Heaven Sent (Loki/Asgard Fanfiction - Aislinn's Story)

Chapter Two

Aislinn had no idea what possessed her to purr those words to Steve, but she couldn't have stopped them if she tried and the look on his face was enough to make her bite the inside of her cheek. She wasn't really much of a flirt ordinarily, but for some reason, she just couldn't resist teasing him. He seemed like a nice enough guy, and he did try to get Jake to leave her alone.

And really, he was absolutely the cutest guy she'd seen on the boardwalk in years. He had nice eyes, a lovely deep voice, and a smile that made her feel a little warm on the inside. His hand was warm around hers (although she hoped like crazy he didn't notice how cool she felt. Being part Jötunn meant her body temperature ran lower than that of a Midgardian. The downside, however, was her low tolerance for the heat, so the fact that the Beachfront Pizzeria was air conditioned was a huge plus for her.)

He guided her to a booth toward the back, where it was a little quieter and as he slid into the bench across from her, she noticed his eyes weren't nearly as dark as she originally thought. They were more of a golden-brown, the same color as finely aged scotch. Golden-brown, with thick black lashes that put her own to shame. The low lights of the boardwalk didn't do him justice. He wasn't just cute; he was strikingly handsome.

Those eyes were direct as they met hers and he said, "So, where do you live when you're down here?"

"My brother has a house in Mantoloking and I stay there." She reached for the menu, tucked into a small metal holder also housing shakers of crushed red pepper, garlic, and parmesan cheese, and set it on the table before her. "What about you? I take it you have summers off, since you're a teacher. Do you stay down here all summer?"

"I wish." He snaked the menu away from her with a grin. "Teachers can't afford to rent houses down here for an entire summer. Two weeks is all my wallet can stand and two weeks with those guys is all I can stand."

Disappointment flashed through her. "So, how far into your two weeks are you?"

"Let's see? What day is it? Monday? Tuesday?"

"It's Monday."

"A week from Saturday and I head home." He turned the menu back so she could read it. "And you?"

"I'm here for as long as I want to be." She scanned the menu, although she didn't know why. A slice with sausage and one with mushrooms--that's what she always got. "How hungry are you?"

"You want a pie, don't you?"

She grinned. "How did you know?"

"Lucky guess." A wink accompanied his words. "What do you want on it?"

"What do you want?"

"Anchovies and pepperoni."

"Ew." She wrinkled her nose. "Anchovies?"

"You don't like anchovies?"

"Not on a bet, as my mother would say."

He sat back, tapping his fingertips on the table. "Well," he started slowly, a long sigh accompanying his words. "I guess I could sacrifice the anchovies. But I'm not budging on the pepperoni."

"Can we get two slices with mushrooms?"

"How about we go half mushrooms and half pepperoni?"

"Fair enough." She smiled. She wasn't a huge fan of pepperoni, but he was a good sport about the mushrooms, so she'd be a good sport as well.

"I'll go order. You still want that beer?"

"I'd love it." She unzipped her wristlet to dig out her cash.