“Okay,” she replied, without thinking about it. There it was again. That stupid word was going to annoy her.
“I guess I’ll take the hint and get lost.”
What? No, what hint? “No.”
“No?”
What the heck was she getting herself into or out of? What the heck was going on?
“Janelle,” he said, his voice the calm she needed to hear.
“What?”
“What’s going on with you? Are you feeling all right?”
Hearing him chuckle, she knew that he knew. It was a done deal. Stammering like an idiot had let the cat out of the bag. He now knew she was stammering because she couldn’t help it, because something had taken over, and she no longer had control of anything she said or did when it came to Colin Davis.
“Yes, I’m fine,” she said, wiping the sweat from her forehead. Her heart raced faster as it pounded inside her chest. She took a few deep breaths trying to calm her breathing and to slow her heartbeat, but failed miserably.
“Janelle,” he said into the phone, speaking softly enough she could barely hear him.
“What, Colin?”
“It’s dinner,” he reassured her. “Nothing else.”
“Nothing else?” she questioned. A part of her felt relief, but the other part, a part deep down inside of her, felt bummed by his words.
“You have my word that it’s just dinner to talk about this bakery you’ll be opening soon.”
He thought he was cute when he mentioned a bakery. He thought he was funny by mentioning that it’d be opening soon. She wasn’t so sure any of that would be happening any time soon, especially in Seattle.
“So, what do you say?”
“Okay.”
“Okay?”
“Okay.”
The conversation ended just after her final okay. He promised to arrive early to pick her up—around seven. He hadn’t, however, told her where they were going or what she should wear. Now her mind raced at the thought of having supper with Colin Davis and wearing something eye-catching, but not too desperate. Only when she sat down to read, did she realize her mind had not stopped racing with thoughts since the call had ended. She was going to have dinner with Colin and she needed to keep it just that—nothing more.
***
The doorbell rang the next night, just before seven o’clock. He had kept his word and arrived early. She still had no idea where he was going to take her, but she couldn’t wait to find out. She had waited all day for this moment, and it had finally arrived with Colin Davis at her parents’ front door.
She opened the door and welcomed him to step inside. His eyes widened at the sight of her and she couldn’t help but blush. He looked impressed and if she wasn’t mistaken, his eyes had done a once over and back again, for a second take. “You look amazing, Janelle.”
“Thank you,” she replied. “You do, too.”
He wasn’t too dressed up, but neither was she. She had decided on a casual dress, nothing too fancy, with a pair of diamond earrings that her parents had given her for Christmas a couple of years ago, along with enough makeup to hide the dark circles that had appeared since the time she had been in Seattle.
He was dressed in dark denim blues with a nice checkered shirt—perfectly straight without a single wrinkle. She was impressed. He definitely looked different in something other than a suit and tie, but she wasn’t complaining. She was sure he could say the same thing about her—her café attire hadn’t been her best lately, since she had been choosing yoga pants and loose fitting t-shirts instead of skirts and sundresses, like she had once worn in college.
Looking over his shoulder, she saw his shiny, metallic-black Chrysler, which was parked near the curb in front of the house. She was definitely impressed by him and his car—not that looks or cars mattered much to her, but they were definitely an added bonus.
“Shall we?” he asked, holding out his bent arm, allowing her to hook her arm through—which she did without hesitation.
They walked to the passenger side of the car and she waited as he opened the door for her. She pinched the sides of the dress up as she slid into the passenger seat. She reached for the seatbelt as he shut the door. Buckling the belt, she watched him walk around the front of the car as he made his way to the driver’s side and slid into his seat.
“I’ve made reservations at the Capital Grille,” he said, turning the key in the ignition and shifting the car into drive. “They’ll be expecting us a few minutes early, to beat the rush.”
She couldn’t believe he had chosen the most expensive place in the city of Seattle to take her tonight. She would have to repay him in baked goods for this night. A smile tugged at her lips as she thought about baking for him.
The ride was mostly silent as he zig-zagged, weaving through the traffic of the busy streets. Traffic was thicker at night in cities. She watched out her window as they passed the bright lights of the crowded streets. She had to admit, the city view was better at night. She loved the bright lights of Seattle.
They arrived at their destination within fifteen minutes—fifteen minutes earlier than the reservation. They were seated by an overly friendly waiter, who insisted the first round of drinks were on him as he placed the most expensive wine in front of them, along with two crystal wine glasses.
When the waiter walked away, Janelle couldn’t help but look at Colin with eyes wide in surprise. She was having a hard time believing this was the place he had picked for them to eat tonight. This place had never crossed her mind for places to eat—not even once.
“No worries,” he said, pouring her a glass of wine first. “He’s a good friend and that’s what friends do for each other.”
She couldn’t believe it. Crystal chandeliers glistened overhead, creating an elegant lighting of the atmosphere that surrounded the two of them, as they sat nestled in a corner booth—out of sight and away from the noise of the crowd filling in.
“You look surprised,” he said, tipping his glass to take a drink.
She laughed nervously, and said, “That’s because I am.”
