Bonnie walked through her door in a daze. She didn't even remember the drive home. Trying to keep her face calm even though it was still burning she took stock of her appearance in the mirror next to her front door. The embarrassment of what she did and the lingering lust lay on her skin like a sticky in the form of cooled sweat. She drops her things on her entryway table and seeks out her kitchen. Walking through her doorway it takes a moment to register that there is someone sitting at her little dining table she jumps and yells "Oh my god!"
There is a man with pale skin and dark hair sitting at her table drinking out of her favorite coffee mug. Before she processes who she's actually looking at her heart skips a beat. After a moment passes, she realizes that it's not the man that she was hoping for. Hoping for? She would have to unpack that later.
"Damon, what the hell are you doing in here? I didn't tell you where the spare key was for you to do a pop-up visit! Now I have to hide the key again and specifically not tell you where it is this time." She crossed the kitchen to her fridge and pretended to look around for a snack. She didn't have complete control over her emotions and Damon has a habit of knowing peoples feeling to a "T".
"Who says I didn't make a spare?" She couldn't see him but she could just hear that stupid cocky grin.
"Okay then I'll change the locks." She pulls out the homemade sweet tea and pours herself a glass before putting it back and facing him. "Why are you here, Damon."
"Why didn't you tell me about this match making service you signed up for?" Bonnie choked on her tea. This is what she was afraid of and why she only told Grams where she was going and why. Grams wouldn't look in Damon's direction even if he were screaming bloody murder so it couldn't have been her.
Elena.
Elena is the only person that knew it was a possibility and must have put two and two together when Bonnie didn't make their brunch date today. Isn't it apart of the girl code to keep shit like this to yourself, even if you have a boyfriend? She decided she was going to play it cool. Act like she didn't just meet a man that she would wholeheartedly let wreck her, after knowing him for two seconds.
"It's not a dating service, it was a youtube video thing. And because it's none of your business. Also, it's not a big deal. Definitely not a big enough deal that you should break into my house and wait in my kitchen like an absolute creep. You're Elena's boyfriend not mine."
Damon squints and stares straight into her eyes. The longer he stared the more uncomfortable she becomes. It felt like the entire experience of the shoot was playing over on her face. Like he just knew what happened. Her phone dings before he could start his interrogation. Bonnie pulls it out of her back pocket, happy that something was cutting the weird tension that was created. Kai's name popped up on the screen. Her heartbeat picks up again.
So my place or yours? I'm fine with either but if you come to my place I could cook you dinner. – K
Haven't you ever heard a podcast before? Isn't that how women get murdered? – B
There are many things I want to do to you and murdering is not one of them. -K
The red hot came back but this time in her lower belly.
"Okay, what the hell happened today. One second, you're little miss celibate and the next second you're making bedroom eyes at your phone after a couple of texts." He gets up from the table, reaching his hand out as he gets closer. "Let me see. What's his name?"
"What? No! Go home to Elena before I call her and tell here you broke into my house!" She ducks past him and walks to her living room to sit on her couch and pretend that he's not there. Damon follows fast on her heels and sits next to her.
"Bon, I am one of your best friends," She looks at him dubiously, so he adjusts his statement, "Okay. We're not there yet. I am one of your friends. Why wouldn't you tell me about this?"
"Okay obviously 'It's none of your business' didn't work so how about I didn't tell anyone so I would tell least of all you."
"You wound me" He grimaced and put his hand to his chest. He immediately recovered and childlike curiosity covered his face. "So, what happened?"
"Bye Damon!" She gets up and starts pulling him towards the door. With surprising strength she's able to get him to the living room doorway. Changing her position to get right behind him she pushes him to the doorway.
"Wait, Bonnie, but I just wanna-" She slams the door in his face and locks the deadbolt. Her phone dings in the living room. She must have dropped it in her attempt at getting Demon Salvatore out of her house. She all but dove for the phone on the floor and found a cozy spot on her couch.
