We stare at one another in a comfortable silence, just offering a smile. Easton turns to lead me back to the dance floor. As we pass the bar, I notice Gia talking to Brad and give her a small wave. She flashes a bright smile and gives me a thumbs up.
As we make our way to the dance floor, Easton wraps his arms around me, pulling my chest against his. The bass of the music rumbles around us as we dance to the beat. I put my arms around his neck and lean my body into his. His lips crash into mine as we sway on the crowded dance floor. As our lips graze, our bodies grind against each other as the heat rises.
The dancing continues for another two hours and Easton has yet to leave my side. Once in a while, I glance around for Gia, making sure she is within my eyes’ reach.
I glance around the dance floor, noticing it is starting to empty out. Easton and I are still in each other’s embrace when Gia sneaks up behind us and motions toward the bar.
The dancing stops as I step out of Easton’s grasp to talk to Gia. “Hey.”
She looks us up and down and arches her brow. “You two having fun?”
Easton answers, “And then some.”
A snort escapes as Gia flashes me a smile.
Gia hands me my clutch. “The club is about to close so we should start heading home.”
Easton and I follow her out into the Brooklyn streets. Within seconds she hails a cab and starts to climb in.
I turn around to say goodbye to Easton but he grabs my hand. “Actually, I’d like to take Melanie home if that’s all right.”
Gia steps out of the cab, looking at him and then me. “It’s up to you.”
I hesitate. “But, what about you? You can’t go home alone.”
Gia shakes her head and nods back inside the club. “Oh I won’t. I’ve been eyeing that sexy bartender all evening.”
Easton chimes in, “Well then it’s settled.”
Gia reaches over to give me a reassuring hug. She must have sensed my unease. She whispers, “Go get him,” and kisses my cheek.
My arms squeeze around her body as I plant a soft kiss on her cheek. “Thank you.”
Gia lets go and waves to Easton. “See ya on Monday.”
He nods his head. “Yup. Hey, thanks for the invite tonight.”
As she turns back toward the club, she calls out, “Oh don’t thank me just yet.”
******
Easton and I have a normal cab ride home. He holds my hand and rubs my neck, but nothing else. It’s a relaxing calmness, which I desperately need. My emotions have been all over the place tonight and now’s the perfect time to start winding down. Easton tells me about his residency at the hospital and his life growing up in Phoenix.
As he speaks about his early life, I study his lips down to the last curve. As I listen to him speak, my body calms with sleepiness. It’s taken a beating today. My heavy eyelids threaten to close but I force them to stay open. Easton notices my tiredness and pulls me closer to him, resting my head on his shoulder.
The cab pulls to a stop, causing me to open my eyes and realize that I must have slept through the rest of the ride home.
I lift off of Easton as he pays the cab driver. “Oh shit. I’m sorry.”
He chuckles. “No worries.”
He exits the cab and walks around, opening my door and motioning for me to step out. Smooth. The cab speeds off into the Manhattan night as we make our way inside the apartment building. Easton follows me up the stairs to my apartment.
As we reach my door, I search my clutch, feeling for my keys. Easton’s body stands close behind as I fumble around. As I let out a deep breath and close my eyes, I muster the courage to ask, “Wanna come in?”
With a deep voice, he responds, “I’d love to.”
A small smile creeps across my lips as I unlock the front door. I push it open, stepping inside and letting Easton follow behind me. The shining moonlight illuminates the dark foyer as I turn to lock the door. I place my keys on the hook and reach to switch on the light, but Easton turns to me, pushing me against the door.
His lips crash into mine. His tongue thrusts into my mouth as we savor the taste of one another. I drop my clutch on the floor and wrap my arms around his neck. His hands reach down to cup my ass and his arms lift me off the floor, pressing me further into the door behind me.
As we continue to kiss, he handles my lifted body with one hand and uses his other hand to reach down and free the heels off my feet. The shoes fall to the ground and his free hand returns to cupping my ass. Surging heat starts to boil inside as I curl my legs around his waist and grind against him.
