by Mia Ford
“I said get out!”
He paused and sighed, rubbing the back of his neck before turning and walking out of the kitchen without another word. Once he was gone, I leaned against the prep table and put my head in my hands, letting out a muffled scream.
Now I was going to have to sterilize the damn prep table all over again.
Jami
I wasn’t the type of guy to apologize often, but when I did, it was because I really fucked something up. Blindsiding Lena was not the best decision I’d ever made, but I was going to try and make it right, if she would let me.
I’d tried sending candies, stuffed animals and all manner of presents to her door, but it turned out I had the wrong address. The man who I’d been sending things to finally called my office and told me he appreciated the gifts, but that I should stop wasting my money.
Once I got off the phone with the man, I realized that it was probably better she didn’t get my gifts. I was quickly discovering that Lena wasn’t the type of woman to be swayed by material things. When I came to that conclusion I was even more eager to take her out, though for the first time in my life, the goal wasn’t to just sleep with her. I wanted to get to know her.
That’s why I showed up early to the restaurant, asking her to meet me for an executive meeting. She seemed hesitant, but agreed. I knew that she doubted me, and she had every right to. I even felt a little guilty about the lie, but I could only hope that the outcome would be good enough to out weight the lie.
I was sitting at one of the empty tables with a bottle of wine and two glasses. Lena came through the door, her white sundress fluttering in the wind, kissing her smooth thighs. She wasn’t wearing any make up and her curls were loose and wild. I was taken aback by her, shocked at the way my heart was beating so quickly.
“Lena.”
“Jami.” She gave me a curt nod and slid into the seat across from me, putting her hands on the table.
I paused and poured us both a glass of wine. “Look…I know I lied to you, but I hope you’ll hear me out.”
She sighed and rolled her eyes. “I’m not stupid, Jami. I know you were lying. I don’t know what you want to talk about, but I know it’s not work.”
I nodded and cleared my throat. “I want to ask you on a date.”
“I already told you no.”
“I know, but I wanted to try again, and this time there’s no funny business.”
She crossed her arms over her chest and sighed. “I don’t believe that for a second. I know all about you, Mr. Playboy. I’m not going to be another notch on your bedpost.”
I held up my hands and sighed. “That’s not why I’m here, alright? I know I have a reputation, but if you dug a little deeper, you’d find out that I don’t chase women.”
She cocked a brow and crossed her arms over her chest. “What are you trying to say?”
“I’m saying that I want to take you out on a date so that I can get to know you better.”
“And you’re being honest?”
“Entirely.”
She snorted a little and leaned back in the booth. “Are you trying to impress me?”
“If you’ll give me the chance,” I said with a grin.
She hummed and tapped her fingers on the table. “And there’s not going to be any funny business?”
“None at all. Everything is on your terms.”
She paused and sighed. “If I agree to go on this date with you, will you leave me alone?”
I couldn’t stop the grin that crossed my features. “Swear it.”
“Alright. We’ll go on a date then.”
“Great! I’ll pick you up later tonight? It’ll give us a chance to get ourselves in order.”
“Sure thing.” She smiled as she stood, walking by me and pausing to put her hand on her hip. “Don’t let me down, yeah?”
“Wouldn’t dream of it.”
I watched her ample behind as she left, grinning brightly. Nothing I’d said was a lie. I still wasn’t entirely sure I wanted to pursue a relationship with Lena. My interest would probably fade, but I knew I need to get to know her. She had wounded herself in my brain and I couldn’t get the thought of her out of my head. Every time I tried to ignore my desire for her, she was right there, forcing me to confront these strange feelings that I hadn’t had since…Well.
My lips pulled into a frown as I thought about what had brought me to this point. There’s a reason for everything and my playboy lifestyle was no different. I cleared my throat and slid out of the seat, ignoring the nagging thoughts that were scratching at the back of my mind. I just shook my head and sighed, walking out of the restaurant. I didn’t want to linger on those thoughts.
Besides, I had a date to plan.
Lena
Miguel watched as I spun around, the bright red dress fluttering just above my knees. My hair was half up, small tendrils falling in my face and tickling my neck. My lips were painted the same color as my dress, offsetting the black pumps on my feet.
“You look amazing, Lena. I’m surprised you’re so dressed up. I thought this was just to get this guy off you’re back.”
His words hit a chord. I was trying awfully hard for someone I wasn’t really interested in. I waved my hand, dismissing his words. “He’s a rich guy. He’s probably going to take me to a fancy restaurant where the cooks can’t cook half as good as me. I might as well dress up for the occasion, right?”
He cocked a brow and shrugged. “It just seems like you’re setting the poor guy up.”
“Poor guy? Since when are you on his side?”
“I’m not on anyone’s side, love. I’m just pointing out the fact that you might be playing unfairly.”
I turned to face him, hands on my hips “I’m not playing a game. Just because I want to dress up nice doesn’t mean anything. Look, I haven’t been on a date in years and even if this is just a charade, I’m still going to have fun with it. In the meantime, maybe he’s telling the truth. Besides, between you and me, I kind of hope I end up going home with him.”
“What?”