Was that too creepy? Could I get a redo? – K
Not creepy at all. Just kicking out a very nosy friend. – B
Oh you told your friends about me already? I'm flattered. – K
She giggles to herself.
No I did not. Not to say you aren't memorable I've just never wrapped my legs around a guy I met a few seconds prior. They might be so shocked their heads explode. – B
A goodie two shoes huh? That makes this much more fun. You sure you don't want to come to my place tonight? I'm a really good cook and I promise no murder. – K
The scary thing about this is that she wants to. Really wants to but she knows that this is stupid and dangerous at the same time. She did not know one thing about this man and she listens to one too many true crime podcasts. If she goes, she could be signing her death warrant. If she says no, she could be turning down the best sex of her life.
Hormones are a bitch.
Fuck it, She's going.
Hmmm...it's just tempting enough for me to take the offer. Send me the time and the address. -B
Bonnie pulls up to his driveway right in time, she sits in her car trying to not have a panic attack. This is insane! He could be married and have children and a whole other life that she would be ruining. Or he could be a sociopath and murder her without a thought. She can't go through with this. But she doesn't leave. She just sits in the car biting her lip so lost in thought that she doesn't see him standing right next to her car.
The knock on her window makes her jump. She lowers her window to greet him.
"Hey…how's it goin?" She smiles but it feels awkward. What a perfect reflection of her emotions.
"Hello." He laughs but it sounds just as nervous, "Are you, uh, gonna come in? Dinners almost ready. And we don't have to do anything you don't want to."
His tone was calming and his face was friendly. That gave her the bravery to get out of the car and follow him inside. He holds the door open and takes her jacket, being the perfect gentleman. She takes in the décor of his home. It's warm and masculine, as if he has style and possibly help from a friend but he clearly lives alone and without children. No feminine touches anywhere and no toys or safe proofed tables. This eased Bonnie's nerves a little. Becoming a homewrecker was not on her bucket list.
Her body language was stiff, she'd never done this before and was very nervous. Kai definitely noticed and wasn't sure what to do to make it better, so he did what he does best. He started talking.
"Did you find the place okay? Most people have a hard time finding it because of all the trees but I kind of like that its so hard to find." He gives her a small smile. "Lots of privacy. I grew up with a lot of siblings so the quieter my home is the better."
"No, it wasn't too hard. I've lived in Mystic Falls my whole life so I at least know of the properties nearby. Plus, gps has gotten much better."
Kai nods and just watches her for a moment. She's relaxed a little but still not fully comfortable.
"Well, we should go to the kitchen. The food is still cooking and I don't want to dry the Salmon out." He leads the way. The kitchen was right off of the living room and there was a small dining area that was already set and had candles already lit.
"I like your dress."
"What?" She turned to face him and he was still checking her out with a hungry look on his face. He realized he was caught and tried to hide it but it was still there. "Oh, thank you. I figured a dress would be good for a date…This is a date, right?" Insecurity hit her like a bucket of water. They'd never specified. It could just be a really fancy booty call.
"Of course, it is. Although, I guess we never really talked about what this was. Today has been a little unorthodox for the both of us I supposed." He puts on an oven mitt and takes the Salmon out of the Oven. Bonnie has never smelled anything more delicious.
"What all did you cook? It smells amazing and I'm starving." She leaned over the counter facing him. He turned to her and his eyes immediately found her cleavage. When he looked back up at her face, she was eyeing him with a cocked eyebrow and a smirk patiently waiting for his answer.
"I uh, I made Baked salmon with Rosemary and lemon sauce with green beans, mashed potatoes and a salad. And for dessert there's cheesecake."
"Wow you put together a whole menu. You did all of this just for our date?" He looked at her, like really looked at her. He took in her eyes, her little crooked smirk, the dimples in her cheeks and thought he would put together a new menu everyday just for her.
