THE FILE WAS GRINDING AGAINST MY NAIL, the uncomfortable feeling sending a shiver down my spine. I gritted my teeth but couldn't help but jump once the manicurist pressed it against my ring finger and started to file the nail again. The woman sent me a empathic look.

"'M sorry, dear, " she said, some exotic note in her voice that hinted that she wasn't a local, "but ya'll have ta get used ta it."

I sighed deeply, making her smile softly at me like I was a child that knew it had to eat its broccoli but hated it anyway. She tapped my little finger with her thumb, trying to reassure me that I had to wait just a little bit and the torture was over.

When she finished, she turned her face to me and asked me if I had picked a color, glancing down at the palette in front of me. I crossed my fingers with ten perfectly shaped nails and glared at it too, like I was trying to intimidate it into helping me pick. After a few minutes of silence, I (as expected) decided on my initial choice, the soft pink that was bright enough to indicate that my nails were painted, but wasn't as scarily sexual as the bright red that I had
liked in the start.

The woman, probably around my mom's age, grabbed the nail polish and ran the brush carefully, with the striking confidence of a professional. I didn't expect to hear her voice again, but she looked up at me and spoke:

"Is this ya first time?" I nodded a quick yes that made the corners of her mouth twitch with a smile and her black eyes shine mischievously. "So it's a special occasion, hmm?"

You have no idea, I thought, feeling the tips of my ears a little hotter and I turned my head down to my lap to stop the a bit too wide grin from spreading on my face. The woman noticed the honest reaction and smirked, but didn't keep pushing me, something that made me more than happy.

Paul had called me again the day after he had visited me to remind me that he was going to pick me up. And to argue with me over who's paying for me. For half an hour. I was ready to bring it up again tonight too and I'm sure Paul knew it and was stubborn enough to keep his position.

When I had asked him what to wear, since he had dropped a 'dress nicely' comment, he hit me with a 'whatever you feel comfortable in' and 'don't be too extra'. It left me completely confused, but I still went to buy a new pair of jeans and a white printed shirt. I didn't quite know if that was what he expected, so I was at the verge of chewing up my new nails out of nervousness.

My next worry was underwear. After that make-out session on that same couch, I was now curled on, I didn't really know what to expect. I knew Paul for years, so that means that sex on the first date didn't make me a slut, right? Right?

I closed my eyes and laid back against the pillows. Even now, the thought of me and Paul naked in the same room brought back that old lurking feeling of self-consciousness that I was certain I had left behind. And that wasn't just some guy I was seeing, it was the goddamn Starchild of KISS! I have seen the women around him, all the groupies and models with pretty faces and perfect bodies that I couldn't even compare myself to. What was Paul even thinking?!

I was going to continue my self-pitying slash underwear choosing debate when the phone rang. I pulled myself up with a groan and walked to it.

"Hey, Lillian, are you free tonight?" Gene asked in a hurry, without bothering himself with any sort if introduction.

"Uhmm, I think you might have the wrong number, who's calling?" I asked innocently, playing with the cable.

"Very funny, " the bassist gruffed and I laughed quietly. I hadn't seen him in what felt like ages, and I sure as hell missed him. I was even starting to feel sorry for not coming on set of 'The Phantom of the Park', even though that back then my pride wouldn't let me. And I wanted to give Paul some space after all. And maybe annoy him a little.

"What's up Gene?"

"What I said. Are you free tonight? I'm in town and I actually really want you to meet somebody."

I gruffed. "What do you mean 'I'm in town.' You live in New York, remember?" I reminded him, suspicion creeping its way in my mind.

Gene ignored me, letting out an unamused groan, then he dropped the bomb. "There's someone I'm seeing, okay. I wanted you to meet her."

My mouth dropped. Since when... since when was Gene serious with women? Since when was Paul serious with women (with 'women' being me, that interested me more)? What was going on?

"Gene, are... are you messing with me?"

"Why would I be messing — You know what, forget it! I'll see you around!" he snarled.

"No no, wait! Gene!" I called out and hopefully, the Demon hadn't hung up yet, "I just didn't expect that, that's all. I'm free any other night." I tried to explain, listening to the bassist take a deep breath.

"Okay, tomorrow then? There's a great Italian place..." He sounded a bit calmer, like he was sorry he had hissed at me like that earlier. He kept on explaining about the restaurant on Madison Avenue when a question popped into my mind.

"Okay. Uhm, Gene?"

"Yeah?"

"Does anybody else know?" I couldn't help but wonder. The bassist didn't answer right away, which was an answer enough really.

"No. Paul suspects, but I haven't told him yet. It's just that Che —, she really wants to meet the people I work with, and you seemed like the safest first option. Now that I mentioned it... how are things with Paul?"

Uhmmm.

"Fine. We're... talking again, " just half a lie, if it was a lie at all. Paul and I were talking. We were just doing some other things too.

Gene just stayed silent for a second or two. "That's something." My heart sank at the disappointment in his words. I hated to keep him away like this, but Paul obviously hadn't told him a thing either, and I wasn't going to be the one to break the news for sure. I was living in a small isolated world where it was only me and Paul, and until I was certain things were going to work, I was going to leave it that way.

I talked to Gene some more for a while until I really worried that Paul was going to be here and I was going to be chatting on the phone in my underwear. I hung up, promising I would meet him the next evening and went to getting dressed.

