by Smoak, Ivy
She laughed and looked away from me. "I know you're just messing with me."
"I'm not messing with you. Have you ever even looked in a mirror?"
She laughed again. "You're a total schmoozer, Rob Hunter. Ask me something important. Something that matters."
Deep. Again. Why couldn't we just have a flirtatious conversation without her trying to get to know me? Because you said you wanted more, you jackass. I thought back to her saying she wanted what my brother had. I had just been thinking the same thing earlier today. "Have you ever been in love?"
"No. I haven't. Not in the way you're asking anyway."
I understood that. I loved my family and friends. I loved Penny, who for some reason didn't quite fit into either of those categories. But all of that was different.
"Have you?" she asked.
"No," I said. "Not really."
"Ask me something else."
"What does love mean to you?" I wasn't sure why I asked her that question. It just kind of popped out.
She seemed surprised by my question. She looked down at her hands for a second and then back up at me. "It's about patience and taking the time to truly know someone. And when the right person comes along, it will be totally worth the wait." There was something sad in her eyes. Like she didn't even believe what she was saying. Maybe because she hadn't found it yet. Maybe because she had tried and failed. Maybe because what she just said was complete bullshit.
I had never really tried to find love. I constantly pushed women away, preferring the tidiness of one night stands. But I knew what love was. Daphne, however, didn't understand it at all.
"Patience? Really?" I said. "That isn't love. Patience is something you have for a toddler that won't stop crying." I barely had any patience.
She laughed. "It's a waiting game. And I'm being patient until the right guy comes along and then I'll be patient as I learn all about him and see if we truly are compatible. It's all about patience."
"It's not about patience. It's about passion."
She stared at me for a second. There was something in her eyes that I couldn't quite read. She laughed awkwardly. "You're wrong."
I raised my eyebrow. "I don't think so, beautiful."
"Passion can build. It can be one of the things that patience brings. You have to get to know each other first. That's the whole point of building a relationship."
"Passion like we have doesn't build. It's instantaneous."
"And that's what love is to you? Just passion? Like what we have? Does that mean you're in love with me, Rob?" She batted her eyelashes at me.
Damn. She was good. But I was better. "It means I have the potential to fall in love with you because of said passion."
She rolled her eyes.
Oh God I wanted to spank her. I wanted to do more than spank her, but right now I just craved my palm on her bare ass. She was so incredibly naive. And charming. And sexy as hell. I put my hand back on her thigh. Now that I knew she felt the heat between us, it was even harder to control myself.
Patience? Screw patience. I trailed my fingers up her thigh, relishing the softness of her skin. "Patience isn't fun, Daphne. Patience is torture. Patience is something you hold onto when there is no spark. Wouldn't you agree?" My fingers stopped at the top of her thigh. She hadn't resisted at all as my hand slid under her skirt. I wasn't going to touch her. No matter how much I wanted to. I just wanted her to admit that I was right.
She shook her head. Apparently she wouldn't abandon her horrible belief about love in order to experience the most mind blowing orgasm of her life. Yes, with just my fingers.
"You can't deny that we have chemistry," I said.
"It's not about a physical connection." Her words were slow. She was clearly consumed by lust. Consumed by me. "It's about an emotional one."
"Yet, you've only known me for a day and you want me to touch you. That's passion. That's the key. This undeniable heat." I ran my fingers along the edge of her thong and her body trembled. That's right.
She shook her head. "You're wrong." Her voice wasn't as determined this time.
"And you're stubborn." I stopped my ascent and removed my hand.
"I'm stubborn? What about you?"
"I'm not stubborn, I'm just right."
She scoffed. "That's something a stubborn person would say."
"Is stubbornness a quality on your list?" I lifted up the drink the waiter had just set down in front of me.
She didn't deem my question with an answer. Instead she looked down at the drink the waiter put in front of her. "I don't drink margaritas."