I smiled a little and glanced over my shoulder. “I’m an evolved, sexual woman and I can admit when I’m attracted to a man. I don’t want to get mixed up with him, but maybe if I just sleep with him and get it out of the way, I won’t be so distracted by him.”
“So, even though you told him you aren’t interested in sex, you actually are?”
“Look, I’m a prideful woman. I’ll admit that upfront. I don’t want him thinking he’s won, you know? I just want to go on this date, go back to his place and call it a night.”
Miguel didn’t look convinced, but he also didn’t look like he was going to argue. He held his hands up and shrugged. “Do whatever you want, just don’t get yourself in a mess you can’t get out of.”
The knock at my front door ended the conversation and I grabbed my purse. “Don’t worry about me. Make sure you lock up before you leave.” I’d given him a spare key in case I needed anything.
“Sure thing. Have fun.”
I walked to the door and threw it open, beaming brightly at Jami. He wore a fitted suit without a tie, the first few buttons undone. I had to resist the sigh that was pushing at my lips. He looked amazing. He really did.
“Hey!”
Jami smiled and waved, his long, thick hair pulled back out of his face. “You look nice.”
“So do you.”
He smiled and offered his arm to me and I felt the heat rush back into my face. I put my hand in the crook of his elbow and he guided me down the steps of my apartment complex. He even opened the door of the expensive sports car.
“Aren’t you the gentleman.”
“Mama taught me right. That’s one of the many perks to dating a southern boy.”
“Mmmm. I see.” I settled in the car and waited for him to get inside as well. I glanced at him and smiled. “Where are we going?”
“It’s a surprise.”
I was still fairly certain he
was going to take me to a fancy restaurant. Wasn’t that the status quo for dates? He’d buy me a nice meal, order a bottle of wine and then take me back to his place. It wasn’t an exciting prospect, but I was alright with it. I just wanted to get through the night so my life could go back to normal. I just wanted to stop thinking about him.
We drove through the loud streets and I took in the multitude of people filing along on the side walk. The mix of culture and influence in New York was part of the reason I was drawn to the city. It was something different, something wild and full of hope. It was the place I’d always dreamed of being. My phone was buzzing in my purse, but I wasn’t going to answer. I already knew who it was. It was my dad and I just didn’t have it in me to deal with it tonight.
“Aren’t you going to answer that?”
“Nah. I’ll take care of it later. I’m on a date right now. Isn’t that kind of rude?”
He smiled and turned his attention back towards the road. “I think you’ll really like where we’re going.”
“Well, I trust you know what you’re doing. I’m sure you’ve taken lots of girls out on dates, hmmm?”
He smirked a little. “Well, I’m not one to brag.”
At least he wasn’t trying to lie. We made small talk until the car rolled to a stop at the opening of a small alley where people had gathered. “What is this?”
“This is little Italy. Haven’t you ever been here?”
“Not really,” I murmured, standing and closing the car door.
Jami tipped the valet and offered me his hand, which I took surprisingly quickly. He pulled me along the alley until we came out on the other side, underneath the neon lights that announced the name of the small alcove. The light radiated down onto us and when I looked around I couldn’t help but smile, watching children run through the streets with sparklers, giggling and squealing with joy.
“What is this?”
“This is the Italian light festival. It’s something a little different. I thought you might enjoy it.” He said with a soft smile.
“Wow, Jami. I didn’t think— “
“You thought I was going to take you to a fancy bar and get you drunk.”
My cheeks went hot and I nodded, smiling a little. He shrugged and squeezed my hand. “That’s alright. Given my current track record with women…I don’t blame you.”
At least he was self-aware. He gave my hand a tug and I followed him into the street. We spent the evening sampling food from various restaurants. The people who spooned pasta onto our plates were dark haired man and women who’d owned their restaurants since they immigrated from Italy. Lively music played in the streets and every hour, on the dot, a flock of paper lanterns were released into the sky. I watched them in wonder, my heart beating faster.
I hadn’t expected a date like this. I hadn’t expected something so wonderful and unique and I certainly hadn’t expected to end up in his arms at the end of the night, build close to his strong body as we swayed together to the sounds of Italian instrumentals.
The cool wind blew through my hair, tickling my shoulders and neck. I looked up at him and smiled, putting my head on his shoulder as we moved in perfect sync. “This is nice.”
“You really think so?”
“Yeah. I’d say you knocked the ball out of the park.”
He chuckled and pressed his hand into my lower back. “I didn’t think a fancy restaurant or bar was a good date for a chef. Besides, you can cook better food than any restaurant I could have taken you to.”
He spun me round and I was grinning when I faced him again. “You know how to butter a girl up, don’t you?”
“It’s one of my many talents.”
Damn this guy was charming as hell. Everything he said and did caught me off guard. I hadn’t expected myself to be so happy to be here. I had expected a lackluster date and instead I got my first taste of culture since being back home.
The veranda was filled with other couples, moving to the sound of the music and I couldn’t help but feel like we were just like them. There was just as much hope and promise in our budding relationship.
