“I was just thinking…Matteo, would you want to go on a date with me?”
Before he asked, my cock already let me know how excited I am, but there’s another adrenaline kick from his question. “We had that date at the diner,” I say.
He shoots me a look. “A real date. One where we’re not just recovering from being attacked by some otherworldly monster.”
I laugh. “Now who’s being funny?”
As he grins, he wraps his arms around my waist, tugging me close. “Come on. It’d be fun. Just doing regular boyfriend things.”
“Boyfriend?” I ask, and his cheeks turn a familiar shade of pink before he nods.
“Yeah, my boyfriend. If that’s what you want.”
I didn’t even know how much I wanted it until he said that. “Well, now that you said it, you can’t take it back. I won’t let you.”
I didn’t think he could grin much bigger, but then he does, and a surge of confidence moves through me. Like I’ve been waiting for him to say he’d be my boyfriend since even before we met.
“So you wanna go on a real date with your boyfriend?” Alexei asks.
I don’t hesitate. “Fuck yeah.”
“Something really boring. Like what might have seemed dumb and cheesy before all this.”
I cringe. “I don’t know. I’m not really one for wining and dining, if you’re thinking of a fancy steak restaurant.Although, for you, I’d do just about anything.”
“Fancy steak restaurant? See, we clearly have to go on more dates if you thought that’s something I’d suggest. I was thinking the downtown Lawrenceville drive-in.”
Another rush sweeps through me. That sounds fucking perfect. God, this guy’s great.
“Now that sounds like a real date.” I take another kiss, pushing even closer to him.
My boyfriend.
“Never thought I’d be into a guy,” I say when I finally decide to give his lips a rest. “And now I have one who’s all mine.”
The corners of his lips twist up again.
“You love being all mine, don’t you?” And there his cheeks go again. I kiss one and whisper into his flesh, “Come on. I wanna make you blush all fucking night long.”
It’s not a threat. It’s a promise.
26
ALEXEI
Matteo and Iagree on the following Friday for our first real date.
As we ride his Civic to the drive-in movie theater, I notice the butterflies in my stomach. I shouldn’t be this nervous and excited for a guy I’m already calling my boyfriend, but here we are.
After Matteo finds a spot in front of the screen for the movie, we head to the concession stands, where there’s a line leading to the counter.
I flex my hand as an impulse rises within me, and I surrender to it, taking Matteo’s hand, relieved at how he interlocks his fingers with mine. It feels so fucking natural, as though our hands are made for each other the way our bodies seem to be.
“So how big a popcorn do we need to get?” Matteo asks. “Because I have to warn you, I can really throw it back.”
“Uh-oh, this might be a deal-breaker for me because I’m also an animal with the popcorn.”
“So two large? They give free refills, so the person who’s slowest can go get a refill while the other keeps on doing the hard work of getting all the popcorn eaten.”
