Carol was still feeling a twinge of guilt when she woke up the next morning. Daryl really had been a good sport to allow her to get off like that and then kick him out immediately after. She had to do it though. She never would have found the will power if she let him stay any longer. How foolish would she have looked to set her rules and break one an hour later? Not that he would have given a shit, but she needed him to take her standards seriously. She needed him to know she wasn't what he was used to. And she needed to know he could, and would, respect her. Daryl had passed that test with flying colours and she was delighted.
In fact, Carol was in a disgustingly good mood to the point she was almost annoying herself. She caught herself humming more than once. Bear even gave her a weird look as she dusted her living room, doing what only could be described as… dancing. When her cell buzzed with a text from Daryl she actually giggled and then laughed. She plopped on the couch to read and reply to the text. He certainly got right to the point, she noticed: What time am I picking u up 2nite?
Morning to you too. How about 7? Carol replied.
She watched the little dots on her screen indicating he was typing and finally his message popped up: LOL morning. Sounds good. Any idea where u want to go?
Surprise me:) She texted back.
I know just the place. His reply was quick and Carol smiled. She was curious, but she trusted he would pick somewhere perfect and private. Daryl knew that chaos followed him these days and it almost wasn't worth bothering to eat out if it was somewhere too public.
Can't wait. She replied honestly, wondering how she was going to kill time until he picked her up at 7. Ordinarily she would just load up Bear and go for a drive. Or maybe leave him home and do some grocery shopping. But the doctor had advised her not to drive until the 2 week check-up. TV? She thought, picking up the remote, then setting it back down. Music maybe… Carol turned on the radio. It was fine, but it wasn't enough to completely distract her. "I need a hobby," she said out loud. She did have one hobby - photography. Carol got out her camera and snapped a few close ups of her pup. She looked out the window and realized if she was going to shoot she really needed to be outside. But there wasn't anything nearby that was inspiring her, so she gave up.
"Well that killed about 15 minutes," she said to the dog, patting him on the head. She wandered around the house and paused at her computer. She mostly did what she needed to do on her iPhone, but every once in awhile she would log on and check out what people were saying about Daryl on the web on the desktop. She signed in with her secret account she used to lurk and went to the Daryl Dixon tag on a site she rarely ventured into called Tumblr. What she saw was actually rather bizarre. Everyone knew about the accident and there were a lot of posts wondering how she was and sending her love and prayers. She was being publicly linked to Daryl because of what had happened and his involvement. It made her feel a bit uneasy, but she decided to take the thoughts, prayers and love at face value and enjoy that strangers were caring about her well being.
She looked a little further into the tag and immediately wished she hadn't. There were some very outspoken people blogging their hate towards her for "upsetting Daryl." It was as if they thought she was blaming Daryl for what happened and laying the guilt on him - when it wasn't even close to the truth. There was one woman in particular that she saw all the time when she looked at Daryl's social media. Sadly, this girl, like so many other women, was obsessed with Daryl - scary obsessed. She wondered if Daryl would actually recognize her if he somehow bumped into her somewhere? She decided she would ask at some point and maybe casually draw his attention to the obsession in case it ever developed into something crazy.
Well at least I'm not skipping around the house singing anymore, Carol thought closing Tumblr and shutting off the computer. She looked at the time on her phone and sighed, wishing she'd said 5 or 6 instead of 7. After calling her mom, reading a book, cleaning the bathroom, feeding the dog and even a sad attempt at meditation, all while checking the clock every half hour, it was finally time to get ready. Carol realized that she had no idea where they were going, thus had no idea what to wear. She would have to go with something versatile.
She showered then did her hair and make-up before wandering through her huge walk in closet, in her matching bra and panties, looking for the right outfit. She didn't want jeans in case they were going somewhere fancy and she didn't want anything formal looking in case they weren't. Carol finally settled on a pair of form fitting black capris with an off the shoulder white lacy top. White usually wasn't one of her top colour choices, but it felt right. She added accessories and picked out one of her favourite pairs of earrings to wear. She had just bought a really cute pair of sandals that she hadn't had a chance to wear yet. They worked perfectly with the outfit and by ten to 7 she was pretty much ready to go.
