Episode 26: Dinner For Two

Previously, on "The Real World, Sunset Valley":

Episode 25 (Hotness Runs In The Family)

-Brooke and Hannah had a heart-to-heart talk.

-Brooke tried to cheer her up by taking her to the town square.

-They met Alexander and Vincent Wellington, who are brothers.

-Vincent asked Brooke out to the movies.

-Hannah and Alexander made out.

-She still has feelings for Jason, but Alexander has potential.

*This episode is dedicated to Rainwife*

It's Friday night.  The big day has finally come.  Despite spending quality time with Jason earlier this week and meeting Vincent a few days ago, Brooke feels a tightness in her chest as she gets ready for her date with Matt.  It took her an hour just to pick out what to wear.  Should she wear a sexy top and a short skirt?  Should she go with jeans?  Or should she emphasize her curves with a body-hugging dress? Gosh, it's been a while since I've been on a date.  I forgot how nerve-wracking it feels just to get ready.  Mentally, she kept a checklist of what needed to be done before she stepped out of the house. Orange-pomegranate body lotion? Check.  Hot dress that will leave Matt speechless? Check.  Sexy matching heels? Check. Sleek updo that will accentuate her long neck? Check.  Perfect make-up? Check.


As she takes one last look in the mirror, she takes one last deep breath.  Here we go.  Everything looks good.  She glances at the clock.  It is 6:45 p.m.  I better get going.


Just as she reaches the front door, Jason returns home from work.





The minute he sees her, he stops dead in his tracks.  His eyes are not prepared for the visual feast in front of him.  Mouth hanging open, he lets out a deep breath as his eyes scan her from head to toe.  The body-hugging lavender dress that is held in the front by a gold brooch, the way it cups her breasts yet showing off some plump cleavage and the display of skin on the side of her waist that leads to her bare back.


She is quite a vision.  Even though he's at a loss for words, his eyes continue to devour her presence.  She can feel his gaze on her skin.  It fees like warm fire inching closer and closer to her body, getting hotter, slowly melting her like wax as liquid pieces of her spread to the ground.  Blurry flashbacks of his bare skin pressed against hers in the steamy hot tub interrupt her thoughts without warning.  She can feel his hungry lips on hers again, drinking her in with his tongue, sending sparks of electricity from the roots of her hair  to the tips of her toes.  She tries to push these visions aside but the rapid drumming of her heart won't let her ignore his presence.


Focus, Brooke.  Focus.  You have a date with Matt.


Brooke:  Jason?


Jason:  Huh?


Brooke:  I'm right here.  Are you okay?





The sound of her voice snaps him out of her spell.  Embarrassed, he averts her eyes for a second.


Jason:  Oh, sorry.  I...umm...


Brooke:  What is it?


Jason:  You just threw me off for a second.


Brooke:  Why?


He finds her eyes again, sending a mixture of emotions she can't quite describe, yet he has a hard time finding the words.  Then he becomes somber.


Jason:  You're...you're breathtaking...





A white fog penetrates her mind as she tries to keep her pulse from leaping out of her chest.  She can feel the blood gushing out of her heart as it races towards her cheeks, making them red hot.  She prays that he won't notice the crimson color invading her face.


Not now! Don't do this to me! This is not the time to tell me I'm breathtaking...


Brooke:  Thank you...





Jason:  So tonight's your date, huh?


Brooke:  Yeah.  I'm supposed to meet him at the bistro in five minutes.


Jason:  Remember what I told you?  If he tries anything funny, call me.  I'll kick his ass.


Brooke:  Haha.  Jason, he's a gentleman.


Jason:  Well, just in case it's all an act.  I know how guys are.  Trust me.


Brooke:  Thanks for your concern, but I'll be fine.


Jason:  Well...


Brooke:  Well...I should go.  I don't want to be late.


Jason:  Have fun.


Brooke:  Thank you.


As he watches her walk away, a part of him wants her to stay.  They can just stay in and watch movies all night, snuggled under a warm blanket.  After that, they can just talk...about anything and everything, facing each other on the couch, feet accidentally grazing each other.  While everyone else is asleep in the quiet night, the flashing images of the t.v. would reflect on their faces as they hold each other's gaze in the dim glow of the candles.  But another part of him knows that it wouldn't be fair to complicate her mind even further.  Just when they reached a comfortable level of trust in their friendship.


What matters more?  What I want or what she wants?


