The next morning, one of the first things Tyrallin did was make a list of possible restaurants for that evening's date, which he'd been brainstorming about since he left the club the night before. He ended up with a list of twenty-two restaurants, and from there he started eliminating them one at a time: This place was too noisy for good conversation, that place would be too busy to get into, this place would be too expensive, and so on.

When he finally had his top pick, he called Jerrik. Unfortunately, Jerrik had still been asleep.

"Hello?" Jerrik said in a sleep-roughened voice.

"Wakey, wakey, sleeping sire," Tyra teased.

"Man, Tyra, it's too early. And it's Saturday. Go back to bed and let me sleep." Tyrallin heard a sound of weight thumping on fabric, and he figured Jerrik had just flopped back onto his bed.

"Just one thing really quickly," Tyra assured him. "Are you doing anything tonight?"

"Tonight? Yeah, me and some of the other guys from the club are hitting the downtown boarding park after dinner, so sixish, sevenish. Why, what's up?"

"Perfect! Count me in. What time are you headed out?" Tyra asked.

"What?" Jerrik's voice held a note of suspicion. "But you hate the downtown park. I thought you said it was a lame excuse for a skateboard park."

"It is. But I need legit plans tonight to get out of the house," Tyra explained. "I'll only be there for an hour or so."

"So, what are your plans afterward?" Jerrik sounded awake now and very curious. "Don't tell me you're gonna rob a bank or something and need an alibi? Come on, man, spill!"

"Nah, no bank robbing involved. But you're probably not going to believe me when I tell you," Tyra said.

"Try me," came Jerrik's response.

Tyra hesitated a moment and tapped his cell phone with his thumb. Finally, he said, "I have a date."

"A date?!" Jerrik was practically screaming into the phone, and Tyra had to hold it away from his ear to keep from going deaf. "You're right, I don't believe it. Who is this guy, and how on Wyndrah did you work up the courage to ask him out?"

"Oh come on, I'm not that bad." Tyra thought about it for a second. "Okay, so I am that bad, but it wasn't really a matter of working up the courage in this case. I just discovered that it was a whole different situation with this guy. He doesn't make me feel nervous or self-conscious, so I can just talk to him. You saw him once before. It's that guy from the Velvet Shadow. Elain."

"Oh, the mysterious heartthrob that little old me picked out for you," Jerrik snorted. "So you still don't want to admit that you've lost our bet, so you've tried again? Or is it serious?"

"Get off it already," Tyra groused. "You won fair and square. Man, have I ever told you that you're a sore winner? And hell yes, I'm serious. I went back and talked to him last night, and I convinced him to let me take him out. He said tonight, and I could tell by the way he said it that it was tonight or not at all. So I'll meet up with you guys, board a little bit, and then hit the road."

"And do you know yet where to take him? I mean, even I could tell from a distance that he's not exactly playing in our league."

"Yeah, you got that right. But he told me I could pick the place and surprise him, so that's what I'm going to do. I get the feeling he spends all his time downtown, so I'm taking him to the west side to eat at Nica's Mixer. Nice and casual and fun. I just hope he likes it."

"Good idea," Jerrik agreed. "But you might have to impress him further. Lifebearers are usually... wait, he is a lifebearer, right? Or are you dating a sire, man? I mean, it's okay, but I'm curious."

Tyra smiled at the memory. "He's a lifebearer alright." With really soft lips and beautiful eyes hidden behind those glasses.

"Then you really have to thank me, man, for picking him out! You have to introduce him to us sometime, you hear me? I mean, if it's becoming serious." Tyra heard a rustling sound, then Jerrik cursed under his breath. "Damn, why didn't you tell me what time it is? I promised Atsayal I'd go shopping with him. See you later, man! Let's meet at the park at six."

"See you later," Tyra replied and then hung up. He tucked his cell phone into his pocket and went downstairs to get something to eat. He found his father in the kitchen, putting cleaned dishes away in their proper places in the cupboards.

"Oh good, Tyra, why don't you help me finish this?" Lissem asked.

Tyra ambled over and grabbed a couple of pots out of the dishwasher to put them away. "Hey, I was just talking to Jerrik. I'm going skateboarding with him tonight. I'll probably be out most of the evening."

"No problem, dear. Feadri wants to go to the movies with his friends, so your sire and I will have a nice, quiet evening together," Lissem replied with a smile. "It's been a while since we had one. When will you be back?"

Tyrallin felt his ear tips start to get warm. "I'll plan to be home late, and I swear to the Forests, I will knock on any door before entering any room in this house when I get back." He was still trying to forget that last time he'd walked in on his parents while they were getting frisky in the laundry room.

"That's my wonderful, intelligent son." Lissem was blushing a bit himself, not entirely comfortable with the situation either. He quickly changed the subject. "I still have some muffins left. Do you want to take some with you to share with your buddies?"

"Nice of you to offer, but I'll pass." No matter how many times he'd tried to explain it, he just couldn't get his dad to realize that bringing muffins was a quick way to get labeled "uncool" with the punkish and street-styled skateboarding crowd. "More muffins for me that way!" Tyra grabbed one muffin and put it in his mouth, holding it with his teeth, grabbed a second muffin, got out a glass and put it on the counter, and then pulled a carton of milk out of the fridge to pour himself a glass with his free hand.

"Some day you'll get yourself injured with those acrobatics," his father chided. "And when you've slipped on some spilled milk and broken your neck, I won't clean up the mess." He grabbed the milk carton from Tyra as soon as the glass was full and put it back into the fridge. "And don't eat too many sweets. I'll make chicken for lunch."