"You'll like this one." I had ordered it for her while she was fantasizing about me.
"You don't know what I like." She picked up her menu.
"I think I do."
She lifted the menu slightly to cover her face. Yeah, I know her better than she thinks.
"I'll be right back to take your order," the waiter said and walked away.
I wanted to be alone with Daphne. I'd take whatever opportunity I could get. I quickly stood up and put my hand out. "May I have this dance?"
She slowly lowered her menu. Her cheeks were still rosy. "He said he'd be right back."
"I'll keep an eye out for him." I moved my hand closer to her. "Just one dance."
She bit her lip. I wanted to be the one doing that.
"Go, Momma Bear," Kristen said from across the table.
Daphne immediately put her hand in mine and I pulled her to her feet. I interlaced my fingers with hers as I escorted her to the veranda. The air was much cooler at night. The warmth of her hand was surprisingly comforting. I spun her around as we walked toward the other dancers. My eyes fixed on the twirl of her hair and the smile on her face.
She laughed and put her hand on my chest as I spun her back toward me.
"What, you didn't think I knew how to dance?" I gave her my most charming smile.
"I just wasn't sure what you meant by dancing. I thought this might be more of a bumping and grinding kind of dance. I'm glad it isn't."
"You're very up on the lingo for a teacher." I moved my hands to her hips and made sure our torsos were pressed together.
She laughed again. "Maybe." Her hands clasped behind my neck. She didn't seem at all upset that the song was a slow one.
I couldn't pull my eyes away from hers. She looked even prettier in the glow of the lanterns. I wanted to be alone with her. I wanted to explore how good this electricity between us really could be. I had a feeling it was going to be mind-blowing.
"What?" she said shyly as she looked up at me.
"I'm not sure I've ever danced with someone as stunning as you."
She laughed. "Stop."
"I'm serious."
"Mhm." She shook her head and looked over toward our table.
"So, why do your friends calls you Momma Bear?"
Her fingers seemed to stiffen on the back of my neck. She looked up at me again. "I have no idea."
"Come on, tell me."
She sighed. "I don't know. I'm responsible. I don't take risks. I'm good at taking care of people."
"Good at taking care of your friends?"
She tilted her head away from me again. "Yeah, I guess." Her voice suddenly sounded sad and I didn't know why. The angle of her head exposed her neck to me. There was a mark that she had poorly tried to cover up with makeup.
I reached out and ran my index finger down her slender neck and over the hickey.
She looked back up at me. "You look happy with yourself."
I smiled. "I kind of am. Now everyone knows you're taken."
"Taken? Have you ever even been in a relationship, Rob?"
Relationship? That was jumping the gun a little. But for some reason I didn't want to run. I wanted to hold her like this for as long as I could. Her hips fit perfectly in my hands. And her hands fit perfectly behind my neck. This felt right. "That depends on what you mean by a relationship."
"I mean a committed relationship.
Where you call each other boyfriend and girlfriend. And you go on lots of dates and talk about your feelings and your hopes and dreams."
"Oh, that. Hmmm."
She laughed.
I liked the sound of her laughter. I slid my hands slightly down her hips, precariously close to her perfect ass. "And what about you, beautiful?"
"You didn't even answer my question."
"Isn't that the same question as if you've ever been in love? I've already told you no."
"I don't think it necessarily is."
"Okay, so what about you?"
"Yes, I've had boyfriends."
"But you didn't love them?"
"I thought maybe I did at the time. But looking back on it, no. That can't be love. Love is something that's supposed to last. It's supposed to be supportive. And forgiving."
"And passionate."
She smiled. "Yeah. And passionate. I've never really had that either."
"No? Not even recently?" I moved my face a fraction of an inch closer to hers.
"Maybe recently I have."
"Maybe?" I placed a soft kiss against her lips.
"What do you want me to say, Rob?"