"Of course! I told you I would cook. What did you expect, pizza pockets and beer?" Bonnie ducks her head little because quite honestly, she did. Most of the men in her life, excluding Stefan, are not exactly experts in the kitchen. Neither are the women for that matter, they're all very good at ordering in though.
"I mean, honestly yeah. I don't know many people that can cook that well. I can survive on my own but I wouldn't say I should be cooking for others."
"Maybe I could teach a few things." Somehow, they'd both been moving closer until they were right in front of each other. She didn't realize how much taller than her he was when she met him earlier in the day. His towering frame was somehow comforting to her. Normally when Bonnie was around people this height it made her feel like she had no control and that her safety was compromised but with him it felt nice. Natural.
He was so close her was able to murmur, "We should eat before the food gets cold."
"Oh yeah, of course." He handed her a ceramic bowl of the beans and directed her to the table that was set while he carried the rest.
There was comfortable silence while the made their plates.
"Do you have any siblings?" Kai was curious. All he knows are twins and it always intrigues him when people have less than 6 siblings.
"No, I'm an only child. I have two best friends and we've grown up from toddlers together but that's as close as it gets for me."
"Really?" This is much more interesting, "Are you and your parents close."
This topic was a little harder for Bonnie, "Um. Not really." Kai noticed the hesitation there but he was still curious. He pursed his lips and went back and forth in his head on if he was going to push for more information or wait for her to tell him. He didn't need to make that decision because she made it for him.
"It's a little bit of a bummer but if you wanna know I don't mind." He nodded. She took a breath and continued, "My mom left when I was younger and we haven't heard from her since. She was flighty and I guess the pressure of being a wife and a mother was a bit too much for her so she ran. My dad had a hard time coping with her running away and threw himself into his work. He's currently the Mayor of Mystic Falls. I mostly spent time with my Grams. She's my rock and parented me more than anyone else. I still go to her first when I need advice."
Bonnie was stuck in her head reliving certain memories and Kai was kicking himself for his stupid curiosity. He didn't want their first date to be their only date because he didn't know how to deal with boundaries.
"I'm sorry that happened to you. I've only known you for a day but I can already tell that she doesn't know even half of what she's missing by not knowing you." Bonnie's smile makes him feel like he's not completely bombing.
"Thank you, that's really sweet. What's it like having a bunch of siblings." She took a bite of her Salmon and moaned and thought he should become a chef. She looked back up at him when he didn't say anything and noticed his expression. The hungry look was back and his eyes had gone dark. She'd started squirming in her seat. She wanted to try to get to know him before anything else happened. "Your siblings?"
"Hmm?" His eyes became more focused, "Oh yes, I have seven siblings. And I'm a twin. My twin's name is Josette. We're the oldest of the group and there is one other set of twins. Having that many kids around means that the older you get the less attention there is for you and you can count out bonding with your parents. Jo and I spent a lot of time parenting the others but I got sick of it and left after while. I'd put my life on hold to help out at home. They were perfectly fine but there is a bit a resentment in the air whenever I'm there. I try not to go home too often." Kai becomes silent and reflective, "I think it's time for some wine, don't you? White or red?"
"Red, please" Kai goes off to his pantry and Bonnie takes a moment. It seems like they'd both been through a lot just on the opposite end of the spectrum. His issue was that there were too many people around and hers was that there were not enough.
Kai came up with an already open bottle and poured into her empty glass that was already set then filled his own. They both take a sec to regroup and figure out how to lighten the conversation.
"You know you should really be a chef or some thing this food is phenomenal."
"I am. Well, actually, I'm now what they call a restaurateur. I own a few five-star restaurants throughout the country." Her eyes widened and the nervous smile was back. He laughed "It's not a big deal. My family is large but still pretty well off. My dad had a trust fund saved for me and I invested it in my passion. I went to school and worked my way up pretty quickly and when I had the opportunity to buy my first location, I went for it and it was a success which allowed me to open more. What about you what do you do? "
"I'm a dancer." Kai's eyes lit up with mischief but he stayed silent, "Sometimes I'm able to travel to perform but for the most part I teach at a few different studios in Mystic Falls and the surrounding towns. I went to school but only for general studies. Grams was hoping I'd follow in her footsteps. She's a professor at Whitmore but she teaches the occult and I like weird stuff but not enough to teach it as a career."