"Can't talk right now, dad, I'm busy eating sweets," Tyra said, but around his mouth full of muffin, it came out more like "Cab halk rai neow, did, ahm hizy unding fweets."

"Oh, you!" Lissem threw a dish rag at Tyra, which he dodged, and he quickly beat a retreat from the kitchen with his muffins and milk.

Tyra went into the living room and found Feadri lounging on the couch, watching cartoons on the television. Feadri was wearing Tyra's gray-and-white-striped hoodie. Tyra took a seat on the couch with him, put down his glass, and pulled his muffin out of his mouth.

"When exactly did I say you had permission to raid my closet?" Tyra asked casually. He took a bite of a muffin as he coolly regarded his little brother.

Feadri shrugged. "All my comfy clothes are in the laundry, and I can't remember the last time you wore this hoodie. So I thought you wouldn't mind. Or do you need it now?"

"Nah, I don't need it right now." Tyrallin finished his first muffin and put the second one down on a magazine lying next to his glass of milk. "But, see, the thing is, there's a tickle tax on hoodie loans. C'mere!" Tyra pounced on his little brother and began mercilessly exploiting his ticklish sides and neck.

"Gah!" Feadri fell onto his side, ineffectively trying to evade Tyra's attack. "I give in!" he gasped, but the next moment he wiggled away and attacked Tyra.

Tyra let out an "oof" as Feadri knocked into him, but then he grabbed his brother around the middle, bodily lifted him up, and dropped him back onto the couch, sending pillows flying. Feadri hollered in indignation. Then Feadri hooked an arm around Tyra's neck and started roughing up his spiked hair, and Tyra started thrashing, dislodging several couch cushions.

"Boys, what are you doing in there?" Lissem shouted from the kitchen. "If you're going to roughhouse, take it outside."

"Sorry!" both yelled in unison. Giggling and gasping, the siblings let go of each other, grinning like little children who kept a secret from the adults.

"So, what are your plans for today?" Feadri asked. "Wanna come to the movies? I'll keep Natalie and Zidal from drooling all over you. Popcorn for you, and you drive us home?"

"Sometimes I think you only love me for my car," Tyra said as he tried to straighten his hair back up into proper spikes. "And sorry, no can do. I'm out this evening, too, in a completely different direction. I'm going boarding with Jerrik, so you're going to have to find somebody else to mooch a ride off of." Tyra picked up his remaining muffin and split it in half, offering part to Feadri.

His little brother took it and started to munch away happily. "Hm, pity," he answered with a full mouth, but Tyra was adept at understanding him anyway. "But if skating gets too boring, the offer still stands."

"Thanks, I'll keep that in mind if I get a sudden urge to have my ass stared at all night by your little friends," Tyra said, and Feadri stuck his tongue out at him. Tyra stuffed the rest of his muffin in his mouth and picked up his glass of milk and went back to the kitchen. He washed his muffin down and left his glass in the sink.

Tyra went up to his room and spent some time reading. When it was sometime after noon and he was sure Nica's Mixer was open for lunch, he called the restaurant and made a reservation for two for that evening. Just as he was hanging up, he heard the cheerful chime of the doorbell, and a moment later Feadri shouted up the stairs to him.

"Tyraaaa! Sally's here!"

Tyra, unphazed by the unexpected appearance of his friend, put his cell phone back in his pocket and headed downstairs.

Sally was standing in the hallway, chatting with Lissem and trying to convince him not to offer her muffins. "I really have to cut down on the calories," she told him with a mournful expression. "My favorite top doesn't fit anymore."

Tyra took Feadri by the shoulders and moved him until he was pointing in the direction of the living room and then he gave his little brother a gentle shove between the shoulder blades. "Go on, back to your cartoons."

"Fine, fine," Feadri muttered as he left.

Tyra turned to Sally then. "Stop worrying about calories. You're not getting fat. You're just getting more..." Tyra pondered the right term. "...female. So, what brings you to the Alwick abode?"

Sally furrowed her brows, trying to decide if she had gotten a compliment or been insulted.

"I brought the DVDs you asked me for the other day. We could watch some of them together, if you have time," she offered.

"Oh hey, great," Tyra said as he took the DVD box set from her. It was the first season of a murder mystery television series they'd been watching in the last year. "But, as you can probably hear, Feadri's got the TV right now. He's been watching cartoons all morning, and he'll probably keep it up for most of the afternoon. Besides, I need you for something else. Come with me."

Tyra started leading Sally up the stairs to his room, but his father showed up just at that moment and put his hands on his hips.

"Sally dear, do you want to stay for lunch?" he asked. "We have plenty of fat-free chicken. And Tyra, it's your turn to help me out in the kitchen. Don't forget it!"

Tyra rolled his eyes and came back down the couple of stairs he'd climbed up. "Yes, dad, whatever you say, dad." He trudged into the kitchen

"Well," said Sally, "I've already had lunch, but I'll definitely stay to watch you two bickering, and I'll probably steal a couple bites off somebody's plate."

Meanwhile, Tyra started scrounging around in the fridge for some sort of vegetable matter that he could fix as part of lunch.

He quickly found a nice head of lettuce that needed to be washed and cut. Without asking, Sally started to help him.

As Lissem went out of the kitchen to fetch something, Sally asked, "Well, what did you need me for, besides helping in the kitchen?"

"Picking out clothes," Tyra said softly as he rinsed the lettuce in the sink. "I'm taking a guy out to dinner tonight and" Tyra quickly slapped a damp hand over Sally's mouth just as she made a big gasp but before she made any louder noise, "and the family doesn't need to know about it, okay? I just want an opinion on the clothes, that's all."

