"I bought these for you," I say shakily. I surprise myself at how nervous the words come out. "They're daisies. I noticed you had daisies as your computer background, so I thought of you when I saw these in the flower shop down the street," I spew out, at a million miles an hour like a fool. She raises her eyebrows and I don't know if she's shocked or appalled. My heart plummets into my stomach, and it feels like decades until she speaks.
"Thank you, um," she quietly says, taking the flowers out of my hands. "I–I don't really, um, know what to say. I didn't think you'd actually come."
"Amelia, I am so sorry for leaving you like that the other day. I'm a jackass and I'm so sorry. I–I...it's–I..." I blow out a breath. I never knew speaking could be so hard. She tilts her head at me and draws in her eyebrows looking concerned.
"What? What is it, Todd?" She asks softly.
I take another deep breath. "You're different, Amelia. You're smart and you’re driven. And, Jesus, you're beautiful and I don't think you hear it nearly enough." Gaining confidence, I take a couple steps to her and I see her breathing pick up, her chest rising and falling more. I delicately hold the sides of her face. I stroke my thumb across her cheek and look into her big, gorgeous, brown eyes as they start to tear up. "You are beautiful," I whisper to her. A single tear escapes her eye and I catch it with the pad of my thumb. "Please let me take you to dinner." I search her eyes for hope. I find it when she nods her head. "Okay?" She nods her head again. Relieved, I kiss her gently on the forehead. A weight has lifted off of me and I feel like I can breathe again. I step back to give her some space.
"Let me lock up," she tells me as she gathers her stuff. I nod and appreciate the fact that I've somehow managed to get back in her good graces. Now, I just have to make sure I stay there.
I hop around her car to open the door for her. She takes my hand and, when she sees the glowing lights from the restaurant, her eyes light up. Exactly the reaction I was hoping to get.
"Lakeland's? Are you sure this okay? I know we agreed not to spend too much money on our dates," she looks up at me and asks, worried.
Lakeland's is the fanciest restaurant within a sixty-mile radius. It's a high-class seafood restaurant that's known for its ever-changing menu and romantic atmosphere. Judging solely by the ornate, illuminated wooden sign, and the warm glow coming through the huge plate glass window at the front, I'm betting it holds up to its reputation.
I grab her hand. "I am sure. This one is on me, so don't worry about it. I owe you and I thought this would be nice for both of us," I assure her. "Have you ever been here before?"
"No. Have you?"
"Nope. I'm pretty stoked though, to be honest," I admit. She giggles. God I love that sound.
"Good, it'll be a first for both of us." I grin down at her and she turns slightly pink. I open the door for her and we walk through.
We are quickly taken to our table since I made a reservation. Once we sit, we are able to relax and take in our surroundings. Elaborate, gold chandeliers hang sporadically throughout the small dining room emitting a dim overall light. There are small glass gas lamps rimmed in gold on the black tablecloths covering every table. In the middle of the room is a small, square bar, tended by an older gentleman in a pinstriped shirt. Large wood carvings depicting ships, sailboats, and raging waves hang wherever there is wall space. The soft pinging of silverware against plates and bowls from the guests at other tables is the loudest noise present.
"This is so nice," she mutters.
I chuckle. "It is." I look at her. She's wearing a dark yellow cardigan sweater over a tight black v-neck shirt. Her pleated skirt is burgundy with pockets. She's wearing her black-rimmed glasses and her long brown hair is braided to the side. Three weeks ago I wouldn't have looked twice at her, and now sitting across from her, all I see is the essence of beauty...and really nice tits. I try not to stare because I know it'll make me hard, especially now that I know what they feel like. She's leaning over the table studying her menu so she can't see me staring. I loved the way she reacted when I pinched her nipple. I wanted my mouth all over them. I still do.
"What are you going to get?" She surprises me by asking and looking up at me.
"Uh–um, oh, I, uh...I don't know," I lamely reply. "What are you getting?"
"I think the salmon, but the shrimp cocktail also sounds good. Why are you staring at me?" She asks through a curious smile.
"Thank you...for coming with me tonight. I know I screwed up and you have every reason to slap me, so thank you for not slapping me." I chuckle nervously and feel my cheeks warm.
