34 Dinner and Wine

It takes Kei less than ten minutes to pull in front of Sam's apartment building. He has already contacted Matsumoto and ordered him to find Denji and catch him. He can't wait to just be done with that whole family.

When he rings Sam's bell, it's Ed who opens the door.

"Is she okay?" Kei asks immediately, his voice laced with concern.

"Yeah, a little shaken, but she's fine." Ed nods at him. "I'm going to head out, since you're here," he adds.

"Thank you." He nods back at Ed while padding his shoulder.

Kei walks to the living room where Sam is sitting.

"Hey."

"Hey." He sits next to her. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah." Sam wants to tell Kei that she feels better now that he is here. But it is way too early to say or even feel things like that.

"What did that bastard say to you?" he asks.

Sam tells him everything that happened in detail. Kei is livid. He is not sure if Hana is behind this, or if it's just Denji being the asshole that he is.

"I will take care of him," he promises. "You won't have to worry about him."

His words make Sam relax. When it comes to things like this, she knows she can trust Kei fully. Denji seemed a bit crazy when she met him at Kei's birthday party. So having someone like that targeting her could get dangerous. But she feels relieved because Kei is here and he will take care of it.

"So this is your apartment?" Kei says as he looks around. He tries to lighten the mood a bit.

"Would you like a tour?" Sam asks.

"I would love a tour."

Sam guides the way around the house, showing him every room. When they reach the studio, Kei stops and admires the paintings that Sam had already finished.

"Are these new?" he inquires.

"Yeah." Sam pulls a strand of hair behind her ear, feeling a bit self-conscious. She always does when someone is looking at her art.

"They're amazing," he utters, fully engrossed in the paintings.

Kei stops in front of one of the pieces, a dark canvas with a Koi pond in the middle. The vibrant red and orange colors of the fish makes the contrast with the background mesmerizing.

"I think this would go perfectly in the restaurant of the Yukan Hotel, the one we had lunch at, remember?" Kei tells her without looking away from the painting.

"I got my inspiration from there," Sam responds shyly.

"Oh?" Kei finally turns to look at her. His face lights up as a smile tugs on his lips. "You know, I built that hotel for Yuta when he was born. It is one of my favorite places to be."

Sam beams. 'Aww, so cute.'

"I'm actually going to have an exhibition next month," she announces.

"That's great, Sam. I know you said you haven't been able to paint in a while."

She shrugs with a smile. "I guess I can paint again."

The two of them just stand there, staring at each other for a moment. Neither of them want to break the magic of the moment, but Sam soon starts to feel uncomfortable.

"Do you want something to drink?" She turns away to head back downstairs, but not before Kei notices her blush. He grins, thinking about all the ways he wants to tease her.

"Actually," he says while following her. "I'm starving, I haven't eaten since breakfast."

"Oh, I can make something," Sam tells him. "Or do you prefer ordering something?"

"Do you think I would prefer ordering food when you offer to cook for me?" Kei raises a brow, making Sam chuckle.

She opens the fridge to see what she has and what she can make. "How about curry? I make a mean–" She bursts into laughter when she looks back at Kei. "Where did you even find that?" she asks between laughs.

Kei had seen the apron hanging on the side of the pantry as soon as he entered the kitchen, and wore it without even checking it.

The apron is gray and has a cute pink bear sipping Boba tea in the center, and it says: 'Where is my mochi?'

"It's your kitchen." Kei chuckles.

"Ah, it's probably Ed's doing."

"I don't mind." Kei shrugs. "I want to help," he says with a devilish smile.

'Gosh, why do I find this super sexy?' She quickly shakes her head.

"Then, can you cut the vegetables?" she asks.

"Yes, Chef," Kei jokes.

They spent the late afternoon cooking dinner together and chatting, while sipping the Pinot Noir Sam opened. As the sun sets outside, the large living room windows give them the best view.

They enjoy dinner and more conversation. Sam has forgotten all about Denji and the incident from earlier. She reckons that the wine has helped her relax, but also Kei's company.

"Can I spend the night?" Kei asks out of the blue.

Sam blinks at him a few times, surprised. She knows that she can't trust herself when it comes to Kei. And it is way too early for any intimacy.

"I…you…" She takes a deep breath. "Only if you sleep in the guest room," she finally tells him. "Nothing is going to happen between us until we're both divorced, Kei," she adds firmly.

Kei nods, looking slightly disappointed. "I understand. Blue balls it is," he jokes, making Sam chuckle.

"Ah, sorry." She dramatically covers her mouth in shock.

Sam remembers the day she found out that Andrew was cheating on her. She pushes the thought away immediately.

"I'm just not ready to be intimate yet." Sam's voice gets a little serious.

"I can wait, love." Kei takes her hand and brings it to his lips. "I don't want you to feel any pressure, okay?"

Sam nods at him shyly.

"How about cuddling?" Kei asks while wiggling his eyebrows playfully.

"Kei." Sam pulls her hand away. "You just said, no pressure."

"You can say 'no', dear."

'Why is he smirking? Does he actually think I can't say no to him?'