Carol went back in the bathroom and used mouthwash to make sure her breath was extra fresh, then did a few make-up and hair touch-ups and she was done. The timing was perfect as she heard the doorbell and went to answer it, trying to ignore the butterflies in her tummy. You've been to dinner with Daryl a million times, she thought. But she knew this was different. It was a date. Their first real date, even though she'd allowed him to count dinner at her place the night before as date number one. Daryl looked handsome and smelled amazing. She gave him a quick hug, careful not to linger. Lingering was dangerous. "So where are we going?" Carol asked as they walked to his car.
"A little place called Blue Bayou. Have you heard of it?" He asked, walking around and opening the car door for her. Carol gave him an impressed look and he grinned. She shook her head in response to his question. "The food is fantastic, but it's the atmosphere that's amazing." He stopped talking for a minute to move to his side of the car and get in. "You dine in your own private little room, sitting on cushions on the floor," he said, starting the car. "That's all I'm going to tell you though, the rest is a surprise, but I know you'll love it." Carol knew this was far from Daryl's usual type of place and she appreciated that he was going the extra mile for her. He'd refined some, but she knew he'd be much happier at a Ponderosa or Cracker Barrel.
They drove out of the country and into the city, again - not Daryl's comfort zone. Traffic was still a bit heavy, the remnants of rush hour, but she was just enjoying being out of the house and in a car. "I didn't tell you earlier, but you look beautiful," Daryl said, glancing over at her.
"Wow, you really are pulling out all the stops tonight, aren't you?" Carol joked. It felt good to hear him say that, even if she was brushing it off.
"Get used to it," he replied. Daryl had often told her she looked nice and given her compliments, moreso recently, but it meant something different now that he wasn't saying it as a friend. They both recognized that.
Daryl parked down an ally and led her in the back of the restaurant. "My agent comes here a lot. The owner is a great guy and offered to let me use the staff entrance tonight to avoid the mobs out on the street." He was holding her hand and Carol let him, feeling confident they weren't going to run into a group of fans snapping pictures.
"Right this way, Mr. Dixon," a hostess said, leading them down a hall. When he opened the door to their room Carol gasped. It was gorgeous. There were huge cushions on the floor, surrounding a low table with a bottle of champagne and two glasses. There was a ledge around the entire room and spaced out every foot were candles, each with their own unique holder. The main lighting was very dim, so the room was essentially lit with glowing candles. It was like nothing she had ever seen before. The hostess popped the cork on the champagne and poured them a glass before leaving them to get settled.
"This place is incredible," Carol said, taking a seat on the floor in front of her drink.
Daryl sat close beside her and lifted his glass, "to us. To…um... something different."
Carol clinked glasses with him and swallowed a small sip of one of the best tasting champagnes she'd ever had - not that she'd had many, but she could tell this was an expensive brand. A server entered the room as they set their glasses down and Carol noticed Daryl looking at her in amusement. She felt the butterflies return, not knowing what to expect. "Who's the feeder tonight?" the server asked. "The feeder…" Carol repeated.
"It's her first time," Daryl explained. "I'll do the feeding."
Carol's heart started to pound as the hostess knelt beside her. "I guess this is for you then," she said, holding up a sash. Before she could speak the woman blindfolded her. "What on earth…" she muttered, hearing the woman's foot-steps leaving the room and the door click shut. "Daryl? What is going on?"
He laughed and Carol felt him move closer and touch her knee. "Just relax and enjoy this. I promise you'll love it." She took a deep breath and tried to calm down. But she was a bit of a control freak and it was hard for her to just let go. "I know this isn't easy for you," he said, reading her mind yet again. "But trust me, okay? I know what you like. I only ordered food you'll enjoy. And we'll switch for dessert."
