It feels a little weird to be getting dressed up for a first date with a woman that I’ve already seen naked and had sex with, but that’s what I’m doing. Weirder still, we’re getting ready for our ‘first date’ while the sun is still up. With my job making me a consistent night worker and Kat’s job leaving her with a lot of flexibility as to when she does her work, it seemed just natural to have our date now.

There’s a cool early fall wind ruffling the collar of my leather jacket as I get out of my car and head toward Kat’s building. It’s not the fanciest apartment building in the city, but it’s cozy. It suits her, not flashy but somehow just right when you pay you attention and really see its charm.

I walk up the stairs to the third floor, nervous for some reason. It’s not like we don’t kinda know each other. After all, we’ve talked and sent messages back and forth for weeks . . . and we’ve rocked each other’s bodies to the point I’m aching while still wanting more.

But this is different. This isn’t a late night video chat and booty call. This is a real date, and there’s real consequences to this.

In the days since our little impromptu sleepover, we’ve been almost mentally inseparable. Text messages have led to phone calls. Phone calls have led to flirting, and even one more late night rush over here to tear our clothes off for hot, pulse-pounding, brain-rattling sex that has shaken me to the very core.

So here we are. We’re both off work tonight and I’m picking her up for our first real date. Maybe we’re going at this whole thing backward, sex first and getting to know each other after, but I’m determined to play on the attraction we’ve had from the beginning because no one has intrigued me quite like Kat has in a very long time. She deserves, hell we deserve, a proper date with fancy clothes, dinner, and a walk around the park. A date where we’re going to talk face to face, where all the nuances and details can’t be hidden behind emojis and blurry screens that lag at the most inopportune moments.

Knocking on her door, it feels strange to have her open up and see that she’s not half naked or more, her full breasts heaving with desire and her eyes sparkling with need.

Instead, when the door opens, she looks . . . almost shy. Her beautiful hair is pulled back in a ponytail and her eyes are guarded, like she realizes something is different, special about tonight too. “Hi.”

“Hi,” I reply, nervous as well. I look her over and realize one of the biggest differences. Every other time I’ve seen Kat, she’s been barefoot. No idea why that’s what I notice first, but I do.

She’s wearing sky high heels, at least six inches tall, her poor toes nearly bent ninety degrees in them. Her jeans hug her thighs and hips, showing off her curves in delicious relief. Her left shoulder peeks out of an off-center sweater that looks soft and inviting, making my palms itch to pet it.

“Would you like to come in?” Kat asks after a moment, and I understand. I’ve been standing in her doorway like an idiot ogling her. “Uhm, if there’s time.”

“No rush,” I reply, giving her my most reassuring smile. “Actually, the place I picked out was in the park. You might actually want to change shoes.”

Kat looks down, blushing. “But . . .then I’ll be short. I thought these heels were . . .sexy, and I didn’t want to look so short next to you.”

I blink, surprised, and say the first thing that comes to mind. “I haven’t minded your height when your ankles have been wrapped around my head.”

Kat blushes more deeply, then laughs. “Good point. Okay, well, fill me in on the plans and I can adjust.”

“I thought we could go down to Jordan Park, there’s a restaurant that gets great views of the pond over there and has some of the best crab soup in the entire city. Good other stuff too, if you’re not up for crab.”

“No . . . I love crab,” Kat replies, smiling. “Did I tell you that before?”

“No, but you mentioned something about seafood once, so I ran with it.”

Kat smiles and goes to change into some more appropriate shoes, wedge-heeled boots that still bring her up a few inches, but aren’t going to have her walking a tightrope down the sidewalk. We head downstairs, and I do a slight double take when she reaches into her small purse and pulls out her wallet. “Wow . . . what is that thing?”

She looks at the device, which has carbon fiber sides and a couple of other high tech looking things on it. “Nerd moment. It looks a little intimidating, but I’m just techy. My wallet is RFID scanner secure, waterproof, and holds my IDs, cards, and work access behind an access code. You can never be too safe these days, especially in my industry.” She uses a swipe card to let us out of a side door, and slips the contraption back into her purse.

I chuckle, “Wow. Talk nerdy to me some more. I think I like it.”

She smiles as we start driving and I feel like we’re off to a good start. There’s a slight tension between us, but it’s casual, not uncomfortable. This is just a new milestone for us. My mind clicking through our interactions like a slideshow, a thought occurs to me. “Hey, can I ask,” I say as we pull up to a stop light, “how’d you meet Kevin? I mean, you describe him as this meathead, but you don’t seem the type to be into meatheads.”