"That you feel this too." I kissed her again, harder this time. I could taste the lust on her tongue. I relished the feeling of her hands in my hair, pulling me closer to her. She felt it. Maybe she couldn't say it, but I knew she felt it too. This wasn't just a kiss. This was a jump your bones kind of kiss. If we were alone right now, I'd already be unzipping her dress.
When I pulled back she was breathless. She searched my eyes. I wasn't sure what she was looking for, but I hoped she found it.
Her throat made this adorable squeaking noise and she looked up at the sky. "I think it's raining."
I hadn't felt it before. I was too focus on the curves of her hips and the taste of her. But it definitely was starting to drizzle. "There is nothing better in the world than the feeling of rain on your skin."
"Is that so?"
I smiled. I could have said an assortment of dirty things. Like, "No, fucking is better obviously," or something vulgar like that. But I didn't. She looked so happy. There was time and a place for jokes. I usually didn't pay attention to stuff like that, but I fucking liked this girl. I couldn't help it. She made me feel grounded somehow. I was so completely wrapped up in this moment, wrapped up in her. "Nothing better," I said.
Out of the corner of my eye I saw the waiter walk back over to our table. It was tempting to kiss her again, to pull her even closer to me. But I only had so much control. We'd end up naked on the dance floor in a matter of seconds. And I seriously didn't want to go back to Costa Rican prison. Besides, I had given her my word. I intended to keep it. "The waiter is back."
I loved the disappointment that flashed across her face. She's definitely feeling this too. I took a step back and grabbed her hand. "Thanks for the dance, Momma Bear."
"Oh God, please don't call me that."
"As you wish. Beautiful suits you better, anyway."
She blushed again. I released her hand and watched her sit back down and flip her hair over her shoulder. There was no doubt in my mind that we were on the same page now. I felt like I was in this happy bubble. This girl was amazing.
And what would you like, ma'am?" the waiter said to Daphne as she picked up her menu again.
"Can I have the crab cake sandwich?"
"Of course. That comes with..."
"And could I have the tomato and lettuce on the side?" Daphne continued, interrupting the waiter.
The waiter started jotting down the order.
"And also the bun. I'll just assemble it when it comes to me. And please hold the sauce. Also, would it be possible to substitute the French fries and coleslaw?"
The waiter finished jotting down the weird shit that just came out of Daphne's mouth. "Of course. There's a list of sides on page two."
Daphne turned back the page. "Are your green beans steamed?"
"Yes, and they're tossed in a delicious garlic sauce."
"Oh, no. That doesn't sound delicious to me. Is it possible to get them not tossed in the garlic sauce?"
"Um, certainly. And for your other side?"
"What potatoes are your mashed potatoes made from?"
"Red potatoes I believe. But I'd have to check."
"That won't be necessary. I don't want to inconvenience you. Do you know if your French fries are prepared with sea salt or Himalayan salt?"
"Neither. We leave the seasoning to the patrons. There's sea salt on the table as well as old bay and..."
"That's awesome," Daphne said, cutting the waiter off again. "Actually, I'll just have the French fries after all then. Thank you so much." She closed her menu and looked at me.
What the fuck just happened? I laughed awkwardly. It kind of felt like my happy bubble had just popped. But it did give me more material for teasing her. "The prime rib, medium."
"That comes with green beans with garlic sauce and mashed potatoes, is that okay?"
"Yeah that sounds great." I'm not a lunatic.
"We almost missed out on dinner," James almost shouted as he sat down. He immediately cleared his throat.
First Daphne was acting crazy with her order and now James was yelling. Is everyone high or something?
Matt gave me a thumbs up before he sat back down.
"What?" I mouthed silently.
"You'll see," he said silently back to me.
I was definitely missing something. It must have been make the waiter as uncomfortable as possible day. As soon as the waiter was done taking everyone's order I turned to Daphne. "Um...what the hell was that?"
"What was what?"
"The way you just ordered was..." I didn't know how to finish my sentence.
