"So how did it go?" Monica inquired once Dave came in the door.
"It went well," Dave grinned smugly. "I told you I'd have her soaking wet in minutes, so by the time she left the shop her underwear had to be soaked through. I could certainly smell the wetness," Dave said tapping his nose.
"So long as you succeeded that's what matters," Aaron said coming into the room.
"Oh, I succeeded alright," Dave grinned. "We have a date tonight."
"That's excellent," Monica said pleased.
"I really had to pour on the charm though," Dave added. "I had to up it several notches until she finally gave in."
"Which just shows that she's at least somewhat resistant to your charm," Aaron said.
"Which is rather unusual," Monica said. "Usually, when one of our kind pulls out all the stops men and women both are putty in our hands.
"Unusual, but not impossible," Dave put in. "We have to remember that we believe she has at least some dracon blood and some of our kind is very good at resisting their own kinds influence, like when one of us turns up the charm like I had to do, as just asking her out on a date wasn't working. I could practically hear her coming up with excuses in her head not to go out on a date with me."
"She probably sensed you were at least a little dangerous," Aaron suggested. "A lot of people can sense that kind of thing you know, especially women who tend to have a highly tuned sense of when someone's trouble, especially if they have a child to protect. If that's the case, she's probably not used to dealing with a man that can possibly be dangerous. She probably doesn't go for those bad boy types like so many women seem too."
"That's more than possible," Monica decided. "We've all met people over the years that just had a more highly tuned sense of danger and we must remember that this Cassandra has at least some dracon blood.
"She told me she preferred Cassie actually and it doesn't have anything to do with her disliking her full name," Dave mentioned. "She told me that her name is so ridiculously long that it's hard to fill out any type of form that usually have a pretty short line for a person's name. I mean think about it, her first name is nine letters long, so imagine getting her first as well as her last name onto a line on some doctor's form.
"Her last name is what? 11 or 12 letters?" Aaron said after counting the letters in Cassie's last name.
"Exactly," Dave said. "Now just imagine having to add a middle name to that or at least an initial. Even if she signs forms Cassie Silverthorne her name is still a lot of letters, as Cassie is really only four letters shorter depending on how it's spelled."
"And most official forms, no matter what it's for has a relatively short signature line," said Monica. "I suggest you take her somewhere fancy and impress her."
"I'm going to take her to Château Pierre. Its one of the fanciest places in the city," Dave said. "She knew about it, might even have been there at least once. It's nice, romantic and I've heard the food is excellent, though probably not as good as yours."
The compliment made Monica blush.
"That's good then," Monica said, blushing not just at Dave's sincere compliment but the light kiss on the lips. Monica was proud of her cooking skills, a skill she had learned centuries ago when she had been a young dragonling. She had only improved over the centuries as better technology for cooking a meal came along.
"I'll tell you how it goes when I get back," Dave promised.
~~~Dave, Monica, Aaron, Cassie~~~
Cassie drove home in a daze, smelling her wetness, which permeated the car, making it smell like she'd just had sex. She couldn't believe her reaction around David Rossi. Yes, he was handsome and yes, he had a lot of charm, but that he'd had her feeling like she was overheated in the matter of minutes in a store with air conditioner was pretty amazing to her. Really, all he'd done was smile at her with the dimples, touch her hand and kiss the back of it. Of course, he had also moved into her personal space and having him so close had definitely upped the butterflies in her stomach, which had made her leak even more into her underwear.
Cassie tried to puzzle out her unusual reaction to Dave all the way back to the apartment but still hadn't figured it out even after she parked.
Cassie rode up in the elevator alone and unlocked her apartment door to let herself inside. She put the bag with a bracelet on the coffee table in the living area.
There was nearly immediately a knock on the door after she closed it and Cassie rolled her eyes already knowing who it was.
Cassie opened the door after checking the peephole just in case it was someone else and it was indeed her best friend Teri, short for Teriana.
"You were watching for me weren't you?" Cassie said the words as more of a statement than a question.
"Of course I was, I wanted to know how it went," Teri told her best friend. The two of them had been friends all their lives and that friendship had continued up until now when they were both in their 30s.
The two of them were constantly in each other's lives and Cassie did not mind that at all.
"It went fine, my bracelet's as good as new and he didn't charge me as much as I expected him to for such fine work."
"Can I see it," Teri asked.
"Of course," Cassie said, as she walked the short distance to where she had laid the bag and then extracted the box.
Teri took it when it was handed to her and opened it to see the bracelet that had been passed down in her family fo centuries.