Kat smirks, looking down at her lap and blushing a little. “I guess it’s because of my background. I’ve always been the girl who was more comfortable with tech than people, but even in my area of expertise, I’m an anomaly. Somehow both an outsider of the boys club and intimidating because I’m damn good at my job? So I guess when Kevin approached me, it just seemed easy to go along with it. Until it wasn’t. Every guy I’ve let in has been like that, charming but on some level, just meh.”

“Well, I promise you one thing,” I reply as we start moving again, “I’m nothing like Kevin.”

“I would never think otherwise,” Kat says. “My past relationships, even with Kevin, were pleasant at first, but there was never any fiery passion. Not like how we seem to be.”

For some reason, that gives me a buzz of pride. “If you don’t mind me saying, I know what you mean. This isn’t how I usually feel either, especially on a first date.” I turn into the parking lot at Jordan Park, and we take in the view in front of us. Set aside by a wealthy businessman who wanted to have a little bit of immortality, the park’s built on his old estate grounds, complete with a pond, small river, miles of walking paths, and lots of other stuff.

As she scans, I look at her profile, long lashes brushing her cheeks as she blinks, the corners of her lips turned up in a bare hint of a smile. I want that smile, full watt and focused on me. My voice is quiet, soft as a cashmere whisper, “I’m glad you realized you deserve more, Kat.”

She blushes and looks over at me. “I’ve never really had this before. You make me feel so sexy.”

Inwardly, I shake my head. I don’t know how that’s possible, but it makes me want to show Kat just how sexy she really is. I lean across the seat, cupping her cheek in my palm and tracing her cheekbone with my thumb before meeting her lips with my own. She sighs, our lips parting as we kiss, stoking the fire that’s always burning just below the surface with her. With a groan, I pull back, trying to lighten the mood before I pull her into my lap right here in the parking lot. “Date. We need to . . .” I swallow, looking up at her from below the flop of hair that’s fallen in my face. Continuing, “We need to walk. The nerd herd does exercise, right?” I give her a saucy wink, and she takes the hint.

Kat mimes pushing up a set of glasses on her nose and snorts. “Uhh . . . is that where we get all sweaty? My heart rate is rising already.”

We get out of the car, and I have to give my cock a thump to get it to calm down so we can start walking. As we move along the sun-dappled path, I can’t help but keep looking over at her. Her bare shoulder is close to me, and all I want to do is kiss it, maybe lick the line of her collarbone. My cock starts to harden in my jeans again, and I have to look away before I start perving on her in public. “Derrick?”

I blink, and look at Kat, who’s giving me another shy look. “Yeah?” I ask, confused.

“I just wondered why you looked away,” she says.

Heat creeps up my neck, and I lean in to whisper in her ear. “This is supposed to be a first date, all polite and maybe a little romantic, right?”

“Right,” she whispers back. “Why?”

“Because I’ve spent the last two minutes thinking that you look hot as fuck in those painted-on jeans and pettable sweater, but I know you’ll look even hotter in those fuck-me pumps we left back at your place. Those heels and nothing else . . . maybe pinned back next to your ears as I watch you take all of me.”

Kat blushes and grins, and I move my hand to her lower back. “I’ve been checking out your ass in those jeans too, so I guess we’re both guilty.”

We move closer toward each other, and I can feel her hands sliding inside my jacket when music fills the air. I place the tune quickly, She Blinded Me With Science. “What’s that?”

Kat reaches into her purse and pulls out her phone, holding up a finger while mouthing a friend. I step back, inhaling the cool air and letting it chill my burning blood while she talks. “Uh huh? Oh no, I’m so sorry. I understand. I’ll be right there. No, it’s okay babe. Yeah I am, but he’ll understand. Besides, you’re my bestie, right? Okay, see you soon.”

She hangs up, and turns to me sighing. “You’re not gonna believe this.”

“There’s an emergency,” I say, making little air quotes with my fingers, “and you have to go? Is this a fake friend call to get you out of our date?”

We both laugh, and Kat shakes her head. “No, I swear. But my bestie, Elise . . . she’s having a man crisis.”

“You seem like you’ve done that before.”

Kat looks surprised, and snorts. “No, just been the girl on the other end of the line with Elise a few times. Somehow this time, I’m the rescuer, not the rescue-ee. This is a little different, which makes it important. It’s time to return the favor.”

“A woman with her head on straight, taking care of her friends when they need it. I like it,” I reply, resisting the urge to ask the obvious question of if Kat’s talked to Elise about me.

