It was apparent even from the moment they arrived at Caesar’s Palace to get changed that Duncan was nervous. He hid it well on the way in. But on the way out, with Aliyah’s arm around his waist he was almost forgetting to breathe. Who would have suspected that Duncan had never been on a date? He was pretty sure more than a few girls had tried to get his attention. But being the overachiever had come at a price. He had intimidated every girl he had met who knew him. If anything terrified him, it was Aliyah earning too much about him. Being a writer or music player wasn’t so bad. But being good at just about everything else he tried?

As they stepped out of the private elevator a number of eyes fell on the pair. The concierge, an escort or two, bellhops, and other staff members who had started to become used to seeing Duncan. Most people had expected someone as young as Duncan to be a problem. But in a very short time they had discovered him to be a very polite young man who was shyly spoiling himself. He treated everyone - especially those who worked - with respect.

Duncan had mentioned to one person - the concierge - that he was going on a date. He’d mentioned where and how he met Aliyah. He’d only brought up the subject because he wasn’t sure about the rules of having a guest in his room. He figured Las Vegas would have relaxed rules, but still wanted to make sure he wasn’t breaking any. The concierge had in turn spread the word about Aliyah and that she wasn’t a professional, but a normal person, and should be regarded as a guest of the casino - and not just any guest, but one staying in a villa.

Gary was the first ‘normal’ person Aliyah ran into at the casino visit other than Duncan. Oh they hadn’t been bad. It was just too much of a Cinderella story. It was sobering to think about the fact that just the interest off Duncan’s money - after taxes - was paying for all this with ease. He had described how just 1 billion properly invested produced about 10 million a month. He was spending a tenth of that. And he had over 3 billion. So he was living off 3% of his interest.

Duncan grinned as they got into the limo, remembering to thank Gary. “You know, I didn’t need a reservation to eat in the Nobu restaurant. Priority seating comes with the room. But I figured that would be cheating. Lord, we could spend a day or two just touring the casino. But you also said to pick something that is me. And that isn’t really me. I’m not so sure what is really. But I think I came as close as possible in 30 minutes as I will ever get.”

The real museum he wanted to see was the Area 51 exhibit. But that was in the National Atomic Testing Museum, which was in the Frank H. Rogers Science and Technology building. He explained how he used to go to the National Atomic Museum on Kirtland AFB every day when he was 13 for over a month while living on base. He didn’t much care for the idea of nuclear war. Noone in their right mind would. It was just the history and science he cared about. He was a little like a kid in a candy shop - a 6’7” tall kid. But he tried to be mindful of the possibility Aliyah might be bored or have already visited the place.

Then he mentioned their next date - one he hadn’t actually asked her on yet. He told her next time SHE had to pick out where they went. He revealed how he was going to give her a budget she HAD to spend. And for a third date, they were going to try to set a budget to spend on others rather than themselves.

For dinner he had picked an Indian restaurant that was only a block or so away from the museum. They had a choice of buffet or meals. Duncan was the sort of person who would normally opt for a buffet. He hated making choices. But he also didn’t want to get up and away from the table while on a date.

Aliyah was mildly uncomfortable with the attention she and Duncan received from the hotel staff. It wasn't anything over the top, but it was noticeable. She was very glad to finally get into the limo with Duncan. She smiled at Gary and murmured her thanks. She wasn't too nervous today because Duncan had promised a fairly casual day. If they had been staying at the casino or doing something upscale she would have been far more uptight.

She was excited that he had chosen a museum to visit. She had actually never been to this one. The subject didn't interest her much, but she was interested in seeing things HE was interested in. She loved watching the excitement on his face as they moved through the museum. She couldn't tell you what they were looking at, because she was watching him, not the exhibits.

She laughed as he mentioned a second and third date. Oh she was game alright, she was having fun. But shortly after he mentioned that they were moving through the museum, and she spotted a perfect opportunity. She slipped her hand in his and tugged him aside out of the flow of traffic. She pressed her back against the wall and ran her hands up his arms until she was resting them on his shoulders standing on her tip toes. She gently tugged him down toward her so she could kiss his lips softly. She pulled back letting her hands slide off his shoulders down his arms to hold his hands. "Thank you. I am having a wonderful time." She said.

She stood there with him for a minute just holding his hands enjoying the time they were spending together. She soon wrapped her arm around his waist again. "Let's go check out the Area 51 exhibit." she said enthusiastically.

They toured the rest of the museum finishing with the Area 51 exhibit. She loved the experience, and was already wracking her brain to come up with something great for them to do when it was her turn to plan.