"This David Rossi does excellent work," Teri announced after she had examined the clasp minutely.
"Yeah, he really does," Cassie agreed. "You can never tell it was damaged in the first place."
"So what else happened?" Teri asked suspiciously, as she had immediately noticed her friend practically glowed and looked very happy.
"Ah, well, he kind of asked me out on a date," Cassie stuttered looking everywhere but into her friend's eyes.
"He did?" Teri asked with raised eyebrow.
"Yeah, he was kind of persistent," Cassie said blushing. "I tried to tell him no. Said he was too old for me, as he has to be at least in his 50s, right? However, he denied it and truthfully, he doesn't look that old."
"How old does he look?" Teri asked curiously.
"The same age as you and I do in his 30s," Cassie admitted.
"Even if he is a few years older there is no harm in going out with him," Teri told her friend firmly. "He's a respectable jeweler and has a good reputation within the community."
"He's not the kind of man I normally date," Cassie pointed out.
"You need to up your standards. I mean seriously you date a certain type of guy because they are safe. They will never steal your heart," Teri suggested practically. "The guys you usually date are handsome enough but mostly boring, so it's no wonder you haven't met anyone that you can fall in love with, as they're run of the mill, intelligent certainly, but about as interesting and as bland as oatmeal. This Dave is handsome, isn't he?"
"Handsome isn't the word," Cassie said blushing again, as she thought of David Rossi. "He's gorgeous. Utterly drop dead gorgeous."
"There you see," Teri told her friend. "Women date older men all the time nowadays. There's nothing wrong with it and he might not even be older then you by more than a few years. You assumed he was yes, but that doesn't make it true. So did you accept a date from him?"
"Yeah, I kind of couldn't resist," Cassie admitted with a laugh looking sheepish. "He kind of, came on to me hard and strong and my hormones definitely were out-of-control."
"So he flirted strongly with you," Teri guessed.
"Oh yeah," Cassie said blushing again. "I thought I was handling it, but then, he came out from behind the counter. He has this kind of sexy, confident stride, you know? You know the kind where someone is fully confident in themselves and it shows in their demeanor. It only took a few strides for him to be standing less than an inch from me."
"What happened next?" Teri asked when Cassie didn't go on.
"Well, I was still trying to resist him at that point, though that was getting more difficult and that's when he really got into my personal space."
Cassie described what had happened and Teri listened.
"Man, it sounds like he really wanted to go on a date with you," Teri said finally. "He sounds utterly infatuated."
"Yeah, I would say so," Cassie agreed. "I finally caved and I was so wet down in my privates that I bet you he could smell me from across the room much less so close to me."
"That was his intent I'm sure," Teri told her friend. "He wanted you to say yes badly and since you weren't agreeing on your own he turned on the charm. Why didn't you say yes, when he first asked you?"
"It wasn't that I wasn't attracted, I was," Cassie said. "There's just something about him that says he can be dangerous. In what way, I don't know. I wasn't sure I wanted to get involved with someone that might be dangerous."
"Alright, I can understand that," Teri said finally. "But did you ever think that the only time he's dangerous is if some idiot comes after his family or his friends? We can all be dangerous to protect those we love Cass. Not necessarily a wife, but a sibling or your family, even your mother and father, especially if they're old and feeble. It just shows he's utterly confident in his ability to defend those he loves. That's probably all it is. It's in the aura, which is why you probably sensed, why he could be just a little dangerous. You've always been kind of sensitive to that kind of thing, you know."
"Yeah, I have," Cassie admitted.
"If you don't like the way the relationship's going feel free to break it off, as I wouldn't want you to get into a bad romantic situation. However, unless he does something, really bad like hit you or commit some illegal act besides littering and such, I would give it a chance."
"I hadn't thought about it that way, so thanks," Cassie said.
"You're welcome," Teri told her friend. "It's good to be cautious, but not so much so that you give up your chance at a possible serious relationship. From what you've told me it sounds like David Rossi really likes you, otherwise why would he have bothered to turn up the charm until you gave into his request?"
"Well, there is that," Cassie said with a sappy expression. "As much as I tried to resist I couldn't as he has a lot of charisma and animal magnetism for starters and did I mention he has two very adorable dimples? You know I've always had a weakness for a man with dimples."
"Yeah, you have, but you're not alone in that, as a lot of women have a weakness for a man with dimples," Teri snorted in laughter. "It seems to be part of a lot of women's genetic makeup."
