“But I put on some pants at the last minute because I realized that’d just make it look like I’d devolved into a nymphomaniac between school and now, and that wasn’t really the impression I was going for,” I admitted.“Bad enough I dragged you to my shitty car last night.”
“Yeah, I didn’t exactly need my arm twisted,” he reminded me, eyes wet from laughing.He took off his glasses and swiped at them with his free hand.“Holy shit, Diego.”
“What would you have done?”I asked after we both stopped giggling like idiots and I had another nice long drink of my paloma.Wasn’t supposed to drink grapefruit juice.Zero self-control.“If I’d suggested it?Or just, I don’t know, worn something sexy and shown off my ass?”
“Dropped to my knees in gratitude.”He was still grinning but clearly not joking.He arched one eyebrow.“Would’ve thrown my whole plan out the window without batting an eyelash.”
“Good to know,” was all I said, hoping my little smile was mysterious or something instead of just giddy.“I mean, not that fucking on the first date—or fuckingasa first date is weird, for me.But this is…” I just watched him.As if I didn’t know how to finish the sentence.
He nodded.“Yeah.To me, it is.”
The rest of the pre-show drink was relaxed, like we’d laughed away our nerves and could finally get comfortable.In the line to get into the theater, he put his hand on the small of my back and leaned over to speak into my ear.Our seats were in the balcony, and I expected them to be up pretty high since they’d been last minute.To my delight and amazement, they were in the first row but all the way on the end, which was always the best since it meant more room.“Did you know these seats were so good?”I asked as we settled in.
“Yeah.It’s close to Mom’s season tickets.”
“I love that you still hang out with her.”His mom always seemed way chiller than his dad.My mother was… something else.Loved the woman, but let’s just say it was a stretch to even think of her asMom.I’d always wondered what it’d be like to grow up with a normal one, like Taran’s.
“If I wanted the ex to come, it always had to be matinees, because she wouldn’t spend a Saturday night sitting still,” he said, squeezing his long legs into the space.He’d let me have the end seat, of course.“You ever on this stage?”
I shook my head, filing the tidbit about the ex away for later.“It’s always musicals when they do local casts here.I can’t sing for shit.”
“Yes you can.”He chuckled.
“I mean, for Stanley County, yes.For here?No.”
“That’s not—” But he went silent as the house lights dimmed and the overture began.
In the intermission, we hit the bathroom and got glasses of cheap sparkling wine, then settled at a bar table in one of the elaborate baroque galleries.He said, “Didn’t you do voice lessons and stuff?”
“No.Well, yes, when I finally got serious about school.But I was more into the speaking voice lessons, like changing it for different occasions.Not vocal music.”
“Like voice acting?”he asked.
I shrugged, as if I hadn’t been thinking about that very thing day and night for years now.“Yeah.Shit is cool.”
“Ever done any?”
“Nah.”I fucking wish.“I’d love to do a video game.One of those big sprawling RPGs with crazy character development, or something.That’d be a dream.”
“I play the hell out of those.”He raised his glass.“Who’d you romance inBaldur’s Gate 3?Wait, lemme guess: the vampire or the wizard?”
“Vampire,” I snorted.I’d kind of regretted it once I met the beefy druid later in the game, though.“You?No wait: God’s favorite princess, the cleric?”
“The warlock, obviously.”He made a face and pushed his glasses up.“How boring do you think I am?”
“You have a business degree,” I said flatly.Even though I was secretly impressed.The warlock was also fine as fuck.
“Right, but I’m in marketing, not accounting.”
“What’s the difference?”I instantly wondered if I’d regret asking that question.
“I like consumer behavior.Why people buy the stupid shit they buy, how companies get them to do it, all that.”
I’d never heard of it, but I could guess, “Is the answer always sex?”
“Mostly.But sometimes it’s something they didn’t even want until the marketing made them think they were the only ones missing out.”He leaned forward, getting animated with his hands as he talked.“These companies don’t just make products to fill niches, they make niches that shouldn’t even exist so they can make more products.”
Okay, that wasn’t as boring as I’d expected.“Like what?”
