Rick.
I didn't realize how long I had been on my bed thinking about Eva and how our date night went until Jordan flickered a lighter and lit a cigarette.
"You are a dragon, and you know!" I scrunched up my nose and stood up from the bed.
"How did it go, I mean the date night?"
Jordan asked and I met him with a dead silence.
"You don't have to talk about it anyway." He said.
Later that night, Jordan and I went to a party that was organized by some shifters who had just gotten their wolves. Different Alphas and their Lunas and betas were present, and were all grooving in various angles in the party hall.
Jordan had lost into the pool of people, leaving me to myself at the near entrance. Seeing people in high spirits reminded me of my own boring life, a life without a mate or my wolf. It sucked!
As I sipped my cocktail, I watched people troop in from the entrance, some were waving at and calling out for the people they were familiar with. And again I was reminded by how solitary my life had been. I wasn't noticed by anyone, nor did anyone fix an assessing gaze on me.
"Hey Rick," a familiar voice called beside me. "I wasn't expecting to see you here."
Beside me were Eva and her friend, both dressed in stunning outfits.
"Me neither." I said trying to control my surprise and excitement.
We greeted and they hurried past me into the hall. Somehow, I managed to pin my gaze on Eva as she snaked her way through the hall. Noticing her moves, a rush of jealousy spread through my spines when Eva began to dance with some guy on the dance floor.
At once, I trudged forward and stopped behind her. "Eva," I whispered, hoping that my voice wasn't muffled by the music that swelled around us.
She craned her head towards me. "Rick, are you having fun?"
"Not really. Do you mind if I have a few minutes with you?" I asked, and the man with whom she was dancing shot me a disapproving glare.
"Alright, then." She said.
Outside, I and Eva sat by the poolside. There was quietness now as the music sounded only faintly.
"It's quite interesting to know that you party, Eva." I said.
"It would surprise you to know this was my first time attending a party." She said.
"Oh, really?"
"Yeah. In a time of heartbreak, any sort of therapeutic suggestion from closed friends shouldn't be neglected." She paused and exhaled heavily. "You never can tell which of those might be a good fix for your shattered heart."
I wanted to draw her into an embrace and tell her that I was sorry for everything, but I let her speak on.
"That's my bestfriend; Sigra—the lady you saw me with by the entrance."
"Oh, I see. Eva, I'm deeply sorry for what you are dealing right now." I said in a low tone. "And the guy, is he your friend also?"
"Not really." She said distractededly. "Sigra brought him along."
I felt relieved and a bit happy that the other guy was someone Eva had met just today. Obviously, I had an edge over him when it came to people who knew Eva. At this point, I knew it was necessary that I asked Eva to be my friend, and if she accepted and things got well for us, we could take it to another level.
"Eva," I said calmly. "I want to be one of your closest friends. You really are an amazing person and I want us to be a lot closer."
Eva sighed and hummed, and then she went silent for a while. "Rick, I don't keep male friends because most of them struggle with respecting boundaries."
I wasn't expecting such a response but I respected her honesty. Could her response mean a turndown or she just wanted some assurance that I would be different and respect her boundaries?
"Eva, you have got nothing to worry about. I will always respect your boundaries. I promise."
She was about to say something when her phone began to ring. She picked up almost immediately and from her words it was obvious her friend; Sigra, was on the lookout for her.
"I think I need to go now Rick," She said but remained seated. "And yes, I would like to be your friend if I can count on your words."
My heartbeat doubled as I started picturing how good and adventurous it would be to have someone as kind as Eva as a friend. I loved it already! "Thank you, Eva.I could walk you back to the dance hall."
I got up before her and helped her up by the hand. She smiled and mouthed THANK YOU.
"Rick, sorry I have to ask again, how old are you?"
I affirmed my age to her and it appeared that something was off. Few weeks later, my friendship with Eva took a beautiful turn and when I asked her to be my girlfriend, she only disapproved of my age and admitted that my personality ticked all boxes for her. We both came to a solid agreement that age was just a number and promised to be the best we could be for one another.
Tonight, Eva would be at my place and spend the night with me. The thought of her next to me in the same bed throughout the night made me happy and nervous at the same time. Jordan had left the apartment to a mutual friend's place, so to afford Eva and I some privacy.
At about 8:30 PM, Eva arrived at my apartment, looking angelic and charming.
"Hey Babe," My voice was a little above whisper. "You look so beautiful," I added as I took her hand into mine and walked her inside the room.
"Thank you, Rick. I have missed seeing your face all day." She replied and settled in the bed, her back to the wall.
Eva and I had discussed everything concerning relationships in the past weeks except the idea of intimacy. None of us ever spoke about it or had a solid conversation around it.
I scooted closer to her, cupped her chin in my palm, and at once I asked, "Can I kiss you, Eva?"
She shot me a charming look and nodded in approval. I kissed Eva so passionately and she was quite as responsive. My hands touched her in places at her consent. After like forever of making out, I eased a bit away in a bid to collect myself together.
"Eva," I said calmly. "Can I make love to you?"