Dashing Devil Omnibus 1: Books 1-3, page 121
“J-just a moment,” Tinker’s voice came to him over speakers hidden somewhere in the doorframe.
Boyd took a step back so as not to be right in front of the door when it opened and waited. A moment later, the door opened to reveal his date. Tinker looked so radiant he wondered if he’d underdressed. Boyd had put a little effort into styling his longer than usual hair, but she—or more likely his other lovers—had obviously pulled out all the stops.
Tinker’s hair had several small braids woven into it that held the rest of it in an intricate style. The updo kept her hair out of her face while framing her doll like features perfectly. Someone had applied a light dusting of makeup to her cheeks and around her eyes. There was nothing excessive; it was just enough to accentuate her naturally pretty features.
Tinker was also in the first dress he’d seen her wear. It was, of course, pink—this time a gentle pale tone that worked well with her skin and hair coloring. Soft looking fabric covered her shoulders, but it had a sweetheart neckline that was tasteful but still a little showy. The waist was fitted, and it draped over her hips. One leg was displayed from the mid-thigh down, but the other was covered to the ankle by an asymmetrical skirt.
She’d accessorized a little, with a simple silver chain that sparkled around her neck and silver earrings. Looking closer, he noted they were pink gemstone studs with thin silver chains dangling from them. Spiked open toe heels a pink a few shades darker than her dress graced Tinker’s feet. Her lips and nails were painted pink, as well—a shade of pink somewhere between the dress and the heels.
“Good evening, Tinker, you look beautiful.” Boyd smiled warmly once he had taken her in.
“It’s not too much, is it?” Tinker asked, looking down at herself and picking at the skirt, before looking back up at him shyly.
“No, you look amazing, but I hope you are comfortable,” Boyd responded, hoping to thread the needle with the reply.
They were effectively staying home for a date, so dressing up was really optional in his opinion. At the same time, he understood the concept of placing value in your own physical appearance and the confidence that could be built through it. Dressing up would boost Tinker’s confidence and how she felt about herself.
“I wouldn’t want to go on a hike in these heels, but the dress is surprisingly comfortable,” Tinker replied, swishing said dress back and forth. “But… you like it? Really?”
“I do,” Boyd assured her with a smile. “Shall we?” He offered her his arm, keeping it mostly extended so she wouldn’t have to reach up. He could sense Silvie and Raev’s reactions to their conversation although he could not see them in the room beyond. He assumed the others were back there too, somewhere.
Tinker stepped up and fiddled with various grips until she found a comfortable way to take his arm. Her arm wrapped under the end of his forearm and her hand rested on his wrist. Pleasantly warm fingers sent little tingles up Boyd’s arm as they shifted slightly. He turned to guide her back to his room where dinner was prepared to be cooked.
“I still have to cook dinner, but it shouldn’t take long if you are hungry,” Boyd explained as he took carefully measured steps to match her pace.
“Oh, good. I’m a little too nervous to eat right away,” Tinker said with a slightly awkward laugh.
“You have nothing to be nervous about,” Boyd assured her. “I’m sure me saying so doesn’t help, though. So I’ll also say that you don’t have to worry about saying or doing the wrong thing and scaring me off.”
“No, I know.” Tinker sighed. “I’ve seen your profile, remember? I get that you are like perfect and so non-judgmental and so many other things that mean I shouldn’t be nervous… but all that makes me even more nervous, you know?”
Tinker frowned, before shaking her head. “No, of course you don’t know because you’re so confident you probably never get nervous for no good reason.”
Boyd chuckled, thinking back to the day before. “‘I should face this alone,’” he quoted himself dramatically.
“What?” Tinker gasped, which made Boyd consider what he had said and the context he was in.
“Oh, no,” he said quickly. “Sorry. That was terrible, and also proof that I am nowhere remotely close to perfect.”
