by BWWM Club
"We are different John," she pulled a curl from the bundle she had placed on top of her head, secured by a piece of white silk material. "This is me. I am proud of who I am, a strong black woman who doesn't need to pretend to be something I am not. I did not attend an Ivy League college like you, as a matter of fact I did not go to college, I went to culinary school because my parents could not afford to send me and I am cool with that because I knew what I wanted and knew I did not have to go to college to achieve it. I am frank, I tell people what I think of them and sometimes without being aware of it, I can be offensive. This is who I am and I am not sure we fit." She wanted to get that out of the way. As much as she was attracted to him, she was realistic and this was no modern day Cinderella story. He was a billionaire and she was a working class woman from a poor neighborhood, best he knew what she was about.
He leaned forward and rested his hands on the table next to hers. "I went to the best schools my parent’s money could buy. I got quality education but what I did not get was the chance to choose what I want to be, that right was taken away from me because I was born to parents who have a lifelong tradition of choosing for their children. They come from a culture that chose for them and they know nothing else." He paused and looked away from her briefly. "I don't want that anymore and I don't care if you never went to college, that's not important to me. I have never met anyone like you before and I want to get a chance to know you better, if you will allow me. Will you?"
He reached for her hand and held it between his, his eyes holding hers. "Give me a chance Rosa," he smiled at her crookedly, a small dimple at the corner of his mouth deepening. "I am not such a bad guy."
"Just a guy who likes to toot his own horn,” she said smiling at him weakly. "Let's see where this takes us."
He gave her hand a squeeze before letting go. They finished their hot chocolate and he ordered another round. They finally left there at about ten o'clock and he pulled her arm through the crook of his as they walked towards the car.
He kissed her softly on the lips as he let her off at her apartment and waited until she was safe inside before driving away.
That night, Rosa sat up in bed reliving the night, especially the part in the movie theater where he had fueled the fire inside her when he put her fingers inside his mouth. She felt the pull at the bottom of her stomach and with a smile on her lips, she drifted off to sleep.
Chapter 3
"Mama, I hope you cooked enough for three people because Hayley invited herself over for dinner," Rosa called out as she followed the smell of fried chicken towards the kitchen with Hayley behind her.
"Aunt Joan always has enough food to feed a zoo," Hayley said cheerfully.
"Girls," Joan said in delight as she wiped her hands on her apron and came forward to hug them. The small compact kitchen was warm and welcoming coming out of the cold and smelled of fried chicken and sweet potato pie. "How nice to see both of you, this must be my early Christmas present." Rosa had placed a bag of groceries on the kitchen counter and returned her mother's hug.
Joan Hurley was small and neat and looked nothing like her daughter who had taken her looks and height from her father.
"Hi Auntie Joan, your cooking smells scrumptious as usual," Hayley gave the woman who had been like a mother to a quick hug before going over to steal a drumstick.
"You never change girl," Joan shook her head with a fond smile. "Go ahead and set the table while I finish up here," she waved them away.
Before long, they were seated around the small dining table with the food spread out in front of them. It was not all the time she got company and when she did she went all out.
"So how has that young man of yours been treating you?" Joan directed her question towards Hayley as the girl scooped collared green onto her plate.
"Very well thanks Auntie," Hayley told her. "We are trying to plan a date for the wedding but his company is sending him overseas for some training."
"I hope it will be soon my dear," Joan turned to her daughter. "So how is it going with your young man?"
"We are not quite there yet Mama," Rosa bit into her chicken with relish. Her mother made the best fried chicken she had ever tasted. "We are taking it one step at a time."
"He's quite taken with her," Hayley said; giving her friend a painstaking look. "He has to be pressuring her to go out on dates with him."
"That's not true, we went to the movies a week ago," Rosa protested."And we are going out Friday night. He is taking me to a fancy restaurant."
"That's great honey!" Hayley said enthusiastically. "Things are looking up."
"When am I going to meet him?" her mother asked with a smile.
"Baby steps, mama," Rosa reminded her. "In due time."
They finished eating and then volunteered for clean up, insisting that Joan sit and relax while they worked.
They had coffee and the sweet potato pie while Hayley regaled them with story of what was happening at the store she managed.
Rosa felt herself relaxing as she listened to her mother and her best friend talk and laugh; letting the conversation flow around her. John had been calling her every day, finding out if she was doing okay and how her day went. She loved talking to him and found that the more they talked, the closer she felt to him.
He had wanted to see her before Friday but no matter how much she had tried to shift around her schedule she could not make it work. Even though the weather was cold, people seemed to be choosing the restaurant as a place to hang out and eat.
They had finally settled on Friday night and she had asked her assistant to cover for her as she would be leaving work at six.
They left her mother's house at nine and promised to come by again around Saturday. Hayley dropped her off at her apartment and Rosa went inside to try and clean up her apartment. She never got a lot of time to clean up and even though she was going in at noon tomorrow she was too wired to go to sleep.
