“A date? At 6 a.m.?”
“Yeah, I have work at 10, and then we’re playing a show right after. I honestly can’t wait to see you again.”
“Okay, 6 a.m. works for me.”
“Great. And Rose? Wear proper footwear, like hiking boots or runners,” he added.
“You’re taking me out at six in the morning,andI have to wear runners?”
“Yes, trust me,” he said, and I could almost picture the dimples forming on his face. Everything in my instincts screamed at me not to trust Connor. But there was something deep down in my un-beating heart that urged me to trust him, and I wanted to so badly.
“See you in the morning, Rose. Sleep tight,” he said warmly.
“Goodnight, Connor.” I hung up the phone and lay in bed smiling to myself.
Just before 6 a.m., I dragged myself out of bed and hastily pulled on some leggings, a cozy sweater, and my sturdy boots. My hair was a mess, so I piled it on top of my head in a messy bun.
I reached for the front door just as the doorbell rang. “Vail’s going to be mad if you just woke her up,” I told Connor as I opened the door.
He responded by pulling me into his arms, and I felt a rush of warmth as his lips met mine in a tentative kiss. Pulling back slightly, he murmured, “Morning,” and I couldn’t help but reach up behind his head, tangling my fingers in his hair as I kissed him again, this time with more urgency. It was partly to make him trust me, to make him want to see me more. But if I were being honest with myself, it was for me. After the other night, my desires hadn’t faded, and I found myself needing him.
Breathing in his scent, my mouth started to salivate before I pulled back and smiled at him. “What are we doing this morning?”
He took my hand and led me to his van, opening the passenger side door for me. Two coffees sat in the centre console, and he handed me one as he settled into the driver’s seat. I accepted it, feeling the warmth seeping into my palms. “I was thinking, we’ve never been on an actual date.” His eyes met mine with a spark of excitement.
“What do you mean? We had lunch together, and we almost had shower sex,” I replied playfully.
“Actually,Ihad lunch, and you pretended to eat your salad to be polite,” he said as he sipped his coffee.
I tried to mask my shock, “I’d had a big meal right before that. I just wanted to see you.”
“Yeah, I figured you were just being nice … and I wouldn’t call almost shower sex a date either.” I could see the tips of his ears blush.
As he turned onto a dirt road leading into the forest, a sudden realization hit me. I was in a Slayer’s van at six o’clock in the morning, driving into the dark woods, and I hadn’t even told Vail that I was leaving. This was now the third time I had willingly gone into a Slayer’s van, and a wave of unease washed over me as I began to wonder if this was a very bad idea. What if Connor had figured out that I was a Vampire?
I decided that making small talk might help distract my mind from the looming uncertainty. However, the first thing that popped into my head was Amber.
“So, how long were you and Amber together for?” I asked, trying to maintain a casual tone.
Connor sat in silence for a moment before responding, “We’re on our first date, Rose, and you want me to talk about my ex?”
“Yes.”
Connor sighed. “Amber and I were on again, off again all throughout college,” he began, “I wanted something serious, but she never did. Honestly, I think I was just happy that I was getting attention.”
“You mean getting laid?”
“Yeah, that too,” he chuckled.
“And then you ended it?”
“Yeah, I did.”
“Well, I’m glad you did,” I told him.
“So am I,” he replied softly, pulling his van over to the side of the road, on a dirt patch stretching along the shoulder.
I stepped out of the van and glanced up through the trees. The midnight-black sky was beginning to transform into a deep shade of blue. Connor opened the back door, and for a moment, my body tensed as he retrieved a backpack and slung it over his shoulder. “Okay, let’s go,” he said, taking my hand and dragging me along the path into the woods, a flashlight leading the way.
