Page 76 of Violet Moon
Parisa laughed and Sera jolted upright.
“So help me, I didn’t think the simple act of drinking a beverage required so much work.”Parisa held up two pipettes of liquid that had been served on a plate along with her cocktail.“It’s interesting.New.”
Sera searched for positive words, but found none.“I keep wondering what Jamie would make for me tonight.”
“I often wish to be somewhere with taxidermied animals staring at me.There’s a distinct lack of dead, empty eyes looking at me right now and I miss it.”Parisa grinned.“I was going to suggest we eat here, too, but I saw the portions floating around and they’re not nearly enough for two hungry wolves.”
Sera sat up straighter, a hopeful smile on her lips.“I think this warrants a visit to our favorite place.”
“I was just about to suggest the same thing.Quick, swallow your sphere and let’s get out of here.”
Back out on the street, giggles claimed them both as a sense of relief washed over Sera.
“I adore Carina, but that might be the last time I take one of her suggestions,” Sera said.
“It wasn’t that bad,” Parisa consoled.
“Please, it was ridiculous.And now I’m starving.”Sera took a deep breath to steady herself and then wound her fingers through Parisa’s.“I wanted our first night out to feel new and special, but —”
Parisa squeezed her hand and ran her thumb along Sera’s skin.“It is special, though.We can go to all our favorite places.”
Sera smiled as she tugged her coat tighter around herself.Maybe this is what ‘before but better’ could look like.Maybe not everything had to change to be special.Everything they already had was special enough.It was what got them here and Sera wanted to celebrate that.
The restaurant was busy when they got there, but the staff recognized them and managed to find a spot for them near the back.
Parisa sat with a contented sigh.“This feels better.”
Sera took the seat opposite her.“Now it’s a date,” she said.She gazed at Parisa across the table in the flickering candlelight.“I can look at you properly now, and you’re as gorgeous as ever.”She felt heat in her cheeks as she said it, but she maintained eye contact, not shying away.
“You couldn’t see me properly before?”
“I was a ball of nerves before and you’re really hard to look at when I’m nervous.”
“And why’s that?”Parisa asked, a teasing lilt in her voice.
Sera gave her a look.“You know why.”
“No, please.Enlighten me.”
“It’s the same reason you kept wringing your hands together on the walk over.”
“You noticed that?Fine.I also find it hard to look right at you when my heart is doing somersaults in my chest, but you’re particularly dapper this evening.”
“‘Dapper,’ huh?”Sera smirked.
“Yes.”Parisa grinned.“But it’s not the clothes that make you exceptional this evening.”
The noise of a busy restaurant surrounded them, but all Sera could see was Parisa, all she could hear was Parisa’s soft breaths, all she could smell was the inviting scent of her Alpha.It was hard to concentrate on eating, but somehow she managed, and by the time they were back out on the sidewalk, Sera was full and content, if a bit chilly with the autumn wind whipping past them.
Without needing to discuss it, they headed in the direction of their favorite bar and ordered the same things they always did when they got there.Parisa had her Old Fashioned and Sera let Jaime make whatever she was feeling that night, which ended up being a bourbon-based drink with herbal and cherry notes.
With beverages in hand, they looked for a spot away from the crowd at the edges of the room.Finding nothing downstairs, they climbed the creaky steps up to the rooftop and settled in to a loveseat near a heater.They’d sat together like this hundreds of times before, many times at this same bar, but with everything feeling so new, Sera felt her body grow warm at every point where they touched.Her hand itched to reach out towards Parisa, but she stopped herself, looking around the rooftop at the other faces around them.
“Do you think —” Sera started, unsure of how to finish.She thought of Jaime downstairs.“Do you think someone looking at us now, someone who knows who we are, would notice anything had changed?”
Parisa followed her gaze around the rooftop.“I don’t believe so.We’ve always been close.”
“But do you want them to notice something different?”
