Dragon Girl, Melissa Nichols [ebook reader computer txt] 📗

and thick, his claws sharp and ready for battle, scales as red as blood. He's on guard, and ready to pounce at anything that comes too close to his family, even a rabbit. And even as he returns his mate's affection tenderly, he keeps his eyes trained on their surroundings while his mate watches the offspring. They make a wonderful pair, each attuned to the other's movements and thoughts while they watch for any danger.

 

The hatchlings have too much fun playing to notice their parents. A small blue female chases a butterfly as it flutters on the breeze. Meanwhile, her older sister practices her stalking skills on a vigilant squirrel. In the center of the scene, two hatchlings tumble together in a play fight. One of them is a dark green female, and the other is a golden male. They fascinate me, and I add a halo of light to showcase them. I could sense that this scene is important, but I couldn't figure out why.

 

The end of the day finally comes, and I drag my feet on the way home. I didn't want to get to the house and see my family's faces. But I would have to grin and bear it again, as usual. Besides, tonight I have a date with Ryan. I need to do my chores and get ready!

 

Buoyed by the reminder, I run the short distance to the house and notice that only one of the four cars is not in its spot; Dad's. Great, he's not home yet. I want to avoid that creep most.

 

I unlock the door and step in, immediately knowing that the house is empty. All the scents are stale, and there isn't a single sound in the house; not even breathing.

 

"That's weird." I mutter as I walk into the kitchen. Taped to the counter, white against black granite, is a note.

 

The four of us are at a business event. Get your chores done then you can do what you want. My mother's handwriting is nearly illegible, scrawled in her hastiness. On the next paragraph, she has a detailed list of the chores she expects me to do. I curse as I calculate how much time each task would take me.

 

"Awesome!" I mutter apathetically, plugging my phone into the nearby wall charger and adjust the settings; screen light fully down, ringer on, music volume to maximum and connect it to the Bluetooth system built into the house. I put on the most bass-driven song that never fails to get me pumped. With that playing loud and clear from every room in the house, I breeze through my chores.

 

I've given myself a deadline of about four hours, and I meet it with half an hour to spare, leaving me time to pamper myself during my shower.

 

With a sigh of relief, I make quick adjustments to my schedule as I send a text off to Ryan with the time I want him to be there, and my recommendation on what he should wear to the restaurant. As I make my way upstairs to my bathroom, I review the day's events; I'd gotten through another day of school, finished all my chores, my boyfriend and I are going on a date for the first time in months, my endorphins are high and I'm feeling good about what tonight holds in store.

 

After my shower, I easily pick out my dress; a bright green v-neck, sleeveless dress with a black sash around my waist, and black lace layered over the green fabric. Black flats complete the outfit. But I hesitate when I open my bathing suit drawer. I never leave the house without one on, but could I risk it tonight? I'm not expecting to go for a flight, but anything could happen. I decide that I could at least wear the black bikini so it would fit with the dress' design and stay out of sight.

 

With my bikini and dress on and my hair styled, I turn to my make up. I keep things simple; just the basic powders, a hint of mascara, and a green and gray smoky eye effect to bring the elegant and classy element my outfit needs.

 

Ryan shows up at my door while I double check my list. I see him pull into my driveway and rush out to meet him.

 

"Hey, hun!" I greet him as I slide into the tiny two-door sedan and reach over to give him a kiss.

 

"I like how you say hello." He whispers, teasing. I chuckle and nudge him with my elbow.

 

"Come on, we have to get going. The last show is at ten."

 

"Okay, okay." He replies as he backs out of the driveway. "So, where are we going for dinner?"

 

"Reggie's?"

 

"That explains the clothes." He mutters as we drive down the street, heading for the freeway.

 

"You said anywhere, and this is our first chance to celebrate our second anniversary. But if you want to go somewhere else -"

 

"Nope! No, I said anywhere, and I meant it. Reggie's it is."

 

"Thank you, babe!" I lean over again to give him a kiss on his cheek as he maneuvers us onto the freeway. "This is going to be a great night, I can feel it."

 

After fifteen minutes of turning up the radio and singing our hearts out, we finally pull into the parking lot that dwarfed the high school's. Valets wait outside the front door, wearing white dress shirts and black dress pants and fresh black sneakers. Meanwhile, customers in their best outfits parade through the door. Knowing the wait would be almost too long for my stomach to handle, I get out to get our names on the list while Ryan waits in the valet line - which is just as long of a wait as the one I face.

 

Inside, the hostess is fast at taking names, so it doesn't take as long as I thought to get my name on the list. And just as I go outside to find a wall to sit on, Ryan comes strolling towards me. And boy does he look good!

