Page 27 of Rawest Venom

Lavender. It invades the air of the small space when I take the command seat in the Tesla, which skirts us toward the edge of West Side heading into East. Neon pink and blue lights from the arcade sign dance up the windshield as we pull into the parking lot.

“Oh, Fizz and Games. I haven’t been here before.”

“That surprises me. I thought you were a big gamer.Never been, huh?” Her green eyes dart to mine. My lips spread into a grin at her sudden movement.

“Ha, yeah…I guess there’s a first time for everything.” Reaching across the car, she lays her fingers around my forearm, causing all the hairs around it to stand erect. “I’m glad I can experience this for the first time with you.” Oh, sweet girl. She’s adorable.

“Wait right there.” Once I get out, I open her door for her and offer up my palm. She slides her warm one inside it. Some of her wispy hairs tickle my nose as she stands in front of me. “Why red?”

“Huh?”

Shit. I didn’t mean to ask that out loud. “Your hair color. Why red? Sorry, that was rude of me to ask.”

Her stunned expression fades into a coy smile. “I think the hairdresser picked it out one day. Said it would go with my skin tone or something.” Same shade as my mother’s. As is the lavender scent.

I walk us to the entrance of the arcade with her long fingers laced between mine. “So you didn’t pick it.” The curls wave in the crisp air as she shakes her head. Cocking my head at her, I ask, “Whatisyour favorite color, Jane?”

Her lids lower as she stares at the concrete. “I-I guess I don’t really have one. I like them all. What’s yours? Is it blue like the foxes on your crest?”

Pushing on the door, I tug her into my chest as we enter. “Green. Like your eyes. Your eyes are my favorite color.”

With a pause, she lifts her emeralds up to meet mine, the flirty, dazed smile gone from her face. For a moment,one tiny glimpse of a second, I seeher. A strange emotion grips my chest, one I don’t have a name for. It’s a feeling I’ve never experienced.

Instead of reacting, she studies me, as I’m frozen in whatever impression she’s given me. Now the teacher has become the student.

“Want to grab a drink or snacks first?” I ask, pulling her out of her trance. As quickly as it left, her plastic face returns, and she waltzes inside, shifting her hips for me while sliding off her coat. Grabbing it from her, I throw it over my arm.

“Um, I’ll take a drink, I think. You look so different without your hoodie.”

Glancing down at my gray T-shirt and military jacket over my regular black jeans and Converse, I suppose she’s right. And the fact I want her to like it is somewhat upsetting. “Different good?”

Maybe her acting is improving because the way her eyelids lower as she trails her eyes up my body is convincing to my dick. “Definitely good.”

We step up to the bar. Half of me doesn’t even want to waste the energy asking, but I do. “What would you like to drink?”

Pressing her painted lips together, she puckers them, then glances up at me. “Um, whatever you’re having.”

“Two pale ales. Whatever you have on tap,” I say to the bartender. Shuffling through my wallet, I place a few hundred dollars down on a printed coaster. “They have good microbrews here. Even make their own nearby.” Sliding Alec the bills, he smiles broadly as he sets down our drinks.

“Thanks, Cal.”

“No problem, Alec.”

Sipping some head off her pint, Jane smiles, then sticks out the tip of her tongue to capture some foam gathered on her upper lip. “You’re generous. I mean, I knew that, but that was very kind.”

“No kindness about it. These are my people. This is my duty. I have the money. They need it.” Taking a few swigs of my drink, Jane continues to stare at me with perhaps a level of awe. Nodding to the back wall, I interrupt her concentration. “But hurry and finish that so I can beat you at Skee-ball.”

Glancing to where I pointed, she swallows. “I’ve never played before.”

“Well, I’ll give you a lesson, then embarrass you.”

“I wouldn’t be so sure!” She drinks heavy gulps of her hops, and my eyes follow her lips as I finish mine off. Guiding her with my hands on her shoulders, I place her in front of my embarrassing erection, navigating her over to the game. Once I pay for the tickets, I hand her a stack. Standing behind her, I help her toss a few balls into the rings until she gets the hang of it.

“Now it’s on…” Nailing the middle ring with my first toss, she watches and daintily rolls one up to the bottom ring. My shoulders drop as I watch her. It’s so disappointing.

“Did I do something wrong?”

I toss another into the center ring with a shake of my head. “I just figured you were a tough gal. Maybe I read you wrong. Thought you had some spark.”

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