Shiny Demon

The Slow Farewell of Sinking

He was feeling much less confident about the eyeliner when he arrived at the date location. It felt out of place in the lush greenery he'd been driven to. A grassy area lined with vibrant trees, a river, and complete with a picturesque waterfall.

A petite brunette was perched on a picnic blanket on the bank of the river, facing away from him. There was a wine bottle and some glasses set out in front of her. When she heard the car door slam, she startled and stood up to greet him.

His breath caught as he got a good look at her. There was no denying that she was exceptionally beautiful. She pinned him with her dark eyes and a come-hither expression. Brown waves flowed over her bronze shoulders. She wore a sky blue top that seemed to magically float around her without actually clinging on to any part of her body. Her full lips curled into a smile as he approached.

She immediately wrapped him in a warm hug when they reached each other. Instead of pulling away when he would have judged to be appropriate, she held him tighter and massaged her fingers into his back. It felt good and uncomfortable at the same time.

"Yasmin?" he said when she finally released him.

"It's nice to finally meet you," she said in a silky voice with the hint of an accent he couldn't place. "I was just enjoying this magnificent scenery. Won't you join me?" They sat down on the blanket, the wine and glasses between them. Not knowing what else to do, he grabbed the wine bottle and poured them each a glass. She watched him with an amused expression.

When he handed her the glass she held up her hand and shook her head. "Oh, no thank you. I find alcohol muddies my senses and I like to keep a clear and open mind."

"Oh okay," he said as he set both wine glasses in front of him. He considered not drinking either but decided he wasn't as concerned with keeping a clear and open mind, so he took a sip from his glass.

Luckily, she didn't seem to mind. In fact, she gave him an approving nod. "I like your eyeliner."

"Oh thanks! That was Stevie's idea. She thought you'd like it." He touched his hand to his face. He could still feel Stevie's fingertips against his skin. "I feel a bit silly wearing makeup, though."

She stared into his eyes for a long moment, her expression friendly, but hard to read. "Stevie was right."

Her long, unencumbered stares were simultaneously arousing and unnerving. He gave a nervous laugh. "So what's your story? What do you do?"

She tilted her head and gave him a mysterious smile. "I do a lot of things."

When she didn't volunteer any more information he asked, "Well, like, what do you do for a living?"

"That's a bit transient right now. Have you ever heard of the band, Enchanted Husband?"

"That rings a bell. I think I've seen it come in on a shortlist at some point."

She nodded slowly, closing her eyes. "I played bass for them."

"Oh, that's cool. Stevie plays bass too."

"She mentioned that on our date."

"Oh right. You just went on a date with her. How did it go?" A flash of the soft way she'd looked at him before leaving for her date intruded into his mind.

A wrinkle formed between her brows but otherwise her face remained relaxed. "I'd rather focus on this date."

"Of course." He took another long sip of his wine. He didn't know why he kept bringing up Stevie. "So you're not with your band anymore?"