She laughs, and I find myself more enchanted with her even as my desire to take her back to bed doesn’t diminish at all. “Elise has a wild and crazy side, but most of the time she doesn’t need saving, just uses me to be polite on occasion if the situation calls for more finesse than bridge-burning. She’s fun, the yin to my yang, and would burn the world to ashes, no questions asked, to protect me. That’s more than even my sister would do.”

“What’s with your sister?” I ask, tucking every detail away for later. If Kat’s trusting me enough to let me know about her background and her family, it’s a start, even if we’re not getting our early dinner.

“Oh, that came out wrong. She’s awesome, just too perfect,” Kat admits with a laugh. “Jessie’s happily married to a great guy. He’s the rare one-in-a-million, but she thinks there’s carbon copies of him on every street corner just waiting to be picked up. She forgets sometimes about the reality the rest of us live in. Even my mom. She was married to my dad for years, but he stepped out on her all the time, we just didn’t know it for a long time. When she found out, she kicked him out, and Jessie and I supported her through the divorce, even when her friends told her she should’ve looked the other way and made do. I was still a teenager, but I did what I could. Jessie and Mom are really the powerhouses though, I’m just the little sister still figuring things out. Sometimes, I wish life could be like one of my programs . . . organized, predictable, and when an issue comes up, you troubleshoot and resolve it logically, no facades or ulterior motives. Just data.”

She looks up a bit, and I feel like of everything she just said, the last part was probably the most insightful thing about her true self. After a beat, she finishes, “Mom’s remarrying in a few months, he seems like a great guy, but we’ll see. Odds are not in her favor.”

Ouch, that’s harsh. Then again, with what she’s gone through, I guess Kat’s earned a few harshness points, and maybe even some cynicism. “I hope for the best. May the odds forever be in her favor.”

“Me too,” Kat admits, then shakes her head, smiling. “Come on, nice nerd moment there, now tell me your story while you walk me back to the car. You know, being a gentleman and all, maybe I can bum a ride to Elise’s place while you go grab us some caffeine since it’s too early for the wine I’m betting Elise will want?”

“Sure,” I reply. I’m quiet for a few while I try and figure out how I’m going to answer Kat’s question, then just decide to jump in. Fuck it, I can’t help I’ve had a pretty ideal childhood. “I know it’s a little boring, but my parents did well together. They loved each other fiercely until Mom died a few years back, and Dad has said he’ll never remarry because he’s already had the great love of his life.”

Kat smiles, shaking her head in disbelief. “Really? That’s old school romantic. What’s he doing now?”

“He’s doing okay now, still works hard and has friends to keep him busy,” I answer. “He sold the old house, totally understand that, but stayed in town, moving into a little starter home. I go see him a few times a month, more during football season so we can watch the games together. I wish I could go more because he’s getting older, but it’s a ways out to see him, and he’s staying busy and happy.”

Kat looks down, looking sad. “I’m sorry to hear about your mom. If anything, she seems to have raised a good son.”

I swallow, thinking that Mom would be happy to hear a girl like Kat say that. “It’s okay. It was a sudden aneurysm, she didn’t suffer, and she left behind a lot of friends, a lot of good memories. I don’t think there’s too many bad feelings in the world about her.”

Kat hums, “That’s really sweet, a testament to how she lived. You said your dad is ‘getting older’, how old is he?”

“They had me when they were almost forty, tried for years and years. She thought she was going through menopause, but . . . surprise. It was me. They were thrilled and I always knew how much they loved me. I was a lucky kid, their little plot twist in life.”

“Damn . . . your parents were like one in ten million,” Kat says. “Does that mean you’re the same?”

“I’d like that happily ever after sort of thing,” I admit. “Wouldn’t you?”

“I’ve never thought that was meant for people like me,” Kat finally says. “It’s like catching lightning in a bottle. For most of us, that just doesn’t happen.”

We get back to the car and I don’t really know what to say. I mean, if we’re not in this for trying to find something more than a short-lived flash of fun, then what the hell is this all for?

* * *

Kat and Elise take forever to handle the man crisis, but seemed appreciative when I returned with Chinese takeout and wine instead of the requested coffees. I sat by quietly, not sure if my input would be welcome but mostly because Elise didn’t need advice, just some support as she bitched about finding out that her slimy boss, who’s married, is sleeping with one of the other reporters. Kat had given me a look like, “See? Always happens.” and it felt like another nail in the coffin of her perception of reality. Elise hadn’t even paused in her rant, going on about nepotism in the workplace and that maybe she should report him to HR, even if the reporter had been doggedly pursuing the boss in a flawed attempt to get better stories. It was draining, and lasted until later than I’d thought. The moon is high in the sky and the stars are twinkling as I pull up in front of Kat’s place. I’m thinking the day, and date, are pretty well done.

