claimed, too empty. Miwa heard the noisy sounds of bottles in the back room just off the bar. Ah, there he was.
To complete her surprise, Miwa settled her purse on one bar stool and herself in the one next to it. She waited patiently, resting her elbow on the bar and directing her grin at the open store room door. He was lifting bottles from crates, settling them on shelves. In his own world, she watched Ryu check things off a clipboard for a few minutes before he finally turned around to come back into the bar.
His eyes nearly bulged from his head at the sight of her waiting for him, and he followed it up with one of his famous smiles. Completely perfect, her bartender, just as she'd left him. Where she expected him to come around and greet her with a kiss, he kept grinning and headed to the bar, handing her a towel for her hands.
"Welcome to Eden Hall," he said formally. His tie was loose, and he'd rolled up his sleeves in the store room. His hair was a little tousled, his vest was unbuttoned. He was halfway to where she wanted him already. "What can I get for you?"
She smiled in return, sighing. "I don't know, I've never been here before. What's good?"
He leaned forward, settling his elbows on the bar counter as well to face her. "I can make anything. And they're all good."
"Is that so?" she asked, trying not to roll her eyes at him.
"Yes, ma'am," he replied.
"How about a shot?"
He nodded. It was a cocktail bar and prided itself on that reputation. Pouring a shot in a little glass didn't seem to give Ryu as much pleasure as a fancy drink could. But he obeyed, grinning slightly as he said "I know just the thing."
She watched him grab three bottles - Bailey's Irish cream, Kahlua, and a bright green bottle of Midori. He pulled out a shot glass, and she cleared her throat.
He looked up, twisting the top off of the Kahlua. "Don't like Kahlua, ma'am?"
She smiled. "Please pour one for yourself as well."
He raised an eyebrow. He usually didn't drink while working, and if he was going to stay in this polite character, he ought to refuse her. Instead he said nothing, bringing out a second shot glass. She bit her lip, watching as he poured the Kahlua in first, then slowly added the Midori, pouring it off the back of his thin bar spoon. Miwa smiled, seeing the layer of green float on top of the dark brown. Finally came the white Bailey's, and it too floated so the finished shots were tri-color.
"Very pretty," she said as he slid hers across the bar to her. "On three?"
He nodded.
She lifted the shot glass and he lifted his. She counted. "One, two, three."
It went down smooth and creamy, sweetened with the melon-flavored Midori. They both set their glasses down hard, hearing them thud noisily against the wood.
"Excellent," she said. "What kind of shot was that?"
"Ah, it's kind of...dirty."
"A lot of shots have dirty names," she said. "You don't need to be polite."
He nodded a few times, twisting caps back on his bottles, cleaning up, settling them back on the shelves. Miwa watched him finish his tidying before finally coming out around the bar. She stayed on her stool, turning herself sideways as he approached.
She grinned when he pulled her down from it, but where she expected him to pull her close for a "welcome back" kiss instead he kept hold of her wrist with one hand and dug through her purse with the other. He knew exactly where she kept them. Ryu really had missed her.
Grabbing hold of a condom, he pulled her along with him, leaving the bar and heading for his stock room. "Not out there?" she asked as soon as they were inside.
"Not out there," he insisted. His bar was sacred ground.
Without even kissing her he gave her a gentle push, and she braced herself against the wall, growing all the more excited. He didn't waste time, moving up behind her and lifting her skirt. His fingers tugged on her panties, pulling them roughly down. He was never this quick, and Miwa gasped when he nudged her legs apart, fingers teasing briefly before squeezing her ass. She heard him unzip his slacks, and she shut her eyes.
Lucky for him she'd worn one of her higher pairs of heeled boots so he didn't have to bend down much, and soon he was inside her, hard enough to make her cry out in shock. It wasn't the easiest for Miwa, wobbling in her boots with her hands to the wall, nothing to hold, Ryu's hands possessively clutching her hips as he moved against her. But it was perfect and fast, an angle that let him thrust deep inside her, enough to make her whimper each time their bodies came together.
There was no talking, no teasing, just a quick and rough tumble punctuated by the cries of pleasure she didn't bother to hold inside. Sasakura Ryu thrived on praise when it came to his cocktails, his entire face lighting up when a customer took a sip and called him a genius. Sex with Ryu wasn't very different. He thrived on his ability to please her, on his ability to draw loud, enthusiastic noises from his otherwise prim and proper hotel manager girlfriend. She knew that each sound she was letting out turned him on more, made him work harder. His fingers dug into her skin with almost painful pleasure, his thrusts harder than she was used to.
