"There are different kinds of romance"
Who: Kurt and Cadence What: Dinner When: New Years Where: Places Status: Complete Rating: PG-13 for taste tests.
Kurt owned precisely four outfits, and only one was the sort of thing you’d wear to dinner with a pretty woman. It was a pressed white button up shirt, black slacks and shoes, and a coat. He left the top two buttons of the shirt open, in a deliberate play towards all the swashbuckling talk. Then he stepped out of his little hotel apartment, and made his way to the meeting point, a spring in his step.
Cadence dressed nicely. Actually, she'd gone through several outfits trying to pick out the best one. Eventually she settled on a deep blue dress and black accessories. Her hair was curled and flowing down around her face, her coat the perfect finish to her outfit. She was a bit chilly, though, wearing tights instead of pants.
She waited for him outside the coffee shop, as instructed, though she debated going inside to avoid the cold.
Mien gott... Kurt managed to keep from staring as he jogged across the street. Oddly, he felt like he should be able to move much faster. Go figure. He gave her a sweeping bow, and said, “Liebchen, gut afternoon. You look drop dead gorgeous.”
Cadence blushed deeply as she caught up with Kurt. She gave a little spin and her skirt flared out a bit. She’d taken some dancing lessons, and this was one of the dresses that she wore for dance class. “Thank you.” She said, giving him a smile. She reached up to give him a brief hug in greeting. “How are you? How was your Christmas?”
He felt a little buzzy after that hug, and had to take a moment to clear his throat. "It vas Christmas. There vasn't much for me to do. I don't have family." He took her hand and kissed it. "So I had a Christmas for myself. How vas yours? Merry, I hope?"
Oh man! Cadence's face feel at his words. "Oh, honey, " she said, gently, "if I'd known you were alone on Christmas, I would have made sure you weren't." She rested her hand on his arm in a friendly way. "Mine was good. Busy. I have a lot of family."
"I vouldn't vant to impose, liebchen." He smiled warmly at her, putting his hand over hers. "But I think I vouldn't have minded you making sure me being alone." Kurt winked at her. "Tell me about your family."
“It wouldn’t be an imposition,” Cadence said, smiling warmly. She was the type of person to open her home to strangers, to make friends out of people she’d just met. Obviously. She couldn’t help but enjoy this one’s company, though. He was handsome and charming. “My family? Oh, man, where do I start? I’ve got ten brothers.” She said. That bit normally got her funny looks.
“I know, but I vould still feel like it vas, ja?” He still had her hand, and so used it to take her inside so they could get a table. It would be more comfortable than just standing on the sidewalk freezing to death. “Ten brothers? Any sisters?”
"No, I'm the first and only girl." Cadence replied. She let him lead her in, finding it was much warmer inside than out. "I've got in-laws, though. And nieces and nephews ranging in age from infancy to older than I am. "
“That’s a very large family. It must be hard to not get lost among all the bodies? I don’t know if I have any siblings. I had a foster sister.” His expression didn’t change, but his eyes had grown sad at the mention of Amanda. She’d been much, much more than a sister to him, and her death still left him hurting and raw. It had been the final straw that broke his faith.
Cadence could tell that there was sadness there. She assumed that his foster sister had died. “Oh, Kurt, I’m so sorry.” It may have been the first time she used his first name. Normally she called him “Mister Wagner” or something else. “We’ve been really blessed that we haven’t lost anyone in my family. Besides my mother, but that was the day I was born. I don’t remember her at all.”
"Danke." He bowed his head to her. "I'm sorry for your loss, too. It's a sad thing, not knowing your own mother. I never met my birth mother." That was a sad tale in itself, but he didn't want to detract from her story. It wasn't a comparison, or a contest, and he didn't want to make it one.
“We’re in the same boat, then.” There was a hint of sadness in her voice, but it was only a hint. The smile on her face was more of comradery than of anything else. It was nice to meet people who understood, and who didn’t pity her or judge her. “I knew my father, though. Still do. He’s a wonderful man.”
"I'm glad to hear that!" He couldn't say the same about his own father, whoever the man had been, he'd never met him, and didn't even know his name. "He must have been, to produce a lovely young lady such as yourself." He wanted to kiss her hand again, but refrained. There was such thing as too much, and he was unsure what he should be doing here. She wasn't the sort of lady one dated for a short time and a quick thrill or release. He didn't think he deserved something more than that.
