Kisses for commitment

Together they walked into the restaurant, it was located at the far end of the city, near a lake, the atmosphere was cool, no wonder he'd chosen that place as there first date place, and as soon as he entered, two waiters quickly approached, guiding them to their table.

"Let me take your coat, Miss," one of the waiters said. Knowing the daring dress she wore underneath, she hesitated to give it to him. She was about to refuse when she noticed a man at a nearby table staring at her. With an idea forming, she decided to take off the coat, challenging Chris with her gaze.

From her periphery, she saw the man lustfully eyeing her body. Smiling to herself, she thought her third act would surely work. As she sat down, she noticed Ray's eyes fixated on her cleavage.

Trying to act nonchalant, she picked up the menu and pretended to peruse it.

Why is he staring at me like that? Does he really want to marry me? she wondered, finally choosing a dish.

"Did you wear this dress for me?" he asked as they waited for their order.

"I dress to please myself, but if you think I did it for you, then I don't care," she retorted.

"Really? You don't care that most of the men in this restaurant are staring at you?" he asked. Looking around, she saw not one but several men staring at her. She wanted to ask for her coat back but decided to push forward with her plan to annoy him.

Placing her hand on the table, she smiled at him, turned her back towards the other man, and licked her lips seductively.

"So what? It's my body, and they are free to stare at it. Don't tell me you're jealous?" she asked.

"Not at all. I know all this is for my benefit," he replied dismissively.

"Your benefit? What do you mean?" she asked.

"Because I’ve got the hottest girl in the room sitting close to me—and I can stick my hands up her dress anytime I want.

Samira looked at him, shocked, while Rays acted as if nothing serious was happening.

"Are you sure that's the only reason?" she inquired after gulping down a glass of water.

"I'm not going to tell you," he replied as the waiter arrived with their food.

"But I can tell you this," he said, taking her hand, caressing her supple skin as the waiter left. Tightening his grip, he spoke loudly enough for the man who had been staring to hear. "Every time I look at you, I can’t help but think about how easy it would be to get this dress off you. And your shoes?" He leaned closer, whispering, "I have a thing for shoes, especially heels."

Samira tensed as she pictured her high, strappy, open-toed heels.

"You enjoy eating steak?" he asked, noticing he had unnerved her.

"Of course. This is my first time eating such expensive food and..."

"How come this is your first time eating expensive food?" he interrupted, and she realized her mistake.

She had spoken as Samira, not Delly, the socialite. Delly would have afforded an expensive dish easily.

"I mean, this is the first time I am eating food this costly," she corrected quickly, hoping he believed her.

"I see," he replied curtly before starting his meal.

They finished eating and were served dessert when she realized it was time to take action again. The dress clearly pleased him, but having others stare at her seemed to annoy him.

"I hate being told what to do. I always like things around me in order. I hate working, I'm not domestic, and I spend lavishly," she declared, listing things she knew about the real Delly.

"What are you playing at?" he asked.

"Just telling you things about me. If you still want to marry me after hearing all those things, then it's your call," she said, taking a bite of her cake.

"Do you want to hear my answer now?" he asked, and she nodded.

"Then let's leave this place," he replied, standing up abruptly, surprising her.

The waiter returned her coat, and they got into the car the valet had brought around. It wasn't until they were driving that she spoke up.

"Why did we leave? You haven't given me your answer yet," she said, hoping for an answer she would like.

He suddenly pulled over and unbuckled her seatbelt, pulling her into his arms.

"What are you doing?" a surprised Samira asked.

"This is my answer," he replied, kissing her before she could protest.

Taken aback, Samira tried to pull away, but he only held her tighter. She had no choice but to let him kiss her, and soon found herself kissing him back. It wasn't until his hand moved to her dress that she pulled away.

"What are you doing?" she shrieked

"Giving you my answer."

"What does kissing me have to do with your answer?" she demanded.

"It's me telling you that with all your flaws, I am still going to marry you," he said, looking at her flushed face before adding, "and if you're not domestic, at least you’ll be in bed waiting for me."

"Geez! I have never met someone so arrogant. Even after everything I did this evening?" she asked

"Didn't you do all of this to tease me?" he asked, and Samira stared at him in silence.

Her plan to drive him away had failed. Instead, it only made him more determined to marry her. It seemed her attempts to make him dislike her had only intensified his interest, leaving her more confused and frustrated than ever.

"Do you really think you can handle me?" she finally asked, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

"Oh, I'm quite certain I can," he replied with a smug grin. "The real question is, can you handle me?

She rolled her eyes. "You think you're some kind of prize, don't you?"

"More than a prize, darling. I'm a challenge," he said, his eyes gleaming with amusement.

Samira couldn’t help but laugh, despite herself. "You're unbelievable."

"And yet, here you are, still intrigued," he shot back.

She sighed, leaning back in her seat. "Maybe I am. Or maybe I'm just trying to figure out if you're for real."

"Stick around, and you'll find out," he said, starting the car again.

As they drove, Samira couldn't shake the feeling that she was in way over her head. But there was something about Chris, something infuriatingly irresistible that kept her from walking away. Maybe it was the thrill of the challenge, or maybe, just maybe, it was the promise of something she hadn’t yet dared to imagine.

Whatever it was, she knew one thing for sure: her life was about to take a turn.