“With you, it comes easy. Like I was meant to take care of you.”
My eyes squeezed shut. Jesus, my insides were melting, all my resistance crumbling.
The server popped over, noticing our drinks were empty. “Another round?”
Drew looked to me, and I nodded. He gave the server a thumbs-up.
“Can I interest you in some food?”
“How does the tasting menu work? Can we do an all-vegetarian version?” Drew again with all the right things.
“Absolutely,” the server said.
I looked at Drew. “You don’t have to do vegetarian.”
“I’m not,” he said and turned to the server. “One tasting menu as-is, and one veggie only.”
“Would you like the wine pairings too?”
“Of course. Even if we just take a few sips of each, that’s what makes it.”
The server disappeared, and it was as if we were the only two beings in the universe ... despite the kitchen bubbling over with chatter and pots clanking right next to us.
“Not to take it heavy again,” he said, “but I looked for you. Facebook, shit like that.”
“I never got back into it. When I left, I could only afford a pay-as-you-go flip phone for emergencies. By the time I finally got a smartphone, I had a two-year-old and no time to Facebook or Instagram.”
A runner deposited our drinks in front of us, along with a decadent display of hummus, baba ghanoush, pita, and olives.
“And the Claire business?”
“That was right away. I decided moving wasn’t enough. I would be someone entirely new.”
“I like Jules better.” He stared me down, his gaze hungry and predatory.
“It’s okay. You can use it. I should tell Darla my real name. I’ve kept too many secrets from her.”
Drew popped an olive in his mouth, spitting the pit in a little dish meant for that exact purpose. He swept some hummus on a piece of pita, then reached over and fed it to me. I had a little buzz going, and all of a sudden realized how horny I was.
Except I had a kid at home. I couldn’t exactly invite Drew over ... could I?
The rest of dinner pretty much went the same, with Drew attending to my every need and me falling further into the palm of his hand.
After dinner, he asked, “Want to go for a drive?”
All I could do was nod. I didn’t have much more to drink after feeling the tiny buzz forming.
I was lost in my thoughts as we drove. Before I knew it, we were parked at the far end of Drew’s driveway, overlooking the ocean.
“I can’t come in ... or stay ... or anything.” It was a hushed whisper.
He killed the engine and looked at me. “I know. By the way, I’m paying the sitter.”
I pursed my lips and tried to give him a dirty look, but couldn’t seem to erase the smile from my face.
“I thought we could just look at the moon without getting arrested for loitering elsewhere. And we could ...”
He leaned over the center console and guided me close. With his hand around the base of my neck, he kissed me. Softly, with a closed mouth, yet his kiss touched me to my tippy toes. On a moan, his tongue found entry into my mouth, and mine journeyed into his. The heaviness of earlier had fled, and all that was left was the silent promise of something better.