They arrived at the restaurant and she looked at Duncan and squeezed his hand gently. "I suggest we do the buffet. I have never had Indian, so this way you can help me try lots of new things."

Up until the moment Aliyah stopped and pulled him over to kiss him, Duncan had been sure she wasn’t really all that into the exhibit. All she did was watch him. But all thoughts along those lines dribbled out his ears along with the majority of his brains when he felt her lips press against his. Up until that point it had actually been hard to slow his walk down to match her stride as they walked through the museum. He was used to practically running through a museum. But afterwards he found it easy to match pace.

Duncan was in uncharted territory. He had no idea what he was doing. Part of his was actually terrified Aliyah was just playing along, hating everything, and he’d never see her again. He would rather have had to face the hardest physics exam he’d ever taken, made even harder, than this. And yet … he couldn’t have stopped now if he wanted to. He was a slave to hormones now. He hoped Aliyah couldn’t tell just how shaky his legs were.

His thoughts drifted to his wallet - not because of money. It was because Gary had given him some advice - and … preparation. It had embarrassed the Hell out of Duncan. At least the older guy had waited until they got home. But Gary explained that years ago a girl might have thought a guy was a Player for carrying protection. These days … it was more manning up and taking a little responsibility rather than putting it all on the girl.

Then he forced his thoughts back to a state of reason. It had just been a kiss. He was getting way, way ahead of himself. It struck him at that point that she was probably a little older - and probably way more experienced. He was so far out of his league ...

He was actually grateful when she brought up the Area 51 exhibit. It was really the part of the museum he had figured she would enjoy if any. And as much as he already knew about atomic history, aliens were more fun to think about. Slowly as his brain began to function once more he began to understand why she had wanted him to pick something HE liked. He realized now that he would feel very much the same way when she was in her element. He recalled how he used to love seeing his mother hug a new teddy bear being added to her collection as if she was a young girl. She’d get mock defensive and explain how every teddy bear deserved a hug. But it was just fun watching her enjoy her passion for a hobby.

He was a little surprised at dinner. But agreed on the buffet. It meant no waiting for a meal to get prepared, plus lots of variety. He did make it a point to warn her about the spices - especially curry. Unfortunately some of the food was finger food. And for that Duncan did something he hadn’t done before. He removed his left glove. For the first time the long scar became visible. It had had 6 years to heal. It looked as if someone had split his hand nearly in half between the 3rd and 4th fingers down to within an inch or so of his wrist.

He smiled faintly. “Sorry, just don’t want to get food on the glove. Really the glove is to protect my hand from accidental bumps - or to keep from making people uncomfortable. If it bothers you, just say so. I won’t be offended. But you wanted to know about me. And that is the tip of the iceberg. I caught a knife aimed at my heart. I had had barely enough time to throw my little brothers onto my bed, wrap the bedspread around them and toss them through the back window. I turned around and threw my hand up in time to catch the knife, get shot and all.”

He smiled and broke into a bad British accent. “I got better?” He laughed. “You know, I had never seen that movie before the gang attack. Then some friends at the University got together and played it for me. When they got to that scene they were all just saying Look, there’s Duncan. They also made lots of Walking Tall jokes. But you know what? As low as I sunk after that time, all their jokes helped. They forced me to socialize. Best thing they could have done for me.”

He looked down at the food. “I forget what this is called, but if I don’t stop eating them I am going to make myself sick by overeating. That reminds me. I never asked you if you had any allergies or if there were any foods you don’t like. For me .. I hate liver. And I have never been keen on sweet coconut or candied fruits like pineapple. And calamari is like chewing on rubber.

Aliyah loved spending time with him, she wanted to listen to everything he had to say. His life had been hard, but much more interesting than hers that was for sure. She took his warning about spices, she wasn't picky about what she ate, but the last thing she wanted to do was burn her taste buds.

She watched him remove his glove, he seemed uncomfortable showing the scar. She reached across the table and grabbed his left wrist gently as he told her the story behind it. She very gently trailed her finger over the scar as he talked, and when he finished his story she lifted his hand and placed a soft kiss on his palm. "You were very lucky to have such good friends." She told him letting go of his hand.

She let him change the subject back to food and she shrugged. "I don't have any known allergies, and I guess I never really thought about likes and dislikes. When I was a kid, we were what politicians call 'food insecure' aka we never knew when or where the next meal was coming, so I ate anything I could. Now, I work so much I don't pay much attention to what I eat. I wolf down something and keep going." She told him honestly. She thought for a minute taking a sip of water.

