Aurora smiled.

"Damn.  Billy Mastrosimone, you're far smarter than you give yourself credit for..."

With that, she took his face between her hands and kissed him passionately.

Billy was confused to say the least. He wasn't about to ask what happened though, far from it. Instead he kissed her back and lightly touched her arm up to her face and held it there for a minute. When they were finished he held her head there for a moment.

"I don't know what you're talking about, but I'll take it."

He smiled and sat back again.

"How is your food?"

She chuckled.  "It's great and I'm talking about the fact that you know how much I like winning."  

She beamed at him.

"Enough to kiss you, in fact, which... by the terms of the dare..."  She passed the winnings back to him.  "Means you've won.  And if you wish to contest the validity of your win, then I will simply instruct you to use those ill-gotten gains to spoil me a little.  If you haven't figured it out yet, by all the gifts I keep bringing, I'm quite fond of presents."

She took a bite of her ravioli and swallowed before saying, "Every time my father went on a trip somewhere, he always brought me a present home from wherever he went if only to show me I was thought about while we were apart.  It wasn't always fancy stuff, but I thought it was sweet so... expect I'll probably do the same for you.  Buy you gifts, to let you know I was thinking of you when we weren't together."

She ate another bite and then said, "I think it's your turn to pick... unless you'd like to move on from our game to something else?"

Billy took a bit of bread and dipped it into the sauce on his plate before biting into it. Bread was the best conduit for sauce Billy had ever seen in his life. Pasta was good, bread was better.

"I like playing the game, and also talking while we play the game. It's a lot of fun. I'll aim for truth this time around though. Enough dares for the time being. Speaking of which, are you cold at all?"

Billy asked the question with a perfectly straight face.

Was he bringing up her panties again?!?  Out loud?!?  Color rose to her cheeks and she smirked as if issued a challenge. 

Aurora leaned over close, so close that she was almost in his ear when she whispered the question, "Don't you dare deny it, unless it's with a simple exchange of cash.  Just answer the question."

She put her hand on his thigh as she whispered, "When you're alone and thinking thoughts you share with no one else.  What's does your favorite fantasy involve?"

She paused before adding, "And don't you dare cop out and make up some sweet silly innocent story... because I'll know and what's worse, is that you'd deeply regret me being all sappy and sweet on the day I find myself intentionally trying to fulfill your most desirous daydream."

Billy could feel the heat of Aurora's breath on his face. And then he realized it didn't go away when she stopped talking. He was blushing. He didn't normally get flustered, but she was so damned close! Her hand was...

There was no way he was getting out of this minefield alive, and it was too late to turn back now. He sighed, took a deep breath and sighed again. One more breathe and then turned his head slightly so that his mouth could reach her ear.

"Every day is different. I have lots of little ideas, and an imagination as big as I am. But, for sake of an answer I'll tell you one very important detail. Almost every single one of them has one thing in common. High heels."

He kept his voice low as he pulled back slightly.

"It's not about the feet, or the way they make a woman walk or something, although that doesn't hurt. No. It's the sound. The sound they make will turn the clock to midnight almost every time."

He nodded then and downed the rest of his glass of wine to help cool him down. He was sure it would work.

"Taps don't do it by the way, that sounds is too loud, to extreme. And even the soles of men's shoes aren't going to do that. But the right sound, especially when coupled with a little number like what you have on tonight."

Billy shrugged.

"Having this very special handkerchief is adding to all of it, not gonna lie."

"Well,"  She said settling back into her seat to eat her dinner - once again putting space between them save for their feet touching under the table.  "Looks like I have some shoe shopping to do then."

She winked at him.

"You know, now that you mention it, it's a bit drafty in here but it's the humidity that's the absolute worst."  The room, of course, was not humid at all.  "And our recent conversation has only made matters worse.  If you don't mind... I'm going to visit the ladies room."  

Aurora dabbed her lips suggestively and as she stood up she kissed his earlobe with a whispered, "I'm going to be a while, try not to think too much about what I might be doing."

With that, she made her way towards the restroom with an extra bit of sass in her step and swing her hips.  

