that led toward his bedroom. The gentle closing of the door solidified his departure.
Kate stood still for a moment and then rushed outside into the summer heat. Forgetting about her dad, she turned toward Adriana’s house and ran. She couldn’t turn back now, and with a renewed confidence from her father, she was ready.
Ten minutes later, Kate knocked on the door. Donovan answered it and let her inside, his sandy hair disheveled like he had just rolled out of bed. He waved to her as she hastily ran up the stairs toward Rico’s bedroom, or what she hoped was Rico’s bedroom.
When Kate got there, she straightened out her disheveled clothes before knocking on the door, twice. Rico opened it almost immediately, shirtless and handsome. His eyebrows furrowed when he saw her, but Kate could tell he was pleased.
Rico’s room was absolutely perfect. The walls were stark white; paintings and sketches hung along the walls in clusters, almost as if his room was an art gallery. The most beautiful painting hung over his large bed. It was an angel in prayer, bent over a stream, his beautiful white wings unfurled. A laptop sat on a maple desk in the corner, playing soft music. A matching maple dresser sat on the wall adjacent to it, an empty picture frame and vase sat on top of it.
“I didn’t know you liked flowers and angels,” Kate said.
Rico laughed and tousled his hair. “Human religions sometimes depict demons as fallen angels. It’s nice to pretend that it’s true. And the vase has never had flowers in it.”
“Oh,” Kate said, suddenly nervous. Now that she stood here, she was beginning to have second thoughts. Being this brave wasn’t really as great as it sounded; vulnerability didn’t really seem to have its quirks. Neither did moments like this, moments where one stood frozen and unable to speak, unable to think concrete thoughts. Kate was beginning to think that moments like this were torture.
And then Rico’s voice broke through the silence. It filled her with a renewed sense of purpose. Her heart calmed as he spoke. “Why are you here? Is something the matter?”
“No,” Kate answered. She breathed in deeply, wondering how she would start this. She turned to face Rico directly and crossed her fingers behind her back, hoping that it wouldn’t jinx or ruin what she was about to say. Rico watched her cautiously, so she began with the first thing that came to her mind. “I was cleaning my room earlier and found Pride and Prejudice. I saw the page where you underlined and wrote the quotes. I got dressed and ran over here.”
“I did that the other night,” Rico said. A small smile moved across his full lips. “I thought about what you said about body and soul. I remembered the quote when I read the other one. They made me think of you.”
The next questions tumbled from Kate’s lips effortlessly. “Is that when you decided that you couldn’t stop your feelings? That you couldn’t pretend?”
“It was,” Rico said. He moved closer to Kate, and she could feel her heartbeat slow down. She wasn’t nervous anymore. Not one bit.
“I came here,” she started to say.
“I know why you came here,” Rico finished. “I think, though, that we need to go on a date. We need to try to make this as normal as possible for you. I want it to be like that for you. Is that okay?”
Kate nodded.
“Then, would you, Kate, please accompany me on a surprise date?” His question was soft, serious, and Kate could tell that he was a little nervous. She knew that he didn’t do this. He didn’t go around dating humans all the time; she would have known from his actions and words and comments. But Rico sounded like a boy asking a girl out for the very first time. It was sweet, endearing.
When Kate didn’t answer, Rico raised an eyebrow. He offered a shy smile but didn’t say anything to her.
Kate swallowed and shook her head to erase the dizziness and all-consuming thoughts. “Yes,” she whispered. Then, with more confidence, she added, “I would love to.” The next second was a mixture of emotions - Rico was actually asking her out! Kate began to feel her knees wobble with the reality that it was really happening, and yet, a surge of confidence roared through her veins with the news. So this was what they were describing in all those books she read.
Rico chuckled. “Why don’t you go upstairs and hang out with Adriana while I get ready for today?”
Kate smiled a smile that she instantly hated because she knew she looked goofy and left the room. She practically floated upstairs. All the while she thought about Rico, and how he was such a gentleman. She liked knowing that he cared about making their relationship as normal as possible and respected the fact that he didn’t just rush into telling her about his feelings. Rico was taking this seriously and, like he did with most things, he was going to make sure that he did this right. And Kate liked that. A whole lot.
