Some Enchanted Evening (Closed, In Progress)

[l_giuseppeadama]

Who: Giuseppe Adamal_giuseppeadama and Izumo-no-Okuni spiaconcioccie
What: Dinner and ?
When: Evening January 6th
Where: The small family style restaurant introduced to Gipo by Roger Davis

Comments

[spiaconcioccie]

She still wasn't certain what it was about Gipo that caught her curiosity, other than his insight and her gut feeling that he could be useful or entertaining in some way, but Okuni had still agreed to go out with him. After a quick look in the mirror to check on her makeup, she grabbed her purse and opened the door with a grin.

"Good evening. I hoped you celebrated the new year nicely."

[l_giuseppeadama]

He smiled at her as she opened the door realizing again how lovely she was with her raven hair and long lashes. "You look quite lovely this evening, an exotic flower in the dead of winter."

Her greeting turned his thoughts to the days following the New Year's Eve party where all sorts of things had happened. "After the excitement of the last night of the year the first day of this was actually quiet and relaxing. Since then I have...well let's just say some business has occupied my time for now; and how has your year started?"

He offered her his arm.

[spiaconcioccie]

He had a very good way with words, she had to give him that much. Okuni smiled and pushed her hair behind her ear. "You look good as well. My year ended and started quietly, which for me is a bit strange. Nobody seemed to want my company at the parties I heard about and going alone isn't as much fun."

She rested a hand on his arm, curious to see what dinner would end up being.

[l_giuseppeadama]

They walked out into the mostly cloudy, low-50s evening and he wondered if she was warm enough with her bare shoulders. He had always admired a beautiful woman's body but he wondered that they would so often put up with discomfort to be so enticing. "Aren't you chilled like that?" He ran his index finger across the top of her shoulder and half way down her upper arm but just barely avoiding actually touching her.

There was a still moment as he waited to see how she would react before he went on to lessen the tension.

"The restaurant is a small place someone showed me the night I arrived here. Plain simple local food and a family atmosphere. Does that work for you or were you looking for something more exotic?" He pitched his voice to project a mysterious tone and wondered how she would react.

[spiaconcioccie]

Her smile softened into something a little more real as he lightly touched her shoulder. Okuni didn't know why Gipo seemed cautious about it. "It's not that cold, really. I have outfits that expose a lot more that I've worn in worse weather."

She listened to him talk about the restaurant. Whether or not she'd been there before, it sounded like a nice quiet choice. "That works. Exotic is nice from time to time, but there's something to be said for local, familiar things." Okuni ran her fingertips over the back of his hand.

[l_giuseppeadama]

His smile brightened slightly at her touch. They reached the restaurant after about a ten minute walk and found it much quieter than on his first visit. He reflected that families with children might be at home enjoying La Befana's tradition.

Nodding to the hostess he leaned in an said quietly, "A place where we will not be overly disturbed perhaps?" They were lead to a banquette in the front corner of the room, therefore away from the kitchen noise but still offering seclusion with the added benefit of a glancing view onto the street outside.

"So what's your favorite local cuisine?"

[spiaconcioccie]

The walk made Okuni glad she'd worn relatively comfortable shoes tonight. This restaurant was one she couldn't remember going to, or it had been a long time since she had, since she stuck to small places whenever possible. It was better to keep money local, she thought.

"This time of the year, I look for good soup. I keep trying to make some myself, but I'm terrible in the kitchen." She glanced over the menu, not completely sure what she wanted tonight.

[l_giuseppeadama]

A good hearty soup sounded like an excellent idea to Gipo too.

"Ah soup would be an excellent choice. I've heard the local onion soup is excellent but perhaps we might avoid onions tonight." He looked up at her through partially hooded eyes. "The tomato, spinach, and bell pepper perhaps? As an antipasto some crusty bread and black olives and some red wine?"

"As to your skills in the kitchen, I cannot envision you as being terrible at anything. There are simple things that one can learn." Being on the move for the last few years had taught him several techniques to prepare a quick yet hearty meal.

A relatively simple start would make an excellent backdrop for what he had envisioned for later in the evening.

[spiaconcioccie]

She chuckled. Okuni wouldn't have considered onion soup while out on a date. The smell of even caramelized onions clung to everything in ways that weren't entirely pleasant unless someone were odd enough to really enjoy that. "That all sounds excellent to me. You seem to know food very well. Maybe another day you can try and show me a few things in the kitchen."

Okuni glanced at him and absently adjusted her top to see if he stared at all.

[l_giuseppeadama]

His eyes followed her hand to the edge of her bodice but he managed to keep from licking his lips. Except for Carina his arrival in Reggio was the first time in a while he'd had the time to enjoy the company of a beautiful woman.

Of Carina though he currently knew naught, although he had some feelers out. He'd not been able to go back to look for her though; the place had been covered in volcanic ash and lava flow. He didn't even know if she was alive. She would always be alive in his heart though, no matter what. He shook his head slightly, it was rude not to be paying attention to the woman he was with.

"I learned to cook...well let's just say it was something of a necessity. At first it was simple things, I needed to keep Z...uh myself alive. As time went on I decided to add the more interesting to my repertoire. To share those skills would be a delightful diversion." He looked up at her again and his smile broadened.

[spiaconcioccie]

She listened to him as she sipped the first glass of wine and raised an eyebrow at the word Gipo stopped himself from saying. Whatever he'd almost said was probably an important piece of information about himself.

"You'll share your skills with me another day and I'll share mine tonight?" Okuni asked playfully. To anyone nearby, it was an innocent statement. But the words were less so to someone who knew what she was and what those skills were.

[l_giuseppeadama]

His eyes grew large. He mouthed a silent "Oh" before stifling a nervous laugh. What had he been expecting? He knew what she was. Although that had no bearing on how he felt about their developing relationship(?) he had still not let himself consider where things might lead sooner rather than later.

He thought for a moment about Carina, the evidence that she could be dead weighed heavily on his heart. Yet he had to admit Okuni's offer was exceedingly attractive to him. Certainly Carina would not have begrudged him the opportunity, at least not based on her own propensities. The woman in front of him was alive and he enjoyed her company. He decided he would most definitely take her up on it.

Taking a deep breath to calm himself he endeavored perhaps to regain his somewhat self-sabotaged dignity. "Your place or mine?" he said to her with a wink.

[spiaconcioccie]

She barely chuckled at his startled reaction. He should have expected it at some point, since it was easy to tell that they both found each other attractive. Okuni had simply decided that she'd be the one to say it instead of waiting for Gipo's politeness to die down enough for him to say anything.

Whatever went through his mind then, she had no clue. This was the first time in a long while she'd had no other reason for wanting to enjoy herself with someone and she'd let her mind stop planning as much tonight.

"Mine is probably closer, but if you want to show me your place, I wouldn't mind."

[l_giuseppeadama]

He'd heard her small chuckle but felt no further embarrassment. He'd already admitted to himself annihilating any dignity he had tonight.

"I always book a double room when I come to a new place," he said nonchalantly around nibbling on the olives and bread. "It's just that though, a room. I eventually have to find myself an apartment, but everything I've seen so far is well outside the city. I was thinking I might open a law office," His eyes conveyed the masquerade such an establishment might perpetrate, "and I'd rather have both lodging and office in the same building if not close by."

"Besides, despite our previous walk I think I've made you go far enough already tonight."