BK 5 - Chapter 35 - The Perfect Gift
Raylee saw how nervous Dexter was as they walked to the food court in the mall. She wondered about that weird electric feeling when they touched. She'd never felt that before, and it seemed to be more than just static electricity. It was like a shot to her heart. She had just turned eighteen, but with her focus on gaming, men always saw her more as a friend than girlfriend material. She was okay with that. However, looking at Dexter, she wondered what it would be like to be his girlfriend. She could already picture them up late at night designing a game together.
"Is this okay? I'm not much of a coffee drinker." Dexter asked, pointing toward Jamba Juice. Raylee laughed.
"Yeah, me neither, but it seems like that's what people say when they want to talk to someone." Dexter smiled as they walked up to the counter.
"I'll have an Aloha Pineapple smoothie," Raylee told the girl behind the counter. Dexter turned to her in surprise.
"I'll have the same. That's my favorite." He said as they walked to the end of the counter to wait.
"Mine too. So, what are you doing at the mall with us mere mortals?" She asked, leaning against the wall.
"I'm here looking for a gift for my grandma. She turns one hundred tomorrow." Dexter said as he paid for their smoothies, and they walked to one of the small tables.
"Wow, that's an incredible milestone. You're just now getting a gift?" Raylee asked, sipping her drink. Dexter's face turned a little red.
"Yeah, I tend to spend so much time on the computer I lose track of time. I honestly don't know what to get her. I don't want to get her something cheesy. We have a huge family, and I want to get her something no one else will give her." He said, looking down at his drink. Raylee wondered what it was like to have a big family. She was raised by her elderly aunt, who didn't know what to do with her. So, she was mostly on her own. Her aunt had died a few months ago from lung cancer. As outgoing as she was, Raylee didn't let too many people get close to her.
"Can I help you look for something?" She asked Dexter. He looked up at her in surprise.
"You'd be willing to do that? You don't have a boyfriend or someone you need to get home to?" He asked, fidgeting with his drink.
"Nope, it's just me, and I live at the dorms at Sacramento State. It's winter break right now, so there's not too many people there other than those like me who have no family to go home to." Raylee smiled slightly, but Daxter could see the pain in her eyes.
"If you help me find her a gift, then you have to come to the party tomorrow. If you want to, that is." He stumbled over his words as he spoke. Was he being too forward? He needed to see if she was interested in him at all before he told her he was a vampire and wanted to bite into her neck to make her one, too.
"You want me to go to your grandma's birthday party? Are you sure that will be okay? I don't think your girlfriend will like you inviting another girl to a family party." Raylee desperately wanted to go, but not if she had to see another woman hanging all over Dexter. He may not be hers, but she could at least pretend he was if he wasn't seeing anyone else.
"I don't have a girlfriend. I've never had one. Most women think I'm too much of a nerd to be bothered with me. Besides, my family believes that there's one person for each of us, and we'll know it when we find them." Dexter looked away, scared to see her laugh. When she didn't say anything, he turned back toward her, and she was looking down at the table.
"That's beautiful. So you're waiting for the one woman you're meant to be with." Raylee replied sadly. She knew there was no way he was talking about her. It was his way of telling her she wasn't good enough.
"Raylee." She looked up, and he smiled. "You're the first person I've ever invited to meet my family."
"Oh." She wanted to ask more but was too chicken to say anything else. They finished their smoothies in silence and began walking around the mall.
"So, do you have any ideas what I should buy someone that's a century old?" Dexter asked, trying to break the awkwardness. Raylee suddenly stopped and pulled him over to a small walkway leading to the restrooms. She stopped when they were away from the other shoppers.
"Okay, I'm just going to come out and say it. I like you, Dexter. I really like you. I don't know why I feel hurt whenever I think of you with someone else, like the perfect woman you're waiting for, but I do. I don't know why it feels like I got a jolt from jumper cables when you touch me, but it does. I just know that I like you, and I want to know if you like me, too." Raylee had never admitted her feelings to anyone, and she felt raw.
Dexter didn't know what to say. Should he tell her now? No, there were too many people around. What should he do? When he saw the tears in her eyes, he realized he had to do something big because she thought he didn't feel the same. He'd never kissed anyone, but he thought now was a good time to give it a shot. After all, she did say she liked him. He raised his hand to brush her short blonde hair out of her face.
