“It’s all right. I get it. I mean, those dark eyes that look almost black?”
“Until you get close enough to see they’re dark brown, and depending on his mood they darken or lighten a little. And he has the smoothest skin with yellow undertones, but his cheeks flush with red when he’s exerting himself in spin class. And his Adam’s apple. I never really found them appealing before, but now I find myself wanting to?” I stopped, remembering where I was. I saw I held Stephanie’s rapt attention. I cleared my suddenly parched throat. “Anyway, there are eight bottles of the Jack Daniels left, two cases of that new brown ale we tried. I don’t think that one was too popular, so I’m not going to order it again. Oh, and tell Susan to give me a call when she comes in, please?”
“Sure thing,” Stephanie answered, going back to wiping down glasses as she was before.
“I think that’s it. Give me a ring if you need me, okay?”
“I think I’ve done this once or twice before.”
“Okay, okay. I’ll leave you alone now. Don’t forget about Susan,” I reminded her as I shoved the clipboard with the count back under the bar, and wiped the dirt from the floor off my knees. Giving my employees one last good-bye, I headed out the door for my fifteen-minute walk home. It was another warm day, but not too hot, so I opted to walk to the bar instead of drive. By the time I made it home, it was just after two o’clock, giving me enough time to start cooking the meal I planned for the evening. I chose a Tuscan chicken recipe and debated on making mashed potatoes or mashed cauliflower as one of the sides. Although I liked going with the low carb option, I decided that mashed potatoes would be my best bet for the night.
I skinned and dropped the potatoes in boiling water to let them cook through, and began chopping spinach to make part of the sauce with the chicken. I spent the next hour or so cooking, first pounding chicken breasts until they were as thin as I wanted them, then cooking them in the pan, and finally whipping heavy cream to make the sauce. After letting the potatoes cool for a few minutes, I got out my butter, salt, chives, and homemade chicken broth to make the mashed potatoes. Once all of the cooking was done, I quickly chopped some vegetables and lettuce, making a salad as the final side. I made one of my favorite salad dressings with freshly squeezed lemon juice as the base. Once the food was all prepped, I stuck the salad in the fridge, put the chicken and potatoes in the oven to keep warm, and then headed down the hall to grab my towel from my bedroom to shower.
Sunday was usually my wash day for my hair, so I grabbed my bottle of shampoo and conditioner that I loved to give my hair its weekly spa treatment. After shampooing, I lathered my short strands in conditioner and tied a plastic bag over it, allowing the conditioner to penetrate my strands, especially the pieces that I colored. They needed a little extra TLC. Next, I lathered up and then shaved my legs and underarms since I’d be wearing a sleeveless dress this evening. Once I rinsed my hair out and hopped out of the shower, I pat dried my body using my towel but left it in the bathroom as I walked to my bedroom and sat on my bed to slather on lotion and then some of my favorite shimmering body spray. I loved the way it made my skin look all dewy. I dried my hair using the diffuser to keep it from looking too limp. I finished dressing, looking myself over in my full-length mirror. I loved the way the sleeveless A-line electric blue dress swayed as I moved. The front stopped a couple of inches above my knees, while the back came down to just brushing my ankles. I opted to pair the dress with my tan, strappy sandals. The heels on the sandals were only about three inches. I wanted something manageable since we’d be walking around the festival later that evening.
Grabbing my favorite floral-scented body spray, I gave myself a few spritzes just as my phone buzzed. I looked at it to see I received a text from my close friend, Janine. She and I met in college, and although she remained in Boston, we still managed to be a part of one another’s lives.
Bestie:Matt dumped me!!
I kept myself from rolling my eyes, but just barely. Janine and her on-again, off-again boyfriend were always going through some drama. The problem was she wanted to get married and he so obviously didn’t. For the life of me, I couldn’t figure out why she clung to him.
Maybe it’s for the best.I responded, knowing that wouldn’t go over too well, but she needed to hear it.
Bestie:For the best?? I LOVE him!
I sighed, as I replied that she was too good for him. After a few of these exchanges, I finally told Janine I had to go but that I would call her the following day and let her vent all she wanted about her man troubles. My phone buzzed again, but I didn’t get a chance to read her response because I’d placed the phone on my coffee table in the living room while I went to the kitchen to take out the plates and bowls for our meals. I glanced up to see the time was 6:01, just as the doorbell rang. I smiled.I do love a man who knows how to be on time.
When I opened the door, the air rushed from my lungs. The first thing that hit me was his scent—some woodsy cologne mixed with what I knew was his natural scent. Those piercing eyes met mine, wrinkling slightly around the edges as his lips parted into a warm smile. A few strands of his dark, cropped hair fell over onto his forehead. Broad shoulders had the white Lacoste shirt he wore sitting like it was made just for him. Black jeans and loafers finished out the look.
“Hi.”
He leaned down, and instinctively I tilted my head upwards, readying myself for what was to come. My eyelids drooped, and a tingling sensation went through me when our lips connected. He took my lips, owning them, and I gladly let him. An arm reached down around my waist, pulling me in, and I ran my hand against his hard chest. He was the one who broke the kiss first. We both stood there, transfixed on one another for an extra moment, until Eric held up his free arm.
“I brought a bottle of wine for our dinner.” He held a bottle of red wine.
“That’ll go perfectly with our dinner but I told you, you didn’t need to bring anything.”
He gave me a look. “I couldn’t show up empty-handed.”
My lips twitched at the gleam in his eyes.
“Come in,” I said, stepping to the side to allow his entrance. I shut and locked the door. “Let me give you a short tour.” I took one of his hands in mine, and when his strong fingers wrapped around my hand, I nearly stumbled at the way my body reacted. I peered up at him to see his eyes on our interlocked hands, and I knew he felt it, too.
“This is obviously the living room. A friend of mine came in and helped me redecorate once I took ownership.” I held out the hand that had the bottle of wine, giving him a view of the space. His eyes observed the tan sectional filled with cream and brown pillows, the square dark wood coffee table sitting in the middle filled with magazines and candles, and the fireplace directly across from the couch, above which hung the massive flat screen television. Since redecorating over a year ago, this place has felt so much more like my own home as opposed to my parents’ house. I released a breath I didn’t even realize I was holding when he blinked and smiled in obvious approval. I didn’t care to entertain why this man’s approval of my home mattered.
“Down the hall is the master bedroom and bathroom. Upstairs are two more bedrooms, and over here,” I led him farther inside, “is the dining area. Where we’ll be eating tonight.”
“Thanks for the tour. What do you mean by took ownership?” he asked a few moments later.
“Oh yes. This was my parents’ home where they raised Sean and I. They left it to me after…”
“Ah.” He nodded in understanding.
“I redecorated to make it feel more like mine, ya’ know. Not that my parents’ style wasn’t great, but it was…”
“Theirs.”
“Right!” I agreed with his correct assessment. “I wanted something a little more my own. Plus, every time I came home and saw all their furnishings and decorations it made me miss them that much more. Sean was the one to suggest I redecorate. I was pissed at first, but then talked it out with my friend, Janine, and she made me see the error of my ways. She even came down from Boston for two weeks to help me figure out what I wanted and shop with me. She’s an interior designer, so it was perfect. By the time she left, I felt like I had a completely new place. I loved it before…” I trailed off, realizing I was doing it again. I peeked up at Eric to see his keen eyes on me as if waiting for me to continue.