My chest heaves up and down as I try to get control of my breathing. The pounding beat of my heart bangs across my chest. Easton presses us closer together and a small gasp escapes my lips as I feel his bulge threatening to escape from his jeans.
I get excited and bite his lower lip. He lets out a gasp and growls deep, “That’s it.”
He pulls me off the door and continues to carry me through the living room. “Where’s your bedroom?”
A little squeal escapes my lips. “In the back.”
With lightning speed, he races toward the bedroom, pushing the door open and slamming my body onto the bed. He rips off his shirt, exposing a set of rock hard abs, and I have the sudden urge to lick every single one of them. Grabbing the bottom of my dress, he lifts it over my head, exposing my lace bra and panties. I hear his shoes scurry on the ground as he unbuckles his belt, kicking off his jeans.
He bends down to me and lays his body on the top of mine. His deep kisses push my body into a frenzy of electrifying sparks. My fingertips skim across his chest and roll down his rock hard abs.
As he continues to remove the last layer of clothing off my body, my heart skips a beat. The moonlight breaks its way into the room and all I see is Easton.
Strong. Hard. And ready for me.
Oh yes.
******
The warm sun blinds my eyes, causing me to squint as I blink away the sleepiness. As I open my eyes and take in my surroundings, I reach over to feel the other side of my bed. Empty. I sit up in bed, checking to see if his clothes are anywhere in sight. Nope. However, my dress is neatly placed on my desk chair and my shoes are upright against the closet door.
Hoping that he’s in the kitchen, I call out, “Easton?”
I wait a few seconds, but no response. Of course not. Letting out a sigh of disappointment, I hoist myself out of bed, get dressed, and walk into the kitchen to make a cup of coffee.
As I step inside, I notice a handwritten note on the counter. Picking it up, I unfold it and read the contents.
Thanks for the dance. See you at work tomorrow.
Smiling at his note, I pause and think. Tomorrow? How am I supposed to act at work?
Ah hell.
Roman
YOU NEVER FORGET A FACE, but it’s the eyes that haunt my dreams. It’s been a month since I’ve seen Melanie after all these years and the dreams still haunt me at night. I can’t seem to shake the feeling, but in a way, I don’t want to.
Some days, while I walk throughout the city, I catch myself staring at blonde women, wondering if it’s her. It’s almost an obsession, which my aunt has emphatically pointed out. I see it more as a longing, a yearning, wanting to have her with me, right here, right now.
Ever since the first moment I laid eyes on her, I’ve always felt a pull toward her. But, it was the second and third times she visited the bakery that my feelings really started to surface. Usually when she came by the bakery, I was either studying or covered in flour—not very attractive, to say the least.
I would work as much as I could, hoping to have another chance to talk to her. Most of our conversations consisted of ‘hello’ and ‘you’re welcome’. Nothing ever lasted longer than a couple minutes and as she would scope out our selections, I always ended up arguing with my inner self then chickening out. I wasn’t smooth at all in high school. Awkward and weird was my strong suit.
I
can remember the day she first visited the bakery like it was yesterday: her cute outfit, her soft wavy hair cascading down her back, her plump lips. It is a vivid memory, but it’s the day that it rained that will always stand out to me.
I just arrived from a long day of helping Uncle Vinny do the yard work. You’d think in New York City there wouldn’t be many trees, but you’d be surprised. The spring season is always the worst for me. With all of the yard work, helping Aunt Maggie, and staying on top of school, I barely have enough time to be by myself, let alone play sports.
As the end of the school year quickly approaches, the pressure of what college to attend is the daily topic. I know my aunt and uncle want what’s best for me, but I still haven’t decided yet. I do know that I want to stay in the city. Gabe and a few other friends have all chosen to attend out-of-state colleges, but it’s not for me.
