“I thought my family’s line had ended,” Hari said. “Two generations and no Dragons, or Dragon-compatible women… We were, as you must understand, very distressed.” She smiled. “But then we were blessed, when our Yume tested positive. She is the hope we had thought lost.”
The conversation ended as Yume walked into the room, resplendent in a dark green A-line dress and delicate pearl earrings dripping from her earlobes. Seph stood, smiling in appreciation. “You look even more beautiful in person,” he told her, as he moved forward to greet her with a peck on the cheek. He breathed in the scent of her jasmine perfume as he pulled away. Feminine and delicate, like a flower, he thought. Just like Mother had been. Father would approve.
They took their leave of Yume’s parents. Seph escorted Yume to his car and opened the passenger door for her. As he walked around to the driver’s side, he thought he could feel something tickling at the edge of his empathy, a sense of sadness. It grew stronger as he sat beside Yume, driving to the five-star restaurant he had chosen for their first date after finding out she loved French cuisine. Seph frowned, concerned, and glanced over at her. Yume sat quietly, staring out the window. Carefully, Seph lowered his mental barriers only to raise them quickly to protect himself from the waves of grief washing across from Yume’s side of the car. “Yume? Is everything all right?”
She looked at him, but her smile did not reach her dark eyes. “I’m fine,” she said.
Seph could hear the lie in her voice. This is why you’re a good counselor, he told himself. It’s why Drew is a good lawyer, and how Mal knows how to please a crowd at a concert, and how Vann knows which women are eager to be seduced. But by that same token, it also told Seph that he could not proceed with this date until he got to the bottom of this unspoken problem. Sighing, he pulled off the highway, found a place to park on a side street, and turned off the engine.
Yume looked around. “Where are we?” she asked, confused.
“We need to talk,” Seph said, cutting right to the chase. He shifted in the seat and looked at Yume. “I know something’s troubling you, Yume. I can sense that you’re sad and even scared. To me, that’s not a good way to start any relationship. I want you to feel safe with me – safe enough to be honest and tell me what’s on your mind.” He offered a smile. “Now. Why don’t you tell me what’s really going on? Why are you unhappy? Is it me? Are you disappointed to find that you were matched with someone ten years older than you? Had you hoped for a Dragon of Eastern descent?”
“No, no!” Yume hastened to say, shaking her head. “Age and race mean nothing to me; it’s not that.” She smiled. “In fact, I thought you were very handsome the moment I saw your picture. You were my first choice of the matches I was given.”
“Well, thank you,” Seph said. “I’ll take that as a compliment.” He reached over and touched her shoulder. “But there is something bothering you. I can feel it. What is it? Tell me. Maybe I can help.”
She looked down at her hands in her lap, pale hands wrapped around her clutch purse. Finally, she said, “I’m not ready.”
“For what?” Seph asked.
“For this,” Yume replied, motioning between them. “I wanted to go to college, but my parents wanted me to find a mate. All my life, they have never let me forget that I am ‘the promise for the future,’ that I will ‘bring honor and Dragons back to the family.’” She grimaced and looked down again. “I don’t have a problem with having a Dragon husband. I had just always hoped I would find someone on my own. Not through a dating service…and not until I was ready.”
Where have I heard that, before? Seph wondered dryly. He and his brothers had been given a deadline to find wives; they could not take their time and meet someone naturally, but instead had to grab the first possible mate to come along. Why should I force this woman into a relationship when I’m just as opposed to the idea as she is? “You want to marry for love, not to please your parents,” Seph said. He nodded. “I understand. More than you know.”
She sniffled and wiped at her cheeks with her fingertips; Seph could see tears before she whisked them away. “So, what do we do?” Yume asked. “I don’t want to disappoint you. You seemed so kind in your video.”
Seph smiled. “Thank you,” he said. He draped a wrist over the top of the steering wheel. “As for what we should do?” Reaching for the key, he turned it and started the engine again. “I think we should go out to dinner as planned, and just enjoy each other’s company. It’s not every day I get to take a beautiful lady out to eat.”