The girl nodded, and Tyra pulled his hand away. He couldn't stop Sally from grinning broadly, however. "You really have a date? Then we'll have to shiny you up so that he'll be all dazzled!"

Tyra allowed himself a small, pleased smile as he shook the water out of the lettuce and put it on a cutting board for chopping. "Thanks. Knew I could count on you. Hey, by the way, it's that guy from last week. You know? The one Jerrik dared me to talk to."

"Really? Back then you said you wanted to see him again, but frankly I didn't believe you'd manage it. And, what's he like? What's his name? Come one, Tyra, tell me!" Sally begged.

"Elain," Tyra said, but he was prevented from saying anything further because Lissem reappeared with various leaves from the indoor herb garden he kept in the small sun room at the back of the house.

They three of them cooked lunch together in relative harmony, which was occasionally broken up by squabbles between Tyra and his father about who needed what utensil or what needed to be done. Sally set the table, and a short while later, they called Feadri in and had lunch together.

While they chatted about various things, Tyra could see how excited Sally was. She wiggled impatiently in her chair, anxious to hear the rest of his story.

After lunch, Tyra and Sally helped cleaning up, then they vanished into Tyra's room as fast as possible. The girl was practically bursting at the seams with curiosity and flopped down on her friend's bed. "And?"

"Aaand, I went back to the Velvet Shadow last night, found him, and asked him out. Somehow he agreed. I've got an excuse to get out of the house tonight, and I'm going to take him to Nica's Mixer. That's the story." Tyra went to his closet and started pulling out shirts and throwing them over his desk chair.

"And now you don't know what to wear, right? Nica's Mixer isn't the fanciest of places, so I'd keep it casual yet sexy." Sally got up and started to examine the growing pile of shirts. "What about the dark red long-sleeved one you brought two weeks ago? Some jeans without holes to go with it, and you'd be perfect."

"You're assuming I even have jeans without holes," Tyra quipped. Then he rummaged through his hanging clothes until he found the red one and pulled it out. He wiggled it in the air in front of Sally. "This one, you think?

"Yep," Sally agreed. "And do something about your hair, will you? It looks like a bird has made its nest in it."

Tyra ran a hand through his mussed hair. "Geez, it's not like I'm leaving right now! Besides, it's not my fault. Feadri did it, and I just haven't had a chance to fix it yet." Tyrallin kept the red shirt out and let it hang off the back of his desk chair, and he started putting the rest of the clothes away. "So how's your college hunt going? Made a decision yet?"

"No, not really. Truth be told, I wanted to wait until you've made a decision. I don't want to go alone. And, well, there's still the problem of me not getting any scholarships. Studying design still requires good grades at math." She made a face.

Tyrallin pondered that for a moment before replying. "You know I might not go anywhere that has a good design program, right? Shouldn't you be looking at which schools have a design program and professors you like? You know, you should be glad you at least have an idea of what to look for."

"I've been to several colleges already," she said. "And those in the vicinity of Valkyrie Falls all seem to have great design programs. I couldn't decide myself since everything looks so promising. And you? Any progress yet?"

Tyra shrugged. "I'm visiting Dalling this Tuesday afternoon. Still have to set up and appointment with Raylington. I got acceptance letters from other universities, too, but I'm not sure I should even bother with them. I might look at Thalridge, but that one's much farther away."

"Hm, tough decision. But you'll make the right one for sure." Sally playfully poked him in the ribs. "Now show me the hole-free jeans you have, loverboy."

Tyra went to his dresser, and Sally proceeded to help him find the most respectable pair of jeans he owned. After that, the two friends combined forces to boot Feadri off the couch and watch an episode off of the DVDs Sally had brought over. After the show, Sally went back home, and Tyra went upstairs to start getting ready for his date. He fixed his hair until it was perfect, brushed his teeth, and checked his appearance in the mirror on the back of his room's door. Then he picked up his favorite skateboard, said a brief hello to his sire as he arrived home, and headed out for the evening with high hopes and confidence.

~*~

Meanwhile, Elain was getting ready, too, but in a far less painstaking manner. He just put on a freshly pressed suit in an unobtrusive dark gray color instead of his usual black, combed his hair, and finally tucked his cell phone and wallet in his pocket.

Conroy had been a bit worried when Elain told him that he intended to go out alone, but that also meant that Elain hadn't done this in too long a time. And if he was being honest, then he would admit that he was really looking forward to this date. It was the first one in ages, and Elain almost felt as if it was his very first.

Five minutes before eight, he was standing outside the Velvet Shadow, a few meters away from the entrance so that none of the waiting guests would notice him.

Mere seconds later, a slightly banged-up car came around the next corner and stopped on the other side of the road. A young man with blond hair got out, and Elain recognized Tyrallin. He swiftly crossed the street.

Tyra greeted Elain with a smile. "Evening," he said as Elain approached, and he swiftly moved to the other side of the car to open the door for him. "Okay, it's not much of a golden chariot, but I promise it'll get us to the restaurant and back."

"I trust you not to risk my life on our first date," Elain replied dryly, hiding a smile. He got into the car and noticed the worn seats and scratched dashboard. But it wasn't so bad. Elain admitted that he was a bit spoiled, having his own limo and Conroy as his driver.

"You're right. Any life-risking events should be saved for the third or fourth date," Tyra replied, and then he closed the door for Elain and went back to the driver's seat. He put the car into gear and pulled out into traffic, heading for the west end of town. "You look really nice. I mean, I think you looked nice in the black, too, but the gray is an even better color for you."