"Although, I do absolutely hate eggs." She said with a smile. "They are cheap, and so we ate a ton of them growing up, so I don't eat them now when given a choice." She chewed her bottom lip. "I would have to say Turkish is good, but wouldn't make my top ten list of places to go. This,however, might just move to the top of my favorites." She admitted.

"So, I did a little research last night before bed. Are we planning on traveling to Sub-Saharan Africa, or Tropical South America?" She asked. She wasn't a huge fan of the idea of getting a ton of vaccines, so she decided to go with only the ones required, and the CDC only requires yellow fever if traveling to those two places.

She was being careful, and trying to show her interest in him without being too forward, in some ways he reminded her of a very frightened deer. If she moved too fast, he could bolt. "If we are, I will make an appointment for the Yellow Fever vaccine, if not, then I am good on that front. It is just a matter of making time to go apply for my passport."

She pushed her plate aside, having eaten quite a bit more than she usually does. She lightly rested her hand on his. "I was thinking about what you said earlier, about our next date..." She said with a smile. "I have absolutely NO idea where to take you. I really don't do a whole lot." She laughed "A big day out for me is a trip to the fabric store, and I highly doubt THAT holds any interest for you." She said jokingly.

“My sister hated eggs.” He shook his head. “I love eggs. I could never get enough.” It was true. He’d order a regular breakfast, plus a couple eggs on the side - over easy. “Last I heard she was working on a Master’s in Electrical Engineering. She ended up in a foster home at age 15-16. Never stopped her.” There was a hint of pride in his voice.

“I think my family had it a little better than yours. My biological father abandoned my mother and me when I was 3 and dying in a hospital. He was an alcoholic and the reason I made a promise a couple years later to my grandparents never to smoke, drink or do drugs.” He shrugged. “Probably saved myself a lot of grief. Considering I was smart enough to figure out how to make drinkable alcohol by the barrel by my early to mid teen years, almost a certainty.

“Let’s see. Actually Kenya is on my list. So is the Ivory Coast. But not right away. No rush there. For that matter, no rush on the passport either if we want to see the USA first. I was thinking a tour of all 48 continental US states, then Alaska and finally Hawaii. Might sail to Hawaii, so we ought to take a short yacht tour first to make sure we don’t get sea sick. I don’t. I already know that. I went deep sea fishing when I was 8. Boat sank.” Duncan laughed. “No joke. My Dad was taking a couple out to show off the boat for a friend who was selling it. His friend didn’t mention the boat had been sun rotting for 25 years without being treated. All we saved were the fish, motor and kids. At least my Dad got the order right. That’s actually one of the better moments my Dad had.

“For out next date, remember … pick something YOU like to do, or something you would like to see. Only constraints are your work schedule. We could even dine in - my place, your place. We could catch a movie if you liked - or rented / bought a DVD. We could go to the opera or a play. Or if there is a mystery theater / restaurant around here, you might like that. I bet I could look one up in a few minutes.”

yelp.com/biz/alibi-las-vegas-las-vegas..

Duncan grinned. “And you are cheating. YOU are supposed to come up with ideas. But you mentioned you like reading mysteries.”

He stopped there. He was trying to scarf food down as fast as he could in between talking. He had inhaled his first plate - and second. But he slowed down on the third.

She just shook her head as he talked about his family having it easier than hers. That was debatable, well sort of. When he told her his alcoholic father abandoned them she nodded sympathetically. "Trust me, he did you a favor. My Mom was an addict, drugs, alcohol, pills. It didn't matter to her. That would be why when I left at 17 I was on stepfather uh..." She stopped to think and then shrugged again. "I have no idea actually. I don't think she actually legally married any of them, but ya know I don't think it would have mattered."

"Consider yourself lucky you never started smoking. I have been trying for years to quit." What she didn't say is that she started smoking young because smoking surpresses appetite. When you smoke you aren't as hungry.

She shook her head again when he talked about the boat sinking. "Yeah Darlin, not a great story to tell me when suggesting we GET on a boat." She teased. Her redheaded self was going to have to invest in gallons of sunscreen. "But traveling around the states sounds like fun. There are a lot of things we could see."

She smiled and picked at her food a little more as he offered suggestions for their next date. She tucked her hair behind her ear again giving him a smile. "I think dinner and a movie in sounds like a great idea." She said shyly. Oh she had other ideas too, but that sounded like it could lead to very interesting things. She wasn't shy about sex, she quite enjoyed it actually, but she was normally a friends with benefits kind of girl. She liked Duncan, he was engaging, open, and all around a calming presence. She was approaching this very slowly though so as not to scare him off.

