Chapter 7

Adrien hummed the song as he walked around teacher's room. He glowed with happiness as he packed his thing, readying to go back home.

"Someone looks happy today." Tikki commented. She smiled at the sight of her sunshine boy that was radiant like the actual sun.

"Tell me about it." Plagg mumbled under his breath.

"It's our one month anniversary." Adrien said. He sighed dreamingly when he thought about his girlfriend. "We will have a dinner together at that place near Toracardo. The Eiffel tower view at night will be so perfect."

"Oh! That place, quite an expensive one, isn't it?"

"Yeah. But our first date at the high-class restaurant was a complete disaster. I hope that I can make her a good new one."

Tikki clapped her hands together. "That's so romantic. I wish you luck, Adrien."

"Thanks Tikki."

"Whatever, just don't mess up too much. It's annoying when you moped around for a week just because a date didn't go as your plan." Plagg said in repulsive tone. But Tikki and Adrien looked at each other and secretly smiled.

"Thank you too, Plagg"

"Just go already!"

Adrien left university three o'clock in the afternoon. He still had two hours to prepare himself before picked Marinette up from her place. He was glad that he still kept the black suit he wore in his graduate party. It was one of the best suits he had.

Adrien hesitated, unsure whether to style his hair neatly like the time when he still modeling or just let it all messy like usual. After spent half an hour in front of the mirror, he decided to just be himself and went with the usual hair style.

"You can do this." He said, trying to reassure himself before drove to her place.

He waited for her in front of the apartment building. Marinette replied his text message with emoticon and told him to wait five more minute for her last minute make up. He scrolled through his e-mail when he felt a tap on his shoulder.

And when he saw Marinette, Adrien forgot to breath.

She wore a long carmine red dress that had a long slit in the side. It showed her long and slim leg that made Adrien felt like all the blood in his body ran to his face. Her black-blue hair was done in a stylish bun that he was sure it took an hour to do. There were small flowers in her hair that made her she looked less sexy and sweeter, even though Adrien felt like it didn't help much when he saw her leg again.

"You're beautiful." Adrien breathed out after he finally found his voice again. Marinette giggled lightly when she saw his awestruck face.

"So…to the restaurant?" She smiled lightly at him and Adrien couldn't help but smiled back at her.

"As your command, princess."

The restaurant was so elegant it made Adrien thought about the time when he still followed his father around. It didn't crowd with people and secluded enough to talk without worrying that someone would hear their conversation.

Marinette looked comfortable it almost liked she used to this place. Adrien didn't really surprise. In her line of career, they needed connection as much as they could get and meeting in the restaurant was one way of them.

"I would like the special menu for today and lemonade." She ordered in her sweet voice before turned to ask him. "And you, Adrien?"

"Err." Adrien blinked. He didn't took a look at menu because most of the time he was busily eyeing Marinette and her bare shoulders. "I would like the same as her."

"Two special dished and two lemonades." The waiter repeated their orders. "The food will be served in fifteen minute. Please enjoy your meal."

The waiter walked back to the kitchen, left only two of them at the table. Marinette looked at him with concerning eyes. She touched his hand before asked if he was feeling okay.

"I'm fine. Just thinking about something."

"About what?"

She moved her hand again. The motion made her shoulders caught dim light. The look was so appealing to the point that made Adrien suddenly felt uncomfortable with his mind.

He sighed and decided to tell the truth. Marinette looked genuinely concern. He hated to make her felt like that when the real reason was just because he couldn't control his hormone.

"You just look so beautiful, like absolutely the most beautiful girl I have seen in my life. I can't stop looking at you."

Her face flushed pink but Marinette still kept her hand above his hand, so it might be a good sign. Another hand tucked her hair behind her ear, the habit she did when she was nervous, when she replied.

"I'm sure you've worked with lot of models more beautiful than me."

"No." He said seriously. Sometimes Adrien felt like Marinette had a big problem with her self-consciousness. His hand scooped hers in to emphasize his point.

"You are the most beautiful girl for me, inside out. You are kind and brave. You're funny and you appreciate my jokes even though you pretend not to like them. You care about me more than yourself, something no one has ever done before. And that make you the most beautiful girl in the world."

"Oh, Adrien." Marinette cooed lightly. She smiled at him. "Of course, I care about you, kitty."