"I'll save my dirty jokes for later. It seems to make you nervous. But I do find it interesting that we are both interested in the arts. Is that why you were willing to be apart of a YouTube experiment."
Her face turned red. She'd almost for gotten about that. How does she answer that?
"I let a friend peer pressure me into it." He laughed and she didn't know how to feel about that reaction.
"What'd she say? 'Do the the video, it'll make you cooler'?" She started laughing too at this point. She realized how laughable that sounds.
"I guess peer pressure is more of an excuse. Ultimately, I did it because I hadn't put myself out there in a while and I figure at the very least it would be very silly and very fun. I never in a million years would have thought it would have turned into what it did." Her face started heating up so much that she was sure even with the melanin in her skin he could see she was red.
"Does sex make you nervous?" Kai cocked his head to the side. His food was mostly eaten and forgotten at this point. He leaned forward with his elbows on the table examining her reaction.
Bonnie swallowed, "Uh…yes and no." his staring was making her self conscious. She was nervous but to be fair they just met today! It's not like she was a prude.
After it seemed like she wouldn't offer the answer he asked. "Why?"
"Yes, because I hardly know you. I'm not the type to do this in any capacity. I've never had a one-night stand or been in a friends with benefits situation. This is very new to me. No, because I don't mind sex or flirting. I'm not at all new to either. I'm just not used to it with someone I haven't known for very long."
They locked eyes with each other. Bonnie was waiting for his reaction, some statement or demand that she leave. Kai was watching her as she continued to fidget in her uncertainty. He knew what he wanted but he also knew that she without a shadow of a doubt needed to want the same thing. He didn't want to be in any of her regretted memories.
Kai being Kai, flat out asked, "Do you want to have sex with me today?"
Clearly, she was stunned. No had ever been so candid about this sort of thing with her. It was always coded or implied that that's what was on the table. Kai tried not to laugh as her eyes bugged out and she smiled in panic. "Well…I, um… You see-"
"If you are unsure that means no. And call me a weirdo but one of my kinks is consent." He smiled and she visibly relaxed, "I told you earlier that nothing has to happen if you don't want it to. I meant it."
"Thank you…I'm sorry." He shook his head and waved her off. She had nothing to apologize for. She seems to have a strange relationship with sex and he hopes he gets to be the one to change that.
The rest of the night went smoothly. They found themselves in the living room and continued to get to know each other and lost track of time cracking jokes. Bonnie was shocked to find they had the same sense of humor, similar interests in shows and movies. She might look like a boho type of girly girl but she lives for gory horror. They had different taste in music but it would have been creepy if they liked ALL the same things. No computerized system working off of random variables could be that accurate.
"It's getting late, I should head out." She stopped drinking over an hour before so that she would be sober enough to drive.
At the doorway, Kai helped her with her jacket continuing to be a gentleman. She lingered at the doorway for a moment hoping for a kiss but not knowing how to ask. He picked up on this and gently cradled her face. Looking directly in her eyes so she knew what was coming. She closed her eyes when she felt his warm lips graze hers. The kiss started off sweet and gentle and continued to become more and more passionate. Somehow Bonnie found herself pressed against the front door and Kai's hands on her hips. She pushed on his chest a little, shocked to find that it was all skin and muscle. He seemed so tiny.
Kai took this hint and backed off. "Thank you for coming over. Can I see you again?"
"Yes." There was no hesitation. Bonnie opened the door and felt like she was floating all the way back to her car.
Bonnie made it inside her home, showered and was in bed when she received the text.
Good night Bonnie Bennett. I can't wait to see you again. – K
Good night Malachai Parker. – B
She felt like she was a school girl again and cuddled her phone giggling.