Duncan smiled as Aliyah grabbed onto the dinner and a movie idea. She wasn’t really the explorer type - which was very much his opposite. He was pretty sure the real reason she had enjoyed the museum was because she was with him - which didn’t hurt his ego one bit. But he really wanted to let her see the whole world. It struck him that seeing it WITH someone was all she needed. For that matter, it was what HE needed. Seeing everything alone just felt sterile.

“Well, you get to pick out the movie and if we dine in or out - your place, my place if it is in. All up to you. And if you are having trouble deciding … well just remember that there are always other dates.”

It was still pretty early when they got done eating. They had skipped half the National Atomic Testing museum and eaten the buffet rather than wait on a meal. Now Duncan was stuck with finishing off the date. After all, Aliyah had to work tomorrow. He got the check and paid for the meal - with a modest tip rather than the oversized tip he often made. He paid cash - from his $500 budget. He had done the same for the museum tickets. Now he had to spend the rest. He gave Gary an address when they got back to the limo. The man’s eyes widened as he gave Duncan a sharp look of concern. Duncan just grinned.

Duncan was very calm about everything when they got into the limo. Gary looked up and looked at him in the rear view mirror. Duncan laughed again. “That’s the right address. 321 S Casino Center Blvd #107, Las Vegas, NV 89101. Not sure exactly where parking is there. Probably pay to park. If we have to pay for 2 or 3 spaces, that’s fine.” Duncan was so amused that he couldn’t help but grin. Aliyah was about to learn what Duncan looked like when he was planning a joke.”

Gary slowed the limo down as the GPS announced You Have Reached Your Destination. They were slowing down in front of a wedding chapel. But there was nowhere to park in front without the limo sticking out in the travel lane. So Duncan pointed ahead. “It looked like there was a lot just ahead on the corner.” And he was right. Pay to park. He had been right about that.

Gary raised an eyebrow, but pulled in to be greeted by an attendant. Duncan said they wouldn’t be long. An hour would be enough. Gary shot Duncan a questioning look. The younger man just ignored it and started getting out. Once out he offered a hand to Aliyah. “Coming?” His eyes were dancing. He was far too confident to be serious about this. Something was definitely up.

When Gary turned and faced the direction of the wedding chapel, Duncan looked at the man and asked, “Where are you going? Oh … that’s the wrong chapel. There’s another on the backside. This town really loves its chapels.” And Duncan was right. There was another on the back side facing the main road on that side. But before they got to it there was a small Catholic mission. Duncan’s suddenly halted in front of it as Gary and Aliyah took an extra step. He was pointing at the mission. He was enjoying a good laugh at their expense. “This seemed like a good place to spend the rest of my budget.” He looked at the money, then at the wedding chapel, then at Aliyah. “Unless you can think of a better way?”

Then he became a little more serious. “Relax. I plan to take care of taxes and / or have prenuptials done before I ever walk that path. Not just to protect me, but all the people whose jobs depend on my investments. And I figure that will be a few more dates down the road.”

Aliyah smiled and blushed when he mentioned that there would be other dates. It wasn't something she was familiar with, for her dating was not something she did a lot, and when she did it was more to see if she and the guy hit it off enough to be able to hang out for a few hours before sleeping together.

She wasn't big on the whole relationship thing, it was likely because her mother jumped from one to another so quickly. They finished dinner and headed out to the limo. Aliyah raised an eyebrow as Gary looked at Duncan strangely when the address weas given. She didn't say anything though just settled into the seat for the drive.

She grabbed Duncan's hand as she slid from the limo her eyes widening at the chapel in front of her, but relaxed when he told them their destination was around the corner. Aliyah's arm slid around Duncan's waist again as they started their walk. She let out a breath of relaxation when he pointed out the mission and that was his destination and laughed. "Nope. I'm good. No wedding tonight." She said with a laugh.

She had never given much thought to marriage, it wasn't something she had any good examples for. She raised an eyebrow as he joked about it being a few dates in the future. She was certainly in no hurry for that. She slid her arm around his waist again as they headed inside.

She pulled away to dip her fingers into the holy water and cross herself. She hadn't been to mass in many many hears, not since her grandmother died. It was strange for her to be in a Catholic church with her head uncovered. Her grandmother was devoutly Catholic, and had refused to accept many of the new teachings handed down with Vatican II.

One thing she always did like about the Catholic church was that charity was one of their strong beliefs. She gave Duncan a smile. "I think this is the perfect way to use the rest of the budget." She told him slipping her hand in his.