"Yeah, it does at that," Cassie agreed.
"Looking forward to your date?" Teri asked and Cassie nodded.
"Yeah, I am, I was practically putty in his hands when his first dimple showed up," Cassie said. "Still, I managed to resist for much longer then he probably thought I could."
"Well, that is shows you're not a pushover," Teri said. "That you were able to resist for even a few minutes when your hormones were humming like that. You probably haven't felt like that since you, first kiss back in high school."
"I've never felt like Dave made me feel," Cassie admitted. "Sure, my first kiss was pretty good, especially considering that most high school kisses are known not to be that good, but it certainly didn't have my blood pounding in my ears, or my head in a fog, unable to think because you just want to enjoy the affect as long as possible. There was kind of a breathless anticipation sure, but nothing like what happened with David Rossi. All he did was kiss the back of my hand and my heart started beating harder then it already had been and considering it was already pounding in my chest like a drum, well, that ought to tell you how much he affected me."
"Well then, I would say go out with him and see if anything develops between you or if it is just chemistry without anything else in common," Teri said.
"Good advice," Cassie decided. "Thanks, but I better get ready as he's picking me up in a little while."
"Let me know how it goes," Teri said and Cassie nodded.
"You know I will, though it might not be until tomorrow, depending on how late we stay out."
"Okay," Teri agreed.
~~~Dave, Monica, Aaron, Cassie~~~
Cassie showed her friend out and then took a long, steamy shower. Finally, she shut off the water and went to dress. She took out her one fancy outfit and slithered into it. She then put on her makeup, some perfume, slipped on her matching shoes that went with the dress and slipped on the bracelet that had just been repaired. She was ready to go and just in time to as there was a knock on the door.
Cassie grabbed her purse and then went to answer the door. After checking the peephole she opened the door.
"Good evening Miss Cassie," Dave said in his sexiest voice.
"Good evening to you too Dave," Cassie said blushing a little.
"Here, I brought these, though they hardly compare to such a gorgeous lady," Dave said producing some roses from behind his back.
Cassie blushed again at Dave's sincere compliment.
"Thank you, they are gorgeous," Cassie said. "Just let me put them in some water when we can get going."
Cassie got the vase that she kept under the kitchen counter and poured water into it before arranging the roses artfully.
"Well, shall we go, my lady?" Dave asked once Cassie emerged from the kitchenette where she had been putting the flowers he'd brought in water so they wouldn't wilt while they were gone.
"Yes, we shall," Cassie replied with a smile as she clutched her purse again. Cassie, had to admit, that despite her resistance, she really liked what little she knew about David Rossi. His voice was cultured and smooth and it was clear he was a man of intelligence and education, as well as a lot of charisma and charm. He had made her body pop with perspiration and had her panties soaking wet in no time at all.
He would have to have been raised in at least a middle-class home, but it was more likely he'd been raised among the wealthy, though not necessarily she realized. Also, he was excellent at fixing broken jewelry and she wouldn't be surprised if he was very wealthy, though from what she understood about owning a jewelry store came with a high overhead. Still, he was probably very popular with people that needed some sort of repair for they're bracelets or necklaces or rings.
It was only a few moments later that Cassie shut her apartment door behind her making sure to lock it, before taking Dave offered arm, as he escorted her out to his car.
~~~Dave, Monica, Aaron, Cassie~~~
"I had a wonderful evening Dave," Cassie told him as he dropped her off at her apartment door, having insisted that he walk her up, just so he could be sure that she got back into her apartment okay.
Cassie thought it was sweet and very old-fashioned for him to want to escort her to her door.
"Would you like to come in for a nightcap?" Cassie asked.
"Not tonight," Dave said shaking his head regretfully. "It's late and I'm sure you need some sleep. Don't you have a job that you need to go to tomorrow?"
"No, it's the weekend I don't work," Cassie explained. "I mostly help down at the animal shelter. My parents were quite wealthy and all that passed to me and my sister. I could work, but I don't necessarily need to."
"And yet you only had one fancy outfit in your closet," Dave said with humor in his voice.
"I might have been raised among the wealthy set, but that doesn't mean I believe in wearing fancy outfits, except on special occasions. My parents were quite unpretentious really, considering how wealthy they were. They didn't put on airs like so many of that set does and they didn't look down on those that had less than they did. I used to have more such fancy clothes, but I gave most of them away to charity. I just have the one outfit that I really liked. It's out of fashion I know, but I've never been one to necessarily follow along with the current style."
