<snip>

Malcolm looked for a moment a bit scoldingly at Eleanor. “Listen Ellie…” A warm smile crossed his face as he kissed her forehead. “… please don’t ever apologize to me, of all people, for showing honest human emotion. I meant what I said in that I can’t even imagine the emotions that coursed through you just now. Understand sweetheart…” There was a glow in his eyes as he said the term of endearment. “… if I would have just had the experience you did, I’d be on my knees in tears. Trust me… I know me and on something like that…” Dawkins snickered to himself softly. “… I’m just a big’ol softie.”

Eleanor smiled. “Thank you.” There was a joyous glow in her eyes. “You know… Ellie is the nickname my brothers have always given me… Just thought it was funny you called me the same.”

Drying Eleanor’s eyes the best he could, Malcolm stepped to her side, wrapped an arm back around her… his thumb once again finding a little spot of skin on her side, and the couple walked along the stadium’s main promenade. “So, I hear there’s a great burger joint behind the left field wall. There’s a patio for diners with a great view of the field. Wanna eat there and we can watch the warms up before heading to our seats?” As he asked the question, he gently slid his hand into Eleanor’s back pocket.

Malcolm

Eleanor leaned against Malcolm as they walked, enjoying the intimacy. “Look at you, you did your research, huh?” She teased. “I never really ate anywhere around here… there was always food at my parents box.” Carnegie said matter of factly. “God, I would love to get a burger. I never have here.” She smiled. Suddenly, her breath caught slightly and her smile turned into a smirk as she felt Malcolm’s hand slide into her back pocket. “You know… my mother used to say ‘look with your eyes and not with your hands’. But just because it’s you, I think I’ll make an exception.” She winked.

Eleanor

Malcolm gave a playful squeeze of Eleanor’s tush as they continued to walk. “Good…” He smiled, looking forward. “… as I had no intention of removing it. Smart woman though. I must say, I’m a fan of the… genes… or is it the other jeans.” The snicker was soft but the smile unmistakable. “So..” Malcolm quipped as they approached the burger joint over the left field wall. “… patio seating, stadium side… I would assume?” He glanced down, brown eyes shimmered in the afternoon sun as his hand shifted just a bit deeper in her pocket.

Malcolm

Eleanor groaned and rolled her eyes. “You know what, I think I’m not making that exception after all.” She said with a smirk. “Again… newbie on the crowd side here, just take me where you think seating is best.” She smiled. “You’re the expert here, Captain Astros. Even if your team is not playing at home.” The name had all to do with the game and nothing to do with his call sign.

Malcolm groaned softly and rolled his eyes before moving on. “Let’s grab that table over there.” Dawkins motioned to a table against the wall of the stadium and just to the inside of the pole. “That looks like a great spot.” He said as they moved toward the table into a bit more sunlight. Looking down into Eleanor’s eyes, he smiled wider. “You like?”

Her gaze was lost momentarily on his, as the contacts allowed her to see the small shades of color that the afternoon light produced in Malcolm’s eyes. “Wow…” The word escaped her lips before she could stop it. “Your eyes… I had never seen anything like them…”

Eleanor

Eleanor learned in that moment, black guys can… in fact… blush. Closing his eyes, Malcolm looked away as he felt like his face was on fire. “Trust me Ellie…” He said as he turned his gaze back to hers. “… I’ve been thinking the same thing of yours since the moment I first looked into them in the lounge.” Malcolm slipped his hands to Ellie’s waist and kissed her. A slow, sweet kiss that made him unable to not pull her closer.

It was her turn to blush. Looking down, she shook her head. But before Eleanor could say anything, Malcolm’s lips were on hers, in one of the sweetest kisses she had ever received. Leaning into the kiss, her arms pulled him as his arms pulled her. And even though it was not truly her hometown, but rather a computer rendering of it, Carnegie could not think of a fitter place.

After the kiss, Malcolm pulled out a chair for her and waved the waiter over. “Cheese… or no cheese?” He asked beaming as he settled in his chair.