Yume responded with a soft laugh. “Okay,” she said. “That would be nice.”
“Great.” Feeling better for having found out the reason for Yume’s apprehension, Seph became determined to show her a good time – not as a date, but as a friend. They continued to the restaurant where he had made reservations. They shared warm conversation over good food and fine wine. Seph checked his watch. “The night’s still young,” he said. “Would you like me to take you home, or would you like to go somewhere else?”
“What did you have in mind?” she asked, running her fingertip around the lip of her now empty glass.
Seph shrugged. “Well, it’s a little cold outside or I’d suggest a walk in the park along the riverfront,” he said. He raised an eyebrow at her while lifting his own glass to his lips to drain the last of his wine. “Is there anything you would like to do?”
“There’s an art exhibit at a small gallery,” Yume said. “I know it’s open until midnight. Is that something you would be interested in seeing?”
“I am always interested in art,” Seph replied, smiling. He signaled the waiter to bring the check and pulled out his wallet. Leaving enough to cover the bill and a generous tip, he stood and offered his hand to Yume. “Shall we?”
The gallery was located in the Old Town district, nestled in amongst boutiques and trendy bars. Seph and Yume took their time wandering around, looking at the work on display. At one point, she stood close to him. He could feel the heat of her body and smell her scent – not just the jasmine but something else, a unique aroma that only Dragons could detect. He had caught a hint of it earlier when they first met but now it seemed stronger. It could be the wine, or maybe the fact that she had grown more relaxed over the course of the evening as they talked and laughed and got better acquainted. We were matched up for a reason, he thought, and slipped his arm around her. His hand drifted across the back of her neck, his thumb stroking the silky black hair at the base of her skull. She leaned into his side. When she looked up at him, he saw his own growing need reflected in her eyes.
The next thing Seph knew, they were in his car in the parking lot behind the gallery, locked in a passionate kiss. His hand roamed over her small breasts through her dress. He worked her panties down before hauling her over to straddle his lap in the bucket seat. She dug her fingers into his shoulders, her mouth opened in a big ‘O’ as she sank down onto his cock. Tight and wet, she still managed to take his entire Dragon prick deep into her. Seph wrapped his arms around her waist and pressed his face in the crook of her neck as she rode him. Her little gasping cries filled the car. Yume slapped a palm against the ceiling and rocked her hips in frantic jerks. She didn’t want a mate – she wanted to mate. Seph had no problem with that, all too happy to fulfill their physical needs.
He managed to hold back his own release, even as he felt her contract around him. Seph gave her a chance to let her orgasm pass before lifting her off him and setting her in the passenger seat. He took himself in hand to finish only to find Yume bowing her head over him. He felt her fingers stroking his length and her mouth sealing around the tip. Seph groaned. He carded through her short hair and rubbed her back as she sucked him to completion.
She sat up and kissed him afterward. They fixed their clothes, trading coy smiles. They both knew that nothing more would come of this. As good as it had been, and as much as he respected her right to have sex without commitment, he would not push her into a long-term rel
ationship simply because they had compatibility, and certainly not because of pressure from either of their parents.
As they pulled up in front of her house, Yume turned to Seph. “I had a good time,” she said. She reached up to cup his cheek. “Thank you so much for understanding. I feel you and I could be good friends.”
“That would be nice.” He took her hand and pressed a kiss into her palm, then held onto her fingers as he smiled at her. “Don’t let yourself be pushed into something you don’t want. Get your education. Find someone to love. There’s plenty of time.” He felt like a hypocrite for saying it, knowing he could not follow his own advice, but he still felt that Yume needed to hear it.
“I will,” she said. Opening the door, she got out. “Good night, Seph.”
“Good night, Yume.”
