“You don’t have to worry about the how. Your job is safe and he won’t be bothering you again on the matter. Have dinner with me. Are you free tomorrow night?”
“I have Diego.” She glanced over her shoulder at the partially opened door.
“Can you find a sitter? I won’t keep you out all night,” I promised. I saw the moment she decided. Her eyelids fluttered a little and her eyes sparkled at the decision she’d made.
“Yes.”
“I’ll pick you up at six o’clock.” I bent down and stole a quick kiss from her lips. I’d teased myself enough with putting my lips on her wrist and hand. I needed the real thing. “Any type of cuisine you like or don’t like in particular?”
“I hate Italian.”
“Noted.” I nodded and reminded her, “Six o’clock. Here.” I finally let her wrist go and she took the donuts and drinks from me. “Go inside.” I nudged with my head. I stepped back and watched as she turned and moved back inside the door. I marveled at the plump outline her ass made in the robe. My fingers itched, but not for violence that time. They longed to feel the softness of her ass once again.
In due time,I promised myself, turning to the end of the hallway to take the stairs back down to the street level where I had parked my bike. I was already compiling a list of places I wanted to take her the following night.
****
Michelle
This was a mistake. What the hell was I doing going on an actual date? It’d been so long since I’d been on a date. I didn’t know what to wear or say. It was dumb to be that nervous, I knew that, but the tension I always felt just being around Carter, combined with the fact that I knew I shouldn’t even be going on said date in the first place, was almost too much. I didn’t date because Diego’s father had seen to it that I wouldn’t. It was his sick way of keeping control over me, even though he had a wife and three adult children in his “real” life. There’d been men in the past few years that I wanted to get to know, wanted to date, but I’d easily turned them down when the threats made by Gabriel resurfaced in my mind. Now, here I was, standing in front of my full-length mirror, wearing a low cut electric blue dress that stopped at the floor but was open in the front, showing off my legs. I paired the dress with my grey suede over-the-knee boots because why the hell not? I dressed up often for work events, but rarely had I had the ability to dress up for a fun night out that wasn’t work related. It felt good to wear something nice for me. I pushed the insecurities and fears I had regarding Diego’s father to the back of my mind. I wasn’t going to let him ruin my evening. Besides, he barely made contact with me anymore, save for the occasional run-in, such as Friday night. Maybe he was over bullying me.
I frowned in the mirror, not believing my own thoughts, but not ready to call this date off with Carter.
“Mama, what do you think?” I questioned, emerging from my bedroom and coming into the kitchen where she was fixing Diego a plate of spaghetti. I fluffed the wand curls I’d put in my hair and they fell around my shoulders.
My mother’s face, which I saw every morning when I looked into the mirror, wrinkled when she smiled. “You look stunning, daughter. Diego, doesn’t Mommy look stunning?” she gushed.
“Very pretty, Mommy,” Diego yelled from the dining area.
“Thank you both.” I rushed to the table to grab my purse from the table, and just as I did a loud knock sounded at the door. Butterflies fluttered in my belly.
“Who’s that, Mama?” Diego questioned, eyes wide looking at the door.
“No one. Mama, can you take him down the hall, please?” I looked over at my mother, anxiously. Carter had already met Diego but I didn’t want to make a habit out of it. It was bad enough that I was confused about what was happening between me and this man I barely knew. I didn’t want Diego to get caught up in that. Unfortunately for me, I got too caught up in my thoughts and my mother was too slow to catch Diego as he dashed over to the door, pulling it open.
“Diego!” I yelled.
“You’re the fireman!” he said excitedly, looking up at Carter. My eyes followed Diego’s and something moved through me when I saw him standing there. He stood there smiling down at Diego. His lips were moving but I couldn’t hear a word he said because I was too busy soaking in how damn good he looked. He wore a simple button-up, light blue top, teal pants, and accessorized it with brown shoes and a matching belt. He looked like he belonged on the pages ofGQ.
“He’s cute.”
I looked over to my right to see my mother smiling in Carter’s direction.
“… and when I ride in the truck can I wear a hat?” I heard the tail end of Diego’s question which propelled me into action.
“Diego, tell Mr. Carter goodnight,” I instructed my son, pulling him by the arm to hand him over to my mother.
“Okay,” he grumbled. “G’night, Mr. Carter.” Diego waved and I heard my mother mention something about his dinner. By then Carter’s eyes were transfixed on me. The blues of his irises sparkled and I had to swallow the lump in my throat at the way his gaze roved over me.
“You look like–”
“If you say I look like your dream again, I’m slamming the door in your face.”
The deep rumble of his laugh wrapped around me like a full-on hug and I found myself gliding even closer to him as if he were pulling me in. And he was.
“You look fantastic, sugar.” He pulled my hand to his mouth, kissing my knuckles. I was awestruck at how affectionate he always was.
“Thank you,” I answered, eyelids fluttering at the pet name he’d dubbed me with yet again.
