We're going to need more than five minutes

Can I get you anything for dessert?

They quickly agreed on visiting a new rooftop restaurant in town that they both had been wanting to try out.

After a delicious meal she sat snuggled into his arms on a comfy sofa in the corner that offered them a breathtaking view over West Hollywood. They had yet to finish their non-alcoholic cocktails, Lola was lying under the table, waiting for them to finally go home. The low-fi electronic music that was playing was not for her.

Lana's phone was buzzing, she checked it, and immediately her face lit up. „Awww, look at that! That's my little boy."

She proudly showed him the photos she had just been sent.

„That's your new dog?"

She nodded and whispered his name full of adoration. „Levi... my little baby. I miss him!"

„Where is he?"

„He's in puppy boarding school, as I like to say. He's not staying with me at the moment, that wouldn't work out. I don't have the time and leisure to properly train him. Unfortunately that's how the timing turned out. But it is what it is. I wanted to go see him tomorrow though, he still needs to get used to Lola and to me."

„He's really cute!"

„Yeah", she smiled at the pictures, „He's a good boi. We're going to have so much fun with him."

„Why did you decide to get a second dog?"

„Well, to be honest... Lola is getting older", she reached down and patted her dog's head, „She's thirteen now. I hope she'll still have a few more years, but, who knows. I was thinking about it and hesitating for a long time. I didn't want to feel like I'm replacing her. Anyway, no one could ever replace her, never. At the same time I didn't want to imagine myself living without a dog in my life ever again. So in the end I took the decision to enlarge the family."

„Lola means a lot to you", he said while gently stroking her side just beneath her breast where last night he had seen the name ‚Lola' tattooed on her skin.

„Oh, you have no idea. As silly as it sounds, that dog is everything to me."
„It doesn't sound silly at all."

„We went through everything together, highs and lows, heaven and hell. She's been with me through it all. No other being on this earth has. I don't know what I'm going to do when..."

„... Then let's not think about it now, huh?", he said with a gentle smile, „I gotta say, I'm not sure Lola likes me very much."

„No, why do you say that?"

„I don't know, the way she looks at me..."

„You know what I think it is? Lola has seen so much in her lifetime, she can't even, anymore", she laughed, „She's done with people's nonsense, much like myself, actually. She's not wasting her time anymore on people who aren't worth it. She's seen a lot of folks in my life come and go. And I think, she just wants to wait and see how long you'll stick around before she gets invested."

„Fair enough."

„So don't worry, she'll come around eventually. She genuinely loves everyone who has a good heart, she does! Oh, but you know what, you should really meet Levi! He'll love you! He's a lot like you actually", she laughed again, „Young and fun and sweet and curious and full of energy. While I'm definitely more like Lola. That's really funny, and it's true, now that I come to think of it. No, you should definitely meet him. Maybe you can come with me tomorrow to see him if you have time? I'm sorry, here I am just assuming that somehow you have no other friends or family... or lady friends who you may want to hang out with on the weekend."

He laughed. „Nah, that's alright. I do have those... not lady friends, I mean friends and family, but I'm not really making plans right now. I want to remain flexible and be able to be spontaneous with whatever small amount of free time I have left outside of work, depending on what I feel like doing or not doing in that moment."

„That's smart", she nodded, „Way smarter than I was when I was your age. Well then, if you feel like it tomorrow, you're very welcome to join Lola and me visiting our new puppy."

„I'd love to! Maybe we can take it easy, sleep in, have breakfast in bed..."

She ran her hand over his chest, made an apologetic face and sucked her teeth. „That sounds lovely, and I swear, I'd love to make you my signature pancakes for breakfast one day, but Sarah, my assistant, is coming over tomorrow morning at nine, she's helping me with the flowers and gifts. And I want to do another live round of thanks for the fans. I'm sorry!"

„Ah, of course, no worries! That's alright, I can help you?"

„Are you sure? I can just let you know when we're done, it's your day off, you should go enjoy it."
„Exactly, and I choose to enjoy it with you, whatever it is that you'll be doing."

She smiled at him, then leaned in for a kiss, gentle and tender at first, then growing more and more intense. He felt a tingling sensation in his stomach at the thought that she seemed to have absolutely no problem cuddling him and kissing him in public like that, and all of that with social distancing rules in place. It felt almost forbidden.

Eventually the waitress approached their table and cleared her throat. „Excuse me, can I get you anything for dessert?"

Lana looked at her with a sweet, innocent smile. „Not today, thank you very much. I'll have my dessert at home." She patted her lover's chest without a flinch. „We'll just get the check, please."

The waitress confirmed and took off.

Jordane had to laugh. „You mean the dessert is me, or are we talking ice cream or something? I could have some ice cream, actually."

„I have some at home! How about this, you can eat ice cream while I'm riding you, how does that sound?"
For a second there he was surprised and not surprised by her candor. „To be honest, that sounds even more delicious than I would have thought before hearing you say it."

„Alright then", she chuckled, „That's totally cool with me, for what I'm planning to do with you when we get home, I only require body parts that are non-essential to eating ice cream."

„Or maybe you've just never seen me eat ice cream before?"

She looked him deep in the eyes, leaned forward now and licked his lips, then gently bit his bottom lip. „You're cute", she whispered, then she snuggled back into his arms, hugging him tight. „I'm sorry, I just can't stop touching and kissing you! I get really touchy and clingy when I'm into someone, by the way, I probably should have warned you."

„That's more than fine with me, baby." He kissed her neck, then briefly licked the sensitive skin right behind her ear, his hot breath sending shivers down her spine. „Just... if you continue like that, I can't guarantee that we'll make it home in time for ice cream."

She gasped. „Well, I'm sure they have a bathroom here..." She looked at him, a fire burning in her eyes, reached for his hand and was just about to get up when she reconsidered. „No, you know what? This is still so fresh and new that I want to enjoy being with you in bed where it's comfy and relaxed and I don't need to perform some weird contortions to keep my balance, I'm getting too old for that sort of stuff."

„Well then, what are we still waiting for?"