"I'm not going to lie, Todd. You really did hurt me. You made me feel...used, like I was worthless or something. You know..." she sighs. "You know I..." she leans in closer to me over the table. I do my best to look right into her eyes and not at her tits that are practically splayed out on the table. "You know I haven't ever...been t-touched like that before." She looks down and blushes. Her confession feels like a knife to my stomach.
My eyebrows pinch together, unclear if I heard her correctly. "Nobody's ever...grabbed...I mean...you've never rounded second base before?"
Her face turns red as she shakes it. I suddenly feel like an even bigger asshole than I did before. "Amelia, hey, don't be embarrassed. I'm an ass-hat for doing what I did and then leaving you. You are not worthless, not in the least." I reach over the table for her to give me her hands. She allows me and I lace our hands together. "Please believe me. I have never thought you were worthless. Ever." She nods her head but her eyes are pooling.
"Are you all ready to order?" Our waiter asks, interrupting our moment.
Amelia composes herself by taking a deep breath and sitting up straight. I officially declare that this is the moment where I, Todd Bartlett, believe that adorable is the new sexy.
"Can I have the salmon please, with the regular sides? Oh, and a Diet Coke?" She politely asks.
The waiter nods, jotting down her order. He then looks at me a shoots me a close mouthed smile with eyebrows raised.
"I'll take the seared tuna. Can we also get the shrimp cocktail and a couple of oysters?" I ask handing him the menus.
"You got it. I'll be right back with those oysters," he finishes, then walks off.
"Tell me about your family," she sweetly tells me.
A few incredulous laughs fall out on instinct. "Ha. My family. My family is a joke, Amelia. You think your parents are bad? Try having no mom and only an alcoholic loser for a dad. My big sister basically raised me. Somehow she turned out normal," I spew out quicker than I had planned. I usually don't talk about my family, not just to girls, but to anyone. Other than my sister, my family history is just pure embarrassment. I can tell she wants to ask questions, so before she can, I keep talking.
"Margaret is my mom's name. Had a gambling addiction. Took off with some guy one day and never came back. I still remember her. She had this ridiculous perm and the same hair color as mine. Smoked a lot of cigarettes. Always had these long fake nails." I stare off into the distance for a minute.
"I remember how she always smelled like an ashtray and whenever she kissed Kristin and me, she'd leave this pink lipstick mark on us. I thought she loved us...but she left us. Which left us with Albert. Pardon my French, but Al is a worthless piece of shit. He didn't know what to do with two kids. Kristin, she's four years older than me. She really stepped up. She was in middle school at the time, I think. She cooked us dinner and made sure I got on the school bus every day. She’s the one that suggested I try to get into Mount St. Mary's on a lacrosse scholarship. I couldn't ask for a better sister. I'd do anything for her. She's twenty-five now and is married to a great guy, Julian Ramirez. They have a two year old, my nephew, Danny. He's the best. The best. I'm so happy she got out of that shithole of a home I live in. She deserves the world. She's the only person in the world that I truly love with everything in me. Her and Danny." I laugh nervously. "Probably more than you bargained for when you asked me, huh?"
&n
bsp; She smiles, admiring me. "Thank you for telling me all that. I'm sorry about your mom. Sometimes when you think you have it bad, all you need to do is look at your neighbor and know that he might have it worse...it makes you grateful for what you have. Your sister, Kristin, sounds amazing though. I can't imagine how hard that must have been for her." She pauses, hesitant about whether or not to say what she's about to say.
The waiter sets down our oysters and our shrimp cocktail. After a couple minutes of eating she gains the courage to ask what she wanted to earlier. I'm getting good at reading her the more time I spend with her. She wipes the dribble of cocktail sauce off her lips.
"Do you still live with Al? Is that why you’ve wanted me to leave your house so quickly whenever I've taken you home?" She quietly asks, avoiding eye contact.
I nod and I can feel my jaw naturally tense at Al's name. "He's not...dangerous or anything he's just...a disgusting, lazy, drunk. It's embarrassing. I never wanted you to see where I live. I don't take anyone there. I hate it," I say tossing my napkin on the table.
"I'm sorry, Todd. I didn't mean to make you upset. I want to get to know you."
