Night Owl

Night Owl Ch.3

At precisely 11:00, I was ensconced in the fortress, the anticipation tingling through my veins. The fact that we had spoken and he hadn't recognized me fueled a thrill that kept me awake all night.

Being able to converse normally with him lit a spark of happiness in me, an eagerness to peel back the layers of his persona. As the light to the door flickered my attention to the left, I watched him stride in, clad in a black sweat suit that clung to his form, the jogger-style pants hugging his ankles and the hoodie was zipped up just barely above his belly button. His usually restrained hair flowed free today, and the urge to weave my fingers through it was almost overpowering.

He settled into this throne, waiting for my signal to begin, so, I pressed the button and opened the comms.

As he glanced up at the red light, that familiar smile spread across his face. "You ready?" His voice was eager.

"Yea, I'm ready," I confirmed, my voice steady.

"How would you like it to day?" He asked.

"Hmm, could we do something a little different today?" I ventured, hoping the request wouldn't throw him off.

"What did you have in mind?" His curiosity piqued.

"Can we just talk for a while to start? I know it's not typical, but would it be okay if I just got to know you?" I held my breath, waiting for his response.

"So, you want to get to know me? Why?" His interest was apparent.

"There are things I can't know, like your name, but I'd like to know more about you as a person," I said, my fingers twiddling anxiously.

He paused, thrown off by the change, "Hmm, okay, what would you like to know?"

"We dont' have to do this," I backpedaled, noting his slight discomfort. "We could just stick to our usual..."

"No!" He cut in firmly, "I like that you want to talk to me. It just surprised me, that's all. I've wanted this for a long time."

"Oh, okay," I sighed in relief. "Well, is there anything you'd like to know about me?" I offered, "it's only fair I let you go first since I suggested this."

"Yea, I do have one main question," he started, "Why have you never paired with another suitor?"

It was a loaded question. "To be honest, after our first session, I didn't think I needed to look any further," I confessed, watching his smile light up through the two-way mirror.

"Okay," he continued, "why haven't you fully opened up to me?" Another loaded probing question.

"You know what I am, right?" I asked, as if there was a chance he didn't in fact know.

"Yes," he answered without hesitation.

"Well, it's hard for us to truly open up, given what we are. So, when I felt we had a connection, I didn't want to risk that feeling going away, so I stay guarded" I explained, watching a blush spread across his cheeks as he turned away, happiness evident.

I don't what this feeling is, but it makes me smile to see him react this way.

"Is there anything else you'd like to know?" I asked before we resumed our usual activities.

"Yea, just one more thing," he hesitated.

"Okay, what is it?" My curiosity rose.

"Can we remove the mirror?" He asked, a hint of anxiety in his voice.

"Why would we do that? You know our deal," I replied matter-of-factly.

"Our deal doesn't state that I can't see you. I just can't have physical contact with you, love you, or know your real name. Seeing you doesn't violate any of that," he countered, ready for my rebuttal.