When Kate reached Adriana’s door, she knocked, that same goofy smile plastered to her face. When Adriana opened the door and saw Kate, she pulled her into the room and slammed the door. “What?” she asked curiously. “Did Rico kiss you?”
“No,” Kate breathed; she couldn’t even imagine how that would make her feel. But instead of dwelling on it, she told Adriana what was going on. “I was wondering if you could do my makeup while he gets ready. But,” she warned, “I want to look like myself today.”
Adriana smiled and moved toward the all-glass vanity in the corner of her room. “Of course you do, honey. Come and sit down over here,” she said as she began to pull brushes and colors from the drawers.
Minutes later, Kate walked downstairs. Her curls were perfect spirals that bounced when she walked. Her eyes had on a thin layer of navy eyeliner, bringing out the hints of blue that she and Adriana loved so much. Her long, dark lashes framed her grey eyes. She looked like herself, but an enhanced version, and seeing Rico standing there, waiting by the stairwell, made her feel like the most beautiful version of herself.
From the bottom of the stairs, Rico could feel his heartbeat quicken when he saw Kate. He wondered, briefly, what a human would feel in this situation. He wished he could feel it too, the emotions that came with moments like this, but knew that if he had been born human, he would never have met Kate. He would rather know her. He would rather spend mere minutes with her than none at all.
Kate pulled in a deep breath when she reached the bottom step. She looked up into Rico’s calm eyes, glad that Adriana and Donovan were kind enough to let them share this moment together, alone.
“You look much better this time,” Rico said as he pushed Kate’s curls behind her ear. His raven hair fell into his eyes. Kate was tempted to push it away, but Rico shook his head slightly, moving it out of the way.
Kate looked at Rico. His hair was nearly dry and was beginning to curl at the edges, the way it always did. He wore a grey, v-neck shirt that was worn over dark jeans. He had on his usual Converse sneakers, and Kate wondered if he ever wore nicer shoes, like boat shoes or dress shoes. She’d have to ask him at some point.
“You ready for your surprise now?” Rico’s voice was a soft caress, low and husky. His eyes roamed Kate’s face, landing on her glossy mouth, which was now being bitten self-consciously. Rico moved his gaze, fixing it back on Kate’s grey eyes.
Kate nodded and the couple walked outside, Kate’s hand brushing Rico’s as she walked alongside him. She was tempted to take his hand in hers, but knew that he might pull away. So she resisted, not wanting to be too embarrassed on her first real date.
Rico walked around to open his red door for Kate, and she slipped inside the cool, leather interior. He got in on the other side, turned the car on, and pulled out of the driveway, driving away from their many problems. Rico drove for a while and Kate grew more curious as time went by. They talked, though, so she was never left in an awkward silence. When they arrived, she wasn’t too surprised to see that they ended up in Ybor City, the cigar district near downtown Tampa. The small side streets and alleyways made driving difficult but Rico was an expert, and he maneuvered his vehicle with ease. All around them, people stared and gawked a
t the expensive car.
Rico began to slow down, and he eventually pulled down a side street and parked his car. After getting out, he opened the door for Kate again and tossed some coins into the meter before pressing his hand against her back just long enough to steer her in the right direction. The pair walked down Seventh Avenue. Kate stared at all of the clubs, bars, and restaurants, taking in the unique blend of cultures of the historic city.
After a short walk, Rico stopped in front of a small restaurant. The exterior was made of brick and there were two tables that sat on either side of the door. Kate looked through a window and saw a friendly looking man making crepes. She looked up at the sign; it said La Creperia Café, the Bistro and Espresso Bar. She and Rico stepped inside the small, eclectic interior and sat down at a table made for two on the left hand side. A beautiful waitress walked around the counter and handed them menus. The pair took a moment to look it over, Kate flipping back and forth, finding it hard to decide. Rico looked like he knew what he wanted within moments.
“What do you want?” Rico asked Kate a couple minutes later.
“I’m not sure. They all look delicious.” she exclaimed. She looked up, unsure of what kind of meal to get.
Rico chuckled and shook his head. Leaning across the table, he pulled the menu from