He chuckled good naturedly. “Yesterday, before I met with Mindy, I was incredibly nervous. I didn’t really have a good reason to be. She was obviously meeting with me willingly, and Silvie wouldn’t let me face something terrible without a warning. I was still so scared that when Silvie offered to go in with me, that was my reply.”
“Really?” Tinker’s reply contained more skepticism than a single word should be able to convey.
“I mean, can you really blame me?” Boyd chuckled.
It was funny in hindsight, but at the time it had been a nightmare scenario he didn’t fully understand. He’d been missing quite a bit of information. And to be honest, he was holding the slightest bit of a grudge against Silvie for not preparing him better. He should probably let it go.
‘Oh, hush, you…’ Mindy sent. ‘Such a little shit.’
Boyd couldn’t help the chuckle that escaped, but it fit with what he was about to say so he didn’t feel a need to apologize—to Tinker, or to Mindy.
“Mindy can do a lot to someone’s head,” he explained, “and I had a false memory of the last time we’d been together of her telling me I’d violated her. Even if she wasn’t pissed enough to mess with my mind, it would have been an awkward encounter.”
“See? You weren’t needlessly worried like I am, then,” Tinker pointed out as they entered the first of his rooms. They weren’t walking quickly as neither of them were in a hurry.
Boyd wondered if some wine might help settle Tinker’s nerves. “I suppose I had a valid reason to be nervous, but it was because I was misinformed… which is probably the case with you, too.” Boyd smiled down at his diminutive companion.
“What do you mean?” Tinker’s lips quivered into a small smile, seemingly in response to his own.
“You are likely under the impression that I might still reject you if the date doesn’t go well, that I’ll push you into the friend zone or send you away,” Boyd responded carefully. He found it best to be prudent when you were voicing other people’s fears.
Tinker nodded her response, her small smile fading into a little frown.
“Then you are the one who is misinformed,” Boyd said. “Well, mistaken is probably a better word.”
“What do you mean?” Tinker asked as they entered the smaller living area meant for when Boyd wished to be alone with someone for a time.
It was just off of the larger living area in the suite Silvie called his ‘medium bedroom’—the one with the sunken couch and bar. A short hall separated the larger from the smaller living areas in Boyd’s private rooms.
He’d taken the time to set out some long burning candles and a variety of snacks. He planned to bring the drinks and hot snacks out at the appropriate time. There was a fireplace with ever-burning logs which would burn without smoke until extinguished; one of the planet's gifts to humanity.
Tinker took a moment to survey the room as they entered. Boyd had set out some blankets and small pillows to ensure they could get comfortable during the movie. She was intelligent enough to understand that he’d put thought and effort into the date, but not quite socially aware enough to put together what it meant in this scenario—or maybe she just thought he was the type to go through the motions, even if he wasn’t interested.
Boyd continued to guide her to the kitchen and its attached dining area, where he had wine chilling and a small antipasto platter set out for an appetizer while he cooked. He went with Pinot Noir because something fruity was recommended with the recipe he was using. He was paying close attention to their young Bond, so he noticed the strange fluttery sensation of excitement that went through her as she took in the set up.
“Oh... that’s what you mean.” She almost breathed the simple word before muttering the rest of the sentence to herself.
“There you go,” Boyd responded as he guided her over to the table, pulling out her chair for her. He’d adjusted it ahead of time and was pleased to find his estimate to be correct as he slid her into place.
“You thought I might send you away,” he rumbled softly as he poured her a glass of wine, “but the reality is that I am going to do everything I have to in order to pull you in closer.”
“Why?” she asked just as softly as her ‘oh’. “What changed in… two days? Initially you hesitated even to accept the date.”
“A lot of things.” Boyd decided to sit with her for a moment before beginning to cook. This wasn’t a conversation where he should be distracted from focusing exclusively on his date.
After pouring himself a glass and taking a sip, he continued, “The false memory they gave me about Mindy’s rejection was partially responsible for my aversion to Enhancing women. With that gone, it is easier to consider. I’m less emotionally invested in the possibility of my Power forcing a reaction that isn’t a true reflection of how any woman I am interested in might feel, so it is easier to be logical.