She'd imagined having sex at Eden Hall with him ever since there'd been an Eden Hall, and she wasn't ashamed to enjoy it. This was rougher than she'd envisioned, the sounds of skin on skin, his harsh breaths, struggling to keep her balance.
He slowed down for only a few moments. "Miwa-chan," she heard him say, his fingers sliding along the bottom of the t-shirt he loved on her so much.
"Mm?"
He nearly slid out of her. "The shot," he said, pushing back home.
"Yes?"
She heard him chuckle a bit, sounding embarrassed, even as they were here in his store room going at it without so much as a friendly kiss hello. He moved back, pushed forward, one hand on her hip and the other pushing her skirt back up so he could presumably watch his cock moving in and out of her.
"The shot's called a Quick Fuck."
She didn't even get to laugh because he was doing just that to her again, and again, and again. Shakily she brought one of her hands down from the wall, hearing a hum of approval from him. She touched herself, heightening the sensation, her body throbbing and full with him as she stroked. Before too long he was coming, one last push and a groan. He didn't move, sounding exhausted but staying inside her just long enough until she felt the first spasm. Her hand shook but she kept going, her body contracting around him still within her, one final cry breaking from her as she brought herself off.
"Was that shot really called a Quick Fuck?" she asked him a short time later, combing her fingers through her hair and adjusting her skirt. He was red in the face and sweaty, mopping his brow with a towel from the bar.
"Would I lie about anything alcohol-related?" he replied, raising an eyebrow.
"I suppose not," she said, grinning. Miwa tapped her fingers on the bar top. "You're never going to do that with me in here?"
He shook his head. "I'm a businessman. This is a place of business." He thumbed back over his shoulder at the store room. "I shouldn't have even done that."
"I see," she replied, grabbing her purse. He grabbed his jacket, turning off the lights and escorting her out.
They made it a few blocks, hand in hand, before she leaned close and snuggled up to him.
"So we can't have sex in the bar."
"Nope."
"Not even once."
"Not up for debate."
She squeezed his arm. "Not any kind of sex at all?"
Even in the dark, she knew he was blushing. But this was the same person who'd intentionally given her a shot called a Quick Fuck and delivered perfectly on the promise. "No..."
"What if..." She lowered her voice. "What if I just used my mouth on you? Behind the bar."
He stopped walking. "Miwa..."
She grinned. "You've never imagined it? Not once? Not one time?" She slipped a finger into her mouth, not caring that anyone might see. She gave it a long hard suck, not looking anywhere but into his eyes. "I'd be so good at it."
His face froze as she sucked another finger, making a quiet little humming noise around it. When she pulled it from her mouth, a little string of saliva hung between her finger and lips, and his eyes were stuck on it.
"I could be doing it right now, too."
She watched a dozen different emotions flit across his face before he dug in his pocket, pulling out the keys to Eden Hall.
"Alright, come on then," he said with a sigh, turning around and heading back in the direction of his bar. She followed at his heels, chuckling the whole way.
Tequila Sunrise
2 msr tequila
orange juice
2 dashes grenadine syrup
Pour tequila in a highball glass with ice, and top with orange juice. Stir. Add grenadine by tilting glass and pouring grenadine down side by flipping the bottle vertically very quickly. The grenadine should go straight to the bottom and then rise up slowly through the drink. Garnish stirrer, straw and cherry-orange.
She woke to the feeling of his fingers stroking her forehead, smoothing her hair aside. "Stop," she mumbled. It couldn't possibly be morning already.
There'd been a storm the night before, and she'd barely gotten through it. The wind had been the worst, making the boat tremble and creak. Again and again she'd begged him to switch venues, to the Cardinal or her rooms at the Sakura Snack Shop, even if it would give Auntie and Uncle a heart attack. But the rain had been too heavy, and they'd stayed inside watching TV on his tiny set until she'd fallen asleep.
Miwa opened her eyes, discovering that once again she'd stolen about 90% of the blankets, and Ryu didn't mind, curled up beside her and still stroking her face with his fingers. She sighed, turning over and making a face. She wanted to get up, brush the taste of morning from her mouth.
She heard him get up, crawling on hands and knees across the floor to the table where his large box of chocolates waited for him. He'd gotten through about half of the heart-shaped pieces the night before, and he greedily dug into the box to continue.
