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"Exactly, except I don't think anyone's getting eaten here. Well, except the pastries."

I can't remember the last time I made a joke that wasn't work related or that I wanted to. But something about Belle makes me want to be playful. It's weird and unfamiliar and absolutely addictive.

A server approaches with small crystal plates, and Belle accepts one with the reverence usually reserved for sacred artifacts. I watch as she surveys the options with the serious concentration I usually reserve for structural calculations.

"Decisions, decisions," she murmurs, and I can practically see her categorizing each option according to her chocolate system.

"What's the appropriate chocolate for 'first masquerade ball'?" I ask, genuinely curious about her methodology.

"Hmm." She tilts her head thoughtfully, and her scent shifts slightly, becomes warmer, more complex. "It should be something special, but not overwhelming which acknowledges the significance of the moment without being too presumptuous about what kind of moment it is."

"That's very philosophical for dessert selection,” I reflect on her answer.

“Chocolate is serious business, Felix." But she's smiling as she says it, and the way she uses my name sends warmthshooting through my chest. When was the last time someone said my name like that? Like it mattered?

She finally settles on a small chocolate tart topped with gold leaf and what looks like crystallized violets. I choose a chocolate dipped strawberry, mainly because I want to see her reaction to the choice.

"Strawberry and chocolate," she observes approvingly. "Classic combination. Safe but sophisticated."

"Is that your professional assessment?" I ask.

"Absolutely. Though I have to dock points for playing it safe when there are clearly more adventurous options available."

She gestures toward a display of exotic looking confections that I can't even identify. The enthusiasm in her voice, the way she's treating this like a grand adventure instead of just eating dessert, it's infectious. I feel like a kid sneaking cookies before dinner.

"What about chocolate lavender truffles? Or those salted caramel things with the gold flakes?"

"Too adventurous for a first course," I counter, and I'm surprised to realize I'm actually planning multiple dessert courses. When do I ever eat multiple courses of anything? "I'm saving room for the second round."

"Second round?" Her eyes practically sparkle, and her scent becomes even richer. "You're assuming there will be a second round?"

"Belle, have you seen the size of this display? I'm assuming there will be third and fourth rounds."

She takes a delicate bite of her tart and closes her eyes with an expression of pure bliss that does absolutely nothing good for my self control. Her scent spikes with pleasure, and I have to grip my plate tighter to keep from reaching for her.

"Oh, this is dangerous,” she says.

“The chocolate?"

"The everything. The chocolate, the palace, the way you make me feel like it's perfectly normal to eat cake at a ball while discussing the philosophical implications of dessert choices,” I say.

She's right. None of this is normal for me. I don't eat dessert. I don't discuss philosophy. I definitely don't stand around at parties planning multiple courses of sweets. But with Belle, it feels like the most natural thing in the world.

"Belle," I say, stepping closer so I can catch more of her scent, "you bring out a side of me I never knew existed."

"What do you mean?" She asks.

"I mean I haven't thought about work once since we started dancing. I'm standing here planning a dessert tour of a palace instead of mentally reviewing building codes. You make me want to play."

The admission surprises me even as I say it, but it's true. Belle makes me remember that life is supposed to be enjoyable, not just productive.

"Play?" she repeats, and there's something soft in her voice.

"When was the last time you did something just because it was fun?" I ask.

She considers this. "I honestly can't remember."

"Same here. But standing here with you, planning to eat our way through this entire dessert table? That sounds like the most fun I've had in years."