5. NymphoSomething
Bailey
I’m only a couple of minutes late to my date at West Side Nori. Walking here from my apartment took a bit longer than I expected. I blame the red strappy heels, but tardiness is justified when you look this cute. They coordinate perfectly with my pink slip skirt and the red tank top. It was too good an outfit to pass up. I even have a pink jacket with little red hearts in case it rains. Which it looks like it might.
Chris is waiting at a table. His eyebrows go up when he sees me, and I hope that’s approval, not irritation, in his smile.
“Hi, sorry I’m late.” I slip into my seat, feeling just a little nervous.
“You are really dressed up,” Chris says.
I blink a few times, trying to identify if that was a compliment. “I just like clothes, you know? Fashion is such a fun way to express yourself. I worked in a vintage shop for a couple of months in college and there were so many great finds. I had to quit because I usually spent most of my paycheck before I got it—” I trail off realizing that he’s wearing a pair of faded-blue jeans and a threadbare t-shirt that probably fit him a few years ago. “Of course, everyone should wear whatever they’re comfortable in.”
“Of course.” His mouth turns up in smile that isn’t quite nice.
“How do you feel about a Philadelphia roll? I’m absolutely starving.”
“I’m sure you are.”
The comment catches me sideways. “I didn’t eat much for lunch,” I shift in my seat, “so I’ll probably get the seaweed salad as well, and maybe a spicy tuna roll. What are you thinking? Do you want to split something?”
Chris laughs, and this one definitely doesn’t feel nice. He lists off something that’s a bit too raw for my taste before leaning forward to ask, “Can I ask you about that girl with the green hair?”
“Tatiana?” I clarify. The woman who works across the aisle from me. She’s pretty, with long hair in small braids that hang down to her waist.
“Yeah, what’s her deal? Is she a nympho or something?”
“Do you mean like a water nymph?” I think that’s one of the monsters that joined society after the Decrypting.
“It’s the same thing, isn’t it?” He smirks.
“No. I really don’t think it is.” His words turn my stomach a little. “I think she’s just a human with green hair. She’s nice for the most part, I think.”
“So, you do know her?” He continues his thought before I even have a chance to respond, “Do you know if she’s single or anything?”
“Wh—What?”
“Tatiana. Do you think she’d go out with me? Or does she have a boyfriend?”
“That feels inappropriate to ask.”
“Why? Is she a lesbian?”
“Do you always ask about other women while you are on a date?”
“Date?” His face contorts into a smile that definitely isn’t nice. “Oh, did you think this was a date?”
“I did think that. I guess I misunderstood.”
“No! No way!” He’s far too enthusiastic with that response.
“It’s alright. I guess I got my wires crossed.”
“I mean—I wouldn’t date a girl like you.” He grimaces. “Not that you aren’t pretty. You have a nice face. You could probably be a model, you know, if you lost like fifty or seventy pounds. Something like that?”
“Alright,” I say, standing from the table so suddenly the soy sauce bottles jingle. “I think that’s enough for the night.”
“What? You can’t even have dinner with me now?”
I shake my head. “I’m not going to let this terrible non-date go on any longer. I like this restaurant. I want to come back here without the memory of you tainting it.”
“Don’t you think you are overreacting?” He sighs loudly.
“I don’t, actually,” I say. “I’m being very reasonable. I’m not even yelling at you. Which I do think you deserve for being a total fuckface.” I sling on my heart-covered jacket, tuck my adorable, impractically tiny, date-night purse under my arm, and leave.
I can’t believe I agreed to go out with this guy. A misunderstanding about a date is one thing, but, as usual, I’m better off alone. People always find a way to disappoint you. I don’t know why I thought this time might be different.
It was almost a twenty-minute walk here—not a big deal to head back, even on an empty stomach—but two blocks from the restaurant the rain starts and immediately becomes a torrential downpour. The water hits me like a sheet, and in a few seconds I’m soaked to the bone. With another twelve blocks to walk, I duck into an alcove of the closest building to escape the drops. Maybe I can persuade my roommate to come pick me up or book a ride share app.
But my impractical purse holds up to its description. The zipper sticks, and when I finally jerk it open the contents spill onto the wet ground. My phone skitters across the sidewalk, stopping right on the edge of a large puddle.
I snatch it up, feeling sure I’ve rescued it from a wet grave, but the previously cracked screen now proves to be completely shattered. Trying to unlock it results in a still-black screen and a tiny laceration on my finger.
“Shit. Fuck. Balls,” I mutter, sticking my pointer finger into my mouth to suck the pain away. I’m not going to further ruin the evening by getting blood on my cute outfit.
A black town car slows to a stop in the street beside me, the back window lowers and a male voice emerges.
“Do you need a ride?” the voice asks.
“No!” I blurt, without turning to look at my potential abductor. I’m not getting into a car with a stranger, not even one with a nice voice.
“It’s raining, you are getting wet. It’s really not a problem?—”
I don’t bother facing the car. I just flip my middle finger in his direction. “Fuck off, fuckstick.” I don’t say it too loudly. No point in pissing the guy off more than necessary.
“Seems a bit harsh, Ms. Thorn.” The voice clicks into place in my memory. Only one person calls me Ms. Thorn with that kind of bravado.
I spin around to find Sacha Kwatch watching me from the backseat of the car. I flipped off my boss. I am still flipping off my boss. I drop my hand to my side.
“Mr. Kwatch, sir, I’m so sorry. I didn’t know it was you?—”
“Get in the car, Ms. Thorn. You can continue groveling when you are out of the rain.”
The little command sends a pulse straight to my pussy. Fuck, I’m in trouble. Get into the back of the car with my hot boss who tries to fuck all of his assistants? Or stand in the rain like a fool and face the consequences of turning him down?
The door pops open.
I’ve probably been trapped in a car with worse. I release a deep sigh and climb into the backseat, sliding my wet ass across pristine black leather to sit beside my hot boss.