Worship And Other Love Rituals

Chapter 10

I had just finished tucking Leo into bed. His cherubic face was scrunched up and he looked rather like a tiny porcupine who had accidentally eaten the last of its food supply. I sighed and gave his blanket one final fluff, hoping it would be enough to keep the tiny terror asleep until morning. As I slipped out of his wooded animal-themed bedroom, I took one last glance over my shoulder and then turned on my heel.

Tonight was the night I'd promised Ethan we would go dancing, so I couldn't very well ignore my promise now could I? Ethan had chosen a local club on the outskirts of town where there were less people than usual so the chances of someone seeing us weren't as high...and also he'd made a big deal about wanting to do something special. I slipped into a floral dress, a simple black lace bra underneath it, and put on my matching pumps before grabbing my purse and leaving my house.

"You got this, girl. Just smile, nod, and try not to spill your drink on the dance floor."

Ethan's red car was already outside when I got out of the driveway, and I slid into the passenger seat without asking whether he wanted me to come in with him, which was kind of rude. He didn't seem to mind at all though, because he was aware of the prying eyes here.

I glanced at Ethan as I settled myself in beside him. He was wearing a crisp white button-down shirt tucked neatly into dark jeans and his hair was slicked into place. The way he always did. I tried not to feel jealous that I couldn't ever pull off looking like a model - even if I had the body for it. He must really love fashion. That was another reason why I loved - I mean liked Ethan so much - he liked things I didn't.

I smiled at him. "Thanks for inviting me tonight. You know it's my first time being asked to go out in public with a guy..."

"Don't sweat it," he said. "You're cute enough that you'll be fine." There was no judgment in his voice, only genuine interest. And I knew that. He had the most charming smile I had ever seen - and he still called me 'cute', despite our age difference of nearly four years. I grinned again. "You're adorable too~"

He chuckled and turned away from the road to give me a quick peck on the cheek. "Thank you. But hey, I'm glad you came out of your shell a bit more today."

I spent most of the drive rehearsing answers in my head for potential small talk topics, like the weather (hot), Leo (sleeping), or their selection of artisanal sodas versus normal person drinks (I'll have a Sprite).

The club was called "The Devil's Kiss" and it was quite crowded. The bouncer, a hulking mass of tattoos and frown lines, barely gave us a second glance as we slipped past. We'd both been hoping for a quiet place but instead, Ethan ended up having to drag me over to the bar by the hand. I had to admit it was kind of exciting getting pulled around the place, I never saw anything like this before. At least the music wasn't blasting too loudly or anything.

The bartender was a tall brunette woman whose name tag read, "Cinderella". She smiled brightly at Ethan as he approached the counter but her expression fell slightly when she caught sight of me. "Ah, Mr. Cole, welcome to The Devil's Kiss. Can I get you two anything?"

"Two cocktails please Cindy," Ethan answered politely and I giggled as I thought of how silly he sounded saying that. He turned back to me and smiled sweetly. "Can I hold your hand while we wait?" I nodded shyly. Cinderella, bless her heart, took care of our order quickly.

We each took our drinks and wandered back towards one of the tables along the wall. Ethan sat down and reached across to take my hands in his. "There you go. Now let's try not to drink too many cocktails. It might make it harder to have an actual conversation," he teased gently. I laughed and shook my head. "Oh come on! I can take it..." He chuckled and gave me another peck. "Okay, okay. One more drink after this wouldn't hurt. But don't drink any more than that."