Bonnie walked through her door in a daze. She didn't even remember the drive home. Trying to keep her face calm even though it was still burning she took stock of her appearance in the mirror next to her front door. The embarrassment of what she did and the lingering lust lay on her skin like a sticky in the form of cooled sweat. She drops her things on her entryway table and seeks out her kitchen. Walking through her doorway it takes a moment to register that there is someone sitting at her little dining table she jumps and yells "Oh my god!"
There is a man with pale skin and dark hair sitting at her table drinking out of her favorite coffee mug. Before she processes who she's actually looking at her heart skips a beat. After a moment passes, she realizes that it's not the man that she was hoping for. Hoping for? She would have to unpack that later.
"Damon, what the hell are you doing in here? I didn't tell you where the spare key was for you to do a pop-up visit! Now I have to hide the key again and specifically not tell you where it is this time." She crossed the kitchen to her fridge and pretended to look around for a snack. She didn't have complete control over her emotions and Damon has a habit of knowing peoples feeling to a "T".
"Who says I didn't make a spare?" She couldn't see him but she could just hear that stupid cocky grin.
"Okay, then I'll change the locks." She pulls out the homemade sweet tea and pours herself a glass before putting it back and facing him. "Why are you here, Damon."
"Why didn't you tell me about this matchmaking service you signed up for?" Bonnie choked on her tea. This is what she was afraid of and why she only told Grams where she was going and why. Grams wouldn't look in Damon's direction even if he were screaming bloody murder so it couldn't have been her.
Elena.
Elena is the only person that knew it was a possibility and must have put two and two together when Bonnie didn't make their brunch date today. Isn't it apart of the girl code to keep shit like this to yourself, even if you have a boyfriend? She decided she was going to play it cool. Act like she didn't just meet a man that she would wholeheartedly let wreck her, after knowing him for two seconds.
"It's not a dating service, it was a youtube video thing. And because it's none of your business. Also, it's not a big deal. Definitely not a big enough deal that you should break into my house and wait in my kitchen like an absolute creep. You're Elena's boyfriend, not mine."
Damon squints and stares straight into her eyes. The longer he stared the more uncomfortable she becomes. It felt like the entire experience of the shoot was playing over on her face. Like he just knew what happened. Her phone dings before he could start his interrogation. Bonnie pulls it out of her back pocket, happy that something was cutting the weird tension that was created. Kai's name popped up on the screen. Her heartbeat picks up again.
So my place or yours? I'm fine with either but if you come to my place I could cook you dinner. – K
Haven't you ever heard a podcast before? Isn't that how women get murdered? – B
There are many things I want to do to you and murder is not one of them. -K
The red hot came back but this time in her lower belly.
"Okay, what the hell happened today. One second, you're little miss celibate and the next second you're making bedroom eyes at your phone after a couple of texts." He gets up from the table, reaching his hand out as he gets closer. "Let me see. What's his name?"
"What? No! Go home to Elena before I call her and tell here you broke into my house!" She ducks past him and walks to her living room to sit on her couch and pretend that he's not there. Damon follows fast on her heels and sits next to her.
"Bon, I am one of your best friends," She looks at him dubiously, so he adjusts his statement, "Okay. We're not there yet. I am one of your friends. Why wouldn't you tell me about this?"
"Okay obviously 'It's none of your business' didn't work so how about I didn't tell anyone so I would tell least of all you."
"You wound me" He grimaced and put his hand to his chest. He immediately recovered and childlike curiosity covered his face. "So, what happened?"
"Bye Damon!" She gets up and starts pulling him towards the door. With surprising strength she's able to get him to the living room doorway. Changing her position to get right behind him she pushes him to the doorway.
"Wait, Bonnie, but I just wanna-" She slams the door in his face and locks the deadbolt. Her phone dings in the living room. She must have dropped it in her attempt at getting Demon Salvatore out of her house. She all but dove for the phone on the floor and found a cozy spot on her couch.