Elain arched an elegant eyebrow at him, his old wariness of compliments returning. "Thank you. But I suppose you don't wear suits at all, do you?"

"Nah, not really," Tyra replied. "I'm pretty sure I own one. At least, I think I do. It's probably tucked away somewhere in a plastic bag, wondering whether I'm ever going to let it see the light of day again."

"Well, if your job allows you to wear casual clothing, all the better. So, where are we headed?" Elain asked. He did mean to ask Tyrallin about his occupation, but since Elain himself wasn't yet ready to talk about it, he didn't pursue this topic any further.

Tyra glanced briefly over at Elain before turning his eyes back to the road. "We're going to Nica's Mixer. Ever heard of it before?"

"No, not really. So you managed to surprise me." Elain smiled briefly. "What kind of food do they serve there?"

"Actually, that's the fun part. They have just about everything, with dozens of ingredients set out on a buffet. You put your meal together and hand it over to the chefs at the other end of the buffet with a little token telling them how you want it prepared, and then you have a seat and wait for your dinner to be brought to you. It's a great way to experiment and try new things. And their flatbread is really delicious. You'll have to try some."

That sounded interesting indeed. Elain was so used to tiny portions and endless menus that Tyrallin's idea seemed truly refreshing. "Do you go there often?"

"I've been there a few times, but it's been quite a while for me since the last time. I think we went for my dad's birthday last year. So it'll be a nice treat to go again. What're your favorite kinds of food?" Tyra asked.

"I like almost anything besides fast food. And I prefer low-fat food like chicken, vegetables, and the like. I make an exception for dessert, however."

Elain had quite a sweet tooth, but he rarely indulged it. And he wasn't one to talk about it, either. If Tyrallin continued to be observant, he'd find out soon enough.

"Well, since you're not picky, you won't have any problem at Nica's Mixer, then," Tyra said.

The two of them continued to chat about food and other inconsequential subjects for a while, and then they lapsed into a comfortable silence shortly before they arrived at the restaurant. When they finally arrived, Tyra parked the car and got out. He hurried around to open the car door for Elain, but Elain had already opened it, so he ended up just holding it for him and shutting it.

"Your evening repast awaits," Tyra said with a slight bow and a gesture toward the restaurant, though he ruined it with a grin.

Elain tried to hide a grin, but he was failing more and more. Tyrallin's high spirits truly were again infectious.

The restaurant was a nice place, not overly fancy, but decorated in light colors with fresh flowers and candles on every table. Elain noticed immediately that he was overdressed for the occasion — nobody was wearing a suit. The guests were mostly young couples and small families, and some of them were busy milling about the buffet and picking their food.

Tyrallin walked past the people who were sitting on benches and waiting for available seats. He went to the hostess at the front podium. "Hi there. I have reservations for two for Alwick," he said.

"Hi," she replied with a cheerful smile, and she quickly checked her seating chart and reservation list. She took two menus off the table behind her. "Right this way, please," she said, and she started leading them through the tables over to a row of high-stool, two-seat tables not far from where the chefs were gathered around in an area at the end of the buffet, cooking the meals out in the open where everyone could see.

"Please enjoy your meal," the hostess said. "Your server will be around to help you shortly." The hostess then headed back to the front of the restaurant, leaving them to their table.

Tyrallin pulled out one of the seats for Elain, and they both took their seats. "I hope this is okay," he said. "I asked them to get us a seat near the cooking action if it was possible. Part of the fun here is getting a chance to watch the chefs at work."

Elain nodded. "Indeed. It's nice to see a meal prepared for a change. This way one can be sure about its ingredients. I've tasted food in some so-called finer restaurants and was sure there were some things in there that didn't belong at all." He took up one of the menus and leafed through it. "I guess it's more interesting to just pick out the food that looks tasty?"

Tyra didn't bother with his menu. "The menu's a bit different here." He leaned forward on his elbows. "There are a couple of special items you have to order off the menu, but just about everything is made from the buffet. The menu is for choosing drinks and desserts mostly, but if you look, there are a bunch of little plastic recipe cards stuffed into those funny pockets. If you don't want to wing it at the buffet, just pick a recipe card and take it up with you and pick the ingredients it tells you." He picked up one of two little wooden sticks that were lying on the table. They both had the same number on them. "This is our table number. Put this in your bowl of ingredients so they know to bring it here." Tyra picked up a pen from the table and wrote his name on his stick.

"Very inventive," Elain remarked, taking the other stick and writing his name on it. "But I suppose I'll just take a look around and choose whatever seems tasty."

A moment later a young man with a notepad approached, smiling broadly at them. "Welcome to Nica's Mixer. What would you like to drink?"

"Just mineral water," Elain answered.

"Lime soda for me," Tyra said.

"Great, I'll get those right out for you. Now, you both know how the buffet works here, right?" Tyra murmured his agreement; he'd already done the explaining to Elain. "Well then, feel free to head up to the buffet and get started right away. If you need anything, my name's Michael."

The waiter departed, and Tyra got up from his high stool. "Shall we?"

Elain nodded and got up, too. Together they inspected the buffet, trying to choose between the seemingly endless variety of vegetables, meat, and accompaniments.

Against his usual eating habit, Elain put this and that in his bowl, curiously trying some sorts of fish he'd ever eaten before. But it was such a different situation form his usual visits at classy restaurants for business meetings, and he really began to enjoy it.

Tyra was quick and selective about his ingredient choices. When they reached the end of the buffet, they faced a long counter where the chefs could reach out and take their bowls.

