by Jacob Chance
***
“He’s so hot,” Elle, my best girl friend, says. She smiles at the barista in our favorite coffee shop and he winks back at her. We come here as often as we can. It’s near the B.U. campus on Commonwealth Ave. The atmosphere is great and the flirty banter between Elle and the barista makes me laugh.
“Why don’t you just ask him out and get it over with?” I peer at her over the top of my cup while I take a sip of my coffee. I’m not sure what’s holding her back from making a move on this guy.
She’s usually a man eater, going after and ensnaring whoever she sets her sights on. Once they’re caught up in her big brown eyes and double D’s they don’t stand a chance. “I like coming here all the time. If we sleep together it could make things awkward,” she says before biting into her chocolate chip cookie.
“He’s adorable and he makes a great cup of coffee which could come in handy for the morning after,” I mention, practically.
“Good point.” She nods her head. “And you know how much I appreciate a good cup of coffee first thing in the morning.” She smiles at him over my shoulder and blows him a kiss.
I roll my eyes at how easy it is for Elle to get any guy she wants. I’ve been observing the unfailing phenomena of her luring them in for over three and a half years now and I’m still in awe of her mad powers of persuasion. “So, are you going to ask him out?” I steal a piece of her cookie off her plate when she glances over at the barista.
“No, not yet. Maybe I’ll save him for my next dry spell.”
I giggle because I can’t remember her ever going through a dry spell. Even as a freshman she was a force to be reckoned with, but now at the age of twenty-two she’s unstoppable. She tried to teach me how to flirt and how to use my body language to draw guys in, but it was an epic fail. Sexy is not in my DNA and somehow doing all the things she wanted me to do made meeting guys and getting to know them feel so contrived and phony. It may work for Elle, but it’s not how I want to act or who I want to be.
It’s two hours later and I’m still sitting at the same table working on my laptop. Elle left about ten minutes ago, for a date with one of the guys who lives down the hall from us. I told her she’s making a mistake by messing around with a neighbor. When it all goes to hell he’s going to be right there in her face for her to see all the time. She seems to think it’s a great idea because of the convenience factor for late night booty calls. I love her twisted way of reasoning it all out. She’s one of a kind.
The past few days have been filled with studying and working on a big group project with a few other students from my psychology class. I’m so focused while I sit here plugging away on it.
I don’t notice the man standing next to my table until I hear the deep smooth tones of his voice. “Hi, how are you?”
I look up distractedly still caught up in the research paper I’m writing on anxiety disorders to find the handsome stranger from Quake smiling down at me. He’s even more attractive in the lighting of the coffee shop.
“I’m good, how are you?” I ask with a smile and wonder if I should ask him to sit down. I feel ridiculously awkward as he stands there and the uncomfortable silence stretches out between us.
“Do you mind if I sit down?”
Oh thank God.
I gesture with my hand toward the empty seat across from me. He’s such a large guy he makes the table seem half the size. We both remain quiet, silently taking each other in. My eyes roam from his short dark hair down to the groomed beard on his face. His lips are full and they lift up in a smile while I stare at them. I raise my eyes to find him watching me and feel the heat of my face flushing with embarrassment. How humiliating to be caught in the act of checking him out, but it’s somewhat of a consolation to know he’s been doing the same.
“I’m glad I noticed you sitting here. I didn’t get your name the other night and I regretted it.” He keeps his eyes on mine while he speaks, his stare is so direct it’s intimidating. It makes it seem like he wants me spread out on top of the table so he can do immoral things to me.
I fight the urge to squirm and fidget in my seat like an inexperienced teen. Jesus, I’m twenty-two years old, not sixteen. I’m not a professional flirt like Elle, but I’m not usually this uncomfortable around attractive guys. Saying I find him attractive might be understating things though. This guy might be my idea of physical perfection. I’m drawn to large, muscular guys like him. They make me feel safe and protected.
“I’m Janny, Janny Moore,” I say, extending my hand forward for him to shake.
His large hand engulfs mine as he shakes it firmly. His palm is warm against my skin and it makes me wonder what his hands would feel like moving over my body. Would his touch be soft or firm? “Kyle McKenzie,” he introduces himself before letting go of my hand. “It’s great to meet you, Janny,” He places his folded arms on the table, leaning toward me.
I like his name. I recite it in my head, it feels like a good fit for him. “Thanks, you too,” I shyly smile at him. Jesus, he’s so gorgeous I can’t focus long enough to organize my thoughts.
“I’m guessing you’re a student,” he says, nodding toward the textbook and laptop on the table.
My head moves up and down in a nod while I nervously twirl my hair. “Yes, I’m a senior at B.U.”
“I want to ask you what your major is, but that’s so cliché.” He smirks and I giggle at his honesty.
“You don’t need to ask, I’ll tell you. I’m going to school for graphic design.”
“Are you an artist?” His eyes skate slowly over my face and I notice how golden they appear today. Our quick interaction at Quake didn’t do them justice.
“No, I’m only artistic with a computer to help me. I can’t draw or paint very well.” I pause to take a sip of my coffee and think about what I want to ask him. “What do you do for work?”
