A Date From Hell — Part 02
Lilith’s attention to detail soothes Val’s nervousness
When a mutual threat a little over a year ago forced mystickind to reveal themselves as secretly living among us humans, it had been a steep learning curve for humanity. I was out of my element most of the time. For tonight, I tried to remember studying abroad in Japan as an undergrad at university. I survived a year in another country and a very different culture then. I could swing a dinner in a fae restaurant.
Even with having to tear my closet apart to find the right look, fussing with four different hairstyles, and redoing my makeup three times to make it obsessively perfect, I made it to the Peaceful Forest much earlier than I’d planned. Not a bad thing. I needed the extra time to pull myself together. Anxiety arced through my body as I tried to open the door to the upscale restaurant. I fumbled with the brass humming bird shaped pull handle, but I couldn’t even use my fingers to grip it.
A group of young women, relatively speaking, more likely eternally youthful, vampires dressed for a high-profile evening out opened the door for me and showered me with compliments on my look — quirky but a reflection of my complex personality.
I attempted casual conversation and showed a sincere interest in their exotic choices for clubbing attire. I’d never try to pull off their body-hugging, skin-revealing looks, but then again, I had little desire to call attention to myself that way. My writing received enough attention, though I hid it behind a pen name.
The vamps and I stood in the foyer, and they chatted with me until a fae server with a goatee and shoulder-length hair the color of golden fire led them to their table. That left me alone at the front, hoping my table would be ready soon to provide a place to hide. Standing out of the way of people entering and leaving required constant alertness and movement, as no safe space revealed itself. At least I chose my comfortable black sling-back wedges instead of my more challenging out-on-the-town pumps. I couldn’t sit beside strangers on the available elegant benches or handle randomly brushing against them.
A lithe fae server with breathtaking teal eyes and snowy gold hair done up in a crown braid suddenly appeared, jolting me. She gently touched my arm and greeted me with a warm smile before leading me to what I hoped would be a quiet, cozy alcove table. Oddly, I didn’t mind her touch or the way her gaze lingered upon me.
We passed tables packed with animated patrons of several species, throwing my anxiety level to eleven, then through gossamer curtains so sheer they seemed invisible as they danced with the slightest breath of air. On the other side of them, the noise from the rest of the bustling restaurant all but vanished, save when they parted for a moment. I’d thought the casual conjecture about fae magick abilities was because of their private nature. This example proved to be more impressive than any rumor.
The bold lighting of the dining area faded behind us, and the mesmerizing flames of flower blossom-shaped lamps replaced it. We moved down a short passageway into a cozy room filled with a bioluminescent collection of fae night forest vines, ferns, bushes, fungi, and flowers living in harmony with and upon the walls and ceiling of the space. They filled the room with shades of color, some steady, others seeming to shift intensity like slow breaths, and some that only glowed when touched. The space combined the magical, tranquil scents of nature, the delightful coziness of an intimate dining area, and perfect romantic mood lighting.
I needed a moment to process the wonder of it. Lilith had to be the lead planner. Rick knew me, but he focused his meticulousness on looking dapper. My date was a planner. She had my attention.
“The tea will arrive momentarily.”
The airy, lilting voice pulled me outside of my thoughts. I glanced at the server and managed a timid smile. “I-I-I like tea.”
“The best of beginnings all start with sharing tea.”
“I hope so.”
“I have yet to know one that has not.” She smiled warmly and motioned to the low table with a selection of fluffy items stacked into small pyramids. “Rest yourself, honored one, and await. Your companion shall arrive soon.”
Before I could say another word, she bowed toward me, held her arms out, palms upturned, and left me without making a sound. The ethereal fae suddenly materialized into being and faded out just as stealthily. It left behind a vague recollection that she’d spent several moments with me, but made me doubt it in equal measure.
One bit of advice I remembered about their culture was that using one’s best manners always went a long way with them — they treated someone like family. The second was one didn’t make them angry — terrible things happened to the offender then. A third was taking time to enjoy their more relaxed way of being.
The softness of the cushions and pillows had a seductive allure, like a set of silk sheets. I picked the options and found a royal blue one I liked when the tea arrived. I laid the pillow on a small circular platform, standing a couple of inches off the floor, and kneeled to fold my legs under myself. Instead of impulsively caressing my silky skirt to self-soothe, I placed my hands in my lap and left them there.
The tea bearer entered carrying a tea set with cups shaped like flower blossoms, a teapot shaped like a giant plant bulb, a flower stem growing out of one side, and a tiger lily looking blossom at the tip.
A uniform comprising browns and grays mixed with light and dark greens formed an idyllic forest scene that she wore. She nodded with a tilt, kneeled, and performed a brief ceremony. She placed the blossom cups and poured a precise amount of tea into each while smiling.
“May your evening be joyous,” she bid softly, her words floating in the air.
“Thank you.”
She nodded, rose, and left me. A light background soundscape of a forest floated into the room moments later.
I drew a breath on a four-count, held it for the same, then eased it out. It soothed a small corner of my mind, but I required more. Four more cycles, combined with the soothing night forest experience, swept away the rest of my mental noise.
A woman, who appeared decidedly human, entered wearing a scarlet knee-length off-the-shoulders dress that clung to every womanly curve of her body like a second skin.
Her hair gathered to one side, long, wavy hair, the color of moonless midnight, and it cascaded like a waterfall past her shoulder. On the other side, a silver jeweled comb shimmered in the light a couple of inches above her ear, drawing my eyes to her silver pentacle dangle earrings, across her mocha skin, and along the graceful form of her neck. Around her throat, she wore a ribbon choker in the color of blue bonnet blossoms with a silver filigree charm holding a central symbol I didn’t recognize.