"Here," Tyra said, pointing to a row of big, colorful square tokens. "You can use these tokens to tell the chefs how you want your ingredients prepared. Some of the tokens are also ways of asking for extra side items, like the flatbread, shrimp, and other things. Just check the label to see what a token means." Tyra picked out two square tokens and stuck them in his bowl, along with the wooden stick with his name on it. He left the bowl on the counter. "And we can just have a seat and wait."

Elain studied the tokens before he also chose two, among them the one for the much-acclaimed flatbread. After giving his bowl to the chefs, he followed Tyrallin back to their table.

"So, you go to a lot of fancy restaurants, huh? Is it business usually?" Tyra asked.

"Yes. I'm not one for going to restaurants for fun usually, but it seems I've always been in the wrong ones. It's really comfortable here," Elain admitted and smiled. "And if the food is as tasty as it looks, I'm content."

"Well, the food is always super fresh here," Tyra said, "but the combination really does depend on you. That's the one catch with this place. If you put raisins and salmon together, you might not be too happy with the end result. My brother tried that once and had the chefs make it into a soup. The taste was, well, pretty nasty."

"I can imagine that. So, you have a brother?"

Truth be told, Elain wasn't too fond of sharing private information so soon, so he usually avoided asking anything in this direction in the first place. But he admitted that he was curious. He was sure that Tyrallin's easygoing manner had a lot to do with a happy childhood and family.

"Yeah, I have a younger brother, Feadri," Tyra replied. "He's a rat, and he always seems to have a bunch of fun figuring out how to push my buttons, but I love him. He's really the darling of the family, and meanwhile I just have to keep an eye on him and keep scaring off any sleazy potential suitors that come sniffing around. And if I can't scare them off, sire definitely will." Tyra chuckled. He remembered when Blue Ridge High School had hosted a family picnic at the start of the school year as part of homecoming week. The persistent young sires who has been continuing to ogle Feadri had been quite intimidated when they'd seen Detrallin hanging around the picnic tables.

Just as Elain had thought. For a moment, he thought of his own brother, but he firmly pushed that memory away.

"That sounds like your sire is very concerned about your brother."

Tyra laughed softly. "Feadri's very pretty, so sire's within his rights to be cautious. Sire actually sat me down one evening and described to me, at length, the kind of guys I'm supposed to keep away from Feadri. He wanted to be sure we're on the same wavelength about it since I get to spend more time with Feadri than he does. Dad just thinks we're being paranoid." The server came then and put their drinks down in front of them, and Tyra took a sip of his soda. "What about you? What's your family like?"

Elain stiffened a bit, although he had expected that question. It was only natural.

"I don't know. I haven't spoken to them since I left home," he finally said, also taking a sip from his mineral water.

Tyra was taken aback. The idea of not speaking to his family for years was a completely foreign idea for him. He couldn't imagine that his dad would let him go for even two weeks without making contact. "Really? None of them? You don't have any siblings?"

Elain suppressed a sigh. He had started this, and lying to Tyrallin was out of the question. "I also have a brother, three years older than I am. He married shortly before I left home, and I don't even know where he lives now."

Tyrallin fiddled with his utensils. He badly wanted to ask more questions, but Elain didn't seem too pleased with this topic. "Feadri would tear out my hair if I stopped talking to him. We went on a family vacation once, a road trip, and just an hour after we left the house, Feadri and I started getting into a huge fight. Our parents nearly threw us out of the car. It ended with both of us swearing to never speak to each other again. That night, at the hotel, we stayed up for hours playing video games and talking."

"My brother and I were never that close. We stuck together, if necessary, but when he went to be bonded and left... I'm sorry, it's not a nice story and hardly something I should bother you with." Elain twisted his glass of water in his hands. It still hurt after all these years, but Elain was as much at fault as his brother, and he knew it.

"It's not a bother." Tyra briefly considered making some facetious statement to lighten the atmosphere and make Elain comfortable again, but this just didn't seem like the time for that. "I'd like to know, if you're willing to tell me, but I understand if you're not comfortable with that. You can always save the story for another time."

Elain managed a smile at this beautifully honest offer. Most people he knew would have tried to change the subject or prodded further with a compassionate manner, but Tyrallin was simply stating that they'd meet again for sure, and that Elain would confide in him sometime. Brazen, as always, but in a charming way.

"No, maybe I should talk about it, so you'll know the ugly truth about me up front," Elain replied, taking another sip of his water. "Although there isn't that much to tell. My family lived in some backwater place in Nandar, and my sire left when I was five years old. My father didn't have the healthiest of constitutions, so we needed the help of some relatives. They had no children and seemed glad to take care of my brother Nherin and I, but as we grew up, it turned out that they just hoped to marry us off to some of their acquaintances. Although Nherin was the older one, I always tried to look out for him. Our father was too weak to go against our relatives. He finally died shortly after my twentieth birthday. After his funeral, Nherin agreed to be bonded to one of the rich older sires our 'well-meaning' relatives had picked out. He wanted to live without worries, he told me. The day after his bonding ceremony, I packed my things and took off."

Tyra didn't reply immediately. He fiddled with his napkin for a moment, and then he looked Elain in the eyes and said, "I'm glad you left. I don't like thinking of you being bonded to someone you don't care for."

"No, me neither. It's just... maybe I should have tried harder to convince Nherin not to go along with our relatives' plans. But he was always the quieter, more demure one, a trait that's commonly most appreciated in lifebearers. I suppose I can't accuse him of wanting to have a wealthy bondmate and being content to raise children and look pretty." Elain's words sounded bitter.

