Chapter 12
TWINK
It was hard to accept I was on a date with an alien, even when things like Daddy using tentacles on me during sex came up.
When I first found out about his hidden appendages, imagining them had freaked me out, but now, sure as I was that this was a weird-ass thing to think about, I couldn’t help wondering what they would feel like sliding along my flesh.
Would I cringe?
Would I be afraid?
Would I be aroused?
I tried to push those thoughts away, but it was even more difficult when I considered that maybe I would want Daddy to come back to my place with me.
In the meantime, I attempted more typical conversation with him, which I was beginning to realize was more of a challenge than I’d considered when I’d suggested going out together.
“You know,” I said, “normally, if I was talking with a guy, I’d bring up movies or TV shows, maybe books or podcasts, but you don’t have any of those references.”
“I have enjoyed entertainment on other planets, so I understand the concepts.”
“What’s something similar to movies for you?”
“There was a recorded series of choreographed dances that would play when I lived on Hotfut.”
I assumed Hotfut was one of those placeholder words.
“It was essentially a nonstop dance between these creatures, swapping out as soon as one died.”
“Died?” I asked, horrified.
“Oh, yes. Part of the piece was this reflection on the nature of death and dying, and it was an honor to be selected for it.”
“Huh…”
“This is not the sort of thing I’m supposed to discuss on a date, is it?”
At least he was observant. “Well, I just want you to be yourself.”
“But what about the deception?”
“Stop. You’re thinking too much.”
“It’s kind of my thing as a Furker.”
“Well, here on Earth, we have art and plenty of it features death, but they just pretend to die.”
“I have seen stories presented in this way too. Although, the species I was referring to with the dance, they lack the imagination that could allow one to find a fake death compelling.”
Because of his experience with other species, Daddy had such an interesting perspective about things I never had any reason to consider, and as odd as some of these things were, it was fascinating to hear about them anyway.
I told him about movies and TV shows we had here, like Friends and Golden Girls. After the waiter arrived with our meal, I let him take a few bites before asking, “How do you like your steak?”
“It’s delicious. Are you enjoying your chicken schnitzel?”
“It has the perfect amount of crisp to it. I think I might get a little dessert afterward. Would you like that? They have a red-velvet cheesecake I love. Want to share?”
“I would enjoy that as well.”
I beamed, and he did that thing where he stared at me as though taking notes about me. Weird as it was, it was nice too, like he was thoughtful enough to take in information about me.
I was waiting for the waiter to return, when a familiar voice said, “Well, well, well…”
The hairs on my neck pricked. Daddy’s face flushed red, and he pushed to his feet.
“Oh, whoa, big guy,” Carter said, sidling up beside me.
I cringed as I turned to him, seeing Leo at his side. “Hi, Carter. Leo.”
Carter extended his hand for a shake, and given Daddy’s demeanor, I was a little nervous he might do something wild like tear the guy’s arm off. Not that I wouldn’t enjoy that a little—no! That’s mean!
“This is my ex—”
“Cheating Asshole,” Daddy said, which made my face hot again, and unlike most of the times around him, for all the wrong reasons.
Carter was understandably taken aback. “I’m sorry, I don’t think we’ve met.”
“I’m Daddy.”
Carter and Leo exchanged a look, smirks stretched across their faces.
God, can’t I just be dead?
“Kinky,” Carter said, judgment in his tone as he shot me a look.
“Please just go away.”
“You guys on a date?” he asked.
“Yes,” Daddy answered. “And I think it’d be better if you would leave.”
“Relax, big guy. He was mine first.”
“I wasn’t yours,” I said through my teeth. “We were just boyfriends.”
He placed his hand over his heart. “Ooh, breaking my heart.”
“Can I take that as a request?” Daddy asked.
Given everything that had come up during our discussions about some of the other cultures Daddy had encountered, I felt it was important to interject. “No, he’s just saying stupid shit. You don’t need to hurt anyone.”
“In some cultures, you’re killed when you betray your mate,” Daddy told him, and nice as it was to have him standing up for me, the way Carter’s expression twisted up, he seemed reasonably confused by all this.
“Betrayed?” Carter asked. “I mean, I feel like I was the one betrayed in the relationship. Charlie was always going out with those guys.”
What. The. Fuck?
Why would he say that?
“Oh, did he make it seem like I was the bad guy in the relationship?” Carter asked. “Wow. Don’t believe he’s as innocent as he claims to be. That’d be a mistake.”
Rage rose up within me, especially as Daddy studied me as though trying to work out if there was any truth to it.
“Why would you say that?” I asked.
“The truth bother you?”
“You’re not telling the truth,” Daddy said. “Twink is.”
Leo snickered. “Twink?”
I gritted my teeth.