 

His medium-length blond hair is lightly moussed and carefully combed in a way that made it neat, but that'd turn into a sexy tossed look if I run my fingers through it. He wears a shamrock-green vest, making his green eyes pop against his hair, over top a white dress shirt. His sleeves are tight against his arms, pronouncing the muscles he usually tries to hide. His pants and shoes are a stark white, giving a beautiful contrast to the vest.

 

I smile and rush to greet him, wrapping my arms around him and planting a chaste but heated kiss on his lips.

 

 

Usually, I have trouble displaying affection - even for my boyfriend - when I'm out in public. I just feel too watched and judged. But tonight, I don't care. There' s something wondrous in the air, giving it a zing and promises of infinite possibilities. I didn't care about what the strangers might say.

It isn't just my desire to drain my boyfriend's wallet for one night that drove me to Reggie's. This was the place where he and I had first met, during the summer of my transition into high school. He had just gotten a job as a busboy, and they hired me 'under the table' to wash the dishes during service hours, and then I cleaned the rest of the place after service. It was a summer of grueling hard work, but there were other students, including Jazz, so I didn't have the full burden. And the hours were great, fitting a creature of the night like myself who had nothing on her summer planner except working.

 

Actually, its the same schedule after my third summer. By now, they know who I am, and how hard I work. This year, I was the most senior teenager so I got to be in charge, and enjoyed a pay raise of about ten silver as compared to my first summer.

 

Since we both had open schedules until the fall, mine and Ryan's shifts overlapped several times a week. I had noticed him right away, since he was the oldest and hottest of the teenagers on that shift. It took a few more weeks for him to notice me, the girl who stuck to herself and seemed to blend into every shadow. Our moment of fate didn't come for several weeks.

 

I had dropped a plate in the dining room after service, and he rushed over to help me. His hand grazed mine as we reached for a broken piece, we looked into each other's eyes, the world fell away and the rest is history.

 

On our days off, Ryan and I would stay in town, sitting in the park and talking, and we'd talk after-hours while I did my cleaning even though he was losing sleep. The three months of summer passed by in a dizzying and thrilling blur. By the time school began, I had a boyfriend and a great story to tell my children someday. I imagined then, and I continued to imagine today, that those children would be Ryan's.

"Josephine, party of two, your table is ready. Josephine, party of two." A hostess on the loudspeaker calls, drawing our attention. Ryan and I break apart and move towards the door. We both smile and I entwine my arm with his, then he settles his hand over mine.

 

"You look beautiful." Ryan whispers, earning him a smile and another kiss.

 

"Thank you. You look wonderful, too. You should dress up more often."

 

They show us into the dining room and to a corner booth that balanced perfectly between candlelight and darkness. In true gentlemen fashion, Ryan waits for me to slide in and orders both our drinks and entrees. My preferred dish hasn't changed in all this time, so he knew what I wanted and how I liked it. I enjoyed his gentlemanly manners; they showed me he truly cared, and it gave me another excuse to soak in the image before me.

 

"So, two years, huh? Wow." He whispers once the waitress is gone, shaking his head as he slides next to me.

 

"Yep. I was going into freshman year that summer."

 

"You were so timid, and you kept your face hidden behind your hair. You reminded me of a beaten puppy."

 

"I guess I wasn't one of the happiest souls back then."

 

"I'm glad that changed. Everyone should be happy as we are. Heck, if I could, I would wipe the world of unhappiness. But I can't, so I'm just going to make do."

 

"Well, you've already done the world good by helping me break out of my shell, and you helped our friends when they were down. You inspired them to look on the bright side of things, to work hard for what they want. All of us are who we are now because of you, and I don't know where we'd be without you. I know that I wouldn't be in a good place." Ryan blushes at my sincere words and rubs the back of his neck nervously, ducking his chin towards his chest.

 

"I don't know about all that. All I know is that you changed into a beautiful, confident, independent young woman and I couldn't be prouder of you."

 

Now it's my turn to blush, and I hide it by drawing my boyfriend in for a kiss.

 

The food eventually arrives and our meal is dominated by a silence fraught with wordless flirting and stolen glances. It's a sharp contrast against our usual tactics, but it's no less thrilling. Being dressed up the way I am, and with the mood I'm in, I decide a bit of flirting and using my feminine charms is exactly what we need to start our second year off right.

 

When dinner's over, Ryan and I lay in silence in his car, finding ourselves with extra time before the show. Ryan takes out two stashed pillows and stretches on the back seat, and then I settle on his chest. He puts one arm propped against his