Page 12 of The Originals

He shook his head. “Just gonna tell you how pretty you are.”

There were some people who basked in compliments. Meg wasn’t one of them. If anything, they made her uncomfortable and seemed agenda-driven.

“I’m not going to have sex with you.”

“You keep saying that.” The corners of his eyes crinkled. “You trying to convince me or yourself?”

Meg wasn’t sure. The attraction was definitely not one-sided. She was feeling it tenfold, but she wouldn’t give in to temptation. At least not on the first date. She had experience, but she didn’t sleep around and certainly didn’t entertain the idea of a one-night stand. Maybe it made her old-fashioned, but she had to feel something for her partner and have some kind of connection. Lust wasn’t a good enough reason for Meg.

Mick walked past her, grabbing her hand and leading her down the man-made dirt trail. It was only a short walk, and when the path widened, she glanced across the river. The moon was bright enough to illuminate the area. Mick let go of her hand, and she immediately felt the loss. He walked to the water’s edge, and she followed a few paces behind.

“See all the stars tonight. It’s beautiful, right?”

Meg looked up at the sky and smiled. She’d been on quite a few dates but never one as romantic. Mick might not see it that way, but being around the river, especially at night, felt intimate. They were completely alone in the dark, the light breeze rustling the leaves on the trees as the perfect backdrop under the stars. It seemed thought out, as if he’d wanted to show her something others hadn’t.

She peered over at Mick a few feet away. He was staring at her again. She’d caught him staring a lot on their date, as if she was the only person around. Even at the restaurant, she saw a few women look his way, but he didn’t pay any attention to them. His eyes were always on Meg.

“What were you thinking?” he asked.

“When?”

“Just now. You looked like you were deep in thought, but I saw the little smile, so I want to know.”

Meg rolled her eyes, knowing exactly where his mind went. “I wasn’t thinking about sex.”

Mick stilled then burst out laughing and started down the small embankment. She trailed behind him, quickening her pace to catch up to him.

“I’m just being straightforward.” She cleared her throat. “Putting all my cards on the table.”

He stopped and turned around. “I like that.”

She stepped closer. “What?”

“You laying it all out for me. Cutting out the bullshit. You know what you want and what you don’t. And you’re making it known.” Mick pulled out a pack of cigarettes from his chest pocket, flicked open the box, and offered her one. She was usually only a social smoker. Meg grabbed one, slipped it between her lips, and Mick lit it for her.

She took a drag and flicked the ashes on the ground. “Well, I’m not looking to waste either of our time.”

She immediately regretted her words as soon as she said them. It came out harsher than she intended. But it was true. If Mick noticed, he kept it to himself.

He took a drag from his cigarette and blew out the smoke, looking up at the sky. It was a gorgeous night. There was a small enough breeze to put a chill in the air but not enough to be considered cold.

“Tell me something about you that no one knows.” Mick walked closer to the river’s edge, and she followed.

“Like what?”

“Anything. Gotta make sure you’re not wasting your time with me, right?”

Her lips twitched, realizing he’d definitely caught her slip from a few minutes ago.

There wasn’t anything very interesting about her life. It fit the mold of any average person. She’d bet Mick had done farmore and lived a much larger life than she had. It was without question.

“Thinking too hard.” He said.

“I don’t want kids.” It wasn’t a shocking statement, or a deep-rooted secret, but it definitely wasn’t the norm among her friends or most women her age. It was the sole reason she’d kept it to herself.

Mick blew out a puff of smoke and angled his head, squinting. “Thought all girls wanted to be moms.”

Meg scoffed. “Not this one.”

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