Masitda Restaurant, Baltimore, Wednesday Evening

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To tell the truth and shame the devil--a saying Kathy's mom had adored when she was alive--when Dante had suggested that they go out for Korean food, Kathy hadn't expected much. Dante didn't speak the language, didn't know the culture, and his only real introduction to the cuisine was what Kathy cooked at home and the hundred of weird bottle and jars of seasoning she kept in the door of the fridge, next to the more normal bottles of mayo and ketchup and relish. It wasn't that she was expecting it to be bad or anything, but she'd figured something middle-of-the-road, declaring its authenticity by blaring k-pop from the mid-2000s with two kinds of kimchi at most and a couple of sushi offerings to round out the 'Asianness' of the menu. All of which would have been perfectly fine and Kathy would have gone home, full and happy, and not given it another thought.

She realized she was wrong the moment they stepped into the restaurant. It smelled like home, evoking a sense of nostalgia and homesickness so sharp she rocked backwards on her heels for a moment. The table next to them had seven different banchan bowls on one side of it and over the shoulder of another patron, she could spot a menu page devoted entirely to different kinds of kimchi, several of which had seasonal warnings next to them. Apparently this place thought it wouldn't do to serve Yeolmu-kimchi in the middle of winter and you know what? They were goddamn right.

Kathy reached for Dante's hand, squeezing it tightly, letting her grip speak louder than she could right then about how pleased she was with his choice of restaurant for the evening.

[Not for broadcast and for that guy she's with!]

Comments

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"Picture him in a cute little apron and then tell me what you think," Kathy said with a grin.

The waiter excused himself quietly and went off to go stare at a wall, love-sick.

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"Oh god," Dante said, grinning broadly. "We gotta get him one of those for his birthday. Like one with the draw-on abs."

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"He'd love it," Kathy declared, quite probably erroneously. "And tell him he can't wear a shirt underneath it."

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Dante snickered softly. "Or pants."

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"Yeah, but then nothing's gonna get done in the kitchen." And since the waiter had gone away, Kathy didn't hesitate to add, "...I mean, except us."

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"I'm not seeing any downsides," Dante said, winking.

Mostly because he didn't want to get kicked out for kissing her again.

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They weren't in a hot tub, thirty seconds before kissing turned into something more than kissing!

"I mean, I do get hungry for actual food sometimes," Kathy said. "But that's what takeout's for, so yeah. No downsides." She looked at him, amusement sparkling in her eyes. "I love you."

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Dante grinned, poking her with his foot. "Yeah, yeah," he said. "Love you too, Kat."

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"My favorite part is your unabashedly romantic nature," Kathy teased.

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"We're on a date," Dante said. "That's romantic, right?"

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"I mean, teasing the waiter with what he can't have is romantic by some definitions, I'm sure," Kathy said, fighting off a grin.

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Dante laughed softly. "If it helps," he said, "I'm not the only one getting checked out tonight."

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"Awww, you checkin' me out?" Kathy asked, preening a bit. And tugging her shirt down an inch or so to show off a little more tit.

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"Always," Dante said, grinning. "But so's the bartender."

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"Wait what?" Kathy asked, not whipping her head around to look by sheer will power alone. "Are you serious?"

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"Oh yeah," Dante said. "Keeps sneaking looks this way, and he's definitely eyeing up you."

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Kathy had only vaguely realized there was a bartender. She was the worst at this.

On the other hand, it was hard noticing other guys when Dante was in the room.

"How long ago did you notice him?" she asked.

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"About a minute after we came in," Dante said, shrugging.

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"And you didn't say anything?" Kathy asked, giggling. "I could have been ordering dirty drinks this whole time!"

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"Hey, I figured you'd catch that yourself," Dante said, bringing up his glass to drink a little more.

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"I never think to look," Kathy confessed. "It just doesn't occur to me."

She knew she could be attention-grabbing hot, but that was when she put effort into it. Tonight, she hadn't been trying to be sexy, just...you know, enjoying her date with Dante.

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Dante smiled at her. "If you were a little more like me or Ez, you'd have been breakin' hearts for years," he said. "'s just a fact."

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"Oh man, I can't even imagine the three of us that way," Kathy said, shaking her head a little. "We'd've laid waste to wherever we went. Oh god, no one would have survived."

She did turn around to the bartender and wink, waggling her fingers at him in a flirty wave.

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The bartender grinned back at her, raising his eyebrows in response.

"Scorch and burn, huh?" Dante said. "I dunno, now I kinda like this mental image."

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Kathy had no idea what to do next, so she took Dante's thought to heart and blew him a kiss before turning back around.

"What, you mean the mental image of the three of us slow-walking away from a club full of people collapsing into puddles in our wake?" she asked.