“Well, my mother was catholic, not that I ever saw her in a church - except a mormon one once when I was little. Might have been Jewish. I think I have uncles who married into Jewish families. I think she might have been dating one.” He shrugged. “I happen to be Baptist. But to be perfectly honest, I respect any religion that teaches peace. And this was the simplest way to make good use of the money without taking up too much of your time.”

He looked at the holy water font and smiled. Then he dipped two fingers in in like fashion and held them there a moment. “Nope, they were wrong. My step family treated me like the spawn of Satan because my mother was a Yankee and Catholic. They were Hellfire and Damnation baptists. Never was my thing. Sermons gave me a headache. But I did find comfort in an American Baptist church in Albuquerque. The place was like a sanctuary. My stepfather refused to go to church. And I know it’s wrong but part of me was glad.

“Well, I guess I should get you home - unless there’s something you’d like to do first. I just expect you need to be back soon enough to get sleep for tomorrow.” He smiled. “And if I don’t get a lot of sleep, it’s all your fault?” His smile became a grin. “I know it wasn’t thrills every second excitement, but I have been enjoying this.” He flushed. “Especially the … uhm … museum.”

He stopped and looked around. “Are impure thoughts wrong here?” He looked at a nun. “Uhm … sorry.”

The woman was kind enough. Her tone was chastising though. “It’s not ME you should be telling that to.”

"I grew up Catholic, so this feels like home to me. Although I haven't been to mass in a very long time." She said quietly. "Mostly it is because after Grandma died, there was no one to make sure I went, and now I work Sunday mornings, and Saturday evenings I am usually too tired to make it." She smiled and rested her head lightly against Duncan's arm. "If I were to go to confession now it would probably take HOURS" she said.

She had gone to a Baptist church with a friend in highschool, it was very different for her. She liked the routine of mass. She wasn't a fan of what felt like improv to her.

She nodded slowly as he mentioned ending the evening so she had plenty of time to get sleep. "I do have to swing back by the Hotel and grab my bag quick." She told him. "But I have had a really great time." She laughed quietly as he mentioned not getting enough sleep, and then asked about impure thoughts. She turned bright red as they drew the attention of the nun.

She bowed her head and muttered "Sorry Sister." She turned her attention back toward Duncan and smiled. "We should probably go before that old Catholic guilt sets in and I feel the need to say a rosary." She teased. "That would have us stuck here forever."

“What’s rosary? Confession I know. Or are they the same thing. I can’t really think of anything I’ve done to confess to. Oh … wait. Yeah, thinking. My mind hardly ever stops working. You know I have woken up in the middle of the night and come up with an idea of a solution to a math problem and been unable to sleep until I work it out? You know, I didn’t mean I was going to act on thoughts… Maybe I should just shut up. I see what you mean about a guilty conscience. I bet confession would end up taking hours. And kneeling for me is hard. Physically hard. Bending my left hip is painful.”

Duncan had a very literal mind. He turned to the Sister. “Again sorry.” He thought for a moment. Then he searched for a piece of paper and ended up finding a bookmark with a white backside. He pulled out his pen and wrote his name and number. “If you ever need a small miracle - the sort mortal man can manage - call me.”

He gestured. “This was just me honoring an agreement I made for our first date. She put me on a budget. What went in the poor box was everything left over.” He offered Aliyah an arm and wrapped it around her waist. “Have a pleasant evening.”

Gary was shaking his head ever so slightly at Duncan. He’d kept them in sight more for security than anything else.

“Back to the hotel. She left her bag there. She does have to work tomorrow.”

“Of course,” Gary nodded and got the doors for them.”

As Gary was getting back in Duncan started laughing softly. He turned to Aliyah. “You know, I really didn’t mean that quite as bad as the nun took it. I never really considered thinking about bad, or rather naughty, things … a sin. Actually doing them? Maybe. You know, if you ever WANT to go to church, we could take you. I mean, I’d attend if you wanted. But I am guessing you work. Maybe once we take off and start travelling.”

The Casino staff seemed a little surprised to see Duncan back so soon. But he was smiling and Aliyah didn’t seem to be not smiling. They walked more together than they had on the way out. All in all, it must have gone well. Duncan wasn’t a player. Or if he was, it was the long game.

Duncan led Aliyah to the private elevator he so dearly enjoyed having access to. When they got upstairs, Duncan spoke up. “I may make use of the whirlpool spa. All that walking.” The shower had no tub. But the room did have a jacuzzi. And for Duncan’s hip it was a godsend. Of course, odds were he was hinting at an invitation. “I figure that plus the massage chair and I’ll sleep like the dead.”