Billy's brow furrowed, it wasn't...

It clicked. She was going to...

Billy's jaw dropped. She was going to the bathroom. He has said they should rule out doing that, but she told him they were good for them. Did she want him to follow her? Or was she just saying that to tease him and see what he would do? He certainly wasn't going pass up an opportunity like this. This was going to be...

And then he saw the owner coming out of the kitchen. The sweet old woman was making her way directly to him. She had a bright smile on her face, but it was clearly a knowing smile. She stopped and put down a bowl of salad on the table. She nudged her foot against his to make sure his feet were staying under the table and that he was staying put.

And then the one familiar word.

"Mangia"

Billy did as he was told and he got a light pat on the back for all his trouble.

Aurora emerged from the bathroom close to ten minutes later.  She was smiling, flushed, eyes clear - wide - and bright.  She was almost smirking like a cat who caught a mouse.  She sauntered back to the table and sat down to wordlessly continue eating dinner.  

Billy served Aurora some salad on a side plate as she got comfortable.

"Welcome back. The woman who owns the place came over just as you went to use the facilities. Brought us this nice salad. Very fresh too, just like you."

He smiled at her.

"Isn't it your turn?"

"Well, I'm feeling adventurous.  Why not dare."  She stabbed a bit of salad and put it into her mouth while staring into his eyes. 

"Oh this is good... this must be a house dressing, don't you think?"

Billy smiled and indicated that Aurora slide closer to him. As she did he made sure the tablecloth was well placed.

When she was comfortably within reach he put his hand on her bare knee.

"Here's your dare."

He slowly slid his hand just above her knee.

"Say when."

He continued to slide his hand slowly closer toward her tattoo, eating his salad calmly with his other hand.

"Aren't you afraid of the old woman and her kitchen utensils?"  She asked with a smirk.

Billy shook his head.

"Nope, she already brought out the salad. She's gonna have to do some more cooking. I've got enough time."

He felt like a wolf loose in the hen house at the moment. The old woman being the farmer. Sure she could come out at any time, but until then, he was pretty sure he had the run of the place. He was taking full advantage.

"Unless, you want to just pay me later?"

He paused his hand a moment to let her make that decision.

Her hand went to his cheek and slid down towards his lips.

"Doubtful we'd have time," As her finger traced across the lower half of his bottom lip, she was certain any linger scent would be undeniable.  "I like taking my time second and third time around."

She smirked devilishly.

"Maybe we should ask for the che-"

Billy was already pulling out his wad of cash.  Aurora chuckled and slid out the other side of the booth, noting he'd put a stack of hundreds down before coming around the table to put his hand on the small of her back, ushering her towards the door.

"Have a lovely night, Don Mastrosimone!"  One of the young men called out.  Aurora thought Billy gave a quick wave with this free hand but his eyes were locked on her - trusting his men to open the door long before they reached it.

Charlie had the first door.  Oscar ran to the car and opened the back for them.   Aurora slipped inside, her hands on Billy the moment he's bottom hit the seat.  Her lips claiming his violently before the keys were even in the ignition, her hands clamping down on either side of his jacket, pulling him tight into her.  And as the car pulled away from the curb, Billy picked her up and put her onto his lap so that she was straddling him in the seat.

As his arms wrapped around her and he began kissing her neck she moaned softly, arching her back into his body, "So much for our list."

Billy continued kissing, and letting his hands run up and down her back, to her thighs and everything in between.

"I thought that's what we were doing? Making a list. So far, so good right?"

He adjusted in the seat for a second and was forcibly reminded of his pocket square. He smiled a broad smile then. He reached up with one free hand and ran his fingers through her hair, pulling her head back gently to expose her neck so he could kiss her there on her bare skin, not just on her lips. He wanted to kiss her all over. To kiss every inch of her that she would let him. And so, slowly, he did. Her chin. her neck. Her collar bone.

And then back up to her lips again as he heard and felt a sigh. This was the best game of truth or dare they had played yet.

Right up until that moment.