"Kitty? Really, Marinette?"

Marinette shrugged. "You looked like a stray kitten that what a warm place to stay. If you're gonna called me princess, then I have my choice for your pet name, too"

"I won't stop calling you a princess."

"Okay then, kitty."

Before their banter continued, the waiter was back with their food. It was fish with some green sauce that Adrien didn't know but the look on Marinette face when she tasted it helped reassure him that it was quite good.

The restaurant was good. The atmosphere was romantic. The food was delicious. Everything went smoothly so far Adrien felt like his bad luck couldn't ruin this date for once.

Maybe he was thinking too soon.

"Mlle. Dupain-Cheng." The familiar voice called from behind him made Adrien stopped his fork. He turned to see the person and regretted it immediately.

"M. Durand?" Marinette greeted the middle-age man. "Good evening, monsieur."

"Good evening. Have a date here?" M. Durand said in teasing voice before he saw her date for tonight.

And that was what Adrien called a disaster.

"Adrien, my boy!"

M. Durand hugged him. Adrien had to stand up, hugging back awkwardly to his father long-time business partner, who he hadn't met for years after he stopped talking to his father.

"Good to see you too, M. Durand."

"I haven't seen you for like three years! I told Gabriel so many times to lower your work a little. A young mans like you need their break with a beautiful woman sometimes, right?" M. Durand winked at Marinette.

"Actually, it was six years and yes, I really need more time with my girlfriend."

Adrien smiled, neither agreed nor corrected the older man misunderstanding.

It wasn't a first time his father's business partner talked to him like this when they accidentally met each other on the street or restaurant. His father didn't care much if the employee gossiped behind his back, but he won't let any of his partners knew anything that would destroy the perfect picture of 'Agreste'.

"We haven't met that long?" M. Durand said. "Time flies too fast for an old man like me."

"You're hardly old." He kept the conversation so it didn't seem rude before said again. "If you don't mind, I would like to…"

"You two can come and sit at my table." M. Durand cut him off before Adrien could say anything. "I would love to catch up with you, my boy. And Mlle. Dupain-Cheng knows me quite well. I'm sure she will be okay with it."

Both Adrien and M. Durand looked at Marinette at the same time and it made her fidgeted in her seat.

"I…" She bit her lip, not sure how to say no without looking like she was insulting one of her boss. Her uncomfortable face made Adrien decided to answer before she did.

"Some catch up would be good." Adrien smiled brightly at M. Durand. It was a model smile Marinette said she hated it so much because when he use this smile, it means that he wasn't happy. "Can you tell the waiter to move our food?"

M. Durand gestured to call the waiter. "Move their food to my usual table and add the billed to my table, too."

"You don't have to do that."

"Nonsense!" M. Durand walked them to his table while he was saying. "I invited you two, at least let me pay the bill as my apology for ruining your date."

You knew that and you did it anyway.

Adrien really wanted to point out but he didn't want to sound rude to a family's old friend.

Marinette who walked beside him grabbed his hand and squeezed it. Her blue eyes looked at him like she was trying to say sorry.

"It's okay. I know you don't want to say no to your boss. If it was me, I would feel the same, too."

"I still feel bad anyway." She said grimly. "So, no high class restaurant anymore?"

"Absolutely nothing high class anymore."

At least they could agree in that idea.

"Dupain-Cheng? What are you doing here?"

The voice of another rival designer in the company made Marinette want to sight. What day was it? A company meeting day or something she wasn't aware of?

"Are you also eating here, Lambert?"

Marinette turned to face the fellow designer, but what she didn't prepare for was that table was also the same table M. Durand walked to.

And that wasn't even the worst point.

She felt Adrien suddenly froze beside her. Marinette could only squeeze his hand more tightly when they looked at the man at the head of table.

Sat calmly on his seat like the rest of the world wasn't matter to him was Gabriel Agreste.

I'm really terribly sorry about the late update.

I'm studying in faculty of medicine so it's lot of studying, tests and reports. I actually just finish my test yesterday and I have another test after new year. (I only have a 4 days break for New year holidays and all devote for preparing for the test.)

But I will finish this story soon. Just a few chapter away from the end actually. I hate it when the writers know that they can finish it soon but then decide to stop right there.

So see you all soon. Hopefully before New year.