Seph waited until she had gone inside the house before putting the car into gear and driving away. Two prospects down. Well, they say three’s a charm. As he made his way home to his apartment, he thought about what Asha had said to him. Maybe I should take her up on that offer to work for her. He smiled to himself. I might like having an attractive woman like her, bossing me around. That thought surprised him. Yes, he had noticed her curvaceous beauty, and the times he had met with her he found he liked her personality.
Perhaps what he needed was a woman like Asha.
Chapter Five
Seph checked his watch before craning his neck to look at the sign on the digital display on the wall with the number ‘54’ in red glowing lights. He sighed. Six more customers waited ahead of him at the deli counter, many of them last-minute shoppers purchasing cheese trays for their Thanksgiving feasts tomorrow. He knew going near any store the day before a major holiday meant throwing himself into a sea of chaos. He had given his secretary and himself a five-day weekend; she would be spending that time with her family in Maryland. Seph, on the other hand, looked forward to a few days alone at his apartment, catching up on some reading and watching a few football games, with a case of imported beer he had picked up earlier.
“Well, if it isn’t my greatest challenge,” a familiar voice said from behind him. Startled from his internal musings, Seph turned around to see Asha Hamilton standing there. She wore a purple wool coat trimmed in silver faux fur and a pair of black high-heeled boots; plucking at the fingers of her black suede gloves, she treated Seph to a friendly smile. “How are you doing, Mr. Vovin? I haven’t seen you in my office in over a week – weren’t you supposed to meet someone new from the list?”
“We had to postpone it,” he replied, returning her smile. “She had to attend a meeting at the university where she teaches. We rescheduled for next week.”
“That’s good,” Asha said, nodding. “I hope this one works out for you.”
“So do I,” he said. He found himself appreciating the way her lipstick matched her coat but in a darker shade, making her mouth look like ripe berries.
From the counter, he heard someone call out, “Now serving fifty-five!” and the line advanced by a couple of feet.
“So, big day tomorrow for you?” Asha asked.
“Ah, no,” Seph confessed. “Father was from England, so he never really got into the American traditions of Thanksgiving. We make up for it by getting together for Christmas. My turkey dinner tomorrow will be in the form of sandwiches.” He nodded to the display cases. “They have a really good smoked turkey breast, here, but I’m also partial to the Black Forest ham.”
“All right, stop,” Asha said, holding up a hand. She looked Seph right in the eye. “You mean to tell me you plan to spend Thanksgiving eating sandwiches? Are you going to be alone, as well?”
He shrugged. “Well…yeah…”
“Oh, no,” she said, shaking her head. “Mm-mm. No.” Pulling her purse around, she opened it and pulled out her phone. “I don’t know what kind of family you come from, Mr. Vovin, but as for me? I come from one that believes no one should be alone on any of the major holidays.” She tapped at the screen, her French tips clicking gently against the glass. “I’ve got your contact information, so I’m going to send you the address and directions to my aunt’s house – that’s where we’re all getting together tomorrow for dinner.”
Seph blinked in surprise and laughed. “Hang on,” he said. “You don’t have to do that.”
She raised an eyebrow at him. “And why not?”
“Well, for one thing, your family doesn’t even know me,” Seph said. “I’m a complete stranger to them.”
Asha rolled her eyes. “Please,” she said, and waved her phone. “One year, my uncle invited some roofers working on his neighbor’s garage when he found out not one of them had anywhere to go for Thanksgiving.” She flicked her hand at Seph in a dismissive manner. “Do not worry about it. You’ll be there as my guest. I’ll introduce you to everyone, and then you won’t be a stranger anymore. Simple as that.”
Seph had to admire her ability to take control of any situation. He had always liked strong women. He also liked the way Asha would sigh and shake her head at him every time he came in to say his dates didn’t work out, wagging a finger while calling him her ‘problem child.’ “What if I can’t make it?” he asked. “I mean, what if I have…other plans?”
She leveled a stern gaze on him. “Do you have any other plans?” she asked, point-blank.
Seph rubbed the back of his neck with one hand. “No,” he admitted, “but I meant in case something comes up. Would you be upset if I had to cancel?”