As the music ended, Jami pulled away and smiled, nodding towards the inside of the building. I followed him through the ornate structure, brushing past hand painted murals and rich, oak tables. We finally came to the other side of the veranda where a single table sat with a bottle of wine. I crossed my arms and chuckled to myself.
“Mmmm…So you did pull some strings.”
He smiled and pulled one of the chairs out so that I could sit. “Just a few.”
I rolled my eyes playfully but settled in the seat, looking up at him. “This has been really nice. It’s better than I expected.”
“I’m glad I could exceed your expectations.” He poured us both a glass of wine and sat down as well, holding a glass up.
I clinked mine against his before taking a long drink of the sweet, pungent liquid. This was good wine. “So, what is with this whole playboy persona, huh? I mean, when I told Miguel about it, the first thing he told me was to beware of the big bad wolf. He said you were going to try and seduce me and then run off.”
“He wasn’t wrong to warn you. That is my calling card around town.”
“Why?”
He glanced up at me and sighed, sipping his glass. We were both already tipsy from the drinks we’d had earlier in the night and our lips were already loose. I figured now would be the best time to really get to know him.
Jami sighed and leaned back in the wrought iron chair, inspecting the drink in his hand. “Why? That’s a good question,” he mused. He set the glass down and looked at me for a moment. “Because I never wanted to get attached. I didn’t want to end up in a situation where I’d fallen in love with someone only to realize they didn’t want anything other than my money,” he said bitterly.
The words had a whole lot of hurt behind them. I could practically feel the pain pulsing through him. He’d been hurt before and I couldn’t even blame him for keeping people at arm’s length. I’d never, and probably would never, have the kind of money he had. I’d never worried about people using me for my money.
“That makes sense.”
He turned to look at me, slightly surprised. “Really?”
“Yeah. I’ve never been in your situation, so I’ve never really thought of that scenario before, but it makes sense.”
He paused and glanced at me, sighing. “Most people lecture me and tell me that I shouldn’t be so cynical.”
“Well, you know what you’re doing. You know how to protect yourself. When someone you think is worth it comes around, you’ll make the right decision.” I offered him a smile and tapped on the rim of my glass.
He poured me more wine without question, topping off his own glass. “Since we’re getting to know each other…Why did you spend so much time abroad? Don’t you have family in the states?”
I stiffened a little and took a long drink from my glass, nearly draining half of it before setting it down, grunting softly. “Yeah. I have family in the states,” I murmured.
“It just seems hard to stay away from your family for that long.”
I sighed and closed my eyes, shaking my head slowly. “it’s not really that hard when you don’t get along with them.”
He seemed to realize the conversation had gotten tense and cleared his throat. I was happy we seemed to understand where each other’s boundaries were. I set my glass down and turned towards him, scooting my chair closer so that I could rest my head on his shoulder. My heart was beating just a little too fast, but I didn’t care. I was drunk enough to ignore all the warnings in my head. I knew I shouldn’t have opened my mouth. I shouldn’t have asked him about his past and I shouldn’t have told him about mine. Those were my first two mistakes.
I sighed a little and closed my eyes “Thanks.”
“For what?”
“For taking me out. I’ve had a really nice time.”
He hesitated, but gently wrapped his
arms around my shoulders, giving them a gentle squeeze. We looked out onto the balcony together and I smiled as fireworks wound their way through the sky, exploding above our heads. It took my breath away and I leaned against him, my eyes closed. He was warm and the breeze was cool.
I looked up at him and saw the reflection of the fireworks in his eyes. I was unable to ignore it and sat up, pressing my lips to his in a long, needy kiss. He moaned and cupped my cheeks, pulling me close. It wasn’t as passionate or desperate as the kiss we’d shared in the kitchen, but it was just as electric. Goose bumps rose on my arms and when we parted, my cheeks were flushed. My lips parted and I whispered the words that had been stuck in my throat.
“Take me home?”
Jami
We stumbled through the front door of her small, but well-kept apartment, unable to keep our hands off each other. Her finger roamed my body, pausing at my waist to hastily undo my pants. Every single movement screamed of desperation. She wanted me, and I wanted her just as badly. I couldn’t ever remember wanting someone like this.
By the time, we reached the bedroom, we’d left a trail of abandoned clothes that led to the queen-sized bed pushed up against the blush colored walls. Her knees hit the back of the bedframe and we tumbled into impossibly soft sheets, our arms wrapped around each other as our lips crashed together for the hundredth time that night. We hadn’t stopped kissing since we’d left the restaurant and it still hadn’t gotten boring. I could have done this all night long, but there were things I wanted even more.
I pulled away, panting softly, the throbbing between my legs becoming damn near unbearable. “Tell me what you want.”
Her fingers threaded into my hair and she gave a solid pull. “I want you.”
That was all the invitation I needed. My lips traced the delicate curve of her neck and I couldn’t help but feel the need to bite her and nip at her neck. I wanted to see my mark on her. I wanted the world to know she was mine.
The tender nips elicited a low moan and she arched against me, her perfectly round, bare breasts pressed against my warm skin. I couldn’t resist reaching up and cupping them, giving them a firm squeeze before brushing my thumb over one of her perky nipple. Another moan fell from her lips and she leaned her head back, one hand reaching for the head board