Her eyes were mesmerizing inky pools, sparkling a spell so beguiling I lost myself within them. They paired well with the perfect, tranquil smile on her full, so kissable lips, simultaneously the color of perfect virtue and wanton sin — they, too, shimmered, shifting along the color gamut between blue and red as if her lipstick had a captivating power.
“I see they brought the tea.” She smiled shyly and selected a cushion. “You know my name already, but let me introduce myself for the sake of our new beginning. I’m Lilith Eveningstar. I’ve looked forward to meeting you since your friend made your introduction.”
Her voice held hints of warm, spiced notes, magick, and possibilities that made my heart skip a beat and ignited a hot flush from my cheeks downward. My body responded to her as if she was lust incarnate, but I tempered my expectations. A woman this perfect wouldn’t — couldn’t — go for someone like me. All it would take would be me opening my mouth, my words spraying as if they were a blast from a fire hose, and the date would be over. I put myself out of my misery.
“I’m Valor Banks. Regrettably, my friend withheld telling me anything about you until a few hours ago. Not that it’s not nice — you’re quite nice — so very nice; fine like living art — so perfect.” I scrunched my eyes shut and squeezed my lips together to prevent myself from causing further embarrassment and feeding the awkwardness between us, which had to exist because of my inability to mask and control my responses under stress.
My ears caught the subtle sounds of pillows moving about, the soft squeak of a wood platform keeled upon, and then the faintest slipping of silk upon silk.
The warmth of her body bathed mine, yet I felt nothing more. She neither touched me nor spoke, but the scent of sandalwood tickled my nose.
The silence scared me because I would have expected her to tell me the date was finished. Too much catastrophizing, hmmm, girlie girl?
“May I hold your hands in mine? Would that be okay, Valor?”
“Um…sure.” Where was this going? Where were the insults and anger? My masking wasn’t that perfect.
The surprising warmth of her hands sent contented shivers along my spine and made me shift my hips. It filled me with a desire to seek relief from the intensifying desire deep within me. But it was more than that. I craved a deep connection, the most profound connection possible. A calm filled me, and the tension in my body and the fresh worries in my mind evaporated.
A contented sigh escaped my lips, and she gently released her hold. I opened my eyes, and she gazed at me from inches away.
“Hi,” she whispered, her eyes caressing me with a calming gaze.
“Hi,” I whispered back, entranced by the proximity, my breath catching. This moment is, mmm, so unexpected and luscious.
“I think we should try the tea before it goes cold,” she purred. “What do you think?”
“I think…tea would be lovely.”
I expected my cheeks to ignite from the mix of readiness and embarrassment because I wanted to savor her like dessert and skip dinner altogether. Redirecting my hunger, I reached for the cup closest to me, but she gently brushed away my hands. Instead, she handed me her teacup and saucer and picked up the one before me.
“Fae custom is for the host to serve the guest what is theirs. As I asked for the date with you, I’m technically the host of our evening, and you are the guest.”
“I’m clueless about such things. I don’t get out much, but I learn a little in passing, often from my customers and sometimes from my new neighbors. One of the new lightly loved books in today’s arrivals was a guide to the mystickind world, which I gave a quick browse, but it’s a marathon tome, not a sprinting novella.”
“Yes, your friend mentioned that. He worries about your self-isolation and your happiness.”
“True, but sometimes he’s like a meddling sibling.” While glancing at the shifting hues around us, I fought my contrary negativity as the personal forest started responding to our presence and emotions. “I apologize if I gave you the impression that I’m unhappy to be here with you.”
I gazed at her, watching the golden orange flickering glow reflected in her eyes. A pure silver shimmer washed across the choker’s charm, but I said nothing. Maybe it has something to do with her species? Let her tell it in her own time and why. Be patient, sweetie.
“Some people are like that, whether they’re mystickin or human. My sisters enjoy doing it to me as I’m the youngest. You’re all the more pleasure in person than his description of you and your creative works could convey. The photos he selected for your profile can’t capture your true beauty.”
“Thank you.” I couldn’t bring myself to look at her as I stared at the light, transitioning to bright reddish hues, overwhelmed with embarrassment. “Lovely words like those — I’m not accustomed to such compliments because…for reasons…”
I sipped the tea, savored the surprise of complex sweet floral flavors on my tongue, blended with the scent of warm honey, and swallowed. I refrained from responding for several long moments. She didn’t push to fill the space with her voice.
“The night is still young,” I quipped, casting a wry smile. “You may change your mind.”
“I truly doubt that.” She sipped her tea and bubbled contentedly. “How could I not want to meet you? Within many cultures, some segments seek matchmakers to find two or more suitable partners for a relationship. Your friend caught my attention with his heartfelt sincerity and openness.”
“Unfortunately, he didn’t do the same for you. I’d like to know you, though, to know about you.”
“You may ask me any question, and I will answer honestly. Your friend answered honestly everything I asked him regarding you.”
“How are you so certain? He likes to stretch the truth sometimes.”
“I would know if he lied. It’s one thing I’m good at, one of the many things my kind are good at.”
“Interpreting body language and facial cues is most difficult for me. I often take things literally when someone means something as a joke, uses sarcasm, figures of speech, or something similar. You’re easy to understand for whatever reason.”
Her eyes transformed into silvery mirrors that almost glowed even in the shades of blue, and I saw what Rick may have referred to for several long moments. They were already beautiful jewels. The current light added another layer of alluring loveliness. As the light shifted into purple, that change broke an enchantment, and they returned to their original splendor.
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