Disclaimer: Ten Inch Hero does not belong to us.

Unwrapping Life - Cowritten with LadyWallace

Chapter 1 – By AnastaziaDanielle

The day was warm and sunny, perfect beach weather. Priestly shoved his hands into the pockets of his long, black shorts and dug around for his car keys, surfboard securely attacked to the top of his truck. It was time to catch some waves and do some reflecting on last night's date with Tish – their first date. After locating the keys, Priestly climbed into his truck and ran his fingers through his short, light brown hair. It still felt odd as the shorter strands ran between his fingers, but Tish had seemed to like his natural look.

He bit back a sigh and aimed his truck for the beach as his mind wandered over last night's dinner date at Tish's favorite Italian restaurant. He had dressed in his Banana Republic clothing and carefully groomed his hair. Priestly had felt butterflies nervously swarming in his stomach as he pulled up in front of Tish's apartment. He felt naked without his mohawk, eyeliner, and funky t-shirts.

The Previous Night

Tish invited him in when he knocked on her door, her long hair hanging down over her shoulders and her lips bright with lipstick. A tiny tan skirt hugged her curves and a white tank top showed just the right amount of cleavage. Priestly's mouth was dry, and he found it difficult to swallow.

"I'm almost ready," Tish said with a smile, her heart thudding in her chest at the besotted look on Priestly's face. "Have a seat." She gestured to an over-stuffed cream-colored loveseat.

Priestly shoved his hands into his pockets anxiously. He was too on edge to sit still. "Nah, I'm okay," he managed, wincing as his voice sounded a bit breathless.

Tish bit back a frown at his nervousness. Yes, he had been quite anxious when asking her out on a date in front of their friends, but she had assumed that he would be "Priestly" once it was just the two of them together.

It only took her a few minutes to finish getting ready. Priestly seemed relieved as they headed outside into the cool night air. A smile curved Tish's lips when Priestly held the car door open for her and then shut it behind her. It had been a long time since any man had treated her like a lady. "So where are we going to eat?" she asked once her date was settled behind the wheel.

"I thought maybe we could go to that Italian place you're always talking about," Priestly replied as he glanced over at Tish. "Is that all right? We can go somewhere else if you'd rather."

"Priestly, the Italian place is fine," she smiled. He was adorable with those big green eyes and pinched expression, but she missed the confident, sarcastic Priestly. "If it's too expensive we can go somewhere else," she added.

"No, no, it's okay," Priestly quickly reassured her. His stomach was still tumbling nervously as he tried to make conversation. "I like Italian."

There was an awkward silence before Tish finally looked at him and quirked an eyebrow. "Priestly, are you all right?"

He swallowed hard. "Yeah, I'm fine, Tish."

She shrugged a shoulder. "You just seem different, that's all."

He huffed a choked laugh. "I'm a little nervous here," he admitted as his cheeks turned pink.

Tish grinned. Yup, he was totally adorable. "You're doing fine," she assured him.

The rest of the date passed in much the same manner. Priestly was still nervous and awkward no matter how hard Tish tried to put him at ease. As they left the restaurant, though, she slid her hand into his. He had insisted on paying for her dinner and then held the door open for her as they left. The gestures warmed her heart. Tish gave his hand a gentle squeeze.

"It's a beautiful night," she said softly. "Think we could go for a walk on the beach?"

"Yeah, sure," Priestly replied, worried because his palm was sweaty. He led the way to the boardwalk and watched as Tish slipped off her shoes. He did the same with his free hand because Tish seemed intent on not letting go of him.

With a gentle tug, she pulled him out onto the sand and to the edge of the waves crashing against the shore. The salty smell of the ocean permeated the air and Tish breathed in deeply. Her arm brushed against Priestly's and she leaned her head against his shoulder.

"Tonight was nice," she sighed, her dark hair brushing against Priestly's jaw when he turned his head. She wasn't sure, but she thought maybe he pressed a kiss into her hair.

"Yeah, it was," Priestly managed, his mouth suddenly dry. "Do you think…uh….maybe…. we could do this again soon?" The last words came out in a rush, and he hoped Tish would be able to understand what he said because he wasn't sure he could get them out again. His nerves were on edge, and the Banana Republic dress shirt felt too tight and restrictive. He longed for one of his comfortable tees with a sarcastic slogan, but Tish was worth dressing up for.

