Coffee in Common

by Dee Mann

  Jillian followed a quizzical look with, "What do you mean?"

  Guilt clouded Jenna's face. "You can hate me if you want, but I tested him. Look at the way I'm dressed, and I flirted and plastered myself against him when we were dancing and got nothing. Not even one of those twitches you mentioned." She sounded depressed. "Either I'm losing it, which I'm not, or that boy is so into you it's frightening."

  Rather than feeling upset, Jillian found she was elated. "Really? Did you really…"

  "I'm telling you, I was all over him and he just stood there and politely danced with me. He didn't even rest his head on mine." She looked contrite. "I really am sorry, but I had to do it. I had to find out if…you know. Liz told me what you said about shaving your legs and, well, I don't want you to get hurt again." She sighed. "Why can't Roy be into me like that?"

  Jillian couldn't believe two hours had passed when the band indicated the next song would their last of the night. Once the girls had their turns with him, she and Paul spent every remaining minute on the dance floor.

  The two guitar players moved their microphones to the center of the stage.

  "Thank you all for coming tonight. I'm Jasmine, next to me is Erik, Mickey is on keyboards, Kent is on drums, and we're Now & Then. We're here every Thursday though Sunday night and we hope we'll see you again real soon."

  She glanced at Erik who said, "We'd like to leave you tonight with an oldie, one of our favorites by Luther Vandross. It's for all you lovers out there."

  Jillian smiled. Wouldn't it be funny if they played…

  Always and forever

  Each moment with you

  Is just like a dream to me

  That somehow came true, yeah

  Her smile widened as she remembered how she reacted to the song two days ago. This has to be a good sign!

  Her eyes met Paul's as she stepped between his outstretched hands and laced her fingers around the back of his neck. Then she softly sighed as his strong arms slipped around her waist to pull her close.

  All the night's fancy dance steps were forgotten as they clung to each other, gently swaying to the music, their feet barely moving enough to turn them in place. Their moments in the limo and in the carriage had been special, but this far eclipsed both.

  As the song wound down, and the final notes faded, they both knew the moment had come. They stopped moving and held fast, each waiting for the other to make the first move. Finally, Jillian felt Paul's hand drift to her chin and tenderly encourage her. She allowed him to raise her head until their eyes met. His eyes asked permission and hers gave it. The rest of the room faded away as, slowly, he began to move his lips toward hers.

  A huge crash startled them and they literally jumped apart, stunned, as if awakened from a dream.

  Everyone in the room had turned toward the bar where a waitress had stumbled, sending a tray of empty glasses crashing to the floor.

  They watched the commotion for a few seconds before laughing.

  "Can you believe that?" Jillian said.

  "I know. Talk about bad timing."

  Each knew the moment had passed, and each was content to wait for the next one.

  SATURDAY, MAY 8

  1:15 AM

  When they settled into the limousine after saying goodbye to her friends, Gary lowered the partition and asked, "Where to?"

  "That depends on Jillian." Paul turned to her and asked with a grin, "Have you had your fill of me yet or can you stand a little more tonight?"

  More? He planned more? What could he have planned at one-fifteen in the morning? Some after-hours club?

  Her curiosity piqued, she returned his grin with a warm smile. "I think I might be able to endure a little bit more of your company."

  "Great!" Then to Gary, "You know where to go."

  Jillian watched the partition rise as the limo started moving. "Where are we going at this hour?"

  "‘Well, I am partial to food. After that, surprise me,'" he said, an octave higher than normal.

  "I did say that, didn't I?"

  "Yes, ma'am."

  "And you're holding me to it?

  "Yes, ma'am"

  "Even if I pout, like this, and ask really, really nice, like this?"

  "Yes, ma'am"

  "You beast, making a poor girl suffer."

  "Sorry, ma'am."

  They chuckled at the exchange, then her voice softened.

  "In case I forget to tell you later, Paul, I've had a very nice time tonight."

