The waitress handed them menus and promised to be back shortly to take their order.
Noah eyed Alex over his menu, lips twitching as he looked around and sniffed pointedly. “Can you smell it?” he asked.
“Smell what?”
Noah lifted his nose higher up in the air and took a deep breath. “Never mind. That’s just the scent of my victory floating around us,” he said with a barely contained smile.
Alex started laughing. “Oh, you’re one of those kinds of winners. The ones that like to rub it in.”
“We each have our strengths. Mine is my superior ability to gloat.”
They both laughed, and Noah opened his menu. “What looks tasty?” he mused as he perused his options.
“I can definitely see something that I’d like to taste.” Alex leered as Noah looked up. A slight flush covered his cheeks as he gave Alex a small smile.
Noah was so confident and sure of himself as he moved around in the center, where he was clearly in his own element. It was nice to tip the scales a bit and bring a little something different to Noah’s life. Alex would have bet his car on the fact that Noah had very limited experience with flirting, and Alex was absolutely willing to share his knowledge on the matter.
To Alex’s delight, Noah straightened himself and looked Alex square in the eye. “Is that so? Care to elaborate?”
Alex nodded as he licked his lips in a suggestive manner. “I recently found this new delicacy that I can’t seem to get enough of.”
“Really? Can you find it in the menu so that I can also have a taste?”
Alex smiled. “Oh, it’s not on there. See, it’s a very rare treat. Definitely not for every person who walks in the door.” Alex toed off one of his sneakers and slid his toe over Noah’s calf, causing a very satisfying hitch in Noah’s breathing. “You have to earn it,” he said in a low voice.
Noah swallowed, and even though Alex had meant to tease Noah, he found that as a result, his own body was reacting.
“And how does one go about earning it?” Noah asked breathlessly. Alex’s toes were still caressing Noah’s ankle, and Alex wished he wouldn’t have worn socks. He wanted to feel bare skin against bare skin instead of two layers of fabric between the two of them.
“I have connections. I think I can arrange something.”
“I look forward to it.”
“You should be careful, though. I’ve only had a taste so far, but I can’t seem to stop wanting more.” Alex slid his fingers over his lower lip. “It’s addictive.”
Noah groaned and closed his eyes, and Alex chose that moment to lift his leg higher until he brushed over Noah’s crotch. “If you keep that up, they’ll throw us out for improper behavior in about five seconds.”
“I’m not doing anything.” Alex smirked.
“Your foot on my dick says otherwise.”
That surprised a laugh out of Alex.
“I really like you,” he blurted out, unable to hold the words in.
“Good,” Noah said matter-of-factly. “I really like you, too.”
For the first time in his life, Alex wished for a time machine. He would go back to their date over and over again and make it last for eternity.
They ate their dinner, laughing and exchanging glances and occasional covert touches. They talked about everything, likes, dislikes, music, TV shows, movies, Alex’s life in New York, Noah’s life in Oregon.
Alex couldn’t get enough. He wanted to know everything about Noah. He was intrigued and charmed, and his insides felt all bubbly with excitement. It was the first time he’d ever felt like that, and it was scary but also kind of exhilarating.
Once eleven o’clock hit, their waitress politely hinted at them to leave, but that only meant they ended up sitting in Noah’s car, where they continued talking.
No one had ever been that interested in what Alex had to say as Noah was. Alex had never wanted to hear another person’s thoughts as much as he did when Noah was speaking.
They only started driving back home once Noah’s mom called. Noah ignored the call, but as the phone kept ringing, it was clear that it was time to go. Alex was toeing the line of his curfew by the time they got back to Riverton. At one point, Noah had pulled to the side of the road to text his mom to chill out, presumably, so the calls had stopped, but Alex knew the date was nearing its end.
Noah parked the car in front of the center.