5. First Date with Laura

James had finished his research assignment and was preparing to go home. He wondered if Prof Laura had gone home early. He stood at the door of Prof. Laura's office. It turned out that Prof. Laura was getting ready to go home, too. His watch showed 17.15. The sun was almost setting into the night. Today the weather is sunny.

James knocked on the door. Knock knock.

Laura looked at him, slightly surprised because she didn't notice someone at her door. She left her room, carrying her briefcase and several bundles of scripts.

"Want to go home, James?" Laura asked, locking her office door.

"Yes. Any events tonight?" replied James as he walked side by side with Prof Laura towards the car park.

He deliberately parked his white Fortuner next to Prof Laura's red HRV. "There's no event tonight. What's the matter? You want to ask me to go on a date like that?" tease Laura again. She later became fond of teasing James with words that carried him away.

James was a little surprised and stuttered. "Ehh... ahh... Is it okay if I ask Prof. Laura for a date?"

Laura giggled at James's awkwardness. They had arrived beside Laura's red HRV. "That's fine, but won't anyone be angry if we go on a date together?" Laura tilted her head as she looked at the expression on James's face that looked confused.

"Who's angry, Professor? If I'm still single, what about Prof Laura?"

"Same, I'm also single. But don't you look like you're hanging out with your auntie?" Laura teased again, which made James blush.

"It's okay, the aunt is lovely," James replied to Laura while flashing his deadly sweet smile.

"I'll pick you up at the apartment at 7 pm. How about Prof?" James asked again.

"Okay. I'll wait for you, James. Bye-bye." Laura answered as she got into her red HRV.

James waited until Prof Laura's car passed and headed for his white Fortuner. His tiredness seemed to have disappeared somewhere. He wanted to shower and get ready for a date with his beautiful Professor.

Laura had just finished taking a shower and was picking out clothes to go on a date with James. Laura chose casual clothes in the form of a burgundy turtleneck t-shirt and skinny jeans with black synthetic leather boots. She dressed naturally and added brown eyeshadow and eyeliner to highlight her beautiful blue eyes.

She exited the room to wait for James in the living room. James was already sitting on the sofa in the living room. He still remembers Laura's apartment's essential passcode so he can enter quickly.

"Oh hey... have you been waiting here long?" said Laura, somewhat surprised to see James.

James also wears a casual white t-shirt with a blue jeans jacket and jeans and white sneakers. He looks handsome and charming. Very similar to Laura's idol, Park Seo Joon's style.

"Just about 10 minutes ago. Do you want to go straight away? Follow my car, okay?" said James.

"Okay, Oppa," Laura answered with a wink.

James took Laura's hand and put it in his arm as he walked towards the elevator that led to the basement.

"By the way, I'm curious, you know, why do you often call me Oppa?" asked James.

Laura giggled at James's question. "That's because your face resembles Oppa Park Seo Joon, my idol Drakor actor. I'm a big fan of his to a very high level."

James was surprised to hear Laura's answer. He didn't update with Drakor or Kpop stuff. Maybe later, he will check on Google what Oppa Park Seo Joon is like. They both got into James's white Fortuner.

James helped Laura put the seat belt on. "Thank you," Laura said, appreciating James's attention, her cheeks flushed.

"My pleasure," James replied, looking warmly at Laura's face.

James began to run his car, struggling with the traffic jams of the city streets at dinner time. "By the way, can I just call Laura, or should I go with Prof?" James asked cautiously.

Laura laughed and answered. "I don't mind if you call me Laura if it's just the two of us, but please, if you're on campus, you should still call me Prof."

"Oh well, I see... Laura," said James.

He stole glances at Laura as the car stopped, waiting for the red light to turn green. "If we have steak for dinner, what would you like, Laura?" James asked casually.

"Yes. I like steak." Laura answered, looking at James.

Secretly, she liked to look at James's face. James's sharp nose and pink lips, as well as his thick eyebrows and monolid eyes complemented by high cheekbones, is a perfect combination. James has thick brownish-black hair with an undercut hairstyle.

"There's something strange on my face? Why do you keep looking at me ...," James asked curiously.

The car moved again through the busy city streets to the Grand Aston Hotel.

"Ehh, nothing strange. I like looking at your handsome face." Laura answered honestly, which made James nervous, and he cleared his throat. It made Laura laugh again.