"I would like that," Tish replied as she smiled up at the green-eyed man beside her. "What did you have in mind?"

Priestly thought for a moment. "What would you like to do? You pick," he finally told the beautiful woman leaning against his shoulder as they walked in the edge of the water with the waves lapping their ankles.

"Surprise me," Tish grinned as she pulled her hand away from his, tossed her shoes up the beach into the sand, and ran forward into the water. "Come on, Priestly! The water's perfect!"

Priestly looked down at his clothes. This was the only pair of good pants he had, and he would need them to wear on his next date with Tish.

"Priestly, come on!" she shouted again.

He deposited his shoes next to hers on the beach and bent over to roll up his pants legs. He managed to get them just below his knee, but that's as high as they would go. He'd have to do a load of laundry in the morning.

Turning toward the water, he jogged into the waves.

"Isn't this great?" Tish squealed as she splashed him happily.

She looked so beautiful in the moonlight that Priestly's breath caught in his throat. He stepped forward and placed his hands on her waist. Tish's hands immediately came to rest against his chest as the water swirled around their legs.

"Priestly," she murmured, just before he brought his lips down to meet hers.

There was nothing awkward about their kiss. Tish sucked on his bottom lip and Priestly opened his mouth, granting her entrance. She deepened the kiss as he pulled her closer, her body flush against his. Tish's fingers moved up Priestly's back to run through his now-shorter hair which was soft to the touch.

Priestly pulled back as a moan escaped his lips. "Okay," he panted. "This is too fast."

Tish tipped her forehead against his. "Are you all right?" she asked as her hands cupped his face.

"Yeah," he murmured, pressing a quick kiss to her lips. "I just… I don't want to move to fast and mess this up."

Tish sighed against his mouth before reaching for his hand and tugging him out of the waves. "Then maybe treat a girl to a walk on the beach in the moonlight, Renaissance Man," she grinned sassily.

Priestly sighed with relief when Tish didn't argue with him. "I think I can handle that," he smiled as he led the beautiful woman beside him down the beach as the waves broke around their ankles.

End Flashback

Priestly sighed at the memory of Tish's heated kisses as he found a spot to park his truck close to the beach. He had to figure out something to do on his second date with Tish. Grabbing his surfboard, he headed toward the sand and the promise of catching some waves. A sign that he had looked at hundreds of times before stopped him in his tracks today. "Horseback riding, Jet Skiing, Parasailing," he murmured, looking in the direction the arrow on the sign pointed.

His brow furrowed in thought as he continued his way down to the water. Would Tish like to do anything of those things or would she prefer a movie or maybe a concert? A heavy sigh escaped Priestly's lips as he splashed into the water, climbed onto his board, and began paddling out to catch a wave.

He was no closer to an answer when he emerged from the water an hour later. He headed home to shower and get ready for work. It didn't take him long to shower, but selecting his clothes took too long and nearly made him late for work.

His khaki pants and dress shirt weren't dry after he washed them early this morning. With a frustrated sigh, he rooted around in his closet and found the most "normal" pair of jeans he had and a plain black v-neck t-shirt he'd bought the other day. He grimaced at his reflection when he looked in the mirror. He missed his mohawk, piercings, and eyeliner. He didn't feel like Priestly without them.

He scurried out of the door and drove as fast as he dared to work. He parked his truck next to Jen's car and grinned when he saw her just shutting the car door behind her. Maybe she could help him figure out his date with Tish.

"Hey, Jen!" he called as he hopped out of his truck and slammed the door. "How's Fuzzy?"

A blush lit her cheeks and she smiled shyly. "He's great," she answered. "He's driving up tomorrow night so we can go to a concert."

Priestly grinned. This was the perfect opening. "So, I was hoping you could help me figure out where to take Tish on our second date."

Priestly nearly groaned as Jen's face lit up. "How did things go last night?" she asked eagerly.

The green-eyed young man rubbed a hand anxiously through his hair. "I don't know, Jen," he answered honestly. "I think she had a good time – at least I hope she did."

Jen linked her arm through his. "Trucker isn't here yet, so why don't we sit down so you can tell me what's up."

Priestly sank down on the back step next to his friend, glad for Jen's willingness to listen.

To be continued…

Please take the time to review. Chapter 2 written by LadyWallace will be posted soon.