Funny how it was almost always the guys who didn’t think they were worth more who always were worth more. Cadence thought he was incredibly handsome, and the smile on his face was very endearing. She nodded a little, smiling bashfully. “Almost everything I am I owe to my father. I’m sure there are bits of my brothers influence in me, and my sisters-in-law, but I am something of a daddy’s girl.”
"I'm glad it turned out that vay for you. Now. Vhat shall ve order? I'm famished!" And he was famished, but he planned to see what she was ordering, before ordering for himself.
“What’s good here? I’ve never been to this restaurant before. Chicken? Pasta? We could get a couple of different things and share.” She said, turning to look down at her menu. “Gnocci sounds really good. With pesto.”
Kurt glanced down at his menu. The Gnocci sounded really good. "Ja, vhy don't ve both get that? You can't go wrong with Gnocci. And that vay ve don't get jealous of vhat the other person ordered." His devilish grin returned.
"I like that idea." Cadence responded with a grin, then closed her menu. She set it aside. "It's always a good thing to avoid jealousy on a first date." There. She'd said it. Date. It was a date, right?
"Vould you like something to drink?" Kurt asked, reaching for the wine menu. He'd have a little bit himself, since he didn't have a car yet. His cheeks colored a bit when she called it a date, but he didn't object. That was what it was, right? Ja.
“Oh, no, I’ll stick with water. Or maybe some sparkling water?” She asked, shifting in her chair. Did he realize how old she was? Would that change things? “Not exactly legal for me to have a drink, anyway. Not for a couple more weeks.”
"Sparkling water, then," Kurt said, before he nearly swallowed his tongue. "Not exactly legal? For a couple more veeks? Ja?" ...that wasn't so bad, but he had nearly a decade on her. There was something ironic considering the way he'd ragged on Wisdom crazy about that. And kind of forbidden fruitish. He suddenly wanted a cold shower.
"Ve vill have to take you out then."
“All right.” Cadence said, giving him a grin. Already the idea of a second date? She liked that. He wasn’t scared off by her youth. (And the assumed innocence that went along with it?) “I’d like that a lot, actually. My girlfriends in the sorority are planning on taking me out. And my family has a huge party planned... there are a lot of us. We get rowdy.” She said, grinning.
A second date, with alcohol, even. He raised an eyebrow and grinned at her. He couldn't actually picture her in a sorority and the more he learned the more interesting she was. "Sounds like fun. I'd like to be there, unless you vould prefer just the two of us later."
“You want to protect me from those evil, sorority girls?” She asked, playfully. Though, she was quite a bit touched that he had taken so much of an interest in her.
The former fisherman laughed. “Ja, though the only thing I know about sororities are from late night commercials for trashy dvds, vhich I’m sure aren’t true.”
“No no, definitely not. Well, some of them, maybe.” She gave a laugh. “I’m in a Christian sorority, so it’s quite a bit different from what you see on late night commercials.”
"I vould hope so! Beer bongs for Jesus?" Kurt grinned charmingly, to take any edge from his joke. "There has to be some guilty pleasure for you, ja? If you share yours, I vill share mine?"
"I don't have many guilty pleasures," Cadence replied. "I don't really do guilt. I know, I know, what's a Christian without guilt?" She laughed. "But I have a few stories, for sure. "
“I vant to hear them...” Kurt leaned forward, interest clearly sparking in his eyes. Not just in how pretty she was, but in her stories, and what she had to say. “I can share some of my own!”
Cadence grinned. “Well, we’re sort of a target for some of the fraternity’s pranks, since we’re... well, we’re a service oriented sorority, not a social one.” She said, going a little pink. “But we get them back sometimes. We have a house where a lot of the girls live.”
“Oh? And how vould you get someone back?” Kurt wasn’t going to let her off the hook. He knew how to reel people in, as after all he was a fisherman. He was glad to be off a cramped fishing boat, though. But he had stories, lots and lots of stories.
“Have you ever heard of a panty raid?” Cadence asked. She blushed a bit. “We did the same thing to one of the fraternities after they crashed one of our parties. That’s how I met my ex-boyfriend. He caught me and my roommate sneaking into his room. But we stole the most boxers and got the most points.”
"Of course. Ve did one of those in high school." Kurt flashed a grin. Really, Catholic schools were hives of scum and villainy. His had been particularly repressive, and many of the students had rebelled in whatever way they could.
"Vhat did you vin vith the points?"
“Different things. We could turn them in for all sorts of things. Choosing the movie nights, days off from cleaning or cooking, that sort of thing.” She said, then shrugged. “I think I always turned mine in for choosing the movie nights.” She added. “I don’t really mind cooking and cleaning so much.”