Was that too creepy? Could I get a redo? – K
Not creepy at all. Just kicking out a very nosy friend. – B
Oh you told your friends about me already? I'm flattered. – K
She giggles to herself.
No I did not. Not to say you aren't memorable I've just never wrapped my legs around a guy I met a few seconds prior. They might be so shocked their heads explode. – B
A goodie two shoes huh? That makes this much more fun. You sure you don't want to come to my place tonight? I'm a really good cook and I promise no murder. – K
The scary thing about this is that she wants to. Really wants to but she knows that this is stupid and dangerous at the same time. She did not know one thing about this man and she listens to one too many true crime podcasts. If she goes, she could be signing her death warrant. If she says no, she could be turning down the best sex of her life.
Hormones are a bitch. Fuck it, She's going.
Hmmm...it's just tempting enough for me to take the offer. Send me the time and the address. -B
Bonnie pulls up to his driveway right in time, she sits in her car trying to not have a panic attack. This is insane! He could be married and have children and a whole other life that she would be ruining. Or he could be a sociopath and murder her without a thought. She can't go through with this. But she doesn't leave. She just sits in the car biting her lip so lost in thought that she doesn't see him standing right next to her car. The knock on her window makes her jump. She lowers her window to greet him.
"Hey, …how's it goin?" She smiles but it feels awkward. What a perfect reflection of her emotions.
"Hello." He laughs but it sounds just as nervous, "Are you, uh, gonna come in? Dinner's almost ready. And we don't have to do anything you don't want to."
His tone was calming and his face was friendly. That gave her the bravery to get out of the car and follow him inside. He holds the door open and takes her jacket, being the perfect gentleman. She takes in the décor of his home. It's warm and masculine as if he has style and possibly help from a friend but he clearly lives alone and without children. No feminine touches anywhere and no toys or safe proofed tables. This eased Bonnie's nerves a little. Becoming a homewrecker was not on her bucket list. Her body language was stiff, she'd never done this before and was very nervous. Kai definitely noticed and wasn't sure what to do to make it better, so he did what he does best. He started talking.
"Did you find the place okay? Most people have a hard time finding it because of all the trees but I kind of like that it's so hard to find." He gives her a small smile. "Lots of privacy. I grew up with a lot of siblings so the quieter my home is the better."
"No, it wasn't too hard. I've lived in Mystic Falls my whole life so I at least know of the properties nearby. Plus, GPS has gotten much better."
Kai nods and just watches her for a moment. She's relaxed a little but still not fully comfortable.
"Well, we should go to the kitchen. The food is still cooking and I don't want to dry the Salmon out." He leads the way. The kitchen was right off of the living room and there was a small dining area that was already set and had candles already lit.
"I like your dress."
"What?" She turned to face him and he was still checking her out with a hungry look on his face. He realized he was caught and tried to hide it but it was still there. "Oh, thank you. I figured a dress would be good for a date…This is a date, right?" Insecurity hit her like a bucket of water. They'd never specified. It could just be a really fancy booty call.
"Of course, it is. Although, I guess we never really talked about what this was. Today has been a little unorthodox for the both of us I supposed." He puts on an oven mitt and takes the Salmon out of the Oven. Bonnie has never smelled anything more delicious.
"What all did you cook? It smells amazing and I'm starving." She leaned over the counter facing him. He turned to her and his eyes immediately found her cleavage. When he looked back up at her face, she was eyeing him with a cocked eyebrow and a smirk patiently waiting for his answer.
"I uh, I made Baked salmon with Rosemary and lemon sauce with green beans, mashed potatoes, and a salad. And for dessert there's cheesecake."
"Wow, you put together a whole menu. You did all of this just for our date?" He looked at her, like really looked at her. He took in her eyes, her little crooked smirk, the dimples in her cheeks and thought he would put together a new menu every day just for her.
