Restaurant Los Barandales occupied the ground floor of Hotel Ancira, so they didn't have to go far. William and Eve were shown to a table by the window. Through the glass, the Macroplaza stretched out under evening light, the fountains brilliantly illuminated.

  Eve slid into her seat, setting her small purse aside. William took the chair across from her. The waiter appeared immediately, setting down menus and filling their water glasses.

  "Good evening. May I start you with something to drink?"

  William glanced at Eve. She nodded.

  "Red wine," he said. "And whatever you recommend."

  "Excellent choice, se?or. I'll return shortly."

  The waiter disappeared. Eve opened her menu, scanning the options. William did the same, though his eyes kept drifting to Eve across from him.

  She looked up with a sly smile. "See something interesting?"

  He gave back a grin, "Just looking at some art."

  She was speechless, "Since when did you get so eloquent?"

  William coughed, "I may or may not have been reading some pick-up lines..."

  Her mouth opened. In his opinion, her current expression looked cute. After a second, she recovered and smiled, "That does sound like you."

  "I know, right?" He chuckled.

  The waiter returned with wine, poured two glasses, and stood with his notepad ready.

  Eve ordered mole poblano in Spanish. William noted that her Spanish still needed a little work, but other than the slight mispronunciation, it was perfect, which was even more impressive, considering that she had been learning Spanish for only a year. When he'd asked why she was learning, she replied that if she was to be the COO of his future company, she'd have to know multiple languages. Regardless of her answer, he'd have taught her Spanish anyway if she wanted to learn.

  William ordered chile en nogada, also in Spanish.

  "So, what's the plan after tomorrow?" William asked as he sipped the wine.

  "You're not gonna ask for tomorrow?"

  He shook his head, "We're obviously going for the facility tour, so I don't need to ask. I noticed that you booked the flight to Japan three days later. So I was wondering what we're doing the day after tomorrow."

  She smiled, "Couldn't hide anything from you, huh? It's a secret, of course. We're gonna go do something fun."

  He raised an eyebrow, "I'm looking forward to it."

  Their food arrived. The presentation was immaculate. William's chile en nogada was arranged like a work of art, the green pepper stuffed with meat and covered in white walnut sauce, garnished with red pomegranate seeds. He noticed that it was the colors of the Mexican flag.

  William smiled, "Bon appétit."

  Eve picked up her fork and cut into the mole poblano. The dark, complex sauce clung to the chicken, rich with chocolate and chili. She took a bite and closed her eyes for a moment. She nodded in satisfaction. William tried his chile en nogada. The combination of sweet and savory hit him perfectly. The pomegranate seeds added bursts of tartness against the creamy walnut sauce.

  They ate in silence, each enjoying their own meal.

  "How is it?" Eve asked.

  "Really good. You?"

  "Amazing. Try some?"

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  She held out her fork. He leaned forward and tasted the mole poblano. Chocolate, chilies, and something he couldn't identify all blended together, creating a unique and unforgettable flavor.

  "That's incredible."

  "Want to trade?"

  "No, mine's perfect. Here, you can try some as well." He held out his fork. She leaned forward, maintaining eye contact with him, and tasted his chile en nogada. It was weirdly sensual, the situation that is. I think her excessive eye contact is making this weird.

  She closed her eyes, tasting the bite closely. "You're right. It's pretty good."

  William gave her a thumbs-up. They continued eating, occasionally sharing bites across the table, talking about small things, like books, the future, themselves, games, philosophy, and music. They didn't even mention the company or business even once, completely engrossed in themselves.

  "...and that's why it's stupid." William ended passionately.

  Eve clapped, "Wow, that explains nothing. I'm so enlightened."

  William glared at her, "Shut up. I didn't think I'd be this passionate about philosophy."

  She chuckled before sipping the red wine, "Me neither. I guess we do learn something new every day, huh?"

  He nodded, "Right. And how are your chess skills? Last I heard, Sarah said you were getting pretty good."

