by Mia Ford
There hadn't been a lot of it, and there hadn't been any real spark with the men I did go out with. Certainly, nothing that would have driven me to gather my sister and my daughter to help me pick out what to wear. Even an hour after Drew had picked me up, I could still picture Emma standing on my king-sized bed with berry-colored lipstick smeared all over her face as she belted out Beyonce at the top of her lungs.
Normally, it was the kind of thing I would have put a stop to, both the makeup and the standing on the bed, but on this night, I had been delighted. It was the kind of over the top memory a mother cherished. As I took the seat Drew was pulling out for me, I couldn't help but smile.
“What’s that about?” he asked.
“What are you talking about?”
"That smile,” he said. “You've always got a pretty one, but this one is particularly radiant."
"Is it?" I laughed, feeling giddy and buzzed despite having had no alcohol to drink. "Thanks. I was just thinking about my daughter. She's in the middle of a Beyonce phase, and she was in rare form before you came to get me."
“I thought I heard a little Beyonce blaring when you opened the front door. Maybe I should have tried to secure tickets to one of her concerts instead of bringing you here?”
“No way! Are you kidding me? This is amazing!”
“I appreciate the vote of confidence,” he said. “But how do you know? It hasn’t begun yet.”
I shrugged. “I just do. I’ve never seen anything like this place before. Even if it’s bad, I’m going to have fun.”
As I assured Drew that there was no other date I would rather be on, I looked around the room. I wasn't lying. I had never been on any date that came anywhere close to the one Drew was taking me on. I had never done anything close. In my mind, things like dinner theater performances were reserved for rich people, or at least, people a whole lot fancier than me.
The theater we were in was on the small side, but that didn't take away from how impressive it was. Everywhere I looked, it was decorated with rich golds and reds. It was the kind of opulence I would have expected at the world's finest opera houses.
Twenty or so tables sat in front of the smallish stage, making this a kind of exclusive ticket event. I had never imagined myself being a part of something like this. It was beautiful, and I found myself compulsively smoothing down my little black dress. I knew I could never compare to the types of women who usually went to things like this, but I was seriously hoping that I didn't look out of place enough for people to take notice.
“Stop it, Jess.”
“Stop what?” I asked, wondering what I was doing wrong.
“Second guessing yourself,” Drew said.
I had been doing just that. “How could you know?”
He smiled. "I'm a pretty perceptive man, Jess. I can tell you're being too hard on yourself. And there's no need. You look better than any other woman in this room. You look better than all of them combined. Believe me. I can be pretty critical when it comes to my opinions on that kind of thing."
“Well, in that case, I’ll take your word for it.” I tried to play off the compliment with a joke, but I felt the heat reddening my cheeks. I just hoped Drew didn’t notice my blushing in the dim light of the theater.
If he did, Drew had the decency not to mention it. He poured us both a glass of champagne. We clinked our glasses together and took a sip. It was bubbly and delicious. Something this good could be dangerous. I’d be drunk before I knew it if I wasn’t careful.
Drew looked me up and down, just like he had the first time we met. I couldn't be sure what he was thinking, but the smoldering look in his eyes gave me an idea. The mere thought of it made my body hot all over. As perceptive as he claimed to be, I hoped he couldn’t tell what I was thinking right now. I shifted in my seat, both uncomfortable and turned on at the same time.
“Are you all right?” he asked. “Are you having a good time?”
"Are you kidding me? I'm at a dinner show with freaking aerial components. Of course, I'm having a good time. I just can’t wait for the show to start."
He grinned at me. “Good, I’m glad to hear it. I wanted to make tonight special.”
I nodded. “So far, so good. But just so you know, it’s not like I expect this kind of thing, Drew. I don’t need a bunch of fancy things from you. Just hanging out with you makes me happy, too. I’ve been having a really good time with you, on all of our dates. This has all been really good.”
“It’s been good for me, too,” he said. “I’ve enjoyed myself very much. You’ve been something of a surprise to me, Jess. Nothing like what I expected.”
I had no idea what I was supposed to say to that, so I said nothing at all. Just because I was silent, though, didn't mean my head wasn't spinning. It most definitely was. He wasn't what I had been expecting, either, not by a longshot.
Nothing about him was predictable. He was nothing like most of the other pilots I’d met. In a very short amount of time, he had made me far happier than I ever would have expected, and that was all fantastic. There was just one thing I couldn't get over, and it was making me beyond nervous. The two of us had been spending enough time together that I believed things were probably headed somewhere, even if I wasn't sure where. The issue was Emma.
The more time I spent with Drew, the more it bothered me that I was dating a man my daughter had never met. I made a point of not bringing men in and out of her life when they didn't mean anything, but I wasn't sure that Drew fell into that category anymore. If things kept going the way they were, the two of them were going to have to meet. I liked Drew far more than I had thought I would, but that was just the first step. Now, I needed to know that he could get along with my daughter. If that didn't pan out, there was no point in the two of us spending any more time with each other.