"Don't worry about it. After all, you should know since we're dating now," I say then take a sip of my water. As soon as I set it down we both freeze, realizing the slip I made. "Uh–um...Uh, I mean fake dating. Since we're fake dating."
She nods her head in agreement. "Yeah, totally, fake dating."
We sit in awkward silence until our food arrives. Things get back to normal when I ask her about her family. We spend the rest of dinner talking about cars and photography, hopes and dreams. The future.
26
–– Amelia ––
After dinner I drop him off back at his bike in front of my work. I pull in front of the bike and put the car in park. I take a deep breath because I have no idea what's going to happen. We had an amazing date. Fake date. We both opened up a little. We shared our future dreams. We bonded. He even paid. I instinctively take off my seatbelt even though I'm not leaving the car. I turn to look at him and he's already staring back at me with his mesmerizing golden eyes, shimmering under the street light. The way he looks at me… I wish I could read his mind.
"Amelia." His voice is husky and has a hint of warning. My heart start beating a million miles an hour and I'm pretty sure my face and neck and arms and… the rest of my body is on fire.
"Yeah?" I reply breathily.
He leans his elbow on the center console. "Get over here," his low, rumbling voice demands.
He licks his lips and bites his lower one and releases it slowly. I scoot closer, looking at his mouth and his eyes both of which are causing my nerves to stand on end. I lean in and he cups the side of my face. His eyes flicker between my eyes and mouth questioningly. I give a faint nod and just like that his lips land on mine, soft, sweet, and...incredibly sensual. He cautiously takes his time exploring my mouth as his thumb caresses my jawline. The slow tease of it all has my entire body hot, pumping, and wanting more.
I make a bold move and wrap my hand in his hair at the back of his head. I let out a tiny moan and close my fist with his hair just enough to send him the message that I want more. We both pick up the pace of our kiss until he breaks it to kiss down my neck by my collarbone. He gently grabs the back of my head, tilting it to expose my neck for him to kiss, lick, and suckle. I want that sensation everywhere. The throbbing in my center is nearly unbearable and is begging for attention.
He quickly folds the seat back as far is it goes and maneuvers me roughly until I'm straddling him. Thank God for tinted windows. He pulls me down so our chests are touching and we're devouring each other’s lips again. I feel his jeans tighten and my core aches for him in a way I've never felt before. It's addicting. I can't stop. I just need...more. I grind into him not knowing if that's embarrassing or not. Todd grabs my hips and grumbles, "Oh, yes." Surprised and extremely turned on by his response, I grind against him harder starting a near frenzy in me. "Ah, fuck." He moves his hands under my shirt and twists my nipple. I yell out in pleasure and I'm so happy and relieved that it's late and the streets are empty. He eases my shirt off, un-hooks my bra and throws it to the side. His hands reach up my shirt and cup my breasts as I slowly rock into him. "Amelia?" He casually asks like he's about to order me to do something.
"Yeah?" I ask, afraid I'm doing something wrong.
He moves his hands back to my gently rocking hips. "That feels so fucking good and if it feels good for you I want you to just focus on the pleasure. Do whatever makes you feel good. If you need to go crazy against me, or just move slowly..." he leans up to whisper to me, "I want you to come on top of me."
My eyes go big hearing his words and my cheeks blush. If all the blood didn't rush to my center, it is now. I nod and we start a frenzied kiss. He grabs my ass and forces me grind into him, which feels so good my vision almost goes blurry. I lean back against him and his head is under my shirt. He takes a full handful of one breast while teasing the other with his tongue. I start grinding into him harder and his hands go back to my ass. He squeezes it firmly and guides us into a pace where we are both getting mutual satisfaction. He sits up a little and in my ear whispers, "Relax, Amelia, and just give into the feeling. The rush. Me."
I close my eyes and start to move wildly on top of him, grinding against him. I can only faintly hear his groans. I'm taking what I want from him, and it's the best feeling I've ever felt. I feel so powerful in the strangest way.
"You're thinking too much," Todd comments quickly. He lifts my shirt just enough to bite my nipple while I'm still moving against him. "Relax."
