Into You

by Sheena Binkley

  I walked to him with a smile. “What are you doing here?”

  “Honestly, I don’t know. I was driving, and I ended up here.”

  “Well, I’m not complaining. Where are you coming from? I noticed you left early, and you’re dressed really nice now, so…”

  “I had a meeting with my bank advisor. Would you like to go out to eat with me? I haven’t really eaten yet, and I would like the company.”

  I looked at him, wanting so badly to say yes, but I had to stick to my vow. I didn’t want to be wrapped up in another relationship that would probably end badly, especially with someone I work with. Besides, I still had plans with Simone.

  “I wish I could, but I can’t. I already have plans with Simone. We’re doing a girls’ night in.”

  Mark's face fell for a second, then he smiled. “No problem. Can’t skip out on Simone. She’ll throw a tantrum.”

  “That is so true,” I agreed, laughing.

  My phone beeped, and I took it from my back pocket. I had a text from Simone, letting me know that something had come up and she had to cancel.

  Mark gave a curious look. “Change of plans?”

  “Yeah; Simone had to cancel.”

  “Perfect, now we can go out to eat.”

  “I don’t know, Mark. I’m tired and –”

  “We can always do take-out and come back here.”

  I glanced him over, seeing how good he looked and decided it was a bad idea because I wouldn’t trust myself being alone with him. But, it was just dinner. I could still stick to my promise and have a friendly outing with a new co-worker. People do it all the time.

  “Okay, but let me change first.”

  “Cool.”

  He was about to follow me when I put a hand on his chest, feeling the muscles that already had me weak.

  “I'd rather you stay outside.”

  “Why? It’s hot.”

  “You have air conditioning, don’t you? You’ll be fine,” I assured him with a wink. He smiled as I walked to the door. I knew he was watching, so I made sure to put an extra sway in my hips.

  I should have asked where we were going, because I have a sleeveless blue sundress that I’ve been wanting to wear for some time now. It’s causal, but it can be dressy, too. I'd recently sold some of my clothes to a consignment shop, even some with price tags still on them, but I couldn’t part with that dress.

  I quickly showered and slipped the dress on. I let my hair hang loose around my shoulders and put on a pair of gold flat sandals. I glanced at myself in the mirror, liked what I saw, and headed to the door.

  I walked back to Mark’s truck; his head was leaned back on the seat as he listened to his music. I tapped on the window, and he looked up. He gave me a huge grin before stepping out.

  “Wow, you look beautiful, Vanessa.”

  I started getting nervous when he took a better look at me. He smiled wider, slowly taking my hand. “Extremely beautiful.”

  “Thank you.”

  “You didn’t have to dress up though; where we’re going is causal.”

  “I haven’t worn this dress yet; don’t spoil it for me.”

  He chuckled. “Okay, I won’t.”

  He never let go of my hand as he walked me to the passenger side and opened the door for me. He helped me in then closed the door. He walked over and hopped into the driver’s seat then glanced at me.

  “I hope you don’t mind the music. I can change it if you want.”

  “No, it’s cool.”

  He nodded and backed out of the driveway. During the ride, we talked about my first day at Suds, what we like to do for fun, and our favorite TV shows. I felt really comfortable around him, which was making it even harder to uphold my promise.

  As he continued driving, I took in my surroundings, wondering where we were. He glanced over with a smile.

  “Relax, we’re safe,” he assured me. I guess he could sense my nervousness.

  “Where are we?”

  “How long have you lived in Houston?”

  “All my life.”

  “And you’ve never been on the east end of town?”

  “I've never had a reason to be.”

  “Well, you do today. Besides, this is where my dad grew up. This is also where he met my mom.”

  I noticed how his facial expression changed when he mentioned his mom. I had a feeling that his mother was no longer living; it must be hard for him to cope. I wanted to touch his hand and let him know it was okay, but I felt it was too soon for that.

  He looked at me again with a smile. “We’re almost there.”

  I nodded and noticed a food truck in the distance. He drove slowly down a winding road and ultimately stopped in an empty parking lot.

  I looked at him like he was crazy. “This is where you’re taking me?”

  “I said it was causal.”

  “A food truck? I don’t do food trucks.”

  “You don’t or you've never tried one?”

  “I've never tried one.”

  “So, why did you say you won’t eat anything from one if you've never tried one?”

  I rolled my eyes. “You probably think I’m acting like a diva right now.”

  “Honestly, yes, but trust me, this place will change your mind about food trucks.”

  I noticed the smile slowly forming on his face and sighed. He'd better be right.

