DASHIELL
Sunday Afternoon
I stood in front of my perfectly arranged closet, heart beating a little faster than usual.
Today was our first official date night, and it was my turn to choose. I was excited, but also nervous. My brain kept running through possibilities, making sure everything would be just right.
I talked to the fish while I decided, my voice soft and focused.
"We're going to the planetarium tonight," I told the angelfish as they glided gracefully through the tank. "It's dark and quiet, with beautiful stars and constellations. I think you would like it if you could come. The lights are soft, not too bright. I already checked the schedule three times."
I pulled out a light blue button-up shirt, held it up, then shook my head.
"No… too formal. It's supposed to be relaxed."
I put it back and took out a soft cream-colored sweater instead.
"This one feels nicer. Not too tight, not too loose." I held it against my chest, then nodded. "Yes. This is better."
I paired it with dark jeans and my favorite comfortable sneakers. The outfit was casual but neat. I looked at myself in the mirror for a long moment, adjusting the sleeves until they sat perfectly.
I turned back to the aquarium.
"Do I look okay?" I asked the fish seriously. "I want it to be a good date. Not too much pressure. Just… nice."
The angelfish swam closer to the glass, almost like they were listening. I smiled a little.
"Thank you."
I dropped a tiny extra pinch of food into the tank as a treat.
"Wish me luck. I hope I don't talk too much about constellations."
I was just fixing my hair one last time when the door to my room opened.
I turned around.
Alexander was leaning against the doorframe, tall and powerful, wearing a fitted black shirt and black slacks, the shirt stretched across his broad chest, sleeves rolled up to his forearms, showing off those prominent veins. He looked… devastating.
My breath caught for a second.
"Alexander," I said, direct but a little shy. "You look very handsome."
He stared at me for a long moment, eyes dark and intense. Then the corner of his mouth twitched.
"I don't think we can go," he said calmly. "I have something else to do."
I froze.
My foot started rubbing against my ankle immediately. My fingers tapped rapidly against my thigh.
"What?" I asked, voice rising with genuine shock. "But it's Sunday. Our date night. I planned it. The planetarium show starts at seven. I already bought the tickets online and chose the seats in the middle row where it's not too loud. You can't just… "
Alexander's lips curved into a slow smirk.
I narrowed my eyes, realizing.
"You're teasing me," I said, pointing at him accusingly. "That is not funny. I was excited. I talked to the fish about it. I picked my clothes very carefully. You are a mean psychopath."
He let out a low, amused chuckle and pushed off the doorframe, walking toward me with that predatory grace.
"It was a joke, my little anomaly," he murmured, pulling me into his arms. He pressed his nose against the side of my neck, inhaling deeply. "You smell so good. Like my soap and your own skin. I could eat you."
I shivered, cheeks warming, but I still lightly smacked his chest.
"You scared me for a second. I thought you were going to cancel. That would have been very bad for my nervous system."
Alexander kissed the spot just below my ear, voice low and rough.
"I would never cancel on you."
He pulled back just enough to look at me, eyes dark with something hungry and soft at the same time.
"You look beautiful," he said simply.
I flushed and looked down at my outfit, adjusting the hem of the sweater.
"It's just normal clothes. But thank you."
He took my hand, intertwining our fingers.
"Ready for your date?"
I nodded, squeezing his hand.
"Yes. But if you tease me again, I'm making you sort puzzle pieces for an hour when we get back."
Alexander laughed softly, the sound warm and rare.
"Deal."
The planetarium was perfect.
It wasn't too crowded, and the lights in the lobby were soft and warm, not the harsh white I hated. Alexander kept his hand on the small of my back as we walked in, steady and warm. I bounced lightly on my toes the whole way, excitement bubbling in my chest even as my fingers tapped against my thigh.
When we reached the entrance to the main dome theater, I turned to him.
"I chose the 7 PM show," I told him seriously. "It's called 'Wonders of the Cosmos.' It has nebulae, black holes, and the Orion constellation. I read the reviews. The narrator has a calm voice. Not too loud."
Alexander's lips twitched in that tiny almost-smile he sometimes gave me.
"Lead the way, Doctor."
We were seated in the middle row, exactly where I wanted not too close to the front (too overwhelming) and not too far back. The seats were comfortable and reclined slightly. The lights dimmed slowly until the entire dome above us turned into a deep, velvety black sky filled with thousands of twinkling stars.
I let out a soft, happy breath and leaned back, eyes wide.
"Look," I whispered, pointing up even though he could obviously see it. "That's the Milky Way and there that bright one is Sirius. The dog star."
Alexander turned his head to look at me instead of the ceiling. His hand found mine in the dark and held it, thumb stroking slowly over my knuckles.
I kept talking quietly, hyperfocused on the show.
"The narrator said the light from some of these stars takes thousands of years to reach us. So we're seeing the past. That's… really interesting. Don't you think?"
He squeezed my hand.
"Very interesting," he murmured, but his eyes were still on me.
Halfway through the show, when the dome filled with swirling galaxies and the music swelled softly, Alexander leaned over. His lips brushed my ear.
"You're more beautiful than anything up there," he whispered.
My cheeks burned. I turned to look at him, our faces very close in the dark.
"You're not even watching the stars," I whispered back, half-scolding, half-flustered.
"I'm watching something better."
His hand slid to my thigh, squeezing possessively. I shivered and glanced around quickly. The theater was dark, and our seats were in a relatively private spot. No one was paying attention to us.
"Alexander…" I warned softly, but I didn't move his hand away.
He smirked and leaned in, pressing a slow, deep kiss to my neck, hidden by the darkness. His hand stroked higher up my thigh.
"You're lucky I'm being good," he murmured against my skin. "Because I really want to pull you onto my lap right now."
I let out a tiny, embarrassed sound and tapped my fingers rapidly against his wrist.
"We're in public. Behave."
He chuckled softly, the sound brushing against my neck. His hand remained on my thigh for the rest of the show, warm, heavy, and unmoving, as though he'd made a decision and saw no reason to revisit it.
When the lights slowly came back on at the end, I felt relaxed for the first time in days. My brain was quiet.
The stars had helped.
I turned to Alexander with a small, genuine smile.
"Thank you for coming with me. Did you like it?"
He looked at me for a long moment, his attention fixed entirely on me.
"I liked watching you enjoy it," he said simply. "That was better than any stars."
My face warmed again. I stood up, bouncing lightly on my toes as we left the theater.
"Can we get ice cream on the way home?" I asked hopefully. "There's a place nearby that has mango sorbet. It's very smooth, not too sweet."
Alexander took my hand, intertwining our fingers.
"Whatever you want, little anomaly."
I smiled wider, swinging our hands a little as we walked out into the cool evening air.
This was a good first date.
Even if my terrifying husband spent most of it staring at me instead of the universe.