She sat up, frowning at him. "You can't eat chocolate for breakfast."
"Says who?"
"Says me, the person who made them," Miwa snapped. Though they were long past the confession stage, Miwa had thought it fitting to make Ryu another batch of Valentine's chocolate as a reminder of their first year together. He hadn't seen it that way really, mostly just gorging himself on the treats until she'd threatened to take them away. He'd reentered her good graces by making her a chocolate martini with some of the bottles he had stashed here in the boat.
He set the box down, chewing in a bit of a huff. She tossed the blankets off, stretching as she got to her feet. The toothbrush she kept here was waiting in his cramped little bathroom, and she brushed while he turned on the TV and listened to the weather report recapping the crazy storm.
When she returned, he was stretched out on the futon in his t-shirt and boxers and beckoned for her to come close. She did as ordered, laying back down and snuggling up against his side. "You smell like chocolate," she informed him, sniffing his shirt.
His arm came around her, holding her close. "You smell like toothpaste."
"Good!"
They lay in a companionable silence, the perky announcer girl on TV chatting about horoscopes. She inhaled the steady scent of him, relishing the warmth of his lean body beside hers. He was sometimes dumb, sometimes oblivious. He was the man who'd made her a drink one night at Sakura Snack Shop and won her heart. The man who'd made her drinks on many nights since, always knowing her tastes better than she knew them herself. He was supportive and kind and made her feel beautiful. They'd been together a year now, and she was excited to start a second.
Miwa got a bit choked up, her eyes brimming with tears. When a commercial came on, Ryu looked over, seeing her and panicking.
"What did I do? I can't not eat chocolates you made for me!"
She shook her head, laughing and wiping her eyes. "You didn't do anything wrong. I'm just...thinking."
"About what?"
"You."
"And it's making you cry?" he asked, sounding frightened.
"Happy crying. Only happy crying."
"Oh," he said. "Good." He brushed a kiss against her lips, tasting like chocolate. "Good then."
At some point he fell back asleep and Miwa started drifting too, safe and warm in the arms of the silly bartender she'd loved for much longer than he knew. Being close to him, being loved by him. It was even better than the healing powers of one of his cocktails.
Harvey Wallbanger
1 measure vodka
3 measures orange juice
to float Galliano herbal liqueur
ice
Shake the vodka and orange juice and pour over ice in a Collins glass. Carefully float a table spoon, (or more, if preferred) of Galliano Liqueur on top.
Sex, before, had mostly been an embarrassing thing. Something she'd done with a couple short-term boyfriends because they were dating and that was what people who dated did sometimes. Something that never made her come and often hurt because her boyfriends were as inexperienced as she was. She'd really never talked about it with anyone, mostly because the classmates and friends and co-workers she knew had been with more people, had done it more. What could someone like Miwa contribute to a gossipy talk about sex?
But now, Miwa had decided, sex was good. Sex was better than a whiskey sour after a ten-hour long workday in heels. Sex was better than the first juicy bite of Uncle's fried chicken. Sex was better than three years' worth of fantasy sex and her own fingers that didn't feel like his did. Because sex with Sasakura Ryu was something done out of love and with her own feelings and wants an equal part of the equation. Not that he'd actually used the word "love" in her presence yet, but Miwa felt it. Miwa lived it every minute in his presence now, in the drinks he made her, in the way he didn't even hesitate to hold her hand. Miwa felt it even when he teased her or said some stupid, unintentionally insulting thing.
Of course, they were still ridiculously busy. Business only ramped up at the hotel, and Ryu had won another bartending award, so Eden Hall was often packed all the way up until closing time with people curious to taste one of his special cocktails. Sometimes they went more than a week without seeing each other, but she knew he was loyal, that he cared. She got photo messages on her phone from him, a picture of a drink he'd made her that was sitting behind the bar even though she couldn't stop by.
And when they did see each other, he made her feel special. He let her drag him shopping, and hadn't even once suggested she pay for dinner even when she offered to do so. He tugged her ponytail, played footsie with her under the table at the Sakura Snack Shop, and gave her one of his spare ties from his Eden Hall uniform so she could carry a bit of him everywhere when he knew that work was keeping them apart. He loved her body, worshipped it with his callused hands and his soft lips. When she spent the night with him on that silly boat, she always woke with his arm around her or his hand squeezing hers.