Aliyah loved listening to him talk. It was like there was no off switch for his brain if it was a thought that occurred to him, he vocalized it. She waited until he was finished and smiled. "Breathe... To answer your question both asked and implied. A rosary is a very long redunant prayer. It is counted out on what looks like a beaded necklace with a crucafix. You start with the Apostles Creed, the Glory Be and the Our Father, then it is a repetition of ten Hail Marys followed by an Our Father. There are mysteries or miracles that we focus on during the prayer. Each set of ten is called a decade, and there are five decades. A full Rosary is saying all the mysteries, which is 15 decades. I usually only say 5. As for confession, there are a lot of things Catholics are told we should confess. I would have to confess that I havent attended mass regularly, I am supposed to go every Sunday and every holy day of obligation. I would also have to confess times I lost my temper, or acted in a way that was not Christ like."

Aliyah laughed as he explained to the Sister that the money that was being donated was the remainder of his date budget. She was very proud of him. He had managed quite well, and until the church quiet under budget. She walked out to the limo her arm wrapped around Duncan. She slid into the limo as he offered to make sure she could get to mass. Her eyes went wide as a thought occurred to her. "Really? " She asked. "Maybe we could make it to Mass in Rome." She said wide eyed. It had never really been something she thought about before, it wasn't like she was a devout Catholic, but that was an experience she would probably really enjoy.

She kept her arm around his hips as they walked through the lobby of the casino to the private elevator. She was quite relaxed, and her body language showed it. They got back to his Villa and he mentioned needing to use the whirlpool for his hip. She nodded in sympathy. She was used to the walking these days, as she spent most of her life on her feet.

He mentioned needing only the spa and the massage chair to help him sleep like a baby. She turned to him and took a few steps, closing the distance between them. "Really?" She said quietly. "and here I was hoping that maybe I had given you enough to think about to keep you up at night." She said as she pulled him down toward her to kiss his lips softly. "Maybe I should try harder." She teased in a whisper pulling her lips away from his only enough to speak.

“Rome? Okay.” He smiled. “I was there once. It was just a layover for a few hours on the flight back from Turkey.” He mock sulked. “We got diverted from Paris because we lost an engine. So much for the chocolate cokes that were waiting for us there. When we go to Paris I am having a chocolate coke.” He laughed a little.

++++++

Aliyah could feel him trembling once again. Hormones. His inexperience made him anticipate just about everything and anything. But being alone - finally - made him a little bolder than he had been with Gary or the butler around. This time when she kissed him he placed his hands a little below her hips and lifted her effortlessly so that their faces were even and pulled her in. A faint smirk crossed his lips. “Yeah … maybe you should. I would hate to think you could be outdone by a little bubbling hot water in an oversized bathtub and a shaky chair.”

He drew her in and kissed her, initiating contact for the first time. He really didn’t know how to kiss, but he had good instincts. He didn’t try to copy Hollywood. And he clearly hadn’t seen any porn to get the wrong ideas from. When he drew back again he spoke softly.

“I wish you didn’t have to work tomorrow or we had more time. I’ve enjoyed just being with you.” Truth was he didn’t want her to go. He kissed her forehead and looked back at her lips.

SHe laughed again as he lifted her up, her arms wrapping around his neck as her legs wrapped lightly around his waist. "mmm Oh I am certain I can do better than an oversized tub and shaky chair." She told him.

She smiled into the kiss as his lips met hers again. His inexperience wasn't immediately obvious, he did a great job reading the signals she was giving off. She lightly trailed her fingers across his jaw line as he pulled back.

He kissed her forehead and she sighed softly before leaning her head forward to rest her forehead lightly against his. She drew a deep shaky breath before whispering. "Morning is a long time from now."

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Fade to black
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Aliyah was glad to see Duncan arrive at the diner. She grabbed coffee for him and Gary heading over to the table. She set the coffee down in front of them and gave Duncan a quick light kiss on the cheek. "Morning!" She said cheerfully. Behind her she heard the cook yell "Order Up." She rolled her eyes and looked at them both. "I'll be right back, but that one is mine." She told them before heading back into the kitchen.

The order up came before Duncan could speak. Then came the quick peck on the cheek. Or was it the other way around. His thoughts had been jumbled all morning. But now, seeing Aliyah, he realized he had to get a grip - unless he wanted to make a fool of himself. Gary had made sure Aliyah got home safe. Duncan had mixed feelings about that. And he needed to sort those out - and fast. He glanced at Gary, then looked at the menu. He was starving….

As he looked his mind started multitasking - brainstorming. He didn’t do this often. But sometimes doing two things at once - distracting himself - helped. He thought hard about the previous night - the ‘relationship’ situation. He did not want a one night stand. But the truth was, he didn’t own her or have any claim on her. Maybe all she had wanted was a one night stand. Guys had been doing that to girls for ages.

