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Edge raked a hand through his hair as he strolled down the street. He turned back to glance cursorily at his car, a sporty black 2001 Corvette, noting where he'd parked.
He glanced down at the small piece of paper in his hand, at the address Lita had given him over the phone. And then, as he walked a little ways more, he found her house.
The place was modest in size but seemed cozy and welcoming, which he liked. Sort of like the redhead herself.
He rang the doorbell, only to hear a loud barking by what was obviously a large dog. As he waited, he ran his hand through his hair again, hoping the woman wouldn't see that he was nervous. He knew Lita wouldn't mind that, but his own pride and male ego shouted against letting down his walls of self-protection.
The door suddenly opened, and the young woman stuck her head out as she tried her darndest to keep her dog inside.
"Hey... Come in." She seemed to wrestle with the animal - a male doberman pinscher now that he got a good look - as she held onto his collar. "Down, Cody!"
Edge stepped inside, his gaze on Lita's pet. Rather than shrink back when the dog tried to jump up on him, he knelt down to his level.
"Cody, huh?"
Lita nodded. "Sorry," she said, meaning the dog's jumping on him.
"Oh, it's okay." The blond man tentatively reached a hand out toward the dog, allowing him to smell him. "Hey, Cody... Good boy..." Then, when it seemed all right to do so, he raised his hand and patted the doberman's head.
"Wow," the redhead marveled, "he very rarely takes to anyone that quickly. She grinned as the blond man straightened up and stood before her. "You must have a magic touch."
"I'm sure you'll find that out first-hand later tonight..."
Lita blushed a deep red at his words and their very obvious meaning. Biting her lip, she turned away and headed for the kitchen, not wanting him to see her embarrassment.
Edge followed her into the tiny kitchen - as did Cody, his claws clicking off the tile floor. She was at the sink, retrieving a glass.
"Want something to drink?"
"Hey, you don't have to do that..." he protested and took the glass from her hand. "You do this sort of thing at that diner all the time. Let me."
She didn't want anything, so she politely declined, and then the blond man poured himself a glass of water. As he drank, Lita watched him intently, her gaze for some reason drawn to his throat and Adam's apple as he swallowed. She couldn't help but notice, as always, how very handsome a man he was. He was wearing his ever-present black trenchcoat, but underneath, she could see the black slacks and black button-down shirt. Ad damn, he sure favored black and dark colors, from what she noticed.
Ironically, it was just at that moment that the man seemed to take note of the way she was dressed tonight. As he finished his drink and rinsed the glass, he studied her in an unabashed way, his green eyes taking in the leg and cleavage she displayed in her strappy little red dress. Again, she blushed, but she felt good.
"You look really amazing," Edge said, giving her a twice-over. "Wow, I never noticed that tattoo before..."
"Oh, this?" Lita said self-consciously, her arms crossing as she gazed down at the body art. "I got it in Amsterdam a few years back."
"You went to Amsterdam? Cool," he said, surprised. He wondered if her life had been as much of an adventure as his own had been - and still was.
"Yeah," she said as they headed out of the kitchen to leave. She patted Cody before they stepped through the door and she locked it. "I sort of treated myself to a trip there after college." She followed alongside him as he made his way to a black sportscar - a Corvette.
"Nice car," she observed, impressed.
Edge unlocked the passenger's side first, holding the door open and waiting for her to enter. The redhead smiled at the gentlemanly gesture, and then he slipped into the driver's side and put the key in the ignition.
"So, what kind of food do you like?"
"Um... I like all different kinds," she admitted. "Hey, I know a great Japanese place in town."
"Great," the blond man said as he pulled out of the parking space. "I love Japanese. You be the navigator."
Lita smiled, but her expression returned to neutral and then pondering as she thought about Dawn Marie and Christian, and their ties with this man. She was on a date with him - she knew it wasn't the right time to ask questions about that unpleasantness, but she only hoped she could hold out until later.
Naturally, her overly inquisitive mind would get her in over her head later on...