She blushes and puts her hands behind her back. “Nonsense! I’m probably overdressed. Maybe I should go change?”
“No!” I grab her bare arm and gently pull her through the door. “Come on. You look amazing. It would be a crime to change out of that before I get to show you off.” I throw in a little wink for flair.
“Micah?”
I lean in closer. “Yes, Iris?”
She puts her red lips up to my ear. “I still need to go back inside and grab my purse, so maybe let go for a sec?”
Shit! I release her before she can get the wrong idea. She giggles and disappears inside for a moment, returning with a small spaghetti-strap purse that matches the dress. “There. Now you can take me wherever you’d like.”
I hold out my arm, hoping I seem more like a gentleman than a caveman with the motion. She holds onto the crook of my elbow and lets me guide her down the sidewalk and around the corner to my car.
It’s not exactly a great “date car,” but it’s the perfect Dad car. After the accident, I used some of the insurance money to buy the best safety-rated SUV I could find. It’s got all the bells and whistles, but most importantly it keeps Hailey safe. I could care less what it looks like when I’m driving down the highway. I open the door for her and help her get in without flashing the neighborhood. When I turn the key in the ignition, she gasps.
“Hot damn! This thing must’ve cost you a fortune! I’ve seen you driving it around but never realized how fancy it is. Does it have, like, the lane assist and blind spot cams and everything?”
Why does Iris asking me about my car’s safety features turn me on so much? “Uh, yeah. I got it after the accident. I wanted to be sure Hailey’s safe when I take her places, so I got the best.” My voice catches on the last word, and I struggle to regain my cool-guy composure before Iris sees me start crying. “Real babe magnet, huh?”
She shrugs and buckles in. “I mean, it’s kind of ugly on the outside, but I think it’s awesome that you shelled out for all that for Hailey. It’s something she’ll appreciate when she’s older.”
She’d appreciate her mom alive more, but I’ll take what I can get. I pull out of the driveway and scramble for a change of subject. “So,Moonlight Massacre, huh? I didn’t peg you for a horror chick, but I dig it.”
Iris’s lips spread in a wide grin. “Well, I figured a chick flick might be boring for you, and action might be boring for me, but this could be … let’s say interesting for us both.”
My brow shoots up, and I wonder what I’m getting myself into. “Interesting? How so?”
“Well, if I end up freaking out, I’ll have a safe place to hide my face in your shoulder. If you end up freaking out, well, we’re screwed. But I get the feeling you won’t freak out.”
“Why do you say that?”
“The tats, the piercing … You seem like a pretty tough guy.”
“That’s a pretty low bar for tough. What if you were wrong?”
Her laughter is magical. I’m glad I went the joke route. “Then we’d be hanging on each other, screaming at every jump scare in the movie. Not exactly romantic, but still could be fun. Something to laugh about later.” She pauses and shoots me a sideways glance. “You’re not going to freak out, are you?”
“Nope. I love these movies. I was planning on seeing this when it came out on streaming, after Hailey went to bed one night. I’m kinda stoked to get to see it in the theater with a pretty lady on my arm instead. Much better atmosphere.”
There’s her blush. God, I can’t get enough of that. I wonder if she’d blush during sex if I threw a “good girl” in there … Lisa’s smutty romance books always had “good girl” in them.
The car’s lane drift alert starts blaring, and I jerk my attention back to the road. “Shit! Well, like I said, it’s safe.” My face and neck burn, and I realizeI’mprobably blushing now. What a way to fuck up, Micah.
Iris’s hand comes to rest on my bare forearm, and I bite my lip to keep from swerving again. “It’s okay to be a little nervous, Micah. I’m going to go out on a limb here and guess that this is your first date since … well, since Lisa.”
“Yeah. And nervous is one way to put it. Terrified might be another word for it.” Or horny. Horny works, too.
“If it makes you feel any better, I’m nervous, too. I haven’t had a decent date in a while, and I really enjoy hanging out with you so far. I’m terrified I’ll say or do something weird, and you’ll stop inviting me over for your amazing cooking.”
We make it to the theater without any further traffic scares, and I help Iris out of the car after parking a little way out. I don’t want someone to hit my new car while we’re inside the theater, and I have to admit walking her out to the car after comforting her during the scary movie sounds like fun. It’s a little selfish, but maybe she’ll cling to me a little more in the dark after we watch the show.
The theater’s clean enough, no sticky floors, and their menu is decent. We both order a simple burger and fries, though Iris gets herself a beer rather than a soda. I’m driving, so I stick to something non-alcoholic.
When we get to our seats, I let her sit first before settling in beside her. The warmth of her arm next to mine is amazing, and I really want to put my arm around her bare shoulders. It might be too early in the date for that, though. I honestly can’t remember what the protocol is for this. Good thing Iris seems to be understanding about it all.
Typical of most trips to the movies, we finish our food before the trailers are even over, and an usher takes our plates and cups for us. The house lights dim, and I finally relax enough to risk the arm move. Iris settles in under my arm, snuggling to my side and placing a hand on my knee.
So far so good.