There was a screech of tires, and the car swerved a bit before hitting a pot hole. Suddenly, the night came to a halt. Billy and Aurora were ripped from one another in ensuing tumble. Billy made sure, if nothing else though, to keep her dress down.

"Oscar?! What the fuck man!"

The driver didn't bother to even look in the mirror, just straight out the front window.

"Sorry Boss, that taxi just stopped out of nowhere and I didn't see the pot hole. I... I..."

He stopped as Charlie got out to assess the damage.

"Yeah, we're gonna need to change the tire. You know how to do that right Oscar?"

Oscar looked at Charlie and blinked. Then again. Then slowly shook his head. Charlie for all of his skills sighed.

"Well, we're gonna have to phone someone then."

Billy growled.

"You both work for me, the guy who built his whole fucking reputation on stealing cars, and neither one of you can change a goddamned tire? Well fuck me if I gotta be the man about this. Neither one of you better be expecting me to fucking thank you though. Not one tiny little bit."

He looked at Aurora, he face still flush, her eyes still glassy. There was nothing in the world he wanted more than to continue on with her and damn the car. But dammit it would be too weird with the guys not having anything else to occupy their thoughts.

"Fuck!"

He slammed the car door open.

Aurora got out of the back of the car.  

"You know, my mom taught me how to do that.  I don't mind helping out.  I mean, it's not what we were doing, but at least we'd be doing it together and we might finish up faster."

She chuckled as he began loosening the nuts on the old tire.

"You keep a spare in the back I assume?" 

She walked around to the back of the car.

"At least our dates can never be accused of being boring!"  She laughed.

Billy nodded.

"That's for sure."

He smiled at Aurora.

"Thanks for the help, I got the tire, you pull the nuts off the one, I'll get the jack, you switch em and make one of the boys help you. You're gonna get dirty, but you can always shower at my place when we get back."

He lifted the tire and the jack out of the compartment in the trunk with ease and brought both over to Aurora. He set the jack up and started to lift the car, waiting until she gave him a nod to make sure that the tire was completely off the ground.

"At least dinner was real good. Did either of you useless bastards get to try any of the food?"

Billy was actually sweating a little bit from the work. He missed that. He hadn't done anything that made him really exert himself in a while. The guys both nodded reluctantly at the fact that they had eaten. Oscar though was already smoking while he watched the couple change the tire.

"You know Boss, you two should go into a mechanic shop or somethin together, might look kinda cute."

He smiled then at Aurora, and Billy looked to see if she would smile back or shoot him a look on his behalf.

"I've heard worse ideas."  She said with a chuckle.  "A girl could get used to seeing her favorite guy lugging around tire irons you know.  All sweaty and grease covered.  You know what they say about dirty hands, right?  Dirty hands, honest money.  Might just be the best cover ever."

"And, now looking at myself,"  She looked at her grease covered hands, "I'm pretty sure that shower is a definite must not just a passing thought.  Hmm..."

Without thinking better of it, she reached over and pulled his 'kerchief' out of his pocket to wipe up her hands.  It was at this point Aurora realized what she'd done.

Charlie had already turned away the second he saw her reaching for it.  Oscar, the sweet fool, had to be smacked by the other bodyguard to look away as Aurora was squatting in the street light holding her own panties for the world to see - when she'd meant to pull out something to wipe her hands with.

"Oops."  She said sheepishly, balling up her panties, black grease marks now ruining them.  She sighed.  "I guess it's good you convinced me to keep a change of clothes at your place.  Sorry for ruining your new pocket square...?"

She offered them back apologetically.

Billy stared at Aurora as if she were handing him a dead rat.

"Um... I mean. Thanks?"

He took them back and put them inside his jacket pocket then. No reason to keep them on display now. Clearly they had served their purpose.

"So home, then shower, then bed. Thankfully I have two showers in the apartment, so you can use one and I'll use the other. No having to wait around all greasy."

He smiled and then thought about the opportunity he just missed. Well, maybe he didn't...

"Dare."

He smiled as he dropped the car back onto the ground and put the jack and broken tire away.