He nodded. "Ja. You probably vould have been eaten alive in Germany." Kurt gave her a wink as the food arrived. "Gut! Just in time, I vas starting to turn to skin and bones, and I vanted to catch the firevorks off of Stark Tower at midnight!" They would be very romantic.
Romantic was good. Cadence had a feeling she could get swept off her feet by a guy like Kurt. He was charming, but not overly so. He wasn’t trying so hard to get into her pants it was palpable, like so many of the other guys she’d seen and gone out with lately. Never more than a couple dates in and they either took it too far, or pushed, or something else that made her turn off.
“Eaten alive?” She asked, then grinned. “In your accent that almost made you sound like a vampire.”
"Ja." His grin was impish, and he looked at her with unmistakable desire. The expression passed after a moment, and he took a bite of his food. "This is very gut. A gut choice."
Cadence chuckled then nodded. "A very good choice." She responded. "I love fireworks, " she added, smirking, add she started to eat. The food was very good.
Kurt attempted to eat with some amount of dignity, and mostly succeeded. Too many months at sea had given him the habit of scarfing things down quickly, but this was both a meal and company to be savored for as long as possible, so he ate slowly, at least by his standards. “I know just the spot to vatch them from.”
Cadence had a good appetite and wasn’t really shy about food. Besides, she’d budgeted to have enough calories available for a big meal tonight. She ate at a relatively slow pace, matching his bites and talking between them. “Yeah? I usually watch with my family. Either that, or I’m the one in charge of staying at home with my nieces, nephews and cousins,” she said. “Two of my Sisters-in-law were really curious as to who I was going out with tonight.”
"And vhat did you tell them?" Kurt was pleased he'd get to take her to fireworks. If nothing else, they'd have a good time with a pretty show. He was eager to learn more. Landing in California hadn't been entirely a disaster.
"That I was going out with a guy whose face and smile are bound to get me into trouble," Cadence said, blushing now. "I left out the part about you being a vampire, though."
“That’s such an important detail! Tsk tsk, Cadence, you should know better.” He winked at her, then tossed his head back and laughed. “I can’t imagine the sort of trouble I could get you into. Me? Such nonsense, liebchen.”
The flush in Cadence's cheeks darkened slightly, and her grin spread. "Oh, I can imagine all sorts of trouble, Mister Wagner." She said, softly. "I almost mentioned the Seminary thing. That would likely have appeased them. "
"Until they found out I left to experience adventure on the high seas! I vas almost killed by a tuna. And there vas this time..." he trailed off, blushing.
"Wait, wait... You were almost killed by a tuna??"
He laughed, "ja! They're huge, its tail nearly crushed my head!"
"Really?" Cadence laughed. "I bet you have all kinds of swashbuckling stories. You should write your own books."
“Nothing that romantic.” He was glad she hadn’t asked about that ‘one time’ because it was certainly not meant for mixed ears, especially the ears of a woman so seemingly pure. Gott, I don’t deserve this.
There was no seemingly about it. Cadence was pure. "There are different kinds of romance," she said. "Surely you met all sorts of women on your journeys."
“Ja.” He smiled, the expression soft, and hauntingly sad. “Some people do have a voman in every port. I quickly found that led to heartache and loneliness. It vas heartache and loneliness I vas escaping from to begin vith!”
"It sounds like a lonely life," Cadence said, though she didn't want to press the matter. The look on his face said they needed a subject change. "I'm glad you stopped. Are you selling in?"
"Not quickly," he replied, clasping his fingers in front of him on the table. "But I am trying. I like it here. There are people who are vorth it."
"You've made a lot of friends?" Cadence asked, reaching for her water glass to take a sip.
“Nien.” His eyes twinkled. “Just one so far, but I hope to make more. I understand she’s a very special person, and beautiful besides.”
Cadence went rather pink. Again. He was good at making her feel bashful and flattered. She lifted her water glass and sipped from it. “Who is she? I’m jealous you think she’s pretty.”
“She’s this gorgeous Latina with legs as long as I’m tall.” Kurt was enjoying himself entirely too much. “It is my understanding that she tastes like mocha.”
A laugh erupted from Cadence before she could stop it. Bright red now, she clapped a hand over her mouth to stifle the sound, but it was too late. The couple at the next table had turned to look at them. "Wow." She said, grinning from behind her hand. "I mean, thank you?"
“I vould like to explore vhat other flavors ve could make together,” Kurt joked, eyes glinting.
Her cheeks were positively burning as she responded softly. “What flavor do you think you are?” She asked, flicking her eyes up to his. Hers were twinkling.
