Aidonues easily drove through the freeway, but he couldn't help but feel anxious and excited that he would have his first date with his mate. Persefone lived in Paramount, a bit far from where he lived, but it didn't matter to him. It took thirty-five minutes for him to arrive in the small, quiet city. Aidoneus was five minutes from the Subway restaurant, which Persefone said she would wait by. As the werewolf approached his destination, he saw someone standing by the small Subway building.
The young man sighed in relief; Persefone waited for him. Aidoneus turned a left lane to park his car. Once in a safe spot, the car's windows were opened, and Aidoneus called out to Persefone, who noticed him. Persefone smiled as she walked toward Aidoneus' car, opened it, and entered it. Once both were situated, Aidoneus drove off and headed toward the freeway to reach their destination. While driving, the young man couldn't help but take glances at his mate occasionally. Her scent was salivating, making it difficult for him to concentrate. Aidoneus couldn't help but notice that Persefone wore a one-shoulder steampunk dress with a splicing lace-up handkerchief; the bottom part of the dress had a dark green and black pattern. She also wore silver raven earrings and a slight hint of makeup. "Y-You look lovely in your dress. I assume you like the goth scene?"
"Y-Yeah. I didn't know whether or not this was okay, but I always liked the style."
"Don't think so badly of it; you wear what you are comfortable. I also looked at the coffee place that we're going to and it looks interesting."
Persefone smiled. "I've heard about it through Instagram and tried it twice. They had good coffee and tea." As Aidoneus drove on the freeway again, he played music to ease their nervousness. To his delight, Persefone recognized the artist and informed him that she was a fan of Rammstein. They spoke about the band and other music genres they liked throughout the drive toward the city of Garden Grove, where the coffee shop was.
Twenty-two minutes passed, and they arrived at Burnt Umber Coffee, a coffee place beside other businesses. Aidoneus parked his car, and he and Persefone got out and walked toward the small coffee shop. This is a family-owned business, and the owners are charming! Like I said, this place has a Gothic Victorian vibe, but they announced that they decorated their shop with gothic Christmas ornaments!"
"Hm, I look forward to it." When getting to the entrance, Aidoneus opened the door for Persefone and motioned for her to enter first, and then he did. Once inside, the duo noticed how small the coffee shop was; four tables with wooden chairs were on the right side. On the left was a fireplace with two Victorian-style sofas and two black-colored cabinets with the coffee's brand merchandise. On the further end were other tables and chairs and a sign that said 'tea room.'
There was a black-colored Christmas tree with Halloween-themed ornaments. On top of the fireplace were many Jack Skeleton Christmas figurines, black wreaths, and more. They got to the cashier, where the duo looked at the menu. Different ranges of coffee and tea options had unique names and different recipes from the coffee he was used to. The duo eventually placed their orders and sat on one of the tables. "So, what do you think?"
Aidoneus couldn't help but marvel at the coffee shop's uniqueness; he had never felt so at ease. "It's a nice, cozy place, and I love the style. It gladdens me that people are making businesses that fit their passion."
A soft sigh escaped Persefone's lips; she thought Aidoneus would feel out of place. Luckily, he felt the opposite. "Totally! People try to fit society's expectations, but when people get away from that and do what makes them happy, it allows others to understand something new."
Aidoneus smiled and was impressed by her choice of words; he knew she was wise, even for her age. "You know, I was curious about something. What ended up happening with your friend and her date?"
"I don't know. Patrisha, who pressured me to follow her plan, was probably caught, which may be why she hadn't called me." Their orders were called, and Aidoneus stood up, got their drinks, and sat back down. Suddenly, another shop owner went to the duo, handing them plates of cinnamon rolls, and went on his way. "Still, I hope it went well for Maeve. She deserves happiness since her ex broke up with her before the holidays."
The young man stilled when he heard that particular name. "Did you say Maeve?" Persefone nodded. Aidonues wanted to laugh at the coincidence but refrained from doing so. "This might be awkward, but my Pops is dating someone with that name. There's a possibility that he's dating your friend." The two were quiet as they processed the information; Persefone couldn't help but feel awkward and concerned. If Maeve were dating Aidoneus' father, it would conflict with her relationship with Aidoneus. The young man noticed her concern, and he knew why. "I can see that you are close with your friend like I am close with my Pops. Are you concerned that if they don't work out, then it would affect us?"
Persefone bit her lower lip as a blush came across her face. Aidoneus read her so easily. "The thing is, Maeve and I work together in the same class and school. She is like an older sister I never had and motivated me to work in education. If their relationship doesn't work, I-I don't know if I would be able to see you the same way."
Aidoneus felt his heart break when Persefone thought of leaving him if something happened to his father and Maeve's relationship. Although he felt hurt, Aidoneus couldn't help but feel warmth in Persefone's view of friendship. It showed him the type of person she was, and he couldn't help but feel grateful to the Moon Goddess for giving him such a caring mate. "I understand and respect your feelings. Please rest assured that my Pops is a man with dignity and respect. He would never do anything to hurt your friend, Maeve. He speaks fondly of her and feels happiness whenever he gets the chance to see her." Aidoneus smiled as he took a sip of his coffee. "You have nothing to worry about, Persefone. I know that they will work out. Besides, it's almost Christmas where miracles happen!"
Persefone smiled, feeling reassured by his words. "I-I guess you're right. All I want is Maeve to be happy. I just don't want her to get hurt." She cleared her throat and changed the topic to a more positive note. The two spoke about other topics regarding hobbies, books, movies, music, etc. Persefone enjoyed herself very much, and as the date went on, she couldn't help but hope nothing would go wrong between her and Aidoneus.
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