“And here I couldn’t even get you in restraints,” Carter said, and all I could think was how glad I was I hadn’t caved to his interests since he clearly never gave a shit about me. “But now I found a guy who can actually give me what I want, so I guess it’s all good, right?”
Leo tucked his head low, obviously not wanting Carter to share something so private about him, and I kind of felt bad for the guy. But only kind of, especially since I really just had one goal. “Will you just leave us alone?”
“You should listen to him,” Daddy warned, and I found myself checking behind him to see if a tentacle was popping out of the place I’d last seen it. Fortunately, there was no sign of any alien appendages.
“Fine, but don’t say I didn’t warn you,” Carter added before taking Leo’s hand. He gave me one last look, as though wanting to rub in what he’d gotten away with behind my back.
“See you guys later.” He and Leo headed off.
Daddy kept an eye on them while I took my seat, trying to regroup after all the intense emotions Carter had worked up. That fucking asshole.
“He lied,” Daddy observed.
“Well, he’s good at it.” I couldn’t disguise my bitterness.
“On Hotfut, I could’ve challenged him to a fight and ended him. You would never have to worry about him again.”
Must admit it was tempting, mad as I was, but much as I hated the guy, I didn’t think he should be killed.
“A lot of people would have to die if we got rid of every asshole on Earth.”
“I suppose there was no evolutionary advantage to your species for getting rid of them to begin with.”
“Apparently not.”
He settled in his chair. I could still see the red in his cheeks from how worked up he’d gotten.
“The things he said hurt you. I can feel how much.”
Knowing Daddy had this invasive ability to read me felt so violating, and yet, also comforting because it was the sort of thing I wasn’t able to convey to many. Not as much as it had really hurt. And I could tell it just made him want to protect me. Which was nice.
“I’ll be fine,” I insisted when Daddy reached across the table and took my hand, caressing gently. The touch immediately set me at ease, had this power to alleviate all the pain Carter had inflicted, and I didn’t want him to ever let go.
Fun as our conversation had been up until Carter arrived, it was difficult for me to enjoy the date the way we had been beforehand.
So we finished our meal, paid the bill, and Daddy offered to walk me back to my place, since it was on the way to his ship.
Wild to think that Daddy and his ship were becoming a normal thing for me.
“Sorry it sucked there at the end,” I said. “I was thinking we’d have a great date, but Carter was eager to fuck that up, and it worked.”
Daddy moved closer, stirring this magnetic draw to him, potent, like an energy that was pulling us together, which made me curious. “So…these adaptive abilities you have. Do they make me more attracted to you the longer we know each other?”
“Yes,” Daddy confessed. “I’m not doing it on purpose, but on some level, I pick up on cues you give on things you want or need, and it helps me seduce you.” He started to step away before asking, “Does it make you uncomfortable?”
I considered this, then answered honestly. “Not really. I just wanted to know. And I must admit, it’s improving my mood.”
“That’s good. I like that. I can’t tell you how tempting it was to tear Cheating Asshole’s spine right out of his back.”
At first, I heard that as I might have from any other guy, but Daddy wasn’t any other guy, and I sensed the truth to his words, which was unsettling, to say the least.
“Don’t worry. I won’t do that,” he assured me, picking up on my discomfort.
“I suppose I’ll see you tomorrow,” he said without a trace of the look I might have expected from another date—the look that meant he wanted to fuck the hell out of me.
Not that I minded, typically, but given all the strangeness around Daddy, I knew I needed to take my time. Not rush anything.
“You said you haven’t seen any movies yet, right?” I asked, and he shook his head.
“Maybe you could come up and we could watch Rocky…it’s a great American classic.”
“Rocky?”
“Yeah, and if you’re real good, maybe you can stay over for the second one, but that’s probably as much as I could offer since we can’t sit through all of them. But could be good for you to get acquainted with some of the classics…to help you blend in.”
“That’s a good point,” he said, maybe a little too convincingly, as though we would only watch movies together.
“I didn’t really mean that,” I said. “I was being cute by trying to say that was the reason, but really it’s an excuse to spend more time with you.”
He grinned. “Ah, I’m still adjusting to these nuances, but any excuse to spend more time with you is something I’m interested in.”
“You’re very direct.”
“Probably because you like direct.”
“So weird,” I said. “But it’s sexy, I guess by design.”
“You don’t have to guess. That is—”
“Okay, a little more mystery wouldn’t kill you. And I didn’t mean kill as in—”
“I have heard that expression.”
“Of course you have. I’m just gonna trust that you’ll let me know the ones you don’t get because I sure as hell can’t keep up with all this.”
He didn’t respond, only watched my expression, his lips curled in a pleasant smirk, like he thought my response was adorable.
I felt my cheeks warming, something inside me probing once again, making me curious what exactly those tentacles could do…