“Yeah, sounds great.”
After saying goodbye to Krystal, I met Xander out front by his truck, and I was pleased when he held the door open and helped me in. It was probably for the better that he helped me, because I wasn’t the tallest person and the truck was enormous.
“So how’s work? You seem to be much happier now?”
“I am,” I replied, “I really like the job and it’s definitely getting easier now that I’m used to it.”
“Good, I’m glad to hear it.”
“And I really cannot thank you enough for what you did. You didn't know me, but you were really nice.”
He raised his brows, “People aren’t usually nice?”
I shrugged. “Kind of, sometimes. People are nice, but we’re all out to help ourselves in the end, right?”
“Hmm.” Xander contemplated what I just said for a minute before nodding. “Yeah, I can see that.”
We pulled up outside my apartment block and I immediately felt embarrassed for residing in such a rundown area. The area was typical of what you would see in a movie with a cheap hotel that hookers use to rent a room by the hour. My face burned crimson red and I was terrified to look back at Xander.
“Something wrong?”
I shook my head, “Uh, no, everything’s fine.”
“You sure?” He asked, a nervous tone in his voice.
I shrugged, finally turning back to look at him I put the best smile on my face I could. I opened my mouth to tell him I was just tried, but lying didn’t feel right and I couldn’t do it. “Honest answer?”
He nodded, “Preferably, yeah?”
“My accommodation, it’s embarrassing. I don’t particularly like it, and I can’t imagine anyone else working at Class and living in the slummy area, but I’m doing it because it’s cheap, like really cheap, and it comes pretty much all furnished, and I can save money.”
Xander looked at me for a long minute. His face was void of any emotion so I couldn’t get a read on what he was thinking, and that only increased my nervousness. I was surprised, and not at all expecting him to lean across the car and kiss me the way he did. However, the minute our lips touched, it was like nothing else really mattered. I sighed and moved in closer to him, despite the truck not giving us much room.
When he pulled back from the kiss, he looked down into my eyes and there was this silence that washed over us. My mouth hung down and I pulled back, clearing my throat and trying to wrap my mind around what just happened.
His voice was husky when he spoke again. “Doesn’t matter where you’re staying, Elisha…not to me.” I turned to look at him and he was watching me intently. “It matters who you are and I like the person I’m getting to know.”
I blushed and looked at him. After a kiss like I had just experienced with him, I felt that getting to know him even better was the only way to go. “So, we’re still going out tomorrow night, right?” he asked.
I smiled and nodded. “Wouldn’t miss it.” I especially meant that now, after the kiss we just had.
He beamed, his smiled was so bright that it could light up a room. “Great! I can pick you up back here at seven. Does that work?” I nodded. “Have a great night, Elisha,” he said.
My eyes dipped down to his lips and I mentally groaned. My how I wanted to kiss those lips again, but I was left with a feeling that I shouldn’t. “You too, Xander.” I then got out of his truck and hurried up to my apartment building. I had never felt happier.
Chapter 7
The date the next night was something I had waited for, for a while. I was nervous as one could be when going on their first official date with someone they liked and yet I wasn’t really sure I could constitute it a date. Sure, we were going out together and it was obvious that Xander liked me and I clearly liked him, plus we already shared an intimate kiss together, but I still was hesitant to go out on a limb and say that Xander and I were making this a date. Call it foolish, perhaps, or maybe just nerves taking over, but I didn’t want to get my hopes up too high.
Yet, on Wednesday afternoon into the evening, I spent almost two hours coming up with an outfit that I felt was suitable to go out with him. I wasn’t even sure where we were going or what we were doing, but I decided to make it a simple, yet elegant outfit choice. I settled on black skirt with a red blouse and, because I didn’t want to appear too pushy, I put a shawl over my shoulders to try to hide the cleavage a bit.
By the time seven o’clock arrived, I was all nerves and forced to hear the knock on the door. He had arrived. I didn’t want to appear too anxious, so I casually strolled over to the door and took a deep breath, before opening it. When I did, I couldn’t help but finding my jaw dropped. Xander stood in a nice pair of dark jeans and a t-shirt that seemed to cling to his chest. My eyes fell to his chest and I whispered, “Wow!” Then feeling ten shades of embarrassed, I looked up and found him smirking at me.
“You look amazing,” he said.
“Am I too overdressed though, because I can change?” I started to turn away and head back to my bedroom, but he quickly stopped me by touching my arm.
“Don’t change anything about your attire. You look great just the way you are.” He winked and I could feel the heat brushing across my cheeks.
“Alright then!” I grabbed my purse and left through the front door of the apartment. When we got to his truck, he held the door open for me and I smiled and got in. “Thank you!”
He shut the door and went around to get in and I was already eager to find out where we were going. “So, what’s the plan for tonight?” I asked.
He smirked and shook his head. “You’ll find out soon enough.” He chuckled as he started the truck and pulled away from the apartment building, still keeping me in the dark as to where we were going.
I was alright with that though; a little mystery never hurt anyone. On the way to our unknown destination, we talked casually about how our day was and it just seemed to flow evenly. A few times he glanced at me and I pretended not to notice, but he looked at me like I was the most interesting and beautiful woman in the world. He made me feel special, simply from his actions.
