JACK
We walked toward the restaurant holding hands, where a hostess stood, ready to greet us. Rose's eyes widened as she looked around, her excitement palpable.
"Jack, this place is amazing!" she exclaimed. Her voice filled with anticipation filled me with pride.
I smiled proudly, thinking that I had finally nailed the perfect date night. But as we approached the door, Rose's smile faded. She pointed at the restaurant's sign.
"No more unlimited breadsticks," she pouted adorably.
"Don't worry, Rose," I told her, trying to sound reassuring. "I will buy all the breadsticks you want. We'll have a breadstick feast!"
Her face lit up with a mix of relief and excitement. She clapped her hands together, a mischievous glint in her eye. "You're the best, Jack!"
Just as I was about to open the door for her to the restaurant, my phone rang. I quickly answered, expecting an important call. "Hello?" I said, trying to sound professional.
To my surprise, it was the Professor on the other end of the line, congratulating us on our successful mission. I couldn't help but laugh at the timing. Here I was, about to go on a romantic dinner date, and the Professor had to call and ruin the moment. I was starting to wonder if he had cameras on us specifically.
“Is everything alright?” she asked, her curiosity bubbling to the surface.
I nodded, giving her little hand a squeeze. She smiled brightly and my heart melted. As we made our way inside the restaurant, I was still on the phone with the Professor, trying to juggle the conversation and navigate through the bustling crowd. Rose followed closely behind, a bemused smile still on her face. Pride filled me once again. I put that there.
As we sat down at our table, I shook my head at the ludicrousness. A romantic dinner, unlimited breadsticks, and a phone call from the Professor.
But as Rose and I looked at each other, laughter filling the air around us, I realized that it didn't matter how ridiculous the situation was. What mattered was that we were together, sharing a moment of joy and laughter amidst the chaos. I quickly thanked the professor and ended the call before Rose could get mad at me.
She was currently looking around the restaurant in awe until the waiter placed our menus on the table, making her squeal and clap her hands rapidly in excitement. When she reached to grab the menu, I grabbed her hands in mine and caressed her skin with my thumb.
"What a Valentine's day,” I whispered. Her eyes softened as her hands melted in my palms. I was glad the mission put our relationship to the test, because we both came out stronger and grew closer because of it. I needed to tell her how much she meant to me and everything I had learned from our mission. So I said, “Having you on my arm and a good steak… This day was the best!"