It had been their longest separation yet since they'd gotten together, a week and a half. She'd only gotten through it with the help of a small buzzing companion shoved in the bottom of her luggage. They were supposed to meet at Sakura Snack Shop the following day for lunch, but Miwa caught an earlier train back from the hotel management conference she'd attended. Of course, she hadn't told him, instead deciding to surprise him at Eden Hall. She'd been in Kyoto, stuck in hotel banquet rooms that weren't as fancy as the Cardinal's for the better part of a week. If anything was going to welcome her home, it would be Sasakura Ryu and a relaxing drink.
Well, in Miwa's mind they would skip the drink.
She unpacked, changing into a t-shirt and cardigan he loved, mostly because he was a guy and the shirt was a little tight. She'd been on the verge of chucking it out when Ryu had stuttered out a vehement protest. It was probably the best t-shirt in her arsenal. She put on a comfortable skirt to make up for the shirt and grabbed her purse, telling Auntie and Uncle not to wait up for her. They were expecting the marriage announcement any day now, but Miwa doubted that was on the horizon after barely three months. But things were moving at a good enough pace to keep Miwa quite satisfied.
Miwa timed her arrival at Eden Hall to be just in time for last call, and she stifled a yawn as she took one of the last trains to Tokyo Station. It had been a busy week and a long travel day, but she was certain that a surprise was going to make Ryu's night.
She saw Danny in the street when she was on her way, and he smiled big at the sight of her. He'd just gotten a promotion at work and would be teaching full-time. He'd be leaving Eden Hall in June to devote his full attention to work. He gave her a hug, surprising her a bit, but that was just his way. "Thank god you're back," Danny said with a grin. "He's been awful without you."
Miwa was a bit pleased to hear this. "Awful how?"
"Every couple that came in...he was so sad. Well, the customers could never tell he was, that's part of his skill. But he will be very happy you are here again."
Danny waved goodbye, jogging off to catch his train, but not before calling over his shoulder that the bar was already empty for the night.
With this new insider information, Miwa slipped inside the entryway, softly turning the lock behind her. She entered the bar proper, feeling immediate warmth and comfort in the familiar surroundings, the shelves of colorful bottles, the tan bar stools, and the dim light. It was empty as Danny had claimed, too empty. Miwa heard the noisy sounds of bottles in the back room just off the bar. Ah, there he was.
To complete her surprise, Miwa settled her purse on one bar stool and herself in the one next to it. She waited patiently, resting her elbow on the bar and directing her grin at the open store room door. He was lifting bottles from crates, settling them on shelves. In his own world, she watched Ryu check things off a clipboard for a few minutes before he finally turned around to come back into the bar.
His eyes nearly bulged from his head at the sight of her waiting for him, and he followed it up with one of his famous smiles. Completely perfect, her bartender, just as she'd left him. Where she expected him to come around and greet her with a kiss, he kept grinning and headed to the bar, handing her a towel for her hands.
"Welcome to Eden Hall," he said formally. His tie was loose, and he'd rolled up his sleeves in the store room. His hair was a little tousled, his vest was unbuttoned. He was halfway to where she wanted him already. "What can I get for you?"
She smiled in return, sighing. "I don't know, I've never been here before. What's good?"
He leaned forward, settling his elbows on the bar counter as well to face her. "I can make anything. And they're all good."
"Is that so?" she asked, trying not to roll her eyes at him.
"Yes, ma'am," he replied.
"How about a shot?"
He nodded. It was a cocktail bar and prided itself on that reputation. Pouring a shot in a little glass didn't seem to give Ryu as much pleasure as a fancy drink could. But he obeyed, grinning slightly as he said "I know just the thing."
She watched him grab three bottles - Bailey's Irish cream, Kahlua, and a bright green bottle of Midori. He pulled out a shot glass, and she cleared her throat.
He looked up, twisting the top off of the Kahlua. "Don't like Kahlua, ma'am?"
She smiled. "Please pour one for yourself as well."
He raised an eyebrow. He usually didn't drink while working, and if he was going to stay in this polite character, he ought to refuse her. Instead he said nothing, bringing out a second shot glass. She bit her lip, watching as he poured the Kahlua in first, then slowly added the Midori, pouring it off the back of his thin bar spoon. Miwa smiled, seeing the layer of green float on top of the dark brown. Finally came the white Bailey's, and it too floated so the finished shots were tri-color.
"Very pretty," she said as he slid hers across the bar to her. "On three?"