At that moment, their waiter arrived and put their plates in front of them. Tyra took his napkin and put it in his lap. However, before he took his first bite, he picked up the thread of the conversation again. "If it's made him happy, then I suppose no, you really can't blame him. I'm not much of one for the demure, quiet types, but one of my cousins married a lifebearer a lot like what you describe, and they're pretty happy together." Tyra took a small bite of his food and washed it down with a sip of soda. "Do you know whether Nherin has had any children? Maybe you're an uncle."

"I don't now. As I said, I have neither seen him nor heard from him since. I may as well be a great-uncle already." Elain took up his fork and carefully tasted his food, but found it very much to his liking. "This is really good," he said, changing the subject.

Tyra took another bigger bite of his own meal. "Mm, mine's good, too, but I could have added even more almonds. I'll have to try something different on the second round and see if I can get that one right on the first attempt."

The heaviness of their conversation gone, they enjoyed their food, only commenting on some ingredients. Tyrallin and Elain went two more times to try other food combinations, albeit with much smaller portions on Elain's part. Tyrallin, he noted, was tucking in like a teenager.

They were just studying the menu for dessert when Elain noticed a couple coming in. The man was wearing an ill-fitted suit and was balding, and the woman's dress was two sizes too small for her full figure. Her hair was dyed in a bright red, and her face had clearly been lifted.

"Damn it," Elain muttered, recognizing them immediately. As the couple was talking to the hostess, he quickly muttered an apology and left for the restrooms.

Tyra blinked a few times in confusion after his dining companion left. He seemed to have run off for the restroom quite urgently. Perhaps something hadn't sat well in Elain's stomach? Tyra hoped not; he really didn't want to have to deal with the stigma of having made Elain sick on their first date.

Tyra waited quite a while, but when Elain didn't show up again, he started to worry. He finally got up and went to the restrooms to look after his companion.

To his relief, he found Elain leaning against the wall, arms crossed. He wasn't looking ill, but definitely disgruntled.

"Hey there, what's the matter?" Tyra asked with concern. "Are you okay? I didn't piss you off with something I said, did I?" He wanted to reach out and touch the other lashran's shoulders, his hand, something, just to make contact and establish a connection, but Elain was standing so stiffly that Tyra kept his hands to himself.

"No, it's not you," Elain answered to Tyrallin's relief. "Did you notice the human couple just coming in? I know them from the Velvet Shadow, and if they see me, the quiet evening will be ruined. I wanted to avoid that."

"No, I didn't notice them, but I believe you," Tyra admitted. He looked at Elain and pondered the problem for a few moments. He looked Elain over with a critical eye. "We just need to make sure that they don't see you, right? Here, take off your jacket."

"Do you think taking off my jacket will make me invisible? Or do you intend to stuff me in your pocket?" Elain was clearly skeptical.

Tyra let out a quick bark of laughter. "No, I'm not putting you in my pocket. I don't think you'd fit. We're just going to make you look less like your usual self. People know you to look a certain way, don't they? So we change your look, and you go back out there incognito." When Elain narrowed his eyes, Tyra held up his hands defensively. "Let's just give it a shot. It might work. Sometimes even people I know well don't recognize me when I leave my hair down. Come on, we have to get back out there before the waiter starts worrying that we skipped out on the check."

"Well, it may be worth a try. But we'd better pay the bill immediately and find some dessert elsewhere. I don't want to push my luck, even if they won't notice me," Elain answered.

Hesitantly he shrugged off his jacket and vest, feeling a bit naked without his usual layers. It cost him quite an effort to also open the first two buttons of his shirt collar. Now he really felt exposed.

Tyra tried his best not to ogle Elain, but he couldn't help letting his eyes rove across the other lashran's shoulders and chest, catching on that little spot where to buttons now lay open. He gave himself a mental shake to get focused again.

"We can do even better than that. Here, let me . . ." Tyra reached out slowly, bringing his hands up to Elain's face. Elain seemed startled and tried to pull back at first. "You can do without your glasses for just a short while, can't you?" Tyra asked. Without waiting for a reply, he reached forward again and gently took hold of the wire frames and oh-so-carefully lifted them off Elain's face. He folded the frames with a soft snick-snick and handed them to Elain. Then he slowly tucked Elain's bright hair behind his ears. Tyra smiled warmly. "There, that makes a big difference, don't you think?" He stepped back from Elain so that he could take a look in the bathroom mirrors.

Elain was so used to his normal appearance that it was indeed quite a surprise. With the glasses gone, his ears clearly visible, and without the jacket that made his shoulders look broader, nobody would mistake Elain for a sire. The cool, tough club owner was completely gone, leaving a very pretty lifebearer.

Elain furrowed his brows. If he ever needed a reminder about why he dressed the way he did, here it was.

"A big difference indeed. Let's hope it works," he said. He turned to face Tyrallin again and caught the young sire staring.

Tyra couldn't seem to keep his eyes from roving eagerly over Elain's face and figure. The way he was dressed now, he looked so much different, so much younger and more approachable. His eyes were softer and more appealing without the barrier of glass in front of them, his shoulders and chest were defined but still quite slender, and his ears . . . Tyra wanted to nip at the tips and outer rims and find out what they tasted like.

"Am I still cut off from kissing you because of that last one I stole?" Tyra asked with a hint of pleading in his voice.

That statement merited a set of raised eyebrows. "Let's get out of here before I decide to comment on that," Elain declared and turned to leave the restroom.