“What is it, Jess? You look upset.”
“No, not upset. Just thinking.”
“All right, I’ll bite. What are you thinking about?”
"The Fourth of July!" I blurted out, wanting to shut myself up, but unable to stop once I begun. "That's what I'm thinking about. I know it's still several weeks away, but I was wondering if you have plans."
“No, not that I’m aware of. How come?”
“It’s just that I have this little ritual, or rather me and my family do. Emma and Sophie and me. The Fourth of July is one of Emma’s favorite holidays. Every year, we do this evening picnic thing.”
“That sounds nice. You must have a very patriotic daughter.”
I laughed nervously. "Yeah, I guess so. I think she just likes the fireworks. Anyway, we do it every year, and I was wondering if you might want to come along this time. It's totally cool if you don't want to, just so you know. I get that hanging out with a ten-year-old might not be your idea of a good time. I was just thinking that it might be a good time for the two of you to meet. Which also doesn't have to happen. If I'm being too pushy or something, please just tell me. I don't know. I'm not really sure why I brought it up, to be honest. I kind of wish I hadn't. And now I’m rambling."
“Jess,” Drew said.
“Yeah?”
“Calm down,” he said, grinning.
“Just so you know, most women don’t love being told to calm down. I’ll let it slide, though, seeing as I’m acting like a basket case.”
“You are a little,” he said. “But I get it. And I’d love to come with you. It sounds like fun.”
“You would? I mean that’s great, but I’m surprised. I didn’t think you would want to come.”
“I’m a bit surprised myself, but then again, I already told you that you’re not what I expected. I get why you want me and Emma to meet, though. I would want the same thing if I had a kid.”
I searched his face as he gave me his answer, surprised and a little bit touched to see that he really did look like he'd been caught off guard. I had a pretty good idea that hanging out with kids wasn't high on his list of priorities. I felt another surge of wa
rmth over the fact that he was willing to make an exception for me.
I would have told him so, but that was the moment that the lights began to dim, signaling that the performance was about to begin. I settled for scooting my chair closer to his and putting my hand on his thigh, feeling his raw muscle pulsing beneath my fingers.
As the stage lights began to flare and the first performer took the stage, I became clearly, terrifyingly aware of one simple fact. It had been five years since I'd been anything approaching this happy, and it was all because of a man who was still a mystery to me.
Chapter 12: Drew
“So, what did you think?” I asked. “Now that we’re out of the theater and none of the performers can hear you, what did you honestly think?”
"Are you kidding me?” Jess asked. “It was amazing. Easily the most impressive thing I've ever seen. Those aerialists? They were unreal! Like seriously, how can they move that way? If I tried anything like that, I’d break my neck. I wish I were even half that good at anything."
I grinned at her. “I have no doubt that you are. And I’m glad you enjoyed yourself. I had a good time, too, but I think part of it was watching your reactions.”
Jess groaned. “Oh man, was I so obvious?”
“You don’t have a good poker face,” I said. “You told me that once before, and you weren’t kidding.”
She smiled and shook her head. “Okay, fine. Underestimate me. One day you’ll realize how crafty I can be.”
She laughed, which made me laugh. Without thinking about it, I put my hand on her thigh, the same way she'd done to me in the theater. It wasn't much, as far as sexual touches went, but it was enough to make my cock stir in my pants. Jess looked so sexy in her dress, and when she smiled, her whole face lit up. It was difficult to focus on driving with her sitting next to me.
Things between us had been far better than I'd expected. She was fun, surprising, and so sexy it almost hurt to look at her. Only one thing wasn’t perfect. She’d made it clear early on that she wasn’t the kind of woman who just hopped into bed with anyone. She wasn’t just being modest or coy. She had been telling the truth. There had been kissing and some making out, but nothing beyond that. I hadn't been so sexually frustrated since high school.
The fact that I was still dating her, even though she was making me wait, surprised the hell out of me. With any other woman, I would have walked away. I had in the past. The world was full of attractive women who wanted a quick fling. There was no point devoting so much time to just one of them.
I was a man with needs. My sex drive ran harder than a jet engine on one of my planes. If I hadn't been dating Jess, I probably would have slept with several different women in the last month, just to keep my needs satisfied. But I was with Jess. No matter how deep my urges ran, I refused to cheat on her. That wasn’t me. Not now. Not ever. So, that left me in a difficult situation.
She was making me wait. The more she did, the more I wanted her. Each time she went home after a date, I wasn't sure I would be able to take it any longer, but I also knew I wasn't going anywhere. Unlike so many other women, Jess was worth the wait.
“Hey,” I said. “You want to come to my place? Have a nightcap?”
“No hanky panky, right?” She laughed and squeezed my hand to show that she wasn’t trying to be mean-spirited.
“Nope, don’t need to worry about that,” I said. “Not until you’re ready. You know that.”
She nodded. “I’d love a nightcap. Lead the way.”