He needed to grow up a little. Was he making more out of last night than he should? Probably. Had he done something wrong? Well, maybe inexperienced, but not wrong exactly. Was she trying to let him down gently? He hoped not. He did not like that idea. The morning after was when most relationships died. He’d heard that somewhere. Sooo …

When she came back he had his order ready, grinning as he gave it. He had decided the best way to approach this was with confidence. She probably wasn’t expecting that.

“Omelette for the day? Hmm,” his eyes danced a little mischievously. “Got it. King of Hearts with salsa and guacamole extra. Annndd … Flap Special with blueberries and whipped topping, with 2 extra eggs - the eggs are over easy as usual and bacon for the meat, coffee and large OJ. Not sure what Gary s having, but I seem to have worked up an appetite.”

Gary’s eyes bugged out and he snorted a laugh. Even he was a little surprised at Duncan’s recovery. It took him a second to speak. “My metabolism is slowing down. God he’s making me feel old. Uhm, just the Flap special. Over easy sounds good for me on the eggs as well. Oh, uhm … bacon. And coffee.”

Duncan held off asking about her break or next date. He needed to give her just a little time to think. If she didn’t like the casino setting, crowding her was just the wrong approach.

Aliyah grinned and raised en eyebrow at his order this morning. She bit her lip and listened to Gary's order as well. She turned back to Duncan and smiled. "Good to see someone is perkier this morning than you were yesterday. I would hate to think that I failed to perform better than the hot tub and massage chair in helping you get good sleep." She teased before heading back to put in their order.

Aliyah went back to work still chuckling to herself over the change in Duncan this morning. It seemed last night had been good for both of them. She stacked their plates down her arms and carried them carefully back to their table. She set them down and glanced over the table to make sure they had everything they needed. She started to walk away, but stopped and turned a little to look at Duncan. "Dinner tonight?" She asked.

Her tone was casual, not like formally asking for a date, but more like the relaxed tone of someone asking a friend or long term partner. It was a tone that said they were pretty sure it was ok, but I am running it by you to make sure you didn't make other plans while we were apart for a few hours.

She had a few things she HAD to do today. She needed to do some laundry, and run to the grocery store, she was at the 'What can I make with green beens and cake mix' stage of needing groceries. Not that she cooked a lot, but sometimes it was nice to not have to think too hard when making something to eat.

Duncan’s reaction suggested a hint of relief - that they were good. But it also suggested he had a lot of concerns - probably about possible results of their first date. He smiled and nodded. “Of course. Maybe dinner and a movie? Maybe your place this time? Up to you though. Maybe carry out? Unless you wanted to cook. Up to you either way. If you want to surprise me, also fine. And … if you want a budget like we set for mine, I can handle that as well. Whatever is left over, you can do with as you like - much as I did.”

He thought it would be nice to have a place she was more comfortable in to have their second date anyways. There was no doubt they would end up discussing the first one to some degree. And he felt he ought to be a little better prepared for this one - if that was possible. Somehow, he half expected Aliyah to throw him a curveball.

“I DO have a few things to do before this afternoon. I guess some details would help - like the when and where, dress code.” He thought ‘optional’? to himself, but didn’t dare say it out loud. But the twinkle in his eyes belied the mischief. But he got businesslike again quickly.

++++++++

Duncan’s To Do list wasn’t too bad. He decided to load up his Martin (classic acoustic guitar) and a change of clothes. Then he realized that they would be in the limo. It felt awkward carrying either to Aliyah’s place. A change of clothes felt like he was assuming … Yeeahhh … getting way ahead of himself. It was one of his bad habits - trying to plan for everything.

He managed to get a 1 hour video conference with his attorney to discuss taxes - and got chewed out politely again for taking the lump sum. He set into motion the search for his first accountant. As made an inquiry about the yacht he wanted - and made a downpayment. He sent an inquiry for an estate manager and a butler. He finished buying the house he had looked at in New Mexico. He had accepted it on the condition that there was no HOA involved.

By the time he was done it was early afternoon. The Omelette House closed at 3 PM. He decided to call it a day and got ready for dinner. Dress was informal. That didn’t stop Duncan from dressing up just a little - a button up shirt rather than a T shirt. But he stuck to jeans. And he went with short boots rather than dress shoes or tennis shoes. Nice, but looking like he put a little thought into his appearance. And, of course, he showered before heading over.

Aliyah smiled and she shrugged. "I figured dinner in at my place would be a good plan. Dress casual, it's just us." She said. "We will probably order in." She told him. "Just a quiet night in if that works for you." She said.