"Oh my gosh, why do you like to tempt me so much?" said James with a chuckle.

James turned on the radio in his car to dispel the awkwardness between them as Laura, and he fell silent. And Beyonce's sweet voice came out.

"I know he loves me because he says so."

"I know he loves me because his feelings show."

"When he looks at me, you see he cares about me."

"You saw how he was so deeply in love."

"I know he loves me because it's obvious."

"I know he loves me because I'm the one he trusts."

"And he misses me if he doesn't kiss me."

"And when he looks at me, his brown eyes say that"

James and Laura's faces suddenly turned red. How come the song fits their feelings? Laura also nonchalantly sang the song with Beyonce in an almost equally beautiful voice.

"Wow, your voice is beautiful, Laura! Why don't you join the singing talent show?" said James.

"I prefer to sing about pathology material in the lecture hall before my students." Laura joked, laughing out loud.

James also laughed to understand Laura's intention. She prefers to be a lecturer.

James's car finally entered the Grand Aston Hotel parking lot. James parked it in the basement. They got out of the vehicle. James took Laura's hand and put it on James's arm and then led her to the elevator leading to the hotel restaurant.

Laura felt the muscular biceps of James's arm under the touch of her hand. Indeed, the type of man she dreams of, a man like this, must be able to protect his woman from harm.

The restaurant's atmosphere was romantic, with the dim lighting of the candles on the dining table. A pianist played a song, accompanying a male singer in the restaurant's corner. It's a date, candlelight dinner!

Laura didn't imagine the date James meant would be so romantic. She also felt a bit of the wrong costume. Laura scratched her head, which didn't itch when she saw the restaurant diners at another table who looked formal in a dress. Whatever! Cried Laura in her heart.

James also looked relaxed, with no sign of protesting Laura's appearance. James's clothes were just as casual as Laura's. James pushed back the chair for Laura to sit down, so gentlemanly! He then sat across from Laura.

The waiter handed out the menu book to James and Laura, and they waited for their orders. "Order whatever you want, Laura. I'll treat tonight," said James, studying the menu in his hand.

"Hmmmm ... How about Sirloin Wagyu Meltique with Brown Sauce in Cream Cheese Carbonara?" Laura asked as she read out one of the menus.

"Please, that menu is one portion, yes... the other one is Giant Ribs Wagyu with Apple Tortilla and Mashed Potato. I ask for a bottle of Cockburn's." James ordered the waiter, he ordered a bottle of Portuguese red wine with a sweet, dry texture that goes well with steak.

"The order may take a while, Mr. James. Would you like to order an appetizer maybe while waiting?" said the waiter, who seemed to be familiar with the figure of James.

"Okay, hold on a second. Laura, what appetizer would you like?" James asked, still studying the menu book again.

"Rocket salad," Laura answered briefly.

"Sir, rocket salad 1, nicoise salad 1. That's all for now, so it doesn't take too long. Thank you, Sir." James said as he returned the menu book to the waiter.

While waiting for the menu to be prepared by the chef, they also chatted casually while enjoying the romantic restaurant atmosphere.

Laura asked. "Do you come here often? How does the waiter know your name?"

"Sometimes, when the family comes from Jakarta. After all, there is a member card here, so they know my name," answered James, looking at Laura gently.

Laura's appearance was so beautiful tonight that James wanted to keep seeing her.

"Sorry if I'm confused, James. But the menu we ordered seems expensive. Are you okay with treating me? I can pay for it myself." Laura said seriously, she thought about how much money a student has a month. If you look at the price list on the menu, plus imported red wine, it seems to be almost 3 million IDR.

James laughed at Laura's concern just now. "No, I can't. I just said that tonight I'll be the one to treat you. I'll tell you, but don't laugh at it, you know."

Laura suddenly nodded her head and raised two fingers. "Promise."

"So every month I get a monthly allowance from my father, um, that's pretty good... 30 million IDR a month since I was in high school. I rarely go out of my way to buy unnecessary shopping that automatically piles up in my savings account. One more thing ... I've never dated, so no one helps spend my savings." James said at length.

Laura was quite surprised to hear James's story. Are you sure this cute has never been in a relationship? Real or hoax? And 30 million IDR a month was more than her salary as a professor. Laura felt her heart sink. Looks like James is not a random kid.