He nodded.
She lifted the shot glass and he lifted his. She counted. "One, two, three."
It went down smooth and creamy, sweetened with the melon-flavored Midori. They both set their glasses down hard, hearing them thud noisily against the wood.
"Excellent," she said. "What kind of shot was that?"
"Ah, it's kind of...dirty."
"A lot of shots have dirty names," she said. "You don't need to be polite."
He nodded a few times, twisting caps back on his bottles, cleaning up, settling them back on the shelves. Miwa watched him finish his tidying before finally coming out around the bar. She stayed on her stool, turning herself sideways as he approached.
She grinned when he pulled her down from it, but where she expected him to pull her close for a "welcome back" kiss instead he kept hold of her wrist with one hand and dug through her purse with the other. He knew exactly where she kept them. Ryu really had missed her.
Grabbing hold of a condom, he pulled her along with him, leaving the bar and heading for his stock room. "Not out there?" she asked as soon as they were inside.
"Not out there," he insisted. His bar was sacred ground.
Without even kissing her he gave her a gentle push, and she braced herself against the wall, growing all the more excited. He didn't waste time, moving up behind her and lifting her skirt. His fingers tugged on her panties, pulling them roughly down. He was never this quick, and Miwa gasped when he nudged her legs apart, fingers teasing briefly before squeezing her ass. She heard him unzip his slacks, and she shut her eyes.
Lucky for him she'd worn one of her higher pairs of heeled boots so he didn't have to bend down much, and soon he was inside her, hard enough to make her cry out in shock. It wasn't the easiest for Miwa, wobbling in her boots with her hands to the wall, nothing to hold, Ryu's hands possessively clutching her hips as he moved against her. But it was perfect and fast, an angle that let him thrust deep inside her, enough to make her whimper each time their bodies came together.
There was no talking, no teasing, just a quick and rough tumble punctuated by the cries of pleasure she didn't bother to hold inside. Sasakura Ryu thrived on praise when it came to his cocktails, his entire face lighting up when a customer took a sip and called him a genius. Sex with Ryu wasn't very different. He thrived on his ability to please her, on his ability to draw loud, enthusiastic noises from his otherwise prim and proper hotel manager girlfriend. She knew that each sound she was letting out turned him on more, made him work harder. His fingers dug into her skin with almost painful pleasure, his thrusts harder than she was used to.
She'd imagined having sex at Eden Hall with him ever since there'd been an Eden Hall, and she wasn't ashamed to enjoy it. This was rougher than she'd envisioned, the sounds of skin on skin, his harsh breaths, struggling to keep her balance.
He slowed down for only a few moments. "Miwa-chan," she heard him say, his fingers sliding along the bottom of the t-shirt he loved on her so much.
"Mm?"
He nearly slid out of her. "The shot," he said, pushing back home.
"Yes?"
She heard him chuckle a bit, sounding embarrassed, even as they were here in his store room going at it without so much as a friendly kiss hello. He moved back, pushed forward, one hand on her hip and the other pushing her skirt back up so he could presumably watch his cock moving in and out of her.
"The shot's called a Quick Fuck."
She didn't even get to laugh because he was doing just that to her again, and again, and again. Shakily she brought one of her hands down from the wall, hearing a hum of approval from him. She touched herself, heightening the sensation, her body throbbing and full with him as she stroked. Before too long he was coming, one last push and a groan. He didn't move, sounding exhausted but staying inside her just long enough until she felt the first spasm. Her hand shook but she kept going, her body contracting around him still within her, one final cry breaking from her as she brought herself off.
"Was that shot really called a Quick Fuck?" she asked him a short time later, combing her fingers through her hair and adjusting her skirt. He was red in the face and sweaty, mopping his brow with a towel from the bar.
"Would I lie about anything alcohol-related?" he replied, raising an eyebrow.
"I suppose not," she said, grinning. Miwa tapped her fingers on the bar top. "You're never going to do that with me in here?"
He shook his head. "I'm a businessman. This is a place of business." He thumbed back over his shoulder at the store room. "I shouldn't have even done that."
"I see," she replied, grabbing her purse. He grabbed his jacket, turning off the lights and escorting her out.
They made it a few blocks, hand in hand, before she leaned close and snuggled up to him.
"So we can't have sex in the bar."
"Nope."
"Not even once."
"Not up for debate."
She squeezed his arm. "Not any kind of sex at all?"
