Page 14 of The Best Bad Decision

What was the best way to ask if he was…well…more dynamic than I’d ever dated?

The way he smirked said he was reading my mind again, but he didn’t rush me and I was starting to hate his patience. It always pushed me to keep going and that had to be rude in some way. I’d have to figure that out later, though, because he kept up that silent nudge as my brain rolled the question around over and over.

“You’re very good at explaining what you want.” It wasn’t a bad start, but it was slightly pathetic, so I tried again. “You also talk about limits a lot.”

I might’ve spent the last few years married but I hadn’t been living under a rock.

“That might be just the new language of dating. I’ve seen a lot of references to that in shows lately and online.” And when I’d accidentally overheard a group of admins over lunch last week. “I don’t know what to ask about that or what I should assume.”

It might’ve been a long time since I dated a man…but I was positive I’d never dated anyone like Casimir.

Thankfully, he put me out of my misery even though he did it with a smirk. “I won’t get angry at you or offended no matter what you ask as long as it’s not mean-spirited, and I don’t think you have that in you.”

Before I could respond, he reached up and ran one hand over my head, playing with my hair. “Even at your angriest you’ve always been a nice guy.”

The line about them coming in last haunted the back of my mind but he didn’t seem to mean it that way.

“So I don’t want you to overthink your questions.” Still running his fingers around my ear, he smiled distractedly that time. “If you’re asking if I’m a bit more take-charge than the average guy when it comes to some things…then yes.”

He was probably downplaying that desire, but I didn’t interrupt…mostly because I didn’t know what to say.

“I like making sure we both get what we need and what makes us happy.” The look on his face said I’d done a good job of making him happy, which had a nervous part at the back of my brain relaxing. “In this case you needed me to tell you what I wanted so you were comfortable continuing.”

He shrugged it off like he didn’t think anything of it…or think badly of me for not knowing how to proceed. “I like that you didn’t just assume you knew what I wanted and I like how enthusiastically you gave me exactly what I’ve been imagining.”

Hearing that sent confusing thoughts and desires through me, so I ignored them too.

The list of stuff I was ignoring was growing, but I liked feeling good and I wasn’t ready to fuck that up yet.

“I appreciate how you clearly explained what you wanted and didn’t make me guess.” There’d been too much of that for too long, and I didn’t think I could’ve done it again. “I’m going to ask that you keep making what you want just that clear.”

And I hoped I didn’t have to ask that he give me a bit more time to process what that meant.

Casimir paused for a moment before nodding. “I will make what I want from you clear but you have to tell me if I push you too far or go too fast. Right now, just telling me no will stop everything and I’ll touch base with you. But if telling me no is too difficult or confusing, I want you to step back and physically put space between us.”

He just kept bringing my brain to a complete halt.

“In that kind of situation, I’m assuming you wouldn’t be mad or frustrated with me?” Would more reality TV have given me a better background for this conversation? “That’s the last thing I want.”

For reasons I couldn’t quite process yet.

He was supposed to be my fake boyfriend but I wasn’t so sure where we were at any longer.

“The only things that would make me angry are you ignoring a limit to make me happy, lying about what you want, or you ending up in fucking jail.” His glare and the growl in his voice had me trying not to smile. “I’m done with that fucking nonsense. Got it?”

“Got it.” The reminder that he usually made worse decisions than I did made me feel steadier. “No jail. No lying. No ignoring limits.”

Would listening to more LGBT podcasts have helped?

The news clearly hadn’t, so I was going to have to broaden my horizons before I took him out again.

My education definitely hadn’t prepared me for the people in my neighborhood.

Neighborly Interlude 3

Betty

“Betty. Betty.” Elaine barreled through the back door like a kid at Christmas, wide-eyed and shocked as she waved her binoculars. “You have to look out the front. Get the microphone.”