Oh, god. He’s good.

Dylan doesn’t tell, he asks. He expects nothing. Completely unlike a certain lawyer I know. A lawyer who tells me how I feel. He’s always spot-on and obviously confident in his ability to read me, but demanding all the same.

“That’s reassuring. I don’t see why she wouldn’t give you a second date. You’re kind of fantastic.”

“Thank you. In the interest of being honest, I have a dark side, I promise. I hate when people aren’t authentic on dates. But you’ll probably never see that Dylan. You’re too much of a sweetheart.” He smiles. “Tell me about your other friend, the guy…”

Hmm, a dark side. I actually might like to see that.

…wonder if Dylan’s dark side is as intoxicating as Aleck’s.

Oh, for the love of god. Stop!

“Keith is brutally honest. He tells you exactly what is on his mind at all times. He’s brave, confident, and loving. He’s honestly one of the best human beings I’ve ever met. He’s a marshmallow… Unless you piss him off, then he’s a jackal.”

Dylan nods with a smile, swiping his tongue across his bottom lip after he’s taken a drink. “You make me want to take all four of you on a date.”

I laugh, feeling heat rising to my cheeks.

“And what about you, Winter? What’s the role you play in your group?”

I shake my head, taking in a deep breath. “No. You’ve been asking me questions this entire date. It’s a pleasant change from the norm, trust me, but what about you? It’s my turn to ask questions.”

Dylan shakes his head. “‘Fraid not, Winter. Our first date is all about you. I want to know everything. I’m merely a backdrop.” He laughs. “Don’t worry, on our second date, I’ll only talk about myself. I’ll be relentlessly self-centered, I’ll talk over you and never shut up, I swear. But tonight, I want to get to know you.”

And that’s when I realize, Dylan is exactly what I need. What I’ve needed to get back into the dating pool. Redemption from all the shit I went through with Brian. I was wrong when I met Dylan; he very well could restore my faith in men. And he’s hot. My god is he hot.

Dylan and I spend the next hour deep in conversation, sipping wine, and eating dessert. I even got him to talk about his childhood and his passion for surfing. I told him about working for Black Ink and how my breakup with Brian affected my job because my job is basically to believe in love.

I’m not one to bring up an ex-boyfriend on a date, but he asked. He asked about everything. No topic was off limits. And talking about Brian didn’t faze him in the slightest. He remained confidently steadfast in his quest to get a passing grade in Winter 101.

It’s been refreshing, actually. To not have to abide by first date traditions. It’s as if Dylan and I have known each other for years and had only recently gone on a date.