She came.
Until he saw her walking through the crowd, Porco had doubted. Not what he felt for her. Not the connection he knew existed between them. But he knew that family was a powerful motivator. If Jules’s family was not on board with her seeing him, she might’ve stayed home.
But she came.
As first dates went, this one wasn't so bad. Porco walked alongside Jules amidst the sounds of the county fair. The wails, screeches, and cries of children who were finally coming down from their afternoon sugar rush. The shouts and giggles of teens testing the boundaries of their independence while inside the cocoon of their tight-knit community were now on the rise. Ever-present was the catcalls of the visiting vendors aiming to pick the last dollar out of eager townies' pockets.
"You hungry?" Porco asked.
Jules tugged at the hem of her sleeve. She’d changed from the brightly colored sundress she’d worn this morning to more muted tones. The dress she now wore was white cloth. There were a few accents of light blue and purple at the sleeve and hem. The softness of the colors cast her in an ethereal glow, making her look like more of the angel in his dreams.
“I ate before I left home,” she said. “Most of the foods here don’t agree with me.”
Right. The vegan thing. No meat.
“We could have a milkshake if you’re thirsty.”
She tugged again at the blue trim on her sleeve. She’d met his eyes only once, that moment when they’d come face to face for the first time tonight. She’d said hello, gazing into Porco’s eyes as if searching for something. Only when she found it, her features had gone pensive, like she was now working out a complex math problem.
“I can’t have dairy,” she said finally.
“Oh. Well, there’s also ice cream.”
She found his gaze then. Her eyes sparkled in the moonlight. He felt that he was now the complex math problem she was trying to work out. Porco wanted to tell her that he was a very simple solution.
“We’re on a date,” he said. “I want to buy you a treat. Is there anything I can get for you?”
Jules pressed her lips together. She glanced up, eyes searching the signs and boards around them. “Well," she said, "Oreos are vegan."
There was that word again. Porco supposed he should ask her exactly what it meant. But he didn't want to offend her or seem stupid. He'd google it later tonight after their date. Though the thought of leaving her at any point didn't sit well with him. This date had only begun, and he wanted it to go on forever.
He watched as she took a tentative bite of the dessert. It wasn’t a regular Oreo from a package. It had been covered in batter and deep-fried in oil. Jules’s eyes went wide. Her hand went to her head.
"Sugar rush," she said through a wince. “That’s more sugar than I’m used to… in a week.“
Porco placed his hand over hers, rubbing at her temple. Jules dropped her hands and gave him complete control over her head. Porco had never felt stronger than when he was given charge of this woman.
He massaged the skin at her forehead. His hands cupped her cheek. He gazed down at her, unabashed. He watched the tension slowly seep from her. When she opened her eyes, the golden sparkles there dazzled him.
Porco’s heart raced. With his fingers grazing her neck, he felt her pulse pick up. Her breaths came out in quick huffs. He tasted a sweetness that transcended the sugars of the cookie. There was a smear of frosting at the corner of her upper lip. He should bend down to lick that off. Wouldn't want her to experience another rush from the sugar.
Was it too soon? Funny, he’d never asked himself that question before when pursuing a woman. Jules was different. He wanted -no needed to get this one right. She was different. She was special. She was The One.
"You've got something there," he said.
Carefully, he brushed the spot at the corner of her mouth. Grabbing a napkin from a nearby dispenser, he handed the paper cloth to her. As she busied herself wiping at her lips, Porco turned and snuck a lick of his thumb.
Heaven.
"It's funny," he said, as they walked on. "Most first dates take place at a bar after meeting on a dating app."
"Why is that funny?" she asked.
He turned to her, taking a moment when his heart leaped at the sight of her. It hadn’t stopped doing that all night. It would probably weaken with all the exertion just being in her presence. It would be worth it.
“We met naturally,” he said. “You don't hear a lot of stories of people doing that. Well, except on the Purple Heart Ranch and Vance Ranch. But those are all special cases."
Jules winced at the mention of the ranch. Porco wanted to bite his tongue. They had seemed to mutually agree to keep the subject of their feuding ranches off the table.
"I don't have a cell phone," said Jules. "So, I don't have any apps."
"No cell phone?"
She shrugged. “I live on the commune. Everyone I want to talk to is in shouting distance. Don’t look at me like I’m from outer space.”
She poked him in the side with her elbow. He had her talking now, relaxed. The more her guard came down, the more he got to know about her. The more he got to know about her, the more he liked her.
“We have a few computers and the internet for work purposes in the community room. But no television."
He blanched at the thought. No phones or television? He wouldn’t survive. Except, he had lived like that for stretches of time.
“We didn't always have creature comforts in the army. But if we were at a base, there might be access. Even in the desert or the mountains, many soldiers were able to take college courses or other training between missions.“
“All the places you got to see." Jules tilted her head back and sighed. Her gaze was fixed on the stars.
"Do you want to travel?" he asked.
She gave a shake of her head. "I used to think I did. I realized I like the idea of traveling. But everything I need is here. My family, my friends, my work."
"What is your work?"
"I grow soybeans."
Porco wrinkled his nose.
“You don’t like beans?”
“Not when I was a kid, no. But I'm willing to give them another try if they’re your beans.”
Again, her gaze clouded. He’d become a math problem again. More than anything, Porco wanted to add up to her needs.
“Do you know anything about me?” she asked. “About my people and where I come from?”
He didn't know much about the next-door neighbors on the Verona Commune. They were farmers like most who lived in these parts. He'd heard lively music once or twice as he'd driven by; ancient, primal sounds with drums beating and tambourines jingling. It had sounded like a good time. If these were modern-day flower children, he figured he'd have a good time with them. Right now, he was entirely focused on having a good time with the bloom beside him.
“I probably shouldn’t be here with you,” she said. But her words were whispered, quietly. So softly that they would’ve easily been lost in the sound of revelry all around them.
“But you are,” he said.
Jules worried the hem of her sleeve even more. Porco reached for those slender fingers. Uncoupling them from the fabric, he slid the fingers of his left hand between the fingers of her right one. Not quite down to the knuckle, just to the first line past her fingertips.
“You’re here with me.”
In her eyes, Porco saw the plusses and minuses of the problem she’d been trying to solve fall away. He slid his fingers down past her knuckles.
“It’s what we both want.”
With that, Porco let their hands clasp fully. He grasped onto the webbing between her fingers. His palm met hers, giving him another rush of heat that pulsed all through his body. His heart warned him to hold onto this one tight and never let go. Those were instructions Porco intended to follow to the letter.