He shook his head. “Don’t be.”
“I’ve never, in all of my years living here, ever dreamed of eating here, let alone drinking wine,” she explained, still in awe at her surroundings.
The waiter brought them menus and offered a course of appetizers while they waited for their food to be served. She couldn’t thank the waiter enough as he took their orders and offered them another refill on their wine.
“While we wait for our food, I want to talk to you about what I think you should do as far as a bakery’s concerned,” he said, setting his glass down to the left.
“Okay, I’m listening.”
“Okay.”
She could tell he was nervous about telling her what he was thinking. Colin Davis being nervous was something she had never witnessed. He had always been confident—completely sure of himself and what he had to bring to the table.
She encouraged him with her smile, as she gestured with her hand to hurry up and tell her what it was he had to tell her. She had patience, but this was long overdue and she didn’t want to wait any longer to hear what he had come up with.
Gulping the rest of his wine, he wiped his mouth with his napkin and blurted, “You need to ask your mother to co-own the café with you.”
If she had been taking a drink, she would’ve spit it out. If she had been eating, she would’ve choked for sure. There was no way he was serious. He didn’t know their relationship. There was no way her mother, or father, was going to allow her to co-own that business.
Shaking her head, she disagreed with what he had offered. “Why are you shaking your head? You have to try before you know for sure.”
“I do not doubt for a minute that my parents love me, but I doubt they’ll allow me to co-own their business,” she said matter-of-factly, before slamming the rest of her wine.
Only when the waiter rushed over to refill it, did she not
ice the look he was giving her. She narrowed her eyes at him and he quickly refilled her glass and went about his business.
“Why do you doubt that?”
“Have you met my mother?”
“I’m being serious, Janelle,” he said, his face scrunched in confusion.
“And so am I.”
Folding his arms in front of him on the table, he asked, “I want to know why you doubt they’ll let you have co-ownership of Harper’s Café.”
Taking a deep breath, she allowed herself a minute to collect her thoughts on how she would explain the kind of relationship she and her mother had. After a few more mindless drinks, she was ready to explain her doubts.
“My mother has always meant well for me, like I said the other day in our conversation. But, that doesn’t mean she’ll allow me any chance to co-exist in her business.”
“You don’t know that until you ask,” he said, with a smirk she knew all too well. “The answer is always no, unless you ask.”
“My mother doesn’t want me to be a baker,” Janelle tried to explain. The thought of calling her mother and having her mother explain, crossed her mind. It had taken years for Janelle to finally realize that her mother did not, absolutely did not, want her to be a baker. “She says a bakery is an unstable dream that can disappear as quickly as it appeared.”
Janelle watched as he raised an eyebrow, tipping his glass to his lips as he kept an eye on her. Shaking his head, he put the glass down and said, “That doesn’t sound like the Mrs. Harper I know.”
Janelle shrugged. Of course she had known it would be hard for him to believe her, because he had been a friend to her parents a lot longer than he had known her. Truth was, she didn’t need him to believe her. She knew what the truth was. The only way she could have a bakery and live out her dream of baking for a living was if she did so in Cincinnati, without her mother knowing about it.
“I know the kind of ideas you have had,” Janelle said, circling the rim of her glass with her finger as she contemplated her words. Glancing up, her eyes met his, and for a short second, she felt what she saw in his eyes—pity, and a pang of sadness. “Adding baked goods to the coffee shop, freshly made every day by the one and only Janelle Harper, sounds amazing, doesn’t it?”
When he nodded, she could see the truth in his eyes. She had no doubt he had thought this through and had taken a lot of time to help her, but she was about to tell him he had also wasted a lot of his time, because no matter what he thought could happen, her mother just wouldn’t allow it. Her mother wanted her to be a journalist and that’s exactly what she was.
“It’s the perfect match up,” he said.
Holding her hands up, she said, “Hey, you don’t have to tell me. I’m not the one you have to convince.”
That’s when she noticed he was nodding and tapping his thumbs against his glass. “That’s exactly what I’m going to do,” he said, his eyes filled with determination. “I’m going to convince your mother that adding a bakery is the best thing for her business.”
Chapter Twelve
The night out ended too soon. It seemed as if only an hour or two had passed since Colin had picked her up, but glancing at the clock on the wall on their way out, she realized more than three hours had ticked by without recognition.
Her parents’ house came into view as he turned his Chrysler onto North Wallingford Ave. As he pulled up to the curb in front of the house, a feeling came over her—she didn’t want this night to end. She’d had a lot of fun at the restaurant. Had someone asked her a few weeks ago if she would ever go out on the town with Colin Davis, her answer would’ve been that she would never be caught dead, at any time, with him.
Tonight proved otherwise. They had conversed about their differences to the point she was unsure of what differences remained between them. Tonight, like all the other days prior to the night out, he had proved to her he was no longer the guy he used to be. He was no longer someone she could despise, but instead, someone she could trust and rely on. Sure, she would still be guarded and careful with how she handled things from here on out, but for the most part, she felt confident that he was a changed man.
