Chapter 5: The First Date

"I feel so honored you would show me this Damara. It truly is a wonderfully breathtaking sight," I said, stuck in a mystified daze watching the sun set. "Thank you for trusting me enough to show me."

"It’s not nearly as cool as valiantly saving someone but, it’s a start."

"I’ve never really uhh..." I lowered my vision. "I never really have had anybody do something nice for me before. It’s honestly a really good feeling."

"You said you were new. So where’d you come from?" She asked in a soft tone. "If you don’t mind telling me."

I looked back toward the vivid red and orange hues cresting the sunset thinking about home, about the life I’d lived up until my untimely death.

"So... I’ve kinda got a secret as well. I’m sure it goes without saying but unless I say so, this stays between us," I explained, watching Damara’s eyes for signs of distrust but found none. "I’m from an entirely different world..."

"WHAT!!?!"

"I was reincarnated after my untimely death," I paused for a second, mulling over the next question before asking. "Does the Goddess Celestia mean anything to you?"

"She’s the, since defunct, Goddess of Pleasure. She was replaced with a Goddess of purity."

"Replaced? You can just replace the gods like that? The idea sounds insane..." I laughed. The sheer thought of the gods being subject to mortal rules was incomprehensible. "I mean couldn’t they just, I don’t know, kill you?"

"Why would they do that?"

"I don’t know... they’d be mad wouldn’t they?" I argued.

"Taking a sapient life is the worst thing you could possibly do. It’s the number one rule the gods gave us before leaving the lands," She continued, pausing to let me soak the information in. "Now. Are we here to talk about world history or have a date?"

"I’ve been meaning to ask, what’s in the basket? It smells absolutely fantastic."

Both of our stomachs growled loudly almost simultaneously. We shared a brief glance before breaking into laughter. The way she laughed made my heart thrum. Her entire personality feels like it was pulled from my personal preferences list.

The sun had lowered a bit more, shading the sky in a deep burnt orange mixed with purple and blue. Damara’s hair lazily played in the evening breeze, sending clouds of flower scent toward me.

"Can I open it? The smells..." I asked, hovering over the basket, my hands held like a T-Rex.

"Go ahead. Help yourself Sam, this is for you," she said, nodding her head, laughing lightly. "I hope you like it... You know, being new and all, I’m sure our foods are vastly different."

"I can tell you without a doubt, whatever is in that basket, smells divine," I said, lifting the lid to the food prison.

The sight was so marvelous I gasped, my expectations completely shattered as the contents of the basket were revealed. Two large loaves of bread with some kind of dark savory meat in the center sat next to one large bowl of a liquid strikingly similar to au jus.

Damara quickly scuttled over, grabbing one of the sandwiches. She handed me the first one before grabbing her own.

"This is a special from the bakery. It’s a meat and cheese sandwich. And you dip it in this savory sauce," she explained while showing me, with her own food.

Who would’ve thought someone would be teaching me how to eat a French dip.

"Whoa! You dip it?" I asked, my voice playful.

"Shut up and try it already. I’m dying to see your reaction..." She pouted, pursing her bottom lip.

The bread they used for the sandwich was quite light and fluffy. I’m assuming to combat the rich flavor and greasyness of the meat. It had been lightly toasted on the outside, leaving strands of cheese hanging over the edge.

In favor of not letting my stomach eat itself, I dipped my sandwich, letting it sit momentarily. Placing a hand under the bottom of it, I brought it to my mouth and took a massive bite.

The savory broth soaked into the bread, mixing with the sharp bite of the cheese and the rich, salty meat. My eyes flew wide against my will. The texture was perfect, each chew sending the richness higher. Au jus sauce dripped down my chin as I ate hastily.

Damara reached her hand out, wiping up the streak. "Slow down," She laughed. "It’s not going to run away," She continued to giggle softly despite her efforts. "You’re fun Sam. It’s been a whole new experience since you showed up. My normal day to day was getting so boring I was thinking about moving to the upscale side of town."

"You don’t seem like you’d really enjoy that very much," I said, munching on my food. "I’m glad you didn’t move. My first days could have been a lot different." I paused for a heartbeat. "Thank you Damara."

Another stray droplet of juice clung to my chin. She reached out to wipe it but this time our eyes were locked. Damara’s fingers stayed right against my jawline, tracing the angle of my chin. Her teasing expression softened into something open and raw, catching me completely off guard.

"You’re kind of an odd guy, Sam," she murmured, setting her half-eaten sandwich aside. "Most men try to act big to try and convince me they’re invincible. You’re just... real."

"I try to be as genuine as I can be," I managed, my throat suddenly dry.

She closed the small gap between us, resting her palm flat against my chest. The warmth of her hand seeped straight through the thin fabric of my shirt, radiating right over my pounding heartbeat. Up close, the subtle ridges along her dark horns gleamed with faint violet light under the darkening sky, framing a face that looked impossibly soft.

Slowly, testing the waters, I reached out and let my fingers brush against her waist. The firm leather gave way under my grip, and a quiet shiver ran through her shoulders.

She tilted her head, her ruby eyes locking onto mine with zero hesitation.

"Sam?" she whispered, her lips barely an inch from mine.

"Yeah?"

"Shut up for a second."

She bridged the remaining distance, pressing her soft, warm lips against mine.