After washing up in the back of the bakery, I walk out to the front entrance to clean up our outside patio. The winds are starting to pick up as a nasty storm heads our way.
“Roman, make sure to bring in the chairs from outside!”
I glance inside the store as Aunt Maggie cleans the cookie cases.
“Working on it now!”
Lifting the first bistro chair, I haul the chair inside and into the back, securing it against the wall. I head back out and remove the remaining chairs from the patio. I grab a paper towel and wipe down the tables, ensuring I don’t get crud all over my hands. Once all clean, I carefully lift each bistro table and bring it to the back of the shop.
“Be careful darling. Those tables are heavy.”
Aunt Maggie always worries, but who can blame her?
“Yes, I know. I’m almost done bringing all the patio furniture inside, then I’ll help you.”
A few minutes later, I clear out the remaining tables and make sure nothing is left outside that could cause any damage to the store. Looking down the block, I see other shop owners also clearing away their furniture. The dark gray sky blackens the area as if it were ten at night when in fact it’s only late afternoon.
I offer to assist the neighboring fruit stand but they don’t need any help, so I head inside, ready to help Aunt Maggie. She’s received several wedding cake orders and I’ll admit, I love to bake. After washing up, I put on an apron and grab the ingredients to prepare the batter. Aunt Maggie turns on the radio as we bake together. It’s moments like this that I will always cherish: just Aunt Maggie and I baking cakes on a rainy day. With so much loss in the world, especially unexpected loss, I always tend to try to live in the moment because in a split second, all of it could be taken away.
After we finish the batter, we pour the contents into the baking pans and place them in the oven. I decide to study for my finals while I wait for them to cook. Taking a seat at the small seating area inside the bakery, I pull out my physics textbook and dive right in.
The sound of crashing thunder startles me out of my zone and I look outside. The pouring rain batters against the glass, causing my eyes to squint, unable to see beyond to the other side.
I glance toward the back and see Aunt Maggie still jamming out to her tunes while she prepares the cake frosting. She loves to dance. In fact, there’s never a day that I don’t see her dancing. Whether it’s at home, in the bakery, in the car, or even at the supermarket, she’s always moving. She doesn’t even need music because there’s always music playing in her head. A small smile curves along my lips as I watch my aunt bask in her happiness.
Overcoming the distractions, I turn back to the textbook and concentrate on the material. Writing down notes and key points, I outline what I think is important to focus on. As I read the textbook, the bakery entrance opens and someone comes rushing inside. I glance up to find myself staring at a soaking wet Melanie. This is the fifth time I’ve seen her and every time I lose my train of thought.
Her dripping wet hair clings to her cheeks as her clothes drip on the tile floor. Her breathing is ragged as though she just finished running. She turns in my direction and lets out a deep breath when she notices me.
I jump out of my chair and step closer to her. “Are you all right?”
She looks down at her disheveled outfit. “Yeah sorry. I was walking home from school and I thought I’d make it home before the rain, but obviously not.”
“Oh no. I—”
Aunt Maggie interrupts as she enters the front. “Oh! I thought I heard someone. Goodness my dear! You are soaked! We need to dry you off. Roman, how could you let the poor girl just stand there?”
I scoff. “I was just about to get a towel.”
“Well hurry up. She could catch a cold!”
I glance at Melanie and offer an apologetic smile. “I’ll be right back.”
Walking into the back, I head to the employee restroom to grab a towel for Melanie and a couple paper towels to wipe up the wet tiles. Heading back to the front, I hear Aunt Maggie conversing with her about the storm.
“You should not be walking in this weather. You could get very sick.”
“It’s not a far walk from school, but honestly, I thought I had more time.”
“Well, do you need a ride home? Roman can take you.”
My eyes grow wide as my heart skips a beat. My lips curve into a smile as I hand Melanie a towel. “Sure I can drive—”
Melanie places her bag by the table and begins to squeeze the excess water out of her hair.