---------------------------------

Aliyah hurried home after work. She showered again and dressed in another pair of leggings and over sized t-shirt. She packed up her laundry and headed to the laundry area in the apartment complex. Sure she could have had an apartment with a stackable washer and dryer, but it was cheaper not to. She tossed her clothes in several washers and headed back to her apartment. She called the cable company and upgraded her internet package to make streaming easier. Strangely enough it was actually cheaper this way. She logged onto to Amazon and used PRIME NOW, which promised delivery in two hours. Thanks to Duncans very generous tipping in the past she bought a low end TV and streaming device.

She usually just downloaded and watched movies on her tablet, but having company would probably make that harder. Having some time before she had to switch the laundry she started cleaning like a mad woman. Everything got a good scrub down, not that her place needed it, but it made her feel better.

She dashed down to the laundry room and tossed her stuff into the dryers and headed back to her apartment. She glanced down at her watch and realized she still had time. She should probably start packing and tossing. She sighed and started at her book shelf. She had taken the time to grab a few extra boxes from work. She had gotten one box packed, and had started a list of books to repurchase in ebook form, then ran down to get her laundry.

She had just finished folding and putting laundry away when she heard him knock on the door. She made a face, she had lost track of time and not changed. She hopped over a partially packed box, as a matter of fact, the reused box from the new TV and dashed toward the door. She opened the door and gave him a grin. "Come in!" She said brightly moving aside so he could enter. She closed the door and gave him a soft kiss. Excuse the mess. I WAS sorting and packing but completely lost track of time." She told him.

She moved away and over to the boxes and quickly scribbled "DONATE" on the outside and stacked them against the wall. "Did you have a good day?" She asked as she gestured for him to take a seat.

The soft kiss he was greeted with dispelled all sorts of doubts. But he gave the ongoing cleanup project a glance and developed a guilty look on his face. “I didn’t even think about the idea of you having to pack. Still he smiled at that too. If she had already started, then she was serious about taking him up on his offer. He never joked about that sort of thing

He looked around. “Don’t worry about the mess. It’s not really that bad. Compared to the last time I had to pack up a lot of stuff, this is nothing. I had to pack up the things of a family of 7 - and most of them were collectors. Then I had to separate things out to send to each person. And I collected rocks and fossils back then. And they had shut the power off. They place had a pair of floor freezers filled with meat and garden veggies and preserves.” He stopped before he got started on talking about the white outlines of the crime scene still etched in his mind.

“As much as you like to read I am going to get you a new laptop - one of those reversible touchscreens, soup it up with memory, and get you hooked up to eBooks. Something to pass the time when we drive.”

He took the offered seat. NOW he fet a little nervous. But then he was always that way in someone else’s home at first. “Not a bad day. Took care of a little business. Started the process of hiring an estate manager and butler. That’s going to be a little weird with all the traveling I plan. Started looking into some pet projects. Had a video conference with attorney about taxes. There’s more, but some ought to be a surprise.”

Duncan’s speech was a little stilted. Aliyah could probably tell he was making small talk, not getting to more personal stuff. He was still a little stuck on the previous night - and the possibility he might be a daddy - or maybe how badly he might have done. He hadn’t really done badly. He decided to stick to the evening’s plans. “So what is tonight’s entertainment?” He turned a little reddish and laughed a little. “And I mean the movie. Your tables don’t look heavy enough to support me dancing on them.

“Oh that reminds me. I was thinking about two different places for dates. One was a mystery theater. You mentioned you like reading mysteries. There’s a place that includes the guests in a murder mystery. Not sure if we’d need reservations or not. The other is a 1920’s club. That is more of a formal dress place with dancing on the list of things to do.” He actually smiled at this one. The mystery was more for her. The 1920’s was more for him, though he was hoping she might enjoy the genre.

He had to fight the urge to take over ordering food, but he did offer the fact that they weren’t limited to Delivery. He could always get Gary to go an pick up the food. He had a guilty look on his face as he said that. He mused aloud wondering if that was a good idea.

But Duncan’s face kept screwing up as if he wasn’t talking about what he wanted to talk about. He finally sighed and let his shoulders sag in resignation. “You know, I am still stuck on yesterday. I am going to be lousy company until I get past that. Only way to do that is talk about it. That … that was a first for me. It was great!” He said that to make sure Aliyah didn’t get the idea it wasn’t “It was just … unexpected … and a first. But I think you figured that out early on. I guess part of what is bugging me is … uhm … that I wasn’t … you know … taking precautions.” He almost swallowed his words.