RAO
Rao traveled with anxious hands on the wheel of his hover car. He waited for her to come down the long, stone steps of his home, trying to gauge his own reaction and the reaction Lexi was expecting. He wanted to fawn over her, to worship her, but she hadn’t been responding to that very well.
He tried to heed Gerri's advice and turn it down a notch, but that entire concept nearly went out the window when he saw Lexi open the front door.
She was wearing Nova Aurora fashion, decked out in a glowing ruby ball gown. It ran along her curves like a dream, hugging and elevating her natural features. The entire dress glowed with sparkly silk that was native to the planet, reflecting off the salmon hue of the setting sun.
Rao climbed out of the car and, instinctively, wanted to fall at her feet and grovel. He managed to stop himself, though, and he merely held out a hand with a small smile. “You are looking gorgeous tonight, Lexi,” he said.
Her green eyes were a radiant shade of emerald, looking almost surreal in the light that cast over her. Her blonde hair was wavy and cascaded down her bare shoulders that opened up the shelving of her breasts, which were flawlessly propped up by the fabric of the gown.
But Rao didn’t look over her body too many times. He merely needed a quick flash to know how beautiful she was since he had known that the moment he’d met her.
He was thankful when she smiled at him sweetly, making his heart skip a few beats, then she took his hand. Her skin was soft, and he found himself craving an exploration of it with an intense fervency.
But he kept himself in check and walked to the car, holding the door open for her as she kept her eyes on the tall heels she was sporting.
“Thank you very much,” she said kindly.
Lexi climbed into the car the way most humans were used to. He thought about making a joke about Earth vehicles versus alien vehicles, but he decided to keep it to himself. She made him nervous by virtue of simply existing. Plus, there was the extra layer of apprehension about giving her too much attention.
That was what he wanted to do naturally, and he once believed it was what human women wanted. But he climbed into the car, remaining silent as it cast itself off into the sky.
He heard Lexi make a small gasping sound and reach out to clutch her hand against the seat. Rao gazed over at her, then reached his own out to lightly squeeze hers. It was a mere brush, but the sensation still made him melt.
“Don’t worry. I know how to drive this thing,” Rao said with a wink.
Lexi didn’t look at him, but she merely smiled. Rao turned back to face the skies, kicking himself for going overboard with his desperate desire for her approval.I feel like she has read my mind. What the hell am I going to do here?
Rao soared through the Nova Aurora night sky, battling his urge to look at Lexi’s charming presence. They remained quiet the entire drive to where the play was taking place, performed by lion shifter actors with a set designed by Earth historians.
They parked the car, and Rao opened the door for Lexi, holding out his arm for her. He felt a rush of dizziness when she scooped her arm to entangle with his.
Before them was a lodge that emulated Shakespeare’s globe theater. Rao knew some history about the writer and his plays, but the specifics were lost on him. He watched Lexi gaze up at the neon sign that pulsed the title of the play.
“Hamlet,” she read aloud.
Rao nodded as they walked forward into the venue, which was cozy with individual firelight stations at each table. There was no roof, so the cascades of stars above only further enhanced the romantic effect.
“I have to tell you,” Rao began as they made their way to their table, “I don’t know anything about this play. This theater group likes to perform plays from Earth as a means of both entertainment and education.”
Lexi sat at the table with the firelight dancing between them. She leaned against it and squeezed her forearms against her chest, naturally drawing the eye to her generous cleavage. But Rao remained transfixed on her hypnotic green pools.
“Hamlet is certainly a little maudlin for a date,” she said, pursing her lips at him.
Rao’s smile dropped from his face. “Oh,” he said, feeling embarrassed. “I thought it was a romantic theme.”
Lexi merely grinned at him as the lights dimmed, and they both turned to the stage where the actors were starting to perform.
Despite Rao’s lack of awareness of the play's themes and the ancient use of language, he was easily able to interpret the tension between the father and son and the various pressures that came from stemming from royal blood. He was feeling uncomfortable being reminded of his own brother and their parents, sending him into the past without consent.
While ruminating, he noticed Lexi was fidgeting with her fingernails on the table. It was subtle, but Rao was good at picking up subtle changes in behavior and body language. He reached over to touch her forearm, then hesitated, settling with his fingers near her upon the tablecloth instead.
“Are you okay?” he whispered. Rao was expecting her to brush him off, but he was impressed when she didn’t at all.
“I didn’t eat anything for dinner,” she murmured, looking a little bashful. “I kind of assumed that we would be eating first.”
Rao cast a look back at the actors on the stage. He didn’t want to disrespect them, but he also wasn’t interested in watching the progression of the story. It would hurt him too much and likely trigger some feelings he wasn’t ready to face just yet.