In the end I went for the nice underwear, just for any case, got my hair and a little bit of makeup done. I pulled a teddy bear coat out of my wardrobe and I was finally ready. Thank God I didn't need to look for something to kill the time, because the doorbell rang a few minutes later. I gave myself a final glance in the mirror and took a deep breath, giving my reflection thumbs up and locked the door behind me, disappearing into the night.

✵✵✵

The evening wasn't particularly cold, at least not for early March. The sun had already set, but the brightly lit streets made the neighborhood look calm and welcoming. More like home.

Paul was leaning against the wall with his hands in his pockets, his thumbs hooked on the belt strap of his jeans. I let out a calming breath when I saw he was dressed pretty much the same way I was. A pair of acid washed jeans and a simple red t-shirt that seemed inpossibly inapropriate for the chilly weather, accompanied by a black leather jacket. He shot me a wide, heart-stopping smile when he saw me, taking my hand and pulling me into his arms. He pressed me against his chest, running his hand over my back as he hugged me.

"Hey there, " he crooned when he let me go, his chocolate eyes shining with some sort if enthusiasm that made me a little nervous about what he had planned for the night, but still sprang some sort of genuine curiosity. "I've parked down the road."

"Parked? I thought someone drove you around in limos all the time?" I teased, earning a small huff from the singer.

"Not all the time. But I do have my humble side."

He let me go but still had his arm wrapped around my shoulder and we walked a couple of blocks down. When Paul stopped by the side of the road, my mouth dropped.

"That's your humble side?"

In front if me was parked a burgundy Mercedes in perfect condition, it's armor so perfectly shined that I could stare back right into my reflection. Paul crossed his arms at his chest and a proud smile bloomed in his face.

"So, you like it." He teased when he took the keys out of his pockets and swirled them around his forefinger, shooting me a cheeky grin. "Ready?"

I shook my head and let the singer walk and open the door for me, sending me a wink. I rolled my eyes and Paul laughed at my reaction, helping me inside the vehicle. Once he closed the passenger's door and walked around to get on the driver seat, I couldn't help but lean back and close my eyes, inhaling the scent of the leather interior and the lingering smell of Paul's cologne that got stronger once he opened the door and got in.

"Oh, don't fall asleep on me yet, we haven't gotten to the interesting part yet," he teased, making me open my eyes and look at him. Paul's eyes were on the street as the car got off, the radio turning itself on, playing a soft tune. Paul sighed softly but despite the calm atmosphere, I swear there was some sort of tension coming from him. Was Paul actually nervous? Perhaps worried I wouldn't like what he had planned?

"Where are we going anyway," I asked, noting that we had just crossed Brooklyn Bridge and were getting into Manhattan.

"Well, I had planned something entirely different from the start, " Paul started to explain, tearing his eyes from the road to shoot me a quick smile, "but in the end, I figured you were going to hate it." He shook his head. "Anyway, just wait till we get there and you'll see."

"Oookay." I breathed out, making Paul chuckle lightly.

"Why so unsure?" He asked, reaching out and poking my upper thigh with his forefinger.

"I'm not unsure."

Paul laughed. "Alright then." He reached out and turned up the volume when Love Gun came on. He couldn't resist the temptation and turned to grin at me. I rolled my eyes again, trying to stop the smile from my face. Dork.

"Okay, okay, " he laughed and spun the dial, then frowned when he heard the local rock station was playing Rock And Roll All Nite. I couldn't help but giggle at him as he switched the station again, finally finding something that wasn't his own voice. He smiled softly when Van Morrison's Brown Eyed Girl came up. He glanced up at me.

"There you go, my brown-eyed girl, " he mumbled and I felt my cheeks heat up at his words. I turned away in an attempt to hide my blush, earning an amused chuckle from Paul. I hadn't really heard him laugh a lot. It was nice.

A few minutes later the car slowed down and pulled over at a parking lot in Upper East Side, and I looked away from the cold glass of the window and back to the singer as the car finally came to a stop. He shot me a wink and grinned, walking out and going to open the door for me. "There you go, brown-eyed girl, " he teased and I let out a huff at the new nickname. I couldn't stay annoyed though, as Paul looked down at me with those glowing dark eyes and tilted my chin up with two knuckles to place a soft kiss on my lips.

I kissed back immediately and just as enthusiastically, making Paul let out a low sound of approval into my mouth. His fingers hooked around the belt loops of my jeans and pulled me closer in one quick movement. I snaked my arms around his neck and pulled him closer, scratching his scalp gently with my fingernails, making him shiver.

Paul pulled back, panting, one of his hands going up to my face to cup my cheek and softly brush against my fingers. "Damn, baby, " he muttered and hell if I didn't need to press my thighs together at the low sound. Paul's lips, soft and hot and wet from the kiss pressed gingerly against my forehead and at that exact moment I could just melt. Turn into a blissful puddle on the ground.

Paul let me go out of his arms and took my head, nodding to the building in front of us. I was so distracted by him that I hadn't even noticed that we were standing on the driveway of what seemed like a brightly lit by neon lights bar. Paul grabbed my hand and pressed a kiss on the back of it, shooting me a wink and lead the way inside, taking me with him.

✵✵✵

This was supposed to be one chapter, but I'm a tease. ;) Here I warn you that the next chapter may or (may not) get a little steamy, so keep your eyes off it, children.

Also, thank you for more than 6k reads! 💕 I never even imagined getting there, and it's all thanks to you guys!