“I was also under something like a compulsion that made the interfering with free will aspect of my Power revolting to me.” He paused, coughing awkwardly into his hand. “That is still an issue for me, I never want to Enhance a woman who doesn’t fully understand the implications. I expect I may still hesitate when the time comes, but I cannot accept that refusing a woman completely doesn’t likewise deny a woman her free will.”
Boyd took another sip of his wine. He had no intention of getting either one of them drunk, but Tinker would have a better time if she relaxed a little.
“So… you weren't interested because The Authority had messed with your head?” Tinker asked in the moment he paused to take a sip.
“I was never not interested,” Boyd chucked. “I was interested in you the moment we met. It wasn’t what I would call a romantic interest, at first, although I will admit there was a great deal of physical attraction from the very beginning. As much as you say I could fall for any woman and don’t really have a type, that simply isn’t true. You’re the one who helped me learn that I have at least one condition.”
Boyd paused for effect, taking another sip. He had her rapt attention, and now that he was ensuring he put his all into wooing her, he knew how to capitalize on it.
“What’s your one condition?” she asked when her curiosity finally got the better of her.
“They have to be fighters,” Boyd replied with a smile and a one shoulder shrug. He knew he was displaying confidence and leading the conversation because she preferred it that way. “Once you showed me you are a fighter, I became very interested, very quickly.”
“But…” Tinker pouted, and while it looked a little sad it was also very fetching. “I’m not a fighter. I’m a coward and have no instincts for it. I hate fighting. If that’s your condition, then I’m a terrible match. Oh no, wait, this doesn’t…”
Boyd held up a hand to gently cut her off, knowing that continuing the thought did her no good. “A fighter isn’t someone who enjoys or has to be good at combat. It’s just someone who is willing to fight when they need to—when they have a good enough reason to fight.”
“But that’s still not me,” Tinker cut in.
“What are you talking about?” Boyd gave her a gentle smile, “You proved you’re a fighter yesterday, and that I’m someone you think is worth fighting for. You tried to take on Silvie, one of the most powerful S-ranked heroes, of all people. Silvie, who is now as Powerful as freaking Omega Ray. You did the tests that demonstrated that yourself.”
“Yeah,” Tinker murmured softly, “I did those tests.”
“It would have been easy to run away, to get to safety and then send some help. But you stayed and you fought to free me. From your perspective, you were going into the same level of a fight that I did when I was saving Silvie from Omega Ray. That meant a lot—enough that I very much want to make you mine.”
He stopped and gestured to all the preparations he’d made for their date. “It’s now my goal to make you sure that you want to be mine.”
“Re-really?” Tinker asked as her fragile smile came back. “This is a real, romantic date and not just a team member date?”
“Yes, this is a real date,” Boyd confirmed with a nod and smile. “I would like to get to know you and to confirm that we are compatible, but I have a very real interest in you as a potential lover and a strong physical attraction to your beautiful self.”
“Oh… okay. Well, what would you like to know? I feel like I have an unfair advantage because I read the fairly exhaustive profile Silvie gave me several times,” Tinker replied. Her fragile smile became much steadier, blooming into an ecstatic expression that transformed her doll-like features into something breathtaking.
“Let me start cooking,” Boyd replied, “and we’ll talk. It will take a little time and I’m sure the smell will wake up your appetite.”
After she’d settled a bit, he figured he could multitask. The recipe wasn’t all that complex and most of the involved parts had been taken care of in prepping the meal. He just needed to make sure he occasionally made eye contact and was an active listener.
“Let’s start with any friends you might want to tell me about,” Boyd said.
“Oh, there is one I’ve stayed in touch with…” Tinker began to tell Boyd a little more about herself.
