Ceaseless (Existence Trilogy #3)(33)

“What are you thinking?” He asked close to my ear. I shivered from the warmth of his breath against my skin.

“I’m thinking you must really want to impress me or either this is something you’ve invested in to bring all your first dates on.” I was teasing of course and I smiled at him as I said it so he’d know I wasn’t being serious.

“Never realized how sexy a smart mouth could be,” he replied.

Soft music began playing from speakers hidden in the corners of the gazebo. Dank held out his hand, “Dance with me?”

I slid my hand into his and he pulled me against his chest. This was different than our first dance at the club. It was sweeter, more sincere. Less about attraction and more about connection.

“Pagan?” Dank asked softly against my ear.

“Yes,” I replied resting my chin on his shoulder thanks to the height from my heels.

“Will you promise me something?”

That was an odd request. I thought about it a minute then nodded. “Yes.”

He let out another heavy sigh. Something was bothering him tonight. “One day you’ll need to remember this. Remember how this felt. I need you to tuck this memory close inside and hold onto it.”

That was by far the oddest thing anyone had ever said or asked of me. He almost sounded like he was dying. “Um, okay,” I replied hesitantly.

He let out a soft chuckle, “I’m sorry. Sometimes I get a little too serious.”

No kidding. He took my hand and lifted it in the air and twirled me around. I decided I’d forget his ominous request for now and enjoy the most romantic date I’d ever been on.

After the song ended Dank walked over and pulled out a chair for me. “I know it looks like we’re out here all alone but I don’t intend to starve you.”

I looked around and sure enough a man in a tuxedo came walking out of the woods carrying a silver tray and two glass bottles of Coke.

Smiling back at Dank I said, “I can’t believe you set all this up.”

He winked at me. “I wanted to make a good impression being as this is our first official date.”

“Well, you blew any other first dates I’ve ever had out of the water already so sit back and relax.”

Dank laughed as the waiter placed the Cokes in front of us and opened them. He lifted the lid on the silver tray and then took the two glasses of ice and put them beside or bottles.

“I don’t know how you could even think I’d ever be able to forget this,” I said in awe as the server set chocolate covered strawberries in front of us.

“Good. That’s the idea,” he replied.

***

It had almost been a whole day since I’d seen or heard from Dank. He had brought me home after our date last night and I’d half expected him to be waiting on me outside the dorm this morning when I walked out. Then I’d been expecting him to be waiting on me outside the building of our first class. But he hadn’t shown up for literature again. After lunch when he still hadn’t called or shown up I began to wonder if I’d done something wrong last night. Since the first day we’d met he had managed to show up at least two times a day. I’d thought after the evening we’d had he would be around even more. I had looked forward to seeing him. I’d almost texted him several times but I’d refrained. He had my number.

Now that the sun was setting and he hadn’t bothered to even text I decided last night might have meant more to me than it had to him. Maybe that really was a set up for first dates. Maybe it hadn’t meant anything more to him.

I stacked up my books and stuck them into my book bag. I’d spent the last two hours in the library studying. Miranda was getting ready for another date with Nathan and she was too chatty to allow me to get anything done. This hadn’t been much better. My thoughts had kept going back to last night and what I could have done wrong.

The night breeze was abnormally cool tonight. I pulled my books higher on my shoulder and made my way toward the dorm. It was almost a mile but I figured the walk was good exercise. I didn’t like trying to park Miranda’s SUV. I could see myself scratching it up.

“Dank, stop,” a giggling female voice came from the darkness. My blood froze. Stopping in my tracks I waited to listen for more. Surely I’d heard that wrong.

“I want a taste,” a familiar deep voice replied. My stomach felt sick.

“I can’t get naked out here. Someone may come by,” the girl whispered and then let out a small moan.

“Open your legs,” he replied.

I wanted to move my legs. I wanted to move away from the voices. But I couldn’t. My legs weren’t cooperating.

“Right here?” the girl asked breathlessly.

“Yeah,” he said a small groan came from him. Yeah, I was going to be sick.

“Ah, Dank, Mmmmm that feels so good.”

I took off running. I didn’t look back.

Dank

I’d worked all day to make up for my late night with Pagan. Tonight, however, I intended to spend it with her again. I walked into the empty park just outside of Pagan’s dorm before appearing. Leif sat on the bench facing the dorm with one leg crossed over his knee and his arms folded across his chest. What was he still doing here? She didn’t know him nor did she want him. Now that her soul was free of his claim she couldn’t even remember him from one week to the next. A week from now she’d forget about the strange guy who’d ordered her coffee correctly and questioned her. She had a soul. He didn’t. There could never be a lasting connection. A spirit born of Voodoo could never connect with a soul born of the Creator. It was that simple. He knew it too.