  "Me, too. This night has been so much better than I ever expected. And I was expecting a lot!"

  Jillian thought about that. Paul had created a magnificent evening for them. A fabulous dinner in the most romantic restaurant in Boston, a romantic carriage ride, and then charming her friends and dancing. Any one of those would have made for a wonderful evening. He had really gone all-out to impress her.

  But he's been going all out ever since we met. Sure, he fumbled some that first morning, but since then, he's been funny, and attentive, and sweet, and forgiving, and generous, and very romantic. Especially tonight. And it's like he can sense my moods. Like now. I smile at him and he just smiles back, like he knows I need some quiet time to think. Does he know it's because I'm thinking about him? Is he thinking about me? Is it really possible he could have known the first time he saw me? But how? That stuff only happens in books and movies. But he knows things about me…knows without even knowing he knows. Damn, I'm making this sound like the Twilight Zone. Calm down, girl. Think of something else.

  Her bathroom fantasy popped back into her head and Jillian felt herself growing warm all over. She looked away, not wanting her eyes to betray her thoughts.

  I wonder what kind of lover he'll be. Will he be as tender, caring, and attentive in bed as he is out. And passionate. I can sense the passion inside him. I can see it in his eyes sometimes. And I felt it this morning and when we were dancing. Oh no, I'm starting to blush again. What if he notices? But he won't care. He wants me. But do his heart and soul want me as much as his body does?

  She met his eyes again, and smiled, suddenly unconcerned about her warm cheeks.

  I wonder what kind of kisser he is. He has nice lips. I hope he's not all slobbery or too aggressive or not aggressive enough. Kissing's important. Is kissing important to him, too? Or is it just something he does on the way to getting laid? No, he's been waiting for the right moment, too. I know he wanted to kiss me in the restaurant and in the carriage and when we were dancing but he never made the move until…damn that stupid waitress! That was the perfect moment. But she broke the spell. Even if we'd kissed and it was great, that's all it would have been. The magic would have been gone. Oh! He wants the magic, too!

  The insight made her appreciate him even more.

  The phone rang and Paul grabbed it "Hello. … Excellent. … I guess that would be a good idea. Are you sure you … Okay then. Thank you.

  "We're almost there, but it'll be another few minutes. Gary's going to check things out."

  Jillian leaned toward the window, but Paul put his hand on her arm. "Come on. No peeking. I want this to be a surprise."

  She restrained her curiosity and settled back into the seat. "What's he checking out? Is this place dangerous?" She felt the car roll to a stop and heard the driver's door open, then close.

  "No. It's not dangerous. But it is one-thirty in the morning. It never hurts to be careful."

  She nodded, but could hardly control her eagerness to find out what Paul had saved for the end of their date.

  "Thank you for being so nice back at the lounge. I'm pretty sure your plans hadn't included spending all that time with my friends."

  "Don't be silly. They all seem like really good people." Jillian saw his face cloud. "But…ah…there was one thing…"

  "Jenna."

  "Right. Look, I didn't encourage her or anything. She just…"

  "Was testing you. She told me what she did and I'm sorry. She and Liz are very protective and she de
cided to see if, well, you know."

  Paul nodded. Friends protecting friends. He understood that. There was a short knock on the window. A few seconds later, Gary opened the door.

  "Everything is fine."

  Paul exited the car then helped Jillian slide out. No sooner had her feet touched the ground than she heard it.

  I can't believe it!. He couldn't have hit on all four.

  She lifted her head so her eyes could confirm what her ears already told her. Her heart leapt when she saw it and she threw her arms around him, almost knocking him back into Gary who'd been standing behind Paul holding the door open.

  "Whoa," Paul cried, regaining his balance while holding on to her. "May I assume from this reaction that you are in the mood for a moonlight walk on the beach?"

  "I love walking on the beach!"