"Of course! I told you I would cook. What did you expect, pizza pockets and beer?" Bonnie ducks her head little because quite honestly, she did. Most of the men in her life, excluding Stefan, are not exactly experts in the kitchen. Neither are the women for that matter, they're all very good at ordering in though.
"I mean, honestly yeah. I don't know many people that can cook that well. I can survive on my own but I wouldn't say I should be cooking for others."
"Maybe I could teach a few things." Somehow, they'd both been moving closer until they were right in front of each other. She didn't realize how much taller than her he was when she met him earlier in the day. His towering frame was somehow comforting to her. Normally when Bonnie was around people this height it made her feel like she had no control and that her safety was compromised but with him, it felt nice. Natural.
He was so close to her was able to murmur, "We should eat before the food gets cold."
"Oh yeah, of course." He handed her a ceramic bowl of the beans and directed her to the table that was set while he carried the rest. There was comfortable silence while the made their plates.
"Do you have any siblings?" Kai was curious. All he knows are twins and it always intrigues him when people have less than 6 siblings.
"No, I'm an only child. I have two best friends and we've grown up from toddlers together but that's as close as it gets for me."
"Really?" This is much more interesting, "Are you and your parents close."
This topic was a little harder for Bonnie, "Um. Not really." Kai noticed the hesitation there but he was still curious. He pursed his lips and went back and forth in his head on if he was going to push for more information or wait for her to tell him. He didn't need to make that decision because she made it for him.
"It's a little bit of a bummer but if you wanna know I don't mind." He nodded. She took a breath and continued, "My mom left when I was younger and we haven't heard from her since. She was flighty and I guess the pressure of being a wife and a mother was a bit too much for her so she ran. My dad had a hard time coping with her running away and threw himself into his work. He's currently the Mayor of Mystic Falls. I mostly spent time with my Grams. She's my rock and parented me more than anyone else. I still go to her first when I need advice."
Bonnie was stuck in her head reliving certain memories and Kai was kicking himself for his stupid curiosity. He didn't want their first date to be their only date because he didn't know how to deal with boundaries.
"I'm sorry that happened to you. I've only known you for a day but I can already tell that she doesn't know even half of what she's missing by not knowing you." Bonnie's smile makes him feel like he's not completely bombing.
"Thank you, that's really sweet. What's it like having a bunch of siblings." She took a bite of her Salmon and moaned and thought he should become a chef. She looked back up at him when he didn't say anything and noticed his expression. The hungry look was back and his eyes had gone dark. She'd started squirming in her seat. She wanted to try to get to know him before anything else happened. "Your siblings?"
"Hmm?" His eyes became more focused, "Oh yes, I have seven siblings. And I'm a twin. My twin's name is Josette. We're the oldest of the group and there is one other set of twins. Having that many kids around means that the older you get the less attention there is for you and you can count out bonding with your parents. Jo and I spent a lot of time parenting the others but I got sick of it and left after a while. I'd put my life on hold to help out at home. They were perfectly fine but there is a bit a resentment in the air whenever I'm there. I try not to go home too often." Kai becomes silent and reflective, "I think it's time for some wine, don't you? White or red?"
"Red, please" Kai goes off to his pantry and Bonnie takes a moment. It seems like they'd both been through a lot just on the opposite end of the spectrum. His issue was that there were too many people around and hers was that there were not enough.
Kai came up with an already open bottle and poured into her empty glass that was already set then filled his own. They both take a sec to regroup and figure out how to lighten the conversation.
"You know you should really be a chef or something this food is phenomenal."
"I am. Well, actually, I'm now what they call a restaurateur. I own a few five-star restaurants throughout the country." Her eyes widened and the nervous smile was back. He laughed "It's not a big deal. My family is large but still pretty well off. My dad had a trust fund saved for me and I invested it in my passion. I went to school and worked my way up pretty quickly and when I had the opportunity to buy my first location, I went for it and it was a success which allowed me to open more. What about you? What do you do? "
"I'm a dancer." Kai's eyes lit up with mischief but he stayed silent, "Sometimes I'm able to travel to perform but for the most part I teach at a few different studios in Mystic Falls and the surrounding towns. I went to school but only for general studies. Grams was hoping I'd follow in her footsteps. She's a professor at Whitmore but she teaches the occult and I like weird stuff but not enough to teach it as a career."
