Chapter 77: Chapter 77: What to Prepare for the First Time
###Chapter 77: What to Prepare for the First Time
"Okay," Maxine Rhodes agreed with a nod. "I’m a little hungry anyway."
Half an hour later, a black Rolls-Royce pulled up at the base of a skyscraper in the city center.
Maxine Rhodes pushed the door open and stepped out. Looking up, she saw the sign for the Cloud Restaurant gleaming in the twilight.
Through the floor-to-ceiling glass, she could see fairy lights twined around the edges of the suspended booths.
"This is..." Her steps faltered, her eyes filled with the reflection of the tiny, sparkling lights.
Ethan Hawthorne had already come to her side. His hand rested naturally on the small of her back as he guided her through the revolving doors. "I hear the French food here is good."
Inside, a waiter led them to the best table with a view. The lights of the entire city spread out beneath them. Rose petals were scattered across the table, and beside the crystal glasses sat white moth orchids, flown in that morning.
After they were seated, Maxine Rhodes looked up at the perfectly composed man across from her, a knowing smile playing on her lips.
"Mr. Hawthorne," she leaned forward slightly and lowered her voice, her eyes shimmering in the soft light, "is this what you call... a casual bite to eat?"
A warm yellow halo fell on his well-defined profile. He watched her with a calm gaze, a clear hint of a smile in his eyes. "Isn’t having dinner with you the most important thing?"
Just then, a well-trained waiter began to serve the food.
"Good evening, Mr. and Mrs. Hawthorne. This is our signature appetizer—the Kiss of the Deep Sea."
Exquisitely plated oysters, garnished with caviar. The name was certainly evocative.
Maxine Rhodes’s hand, holding her fork, paused for a moment.
Next came the main course: pan-seared foie gras with a red wine reduction.
"Please enjoy. This dish is called ’A Fusion of Love’," the waiter said with a standard smile.
Maxine Rhodes could feel her cheeks getting warm, especially when she heard the name of the next course, the soup—
"This soup is called ’Intimate Whispers’. It’s the chef’s special recommendation."
Ethan Hawthorne had clearly heard the overly suggestive names of the dishes as well. His fingers, holding his water glass, tightened for a second. Though he maintained his composure, his gaze flickered away for a moment, and he cleared his throat softly.
The final blow was the dessert, an artfully shaped chocolate lava cake named "Midnight Passion."
The very air seemed to grow thick and heavy.
Just as the atmosphere reached its peak of awkwardness, the restaurant manager personally came over. With an attentive and knowing smile, he gently placed an exquisite room keycard next to Ethan Hawthorne’s hand.
"Mr. Hawthorne, as per your assistant’s special request, the Nebula-themed luxury suite on the top floor has been prepared for you. You may check in at any time. I wish you both a pleasant evening."
With that, the manager politely withdrew.
Silence fell over the table. The black keycard lay on the white tablecloth, starkly conspicuous.
Ethan Hawthorne frowned at the keycard before looking up at Maxine Rhodes. "I only asked Erza Sinclair to book a restaurant."
He paused, then added in a low voice, "I didn’t know he would arrange all this."
Maxine Rhodes extended a slender finger and tapped the keycard lightly. Tilting her head, she smiled like a sly cat. "So... Mr. Hawthorne, what now? ’Nebula-themed’... that sounds rather nice, don’t you think?"
Ethan Hawthorne’s gaze moved from the keycard back to her teasingly smiling face.
He leaned forward slightly, his voice a low whisper across the flickering candlelight in the center of the table. "Has your... Aunt Flo... left?"
His question was so direct it shattered all unspoken pretenses, causing the ambiguous tension in the air to surge.
Maxine Rhodes clearly felt her heart skip a beat, and a blush crept uncontrollably up her cheeks. But under the watch of his deep eyes, she didn’t shy away. Instead, she met his gaze and let out a lazy, affirmative "Mhm," adding, "Just left."
Their gazes locked, so intense it was almost tangible.
After receiving her confirmation, however, the dark, surging tide in Ethan Hawthorne’s eyes slowly began to recede.
He looked up at her, his expression returning to its usual calmness, though beneath it lay a deeper, more restrained desire.
"I’ve done some research," he began, his tone calm. "Right after a period ends, the uterine lining hasn’t fully healed yet. It’s... not the best time."
He paused, his gaze lingering for a second on her slightly widened eyes, before continuing, "Let’s wait another two days."
Maxine looked at his completely serious expression, her eyes, now misty with amusement, crinkling at the corners. "Ethan Hawthorne, I never would have thought you’d research something like that."
Ethan Hawthorne watched her laugh, the corners of his own mouth lifting into a faint smile. "It concerns your body. Of course I have to be careful."
At that moment, a warmth deeper and more comforting than mere passion flowed quietly through Maxine Rhodes’s heart.
Over the next two days, with a mutual, unspoken understanding, they both began to make their own preparations for the coming night.
Ethan Hawthorne opened up their three-person group chat.
Ethan Hawthorne: [@Noah Sutton, hurry up and send me some study materials.]
The message had barely been sent when his phone was instantly flooded with replies.
Noah Sutton: [???]
Noah Sutton: [Holy shit! Hawthorne the Bastard, have you finally decided to enrich your barren love life?]
Noah Sutton: [Wait! With this attitude... are you finally about to hit a home run? 😏😏😏]
Noah Sutton: [Attaboy, man! Just wait, I’ll send you all my most prized materials. From beginner to expert, satisfaction guaranteed!]
Elias Grant: [Tsk.]
Elias Grant: [@Ethan Hawthorne, so you’ve finally decided to give in to your animal instincts?]
Ethan Hawthorne looked at the messages popping up on his screen, completely ignoring Noah’s subsequent string of unreliable recommendations and Elias’s sharp-tongued remark. He replied concisely:
Ethan Hawthorne: [@Noah Sutton, cut the crap. Just send them.]
Noah Sutton: [Roger that! Congrats to my man Hawthorne on starting a new Chapter in his life! [Universal_Celebration.jpg]]
Putting down his phone, Ethan Hawthorne opened a private window in his computer’s browser.
His long fingers paused over the keyboard for a few seconds before he carefully typed in his search terms:
"How to avoid female discomfort during first sexual experience"
"Precautions for sex after menstrual period"
"How to create a relaxed intimate environment"
He clicked on a few authoritative-looking medical websites and informational articles, his expression as focused as if he were reviewing a billion-dollar contract, reading word by word.
Occasionally, he would frown slightly at some of the more explicit descriptions, a faint, almost imperceptible blush creeping up the back of his ears.
After making sure he had noted all the key points, he cleared his browsing history, leaned back in his chair, and began to plan.
Meanwhile, Maxine Rhodes opened her chat with Susie Summers.
Maxine Rhodes: [Question: what should you prepare for the first time?]