Then it dawns on him.  Maybe she just wants to be friends because it's Matt that she's interested in.  Maybe she said "I don't feel comfortable with this situation" because that was a polite way to say that she's just not that into him.  Maybe she didn't feel anything when they kissed.  But he was so sure that he felt the Earth shake...just a little...when their mouths touched.  Could it all be in his head?  Did he psyche himself up to believe that the attraction was mutual when it was really one-sided?


I guess there's no sense in waiting around for her if I'm just a friend. Single Jason is back.
 
With that disappointing epiphany, he walks inside the house.





Oh crap.  I only have a few minutes to get there.





Here it is!  The renovated Little Corsican Bistro.  It's been moved to a larger lot next to the house.  It is fully enclosed with hedges as part of the landscaping, as well as a way to maintain privacy.  Located in the front is a fountain with a seating area.  There are two chess tables on the left side and three park benches scattered on opposite sides for seating.  In the back of the restaurant, there's a fruit orchard, a vineyard and a vegetable garden.  All of the ingredients that the chefs need for nectar-making and cooking are only steps away.  The chairs have also been updated to match the blue shutters of the restaurant.





When she walks past the gate, she's greeted by the sound of splashing water from the fountain.  She can feel the cool night air lightly brush against skin.  The anticipation of seeing Matt again slowly pushes Jason out of her mind.  For now.


A cab pulls up behind her.  Could that be him?





Nope.  The lady in the short white dress comes out of the cab.


It is 7:00 p.m.  She scans the tables, but Matt is nowhere to be found.  She tries to ease her nerves by focusing on how nice the restaurant looks.  The candle on each table give off enough light so people can see each other, but still maintaining a soft glow.  The languid sound of French music lightly fills the air, creating a romantic mood to the evening.  The flowers in the garden are so lush and colorful, releasing an intoxicating scent of roses and lavender with the breeze.  All of this is going on with the splashing sound of water.





Whenever a car stops in front of the restaurant, her heart skips a beat.  It could be Matt.  To her disappointment, another face comes out instead.  It looks like Brooke is gaining celebrity points though. Somebody recognized her!


It's is 7:05 p.m.





Little does she know, the lady that recognized her is Mara Dallas.  This is Matt's mom.  What is going on with  Brooke's men and their moms showing up?





It is now 7:10 p.m.  She is starting to feel really anxious.  There's nothing worse than being the first one to arrive and having to wait.  Each minute that passes by is just excruciating.


Where is he?? What if he doesn't show up?





It's 7:15 p.m. A black sports car pulls up.  Is that him?





Yes it is.  He's here!!  Even I was starting to get worried.


"She caught me by surprise I must say
Cause I never have seen such a pretty face
With such a warm and beautiful smile
It wasn't hard for me to notice her style
I was fascinated, surely
She took my heart and held it for me
I wouldn't let her get away
Not until she heard me say"






Brooke: If he's not here in five minutes, I'm leaving.  He could have at least called to let me know he's running late.


Just as she finishes stretching, she suddenly feels someone wrap their arms around her waist from behind, sending shivers down her spine.  She gasps in surprise.  She can feel this person's warm breath brush against her ear, whispering, "Sorry I'm late..."


OMG, it's him!! 


Her heart dances in joy and relief. The sound of his husky voice vibrates towards the nape of her neck, making her skin tingle in excitement.


"Excuse me miss
But what's your name
Where are you from
And can I come
And possibly
Can I take you out tonight
To a movie, to the park
I'll have you home before it's dark
So let me know
Can I take you out tonight"





She turns around to receive his embrace.  His arms feel warm and strong, squeezing her even tighter.  It's as if he wants to retrace the curves of her body, just as he remembers them.  He smells like spring rain mixed with spice.  It's slightly different from Jason, who has a more masculine and aquatic scent.  She closes her eyes as she savors his scent, along with the form of his body.  She can tell he works out just by how strong and firm his body feels.  He's not as muscular as Jason (then again, who is?) but he's definitely in great shape.





Brooke:  You made it.


Matt:  Sorry I'm late.  I was on call at the hospital today, and they wouldn't let me leave early.


Brooke:  You should have called me.


Matt:  I tried to, but I couldn't get a signal.  I'm sorry.


Brooke:  It's okay.  You're here now.





Seeing his pale green eyes again made the wait worth it.  She forgot how handsome he is, and how intense his eyes get when he looks at her.  Seeing him dressed nicely makes him look even more distinguished.  The forest green shirt really brings out the color of his eyes.  Even though this is the first time they've seen each other since they met, he feels very familiar.  It doesn't seem like they just met.


