“No, not tonight,” she said, causing me to frown in confusion. Why ask me to hang out if she really didn’t want to? Then she added, “Just buzz me in.”
“Huh?” I muttered, more confused than before.
“Buzz me in,” she repeated. “I’m at the gate.”
Smiling now, I pressed the digits on the phone that would cause the large, wrought-iron gate at the embassy entrance to open.
“Be there in a sec,” I said, barely waiting for Electra to acknowledge my statement before hanging up the phone and setting it on a nearby table. I then teleported outside, to the bottom of a wide stoop that consisted of about a dozen stone steps that led up the embassy’s front door.
It was a rather dark night; what little illumination there was came mostly from a couple of ornate post lights – one at each end at the foot of the stoop. Looking down the driveway, I saw a pair of headlights headed in my direction. A few moments later, a car pulled to a stop in front of me, the engine turned off, and Electra got out.
She was dressed in jeans, black boots, gloves, and a hooded parka that neatly framed her face. Seeing her bundled up made me mindful of the fact that it was chilly outside and a stiff breeze was blowing. As was typical, Electra wasn’t wearing makeup, but she had an inherent, natural beauty that didn’t need to be enhanced by cosmetics.
We moved towards each other, both of us smiling, and then shared a short kiss as we met. Eyes twinkling, Electra moved closer and wrapped her arms around me as I embraced her as well.
“Well, this is disappointing,” she droned a second later. Rubbing her hands quickly up and down the sides of my torso, she added, “Come on – do your thing.”
I laughed, understanding what she meant. On cold days, when I haven’t dressed appropriately for the weather, I tend to compensate by raising my body temperature. On this particular occasion, I had come outside without grabbing so much as a light jacket. However, I hadn’t been outside long enough for the cold to start to affect me. Nevertheless, I did as requested and raised my core body temperature.
“That’s my guy,” Electra intoned, snuggling in close and placing her head against my chest. She had explained before that being next to me when I was like this was akin to cuddling next to a warm, cozy fire with a blizzard raging outside. “You’re so nice and toasty that I could stay like this forever.”
She then looked up and gave me a kiss – this time longer and more lingering than before. When we separated, breathless, a few moments later, she smiled and then pulled in close to me again.
“You know,” I said, “you didn’t have to drive all the way over here. I would have been happy to come to you.”
“I know,” she admitted, “but I wanted to. You shouldn’t have to come to me all the time.”
I smiled but didn’t say anything, understanding what the meaning was behind her actions. In terms of spending time together, Electra had once equated dating me to having a rich boyfriend: sure, the guy could afford to pay every time they went out, but occasionally the girl wants to – if only to show the guy what he means to her. That’s why she had chosen to drive and see me on a cold, dark night rather than have me come to her (which, frankly speaking, would have been much easier). Basically, it was a way of telling me I was worth it, and I loved her for it.
“So, how’d the mission go?” she asked, breaking my chain of thought. She also stepped back slightly as she posed the question, allowing us to see eye-to-eye.
“Uh…” I muttered. “It’s a bit of a mixed report, to be honest.”
I then telepathically shared with her the pertinent mission details. As expected, she groaned in disapproval at certain actions on my part. Upon finishing, I decided not to give her an opportunity to verbalize any criticisms.
“So,” I blurted out, “how was your shopping jaunt?”
“Nice try at changing the subject,” she said, making it understood that she knew what I was trying to do. “But it was fine. I think I found the perfect dress.”
“Oh? What does it look like?”
She laughed. “No, no, no, no. You’re going to have to wait until tomorrow. I want to see the look on your face when you first catch a glimpse of me in it.”
I frowned. “Well, how does telling what it looks like change that? I still won’t see you in it until tomorrow.”
“Because I want your complete reaction. I won’t get that if you have an idea of what to expect.”
I shook my head, nonplussed. “Smokey’s right. I really don’t understand women.”
Electra laughed at that. “Good. That’s the way I like it.”
I raised an eyebrow inquisitively. “You want me confused about women?”
She grinned. “No. I just don’t want you thinking you fully understand me, because the second that happens, you’ll–”
Electra stopped abruptly as the sound of hinges creaking drew the attention of us both. Almost in unison, we separated and looked toward the top of the steps – to the front door of the embassy. With light from the interior behind her, we watched in silence as Myshtal stepped out.
Almost immediately, there was tension in the air. More to the point, where there had been lighthearted mirth and amusement a moment before, I now felt a flurry of heated emotions coming from Electra that included resentment, spite, and annoyance (to name a few).
Myshtal wrapped her arms around herself against the cold. At that moment I noticed she appeared to be wearing something short, sheer, and form-fitting. She obviously hadn’t dressed for the weather, which suggested she wouldn’t be out here long – something I considered a blessing.
“Hello, Electra,” Myshtal said, giving my girlfriend a congenial wave. “It’s nice to see you again.”
“Yeah – you,