I take a deep breath and focus on the movement again, closing my eyes. The build up happens so fast that I moan, and it's like an out-of-body experience. I'm so close I can feel myself throbbing, begging for release. Todd stops me. Just when I'm about to complain he smoothly shoves his hand inside my panties, sticks two fingers in me, and circles my clit with his thumb. I come two seconds later, squealing embarrassingly loud.
Then I hear a loud groan and, "Holy shit. I just came in my pants like a thirteen year old." I'm sitting on top of him barely able to hold myself up. He sits up and wraps his arms around me. He kisses my sweaty neck. "Amelia," he says nearly out of breath. He rests his forehead against mine and admits, "I might officially be addicted to you."
I lightly laugh. "You mean fake-addicted," I remind him and begin to wriggle my way back to the driver’s seat to collect my bra.
"Uh, yeah, fake-addicted." He sits up, aloof. He runs his hand through his hair then moves the seat back wear it belongs. "Um, so, when do I see you again?" He looks down his pants to see the mess he's created.
I carefully put my bra back on. A wave of emotions flood over my head and suddenly I'm shaking. I'm embarrassed that I just fell apart right on top of him, and I'm scared that maybe I was bad at it or looked gross or sounded stupid. I'm petrified that I might be real-addicted and not fake-addicted. This wasn't supposed to happen. There weren’t supposed to be feelings involved.
"Hey, hey, Amelia," he breaks my trance by calling out for me. I didn't even realize I was frozen, staring at the road in front of me. He takes my hands and kisses them sweetly. I slowly gain the courage to look at him. His eyes...his eyes see me and they're glowing. That's me. That's me making his eyes glow. It can't be real. This can't be real.
"Breathe, Amelia," he orders. I take in a deep breath and let it out. He cups the side of my face. "You are amazing and beautiful, okay?" I slightly nod still in somewhat of a daze. "That was the sexiest thing that has ever happened to me. I can tell you're hesitant. Please don't be. The sight of you giving up control and letting yourself just feel was the hottest damn thing I've ever seen, I swear to God." A tear falls out of the corner of my eye. He catches it with a kiss and I melt inside. He rests his head on my forehead again. "You're in control, okay?" I meekly nod my head again. His lips brush against mine, flirting, until he kisses me full and hard. "Are you okay to dri
ve home?"
I take a deep breath and finally find my words. "Yes. Thank you," I tell him directly into his magnificent eyes. "For everything. For tonight. For dinner. For apologizing. For...that. For being an incredible fake-boyfriend," I conclude, but not without noticing his flinch at the word "fake".
"Trust me, the pleasure was mine. You deserve all of it. I'm going to follow you home. I'll meet you after work tomorrow." He pauses for a moment and a grin grows. "We can go out and discuss family dinner." I look up at him and can't help but laugh. Then, he’s laughing, too, and we both laugh at the absurd obstacle ahead of us. He leans toward me and kisses me quickly before reaching for the door handle. "No more no-goodbyes, or goodbye hugs––it's goodbye kisses from now on, got it?"
I smile and nod. "Deal," I agree, hoping he can see the shine I feel in my eyes.
By the time I walk through the front door, it's just past midnight. I nearly jump out of my skin when my mother is sitting calmly on the sofa. I close the door behind me and observe her suspiciously. I walk into the living room cautiously.
"Mom?" I peer down at her on the sofa.
"Where have you been, Amelia?" She sternly asks me, still sitting neatly with her hands clasped on her lap. Her powder blue terry cloth bathrobe covers her completely, neck to toe.
"I was out with Todd. Why?" I ask, genuinely worried that something has happened.
"You cannot be out late with that boy," she pointedly commands. "He is dangerous and has a terrible reputation. People have you seen you together around town. Betty Sherbill asked me about it while I was at the grocery store. Do you have any idea how embarrassing it was having her know that my daughter is with some dirty delinquent?"
My jaw drops to the floor and immediately I'm on fire. Her words hit me like venom. "Delinquent? Delinquent?" I hiss at her. "Mother, Todd Bartlett went to Mount St. Mary's on a scholarship. He is hardly a delinquent. He has a good job. Just because he drives a motorcycle doesn't mean he's this bad and dangerous person." I roll my eyes.
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