Chapter 2: Tastes of Something New

The restaurant was perched on a terrace above the sea, its open-air design allowing a breeze to stir the white linen drapes as soft lighting flickered from hurricane lanterns on each table. A string quartet played a low, melodic tune somewhere beyond the patio, its rhythm slow and pulsing, like a heartbeat heard through silk.

James and Melena sat across from one another, their wine glasses catching the candlelight as they clinked a toast—his to new adventures, hers to unexpected chemistry.

The waiter had brought a bottle of chilled rosé—crisp, floral, and a little indulgent for the warm evening. Melena had picked it with a knowing smile, murmuring, “Something light, something that teases the tongue.” James had felt himself flush, not entirely from the wine.

They lingered over the menu, James watching her eyes as they scanned the pages—how she licked her bottom lip when she read something she liked, how her fingers tapped the stem of her glass thoughtfully. Her dress shimmered every time she moved, catching light like wet skin, and he couldn’t help but imagine how it might look crumpled on the floor of her room.

“I want you to choose for me,” he said at last, setting down the menu. “Something I wouldn’t pick myself. Surprise me.”