James waited patiently by the exit of Crux. When they finished climbing, Cadence excused herself to go "freshen up". It had already been ten minutes and he was starting to wonder exactly what freshening up entailed. A few more minutes passed and Cadence finally emerged from the women's locker room looking utterly enthralling. She had switched out her running shoes for strappy black heels, showing off the pink pedicure he spied earlier that day. His eyes ran appreciatively up the line of the same black leggings she wore for climbing. She had swapped her sporty purple tank top for a silky blue one. The new top seemed to shimmer slightly as she moved, drawing attention to the dip of her neckline. Trying to be respectful, as Cadence moved closer, James deliberately stopped observing the generous swell of her breasts. Briefly, he instead rested his eyes on the sexy slope of her bare shoulders, freckles on full display, before settling his gaze on her face. Her dark hair had been released from the confinement of it's bun to drape across her shoulders and down her back in a full cascade of curls. Her eyelids had been brushed with a subtle shimmery color and lightly lined in black, making her eyes stand out more than he was ready for. Then, he notice her lips, full and slightly pinker than usual with a glossy quality that drew him in. For the second time that day, James couldn't help himself. As soon as Cadence reached him, he drew her in and kissed her with so much desire and passion that it was almost obscene. People stared as he wrapped one of his hands around her hip and buried the other in her lustrous hair. Thankfully, Cadence seemed to still have a bit of awareness and pulled back when they heard one of the staff clearing their throat loudly. James smiled and waved at the staffer, while escorting a beet red Cadence out of Crux.
Cosmic Coffee & Beer Garden was busy despite it being a hot July evening. The sun was starting to dip lower but sunset was still more than an hour away. They grabbed drinks inside before heading back out to the patio to find a shady spot. James watched Cadence settle into the sturdy wooden lounger and take a long sip of her drink. "Damn, this is really good. Thanks for the recommendation. Is this what you usually get?" she asked lifting her drink. She was having a Rum Thai Iced Coffee, the same drink as James and it was disappearing quickly. "No, I usually get beer. They have a good lager here, but I felt like something different tonight. I'm glad you like it" James said, discarding his straw to drink from the rim of his own tall glass. He glanced at his watch and saw that it was close to 6:45pm. They would be going to dinner a little later than they originally planned, but James had called the restaurant when Cadence was changing earlier. Thanks to his connections in town, it wasn't difficult for him to adjust most reservations at the last minute. "So, how did you like your first rock climbing experience? Would you do it again?" he asked, genuinely curious. She beamed and said "I loved it! I would absolute do it again, but it made me realize how out of shape I am." "For what it's worth, I'm quite fond of the shape you have" James said, not hiding his leer as his eyes skimmed the sexy curves of her frame. Cadence laughed nervously, tucking her hair behind an ear, seemingly unsure of how to respond to his compliment. "So, you've really never been here before? Your apartment is so close by" he asked, trying to lighten the conversation. "I've wanted to, but I usually end up just going to Radio Coffee Bar. I'm addicted to the salsa at the food truck out front" she said, seeming to relax a bit more. They talked about favorite coffee spots in town, which somehow lead to a conversation about playing dominos, which then lead to an argument over who made the best ramen in Austin. Before they new it, it was time to go to dinner. James guided Cadence through the growing throng of people with one hand placed gently on the small of her back and led her to his car. Before she could open the passenger side door, he pressed her up against the car and kissed her. He started with a long full kiss on the mouth, his tongue just beginning to tease her own, before moving down to gently kiss and nibble the sensitive skin on her neck. He wanted to keep going, but quickly reigned himself in and ended with a shorter kiss on her lips before reluctantly pulling away.
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Cadence wasn't sure what to think about James's behavior this evening. She'd never imagined he could be so passionate and affectionate. More so, she never imagined being on the receiving end of these attentions. She had always considered him so grossly out of her league in ever aspect. He was more educated, more successful, and vastly wealthier than her. She'd always been attracted to him of course; it was almost impossible not to be. Still, she never bothered developing an actual crush on him. Now, James was kissing her, pushing her up against cars, and talking about how much he liked her figure! It was so much so quickly and Cadence almost felt dizzy as they made the short trip a couple streets over to the Odd Duck. Even now, he held her hand while he drove, caressing her fingers lightly. At every stop light, he lifted her hand and kissed her fingertips. That simple gesture managed to be both sweet and erotic. Cadence was staring at James's face as he pulled into a spot by the restaurant and placed the car in park. He turned to her and she thought he was about to pull her in for another kiss, but seemed to retreat at the last moment. Clearly having seen her confusion, James said "Sorry, it's just that I don't think I can stop myself again. Better not to test our luck. I really want you to try this place." His response startled her. She had a hard time believing her calm, reserved boss was in such a precarious state of control. Yet, the evidence was right in front of her. James had a look in his eyes that said he'd take her in the backseat right now if they stayed in the car any longer. Trying not to picture that particular scenario too much, Cadence unbuckled her seat belt and grabbed her purse. James moved quickly around the car and opened the door for her.
Once they entered the restaurant, they were seated right away. James seemed to be familiar with several of the staff members, including their waiter. "What's going on James? I think this is the first time I've seen you here without Daniel" said the waiter, a lanky young man with a neatly trimmed red beard and fair skin. James laughed and said "Yeah, I finally decided to level up on the company I keep. This here is Cadence. Cadence, this is Duds. He actually used to be a barista in the cantina at work." Duds shook her hand and said "Nice to meet you. Well, I'm your waiter tonight. What can I get you both to drink?" James turned to her and asked "Do you like red wine?" "Oh, yes. Pinot noir maybe?" she answered. "Duds, what was that pinot noir you recommended last time?" James asked the waiter. "Oh, the Pierre Girardin Volnay Vieilles Vignes?" answered Duds in surprisingly good French. "Yes, a bottle of that please and go ahead and put in an order for that cheddar cornbread if it's still on the menu" James said hopefully. "No problem, I'll be back in a bit" said Duds before striding off. They perused the menu and decided to share several dishes. When Duds returned with their wine, they ordered the seared scallops with masa butter, sweet potato, grilled kale and salsa macha. They had decided to spread out their ordering, so they could try each thing fresh and hot. When their cheddar cornbread arrived, they ordered the achiote roasted carrots with burnt toast hummus and a grapefruit vinaigrette. The wine turned out to be delicious and the cornbread was perfectly savory and moist. The seared scallops arrived and were devoured quickly. She had to stop herself from licking the remaining masa butter off the plate. When their carrots came, they ordered two desserts: dried Chile chocolate fudge pie (with white chocolate peanut butter whip, oat crust, and urfa biber) and the sweet potato mochi donut (with sweet potato rye caramel and buttermilk sorghum ice cream). With each new dish they tasted, it became harder for Cadence to decide on a favorite. Even the carrots were exceptional; spicy and sweet with a burst of tanginess from the vinaigrette. The desserts, however, were the stars of the evening. They were both so delicious and unique. Even though she was completely stuffed, she was already mentally planning what she would order the next time she came. She sipped the rest of her wine, watching James take care of the check. He appeared to be as full as Cadence, and yet there was a distinct hunger in his eyes when he looked back at her. Her insides clenched as she imagined where the rest of this date might take them.