"Yeah?" she said, finally smiling. The thought of blindfolding Daryl and feeding him dessert was kind of erotic. Her mind started to wander into dangerous territory, but luckily the door clicked open and someone entered the room.
It was still driving her crazy to not be able to see what was going on. "So everything is bite sized," he explained. "Are you ready?" She nodded again. "Open," Daryl said, and she obeyed. Carol could feel his fingers touch the side of her mouth and then a weight on her tongue as he let go, depositing the food into her mouth. It was strange for her taste buds to have no idea what to expect. When she closed her mouth and started to chew, she still had no idea what she was eating, other than she was pretty sure the filling was cream cheese and that it tasted heavenly. "Mmm," she groaned as she chewed. "Please tell me there are more of whatever that was?" she asked after swallowing.
"Yup," Daryl said, lifting another one to her mouth. As the food touched her lips she opened and ate another. "This next one is a little messy," he said as she finished chewing. Carol could feel something on her lips and the corner of her mouth after he put the food in. She lifted a hand to wipe as she chewed, but Daryl caught her hand. "I'll get it," he said, his voice low and sexy. She was expecting to feel a napkin on her face, and gasped in surprise when she felt his tongue instead. She quickly swallowed as Daryl licked at her lips first and then sucked on the bottom one.
He released her and she was immediately disappointed. "Maybe we should try that one again too," she said. Daryl chuckled and lifted something to her mouth again, purposely being even messier. This time his clean up turned very quickly into a full on kiss. The incredible flavours in her mouth were only intensified as his tongue joined hers, and she could taste him too. Carol jumped and pulled back when she heard the click of the door. Being blindfolded had seemed to intensify her sense of sound.
There was another course of amazing and delicious food delivered and they repeated the process. Carol realized that Daryl was eating as well the first time he ate something different than what she had and she could taste it in his kiss. She was quite sure she had never had a meal quite like that before and knew there likely wasn't going to be another one that would compare.
When it was time for dessert the waitress removed the blindfold. Carol's eyes were fuzzy but adjusted quickly to see her blindfolding Daryl. The plate that was on the table was filled with an assortment of amazing looking bite sized treats. When they were alone she picked up a gooey looking square covered in chocolate and caramel sauce. "You ready for this?" she asked. He didn't reply, just opened his mouth and waited. She popped the dessert into his mouth. Before she could pull her hand away he caught it with his and held it while he chewed and swallowed.
"Are your fingers sticky?" he asked.
"A bit," Carol replied.
"Good," he said, pulling her hand to his mouth and taking a finger inside to suck it off. Carol flushed as he licked and sucked at her finger, removing all the sticky sauce. He licked off her thumb next, rubbing it on his tongue seductively. Her mind immediately wandered to all the other places she'd like him to lick and suck her, until he finally released her, breaking the spell.
Carol fed him a few more pieces and ate a couple herself. They were incredible - the restaurant was incredible and she knew she would never forget the experience. She hoped she would be back again sometime - with Daryl of course.
When they were done eating he removed the blindfold. He poured Carol another glass of champagne, but didn't have another himself. She knew it was so he could drive safely under the legal limit. After she took a drink and set the glass down he leaned in and kissed her softly. It was so gentle and unassuming, completely different from the hungry, passionate kisses they had shared while they ate. "I've been here a few times," Daryl said, pulling away. "But this has been the best time I've had. The foods always the same, so it's gotta be the company." He looked away, almost shyly, which was strange for them. It happened a lot when they were first getting to know each other, but not anytime lately. It made her feel warm inside but also reminded her they were in very different territory than they had ever been before.
Daryl kissed her again but pulled back when the door opened. "Is there anything else I can get you?" the server asked.
"Just the cheque please," he requested. By the time they left the restaurant it was after 10. Still early, but Carol knew she couldn't risk inviting him up when they got back to her place.