Back in the main room of the restaurant, he tried not to glance at the infamous couple that was now sitting at a table. The man was complaining about something to the waiter, so he and his wife weren't looking in Elain's direction. Nevertheless, he felt a lot of eyes on him as he crossed the room to their table.

Before they reached their table, Tyra noticed their waiter coming toward them. Tyra quickly got his attention. "Can I get our check, please?"

"Are you sure I can't interest you in a dessert tonight, folks?" the waiter asked with a big smile.

"Not tonight," said Tyra. Elain had taken his seat again, and Tyra noticed that the lifebearer seemed to be angling one way to avoid having his face showing to a certain portion of the room.

"I'll bring your check right out, then," said the waiter, and he hurried off.

Tyra slid into his seat. "Hey, so far so good. Just relax, act casual. We'll be out of here in a couple minutes, and then we'll be in the clear." Tyra took another swallow of his drink. "These people must be real pieces of work to have you so worried."

"Yes, they are." Elain took his glass of water and emptied it with one gulp. "They've been trying to get a membership at the club for years, and since a few weeks ago they're even banned from the first floor. It's always the same: The woman goes off flirting with another man or sire, and then her husband shows up, feigns outrage, and tries to provoke a brawl. They just do it for fun."

"Forests, I hope they don't have a litter. Some people need to keep their genes to themselves," Tyra said. Then he tilted his head thoughtfully. "You know, I've been trying to figure this out, and it's bugging me because I can't quite figure it out. You work at the Velvet Shadow, don't you?"

However, at that moment, the waiter arrived with their check. Before he could depart, Tyra said, "Hold on just a second." He checked the total and pulled some cash from his wallet and put it in the billfold and handed it over to the waiter. "Thanks, no change please."

"Have a good night!" replied the waiter, and he swiftly departed.

Tyra got up and stood in front of Elain, blocking the view of him from the angle he perceived to be the one Elain was trying to avoid. Tyra picked up Elain's suit jacket from the back of his chair and held it in one arm. With the other arm, he held out the crook of his elbow to the lifebearer. "Shall we? If I stay to the correct side of you, you'll hardly be visible."

That argument was sound, so Elain got up from his chair and took Tyrallin's arm. They crossed the room in an unhurried manner, passed the still-complaining couple, and headed for the door.

Outside, Elain allowed himself the luxury of taking a deep, relieved breath. "It really worked. Seems your good ideas aren't limited to the choice of restaurants."

Tyra didn't relinquish Elain's arm but instead proceeded to escort him to the car. "Damn, this means I've used up my maximum of two good ideas for the year, doesn't it?" He gave Elain a wry grin as he opened the car door for him.

"Let's hope not." Elain got into the car, immediately closing the buttons on his shirt again. When Tyra took place on the driver's seat, Elain had also pulled his hair over his ears like usual and put his glasses back on.

"Well, were should we go for dessert? I'm sure you have another good idea, Tyrallin," Elain said with a smile.

Tyra started the car and began heading for the dessert destination he had in mind. It was located only a half a mile down the street from Nica's Mixer. "Really? You're sure about that? Well, okay, maybe I have one good idea left for the year. You'll see."

Elain just smiled. Tyrallin's propositions for the evening had so far been impeccable, and he trusted the young sire to find a grand finale for their date.

They drove for a few minutes through the busy evening traffic, and finally Tyrallin parked his car at a little cafe in a strip of several shops.

Tyra got out and opened Elain's car door again and made a grand gesture toward the entrance. "The last stop on our tour tonight is Ground Floor and Patty's Pastries. They used to be two separate stores standing side by side, a coffee shop and a patisserie, but the owners decided to merge it a few years ago. I think I see a musician in there, too, so there's live music on the coffee shop side tonight. I didn't check ahead of time, so I'm not making any guarantees about the music quality."

They entered through one of the two doors that stood right next to each other. The café was divided very deliberately in two, with a clear line down the middle. To the left was the coffee shop side, decorated all in dark wooden tables and seats, a few overstuffed chairs, and a golden brown carpet. A guitarist sat on a stool in a corner, singing a slow song into a standing mic. On the right side of the store, the floor was tiled in blue and white squares, and the lights and colors were all brighter. The seats and stools were all white metal with an old-fashioned style. Several glass displays supported the counter on the right side, and they curled around the right wall to extend farther.

The café was busy but not overly crowded. Most people were gathered on the coffee shop side to be closer to the music.

Tyra smiled at Elain. "No matter what you order here, it's going to be good."

"I don't doubt it. And the music's quite nice," Elain answered, looking around. He liked the contrast between the two shop parts, and the little pastries and cakes the guests were enjoying looked very tasty.

Tyra lead the way toward the glass cases filled with pastries. "I'm going to get the small fruit medley tart and a chocolate éclair. If you decide you need to steal a bite off my plate, I promise to turn a blind eye." Tyra looked over the display, eyeing the sweets eagerly. The rows of finely decorated cakes and chocolates and flakey pastries proved to be a feast of visual pleasure for the eyes. "Do you have any idea what you want?"

"Something small, since those little things look quite filling," Elain decided, glancing at Tyrallin. The young sire had the look of a kid in front of a candy store. It was utterly adorable. "I think I'll try a cream puff with white chocolate for variety."

"Sounds good to me."

Tyra purchased the sweets and also got them each a bottle of water, and they claimed a table on the coffee shop side of the café. He used the provided utensils to divide his éclair and tart into quarters, and he looked up just in time to see Elain taking the first bite of his cream puff.

"So? How is it?" Tyra asked.

"Delicious. Would you like to try it?" And before Elain could stop himself, he offered a piece of his dessert to Tyrallin — in exactly the same manner he fed Velvet a morsel when she meowed at him.

