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"Six dates." Katrina couldn't believe it as she adjusted her simple black dress so that it sat properly on her curves, and then yanked her bra up so that her cleavage peaked out the sweetheart neckline. "It's going well. Keep it up girl." This was her new pre-date pep talk ritual.
It had been a long time since she had made it to date number six. Usually, she had a three-date maximum before the scardy-cats went running for the highway overwhelmed how passionate she could be about the subjects she loved. Katrina was determined to not let that happen this time. She liked Danny – a lot. She clicked with him in a way that she hadn't with anyone else she had met in a long time. She looked into the mirror that was on the wall by the door, still not quite use to the brown hair that resembled her natural mousy brown color. For years, she had dyed it all the glorious colors of the rainbow and reveled in it. She liked being know as the girl with the wild hair, and it broke her heart a little when she decided to get rid of it. All things fandoms had been her life working for a company that helped to organize comic conventions in different cities, so she pretty well got away with everything she wanted when it came to her appearance. It had been a dream job until a rival company started snatching up the contracts that the company she worked for used to get. Being laid off had been a blow, not only to her ego, but her entire way of life. Outside the happy bubble she had been living in, things were not quite as simple, and Katrina found people didn't take her seriously with her hot pink highlights or her Doctor Who knee high socks. Finding a new job had been murder which meant in the end she had to shed the clothes she had enjoyed and went back to her boring brown hair. It seemed to do the trick, and she had been working for the past few months, even if she didn't like it. This was her new life - even if she missed her old job.
She picked up her purse and headed out the door. Danny was going to pick her up in the lobby of her apartment building. She was nervous about letting him upstairs. Her appearance might have changed but her apartment hadn't. There was still a TARDIS blanket on the couch, star trek style accessories in the kitchen and her pride and joy, a pencil sketch that she had done of Stan Lee that she had got him to sign at one of the conventions she had helped to organize, framed on the wall. Not exactly things that a straight-laced guy like Danny would appreciate – but everyone has their flaws.
Katrina waited in the lobby, watching the snow flakes float down, making it feel more like Christmas was well on its way. When she saw the familiar silver sedan pull in front she joined him outside and smiled as he got out, and opened the passenger side door and kissed her on the cheek as she slid inside. He was exactly the kind of guy she had been looking for – smart, creative, always bringing up the most interesting topics for them to talk about, and challenging her to think bigger about the world. He had a steady job as an engineer at a large firm, and definitely the kind of guy you could bring home to your family. That was the biggest surprise of all.
They pulled into the driveway of the Italian restaurant that he had promised to take her to on their last date, and walked up the front steps. Katrina skipped her hand along the banister covered in green garlands with small red velvet bows, sparkling with yellow lights. She always loved the Christmas season – getting to spend time with friends and family, and seeing all the decorations; watching as normally boring people get excited and don their lawns with ridiculous oversized blow-up Santa's and Reindeers.