He shifts in his seat before answering. “I’m a private investigator.”
My eyebrows rise up in surprise. “I don’t think I’ve ever met a P.I. before. Do you have to be a cop first?”
He looks away and runs his fingers through his hair before answering. “No, you don’t, but if not you’d need to apprentice under another P.I. before you could get licensed.”
“Is that what you did?” I ask and immediately regret it when I notice him tense up and the strange expression on his face. “I’m sorry, I don’t mean to be nosy. You can ignore my question if you don’t want to answer it.”
“No it’s fine, I don’t mind,” he hesitates, raking his teeth over his lip before continuing. “I used to be a cop, so no apprenticeship was necessary.”
Although I’m curious to know more about why he isn’t on the force anymore, I’m not going to ask. It’s obvious this is an uncomfortable subject for him.
“Do you live around here?” I ask, trying to get the conversation flowing into neutral territory again.
“Yes, about ten minutes from here. What about you? Do you live near school or do you commute?”
The way he leans forward when I speak makes me feel like every word I say matters to him. His golden brown eyes lock on mine with such concentration it gives me a nervous flutter in the pit of my stomach.
“I live in an apartment near school with my best friend,” I pick up my coffee and take a sip, just for something to do. I don’t know how much longer I can sit here under his close scrutiny.
He’s making me uncomfortable in the best of ways and leaving me with damp panties. His lips add a hint of softness to his sharp featured face. The hair on his lower jaw grows thick and dark and I fight the urge to reach over and run my hand down it.
I’m curious to know if it’s rough or if it’s soft, like I hope it is. What would it feel like against my inner thighs? Would it tickle or scratch my tender skin? My eyes lower to my lap as I remind myself this isn’t the time to become involved with anyone. School is my main focus and it’s what works best for me. I close my laptop, placing it in my bag.
> “Can I take you out sometime?” Kyle asks when I pick up my text book.
I pause with it still in my hand and glance at him. He’s watching me with so much heat in his gaze, I can’t help but wonder if saying yes would be making the wrong decision. I’m worried about getting in over my head. I’m so torn. I want to go out with him and see how it goes. Maybe our date would be terrible and that would be the end of it. Maybe it would be perfect and would only be the beginning of us. His eyes are imploring me to say yes and I can feel myself starting to cave.
“Sure.”
The answering smile he flashes me causes tiny flutters in my stomach. I hand him my phone and he enters his number while I put my book in my bag. He sends himself a text so he has my number, I nervously bite on the tip of my thumb nail while I watch him. When we walk outside, he holds the door for me. Standing here with him, I’m reminded of how tall he is compared to my five foot three height.
“What are your plans for Friday night?” he asks, taking a step closer to me. He takes my hand in his, sensually caressing the inside of my wrist with his thumb. “I don’t want to wait any longer than that to see you.” There’s a sheepish grin on his face I find irresistible.
“What do you have in mind?” I ask, not giving him an answer. I can’t make it too easy on him. He looks like the kind of guy who probably has girls throwing themselves at him. I bet he’s never been turned down.
“I’m thinking of taking you out to dinner so I can get to know you better.”
“I’d like that. It’s a date,” I squeeze his hand and smile up at him.
Chapter Four
Kyle
Janny Moore is going on a date with me in a few days. I’m looking forward to taking her out and getting to know her better, but at the same I know I’m biting off more than I can chew. This girl is perfection and I’m not even sure why she agreed to go out with me. I’m sure as hell grateful she did though. She was so adorable at the coffee shop. She was nervous around me and although she did her best to hide it, I could tell by the way she played with her long, wavy hair and how she lowered her eyes, hesitant to meet mine. I like having that effect on her; it makes me feel powerful. It makes me wonder if she likes to be submissive in her relationships and of course leads me to wonder what kind of lover she is.
My thoughts are overtaken with visions of her blindfolded and tied to my bed, helpless to do anything but give in to the pleasure I’m going to make her feel. Once I start touching her my restraint will be put to the ultimate test because I’ve never wanted to bury myself in someone so badly. I’ve never longed to feel someone squeezing my cock while they come wrapped around me like I long for with Janny. I need to see her come, need to see the look of extreme pleasure on her face. As much as I fantasize about all of these things, I know I should move slowly with her. She just saw me for the first time four days ago and although I’ve known of her for the past two weeks, I can’t tell her that.
***
It’s two days later and I’m not any further along on the Moore investigation. I’m not finding anything out of the norm and now I’m meeting with Sharon to discuss her options, while Bryan is away at an all-day training for work.
“Sharon, I think the observation portion of our investigation is complete, unless you need something else.” I take a sip of the coffee she made me, waiting for her answer as we stand in her kitchen.
“I want you to continue watching him.” She adds sugar to her coffee and avoids my eyes.
“Are you sure?” I lean back against the counter and study her some more. “Ben will continue with the online investigation and he’s really good at his job. He’s the best tech geek I’ve ever worked with. In the two years he’s been working for us, he’s never had an issue finding dirt on someone. If there are skeletons to be found, he’s the man to do it. I don’t think you have anything to worry about though. From everything I’ve gathered so far, Bryan isn’t doing anything wrong.”
