She still looks skeptical but she answers anyway. "I'm a photojournalist," she says, confirming my suspicions. I knew she was too good at taking pictures for it to not be her job. "My boss sends me on assignments, usually local but sometimes around the country, to photograph current events."
"Was the crazy Jesus lady an assignment?"
She gives me a scolding look. "I believe it's one question at a time, is it not?" I only grin guiltily, but she answers anyway. "She was not. That was just for fun while I was waiting for another assignment."
"How often do you get assignments?" I can't help asking.
Dani aims a good-natured kick at my leg beneath the bar. "Naughty boy," she murmurs. "You're not playing fair."
I lean forward to bring my lips to her ear. "Something tells me it would be more fun playing with you if I bend the rules a little," I murmur in a deep voice.
She sucks in a breath at my words, and it takes everything in me not to immediately drag her off that barstool.
"Go ahead then," I concede. "Ask your question."
Desire still sparking in her eyes, she asks, "Who was your celebrity crush as a kid?"
For a moment, I can only blink in surprise. "That's your question?"
She shrugs, the corner of her lips twitching. "If we're staying away from first date questions, I'm going to ask the fun ones instead. You said anything goes."
That's true, I did say that. So, racking my brain for a moment, I answer with, "Mila Kunis, I think. Even when she was in That 70's Show, I was obsessed with her." I give Dani a once-over as something occurs to me. "Actually, with the black hair and kiss-bitten lips, you're kind of like a badder version of her. Like a tattooed version." My gaze drops to those lips and suddenly all I can think of is how they would look wrapped around my cock.Fuck,I should've gotten her on her knees the first time. She probably looks like a dream when she's—
"Down, boy," Dani murmurs, brushing her foot against me once more. "That comes later."
My eyes snap back to hers. Despite her teasing words, I can see she's just as eager to follow my train of thought as I am.
But as soon as that thought hits, so does the thought that as soon as I take her to bed, our date will be over. And I'm not ready to let that happen yet.
"What's the coolest trip you've taken?" I ask, eager to keep the game going. "For work or pleasure, doesn't matter."
"I backpacked across Europe by myself for six weeks after high school," she answers, a shadow of something crossing her face before immediately being wiped away by the exciting memory of the trip. “I had saved all my money in high school so I decided to spend most of it on train rides and hostels after I graduated. Best decision I ever made."
"Not a single part of me is surprised that eighteen-year-old Dani took a solo trip that big," I say with a chuckle. "Was that a before college kind of thing?"
I realize my mistake when Dani tsks in disappointment. "Okay new plan. Forget the game. I don't like these rules."
"Tough luck, pretty boy, game stays in play." She leans forward to prop her elbow on the bar, tapping her finger against her lower lip. Yet again, my gaze zeroes in on her mouth.
"Why fighting?" she asks finally.
"Ooh, a normal question? You're flirting with first date etiquette. I might start thinking you actually want to date me." I add a teasing edge to my words by shooting her a wink, feeling pleased when it makes her smile and roll her eyes.
I twirl the beer bottle on the bar top, absentmindedly looking behind the bar as I contemplate my answer. "Why fighting? Well I wrestled in high school—hence the cauliflower ear—so MMA wasn't totally out of the blue. I liked how competitive wrestling was but at the same time, I kind of wanted to try something a little more combative. A little riskier, with higher stakes. MMA was the logical choice. Philly's a fighting city so I knew it wouldn't be too hard to find a good MMA gym. I signed up for a gym membership before I even signed up for college classes."
"And do you want to make it a career?" Dani asks.
I give her a knowing look at the rule break, even though I'm secretly giddy over the fact that she wants to know more about me. "That's your freebie," I tell her, playfully chucking her under the chin. I wait until she predictably rolls her eyes before I answer the question.
"I don't know," I answer honestly. "I love the sport more than anything, and I definitely want to go pro soon, but I'm not as dead set on getting into the UFC as some of my teammates. I mostly just want to push myself as far as I can go. If that means I get good enough to make it a career, then so be it. But it's not a life or death dream."
I watch Dani mull over my answer. "I like that," she says. "It probably makes it a lot easier to deal with the pressure, too." I nod in confirmation. She turns her body to fully face me, a movement that's not lost on me—she went from not looking at me to giving me her full attention. "Can I come watch next time you fight?" she asks.
"Of course," I answer immediately–and slightly too eagerly. Then I'm grabbing under the barstool she's sitting on and pulling her closer to me in one hard pull. Close enough that I can brace my foot on the rung of the stool and my arm along the back of it. "Wanna be one of my groupies, Dani?"
"Hmm," she hums, leaning into me now that she's closer. Her finger lazily traces over my jawline, her touch leaving a trail of sparks on my skin. "I'd be such a good groupie, too. Tell me, Aiden, how many girls have offered to suck your dick after they see you fight?"
My breath leaves me in a rush. "I lost count after a while," I lie breathlessly. Right now, all I can think about ishersucking my dick after a fight.