Page 33 of Dryad, Try Again
“You should know,” he says in a hushed tone. “Just because monsters have different genetics than us doesn’t mean you can’t catch sexually transmitted diseases. Prophylaxis is highly advised.” He shoves his glasses up. I’m not sure why I assumed this nerd didn’t know what sex was.
I look around, and the girls are nowhere in sight. “I…bought some this morning.” I pat my pocket where I’m keeping a packet of lube and condoms just in case we speed past all four bases.
Owen grins then we pound fists. “Then enjoy, Tanner.”
With that, my three closest human friends are gone, and I’m off to pick up my date.
After I text Kovi,it takes all but three minutes before he’s striding out his door. He’s out of breath from apparently running, but seeing him takes my own breath away. He’s wearing a loose-fitting black short-sleeved button-down with a tight gray tank top underneath. The top complements his skin-tight dark green trousers, and I nearly gasp in arousal.
He is one sexy dryad. And I am one lucky dude.
“Hey.” He gives me a wave, and I wave back.
“Um, hey.”Real smooth, Tanner.I want to look cool, but I also want to play it cool. We briskly walk off campus to the parking lots while nervous energy thrums through me. This is my first formal date ever, but Kovi doesn’t need to know that. He looks so handsome, so sexy, and he actually agreed to date me.
I don’t say much by the time we make it to my car. I open the passenger door and he smiles with such sincerity it takes my breath away. “Such a gentleman. Thank you.” He ducks his head in, and I close the door behind him.
When I get into my seat, I look over to my right. I’m a nervous wreck, but Kovi looks like he’s trying hard not to break down. He’s equal parts endearing and attractive, and I recall how soft his lips were.
Eh, screw it. I lean across the gear shift and pull on his shirt collar. He looks down at my mouth and slowly meets me halfway. We kiss, a gentle, subtle dance of lips on one another, and my heartbeat picks up.It might be too soon to say, but I think my heart beats for you, Kovi Sampath.
We pull back and share a grin. “Wow,” he says breathlessly.
“I…probably should have saved that for the end of the first date.”
He laughs. “I’m not complaining.” He puts his hand on my knee, and I swear, I get hard instantly. “We’re going about this whole dating thing out of order anyway. Since we’ve already kissed.”
“Many times.” I wink at him, and he chortles. “Dinner?” Kovi nods and removes his hand, and I shift into drive.
Dinner is perfect,if I do say so myself. The Thai restaurant I chose is affordable with ample, flavorful servings. Kovi and I don’t stop talking the entire time. He regales me about the hijinks of his monster roommates, and I tell him my weirdest construction worker stories. We share laughs, and I could talk to him for hours. Any awkwardness from before has all but dissipated; it’s like hanging out with my oldest friend. In many ways, my friendship with Kovi is old and new, and I’m hoping this is the start to the next chapter of our relationship.
My first date is, thus far, equal parts romantic and fun.
After our meal, I take him to our next date destination and park in the lot under a streetlamp.
“The Natural History Museum?”
“Yup,” I reply with a grin.
“I didn’t realize you were so into history.”
I approach him as we walk past the other parked cars in the darkness. “I actually grew to like this place because I did a construction gig here.”
“Really?” He laces his fingers with mine and my heart wants to burst.
“Yeah, I helped with the foundation of the planetarium wing. It’s sick.”
We make our way up a dozen marble front steps. The structure is an older building with stone columns flanking the entrance. The relatively new wing expanding out the west side seems out of place, but I know that the Creelin Natural History Museum has much to offer.
“I don’t know anything about space,” he says.
I freeze before I get to the ticket booth. It dawns on me that this might be too nerdy or offbeat, and I cringe. “Sorry. Maybe we could go do something else, and—”
“No, no, I like it!” Kovi raises his hands in surrender. “I want this!”
“Really?” I relax my back.
“Yeah.” He bumps his shoulders into mine and grins. “As long as you’re with me, I’m sure I’ll have a good time.”
