Page 41 of Keeping Zita

His smile grew, and Zita felt all tingly inside. He put his cup on a small table next to the chair where she was sitting. “Scoot over to one side. We’ll see if we both fit. If it’s not comfortable, when dinner arrives, we can change the seating arrangement.”

It was a good idea. This was basically a trial run, which Zita liked.

She scooted over, and Sage lowered himself onto the cushion next to her. Surprisingly, they fit perfectly in the chair. Her thigh was pressed up against his, but the chair was wide enough to accommodate them both comfortably. Sage’s body heat seeped into hers, and he smelled really good.

Letting herself relax, Zita leaned against him. He put his arm around her shoulders, which made their position even more comfortable. They both drank their tea and instead of starting the movie immediately, they talked about nothing in particular for a while. It was…nice.

Before they knew it, they’d both finished their tea, and Sage finally reached for the remote. “You ready for this?” he asked with a grin.

“As ready as I’m going to be,” she told him.

He clicked quite a few buttons, and then the first movie started.

Zita wasn’t much of a sci-fi fan, which was why she’d never bothered to watch any of the franchise, but to her surprise, she found herself getting sucked into the storyline. At least until there was a knock on the door. Sage paused the movie then extricated himself from the chair and went to answer.

Zita met him at the table, and when he started to unpack the paper bags full of food, she could only inhale in appreciation.

“Oh my, it smells heavenly.”

“Wait until you taste it,” Sage told her with a small smile.

He was right, the Italian food was some of the best she’d ever had. And the owner obviously had a sweet spot for Sage, because there was so much extra food it wasn’t funny. She’d even thrown in some cannoli for dessert.

After she helped Sage package up the leftovers, he asked, “Ready for more Star Wars?”

“Definitely.”

“You’re enjoying it?”

“More than I thought I would, if I’m being honest.”

“Good. You want to sit with me again or take the other chair or couch?”

“With you,” Zita said without hesitation.

They got resettled in the chair, and this time, Zita asked if he’d mind if she put her legs over his. He agreed, and that’s how she found herself snuggled into the crook of his arm, feeling full and warm, and safer than she’d felt in a very long time.

As the movie restarted, Zita was quickly absorbed in the plot again. When Obi-Wan Kenobi showed up, she lifted her head and turned to look at Sage with a huge smile…only to find he was sound asleep. His head was resting on the back of the chair and his mouth slightly open.

Zita chuckled to herself. She’d been enjoying the feel of his body against hers and wondering if they’d end their night with more kisses, and he’d fallen asleep. It was kind of hilarious. But she didn’t mind. He’d been working extremely hard both on set and at his regular job.

Besides, he’d seen the movie probably hundreds of times. Okay, maybe not that many, but certainly dozens. Not to mention the chair was comfortable as hell, and he’d pulled a blanket over them both so they were cozy and warm. They’d had large amounts of carbs, and if she wasn’t as interested in the plot as she was, she would’ve been asleep from a food coma herself.

Putting her head back down, Zita let him sleep. She could rib him about the character he was named after when the movie was over. She curled even closer to him and sighed in content. Honestly, this was her ideal date. Not Sage falling asleep on her, of course, but good food and being alone with him, instead of being around tons of people as she was most of her days.

As the credits began to roll, Zita was anxious to start the next movie. She needed to know what happened. But she wasn’t sure how to operate the complicated remote sitting on the small table next to Sage, and she really didn’t want to watch it without him anyway. So instead…she closed her eyes. Tonight had been great, even though Sage slept for most of the movie. She should wake him up, but she hated to disturb his rest.

She decided to let him sleep just a little longer. She’d sit there and rest her eyes for a moment…

She wasn’t sure what woke her. All she knew was that the TV was on and she felt disoriented.

“Zita, are you awake?”

“Mmmmm,” she mumbled.

“I fell asleep.”

Memories returned. Sage. His apartment. The movie. She’d obviously fallen asleep in his arms. “What time is it?”