Kat seems to think so too, and looks exhausted as I walk her to her door. “Thanks,” she says, smiling softly. “Maybe next time we can have an actual first date.”

“Oh, I don’t know,” I joke. “I mean, I know all about what’s happening in Hollyweird now from flipping through Elise’s coffee table magazines. That’s not too bad, right? Did you hear about the pregnant Kardashian?”

Kat chuckles, “Which one? I guess I could say that I’ve had worse dates, but I’m not sure if that’s particularly flattering to say.” She smirks and I smile back, happy to find some humor after this decidedly unusual first date.

There’s a moment where we just look at each other, and I lean in, breathing in the scent of her floral perfume, “So . . . think I might be able to come inside?”

Kat bites her lip, looking up into my eyes where I see desire building inside her. “That sounds like a loaded question. We’re switching gears here, from whatever we were . . . to actually dating. And I don’t fuck on the first date and that’s what you said this was. Even if it wasn’t epic.”

“True, I did say that, but sometimes first dates end with a little more than a kiss at the door.”

Kat blushes, mocking outrage. “What kind of woman do you think I am?”

I pull her into my arms, pressing her voluptuous curves against me and lowering my voice to growl in her ear. “Apparently, a lot more proper than I thought. I like it, but I also appreciate the naughty side of you that likes it when I talk dirty in your ear, and loves to moan my name when I make you come.”

Kat’s hands wrap around my neck, pulling me down closer. “Well, as long as you can respect me in the morning, you can have a good kiss.”

“That,” I say as I bring my lips closer for a searing kiss, “is a given.”

Our lips touch, and moments later I’m pressing her up against the door and staking my claim on her mouth. She kisses me back just as hard, clutching at my ass until she feels my cock pressing against her belly. We don’t stop until our moans become too loud for the public hallway, and I pull away, leaving her gasping for breath.

“Well Miss Snow, that was a very fine and proper kiss,” I say in a mocking formal accent. “It was such a delight to spend the afternoon and evening with you. I hope you’ll do me the honor of escorting me again. Soon.”

Kat catches her breath, smirking as she leans in close again. “I’d be delighted, Mr. King. Don’t get any ideas though. I’m a lady, and even if you’ve got a world class cock . . . I don’t fuck on the second date either.”

She breathily draws out the word fuck, intentionally emphasizing it to drive me out of my mind. I pull her close again, groaning as I admit . . . she wins this time. There’s a demand, an order in my steely voice. “Say it again, Kitty Kat.”

Her eyes are wide, innocent as she looks up at me, her lip quivering and her nipples hard against my chest. “What? Fuck. Is that what you want me to say? How about . . . no matter how much I want you to fill me up with that thick cock of yours, fuck me hard, and maybe even bend me over the arm of my sofa to smack my ass . . . I don’t do that on the second date.”

She’s killing me as she accentuates the dirty words, knowing that I love it when she lets loose on those triggers, already so much easier than our first conversation when I had to force her to say cock on the radio.

I grin at her, playing even as desire courses through my veins. “Yeah, that. You’re playing with fire here. You know . . . you never said anything about me licking your pussy until you soak my face. Maybe that can be an acceptable second date activity?” She giggles a bit and hope soars in my chest. “Maybe I can call you when I get home?”

I kiss her neck, hopeful that somehow she’ll relent, our phone calls being somehow separate from our first date, that she wants me so much she’ll give in to a phone call at least. But she’s loving this game, and as she runs her fingernails down my neck, she chuckles under her breath. “Oh no, that definitely wouldn’t be proper after a first date. I guess I’ll just have to take care of things myself tonight. When did you say our next date will be?”

My brain zeroes in on the image of her pleasuring herself like I’ve seen so many times already, and my cock jerks in my pants. “Tomorrow night. It’ll have to be late because I’ve got a meeting with a sponsor as well as the show . . . but fuck I need it to be tomorrow.”

She’s driving me wild, this almost dual nature of Kat as she reaches down, cupping my cock. “I can do tomorrow, I’ll be listening in after work. Call me around ten or so?”

I nod, reaching up and rubbing a thumb across her stiff nipple. “Ten. Be ready.”

Kat smiles mysteriously and gives my cock a final caress through my jeans. “Have a good night, Derrick. I know I will.” She says it with a raised eyebrow, obviously teasing me further about just what she’ll be doing tonight.

She steps back, closing her door and leaving me stunned. It’s not until the brass knocker presses against my chin that I realize I never said goodnight.

I lean close, whispering loudly through the door, trusting that she’s just on the other side. “Goodnight, Kitty Kat.”