Tyra hadn't been expecting that, but he seized the opportunity without hesitation. He leaned forward and delicately took the bite of pastry with his mouth. He deliberately didn't make any contact with Elain's fingers until he had taken the morsel, and then he gave the lifebearer's fingertips a quick peck with his lips.

He leaned back again in his chair and savored his treat before he spoke. "You're right. That is delicious."

Elain's fingertips tingled a bit with the echo of Tyrallin's touch, and he quickly withdrew. His instincts and feelings were more and more taking control, shutting off his reason. It was dangerous, he told himself, dangerous to be so careless. He barely knew this young sire, and there he was, on their first date, feeling like they had known each other for ages. Tyrallin's presence was warm and comforting, and even Elain's reserve when it came to casual touching was crumbling by the minute.

And worst of all, he liked Tyrallin's honest smile. He liked it very much.

Elain took a bite off his cream puff and tried not to be angry with himself. Maybe he was just sexually frustrated, falling to the charm of the first sire in ages who didn't seem be a self-centered bastard.

Or was it more? Elain wasn't ready to decide anything yet. The evening as far too nice to brood over this.

The two of them proceeded to enjoy their desserts, albeit without any more feeding. They chatted comfortably, and sometimes they simply sat together and listened to the peaceful music of the man singing and strumming his guitar. Before they knew it, the café employees declared that it was eleven o'clock and the place was closing. Tyra and Elain proceeded back to the car.

"I suppose that's it for the night," Tyra said as they walked out into the cold night air. "I'm afraid I don't know where to take you next, though. Back to your place or...?" he asked, not quite sure of himself.

"I think we should honor the old saying that one should leave off with an appetite. And you can drop my off at the Velvet Shadow again. I'm afraid I'm not the type who takes someone to his apartment after the first date," Elain said dryly, but his smile took the edge off his words.

"Of course! That is, I didn't mean, uh, right. Velvet Shadow!" Tyra darted ahead to unlock Elain's door and open it for him. "That's right; you must have left your car back there anyway." Elain got into the car, and Tyra closed the door behind him and then climbed into the driver's seat and pulled out of the parking lot. He started heading downtown.

Tyra darted a quick sidelong glance at his companion as he drove. "I really hope you're going to say we can do this again some time. You know, there are a whole lot more neat places I could take you to, and I can do my best to keep it as casual as you want it," he offered.

Elain nodded. "Yes, that would be nice. But I'd feel bad if you always take me out. Let me invite you next time. By the way, are you still interested in mixing drinks, or was it just an excuse?"

Tyra grinned widely. "Actually, both. I'm always interested in picking up new, useful skills like that, and I know I'll be able to use it in the future. At the same time, it sure was a handy way to convince you to see me again."

"That's an honest answer, and I appreciate that. Maybe I'll teach you 'sex on the beach' next time or a 'screaming orgasm,'" Elain answered, smirking. A little payback was in order.

Tyra felt his eyes widen. "A s-screaming orgasm? They really named a drink that?" Tyra glanced over at Elain, saw his refined features illuminated in the by street lamps and the red and green glow of street lights, noticed the mischievous glint in his eyes. He saw, and he wanted, but no matter how much he wanted, he knew he had to keep his cool with Elain or he'd lose any chance he had. The situation was maddening for the young sire. The challenge was exhilarating.

He knew he'd be taking a cold shower when he got home.

Thankfully, Elain kept quiet for the rest of the drive, but Tyra felt the lifebearer's gaze on him more than once. Finally they reached the Velvet Shadow, and Tyra parked his car on the opposite side of the road. As usual, the waiting people in front of the entrance had formed a long line.

Tyra opened the door for Elain again and tried to think of a good way to say goodbye. Just as he opened his mouth, his companion for the evening had grabbed him by the back of his neck, pulled him down, and kissed him. It was much less chaste than the kiss Tyra had stolen, but equally unhurried and gentle.

Tyra made a soft sound of surprise and delight, and he reached up to brush his thumb along Elain's jaw. He wanted to put his free hand around Elain's waist and pull him tight, but he didn't quite dare, so he settled for using it to tilt Elain's face up just a little bit more, and when Elain's lips parted just enough, Tyra slid his tongue out to take the briefest of tastes, the lightest of sips.

When the kiss ended, it was by mutual and silent agreement. Tyra caressed Elain's jaw one more time and then gave him a happy smile. "Goodnight," he said softly.

"Goodnight, Tyrallin. Thanks of the beautiful evening," Elain said, also smiling. In the warm red gleam of the club's lights, his cheeks seemed to glow with a slight blush, Tyra noticed.

Then Elain turned around and crossed the street, heading towards the Velvet Shadow. Despite not wearing his vest or jacket, he felt incredibly hot, like he had a fever. That tiny little kiss, meant to be a thankful gesture, had turned out to be proof that he was indeed incredibly depraved of physical contact — not to mention that Tyrallin was a very good kisser. But it had awoken a need Elain had tried very hard to forget over the years.

Tyra remained by his car, watching Elain's graceful walk across the street. He started wondering how soon would be acceptable for him to send Elain an email and ask when they could have their second date.

Tyra watched Elain to make sure he made it safely into the club. However, Elain didn't go to the front of the line and show off a membership ID as Tyra had expected. Instead, Elain went to a separate, smaller door, set far apart from the line and the main entrance. Elain swiped a card through a metal device and then slipped inside.

If Elain didn't work at the Velvet Shadow, Tyra would eat his skateboard.

To be continued...