Author's note: If you have read my previous stories - this isn't very much like them. This is a romantic story about two people getting to know each other, and finding out what their relationship can be like. But don't worry - it does feature sex.
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Markus rang the doorbell seven minutes early.
He was wearing different textures of black: a silk shirt with lace edges, a long brocade jacket, Cuban heels and comparatively plain pants.
The door was solid, but he could still hear the sharp clicking of Christina's heels on a wooden floor.
She was a femme fatale in red — a sleeveless mid-thigh bodycon dress cut to accentuate her wide hips, narrow waist and a substantial expanse of cleverly exaggerated milk-white, faintly freckled breasts. Her lipstick was a darker red, her hair lighter. Her heels, which increased her already impressive height until she was slightly taller than Markus as he stood a step below floor level, almost matched her lipstick.
He glanced up and down. Smiled. "You look stunning," she said.
She almost smirked, looked self-conscious for a second, then said: "Thank you. You look... handsome."
"You can say it," he said.
"Alright, you look sexy. Damn sexy."
"Thank you."
"You don't mind?"
"I made an effort, I'll damn sure expect a compliment. Are you ready?"
"Two secs."
She dashed back into the house, returning five seconds later with a crimson bag and a set of keys.
"Where are we going?" she asked when they were putting their seatbelts on.
"Cottage."
"No shit!"
"Shit."
"Wow."
Christina lapsed into silence. Markus paid attention to the road but gave Christina a couple of quick sideways glances. The drive was little more than five minutes.
"Are you OK?" he asked gently.
"We're on a date," she said.
"Yes."
"We're on a date because, after knowing each other for six months, we've got feelings for each other."
"I certainly do."
"OK, here's the thing." She took a deep breath.
Markus swung into a parking space three metres from the restaurant's door in a quiet outer suburb.
"I don't know how to go on a date without trying to seduce you. I don't think I've done it before," Christina said.
"What, never?"
"Pretty sure. Which may be why I've never had a relationship longer than six months, I am prepared to accept that. I've never been without a boyfriend longer than two months, but I've never found one worth keeping. Do you know how long it took me to work out how to wait until at least the second date before having sex?"
"Can't say I've ever had the problem," he said with a grin.
"Can I apologise in advance if I forget and do something that squicks you out?"
He turned towards her as he took his seatbelt off. "You're not going to squick me out. And you're not going to offend me unless you start saying 'Oh come on, you just have to try it properly, I bet I...'"
"Oh, God, I never would! Honest!"
"Thank you. There you are, then. Look, I'm asexual. That doesn't mean I'm aromantic — hence this date — and it doesn't mean I can't appreciate how good you look, and it definitely doesn't mean I don't appreciate the effort you've gone to for this date. I'm not sexually attracted to you, and I'm not going to be. But I don't want you to ever change yourself for me. If you enjoy flirting with me, flirt with me. Believe it or not, I enjoy knowing someone is lavishing that attention on me. Sex appeal is meaningless to me, but I do appreciate someone making an effort to be attractive to me, and I do appreciate beauty."
She blushed furiously, tried several times to say something, then said: "You know, that's the first time I can remember a date has told me I'm beautiful and sounded like they meant it?"
"Then they all missed what was really important," Markus said.
She grinned, clearly finding composure again. "Oh, not the only important thing. But I'll take it. Are we ready?"
She got out of the car before Markus came around to open the door for her. They linked arms to walk the short distance inside.
Cottage was in an old house with many rooms, each with two or three tables. It was a quiet night and they were alone in their room.
Christina's eyes were all over Markus when she was not looking at the menu. Markus's eyes were calmer but also appreciative. In the oblique light of candles, Christina's nipples betrayed that although she was controlling her seductive impulses, she was not cold to Markus's charms.
He was charming: Warm, complimentary and attentive. They spoke of many things — updating each other on their lives, retreading old ground and even, despite the depth of a still young but solid friendship, finding new things to know about each other.
Every so often while Markus was talking, Christina would bite her lip and make a visible effort to restrain herself. Once, she leaned forward onto her elbows, her back bent a little forward to display her cleavage, caught herself, then, with an equally visible effort, stayed in place.
She saw Markus notice, but he kept his attention on her face and seemed to have no trouble doing so.
A few more times, she drew attention to her cleavage with subtle hand movements, looking away, or the way she got up when going to the toilet.
Markus did not react to any of it, although the appreciative look he gave her when she returned from the bathroom did not go unnoticed, or unappreciated.
When she sat down, with plates cleared and desert still on the way, she drew her arms in to press her breasts together.
"Are you testing me, or yourself?" he asked with a grin.
"Maybe both," she said with a coquettish toss of her head.
She cleared her throat. "Look, I'm sorry. I've never knowingly met an asexual man before, and... I'm curious. I'm still working out what it means."
"You're not used to not being a sex object?"
"No, dammit! Look, if I could turn it on and off at will I absolutely fucking would, but I'll admit this is a little disconcerting. You should be drooling over me by now. It's frustrating." She said it with a pout but made it clear she was joking.
He grinned again. "Sorry."
She laughed. "Oh, don't be, not your fault. It's a new experience. I don't get many of them. Not since I finally got a threesome with two men last year."
She sobered up so quickly, Markus blinked in surprise.
She opened her mouth, hesitated, shut her mouth. Took a deep breath while looking down at the table. She spoke without looking up again. "To be honest, every relationship I've ever had has been about sex, really. Not relationship plus sex, but sex plus anything else. It's just such a big part of who I am. Every boyfriend I've had, I've fucked at least once a day. I don't really know how to have a relationship without it."
Still looking down at the table, she added: "But everything is telling me I want to try it with you."
He put his hands over hers.
Her lips twisted into a lopsided grin. "You must get this a lot," she said.
"Once or twice," he said. "But thanks for the compliment. The thing is: I'm physical, I'm just not sexual. I enjoy kissing. I enjoy touch. I need hugs. Inside an intimate relationship, I enjoy knowing that someone is touching me for their own satisfaction and enjoying my body. I don't have any aversion to sex. I've had sex. I just have no interest in it for its own sake. I have no desire, I don't get aroused by erotic things and I don't miss it."