"I'll save my dirty jokes for later. It seems to make you nervous. But I do find it interesting that we are both interested in the arts. Is that why you were willing to be apart of a YouTube experiment."
Her face turned red. She'd almost forgotten about that. How does she answer that?
"I let a friend peer pressure me into it." He laughed and she didn't know how to feel about that reaction.
"What'd she say? 'Do the video, it'll make you cooler'?" She started laughing too at this point. She realized how laughable that sounds.
"I guess peer pressure is more of an excuse. Ultimately, I did it because I hadn't put myself out there in a while and I figure at the very least it would be very silly and very fun. I never in a million years would have thought it would have turned into what it did." Her face started heating up so much that she was sure even with the melanin in her skin he could see she was red.
"Does sex make you nervous?" Kai cocked his head to the side. His food was mostly eaten and forgotten at this point. He leaned forward with his elbows on the table examining her reaction.
Bonnie swallowed, "Uh…yes and no." his staring was making her self conscious. She was nervous but to be fair they just met today! It's not like she was a prude.
After it seemed like she wouldn't offer the answer he asked. "Why?"
"Yes, because I hardly know you. I'm not the type to do this in any capacity. I've never had a one-night stand or been in a friends with benefits situation. This is very new to me. No, because I don't mind sex or flirting. I'm not at all new to either. I'm just not used to it with someone I haven't known for very long."
They locked eyes with each other. Bonnie was waiting for his reaction, some statement or demand that she leave. Kai was watching her as she continued to fidget in her uncertainty. He knew what he wanted but he also knew that she without a shadow of doubt needed to want the same thing. He didn't want to be in any of her regretted memories.
Kai being Kai, flat out asked, "Do you want to have sex with me today?"
Clearly, she was stunned. No had ever been so candid about this sort of thing with her. It was always coded or implied that that's what was on the table. Kai tried not to laugh as her eyes bugged out and she smiled in panic. "Well…I, um… You see-"
"If you are unsure that means no. And call me a weirdo but one of my kinks is consent." He smiled and she visibly relaxed, "I told you earlier that nothing has to happen if you don't want it to. I meant it."
"Thank you…I'm sorry." He shook his head and waved her off. She had nothing to apologize for. She seems to have a strange relationship with sex and he hopes he gets to be the one to change that.
The rest of the night went smoothly. They found themselves in the living room and continued to get to know each other and lost track of time cracking jokes. Bonnie was shocked to find they had the same sense of humor, similar interests in shows and movies. She might look like a boho type of girly girl but she lives for gory horror. They had different tastes in music but it would have been creepy if they liked ALL the same things. No computerized system working off of random variables could be that accurate.
"It's getting late, I should head out." She stopped drinking over an hour before so that she would be sober enough to drive. At the doorway, Kai helped her with her jacket continuing to be a gentleman. She lingered at the doorway for a moment hoping for a kiss but not knowing how to ask. He picked up on this and gently cradled her face. Looking directly in her eyes so she knew what was coming. She closed her eyes when she felt his warm lips graze hers. The kiss started off sweet and gentle and continued to become more and more passionate. Somehow Bonnie found herself pressed against the front door and Kai's hands on her hips. She pushed on his chest a little, shocked to find that it was all skin and muscle. He seemed so tiny.
Kai took this hint and backed off. "Thank you for coming over. Can I see you again?
"Yes." There was no hesitation. Bonnie opened the door and felt like she was floating all the way back to her car.
Bonnie made it inside her home, showered and was in bed when she received the text.
Good night Bonnie Bennett. I can't wait to see you again. – K
Good night Malachai Parker. – B
She felt like she was a school girl again and cuddled her phone giggling.