The First Date
#3 of Of Mating and Erintasu
The golden sun had just fallen behind the horizon, but the sky was still lit with brilliantly vibrant lavenders and royal blues. Wispy clouds floated by lazily, tinged violet and crimson and rose, and through their thinness stars glimmered like handfuls of diamonds thrown against a dark canvas. Every window in the house was open, the curtains fluttering in the cool autumn breeze. It was turning out to be an amazing day. I was standing over my bed, looking down at the array of outfits I'd deemed suitable for tonight's adventure.
Gingerly, I picked up a muscle tank between two claws. It was white, and printed with arrows that laid together in uniform lines, creating the illusion of stripes. It had no shape to it really, but I loved it's design and how it fit my body. I decided this would be the attire of the evening, tugging it down over my head. It hugged my figure nicely, the frayed ends of my shorts peaking out from beneath the hem. "It's just pizza, right?" I thought, turning to look at myself in the full length mirror. The particular asset Erintasu enjoyed looking at so much was highlighted perfectly, and I smirked at myself in satisfaction. "I hope its a little more than just pizza." I thought, not really hoping for much, but wanting more than just a simple night in.
As I was smoothing my waves back into a manageable ponytail, slightly nicer than my normal go-to look, when the familiar friendly chime of the doorbell sounded throughout the apartment. I had texted Erintasu a few hours before to ensure that he knew where my house happened to be located, and he reassured me that he remembered the area from deliveries past.
To: Erintasu
From: ----------
Hey, is this Erintasu?
To: ----------
From: Erintasu
Is this the lovely Stella? ;)
To: Erintasu
From: Stella
Why yes it is indeed ;) Any chance you need to know my address? That is, if you still plan on coming over....
To: Stella
From: Erintasu
Why of course I still plan to come over to see you. I enjoy your company far too much to miss out on our spending time together. And I believe I remember your address, or at least I know the general area. It's not too far from the coffee shop, is it?
To: Erintasu
From: Stella
Yeah, just a block up the road. It's a townhouse on the left, the only one that's gray. Black shingles, black door. Think you'll remember that?
To: Stella
From: Erintasu
Yes, I've got the idea. See you at 6 beautiful ;)
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I opened the front door with a big smile on my face, glad he was finally here. I had spent a long day getting the house ready for tonight. Dusting, sweeping, mopping, vacuuming, the entire place had been straightened up and made to look decent for my guest. Picture frames had been rearranged, pillows had been fluffed, and I even polished the wooden surfaces in the den. I wanted him to be impressed with my living space.
His hair was slicked back, that was the first thing I noticed, and it looked good on him. His fur had a bit of a sheen to it, almost like it was wet, and he smelled vaguely of black musk and pine trees. He wore a simple pale blue oxford that was tight across his muscular frame, with the top three buttons undone to show off his chest fur, and fitted sleek black jeans that had a satiny finish to them. A leather banded watch adorned his left wrist that matched the nice black dress boots on his feet. And he was carrying two boxes of pizza
"Hi." I greeted him, all my confidence draining out through my pores. He looked stunning and I looked like a potato. I felt like a deflated balloon. "You look wonderful," Was the first thing he said as he squeezed me in a one armed hug. "Do you mind if I come in?" He asked politely. "Oh, no of course not." I said blushing, back pedaling into the entryway to let him through. He maneuvered past me with ease, his paw brushing along the small of my back briefly. It lingered there a second longer than needed, but I didn't mind one bit. He followed me into the living room and I features to the coffee table
"Here, you can put them there." I said helpfully. He gently placed the boxes down, the reached behind his back. He pulled a DVD case from the waistband of his pants and handed it to me.
"I hope you like horror movies." He said, scratching the back of his head. "I guess I just assumed you would." It was a slasher flick I'd been dying to see for ages. My friends and I have planned go see it in theaters, but after a few bad reviews everyfurry had figured it was a waste of money and decided to skip out on it. I never had a chance to attend a viewing on my own, but scenes from the trailer stayed fresh in my mind.
It was about an unsuspecting corgi who wakes up after a car accident to realize the world she had always known had come to an end by way of flesh eating virus, and she, along with a mysterious bear and a sly raccoon with a broken arm, must live out the rest of their lives in the solitude of a bomb shelter. The previews had left a lot to the imagination and I couldn't wait to see what had really happened to the world outside those titanium walls, as well as what went on inside them.
"This is perfect, thank you." I touched his arm as I spoke, reading the information on the back of the case in intrigue.
"For some reason I just thought that you might like it. It was like I saw it and just thought of you." He tried to explain. He seemed a little embarrassed but I thought it was adorable.
"Let's watch it then, shall we?" I asked with a smile. I gestured to the entertainment center as I headed to the kitchen.
"Put it in the Xbox, it's on the middle shelf under the TV. Do you have a dipping sauce preference for your pizza?" I called out, gathering plates and cans of soda. I remembered his favorite, and dug out a Dr. Pepper from the back of my black refrigerator, finding a grape soda for myself.
"Yes, ranch, if that's okay."
"No problem!" I said with a smile.
"So," He called back. "You're an Xbox girl huh?"
"Only the last gen models. 360 is sort of my favorite past time." I responded, standing on my toes to reach the top of my pantry. I gathered two bags of chips and tossed them down on top of the plates I'd set on the counter. The last thing I managed was his ranch and my dipping sauce choice, which had to be microwaved.
"Pick one." I stated simply, trying to balance everything. He jumped up to help me, taking portions of my burden and setting them on the end table. I held up two bags of potato chips, one barbeque flavored and the other sour cream and onion, and shook them.
"Oh that's easy." He said, taking the green bag from me. "My favorite." I set our places at the table, serving up the pizza with ease. I set his small bowl of ranch on his plate next to the slices I'd placed on it, and set my own bowl on the table.
"What's that?" He asked curiously. I grinned.
"It's cheese sauce. Like nacho cheese? I put it on everything I have the chance to, including pizza, and barbeque chips."
"Really?" He asked, bewildered. He had paused with a slice halfway to his maw, ranch dripping from the tip. To show him what I meant, I tore a chunk of pizza from the slice and used it to stir the thick concoction, before popping it into my mouth with a moan of satisfaction.
"Any good?" He asked with a smirk. I nodded, chewing slowly to savor it. I offered him the rest of the piece, a small smile on my face. He took it, with an eyebrow raised as if I was trying to trick him.
"What, don't you trust me?" I asked playfully, my expression one of mock hurt.
"Why of course I trust you." He replied, taking a bite. He also chewed slowly, making a face that was half thoughtful half curious. After he swallowed, he smiled.
"Sooo?"
"It's actually pretty good." He said with a smile. I smiled back, happy for the first time in while.
I hadn't been this happy in a long time. As we settled in and started the movie, I leaned my head against his shoulder. I felt comfortable with him, and as he slid his arm around me I knew this had been a successful night, even if had just begun. This was going to be the start of something great, and I was happy in his company. He was such a sweet fur, so thoughtful and kind, and I liked spending time with him. I could handle this, I realized finally, I could handle having someone like this in my life. I could handle the start of something great, I could handle being happy.
It was an amazing feeling.