By the time we reached a small restaurant on the Vegas strip, I didn’t feel uneasy around him. In fact, I felt like we’d known each other for years. He was quick to get out of his truck and move around to help me down and every movement he made was flawless.
During dinner, I found myself enjoying myself fully and every time he looked at me, I got caught off guard by the way his eyes would graze over mine and then he would smile. It was a cute expression of interest and I felt like the evening could only get better. The meal was delicious and the conversation was easy, with discussing everything from the foster system to Class Enterprises and even touching on Chris.
When it came to talking about Chris Pierce, I was very hesitant about making my feelings known towards our boss, because I knew that might be a touchy subject, especially if Chris and I did go out and we had the upcoming party, so it was just easier to keep things simple and to just discuss him as a boss.
“How do you enjoy your job there?” I asked, taking a drink of my white wine as I waited to hear his response.
“I enjoy it and we couldn’t ask for a better boss. He’s pretty easy going and all that. I really have no complaints, but how have things been for you? I know that being a cocktail waitress isn’t exactly the job you had in mind.” He smiled as he took a bite of his baked potato.
I laughed. “Well, you can definitely say that, but, as we’ve discussed…I owe the fact that I even have a job to you, so I won’t complain. Besides, they’ve been treating me well and I agree that we have a nice boss.
Saying it that way, didn’t elicit any unusual responses from Xander, so he clearly didn’t pick up on any hidden meanings.
We finished eating and once he got the bill, he went to pay for the tab. I reached out to stop him. “That’s really not necessary, Xander. We can go Dutch.”
He tilted his hea
d and then chuckled lightly. “Thanks anyway, but I’ve got this.” I didn’t argue as he pulled out some money and paid the bill and we got up and left the restaurant. For being a security guard, with a rough exterior, it was soothing to see that Xander had such a gentle and sweet side to him. I was even more intrigued.
When we were heading back to his car, he stopped me before we reached the door. “Would you like to take a walk?” he asked.
I turned and looked at him and then smiled and nodded. “That would be great!” So, we fell into step with one another and just walked the Vegas strip and continued to talk.
I’m not sure how many miles it would equate to, but it felt like we had been walking for hours, before we turned back around and headed back to his truck. Turns out, it was just over an hour. I could talk to him about nothing or everything and I would still feel as comfortable with him as I did at that moment.
At the passenger door, I turned to him. “That was nice. Thanks,” I said.
He nodded and then reached up and brushed a strand of my hair behind my ear. Our eyes locked and I wondered if he was going to kiss me again, but instead he just opened the door and waited for me to get in. I heaved a sigh, because I actually wanted that kiss, but slid into the passenger side and watched him close the door. My eyes followed him as he walked around and got back in.
I was still holding my breath that we would share another kiss, even after he pulled away from the parking lot and headed back to my apartment. On the way, things were more quiet than they had been all evening, like Xander needed to think about something, and I wasn’t about to interrupt.
When he pulled me up to the apartment building, he stopped the car and I looked at him. “I had a really nice night tonight,” I said.
He nodded. “So did I.”
I hesitated, wondering if he would go into further details, but he didn’t, so I continued. “Maybe we can do it again sometime?” I made it a question, basically pushing him into telling me how he would truly feel about that option.
“I would like that,” he said. I reached for my door to get out, but he put his hand out and brushed it against my arm. “I’ve got it,” he said. I held back and waited for him to come around and open the door for me. Perhaps, this was the moment he would lean in for another kiss, but again I was sadly left mistaken. I opened my mouth to tell him goodnight, but he again beat me to it. “I’ll walk you to the door,” he said.
So, we slowly walked to the door of my apartment and at the door, I turned to him. “I guess this is goodnight then,” I said. That was to be the cue, where he would say that he couldn’t say goodnight without kissing me, but that didn’t quite happen in that fashion. Instead, he nodded, but before leaving he did lean in and brush a soft kiss against my cheek.
It wasn’t as heated as I could think of the kiss in the front seat of his truck, but it was nice and I wouldn’t take that for granted. “Goodnight, Elisha,” he said.
I smiled and waited until he stepped a few feet away from me, before responding. “Goodnight!” I waved to him at the door and then stepped into my apartment. Through the window, I watched as he got in his truck and drove away and I silently wondered when we would go out again.
After the date with Xander, Xander and I texted back and forth, mostly casual conversations of what the other one was up to and all the while I kept wondering, when is he going to ask me out again?
Also, during this time, I received a couple texts from Chris. He said that he was excited for the party in one message, and in another he kept hinting around to find out what I was wearing. And in the last one, it came just before I was going to work on Friday, he asked to see me in his office.
I was giddy with excitement about seeing him again. Outside of the text messages, we hadn’t talked and it was going on way too long, so I hurriedly got dressed and made sure I was ready for work, so I could get to his office with plenty time to spare.
When I got to the elevator and was heading up to his office, I leaned back against the wall and just smiled to myself. It was hard to believe that I had gotten to this point when not so long ago I was thinking that my life was over, because I messed up a big part. Things had certainly turned for me and this wasn’t a McDonald’s kind of job.