Matt: Wow, you look amazing tonight.


Brooke:  Thank you.  So do you.  You look very handsome.


Matt:  Aww, thank you.





Matt:  It's so good to see you again.  I missed you.


Brooke:  You too.  I'm really glad you're here.





Matt:  Are you hungry?


Brooke:  Yeah, a little bit.


Matt:  Let's go eat.





Brooke:  He has a cute butt too!





Brooke ordered fish and chips while Matt ordered ratatouille.


Brooke:  Mmmm...the food smells really good.


Matt:  Yes it does.  I can't wait to dig in.





Matt:  So how have you been?


Brooke:  I've been great.  Aside from kissing Jason, getting caught by Hannah and meeting Vincent, not much has happened.  What about you?


Matt:  I've been good, just busy at the hospital.  We've had a large volume of patients this week and with a few doctors gone, I've had to fill in.

Brooke:  So you work at the hospital?

Matt:  Yes.  This is my first year as a resident.

Brooke:  Oh wow.  You never told me that.  OMG, he's going to be a doctor!

Matt:  Haha.  Well, I guess it slipped my mind the last time we saw each other. 

Brooke:  I guess you're right. 

Matt:  I mean...we were kind of busy talking...among other things. *grin*


She holds his gaze for a second before she looks down at his lips.  She remembers the feel and taste of his mouth now.  She looks away quickly.


Brooke:  Ahhhh...that's right.  Maybe I just forgot to ask. *grin*





Meanwhile, Jason and Hannah appear to be on speaking terms again.  Now I'm wondering how this happened: Jason's need to soothe his ego over Brooke's date or the feelings that Hannah still has for him?





Whatever the case may be, it is clear that Brooke and Matt's date can easily be observed from this room.





Brooke:  This place is really nice.  I love the garden.  And the decor is so romantic.


Matt:  I agree.  They did a really good job with the renovations.  I'm glad you like it.





Brooke:  So what field of medicine are you going into?


Matt:  I want to be a neurosurgeon.  I've been fascinated by the way the human brain works since I was a kid.  And I figure, anything that happens to our brain will impact us for the rest of our lives.  It  can even kill us.  So I went on a quest to find out as much as I could about about how the brain works. It's pretty interesting stuff.


Brooke:  A neurosurgeon?? Holy crap.  You must be super smart.  Hot, smart, single, sweet and romantic?? What more can a girl want?


Matt:  Thank you, but I don't know if it's about being smart.  That just means I know how to study and work at the same time.  I think it's more about determination.  What you're willing to give up to get what you want.


Brooke:  I agree.  I remember telling someone a few days ago that I'm going to med school to study anesthesiology, and he assumed I'm very smart. Ahhh...Vincent.  But I pretty much told him the same thing that you said.  It's about the dedication to survive.


Matt:  You never told me that you're going to med school. Congratulations!!  When do you start?


Brooke:  Haha.  Thanks.  Well, we kind of already established why.  I start next semester.


Matt:  Oh, that's right. *grin*  So anesthesiology, huh?  That's a great field.  Surgery wouldn't be possible without it.


Brooke:  That's interesting that you're fascinated by the human brain and I'm fascinated by the way the human brain blocks out pain.  Are you sure we're not long lost twins?


Matt:  I hope not!  Because that will mean that I'm on a date with my sister! And I kissed her!


Brooke: Bahahaha!  Ewwwwww!!


Matt:  Yeah.  *shudders*





Matt:  How's your fish and chips?


Brooke:  Pretty good.  How's your rat?  I mean ratatouille. *grin*


Matt:  You know what?


Brooke:  What?


Matt:  I'm not taking you out anymore.


Brooke:  I'm sorry!  It was a joke.


Matt:  Haha.  You fall for it too easily.  That was the best rat I've had. Mmm... *grin*





After they finish their dinner, he takes her hand.





His green eyes glimmer, boring deeply into hers.  At the touch of his hands, her pulse jumps.  The restaurant is starting to become empty.  The only thing left is what the rest of the night has to offer.


Matt:  So are you having a good time so far?


Brooke:  Yes.  I'm having a great time.


Matt:  Do you want to go somewhere more comfortable?


Brooke:  Sure, what did you have in mind?


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"Take You Out" by Luther Vandross