Malcolm

Sitting down, Eleanor smiled. Her gaze still very much on his as if she was awaking from a dream. “With everything I can put on it.”

Eleanor

Malcolm would have normally chuckled at her comment but he was currently so enraptured by the woman across from him, the waiter (whom Malcolm had summoned) had to clear his throat twice to get his attention. “Oh…” Malcolm said as he snapped back to the here and now, his hand already finding Ellie’s thigh under the table. “… um, two cheeseburgers with everything and two sweet teas.”

Eleanor smiled softly as she watched Malcolm order. She didn’t know what it was about him, but even when he performed the simplest tasks, like ordering food, Eleanor found him simply fascinating.

The waiter raised an eyebrow and then said. “I’m sorry, we only have bottle tea It is served ice cold though.” It was Malcolm’s turn for momentary confusion before he chuckled. “Ah yes, but the north don’t know sweet tea. That’s fine.” As the waiter walked away, Malcolm gave Ellie’s thigh a little squeeze. “I’m pretty fond of the sweet I already got though.” He winked as he leaned over and kissed Ellie just below the ear.

Malcolm

“Hey, we drink iced tea… and pop mostly.” Eleanor said playfully, biting her lip unconsciously as she felt Malcolm’s fingers dig into her thigh. She blushed slightly at his comment before a small gasp escaped her lips as his lips landed on her skin. She smiled shyly and looked over the field as an excuse to move her face away. She felt her cheeks burning. “I’m wondering whether I shouldn’t have asked one of my brothers for the list of hidden corners of this stadium… They seemed to know them pretty well… I’m sure we could put them to good use…”

Eleanor

Catching the waiter returning out of the corner of his eye, Malcolm knew he had only a few moments before dinner and wanted to make damn sure Ellie spent the entire meal wanting more. He brought his lips to Ellie’s ear, kissing it softly and then whispered directly into it in a seductive tone. “Now don’t be talkin’ up thing’s ya ain’t ready to back up.” He growled playfully. “Cause believe when I say… I would love to drive you crazy all over this building.”

There was nothing soft about the expression Eleanor gave him. There was only hunger and want. The sweet smooth syllables of his Southern drawl making it even worse. As her eyes looked into his, and she saw him sit upright and smile at the waiter, Eleanor exhaled slowly. The night… she wasn’t sure what the night was going to become, but she was sure she didn’t want it to be over.

With that, Malcolm sat upright and smiled at the waiter. The smell of the burgers wafted on the light breeze several feet in front of him as he arrived. “Your burgers sir.” The waiter smiled, setting the baskets with fries down. “And two Turner’s teas. It’s a favorite around here. If you need anything else, just let me know. My name’s Tommy.”

As Malcolm opened the bottle, he raised it to Ellie. “When in Rome.” He said with a flashed smile. He gave one last teasing pass of his fingertips along the inner seam of Ellie’s jeans about half way between the bottom of her zipper and her knee before returning both hands to the table.

Eleanor nodded in acknowledgment, her gaze never leaving him. And as his fingertips made their last pass across her jeans, another gasp escaped her lips into the cooling afternoon air. Eleanor would never have thought that it would be in her beloved Park, wearing a Pirates jersey and ball cap, and eating a burger, that she would finally forget Will, the guy who had gone to great lengths to take her to the most lavish dates she could ever imagine. And yet, there she was, sitting across from a handsome fighter pilot, a simple Southern guy, supporting the opposing team. And never again did he cross her mind.

“Well…” He winked innocently. “… dig in hun.”

Malcolm

Eleanor smiled. “Oh I will.” She said with a wink as she grabbed the burger with both hands and took a bite from it. “God.” Her eyes widened at Malcolm in both surprise and joy. “This is so much better than anything in that box! How did you even want to watch the game from it?” She chuckled. “I can’t believe it I never came up here!”

With a genuine smile, she looked at her company across the table. “Thank you for doing this.”

Eleanor