She had been so busy over the past years that she had had no time to feel lonely. But now since she had met John she realized she had been missing the companionship that came with having a relationship. She wanted that but she was also afraid of what it entailed, she did not want what a relationship brings to get in the way of her owning her own restaurant, she'd had that dream for too long now to let anything get in the way but she also knew she needed someone in her life. She was tentatively hoping it would be John.
*****
She had finally settled on an old black dress she'd had in her closet for ages and she had all but forgotten about it. It was probably out of style but a friend had told her a long time ago that little black dresses do not go out of style, they are revitalized, whether that was true or not Rosa did not know. It smelled slightly of moth balls and Rosa wrinkled her nose uncertainly. She had bathed and had put on what little make up she allowed herself in the bathroom and had pulled the curls and brushed her hair and piled it on top of her head with the help of styling gel and with a glance at her bedroom clock she realized that it was almost seven. With a sudden decision she decided to spray some perfume over it.
She was ready by the time he got there and had managed to teem the dress with a black and gold scarf she had found when she rummaged in one of her drawers. It was amazing what the scarf had done for the dress and Rosa took her coat from the hanger as soon as the doorbell rang.
His eyes widened as he saw how different she looked. Her small dainty ears had some big round hoops, big enough to go on his wrist and the way she did her hair highlighted her high cheekbones. She was stunning.
“I am going to be the envy of every man in the restaurant tonight,” he murmured as he took her hand in his and they headed towards the car.
“And I am sure I am going to have to fight off the women tonight as soon as we get there,” she teased. He was looking quite handsome in a blue silk shirt and a charcoal jacket suit. The shirt was opened slightly at the neck and Rosa caught a glimpse of the hollow of his throat.
“They will be fighting a losing battle because the only woman I need is right here,” he told her softly as he made sure she was seated in the passenger side before going to the driver’s seat. He was doing it again. She thought, her hands trembling slightly as she tried to secure her seat belt, making her feel things she had thought was dormant.
“So how are you?” he asked her as soon as he had put the car into drive.
“I am great,” she told him settling back against the soft leather upholstery with a sigh. “It was not very busy today so I did not have to run around like I am crazy, trying to sort things out.”
“You need pampering and I want to be the one to do that,” he told her in a matter of fact voice, glancing at her briefly before returning his eyes to the road.
Rosa felt her heart slowly picking up the pace but she allowed reality to settle it down. “ I am a grown woman John and I certainly do not need a man to pamper me.”
They had arrived at the restaurant by then. He leaned forward and for one panic moment Rosa thought he was going to kiss her but all he did was release her seatbelt from its latch, she caught a whiff of some expensive scent he had on. His nearness managed to fluster her so bad that she felt a tremor going through her body.
“We all need pampering at one time or another in our lives Rosa, no matter how grown up we are,” his deep voice had dropped a decibel and his mouth was very near to hers, so much so that she could feel the stirring of his breath.
His mouth came down slowly, his tongue touching her bottom lip softly. “You have a very beautiful mouth,” he murmured. She had parted her lips slightly in anticipation. “So full and moist, just waiting for me to taste and savor.” He was too close, she thought breathlessly. “May I?” he whispered, holding her eyes with his. She nodded slowly and without a word he took her lips with his, his tongue meeting hers as he explored her mouth. He swallowed her moan and Rosa found her arms reaching up and digging into his soft black hair as he pressed her back against the seat. She felt her nipples hardening and aching for his touch; he did not hurry, and he took his time, slowly pulling her out so that she was practically whimpering as he moved his lips over hers gently. He pulled away from her suddenly, his breathing harsh as he laid his head back against the head rest fighting for control. Rosa felt bereft but at the same time a little relieved. If he continued for much longer she would have disgraced herself by begging him to take her. She had never felt feeling that powerful before that threatened to engulf her. She needed time to process it. He turned suddenly and reached over to her and she shrank back, not sure she was able to take another minute of him touching her. “I am just fixing your dress,” he told her huskily and Rosa realized to her mortification that her dress was leaning drunkenly off her shoulders, almost revealing her still painfully hard nipples.
“When we make love Rosa, it won’t be in a space like this,” he told her huskily. “It will be in a space large enough for me to explore every inch of your beautiful body.” Before she could formulate a response, he had opened the door and got out of the car and had come around to her side to help her out.
He gave the valet the key to park the car and took her arm as they made their way into the restaurant. She took a deep breath to steady her nerves and stop the shivering still invading her body as they stepped inside the soft ambiance. The place was dimly lit, so much so that a waiter carrying a lantern had to escort them to their seats. There was a single candle on their table and the soft music playing over the speaker was not intrusive.
“What is this place?” Rosa whispered, it was unlike any other eating establishment she had ever been and she had been to quite a few, scouting for new ideas for when she opened her own restaurant.
“It's called ‘Quiet Ambience’ and it's well known for its privacy and the discreet way each person is dealt with,” John whispered back. As a matter of fact people have been known to have sex right where they are sitting,” he added with a straight face.
“You are lying!” Rosa said her eyes round.
“Maybe,” he said with a grin. “But don’t you agree that it’s possible?”
“You are awful,” Rosa gasped, choking back a laugh. “I can barely make out anyone here,” she said, peering into the dim light to try and see what was happening.
