I send Vaughn my address,wondering what to wear. He didn’t get into specifics. He just sent me simple instructions to “think brunch”. So that’s exactly what I do in a way by settling for something simple yet mysterious, just like his message.
By the time noon rolls around, I’m ready and waiting for the doorbell to ring, only to stall when it actually does. For some reason, instead of opening the door when I’m standing right by it, I go to the bathroom and check my face just so I won’t seem so pressed. I regret the move as soon as I open the door and see Vaughn glancing up from his phone, looking sexy as hell. He’s sporting the same smile as always, but when paired with his fresh cut and clothing choice today, it just hits different.
“Damn. I thought I was gonna have to text you again or some shit. Your house ain’t big enough to justify that kind of wait,” he says, subtly looking past me to see inside when everything else about him is the exact opposite of subtle. Especially his mouth.
“You act like I should’ve been racing to the door or something,” I say, trying to play off the fact that that’s exactly what I did, right up until the moment he arrived. He looks at his watch.
“Last I checked, we said noon, so that’s what I planned for. Shit, I was actually expecting you to be by the door ready to write my ass off if I was a second too late,” he says jokingly, while I think about all the guys I’ve written off for less. One time I even left a date early because the otherwise acceptable man was chewing too hard at the table. But for Vaughn, my mind is ready to make exceptions while my body has me putting on in ways I wouldn’t otherwise do.
“Do I seem like I’d be that pressed?” I ask, feeling extremely pressed at the moment, and he smiles, recognizing it immediately.
“I don’t know about all that, but you definitely seem like the type who likes timeliness and precision. Anything too early or too late probably drives your ass crazy. You forget I’ve seen your work,” he says, acknowledging my craft while all his assumptions about me hit their mark. Vaughn’s not eloquent in the least, but he has a way with words and never minces them, and it drives me crazy in the best way possible. So, I play along to match his energy bar for bar.
“You know, some of the best things in life don’t require precision, just the right equipment.”
I look down at the front of his jeans, wondering about his equipment and if he’s indeed precise with it. When he follows my gaze and hits me with a smug smile before biting his lip, I’m determined to find out if he’s blessed with both.
“I’mma hold you to that shit the next time we do this then,” he says with a nod, claiming our second date before the first one’s even started, but also saying in so many words that I’ll be sleeping alone tonight.
“Why can’t you hold me accountable this time around?” I ask recklessly, only to have him study me for a moment before laughing it off and reaching for my hand.
We take the short walk to a custom lifted black truck parked out front.
“You do the work yourself?” I ask as my curiosity shows itself for the first time today and he shakes his head.
“Nah. I know a guy who does all that shit. He owns a shop around the way… Lampin’ In Lux,” he says with hesitation, being careful with his word choice for the first time today before changing the subject by asking a question of his own. “What are we listening to?”
“Whatever you want,” I say, hoping I don’t have to make an exception because him having poor taste in music may be a step too far for me.
“Okay, I see your submissive side peeking out there. I’ll file that away for later.” He nods in appreciation, and I laugh, because his assumption couldn’t be further from the truth.
“More like my naturally nosy side. I wanna know what you were listening to on the way over here. It’ll give me an idea of where your head is at or let me know if I have to cut this date short.”
He smirks skeptically, like he doesn’t believe I’d do such a thing when I really would and have before. When he turns the volume up on the radio, there’s no music like I assumed, just the sound of sneakers on hardwood with the crowd cheering in the background and the Royals commentator calling a game. It gives me no more information than I had before until he offers an explanation behind the channel selection.
“Jay was the last person in here, so I suppose that answers your question. He’s usually where my head is at if we’re keeping it a buck.”
I didn’t expect that response, but it has to be the sexiest thing he’s said all day, and the most appreciated.
When he pulls off, the surge of speed sends my head back onto the headrest, adding an element of excitement to our dateall the way up until the moment we stop and pull into a place called The Diner.
It’s on the south side of town and wasn’t the first thing that came to mind when he said dress for brunch. I wasn’t expecting a five-star meal either, but when he turns the truck off and gets out, it takes everything in me to fix my face and follow him inside.
“You okay?” he asks, seeing right through my polite silence.
“Mmhmm. I just thought we were doing brunch, not lunch at a diner, but it’s whatever as long as the food’s good, I guess,” I say, warring with myself because this place can’t be an exception. It’s a nonnegotiable.
“You’ve never been here before?” he asks, shocked and like I’ve been missing out, but I doubt it.
“Nope,” I say, exaggerating the end of the word with a pop, and he ignores my clear irritation, rubbing his hands together in excitement
“Oh, this is your first time here? That’s even better. It works with my plans perfectly.”
“Oh, it does?”
“Yep,” he says, emphasizing the p at the end of his response just like I did earlier, mocking the funky mood I’ve had since we pulled up.
“And what plan is this?” I ask with a little more irritation in my voice, hoping he’ll take the hint, but he doesn’t.