Chapter 47
Dinner had gone splendidly. Either Tinker was being exceedingly complimentary, or the bar on the best Carbonara she’d had previously was pretty low. She insisted that his was already the best she could imagine. Boyd decided to take it as a challenge to do better next time, but at least he had a new base recipe.
If he was being honest, it was much better than his previous renditions. He’d added Pecorino Romano to his usual Parmesan, which was an improvement. The thick cubes of the bacon were better than the crumbled pre-sliced bacon he normally used. This recipe also called for an egg yolk to whole egg ratio of three to one and a dash of heavy cream to make it just a little richer. It was certainly a good starting point.
Boyd had served her a smaller portion than he’d initially planned, now that he’d observed her eating less than average to match her size. While he previously didn’t want to assume, he knew people regularly preferred to clear their plates and some even found being served portions too large to eat intimidating. There was a side of grilled zucchini that came out okay. It wasn’t a meal to his preferences, but it was quite good.
He'd topped it off with fudgy cookies he’d found a recipe for when looking up something to do with the egg whites the Carbonara recipe left behind. It was simple, which was good because he rarely baked. He’d correctly predicted that Tinker wouldn’t want dessert right after dinner, anyway, and thought the cookies were a good idea because they could be picked at while they watched the movie.
“So, what are we going to be watching?” Boyd asked as he collected the plates from dinner.
Tinker had relaxed quite a bit over the course of the meal, partially thanks to the wine and partially because Boyd had cheated, using their Bond to learn which topics to ask further about and which to shift away from.
She’d opened up about her interests and experiences. Tinker had never had a lot of friends, but there was a girl she knew from her schooling she still exchanged messages with. She had, of course, done extremely well in school, but apparently people with mental Powers were discounted in academia and she’d run into some push back from both her teachers and her peers. Tinker was also regularly mistaken for a Changed and had some problems there, too.
Tinker shied away from topics abut family, and it didn’t feel like a place Boyd should push—at least not now. Her interests ran along the lines of her profession. She liked inventing things and staying up to date on the most recent developments in science and technology.
Her preference in entertainment was science fiction, although she said that all the good stuff was from Old Earth. Apparently traveling the stars and having Powers had stunted the creation of new material once vids had started being produced again.
“Well, Raev recommended one, but now that I’m here and with how the night has gone, I think I’ve changed my mind,” Tinker responded, shifting in her seat as Boyd felt a spike of nervousness run through her across their Bond. “The one I’m thinking of now is one of my favorites, but it was considered older… even by Old Earth standards.”
“If you like it, I’m sure it’s good… regardless of its age. What is it?” Boyd rumbled as he finished putting the dishes into the dishwasher. He also judged that Tinker wouldn’t be hungry for a while, so decided against bringing out the warm snacks. They would just get cold, and frankly, he had probably gone overboard as it was.
“It’s called Star Wars,” Tinker said, her rapid, staccato way of talking when she was nervous making a reappearance. “Specifically, A New Hope. It’s a story about a boy who goes on an adventure in space to fight an evil empire. It has coming of age elements and all the classic hero stuff. He becomes a space knight with a laser sword called a lightsaber.
“I’ve tried to figure out how to make one a few times, but I can’t get the power supply right. The movie is really good, but it was made before they really figured out computers, so the special effects are limited—but that’s part of why it's so good. I want to show it to you, but I’m worried you aren’t going to like it, so I was going to wait until later. But after tonight… I don’t know, it just feels right.”
She ended her long explanation with a gasp for breath, having somehow gotten through her explanation without inhaling once. Boyd made sure he caught and understood the rather passionate explanation before responding. This had the benefit of allowing Tinker to take a moment to catch her breath.
“Well, it certainly sounds interesting, and I’m of the opinion that a good story is more important than special effects. Let’s watch it. I’m sure I’ll like it,” Boyd replied as he approached and helped her down from her seat and escorted her to the couch, making a second trip for their glasses and bottle of wine. They were still on the first bottle.