  This time, it was her turn to glare at him, "Hmmph, not enough to beat you yet."

  He snorted, "Keep dreaming."

  She tsked. "I'll win someday. You'll see."

  He grinned, "I hope that day comes soon."

  By then, they had finished their meal.

  Eve looked a little tipsy. "So, is there anything you've been keeping secret from me?"

  William nodded, "There is. I reincarnated."

  She laughed, "You're a funny guy. No, seriously, is there anything?"

  He was confused. Why was she asking about this now? "Why? What're you gonna say if there are?"

  She pouted, "It's nothing. I'd be jealous that I don't know your secrets. That's all."

  He hesitated, "There are a few secrets. But I'm not ready to share them yet, I'm sorry." He held her hand on the table.

  She sighed, "It's fine. At least you're honest. But I'm always here for you, okay? You look like you are always afraid of something. If you need to vent, you can tell me. I won't judge." She paused and then corrected herself. "I won't judge if it's not too embarrassing."

  William was relieved. Honestly, he didn't know what he would do if she continued pressing there. "It's not too embarrassing, no. Thank you for understanding, Eve."

  She took another gulp. William was getting worried. The bottle was now empty, with her having drunk at least two-thirds of it.

  She slurred, "It's no problem. You mean the world to me! This is nothing compared to what you gave me."

  "What? When did I give you something?"

  Eve looked nostalgic, "Don't you remember, silly? You gave me a home and a family when I had none."

  A look of realization came onto him as his eyes widened. He supposed he had given her that, but he didn't consider it important. He thought it was just something everyone did. Though now, thinking back, he realized that the thought was due to his suppressed maturity at the time. Even though young William was smart and had the memories of his past life, the maturity and wisdom that came with age were forcefully repressed at his own request, only leaving behind what would be appropriate for someone of that age. That might have included emotions, common sense, and even some memories.

  William smiled gently as her as he caressed her hand, "Don't worry about it, Eve. It was something I had to do. You were my first friend. If I didn't do everything I could for you, what kind of friend would I be?"

  She grinned, "And now, I'm your girlfriend. Heh, this is good. I'm gonna order another bottle."

  William stopped her, "Eve, you should stop now."

  She looked at him, confused, "Huh? Why? We're having fun, no?"

  He groaned, "I know, but that's not the point, Eve. You're drunk."

  "I am?" She paused for a moment, "I suppose I am. You're right, William. I'm glad you stopped me."

  William was embarrassed, "You're way too honest now."

  She giggled, "Like you, you mean? You literally have no filter when you want to say something, so you're not one to talk, mister!" She sighed as she crossed her legs, supporting her chin with her hand. "You know, I was quite nervous before we left."

  "You were? I didn't notice."

  "Yeah. When you complimented me, I was so red."

  He had a look of realization, "Oh, is that why? I thought you were just getting hot."

  She sighed and smiled at him, "You're so clueless, Will."

  "I guess I am. You can teach me, though."

  "Nah, it's more fun this way." She grinned.

  "Ugh, you're even more mischievous than before."

  "That's the drunkenness talking, not me."

  He shook his head and smiled, "We should get back to our room. I don't think it's safe to be drunk in public."

  "Why? I know Kung Fu. I can kick anyone's ass. Hell, you're even better at kicking ass than me. It should be safe."

  "Yeah, but being drunk would reduce our fighting prowess. So we should go rest. We have a big day tomorrow." William tried to convince her.

  She looked sad, but nodded, "Fine, fine. We'll leave."

  William called for a waiter and asked for a check. Afterwards, William supported her to their room.

  As soon as they got inside, Eve took off his coat and pulled him towards the bed after closing the lights. Confused, William went along. Eve properly pushed him on the bed and, after making sure he was lying face up, she jumped on the bed and lay on his chest, slowly drifting off to sleep.

  "I've always wanted to sleep like this," she muttered. William didn't move an inch, afraid of waking her. After sighing, he too decided to sleep, though it was weird sleeping clothed.