The credit card machine beeped. The vendor’s forehead creased. “Your card was declined.” He returned the Visa to Kris with noticeably less enthusiasm.
“That’s impossible.” Kris shoved the Visa back into his hand. “Try again.”
He did. Declined.
“Try this one.” She fished another card out of her wallet.
Also declined.
“It’s ok,” Blake said. “I can pay for the hat.”
“There’s something wrong with the machine,” Kris snapped. “It’s fine. I have cash.” She dumped the jewelry back into their bins and slapped a fifty kuai note on the counter. “Keep the change.”
“Thanks for the gift.” Blake pulled the hat over his head. Instant warmth. Amazing what a bit of wool can do.
“Yeah, whatever. Wait until my father hears about this.” Kris flipped up the collar of her fur-trimmed coat. “Our accountant is going to be in so much trouble.”
Beside her, Olivia let out a huge yawn. Her third of the night.
“Why don’t you head back to the dorm?” Blake suggested. “You have an early flight. No need to stay up late for me.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yeah. Farrah and I are going to hang out here a little longer.” Blake wanted some alone time with Farrah before they left.
“I can take a hint. Happy birthday.” Olivia hugged Blake and Farrah. “If I don’t see you before we leave, have an amazing Christmas.”
“You too.” Farrah squeezed her friend tight. “Love you.”
The rest of the group said their goodbyes and dispersed, leaving Blake and Farrah alone.
“Finally.” Blake wrapped his arms around Farrah’s waist. “I thought they’d never leave.”
She laughed. “They’re our friends.”
“Yeah, and they were cramping our style.” Blake’s stomach growled. “Are you down for a second dinner? I’m getting hungry again.”
Walking around in the cold really burned off the calories.
“I’m always down for food.”
“Great. There’s an amazing Vietnamese place around here somewhere.”
It took a few wrong turns, but Blake finally located the tiny restaurant he’d stumbled onto a few months ago when his friends were in Thailand. The unassuming spot was tucked into a side alleyway across from a trinket shop. Leather booths lined the walls; wooden latticework, lush green plants, and amber wall sconces emphasized the intimacy of the small space, which despite the late hour buzzed with activity.
“If I didn’t know better, I’d think you were trying to seduce me,” Farrah teased. She slipped off her coat and hung it on the wall peg near their table.
Blake’s dimples flashed. “Is it working?”
“Oh yeah. Wait till we get back to the dorm.” Farrah’s smile turned sly. “I have another birthday present for you.”
Blake’s blood heated. Despite his “no presents” request, Farrah had gifted him a beautiful monogrammed business card holder at dinner, “because every successful business owner needs one,” she explained. He loved the card holder, but at the moment, he was far more interested in the carnal possibilities flashing through his mind.
“Forget a second dinner.” Blake tossed his napkin on the table and stood up. “Let’s skip to dessert.”
He had some creative ideas involving whipped cream and chocolate he’d like to put into action.
Farrah’s silvery peal of laughter caused the other diners to turn their heads. “Oh no. Sit down,” she said. “You can’t tempt me with pho without following through on it.”
Blake pouted. Damn. “I can’t believe you’re choosing noodle soup over me.”
“To be fair, I’d choose noodle soup over almost anything. Except you.” Farrah reached across the table and interlaced their fingers. “You know I’d go anywhere with you.”
His heart melted into a pile of goo. It was scary how much power she had over him. “And you know I can’t deny you anything.” He brought her hand to his mouth and brushed a kiss along the back of it. “Especially not food. You’re scary when you’re hangry.”
Farrah grinned. “I’ve trained you well.”
“What am I, a dog?”
She patted his hand with her free one. “A very hot dog.” She giggled. “See what I did there? Hot. Dog. It’s funny,” she said when Blake raised his eyebrows.
“Be glad I love you so much. Jokes that bad should be banned.”
Farrah stuck out her tongue. “I’m only letting that slide because it’s your birthday.”
A harried waiter approached their table. They hadn’t looked at the menu yet but after a quick scan, Blake and Farrah placed their usual orders for Vietnamese food—pho with brisket and eye of round for her, grilled pork banh mi for him, and two summer rolls to share.
“I’m glad we could celebrate your birthday before we left.” Farrah rubbed her thumb over Blake’s knuckles. “I hope you enjoyed it.”
“Today is the best birthday I’ve had in ages. Because it’s my first birthday with you.” A year ago, Blake would’ve choked on the amount of cheese in those words. Now, he didn’t care. It was the truth.
Blake’s birthday wasn’t until next week—lucky him, his birthday fell two days before Christmas—but Farrah insisted on celebrating before they returned home for the holidays. He’d nixed a big party, much to Courtney’s disappointment, and settled for a group dinner at one of Olivia’s fancy-schmancy restaurants. Blake would’ve preferred beer and pizza at a casual joint, but the girls would’ve killed him.
Farrah sucked in a breath. “Who knew you were such a cornball?”
He smiled, trying not to think about the fact he wouldn’t see her in person again until late January. He couldn’t believe the semester was over. Three and a half months had passed in the blink of an eye. If his life hadn’t changed so much, he would’ve thought he’d just arrived in Shanghai. “Corn with extra cheese, that’s me. Do me a favor and don’t tell anyone.”
Her eyes sparkled with emotion. “Your secret’s safe with me.”
The waiter returned with their food. One bite told Blake it was as good as he remembered.
“9/10 on food recommendations.” Farrah slurped the broth from her spoon. “I’m impressed.”
“9/10?” Blake was insulted. “What’s the missing one?”
“That pizza place you took us to.”
“Which—oh.” Blake grimaced when he remembered the stale pizza crust and funky toppings from a few weeks ago. “Fine. I dropped the ball on that one. But this should be good enough to make up for it.”
“Mmhmm.”
They ate the rest of their meal in comfortable silence. This was one of Blake’s favorite things about his relationship with Farrah. With his past girlfriends, he had to put on a show and be as lively and charming as everyone expected him to be. This was true even with Cleo, whom he grew up with. With Farrah, he could breathe.
It took them less than 20 minutes to polish off all their food. By the time they finished, Blake’s stomach strained against his pants. He was so full he couldn’t move.