Even in the dark, she knew he was blushing. But this was the same person who'd intentionally given her a shot called a Quick Fuck and delivered perfectly on the promise. "No..."
"What if..." She lowered her voice. "What if I just used my mouth on you? Behind the bar."
He stopped walking. "Miwa..."
She grinned. "You've never imagined it? Not once? Not one time?" She slipped a finger into her mouth, not caring that anyone might see. She gave it a long hard suck, not looking anywhere but into his eyes. "I'd be so good at it."
His face froze as she sucked another finger, making a quiet little humming noise around it. When she pulled it from her mouth, a little string of saliva hung between her finger and lips, and his eyes were stuck on it.
"I could be doing it right now, too."
She watched a dozen different emotions flit across his face before he dug in his pocket, pulling out the keys to Eden Hall.
"Alright, come on then," he said with a sigh, turning around and heading back in the direction of his bar. She followed at his heels, chuckling the whole way.
Tequila Sunrise
2 msr tequila
orange juice
2 dashes grenadine syrup
Pour tequila in a highball glass with ice, and top with orange juice. Stir. Add grenadine by tilting glass and pouring grenadine down side by flipping the bottle vertically very quickly. The grenadine should go straight to the bottom and then rise up slowly through the drink. Garnish stirrer, straw and cherry-orange.
She woke to the feeling of his fingers stroking her forehead, smoothing her hair aside. "Stop," she mumbled. It couldn't possibly be morning already.
There'd been a storm the night before, and she'd barely gotten through it. The wind had been the worst, making the boat tremble and creak. Again and again she'd begged him to switch venues, to the Cardinal or her rooms at the Sakura Snack Shop, even if it would give Auntie and Uncle a heart attack. But the rain had been too heavy, and they'd stayed inside watching TV on his tiny set until she'd fallen asleep.
Miwa opened her eyes, discovering that once again she'd stolen about 90% of the blankets, and Ryu didn't mind, curled up beside her and still stroking her face with his fingers. She sighed, turning over and making a face. She wanted to get up, brush the taste of morning from her mouth.
She heard him get up, crawling on hands and knees across the floor to the table where his large box of chocolates waited for him. He'd gotten through about half of the heart-shaped pieces the night before, and he greedily dug into the box to continue.
She sat up, frowning at him. "You can't eat chocolate for breakfast."
"Says who?"
"Says me, the person who made them," Miwa snapped. Though they were long past the confession stage, Miwa had thought it fitting to make Ryu another batch of Valentine's chocolate as a reminder of their first year together. He hadn't seen it that way really, mostly just gorging himself on the treats until she'd threatened to take them away. He'd reentered her good graces by making her a chocolate martini with some of the bottles he had stashed here in the boat.
He set the box down, chewing in a bit of a huff. She tossed the blankets off, stretching as she got to her feet. The toothbrush she kept here was waiting in his cramped little bathroom, and she brushed while he turned on the TV and listened to the weather report recapping the crazy storm.
When she returned, he was stretched out on the futon in his t-shirt and boxers and beckoned for her to come close. She did as ordered, laying back down and snuggling up against his side. "You smell like chocolate," she informed him, sniffing his shirt.
His arm came around her, holding her close. "You smell like toothpaste."
"Good!"
They lay in a companionable silence, the perky announcer girl on TV chatting about horoscopes. She inhaled the steady scent of him, relishing the warmth of his lean body beside hers. He was sometimes dumb, sometimes oblivious. He was the man who'd made her a drink one night at Sakura Snack Shop and won her heart. The man who'd made her drinks on many nights since, always knowing her tastes better than she knew them herself. He was supportive and kind and made her feel beautiful. They'd been together a year now, and she was excited to start a second.
Miwa got a bit choked up, her eyes brimming with tears. When a commercial came on, Ryu looked over, seeing her and panicking.
"What did I do? I can't not eat chocolates you made for me!"
She shook her head, laughing and wiping her eyes. "You didn't do anything wrong. I'm just...thinking."
"About what?"
"You."
"And it's making you cry?" he asked, sounding frightened.
"Happy crying. Only happy crying."
"Oh," he said. "Good." He brushed a kiss against her lips, tasting like chocolate. "Good then."
At some point he fell back asleep and Miwa started drifting too, safe and warm in the arms of the silly bartender she'd loved for much longer than he knew. Being close to him, being loved by him. It was even better than the healing powers of one of his cocktails.