Lilith meowed at him again, slow-blinking, and he nodded in agreement. “Hot shower first, right. Good idea.”
He dragged himself off the bed, stripping as he went to the bathroom, leaving behind a trail of clothing. He set his phone on the edge of the sink and turned on the water in the shower, adjusting the temperature.
He kept the shower quick but made sure he was squeaky clean from top to bottom. Toweling his hair dry, he checked his phone and saw he was okay on time. He tended to get hung upon small things and lose track of time, so keeping an eye on the clock helped him avoid being late.
Raum had dropped him off at Sacred Threshold soon after they agreed on a date. Raum had a class that afternoon but they both decided on an early dinner at a local restaurant that he frequented. Ezra had no idea about local cuisine so he trusted what Raum suggested. If he were back in San Fran he would have a few ideas, but here in Edmonton he was clueless.
He settled on wearing a dark-green button-up with rolled-up sleeves, and an even darker pair of jeans he found at the bottom of his duffle bag, neatly folded and forgotten. Ezra smoothed out the wrinkles and resigned himself to wearing his boots, but they went with the outfit and he didn’t look ridiculous. He hoped, at least.
Lilith watched from the mess on the bed and meowed at him when he finished getting ready. “What do you think?” he asked her, holding out his arms and doing a slow spin.
She slow-blinked at him and he could hear the low rumble of an approving purr. He leaned over the bed and pressed a kiss to the top of her head between her pointy ears, and her purring grew louder. “Thank you, Lilith.”
There was a knock at the door. He got up and smoothed his hands down his torso, breathing in and out to calm his nerves, and then headed for the door.
Raum was on the other side, smiling at him immediately when he opened the door. Professor Sexy was dressed in a dark-gray Henley top and black jeans that clung to his lean waist and muscular thighs, and Ezra almost bit his tongue at how delicious Raum looked. He wore a light leather jacket and dark-brown leather boots to complete the image, his long hair tied in a thick braid that fell down his back.
“Hi,” Ezra squeaked out, and he coughed, trying again. “Hi. You look great.”
“Thanks,” Raum grinned, eyeing Ezra from head to toe. “So do you.”
They stood there for a moment, staring at each other, until Lilith jumped off the bed and came to the doorway, meowing loudly for attention. Ezra shook himself free from his trance and went for his jacket, making sure he had his wallet and phone. Raum knelt and loved on Lilith, who purred loudly and took it as her due.
“I’ll see you later, little queen,” Raum said as she head-butted his hand and purred loudly enough to be heard across the room. Raum’s hand was big and dwarfed the Lykoi kitty, and Ezra liked the man’s hands very much. He wondered how it would feel if Raum petted him instead.
Ezra returned to the doorway and pet Lilith too, before gently shooing her back from the door. “I love you. Be good, or at least don’t break anything. Don’t wait up for me.”
She sat primly, tail flicking, as Ezra shut and locked the door, turning to Raum in the narrow confines of the hall.
Raum leaned down just enough to press a soft kiss to Ezra’s cheek, making him gasp lightly and lean into the touch. “Oh.”
“Good ‘oh’ or bad ‘oh’?” Raum asked, offering his arm, Ezra taking it, battling a blush.
“A good one, as you can tell,” Ezra muttered while trying not to grin like a fool, cheeks hot. “You’re being charming.”
“I hope so,” Raum said, making Ezra chuckle.
Ezra
Raum didn’t drive—therewas a hired car waiting for them at the curb outside Sacred Threshold, and Ezra was surprised until Raum slid in the back with him, put an arm over his shoulders, and held him close the entire ride into Edmonton. Ezra smiled the whole ride, loving the physical closeness and the attention.
The car dropped them off on a busy street right in front of the restaurant, Raum paying the driver on the app on his phone before the car pulled out into traffic.
The restaurant was Italian, with numerous small tables laid out with checkered red and white tablecloths and tea candles lit in the middle. Half the tables were already occupied despite the early hour, and apparently Raum was enough of a regular that the servers waved hello and let him pick out his usual favorite table in the far corner near the front windows. Plenty of room and the corner meant they had no close neighbors to their seats. Dried grape vines and paintings of Italian landscapes covered the walls, and a large mural of the Italian flag and crest was painted on the wall that separated the kitchen from the dining room. The smells emanating from the rear of the restaurant were making Ezra salivate and his stomach growled, eager to be fed.
“Nice place,” Ezra said, looking around. The table was situated in such a way that Ezra could take in the whole atmosphere. They sat close enough that their thighs almost touched. Ezra felt the warmth pouring off Raum and wanted to lean into his side, but he restrained himself, not wanting to be clingy or too bold. He wasn’t sure about dating etiquette and if snuggling was acceptable on a first date. Though they’d already kissed, and Raum had caught and carried him around like a dashing hero, so maybe they were already past first-date rules and into snuggling territory?
Hookups were easy compared to dating.
“Don’t over-think it,” Raum murmured to him, leaning down to speak in his ear. Ezra shivered at the proximity, wanting to be closer. Raum smelled fantastic. Cedar and fresh flowers.
“Hmm?” Ezra turned his head and they were almost nose to nose, and Raum gave him such a sweet smile that Ezra melted a bit right there, forgetting where they were and wanting to crawl into the bigger man’s lap.
“First-date jitters,” Raum explained. “Don’t worry. There’s no expectations. We’re going to order food, talk, and enjoy our time together.”
“And after?” Ezra asked, just to be clear. He did indeed want anafter.
“There can absolutely be an after,” Raum replied just as their server approached, depositing full water glasses in front of each of them, then handing over laminated menus from beneath their arm.