Her lips are pursed and she looks unconvinced. I place my mug down and cross my arms in front of my chest.
“What’s going on here? Why are you so adamant we keep going with this?”
She takes a sip from her mug, holding it between both palms as she stares down into it.
“Sharon,” I quirk my eyebrow as I wait for her to look at me. When our eyes meet I see a brief glimpse of shame.
“I have a feeling in my gut that something’s going on and I can’t get it to go away.”
“Are you sure it’s not just indigestion?” I joke, hoping to add a little levity to our conversation. It has the desired effect and I see a small glimpse of a smile along the corners of her lips.
I’m a big believer in going with your instincts so I’m not going to try to talk her out of what she wants. “We’ll keep things the way they are for now and you can let me know when your gut feeling is silenced.”
***
This date with Janny is the first thing I’ve been looking forward to in a long time. I’ve been existing in a continuous state of arousal since seeing her the other day. I haven’t jerked off this much since my teenage years. My overly active imagination has me wondering how her lips will feel when I finally get to kiss her. Knowing by the end of tonight I’ll know their texture, their shape, their taste, has me looking forward to this more than any other date I’ve ever been on.
Janny and I’ve texted a few times today and she told me she would prefer to meet me at the restaurant. I would have liked to pick her up like a proper date, but I do understand the reason behind it. She doesn’t know me well enough to feel comfortable giving out her address. I’m going to show her she can trust me to always keep her safe.
We agreed to meet at Mario’s at seven o’clock and I’m standing out in front when her cab arrives. I walk over to lend a hand while she gets out. She protests when I pass money to the driver and as soon as I close the door he takes off. I take her arm and usher her further onto the sidewalk, away from the busy street before I pause to look her over.
“Hi,” I smile at her. I seem to smile a lot in her presence which is quite an accomplishment. “You look amazing.” I tell her, and mean it.
My eyes travel the length of her body taking in the tight fitting black pants that mold to her legs so well I can clearly see the shape of her calves and thighs. She’s not wearing heels, she has on black, leather flats. I love how tiny she is. She’s going to feel perfect in my arms tonight when I kiss her for the first time.
“Hi. How are you?” she asks and she seems happy to see me.
“I’m great, now that you’re here. I’ve been looking forward to this since the moment you walked away from me outside the coffee shop.”
A smile quickly spreads across her face as if she was thinking the same thing. She’s so unbelievably beautiful it’s intimidating to me. I’m not a bad looking guy, but I know I’m no prize. I have a lot of baggage and I don’t know if someone sweet like Janny is equipped to deal with it. I should walk away now while I still can, but I’m a selfish bastard and I can’t bear the thought of not being with her. If I was really a nice guy I’d put an end to this now before we get to know each other better. I’d put an end to this before we could kiss. I know once I taste her sweet lips there’ll be no turning back.
My hand seeks hers out, guiding her toward the main entrance of the restaurant. I open the door and gesture for her to proceed in front of me. The hostess seats us and it’s only moments before the waitress is taking our order. Janny has no problem deciding what she wants and I stick with the lasagna, my usual, when I eat here.
Derek and I come here sometimes for business dinners, but I’ve never brought a woman here to dine. Christ, I can’t remember the last date I’ve been on and the last time I got laid—well it’s been a pathetically long time. Maybe close to two years. It’s not like I couldn’t if I wanted to, but at this point in my life it’s easier to spare myself the awkwardness of one night stands and take care of things myself.
We make sm
all talk over dinner, both of us feeling the other out, like dipping your toe in the pool to test the water before diving in head first.
“What’s your all-time favorite movie?” I can tell a lot about a person by how they answer this question.
“The Dark Knight,” she answers without hesitation. “Because anyone with real taste knows it’s the best Batman movie of them all. Besides Christian Bale is the greatest Batman ever.”
I think I’m in love.
“What’s your favorite hobby?”
She looks around the room mischievously like she’s embarrassed to answer and gestures for me to lean forward. “I love reading erotic romance novels. I can’t get enough of them.” Her cheeks flush a becoming shade of pink while she chews on her lower lip.
Now I’m really in love.
I wish I’d never seen her at the Moore’s house before the night I bumped into her at Quake. I didn’t orchestrate either one of our first two meetings, and the more time I spend with Janny the more I realize it’s fate’s way of pushing us together. Although, I’m keeping the details of how long I’ve known about her a secret for now, I do plan on coming clean at some point.
When we leave the restaurant I suggest taking a walk and grabbing dessert right down the street from where we are. The North End in Boston is full of authentic Italian eateries like Mario’s and I point out some of the better ones; our hands entwined while we walk along the cracked and pitted sidewalk. I’m surprised by how natural it seems to be doing this with her. The weather is mild for the beginning of March. The air has a slight chill to it, but not enough to make me cold.
Once we’re inside Decadence, a popular dessert bar, we find an empty table in the corner and sit down. I make sure I pull her chair out for her. I’m out of practice when it comes to wooing a woman, but if I’m honest, I’m not sure I’ve ever been good at it. I want to be though. I want to be the best man I can be for her, I’m just not sure my best will be enough.