Kurt had wondered if he'd been flirting too heavily, but she was capable of fishing it out, which he liked even more. "I think I am something very sweet, vith a dash of spice and danger."
“Hmmm. Something very sweet, but spicy. Maybe... mulled cider?” She said. “Apples, cinnamon, cloves...” Cadence smiled. “Perfect for wintertime.”
“Vould you like a taste? Just a sample. Ve could vait for New Years, if you vish. Good luck for twenty-thirteen, ja?” He quirked an eyebrow, then picked up his drink and sipped it. Like he’d just put that out there. You know.
It was nice he was asking for permission. She was flattered. And it was endearing. She gave him a little nod. “I wish.” She said, smiling. “Only at midnight.” She added. “Not before, or it’s bad luck.”
"At midnight then." He made a great show of looking at his watch, waggling his eyebrows and hrming and hawing like it was FOREVER IN THE FUTURE.
Cadence gave a laugh. “It’ll get here. Just give it time.” She said, nodding to him. She took her napkin from her lap and set it on the table. “We could go out dancing or something in the mean time.”
"Dancing, hm? Ja, that sounds like fun. Do you know any places? The only dance club I know of is in Thailand." It wasn't really a place to take a lady like Cadence, and he'd only gone because the crew had dragged him along. It had been an interesting trip, and there were still parts of his memory blacked out from it.
“I doubt we can get to Thailand and back in time to watch the fireworks,” Cadence said, smiling. “I know of a couple places. There’s one I think you might like.” She added, giving it a moment’s thought. “Classy, not too crowded, really good music playing.” Cadence could only get in because it was a restaurant as well as a bar. “They’ve got a band tonight. One of my favorites. Jazz. Do you like Jazz?”
“Classy and not crowded are good points, and jazz is a very good point.” Kurt tapped his foot in beat to an invisible band, then he got to his feet, holding out his hand. He took Cadence’s hand and kissed her palm.
Cadence let him draw her to her feet, then flushed again at the kiss to her palm. “All right then. C’mon, it’s walking distance.” Good thing, too, as her coat wasn’t that warm, and it was absolutely freezing outside. She turned to lead him out of the restaurant and down the street.
It was a nice place, where the host knew Cadence by face but not by name. She gave her coat to the coat check and led Kurt inside to a table. “We’ll just grab a dessert menu, order something cheap, then go dance until midnight.” She said to him over her shoulder, grinning.
He smiled at her when she glanced over her shoulder. She looked like something out of a renaissance painting and it was increasingly hard not to stare. There was a deep-seated romantic side to Kurt, and he wondered if that was blinding him right now.
Maybe. Maybe Cadence was just irresistible. She led him to a table and shrugged of her coat to hang on the back of her chair. Then she ordered a piece of chocolate cake with two spoons. "I know you'd prefer mocha," she teased, "but hopefully this will tide you over until midnight."
The band came back from their break and started to play on the other side of the dance floor.
"Chocolate is almost better than mocha," Kurt replied, thinking of a woman he'd met in North Africa once. He gave Cadence another of his devilish smiles. "But I don't like to compare. They're all good flavors."
Cadence raised an eyebrow. Chocolate was better than mocha? Almost? She may have to prove him wrong at midnight. A little smile crossed her features in response. “They are.” She paused, tearing her eyes away from his for just a moment so she could watch people slowly filtering onto the dance floor, then turned back to him. “Ask me to dance, Mister Wagner.”
"Tsk." He waggled a forefinger at her. "I vas vaiting for a gut time." He got to his feet, and gave her a sweeping bow. "Miss Cadence, vould you like to dance?"
It was apparently a good time now.
Cadence nodded, holding her hand out for him to help her to her feet. She hoped she hadn’t been too forward. they didn’t have too long until midnight, and could probably spend most of the last hour or so dancing. Cadence wouldn’t mind.
Kurt was a decent dancer, much of it self-taught from how many movies he devoured. Because of that, it made him a bit of an old fashioned, formal dancer. He had a lot of fun, but it became pumpkin carriage time. He had to whisk her away to a spot, which happened to be the roof of a tall building, with a great view of Stark Tower.
Cadence was a Latin dancer primarily, but she was fairly well versed in all the ballroom dances. One of her outreach projects through church in high school was ballroom dance classes at a local senior facility center. She could dance circles around most girls her age. Anyway, the time came and she followed him to the roof.
It seemed as if the whole city was breathless in anticipation.