  We got out and approached the food truck. When we got there, one of the workers acknowledged Mark.

  “Hola, Mark. Como esta?”

  “Bien, y tu, Xavier?”

  “Bien, bien. Quién es la mujer hermosa?”

  “Ha, si, esta Vanessa. Vanessa, this is a good friend of mine, Xavier. He owns this food truck. He makes the best asopao de pollo in the entire city.”

  “Oh please, my Puerto Rican stew doesn’t hold a candle to yours.”

  “You cook?” I asked, looking up at him.

  He shrugged. “I can whip up a thing or two.”

  “A thing or two? He’s lying to you. The man you’re standing next to could be a successful chef if he wanted to. He can make anything for you.”

  “I wouldn’t go that far,” Mark downplayed the compliment. He seemed slightly embarrassed, and his face was turning bright red.

  “Okay, well I’ll take you up on your offer for the stew, but only on one condition.”

  “What’s that?”

  “If you make it for me someday.”

  He looked at Xavier, then back at me and sighed. “Fine. My place in two weeks.”

  “It’s a date.”

  We looked at each other as Xavier began making our food. When he finished, we grabbed our bowls and drinks then went to a picnic area near the truck. I looked around and saw a bunch of kids playing in the park with several teenagers playing basketball nearby.

  I took a spoonful of the stew and moaned. It was really good.

  Mark looked at me with a wicked grin. “If Xavier’s stew made you moan, I can only imagine how you’ll react to mine.”

  I noticed the desire in his eyes as he began eating. He smiled at me again, which made me melt. I think the promise I'd made myself was null and void.

  We sat in silence, eating, then Mark turned to me. “So, Vanessa, why is a beautiful woman such as yourself not attached? I’m sure there has to be some man out there you’re dating.”

  “Nope, not a single one.”

  “Hmmm, that’ll change soon.”

  “What makes you so sure?”

  “Trust me, it will.”

  “Aren’t you confident?”

  “I’m sure I could make you change your mind about a lot of things.”

  I smiled. “I bet you can. I guess I should ask you the same question, or are you seeing someone? Maybe Maya, perhaps?”

  Mark put down his drink and sighed. “We dated a few years back. I was in my junior year of college, and she had just started at the boutique.”

  “Did you two really date or just sleep together?
”

  “We dated, but yes, it was more sexual than a relationship.”

  “I think someone wanted more from it.”

  “She did, but that was something I wasn’t willing to do.”

  “What makes me so different?”

  Mark seemed surprised by my question, and he reached for my hands. I looked at him, noticing his serious expression.

  “Because you’re someone I can see having a relationship with,” he finally said.

  “You barely know me.”

  “I hope that will change some day.”

  I smiled, completely smitten by him. I really needed to control myself. I’d only known him for two days, so I shouldn’t be having any type of feelings for him.

  “You shouldn't be nervous about us spending time together. We’re adults, so it’s not a problem.”

  “But we work together. Just because you’re the owner’s son doesn’t mean the rules don’t apply to you.”

  “You’re right. The rules apply to me as well; but if I want to spend time with you, I will. Not even my dad can stop that.”

  His hands gently caressed mine as he gazed into my eyes. He leaned forward and kissed me, catching me off guard. I didn’t think he would kiss me again, but I was glad he did. This one wasn’t as passionate as the one at Simone’s; it was sweet, like he wanted to take things slowly, which was fine by me.

  He pulled away and brought a finger to my lips. “I do want to take things slow with you,” he said like he'd read my mind. “I want us to see where things go between us.”

  I nodded. “I do, too.”

  He chuckled. “Wow, I can’t even believe I’m saying that, considering I've only known you for two days. You must really have an effect on me, Miss Hartwell.”

  “I can say the same about you, Mr. Fernandez. Of course, we can’t be obvious about seeing each other.”

  “Of course not, but that’s something you don’t have to worry about too much. Practically everyone there is either dating or banging someone, so even if you do see some crazy stuff happening, they won’t say anything if you don’t.”

  “What if your dad comes by?”

  “He does visit every now and then, but he’s slowly stepping away from the business, so eventually, he won’t be a factor either.”

  “Is he thinking about selling?”

  “Sort of. He actually wants me to take over.”

  I smiled. “Really?! That’s great! But wait, why do you say that like it's a bad thing?”

  He sighed. “Because it’s not what I want. My dad only asked me because my brother and sister didn’t want the business. He only asked me so he could keep it in the family.”

  “Why don’t you just tell him, then?”