“Only if it’s a legitimate reason,” she replied. “Look – your family aside —when was the last time you did anything special for Thanksgiving? I’m talking in the last five to ten years. Be honest, now, because I can always tell when someone is feeding me a line; it’s part of my job.”
He chuckled and looked down at the toes of his own boots. “Um…never,” he said. He buried his hands in the pockets of his fleece-lined coat and shook his head. “I always just saw it as a time to be alone.”
“Well, you’d better start changing that way of looking at it,” Asha told him. “What are you going to do if you find yourself a mate who considers this one of the most important days of the whole year? Think of dinner with my family as a practice run for what you can expect, if your future wife believes in Thanksgiving celebrations.”
He chuckled. “All right, all right,” he said, raising his arms in surrender. “I’ll come to your aunt’s house for dinner.”
“Now serving fifty-six!” the man at the counter called out.
“Perfect,” Asha said, beaming with triumph. “We usually sit down to eat around three o’clock, but I’d recommend arriving around 1PM. That will give you an opportunity to meet everyone, have some cider and hors d’oeuvres – and grab a good seat for the big feast.”
“Sounds good,” Seph said. “So, what should I bring?”
“Just your appetite,” Asha said. She nodded to the counter. “Now, do you still need to be in line? Because if you’re coming to my aunt’s, there’s going to be more than enough food to take home, afterward.”
Seph pulled out the ticket with his number on it and eyed it thoughtfully. “I suppose not,” he said. He held the slip of paper out to Asha. “Did you need to get something? Because you can take my place in line, if you like.”
“Oh, no,” she said. “I was just passing by when I saw you in here, so I decided to come and hassle you. It’s the least I can do, for all the grief you’ve been causing me in trying to find you a partner!” She gave him a playful smile to go with her teasing wink. “I do have to get back to running my errands, now, though.” She turned to go, waving at him over her shoulder. “See you tomorrow, Mr. Vovin!”
“Seph!” he called after her. She stopped and looked back at him. He smiled and motioned to himself. “Please – you can call me ‘Seph.’”
“All right.” Asha smiled. “See you tomorrow…Seph.”
Well, this should be interesting, Seph thought, as he left the deli and made his way back
to his apartment building. He decided to forego a cab and make the twenty-block journey on foot. As he walked, he breathed in the scents of the city, the exhaust from the cars and the hint of impending snow that hung heavy on the air. He contemplated Asha’s invitation – no, her insistence – to attend her family’s Thanksgiving get-together, and whether it was appropriate to engage in personal gatherings with someone he paid for professional services. I would never dream of asking my clients to come home with me for drinks and backgammon.
Seph had to chastise himself. Asha is a very different kind of person, he thought. She’s forthright in her approach to all things, from the business she runs to her personal life. Despite Asha’s usual cool, sassy exterior, Seph liked that inside her ample bosom beat a kind, generous heart. He smiled. Guess I’ve got a reason to give thanks, tomorrow.
He pulled out his phone and found the text message Asha had sent him about dinner, along with the address to her aunt’s house. She said I didn’t have to bring anything, he thought. But that’s not how I was raised. A Vovin always arrives with a gift for his host when he pays a visit.
The next day, Seph took a taxi out to a charming suburban neighborhood in The Heights. He picked at a piece of lint on his wool trousers. Asha had neglected to tell him the dress code, so he opted for a charcoal suit with a plum-colored shirt and silver-gray necktie. He paid the driver and got out, taking with him the case of imported beer and a bottle of chardonnay from the Vovin Clan vineyards located upstate. Asha’s uncle sounded like the kind of man who would appreciate a good brew; Seph figured the women would be more partial to the wine.
An older black man with receding gray hair and a smoky mustache answered the door, dressed in a bulky knit sweater and khaki slacks. “You must be Asha’s friend, Seph,” he said. “I’m her uncle, Harold. Come on, in. What have you got, there? Here, let me help you with that.” He took the beer from Seph, freeing his hand for a firm clasp and shake.
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