And as for compatibility? I planned on utilizing the time she'd gifted me to show her how easily we could slot into each other's lives. From what I discovered of her, I already knew that Maria was not the type of woman you just walked away from. Being on the periphery of her life these past few months also brought a more profound knowledge and admiration for the woman she was. Talented, hard-working, and career-driven. She was also a loyal friend and respected employer. She was feisty and honest with what she wanted out of a relationship. She was also forgiving.
Something I was extremely grateful for.
I made it to Saturday evening without a peep from her, so when I snatched my phone up to read the new message, I was sure it was Maria coming to her senses. As I read the words from Diane, a myriad of complicated emotions coursed through me. I hadn't spoken to her since the day she texted me Dr. Grant's number and wished me the best. The radio silence had been disappointing. After all, Sarah, for all the trouble she'd given me, had still managed to reach out; even if her messages were a bunch of rambling contradictions.
I expected more from Diane, who had always been the level-headed, calm matriarch of the family. Always generous, always forgiving, and kind.
My brow furrowed as Diane's devastated face floated to mind. She'd been shocked. Her demeanor had gone from joy at the thought of me seeking help to disappointment that I had sulliedher daughter's name.Of courseshe refused to speak to me. It was a lot to process.
At the same time, I could've reached out to her. The only thing that held me back was shame. Had I put too much weight on how I expected Diane to act? Dr. Grant certainly seemed to insinuate it when she played devil's advocate after I relayed my woes to her.
For so long, Diane had been the glue that held the family together. Even though she'd been grieving for her husband, she'd also demonstrated a strong resilience for her daughters. She then had to navigate losing her oldest child, at the same time considering the feelings of myself and Sarah. I couldn't and shouldn't expect her to always act with grace and decorum. She was human and entitled to show an emotion other than stoicism.
Perhaps the knowledge that her son-in-law had slept around so soon after her daughter died stretched that generosity to breaking point.
Fuck.
A fresh wave of shame hit me. I needed to talk with Diane soon to explain my state of mind during the last few years. I filed that thought away as a "tomorrow" problem. Right now, I couldn't focus on repairing my relationship with Diane. Right now, my mind was firmly planted on winning over a prickly, gorgeous woman who hadn't left my mind once in the short time I'd known her.
After another quick check in the mirror, I locked up and made the short drive to Hart's, a wine bar in Longford. The town was only twenty minutes away, but I wanted to mitigate any issues that might delay my arrival. The last thing I needed against my name was tardiness. I had to get everything just right. This was no dress rehearsal where mistakes could be ironed out before the final show. I had one shot, and I had to make it count.
I was happy I chose Hart's. I wanted to get out of New Haven in case certain exes and family members happened to show and ruin the mood—a hazard of small-town living.
Hart's was a respectable establishment and popular with both the white-collar and blue-collar crowd. It wasn't fancy like Da Vinci's—a restaurant I'd probably ruined for Maria—and it wasn't beer and pub grub fare like Malley's—it was a happy medium.
I'd wanted to pick Maria up, just so she could have a drink if she wanted to, but she insisted that she meet me there. A part of me worried she'd stand me up, but I pushed that insecurity aside. Maria didn't seem like the type of person who played games, even though she didn't sound too overly enthused on the phone when I set up our non-date. I just had to trust her.
I bit back an amused smile as Maria did a happy wiggle in her seat when the waiter placed a small rectangle plate of Caprese bites in front of her. She glanced up at the waiter with an open smile, momentarily catching him off guard.
I know the feeling, buddy,
The first time Maria smiled at me like that, I’d felt like I'd won the lottery. That same feeling hit me when I’d spotted her strutting down the street towards me while I waited outside Hart's. She had a tentative smile on her beautiful face, yet to me, she might as well have been beaming.
Her gait was confident and sultry, like a woman who knew where she was going. She brightened the darkening sky with her electric blue eyes and shiny, dark hair; the red highlights in them shimmering with each swing of her legs. Thankfully, she'd been right on time, which I appreciated, although I wouldn't have blamed her if she wanted to make me sweat a little.
I was somewhere where I'd never thought I'd be again—sitting across from Maria and watching the glow of the candle highlight her lovely features in the dim room. She wore a thin, gray sweater dress that fell to mid-thigh. Hugging her legs were the sexiest pair of heeled boots, which stopped just above her knees. When I spotted them, I had to work my tongue back into my head.
But as stunning as her body was to look at—and it was a fucking piece of art—my favorite thing was to simply watch her lovely features as each emotion she experienced transformed it. I filed away every expressive wrinkle of her nose, curve of her mouth, and sparkle in her eye, savoring it for those lonely moments tonight when she'd inevitably enter my thoughts.
"Thank you," I firmly told the server as he continued to linger beside Maria. I understood his stupefied expression, but that didn't mean I liked the view of him hovering near her shoulder.
With one last longing glance at Maria, the pimple-faced server hightailed it back to the kitchen.
Maria plucked one of the small skewers before her red lips wrapped around a cherry tomato. She slid it off the stick in a move that was not deliberately sensual, yet on her, it felt like I was receiving my own private peep show. Her delicately small hand covered her mouth demurely as she chewed, her eyes dancing at me in delight.
I bit back a groan of pleasured torture and dropped my gaze, concentrating instead on the flicker of the candle, praying that the twitch in my dick wouldn't grow. We’d been sitting here for almost forty minutes, and, at first, the conversation had been stilted and polite. I was nervous as hell that I might say or do the wrong thing, so I kept our conversation off heavy topics.
I also knew that Maria still had her guard up. Her flirty smiles weren't freely given, and her mesmerizing eyes would drop from mine whenever I glanced at her. She answered everything ina perfunctory manner, so I stuck to safe topics like work and traffic. I desperately wanted to bring back that girl I first met—therealMaria. The one that had allowed a crack of vulnerability to shine through during our too-brief time together—before I fucked up and she pulled the shutters down.
"I've never tried these before," I commented, taking a skewer with basil, cherry tomato, and mozzarella. It glistened with some type of oil and seasoning. Hart's was a tapas-style establishment, so we had a few small plates coming and going. So far, everything had been delicious, although I was still planning on hitting a burger joint on my way home.
Maria picked up another stick. "Neither have I. But what's not to love?" She twisted the stick around. "Tomatoes, herbs, and cheese. You can't go wrong." She gave me a wink before sinking another ball of tomato into her mouth.
I chuckled as the knot in my stomach started to slowly unravel. I was relieved that Maria was slowly loosening up and letting me see some of that saucy attitude I missed. I slid both the tomato and mozzarella into my mouth and the two flavors blended expertly, exploding with delicious satisfaction that I almost let out that pleasured groan. The seasoning gave it an extra elevation. It was my turn to give Maria a cheeky wink, taking delight at seeing her eyes fixate on my mouth.
She cleared her throat before taking a sip of wine, a pink hue painted on her cheeks. "Have you been here before?"
I rolled the empty skewer between my fingers before placing it back on the plate. "Once."
