“Hmm— You want the truth or a politically correct, what girls are supposed to like answer?”
“Nothing but the truth.”
“I like a good action movie, staring men with big biceps and tight butts, who run around shooting, blowing shit up and causing havoc and mayhem.”
He laughed loudly, making Gold flick his ears with abject disapproval. “Sorry, boy.” He patted the horse’s neck. “Same here. If said hero has a hot chick in a short dress running around after him. You like biceps and butts, I’m a sucker for tits and ass.” He shrugged. “Sorry to admit it, I’m a man.”
“I’ll concede the tits and ass since you accepted the biceps and butts. We all have our vices.”
“True. I will admit in my favor, aside from a tendency to ogle a nice pair, or curse, I’m a pretty vice free guy. I drink in moderation, don’t smoke, gamble or stray.”
Hana grinned at him. “So far I’d give us couple points.”
“Points?” He looked genuinely confused.
“My high school friends and I used to rate relationships based on likes and dislikes. Everything in common, a perfect ten—destined to be together forever. Flat zero, nothing in common and doomed to failure.”
“I see. Based on the scale, where do we fall?”
She thought a moment. “Well, we haven’t covered all the subjects. So far we’re three out of ten.”
“Okay, what are the other criteria? We’ve got to cover all the bases or I won’t be happy.”
“Let me think, it’s been a few years since I last did this. We covered music, movies and sight. Oh wait, vices. That gives us a four. We’re going out of order, so I forgot that one.”
“What’s next?”
“The categories were music, movies, sight or hearing, books, sports and recreation, vices, family, entertainment, education and humor and one other that I won’t tell until we cover the rest.”
“All right. What type of books to you like to read, Hana?” he asked in mock seriousness.
“I’ll read just about anything except technical manuals. Not fond of them. Ironic in my business, I know. Favorite read is sci-fi action with a little romance tossed in for fun.”
“Sounds good to me. I don’t have a lot of spare time to read, but I like action. Romance? Not sure about that one. Define romance in a novel.”
“Kissing, hugging, heavy petting, the occasional orgasm.”
“Okay, I could handle that. What’s next?”
“Sports and recreation,” she said.
“I like most sports, participating in, not watching. I like to ride horses, bucking and otherwise. I enjoy playing music with my family, hiking and rock climbing. I’m even up for a jump out of a plane, but I’ve not done it yet.”
“Wow! I can’t say I like the idea of riding a bucking bronco, but I love to ride competitively. I won awards all through school. My family isn’t musical, or much fun to be around, but I love to sing. I like hiking and rock climbing, but not sure about the plane thing. Only if you went with me.”
“Deal. Can that be our next date?” He laughed when she paled slightly at that remark. “Kidding! What’s our score so far?”
She counted on her fingers. “Six of ten.”
“Not bad. Continue.”
“Family?”
“I love spending time with my family. They’re the greatest people I know. If I weren’t related to them, I’d still want to be around them. Your turn.”
“My family is horrid, except for my dad and Auntie. I love my mom, but if she weren’t my mother I’d not have a thing to do with her. Same with my brothers and sisters. Awful people through and through. Well, one brother is okay. However, I like your family a lot, so I guess we get a half point on that one.”
“I concede the half point. That takes us to six and a half.”
“Entertainment.”
“Isn’t that like recreation?”
“No, this is stuff you’d do indoors.”
He gave her a look, raising one eyebrow. “We won’t discuss what I’d like to be doing indoors right now. You’d slap me.”
Hana giggled. “Other than that, what do you like to do for entertainment?”
“Go to a good movie, play music, dance with a beautiful woman. Sometimes I like to go to a bar, but a quiet one where they have good music. I like concerts and even go to the theater once in a while.”
“Well, amend the dancing with a beautiful woman to dancing with a handsome man. Full points.”
“Number nine?”
“Education and humor.”
“Explain. I don’t have as much book learning as some, but I like to think I’m well educated.”
“Doesn’t mean just formal education. Basically, do you explore new things that interest you, or do you sit on your ass and watch reruns of Baywatch?”
“Not a fair question. I like tits and ass, remember?”
Hana laughed, reddening a little. “All right, I’ll amend that to sitting on your ass. That okay?”
“I like to read about things that interest me. I’ll study anything I can find on a subject, until I learn everything I want to know. Then I move on to something else.”
©2022 Dellani Oakes
Dellani Oakes 