We drove the rest of the way to my loft in silence, my hand still on her leg, and each of us in our own little worlds. It wasn’t until I had the key in the lock that she spoke again, and it was to say something that surprised me, as it usually was.
“Have you ever realized that we’ve never gone to my place?” she asked.
I frowned, thinking about it. "No, that's not true. It can't be. Come on. I've got a really good bottle of champagne chilling."
"No," she continued, following me into the loft and flopping down on my couch as if she were a resident and not a visitor. "It's true. You’ve been there to pick me up, but the front door is as far as you ever get. You've never actually been inside my place."
“Shit. You know, I never even realized it until just now. Does it bother you?”
“No, not really,” she said. “It’s just sort of curious. Do you think that kind of thing is normal?”
“I don’t know. I haven’t thought about it. I guess it’s all been about convenience.”
“What do you mean?” she asked.
I shrugged. “All of the dates I’ve planned have been around here, probably because it’s the area of town I know the best. So afterward, it just makes sense to come to my place. It’s nothing against yours.”
“No, I know. That makes sense.”
I handed her a glass of champagne, and she accepted it with a beautiful smile. I sat on the couch beside her, sliding my arm around her as I did so.
She had a point, although I'd never considered it before. I had made a habit of keeping us in my area of town. Maybe because I didn't want the idea of going to her place to come up. Going to her place would mean meeting her kid, and I wasn't sure I was ready for that.
Even after agreeing to the Fourth of July thing, I wasn't sure I was ready for it. The second I met Jess's daughter, I no longer had the freedom to deny that there was something real going on between Jess and me. It was a big fucking step, to say the least.
“Did I push it too far?” she asked.
“It takes a hell of a lot to push me too far, Jess.”
"Come on. You know what I mean. Was it too much? Asking about the Fourth of July and about why you don't come to my place on the same day? I'm sorry if it was. I don't know what's going on with me today. I don't seem to be able to control the things that come out of my mouth."
“You don’t need to control your mouth, Jess,” I said, shooting her a warm smile. “You don’t need to control anything, as far as I’m concerned. And in answer to your question, no, you didn’t push me too far. You’re allowed to ask questions, Jess. You’re allowed to have feelings. I’m not interested in dating a mannequin.”
“But you are interested in dating me?” she asked quietly.
“Yes, of course. Why? Have I been too subtle? At the risk of me pushing it too far, I think you’re the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen.”
“Come on, don’t bullshit me.”
“I’m not,” I said. “What would be the point? You are. You’re beautiful. It kind of drives me crazy, actually.”
“Oh yeah? Tell me more about that part.”
“You like the idea that you drive me crazy?” I asked.
“Of course, I do. Which girl wouldn’t?”
“Okay, I’ll play,” I said. “There’s nothing about you that doesn’t drive me crazy. Not one fucking thing. I’ve never wanted somebody as much as I want you. It doesn’t even matter what we’re doing. It doesn’t matter where we are, what you’re wearing. I want you all the time. I dream about having you. I dream about you a lot, actually.”
“What do you dream about, when you dream about me?” she asked.
I looked at her out of the corner of my eye, unwilling to face her. It was unlike her to be flirtatious to the point of being overtly sexual, and I didn't want to get my hopes up. When I realized that she was looking right at me with overly bright eyes, my cock stirred in my pants again. I couldn't help myself, even if I knew it wasn't going to get any action. When a woman as sexy as she was looked at me like that, my body responded with a mind of its own.
“Are you sure you want to know what I dream about?” I asked, trying to adjust myself without her noticing. “I have to warn you, it could be dangerous.”
“I can handle a little danger. Go on, try me.”
“All right. There’s been more than one dream, but I remember them all vividly. I dream about how sexy you look in dresses like the one you’ve got on now.”
&nbs
p; “Oh, whatever,” she said.
I smiled. “I’m dead serious. I dream about that, but more often than not, I dream about the way you’ll look when those dresses are on the floor.”
“And what do I have on?” she asked, her voice low with desire. “Once my dress is on the floor, I mean. What am I wearing?”
“Not a goddamned thing.”
I pulled her in toward me and kissed her. I couldn't resist it. At a certain point, rational thought disappears, and the body takes over. I had been right. Our conversation was a dangerous one if she wanted me to keep my hands off of her.
I expected her to pull away, just like she had every other time I'd tried something like this, but she didn't. Instead, she leaned into me and leaned into the kiss. I bit lightly on her bottom lip, not enough to hurt her but enough to let her know I meant business. She didn't pull away, then, either. Instead, she slipped her tongue into my mouth, exploring me as pent-up desire surged up inside of me.
Despite how badly I wanted her, I pulled back. "Hey, Jess? I'm going to tell you right now, unless you want things to go a hell of a lot further, we should stop right now."
“I don’t want to stop,” she said softly, almost shyly.
“Right, but do you understand what that means?”
“I understand what you’re getting at,” she said. “It’s what I want, Drew. I’m ready.”