“Actually, I’ll just text my boyfriend. He should be out of lacrosse practice soon anyway. Can I wait here until he can pick me up?”
An intense feeling of discomfort courses through my body as she confirms that she’s unavailable. I always knew she had a boyfriend, but hearing it from her own lips still hurts.
“Of course you can wait here. Roman was just studying but he can move his things into the back.”
“No. No, it’s fine. He can stay out here. I don’t mind.”
Turning to Aunt Maggie I assure her that I’ll stay with Melanie so she’s not alone. As she stalks off toward the back, I wave my hands, motioning for her to stay back there and not resurface until I say so. After she exits, I see Melanie sending a text message with her hair wrapped in the towel. A soft smile threatens to show but I hold it in, not ready to show my feelings.
After she sends the text, she glances at the textbook. “So, physics, huh?”
Sitting down at the table across from her, I close the book. “Yeah, finals.”
“You don’t go to Lehman do you? I know it’s a huge school with over four thousand students, but I’ve never seen you there.”
My head shakes in response. “No, I attend Mount St. Michael in Yonkers.”
“Oh, I’ve heard of it. The all-boys school.”
Embarrassed, I glance outside at the pouring rain. “Yeah, my uncle went there and he loved it, so it’s sort of a family thing, I guess.”
“That’s right. Your aunt and uncle own this place. I remember now.”
I smile at her recognition and notice she begins to shiver. “Hey, are you cold? I can make a fresh batch of coffee.”
“No, I’m okay.”
“Are you sure? It’s no trouble.”
Nervous to accept, she bites her bottom lip. “Um okay, but only if you have some as well. I don’t want you wasting a whole pot on me.”
I race to the coffee machine to start a fresh batch and within minutes, it’s ready. I catch her glancing at her phone and then out the window. “How do you like your coffee?”
“Light and sweet please. Thank you.”
I grab two mugs from the cabinet and pour French vanilla coffee into them. The aroma immediately hits my senses and warms my body. I bend down to open the pastry case and grab a small sliver of pound cake. I always have pound cake with my coffee. It just makes it taste better, and I grab an extra piece for Melanie just in case.
Carefully placing the mugs on the table, I grab a couple napkins for us. Melanie notices the pound cake and her eyes grow wide. “Oh,
I love pound cake with my coffee! Thank you.”
“You’re welcome. I hope the coffee tastes good. If you need me to add cream or sugar, just let me know.”
Watching her take the mug and sip it slowly practically causes me to stroke out. Just seeing her has my nerves and emotions all over the place. I don’t know what it is about this girl, but I am completely done for. If I didn’t consciously compose myself every other second, I’m pretty sure my body would be mush whenever she’s around.
I watch her continue to drink the warm coffee and she closes her eyes, allowing the heat to warm her up. Once she begins to warm, she opens her eyes, offering me a smile. “It’s perfect.”
“Good.”
Her hand reaches across the table toward me. “By the way, I’m Melanie.”
I take her hand in mine and squeeze softly as we shake hands. “I’m Roman.”
“I know.”
My brow arches as she chuckles, motioning toward the back of the bakery. “Your aunt. She kept saying your name.”
Shaking away my stupidity, we let go of each other’s hands. “Oh yeah, that’s right.”
“So you’re a senior at Mount St. Michael?”
“Yup, graduating next month.”
“That’s awesome. I’m graduating too. What college are you going to?”
I pause, not sure if I should tell her that I’m undecided. Would she even care? “Actually, I’m not sure yet.”
She leans in closer and teases. “Well, what do you want to be when you grow up?”
Her emerald green eyes captivate me as I try to concentrate on answering her question. “Honestly, I’d like to become a firefighter.”
“Wow, impressive. Any particular reason?”
I glance away, not ready to spill my life story, but as I return to look at her, her eyes shine with curiosity and wonder. Just as I’m about to speak, her cellphone rings, interrupting my heartfelt story.
Little Moments Page 6