Kurt leaned on the edge of the rooftop, eagerly. "I've always loved firevorks. They're the sort of thing You can enjoy just about anyvhere for just about any reason. The New Year is a particularly gutt one, though I have to admit the Chinese know how to throw a much better party." He winked, taking her hand in his.
“Maybe I’ll get to see it some day.” She said, letting his hand wrapped around hers warm it. It was chilly out, and she’d left her coat inside at the coat check. She moved in a little closer to him and leaned against the railing. “I like the fourth of July fireworks. My family all watches it together.” She said, then hushed. Were they counting down? She almost reached for her phone to check the time.
"Ve could hit Chinatown. Their New Year is still coming up." A bit of a long term date, but he was willing to make the offer. He noticed her shivering, and took his coat off, draping it on Cadence's shoulders. A great burst of light came from the tower as the first fireworks ignited.
"Happy New Year," Kurt said, tipping Cadence's chin up with two fingers, and leaning in to kiss her.
She repeated after him quickly and quietly, "Happy New Year," she said as his fingers came to her chin. She flickered her eyes from his to his lips before they fell closed. Her lips met his, very gently, and she went up on her toes to return his kiss with a little more pressure.
Kurt's hand rested on the small of her back, to hold her, and his right hand to the back of Cadence’s neck as they kissed, their heads framed by fireworks. All that was really missing was a tail circling her leg, but that was neither here nor there.
Her hands started on his chest, and one remained there. The other moved up over his shoulder to rest against the side of his neck, holding him there as she kissed him. On her side it was a slow, deliberate, honest kiss full of hope and affection.
Part of Kurt wanted to explore her, but he had a good handle on that passionate, darker side. The kiss was gentle but that hidden side gave it a dashing edge of promise.
Cadence finally pulled back, her breathing a little labored, and smiled up at him. The fireworks were splashing colors across her face in the moonlight. “Well?” She asked, an attempt to be playful, though her heart was thundering. “Is chocolate better than mocha?”
"I don't know, I need another taste," He replied, voice thick. He kissed her again, lighter, and playfully. "Mmm..Ja, I'd say it is."
His eyes twinkled, and he couldn't help but add. "Ve could get some syrup and combine."
The stolen kiss was light and surprising. It made Cadence smile, blushing deeply around her nose and cheekbones. She laughed at his suggestion. “Don’t you think that’s a second date activity?”
Kurt grinned, and laughed. "You care for children vith that mind?"
"You bring it out in me." She argued. "You're not around when the children are to make me think naughty thoughts."
Judging from the look on his face, he'd had the most evil of thoughts. "Nein, but I do have your number." He lifted his hand, and touched Cadence's cheek, then ran a thumb along her jaw line, and teased at her lower lip. "Nothing too terrible, I assure you."
She chuckled softly, looking up into his eyes. “You’re already getting me into trouble.”
Daringly, Kurt cupped Cadence's cheek and kissed her again. "I had been trying very hard to keep out of trouble. You are gutt at bringing that out in me."
Another kiss, making her knees weak. She couldn't help but smile weakly. "We're a dangerous couple."
"Are ve? Do you vant to be? I think you said something about a second date." His voice was teasing and his tone low. "And syrup."
"I did say something about a second date," Cadence said with a nod. Her heart was thundering again. How did he have this affect on her? "I'd say yes if you asked me for one."
"Vould you like to go to a movie vith me? I'm afraid I don't know any local theaters yet, so it vill have to be film." He'd read something about a theater group, but not enough to know anything about it. One of the leads was apparently dyed pink.
“You’re asking me out to a movie?” Cadence said, grinning shyly up at him. She gave a little nod. “I’d like that. Sometime soon.”
Kurt pondered it. “I vill have to call you, when I have the time. The next veek vill be busy for me, but perhaps the veek after that!” And then, he’ll get sick. Hah!
Cadence beamed. “All right. Call me when you have time.” She wondered a bit if this was a nice blow-off, if making her wait more than a week was his way of getting away with not calling her ever again. She didn’t like that thought and pushed it away.
“Can I call you anyvay? Just to talk?” He looked so...eager.
Cadence blushed. “You can call me anytime,” she said, softly. “Or text.” She added. “Texting is good. When I’m in class I can’t chat, but I can always text.”
Kurt grinned. "I should see you home before daylight." Not that he wanted to sweep her off her feet and make her see God or anything. Really. He was a gentleman, after all.
"I might turn into a pumpkin," Cadence replied, smiling impishly. She pulled back out of his arms and took hold of his hand. "I think it's going to be a wonderful new year."