“You know, I always kind of wondered how Tinker Bell became such a popular character,” she muses, taking a sip of her drink, “I mean, yes, there’s the whole appeal of the cute little magical fairy, but in Peter Pan, she was…kind of evil.”
It’s been a long time since I’d seen or read Peter Pan, so I have to think back a little bit, but she’s got a point. “Yeah, you’d think the attempted child murder might have diminished her likeability somewhat, but people seem to forget that she tried to kill Wendy. But in general, when you look at some of the stories about fairies, it kind of makes you wonder why people are so obsessed. A lot of the old myths and stuff make them sound horrifying.”
“Good point. So am I the scary kind of fairy?” she asks.
I look at her, drinking in the sight of that lovely face. In the soft, glowy light in the café, she does look sort of otherworldly, and she could easily pass for a supernatural creature. “Oh, absolutely terrifying,” I reply, my voice dripping with sarcasm.
She giggles, and I find myself thinking of her as more siren than fairy. That face, that voice…it all lures me in until I’m drowning in her.
We finish eating, chatting all the while, then wander around the shelves for a little while, talking about our favorite books.
“I’ve got an idea,” I tell her as I’m showing her my all-time favorite, “Go find me a copy of your absolute favorite book.”
She regards me for a moment, then smiles. “Okay. I’ll be right back.”
She disappears, and while she’s gone, I pick another book off the shelf that she’d shown some interest in and tuck it under my jacket. I hope no employee sees and thinks I’m trying to steal it, I just want to try and buy it for Sofia without her noticing.
She returns with a book in hand. “Here’s what I’m thinking: I’ll get this one for me,” I tell her, tapping the cover of her choice, “And this one,” gesturing to my own favorite, “For you, and we can read each other’s favorites as a way to get to know each other better.”
Her face lights up. “I absolutely love that idea. But you don’t have to buy both books, you already bought dinner,” she protests.
“It was my idea, so I insist,” I tell her firmly, plucking the book from her hands.
I’m careful to keep my left arm close to my side to keep the hidden book tucked away as we head for the front counter, and once we’re there, I’m relieved when she pauses to look at a display of bookmarks. Hastily, I yank the hidden book from my jacket and shove it across the counter. “Can you bag this up asap?” I whisper to the clerk, glancing over at Sofia, “I’m trying to surprise her with it.”
The clerk smiles and nods, tucking the book away quickly before scanning everything else normally. “Thank you,” I whisper gratefully.
She finishes ringing me up and I pay for everything while Sofia’s still occupied, and when she passes me the bag, I make my way over to my date. “You ready?” I ask her.
“Yeah, sorry,” she said, “Just admiring some of the artwork on here. I can’t keep track of bookmarks to save my life, but they’re pretty.”
“Yeah, I’m definitely a Post-it note guy, myself,” I agree.
I lead her out to the car, and we talk more while I drive her home. When I pull up to her apartment, I retrieve the shopping bag from the backseat and draw out the copy of her favorite book. “So, I’ll be reading this one, and I’ll let you take this,” I say, handing her the bag.
When she feels the weight of it, she furrows her brow in confusion and peeks inside. “Wait, what’s…” she pulls out the surprise book and looks at me, “Did you get this for me?”
I nod, grinning.
“You didn’t have to do that,” she chides, “I don’t even know how you did that without me seeing.”
“What can I say? I’m a talented guy.”
“I can tell,” she laughs, “Well, thank you, this was very sweet. And not just the books, I mean all of this, this was super fun.”
“I’m glad to hear it. Come on, let me walk you to your door.”
We get out of the car and I walk her to the front door of her apartment, basking in every moment and dreading the end of it all. She pulls her keys from her purse, but once we reach the front door, she hovers, hesitating.
“Would it be weird for me to kiss you knowing that we’re both going on dates with another guy-the same guy-this weekend?” she asks hesitantly.
“Maybe a little bit,” I admit, “But I’m okay with weird if you are.”
She grins. “There’s already a lot of weird going on here, what harm is a little more?”
With that, she slips her arms around my neck, standing on tiptoe so she can brush her lips over mine.
Her lips are soft and sweet, and there’s a faintly floral taste to her. Her body presses against mine and I can feel myself instantly reacting, blood rushing south.
Finally, I have to draw back so I can suck in some fresh air and collect myself. My head’s fucking spinning, and more than anything, I just want to pin her against that front door and wrap those long legs around my waist.
But I control myself. This is just a first date, after all. Or maybe like…first and a half? I don’t really know what our night with Russell qualifies as, but either way, it’s too soon to pounce on the poor girl.
“I’d better get going,” I say reluctantly.
She nods slowly, looking a little dazed, and I have to stop myself from grinning like a smug idiot. She unlocks and opens her front door and steps inside, lingering in the doorway. “Goodnight,” she says softly.
“Goodnight,” I reply, “And have fun with Russell tomorrow.”
And while there’s a part of me that’s a tiny bit jealous, I find that I really do mean it. “Thanks,” she replies, “You too, on Sunday.”
There’s a brief, awkward silence, then both of us laugh. “Yeah, the kiss was definitely the least of our weirdness,” Sofia remarks.
“We’ll figure it out,” I assure her.
At least, I sure hope so. Because I’m falling, fast and hard for this girl, and whatever happens next with Russell, I don’t think I can give her up.