"I like you too." Raylee's eyes widened, but he leaned down to kiss her before she could say anything. She'd never been kissed, and based on how he wasn't moving his mouth, she didn't believe he had either. They both chuckled slightly and then started moving their mouths together. Raylee wrapped her arms around his neck, and Dexter put his hands on her waist. It wasn't a deep, open-mouth kiss, but it still left them both breathless.
"Well, I'm glad we got that out of the way. Let's go find that present." Raylee said, grabbing his hand. When she felt the shock again, she giggled.
"Will you tell me why that happens when we touch?" She asked him.
"When we're done, would you like to have dinner with me so we can talk?" Dexter felt more comfortable around Raylee than anyone he'd ever met. She was into gaming like him and had never dated anyone. To him, that meant they were perfect for each other on top of being mates. Would she agree?
"Sure, that would be great. It will be my first official date." Raylee looked down at her jeans and T-shirt.
"I hope you like pizza because it's my favorite food. I could eat it every day." Dexter said dreamily. Raylee laughed. She was definitely dressed appropriately for pizza.
"That's my favorite too. What kinds of things is your grandma into? Does she knit or sew?" Raylee asked. Dexter shook his head.
"No, she helps our family run the group homes we own for abused children and women. She started the one for women. She's a therapist but no longer practices. She's one of the kindest, sweetest women you will ever meet. My Grandpa Roger died before I was born. They had been married for a long time. Family is the most important thing to her." Dexter smiled, thinking of his Grandma Valerie.
"I've got it. Do you have pictures of everyone on your phone?" Raylee asked him excitedly.
"Yeah, why?" She didn't answer as she pulled him into a photoshop.
"Let's print the best pictures you have of everyone and make it into a large mural. Phone pictures are the best because they show the person's true character and not a phony smile. What do you think?" Raylee looked up at him with a smile. Dexter leaned down and kissed her quickly. He was getting the hang of that.
"I think I'm falling in love with you." He said and then closed his eyes with embarrassment. The words were out before he could stop them. They were true, but he knew he shouldn't have said them.
"Let's see where dinner goes before we get to words of endearment, Mr. Gaming Genius." Raylee turned so he wouldn't see how happy what he said had made her. Dexter pulled out his phone and put his arm around her.
"Smile," He said as he snapped a selfie. He took a few of them.
"Okay, show me the pictures of your family so we can start printing them." They reviewed each photo, and Raylee helped him pick the best ones. She was amazed at how big his family was and how happy they all seemed. When they were done, Dexter pulled up the selfies he had taken of them together. He chose the one he liked and printed that one off, too.
"What are you doing with that?" Raylee asked, looking at the picture. They looked like a happy couple.
"I'm adding it to the mural," Dexter said as he began sorting the pictures.
"I'm not part of your family," Raylee argued. Dexter stroked her cheek.
"You're already part of it whether you believe it or not. You'll see what I mean after you meet the family tomorrow." Dexter chuckled. He suddenly was looking forward to the party.
"Well, okay, but only if you're sure." She stood on her tiptoes and kissed him again. Raylee really liked that they were getting more comfortable with the kissing. The sparks from that were even more intense than just touching.
They spent a couple hours going through the images and putting them together to make a mural. When they were done, they chose a metal backing. The completed project was beautiful. Dexter knew Grandma Valerie would love it. In fact, the entire family would love it. They went to a shop that had gift wrapping next and then were ready to leave.
"Are you ready for dinner?" Dexter asked as he put the present in the back of his car.
"Yes," Raylee replied excitedly.
"Do you have a car parked here?" He didn't want to leave her car at the mall in case it was broken into.
"No, I took the bus here." Raylee started to open the passenger door, but Dexter stopped her. He pulled her into his arms and kissed her. This time, he took it a step further and ran his tongue along her lip, and she opened her mouth, allowing him access. It was a little uncoordinated at first, but Dexter pulled back so they could catch their breath and then kissed her again. Raylee slid her hands around him, and he pinned her against the car. He had to stop before he got too carried away. His body was yearning to do so much more.
"Sorry, I've wanted to kiss you like that since I first saw you," Dexter said against her lips before kissing her lightly.
"Don't apologize. That was incredible." Raylee squeezed her legs together to try to control the ache. She wanted more, but was he ready.
"Let's go to dinner." Dexter kissed her again slower, letting his tongue play with hers a little. He forced himself to pull away. Once they were in the car, Dexter took her hand as he drove. He hoped Raylee accepted him; otherwise, it would not only break his heart, it would kill him now that he knew how incredible it could be with her.
