Vanilla Cocoa

Chapter 4

I texted Aster my location and tried to call her back.

"What the hell is wrong with you!?" she demanded after just one ring. "Why didn't you answer your phone? I thought you were dead!"

"Calm down! I'm fine! You won't believe the night I had." I couldn't stop smiling and imagining all the things I might get to do next week.

"Okay, ew, please keep the details of the dicks you ride to yourself."

I snorted. "This one's different, Aster. It was good. Really good."

Silence.

"Aster?"

"What's his name?"

I opened my mouth, then closed it. I hadn't even asked for his fucking name.

"You didn't even think to ask, did you?"

"I- well- you see-"

"You suck at this whole dating thing."

"Just because it's true doesn't make it any less hurtful!"

She let out an exasperated sigh. "Looks like I really did get all the smarts and the muscle."

"At least I'm pretty?"

"How'd you end up on the rich side of town?"

I glanced around me, noticing for the first time just where I was. Everything had a polished newness to it, and there were no rusty old cars. "Huh."

"Seth, I'm going to kill you one of these days."

"Just let me say goodbye to Stormy first."

"No, I'm stealing Stormy from you."

"Not my baby! How could you!"

"Oh, I see you. Get in."

I caught sight of her car and trotted over to where she'd stopped, hanging up my phone. "Thanks for coming to get me, Sissy."

Smack. "Don't make me leave you here."

"He really is wonderful."

She glanced my way, then returned her gaze to the road as she began to drive. "I haven't seen you this excited over a boy since we were teenagers. What did Mr. No Name do to win you over?"

I looked wistfully out the window, steal smiling like an idiot. "He's just so cute and earnest. He didn't even care that I'm a vampire, he just wanted to make sure he took care of me. He made me cocoa this morning."

"Cocoa? In the middle of summer?"

"Mmhmm. Apparently, he doesn't like coffee."

"So, all it takes to win you over is cocoa?"

"No! It was just really good... cocoa."

She snorted. "Well, I'm glad you had fun with your cocoa boy."

"He said he wants to see me again next Friday."

"You really think you're ever going to see him again?"

"You didn't meet him! He's not like the other guys I've hooked up with."

"Seth. Stop. I don't want to see you wreck yourself over another guy."

I bit the inside of my cheek, steadfastly refusing to look at her. This one was different. This one was going to be something good for once.

***

Despite Aster's best attempts to ground me, I spent the whole week on cloud nine. Even the drudgery of work couldn't bring me down. Friday night I'd meet up with my reaper and officially exchange names and numbers, and maybe even become official boyfriends. The thought of calling him my boyfriend sent my heart racing in the most embarrassing way. I'd felt ten years younger ever since that wonderful night we spent together.