“That’s the idea,” he told her. The waiter came over to take their orders and poured the wine John had ordered.
He told her about his travels to Europe and the Caribbean and the summers he had spent in China as a child. “My parents wanted me to stay in China and grow up there with my grandparents, but I begged them to let me stay in America. They agreed reluctantly under one condition, I had to maintain my average in high school and college or there would be no questions asked, I would be shipped off to China.”
“They sound very strict,” Rosa said sympathetically as she spooned the delicious creamy pumpkin broth into her mouth.
“I guess they have their reasons,” he told her with a shrug. “They hate the American culture that allows children to do whatever they want and they believe in a child being a child. They brought me up the way their parents brought them up and they refuse to accept a different lifestyle. They made their fortune in import and export and still do not believe in living lavishly.” He shook his head.
“My mom and dad brought me up to appreciate life and what was given to me. I was told time and again to give thanks for what has been provided and never envy another person for what they have because in due time if I am to have my own I will.” Rosa said with a reminiscent smile. “There was not a lot of money in my house but there was tons of love and I will be forever grateful for that. I was brought up to have respect for people. One day I shouted at my mother for something I don’t remember right now and I got a paddling from my dad. He explained I should never shout at her or anyone again,” she grinned, her white teeth flashing as John laughed softly at the image of her getting a beaten. “My behind was sore for a week!”
“My parents never spanked, they just gave me one look and that was enough to get me so terrified I would not repeat the action, they do not put up with indiscipline and made sure I knew that and respected their authority.”
The main course was brought out and to her surprise it dawned on her what the person running the restaurant had achieved. It was like they were the only two people in the entire place. They were shrouded in a kind of privacy that left them feeling as if they could do anything and there was no one watching, it was a brilliant idea. The feeling of intimacy surrounded them like a partition and Rosa shook her head at the ingenuity of the idea. “I like this place,” she said softly as she cut into the most tender roast beef she had ever had, the meat melted inside her mouth and she tried to identify the different herbs and spices the chef had put into it.
“I knew you would,” John said in amusement. “You are probably making mental notes as to what you should do when you get your own restaurant.”
“You are starting to know me too well,” Rosa said flashing him a smile.
“I want to get to know you better,” he murmured, leaning forward to use a napkin to wipe some gravy off her lip. “I wanted to lick it off but I might start something I cannot control.”
“You have to stop,” she whispered achingly, the napkin was still hovering near her mouth and his words were making her weak in the knees.
“I already told you I cannot do that,” he murmured, leaning over to taste her lips, pulling in her full bottom lip and nibbling it with his teeth. The sensation ran through her body like a sharp iron and Rosa moaned. She wanted him so bad she was trembling with the need rushing through her. What was he doing to her? She felt his hand reach under the table and drift up her thigh. She had worn leggings to ward off the cold but his hand felt like a hot poker on her as he reached further and further up to cup her. “So warm,” he breathed against her mouth. “I want to touch you, to feel you, to slide my fingers in and work my way up to your core.” His words had a potent effect on her and he sl
ipped his hand inside her leggings, pulling the fabric down so that he could feel her. His finger touched the bud of her womanhood and rubbed it gently before slipping a finger into her wetness.
By this time, she had lost all sense of time, all sense of where she was and she felt the control slipping away from her. The pant coming from her mouth sounded loud even to her ears but she could not help it, he was driving her crazy. He worked his fingers inside her slowly as he kissed her deeply, his tongue slipping inside her mouth. She almost cried out in despair as he pulled out his fingers and released her lips, she had been so close to a release that she felt the wave shuddering through her body. But he had seen the waiter approaching and he had stopped just in time. She had no idea how he was able to talk to the waiter about dessert and answered questions about the satisfaction of the meal. Rosa was a mass of quivering nerves and she could still feel his fingers inside her.
The man left shortly after and there was a moment of silence at the table. Rosa could not speak, she was in no condition to do so and her body sagged on the soft cushy chair as he put the fingers he had taken out of her and put them inside his mouth to lick them slowly, his eyes on hers as he did so. He leaned forward and gave her a slow kiss and the taste of her inside his mouth was almost her undoing but she managed to pull away from him as the waiter came back with their order of dessert.
They finished eating in silence and Rosa toyed with her crème brulee. Her appetite was gone and her body felt as if it did not belong to her. She had never felt such a powerful pull in her entire life and she had to admit it frightened her. It was too soon.
“Can you take me home?” she asked him quietly, not aware that he had been watching her the whole time.
“Talk to me,” he said quietly reaching for her hand but pulled back when she moved it away from him.
“Tell me what’s wrong please Rosa,” he was alarmed at her sudden change of attitude; this was certainly not the same woman who had responded to his touch with a passion that had almost floored him. He had always been able to turn women on and barely feel the ripple himself. Being Chinese he was good at that but he had never felt like he did when he was with her. She took him over completely and he found himself eager like a school boy with his first crush to see her and be with her, he was falling for her hard and he had to rein in his emotions not to frighten her away, but it appeared he had not succeeded.