  She let go of him, hurried across the sidewalk to the break in the seawall, and took a deep breath of salt air. A very light breeze was blowing in off the water. It felt cool and refreshing. By all rights, it should have been downright cold this close to the water at this time of year. But like everything else tonight, some magic was keeping it comfortable for them. Still, she was glad she had the wrap.

  Paul caught up with her and they started down the concrete ramp to the sand. As they neared the bottom, Jillian remembered what she was wearing.

  "Damn," she said sharply as she stopped short.

  "What's wrong?"

  "Heels. I can't walk on the sand in heels."

  "So take them off."

  "I can't. Pantyhose. They'd be torn to shreds in seconds out here."

  "Oh."

  Crap! What can I do now? When I planned this, I never thought about how she might be dressed.

  "Wait a minute. What was Gary checking before?"

  "He wanted to make sure there were no other people on the beach or cars full of kids parked in the area. If there had been, we'd have tried another beach."

  "So that means there's no one else around?"

  "Just Gary in the car."

  "Good. Turn around and face back up the ramp and don't turn back until I tell you to."

  Paul turned as requested. "What's going on?"

  "You just stay that way for a minute and then you'll find out."

  Jillian peered in all directions. The bright moon made it easy to confirm there was no one else around. Then she slid her dress up to her waist and started to push down her pantyhose.

  I can't believe I'm doing this. If a gust of wind ever blows this dress up…

  The pantyhose was bunched around her ankles now, but she realized it would be impossible to balance on one foot on this incline while she undid the strap and removed the shoe and hose from the other.

  She shuffled over to the tapered concrete wall. This far down, it was only about 18 inches high, too low to lean on.

  "Damn."

  "Are you okay?"

  "Don't you dare turn around." It was a command. "I'm fine. Just another minute."

  She would have to sit on the low wall. There was no other way. When she put her hand on it though, she discovered the surface was very rough. It would ruin her dress if she sat on it.

  Lord, if he ever turns around I will absolutely die. She again pushed her dress up to her waist and rested her bare backside on the wall. In seconds she was barefoot and hurried to stand and return her hemline to its proper location.

  "Okay, all done. You can turn around."

  When Paul saw her holding her shoes and hose in her hand he said, "Oh, you're barefoot. Good idea. I think I'll join you."

  He kicked off his shoes and peeled off his socks. "Give me your stuff. I'll put everything on the seawall so we won't have to carry them."

  When he returned, he began rolling up the legs of his trousers. "You know, I've had the pleasure of admiring your legs all night so I think it's only fair that you get to look at mine for a while."

  When both pant legs were rolled securely above his knees, he offered her his arm and they walked out onto the sand.

  Jillian squeezed his arm before they'd gone ten paces. "I need you to promise me something," she said shyly.

  "What's that?"

  "Promise me that if the wind starts blowing my dress around, you'll keep your eyes straight ahead."

  He started chuckling. "Oh dear. You don't want me catching a glimpse of your lacy under…"

  He stopped and moved a step away from her, eyes wide as it dawned on him why she wanted the promise.

  "You're not wearing…you don't have anything…"

  Jillian heard a long mournful groan escape his lips.

  "No. No. Not again! Not two nights in a row. I'm not going to be able to sleep again. Why do they keep doing this to me?"

  Jillian remembered what Priya had confided about Paul's reaction to her revelation the previous evening. She started to giggle.

  "I'm sorry," she said playfully. "Maybe I shouldn't have said anything. I didn't realize you knowing what I'm not wearing under this dress would cause you such distress." She was teasing him unmercifully, but she couldn't help herself.

  He groaned again. "Evil. You're an evil woman to do this to me."

  She laughed, moved back beside him, and took his hand. "True, but do you promise?"

  He promised.

  They strolled for awhile in silence, listening to the surf, each wondering what the other was thinking.

  Predictably, all Paul could think about was the thin wisp of cloth covering her otherwise bare skin. She was wondering, once again, how he could know so much about her. As wonderful as this all was, it seemed too good to be true, too good to be a happy coincidence. It was a question she could hold in no longer.