“Well, here we are,” he said, shifting the car into park. An awkward silence fell between them as she waited for something more. A part of her wanted to hurry out of the car and rush to bed because the early sunrise was creeping up at a steady pace. Another part of her wanted to see where the night would take them. She had thoughts of inviting him in, continuing their conversation, along with other details of what might happen in the next few months. She’d had so much fun tonight; she didn’t want it to end right now.
“Would you like me to walk you to the door?” he offered, waiting awkwardly in the silence.
“You don’t have to if you don’t want...”
“I want to,” he said, cutting her off with his enthusiastic words. Before she knew what was happening, he was at her side of the car, opening the door. “Allow me.”
Chuckling along with him, she allowed him to lend her a hand getting out of the car. He was definitely a sweet guy—a major improvement from the last time she had seen him. Fits of laughter fell over them as they staggered to the front door. Maybe it was a bit too much to drink ,or maybe it was getting too late into the night. Either way, she was enjoying it.
Stumbling up the first two steps of the porch, Colin held tightly to her waist to keep her from falling on her face. His strong hold caused flutters in her stomach and created thoughts she shouldn’t be having.
Fumbling with the key, she finally found the lock and was able to open the door. He was still holding on tight to her, keeping her close to him as they stepped into the entryway. Heat flushed her face, making the need to strip off her clothes impossible to ignore. She blew a ragged breath through a jutted lip, up toward her face in an attempt to cool herself down. Instead, her bangs flipped to the side of her forehead, and there wasn’t a real relief from the effects of his hold on her.
“Do you need help with those?” he asked, pointing to her heels. How she had managed to walk in them tonight surprised her more than the feelings she had stirring around for Colin.
“Why don’t you have a seat and I’ll help take them off,” he asked, more of a demand than a question, as he guided her to sit on the entryway’s wooden bench.
“That’s awfully nice of you, Colin,” she said. She raised her leg just high enough for him as he squatted in front of her. He unstrapped her heels carefully and placed them underneath the bench. She watched him as he made each move, and the concentration on his face as he focused on unbuckling and sliding the over-worn heels off her feet.
The minute he looked up at her, and his eyes landed on hers, she saw in them how she felt. Desire, yearning for something more, but neither of them wanting to say it. Waiting for him to make the move, she scooted back against the wall as she kept her eyes on his. The thoughts... she needed to keep this friends only. She had no intention of doing anything that her thoughts were suggesting.
“You should really be going,” she said, stammering over each word. “I have to be up early and I have so much I have to do before I can even call it a night.”
A smile tugged at his lips as his eyes focused on her lips. “You’re rambling again, Janelle.”
Crossing her legs in front of her, she squirmed at the affect he had on her. His eyes, his lips, everything about him at this exact moment was her undoing. She shook her head in an attempt to stop the overwhelming, ridiculous sexy thoughts she was having.
“Really, you should go,” she said again, a failed attempt on her part to make him leave. Her mind and her heart were playing a fierce game of tug of war. One part wanted him to leave before anything could happen they’d later regret, but the other part, the part of her that longed to be loved and desired, wanted him to stay.
Placing his hands on either side of her on the bench, he pulled himself up. Leaning over her, he whispered into her ear, “I don’t think that’s what y
ou really want me to do.”
His words rasped against her ear, sending chills down her spine, causing her to arch into his chest. She released a heavy breath as she fought back the urge to unleash her inner desires. Feeling a sensation she hadn’t felt in a long time, she shifted against the heated bench. Restless and craving what he had to offer, her brain fought against her desire with logical reasoning. This man had once been her enemy, a man she had not wanted anything to do with, only a few short months ago.
“Tell me what you really want, Janelle,” he whispered breathless against her ear.
For the love of God if he didn’t stop with that whispering, she was going to...
Scooping her up into his arms, he shifted her against his waist, allowing her legs to wrap around him. He allowed her a split second to resist, and when she didn’t, he carried her to the couch and set her gently underneath him as he placed his firm, but soft, lips against hers.
She pressed into the kiss, allowing his tongue to wander into her mouth. Shutting off her thoughts, she wrapped her arms around his neck and gripped her hands in his hair. He had given her plenty of chances to stop what was happening, but she wouldn’t allow him to pull away.
“Are you sure you want to do this?” he asked, breathless as he unbuttoned his checkered shirt.
Did he really want her to think this through? It was a bit too late for that, wasn’t it? She had long ago shut her mind off. She wasn’t allowing any negative thoughts to ruin whatever this was between them. Her friends had always told her she hadn’t taken enough risks in life. If this wasn’t the biggest risk she was about to take, she didn’t know what was.
She needed to tell him something, but debated not to. She didn’t want to ruin whatever this was, whether it was a one night stand or friends with benefits or possibly something more, she didn’t care. The desire and the heat they shared between them tonight was something...
“I’m not staying in Seattle,” she said, barely able to get the words out between his fierce kissing.
“Let’s not talk about that right now,” he said, pulling off his shirt. His eyes fell on hers as he sat up. “Are you sure you want to do this?”
No Place Like Home - Love in Seattle Page 10