"Sooooo, any chance I'm gonna get laid tonight?" Daryl asked, with a laugh. They had already left the city and were headed back to the suburbs where her condo was located. "Mmm, nope. I think the third date might be a good time to start… or how about the fourth?" she teased him.
"Oh definitely not the fourth," he replied quickly. "Three is a good number. Three is a great number, don't you think? I mean, two is also a good number…"
"Come on, just think about how much better it's going to be if you have to wait for it just a little longer," Carol said, watching his face while he drove.
Daryl groaned. "That was such a girl thing to say," he sighed, flipping on his signal light to turn into her condo complex.
"Daryl, keep driving," she said.
"Huh?" he looked at her, confused, but took off the signal and sped up. "Why? Where are we going?" Carol reached over and cupped his package. "Oh..." He said, grinning.
"Don't mistake this for sex," Carol said, rubbing him gently. "That's still not happening. Let's just call it... Payback." Daryl groaned as she rubbed a bit harder. "You know how much I love driving around at night, right?" he nodded. "You okay to drive while I, uh, take care of things?"
"Fuck yeah," Daryl replied quickly. Carol leaned over and popped his button, then slid down his fly. He was huge, just from the little bit of rubbing she had done. He wiggled around, pulling the seat belt up a little higher to give her more room to work. She groped blindly for the top of his underwear and lifted it over his hard on, exposing him completely. Carol had imagined seeing all of him, more times than she was willing to admit, yet far more often the last few days. She hadn't ever considered that the first time she would see him, fully erect, in all his glory, would be while driving around in his car.
But this was her way of thanking him for the night before. It was her way to say that she knew she hadn't really been fair, so now it was his turn and she would suffer the frustration afterwards. Just looking at him was already making her suffer. And when she wrapped her hand around the girth of him, feeling his skin, smooth and warm, and the little veins that were popping in anticipation, Carol wasn't sure she was going to survive.
She made a circle with her thumb and forefinger then slid it up to the tip of his shaft, working over the head a few times gently. His body jerked and she moved back down the shaft, knowing she'd been touching the most sensitive area. Still using only her thumb and first finger she moved to the base and squeezed a little tighter while fondling his balls with the rest of her hand. She repeated the pattern a few more times increasing the pressure slightly each time. She could see his knuckles where white from gripping the steering wheel so tightly.
"Oh fuck," Daryl muttered. The light they were coming up on, the last one before they were out of town, was changing. Carol let go and sat back up in her seat, while he somehow covered himself with a combination of shifting his legs and putting a hand in his lap. The light seemed to take forever and they both stared straight ahead, ignoring the cars on both sides. Luckily they hadn't ended up beside a truck or SUV so no one could see in. The light finally changed and the road went down to a single lane as they left the town limits.
Carol went back to work, this time grasping him with her entire hand. She started slow, very slow, and worked up to a faster pace. When her wrist would get tired she would slow again, eventually building back up. "Oh god that feels good," Daryl moaned. She noticed they veered slightly but it reminded him what he was doing and he returned a bit more focus to the road.
With the sexy moans and groans coming out of him Carol could feel something stirring inside her. It started off as a low burning but by the time she had Daryl close to coming she wanted him to pull the car over, yank her pants down and fuck her like a wild animal. If it wasn't dark he would see her face was flushed with desire, pupils dilated, mouth open slightly as she tried to suck in enough air to keep from passing out.
Her strokes were quick and she knew Daryl was done, any second. "I don't suppose you thought to put napkins in here did you?" she asked.
"No," he grunted, struggling to focus on the road while Carol continued her assault.
"Oh for fucks sake," she mumbled, leaning over and wrapping her lips around his dick, taking him in. He was so close she barely had him fully in her mouth before he came.
When she sat back up Daryl looked over at her. "I almost fucking crashed the car when you did that," he laughed. "A little warning next time would be nice."
"What makes you think there will be a next time?" she asked huskily.
Daryl chuckled and tucked himself back into his pants. "There's always a next time," he said.
Carol smiled. She knew he was likely right.