"Crazy? Embarrassing? Bossy? Rude? Mortifying? Ridiculous?" Kristen gave a list of adjectives to fill in my pause.
"Yeah, what the hell, does she always order like that?" I asked her.
"Always. It's horrible."
I laughed and looked over at Daphne. Maybe I didn't know what she liked at all. "You know, the chef prepares everything the way he thinks it'll be best."
"Exactly. The way he thinks it'll be best. Not me."
"But he's a culinary expert."
"Have you seen his resume?"
"No, but..."
"Exactly. He could just be some schmuck they pulled off the streets."
"Probably not, but fine. Regardless of that, how do you even know if you won't like something if you won't try it?"
"I know what I do and don't like. I just want what I want. Is there something so wrong with that?"
"No, I guess not. But trying new stuff is a fun experience."
"It's true," James said. He was still talking a little loudly. "If I didn't get out of my comfort zone I never would have ended up with Penny. She's my favorite experience. And I get to experience her all the time, if you know what I mean." He paused. "I mean sex. In case you didn't know what I meant. But not recently, actually. We're waiting until we get married, you know? Which is funny, because we've been fucking this whole time. Like a lot. Sometimes more than once a day. Which maybe isn't a lot to this guy," he pointed at Mason.
Mason pushed his hand away. "Are you feeling okay?"
"But it's a lot to me," James said, ignoring Mason. "So I don't know why we have to stop on the homestretch. You know? It's like she's punishing me." He laughed. "Inside joke. Not with these guys." He waved his arms around, gesturing to the rest of the table. "It's an inside joke with me and Penny." He took a sip of his drink and made a slurping noise with his straw.
Daphne and I both laughed.
"See," I said, giving James a weird look. "Experiencing new people or new food is fun. And very passionate."
"You're so full of yourself." She picked up the margarita I had ordered for her and took a sip. She scrunched up her face. "Fine, I have to admit that it's actually pretty good."
"Exactly."
"Is it?" Ja
mes asked. "Let me try." He put his straw in Daphne's margarita and took a sip. "It is pretty good." He laughed and made the slurping noise again with the straw as he pulled it out of her drink. He kept it in his mouth, letting it dangle like a weirdly long cigarette.
"Um, are you feeling okay, James?" I asked.
He spit the straw out onto the table and cleared his throat. "Yeah. Why? I mean, I'm a little overheated I guess." He pulled off his suit jacket. He tried to toss it on the back of his chair, but completely missed and just threw it on the ground. He didn't bother to pick it up. Or maybe he didn't realize he had missed. "What are you looking at?" he asked when he turned back around.
"Nothing?" I glanced over at Matt.
Matt immediately gave me two thumbs up. Oh, no. What the fuck did Matt do?
Chapter 21
Daphne
I quickly picked up the suit jacket that James had accidentally thrown on the floor. "You dropped this," I said and handed it to him.
"Oh, no, that's not mine." He immediately pushed it back into my hands. "I'm not wearing one."
"Right. Because you just took it off..." I let my voice trail off. Does he really not remember wearing it a second ago? James had only drank half of the beer in front of him. Maybe he was a light weight, but I had never seen someone react so quickly to a beer. I placed the suit jacket on the back of my chair so it wouldn't get stepped on.
James ran his hand through his hair. It was the same thing that Rob seemed to do so often. It made me wonder if their father did it too.
"So," Layla said, breaking the awkward silence, "should we play an icebreaker game?"
"I learned a fun icebreaker game from my boyfriend, Tim," Kristen said. "You ask a question about someone, but then someone else at the table has to answer it."
"Two truths, one lie," James said way too loudly for the middle of a restaurant, completely ignoring Kristen's suggestion. He rolled up the sleeves of his dress shirt and put his elbows on the table. "I just played this with Penny and some of the new interns at my company. It's lots of fun. When it's your turn, you tell two truths and one lie about yourself, and everyone has to guess the lie."