Chapter 8: The Sleepover (Part 1)

After setting Damara up with a room and showing her around upstairs, she decided to get cleaned up for the day, leaving Ignis and I alone downstairs. We sat and listened to the sounds of the running water, the noise somehow calming me as I was able to relax my jaw for the first time since realizing I had invited a woman to ’sleep at my place’.

"Who does that..."

"Do you require something Sire?" Ignis asked.

"Some gusto would be nice. You know, some cojones, as they say." I explained, my attempt at a Spanish accent came out absolutely terrible. "I have an incredibly attractive woman upstairs. I’m kinda freaking out about it."

He shifted his weird robotic head, his mechanical eyes adjusting. "I’m terribly sorry Sire, I don’t have the slightest idea what you are talking about. Though, it does sound fascinating. Do tell."

"I need someone to tell me to be a man and slap me real hard on the chest–"

SMACK

"BE A MAN, SIRE!"

A solid red headprint beat brutally on my chest. "Jesus Ignis, I didn’t mean... Shit that worked. I’m out of my head," I got up and walked to the kitchen. "I haven’t had a chance to stock up on anything yet..." My body jolted. "I got an idea!"

Opening the Celestial Market app, I found the tab labeled PRODUCE. My previous check had confirmed this app wasn’t limited by the normal rules of this world, so I dumped a large sum of my stockpiled Favor points on a list of ingredients I knew I could work with.

I found the stove was a gas range. Laying a large pan on one of the front burners, I leaned forward and turned it on. Slicing open the package of ground beef, I began forming patties.

The pan hissed loudly as I dropped the thick beef patties onto the scorching surface, filling the kitchen with the rich, unmistakable aroma of sizzling grease and seasoned meat. In a separate, deeper skillet beside it, a generous batch of hand-cut potato slices crackled in hot oil, quickly turning a crisp, golden brown.

Cooking had always been my quiet comfort zone back on Earth, and letting muscle memory take over completely washed away the lingering nerves in my chest.

I gave the patties a clean flip, pressing a thick slice of cheddar cheese over each one so the edges began to melt and drape over the beef slightly.

Just as I lifted the basket of fries to drain and tossed them in a dusting of salt, soft, bare footsteps padded across the hardwood floor behind me. Before I could turn around, a pair of warm fingertips gently traced the line of my spine.

"Oh my, that smells incredible," Damara murmured, leaning in close enough for a cloud of fresh soap and warm steam to brush past my cheek. Her obsidian-black hair was still dripping wet, clung loosely to her neck. "I’m surprised to see you can cook."

"Oh my—" I turned around and nearly dropped the basket of fries. "Whoa! Where are your clothes?!"

"Mine were dirty and I kinda dropped my stuff back at the inn... I was hoping to find a shirt of yours but every room I looked into was empty. Just the bare minimum inside." Her towel swayed playfully as she paced the kitchen. "This is a really nice place. Where’s your room?"

My face flushed a bright, burning crimson as my eyes darted everywhere except the dangerously loose knot of that white towel. "I, uh... hold on a second," I stuttered, quickly pulling my phone from my pocket before my brain short-circuited entirely.

Tapping the Celestial Market app, I scrolled straight to women’s loungewear and spent a few favor points on an oversized, fleece-lined grey hoodie and a matching pair of soft sleep shorts.

With a quiet chime and a flash of golden light, the cozy set materialized directly into my arms.

"Here," I said, thrusting the fresh pile of clothes toward her while doing my absolute best to keep my gaze firmly locked on her horns. "Put this on before my heart gives out. And before the burgers get cold."

She disappeared for a second. I used the time to set the table. A beef burger with melted cheese for each of us with a handful of fries. Hoping this was her kind of greasy, I patiently waited for her return.

Soft footsteps echoed in the hallway, and then she walked into the room.

My breath caught. The grey hoodie hung loose and wide on her shoulders, the collar slipping to one side just enough to expose the curve of her collarbone. Her obsidian hair was still slightly damp, curling around the base of her ram horns in loose, dark strands.

The bottom edge of the top stopped mid-thigh, leaving her bare legs on full display against the polished hardwood.

She pulled the sleeves down over her knuckles, tucking her hands inside the fabric, and gave me a quiet, self-conscious look that made my throat go completely dry. "Do you like it?"

I almost had to physically pull my mouth up before I could respond. "Like it? I freaking love it. You look amazing." I gestured to the dining room table. "Now if you will. Follow me."

As she slid into one of the large decorative chairs, I pushed her further into the table. Like a gentleman. I quickly sat in my own chair. The aromas from our dinner continuously made my stomach grumble.

"I hope you like it," I said, grabbing my burger. "It’s kinda my specialty," Taking a large bite of my own burger I let out a small moan. "Damn, I’ve really outdone myself because this is good."

"It certainly smells great," She said, grabbing her burger. "You’ve given me high hopes now Sam. I hope you can back em’ up," She took an exploratory bite, her brows shot up. "Damn! This is good. Keep treating me like this and I won’t want to leave."

The words made me drop my burger.