  "I have to ask you something."

  "Anything. Anything you want to know…as long as it's not about underwear."

  She giggled, then took a deep breath. Maybe she didn't want to hear the answer to this. But she had to ask.

  "How did you decide what to plan for our date tonight?"

  "Well, you said that Italian food was your favorite, so I knew we'd be going to a nice Italian restaurant. That it was Casa de Luna was serendipitous, as you already know.

  "I arranged the carriage ride because they always looked so romantic when I'd see them in movies. Then, I figured most girls like to dance, and I hadn't been to the Candlelight in a long time. If you hadn't liked it and wanted more action, I'd have suggested Platinum down the street. And this, well, I couldn't think of anything more romantic than a moonlight walk on the beach. And believe me, I tried."

  She did believe him and moved closer, feeling guilty now. Her arm slipped around his waist while his angled across her back, his fingers resting on her side.

  "I'm such a…I thought you might have talked with one of my girlfriends or something. I know it's silly. You didn't even know them until tonight, but you planned the exact romantic date I've always dreamed about. It was like you read my mind. And it made me a little nervous. I've…"

  She hesitated.

  Go on, you can tell him. You have to tell him.

  "I've had some bad experiences in the past with guys, and, well, it's made me…cautious, I guess. Suspicious. And it's made me doubt you twice, no, three times counting the morning we met. But I won't doubt you again."

  Paul snorted. "Of course you will. Doubt is part of life, part of any relationship. And sometimes you might have good cause to doubt. Something like, ohhh, seeing me kiss someone else."

  He pulled her tighter for a second to let her know he was kidding.

  "And I'll probably have doubts about you now and then. So what? All we have to do is talk when we have doubts. Not much can hurt us if we talk things through. It's the fears and the doubts we hold inside that eat away at us. So from now on, our rule number one is Ask instead of keeping it inside. Okay?"

  "Okay."

  They fell into a comfortable silence again as they moved down onto the wet sand, letting the incoming tide wash over their feet. It was chilly, but they foun
d it stimulating. Her arm was around his waist again and his was resting as before, holding her close. Both were aware their conversation had alluded to a future together; that they were already starting to define their relationship.

  Paul glanced down at the sand and surf. He noticed the shape of her feet and the way the moonlight made her bare skin almost glow. He thought about his feelings for her, how they seemed to have mushroomed since that first, chance meeting a few days ago. He felt the heat of her body pressing against him as they wandered aimlessly along the beach. He'd done everything he could to impress her, said everything he could think of to help her know him and know how he felt about her. Now, there was nothing left to say and only one thing left to do, the one thing that would let them both know if they were truly meant to be together.

  They drifted back onto the dry sand and Paul turned to face her. He glanced up at the sky, then back down to meet her eyes.

  "The moon is beautiful tonight."

  "Yes it is."

  "But not as beautiful as you."

  Jillian's breath caught as he moved closer. It was time, she knew. On this deserted beach, under a bright, lovers' moon, with the soft sound of the surf behind them, in the most romantic setting she could think of, they would share their first kiss.

  She felt his arms draw her to him, holding her gently, but firmly against his muscular chest. She felt one hand slide under the wrap and up to her neck as the other drifted down to the small of her back.

  He held her close, reveling in the softness of her body against his. His hands came together below her shoulder blades and he pressed her more tightly to him.

  "Mmm, you feel so good."

  After a minute, he slid both hands down to her waist, pressing her hips to him as he leaned his head and shoulders back slightly away from her. He craned his neck in all directions.

  "What are you looking for?" she whispered.

  "Making sure there are no waitresses with trays nearby."

  Jillian couldn't help herself. The laugh just burst out of her.

  She felt one of his hands bury itself in the hair at the back of her head. The wrap fell open as she raised her arms and laced her fingers across the back of his neck. Both their grins faded as their eyes met and each sensed the time was right.