When the elevator dinged, and I got off, I was greeted by that same beautiful secretary and she looked up and smiled. “Go right in Ms. Lornal. He’s expecting you.”
I was taken aback, because that was the first time I had ever felt so much respect pointed at me. To think that his secretary knew me by name and was confident in just sending me in, made me feel really good.
When I got to his door though, I felt awkward just barging in, so I knocked politely before opening the door. When I opened the door, he got up from his desk and walked around to stand in front of it. He leaned against it and smiled at me and I got lost in the moment, thinking I can’t believe this man is interested in me. He could, and did, have every woman falling at his feet. So, for him to flock to me, made me feel even all the more special.
“Hey, Elisha. How are you doing today?” he asked.
“I’m doing well. And yourself?” I asked.
“Doing just fine, thanks! Have a seat!”
I nervously moved to the seat and took a place right in front of him, which made me awkwardly have to look up at him as he stared down at me. “What’s up?” I asked and the nerves seemed to enter.
“Well, I was just thinking about the party and you said your dress is powder blue, so I bought you something to go with it.”
My mouth hung open. “You really don’t need to do that.”
He chuckled. “Well, it’s already done.” He reached over on his desk and picked up a box, then handed it to me. I looked at it and then looked up at him. “What’s this?” I asked.
He arched an eyebrow, then snickered. “There’s only one way to find out. Open it!”
I looked at it again and felt strange opening this gift from him that resembled a jewelry box. I took it from him and opened it up. Inside was a necklace with a baby blue stone and diamonds around the tear shape. I looked up at him, before closing the box and shaking my head. I tried to hand it back to him.
“I can’t accept this.”
He pushed the box back towards me, forcing me to hold onto it. “Yes, you can. You are going to be my date at one of the most talked about parties and I wouldn’t have it any other way.” He stood up from his desk and smiled. “Just say thank you and we’ll leave it at that.” He winked at me and stood there, waiting for me to thank him.
I stood up, the box still loosely held in my hand. “Thanks, but I don’t think I can pull this off.” I laughed nervously. “Do I have the neck for this?” I laughed to prove I was only partly teasing.
“Your neck will be gorgeous. Trust me.”
I still felt nervous holding a necklace in my hand that surely cost more than three month’s rent at the apartment I was living in, but I always heard it was highly rude to turn down a gift, especially when the source that gave it to me was able to afford it.
“Thank you, Chris. It’s beautiful,” I said.
He nodded. “That’s exactly the response I was looking for.” He winked at me and I felt a tad dizzy standing so close to him. “So, I’ll plan on picking you up tomorrow evening and I’ll text you the time.” He walked around the desk and I was instantly hit with the fear again.
“Pick me up?” I asked. “We can just meet there.”
He laughed. “Nonsense. What kind of gentleman would that make me? It’s decided and I’ll pick you up. I have your address on file.” He smiled and I waited awkwardly, trying to come up with some reason why I couldn’t be picked up, but when I couldn’t think of any, I agreed and moved to the door.
“I’ll wait for your text then.”
He nodded and went back to work and I turned to the door. When I opened the door, I nearly ran smack dab into Xander. My face turned red and I stared into his eyes.
“Hey!” he said. �
�Everything alright?” He looked concerned, but I quickly brushed that off.
“Yeah! Everything is fine! Mr. Pierce is available to speak with you.” My words were a jumbled mess as I pushed past him. I could feel his eyes on me as I hurried to the elevator, but if I would have stopped, I would have most likely spilled the beans that I had a date with Chris and I didn’t want to let that out.
I got on the elevator and when I turned around, I saw him head into Chris’s office, as the elevator doors closed. I fell back against the wall of the elevator and looked at the box in my hands, then slipped it into my purse. I couldn’t allow anyone to see that Chris had bought me a gift, let alone an extravagant one. Is this even a good idea? I wondered to myself when thinking about the party. I was certain it wasn’t.
While I worked that night, I couldn’t stop thinking about the party and the fact that Xander caught me exiting Chris’ office and I had to have a guilty look on my face. When I had my hour break, I got my phone out of my pocket and decided to text Xander, mainly because there was nothing else to do and it quickly became a habit I looked forward to.
Me: Hey…how’s your night going? Working?
It wasn’t long before his response came back.
Xander: Yes working and it’s busy.
That was all he said. I frowned at the short message, so tried to get him talking with another message I sent out.
Me: Oh well…I could come keep you company while I’m on break. Maybe I can help you out, lol.
After ten minutes of waiting for his response, it didn’t come. I left my post up against the bar and headed where his security office was. I was certain that he wouldn’t mind the company, but when I got to his office, I found that I wasn’t quite so certain anymore.
“I told you I was busy,” he said, staring at me as I entered his quarters.
It wasn’t like him and I wasn’t certain I liked this side of him, but I thought maybe it was just stress. I moved closer to him. “I know, but you didn’t respond to my message, so thought you hadn’t received it.”
Dual Hearts (Seduction Series Book 1) Page 6