  “Because there’s another reason why I don't want it. I’m planning on opening my own business with a friend of mine, a Puerto Rican restaurant. He’ll be one of the chefs there, while I’ll be sort of the business manager. I figure I should put my business degree to use.”

  “That explains the meeting at the bank. You were trying to get a loan?”

  “Yes, which we were approved for.”

  “Congratulations, that’s wonderful news! If you need help with the management aspect, I can definitely assist you. That was my job until my company folded.”

  Mark gave me a sympathetic look then exhaled.

  “What’s wrong?” I asked.

  “Nothing. It’s just that this is wonderful news for me, but my dad probably won’t see it that way.”

  “Why do you say that?”

  “Because he probably thinks I’ll fail. I’m sure he thinks Suds would fail, too; that’s why he didn’t ask me first, his firstborn.”

  “Maybe you should try to prove yourself wrong and tell him about your business venture. I’m sure he’ll be proud of you.”

  Mark smiled slightly and pushed his stew away from him. “Maybe. I've disappointed him enough throughout the years. From rebelling against him to leaving Houston to do my own thing. I just got fed up with him and his ways. Maybe now it’s time for me to bury the hatchet and just be his son for once.”

  “Aren’t you doing that by coming back to help out as a salesperson?”

  “There’s a lot you don’t understand, Vanessa. I’m actually considering his offer, but only because of my mom.”

  “I noticed your facial expression changed when you mentioned her earlier. What happened to her, Mark?”

  “Simone never told you?”

  I shook my head. “No.”

  “She passed away 10 years ago from a stroke; but she died long before she became sick.”

  I raised an eyebrow as Mark sighed and got up from the bench. I stood up as well, wondering what had just happened.

  “Is everything okay?” I asked gently.

  “We probably should head back.”

  “If I said anything that upset you, I apologize.”

  Mark wrapped his arms around me, giving me a hug. I closed my eyes, savoring how his body felt against mine. I could tell something was really bothering him, though.

  “It’s nothing you said, Vanessa. This conversation is just bringing back some memories that I don’t want to think about right now.”

  I nodded. I could understand that he didn’t want to talk about his mother’s passing. That would be difficult for anyone.

  The entire drive back to Simone’s was silent, and I stared out the window, taking in the night sky. It was a beautiful evening with a full moon. Once we finally arrived, Mark parked his truck, we both looked ahead at the garage.

  “I guess this is good night,” he said.

  “It is, Mark. But are you okay? I don’t want to leave you if you’re not.”

  “I’m fine, Vanessa. Thank you.”

  I looked back ahead and sighed. “I can sort of relate to you about what happened with your mom. My mom left my dad and me when I was five. One day, she told me she was going to the store, and she never returned. A year later, she contacted my dad, letting him know she'd met another man and that she was filing for a divorce. She sent the papers the very next day.

  “We were both devastated, but it really hit my dad hard. He shut down; he didn’t want to eat, sleep, or work. Three years later, he met and fell in love again with his new wife, Vivica. She’s truly an angel and perfect for my dad. She is the mother I thought I lost. Technically, she’s the mother that I've always wanted since my biological one left me.”

  “Wow, I’m really sorry. I could never imagine how a mother could leave her child. Sure, she may have had problems with the father, but abandoning her child? That’s truly awful.”

  “Well, it's all in the past now. She never contacted me, and I never tried to find her; it’s her loss.”

  “Again, I’m really sorry.”

  I looked at him as he pulled me into his arms for a hug. I lay my head on his chest, realizing I was more upset than I thought. He pulled away from me and his lips moved to mine. His hands gently touched my back, and as mine were moving down his chest. I didn’t think I could stop touching him. I was trying to get closer, but the console was in the way. We looked at each other and smiled.

  “I think that’s our cue to stop,” I teased.

  “It doesn’t have to be.”

  I shook my head. “I think it is, Mark. I’ll see you at work tomorrow, okay?”

  I had my hand on the door to get out, then he gently touched my hand. I turned to him, and he pulled me to him, and we started kissing again. My mind was telling me to stop, but my body wanted more. There was no denying that I wanted him, but it was too soon to sleep with him.

  This time, he pulled away and smiled. “I couldn’t resist. I had to kiss you again.”

  I blushed, and he gently caressed my cheek. He quickly got out and rushed to my side to open the door. I thanked him as he walked me to the front door.

  “Good night, V.”

  “Good night, Mark.”

  He kissed my cheek before getting back into his truck. I
watched as he left the driveway, which made me a little sad. I really didn’t want him to leave, but it was for the best.