Dave was nodding as he understood completely. Cassie hadn't let the rich lifestyle corrupt her, to turn her into someone that was selfish and uncaring of others, someone who turned up their noses at those that were not like them, and stepped on anyone that got in their way when they had something that they wanted.
"I would love to meet your sister sometime," Dave said. "So are you the oldest or the baby?"
"The oldest of course," Cassie grinned adorably.
"I'm going to head out," Dave said. "You get a good night's sleep and I'll contact you tomorrow around noon or so."
"Don't you have to go into the jewelry store?" Cassie asked and Dave shook his head.
"No, Aaron's opening tomorrow," Dave said. "We take turns opening the store and sometimes we do it together. It gives us time to do other things if one of us runs the jewelry store and other one does other things, errands and such."
"Okay then, I guess I'll hear from you around noon tomorrow," Cassie said. "I should be out of bed by then, as I don't normally sleep so late, not even if I've been up till 1 o'clock in the morning."
Dave kissed Cassie on the cheek making her blush.
"I'll see you tomorrow," Dave said before he departed after making sure Cassie got into her apartment okay.
Once the door was closed Cassie leaned against it and thought about her date with Dave. It had been wonderful. The perfect first date, where they had simply talked about their lives, getting to know each other better. Cassie smiled goofily, thinking about how Dave had been the perfect date. He'd been kind, considerate, solicitous and had paid attention to her his eyes never straying to the other women present in the restaurant, not even those that were eating alone with no male companion.
Cassie had to admit that she couldn't wait for their next date. Now she was going to have to tell her friend that she had been right that David Rossi might be slightly dangerous when the situation called for it, but otherwise he was the perfect gentleman.
Cassie sighed and headed to the bathroom to get yet another shower before she got ready for bed as again her underwear was soaked, as just being in Dave's presence did that and the way he flirted and teased her didn't help.
Cassie let the spray from the shower head come down even as she scrubbed herself and rethought about telling Teri exactly what had happened. She'd tell her a portion of it Cassie decided, as it had only been one date and who knew if Dave would continue to be a perfect gentleman. He probably would, Cassie acknowledged to herself, but one date didn't tell her everything other then she had enjoyed herself. She would need at least a few dates before she knew if he was truly the gentleman he presented himself to be or if it was all an act.
Still, she'd had an excellent time and in fact it was the best first date she'd ever had, so that was definitely a plus.
Cassie finally finished the shower and dried her hair before getting into her nice things and heading directly to bed. She was sure that any dreams would be pleasant.
~~~Dave, Monica, Aaron, Cassie~~~
"Have a good date?" Aaron asked with a slight smile, as soon as the three had entered the master bedroom.
"I think the better question is whether Cassie enjoyed herself?" Monica corrected Aaron who nodded meekly at the mild rebuke.
"She did indeed," Dave said with a bright smile. "She told me she enjoyed herself very much and I could tell she was being sincere. She even agreed to go out again tomorrow so that ought to tell you something."
"It does," Aaron said smiling a little. "It tells me you did an excellent job in charming her."
"I didn't really do anything unusual, not tonight anyway," Dave said. "She seems to have lost a lot of her cautiousness around me, as if she's decided that I'm not dangerous, except when the situation is right. In any case, she seems to have relaxed a great deal, which isn't a bad thing at all."
"No, it's not," Monica said biting her lip in thought. "It doesn't mean you don't have to be careful though, at least until she gets to know you better."
"I agree," Dave said nodding at Monica in respect for her astute observation. "So when do you think the best time is to introduce her to Aaron?"
"Not for at least the next two months or so. It depends on what she thinks about multiple relationships, because as we've already discussed they are not exactly the norm and many people are against them on principle if for no other reason," Monica said.
"Which might not be true for Cassie Silverthorne," Aaron said.
"No, it might not. Dave is going to have to find some way to broach the subject delicately," Monica said.
"I don't think we need to worry about that this soon," Dave said. "It can wait a few weeks at least, probably longer. We just finished our first date let's not rush things."
"Definitely, a good idea," Aaron said. "We could ruin things by rushing things instead of taking our time."
"I think it's time for us to get some sleep," Monica suggested gently and both her men nodded.
"Goodnight Aaron, goodnight Monica," Dave said, as he stripped himself out of his clothes and threw them in the laundry basket before climbing into the massive bed.
"Goodnight," both of his mates responded before they cuddled together and drifted off to sleep quickly.
~~~Dave, Monica, Aaron, Cassie~~~