I raised an eyebrow.
“So you’re Mr. Salantino now? I asked with a smirk.
He gave me a sheepish grin.
“I thought it would make you feel more comfortable having dinner with me.”
I smiled.
He leaned forward placing his elbows on the table.
“This looks like an interesting place.” He said turning those beautiful green eyes to me.
I had to agree. The room was very dim. I could barely make out the faces of the other diners in the restaurant. There was a bar brightly lit in gold lights at the back. The place looked so expensive the servers might as well circle the room with trays full of lobster and caviar. The building was built into an octagon with two levels.
“So, you’ve never been here before?”
“No,” he answered. “But I have heard great things about it.”
I could feel Michael’s eyes burning holes through me. I looked across the table to find him gazing at me. His eyes were gleaming yet his face was calm and solemn.
I pulled my gaze from his beautiful face.
Our waitress walked to our table. She had on all black and a gold apron. Her nails were fire engine red and her hair was black tied into a tight bun. She placed glasses of water on the table. Each glass had a lemon wedge resting on the side.
The server gazed at Michael. Her expression resembled that of a lowly servant admiring her god and clearly was not worthy. Or was I not worthy? She never once looked at me.
“Can I take your order or do you still need a little time?” She asked Michael seductively.
I was amused and a little peeved. Michael turned and looked at me.
He smiled.
“Just a little more time.” He said sweetly.
The waitress smiled and walked toward another table in the dining room.
I tried to spend the time focusing on my menu, but it was very difficult having such a beautiful man glaring at me.
“Are you going to do this all night?” I asked without lifting my eyes from the menu.
“Maybe,” he replied.
I smiled.
After a few minutes our server returned.
“Are you ready now to order?”
“Cara mia, are you prepared to order?” He asked.
His smile flashed briefly dazzling against his olive skin.
I glared at the waitress and she looked surprised to see I was actually sitting there. I looked back at the menu.
Everything was so expensive. I decided to skip the appetizer and go straight to the entrée.
“I think I will have the New York Strip steak with the garlic mashed potatoes and garden vegetables, also a small house salad with French dressing.” I said slapping my menu down on the table.
I looked over at Michael and he grinned at me. I wanted to melt right then and there. I could see myself as a pool of me oozing across the floor.
My body began to tingle.
“And what are you having sir?” The server asked in a slow seductive tone.
I noticed the server was having the same hard time that I was. She looked uneasy. Michael looked down at his menu and back at her. He leaned back in his seat smiling showing all his pearly whites in all their glory.
I thought she was going to faint.
“I will have the Surf and Turf and we would like a bottle of the ‘House’ wine please.”
“How would you like your steak prepared?”
“Medium rare,” he answered.
“There is a salad with your meal. What kind of dressing would you prefer? Wait,” she said smiling. “Let me guess, Italian?”
He smiled.
“You are a very smart and beautiful young woman.”
She smiled her face turning beet red.
“Thank you. I will be back with your order shortly.” She toke the menus and walked away.
I was alone with Michael again. I tried to hide my emotions but I felt like he was flirting with this server. I wanted to shout; HELLO I’M RIGHT HERE!
“Did I tell you how stunning you look tonight?” He asked gazing lovingly at me.
“Yes, but I was waiting for you to tell the waitress the same thing.” I said sarcastically.
His smile faded a little and he glared at me intently.
“So, how has the last few weeks been for you?” He asked fiddling with the silverware on the table.
He seemed nervous. It began to make me nervous. It seemed as if one moment he was all suave and debonair, but with me he didn’t seem himself. I didn’t know what it was.
“It has been great. How about you?”
“Fine as well.”
There was silence for a few more minutes. The tension, no wait, the sexual tension was thick. It was hard to breathe. I tried to focus on my surroundings.
He smiled and reached his left hand across the table to place on mine.
He was not wearing a wedding band.
“Where is your ring?” I asked nonchalantly.
His smile faded and he no longer looked amused. He moved his hand and leaned back in his chair.
“I took it off. There was no need for me to wear it tonight.” He said grabbing his glass of water and taking a drink from it.
The water moistened his lips and glazed them so that they gleamed in the light.
It sent shivers down my spine and I licked my lips.
He was still staring at me. After a few minutes I couldn’t take it anymore.
“What?” I asked leaning back in my chair and folding my arms across my chest.
He smiled and leaned in placing his elbows on the table.
“I’m sorry I don’t mean to stare,” he said. “It’s just that when I am near you something happens to me and I am just at a loss for words.”
“Well, your staring is giving me the creeps.” I responded jokingly.
I heard him sigh and I looked up to catch him rubbing his hands over his eyes.
Goodness, I was just joking.
“Are you okay?” I asked perplexed. He just didn’t seem himself.
“I’m okay,” he responded.
“Okay, let me try this,” he said wearily. “I stare because I have so much to say yet I’m not sure how to say it. You’re the only woman that does that to me.”
I didn’t know whether to be flattered or concerned.
“What is it you have to say?” I asked looking back down at the table.
I was not sure I wanted to hear this but curiosity consumed me.
He leaned in placing his elbows on the table. When he spoke his voice was quiet yet determined.
“Every second of everyday, all I can think about is making love to you. I just want to be near you as much as I possibly can. I know this is wrong and that I should not feel this way, but in the 25 years that I have been married, I have never met another woman that has me so disoriented or so out of my element than you.”
Ok, so now I was speechless. How was I supposed to respond to that? All I have ever wanted was for him to fuck me silly as many times as he possibly could! Admitting that, now, just might hurt his feelings.
I looked away from him and tried to focus on something else. The last thing I needed to think about was being in a relationship with Michael.
My lack of response affected him. He looked rather disappointed. He let out an audible sigh and leaned back in his chair. I looked at him and we stared at each other for a minute.
I heaved a sigh.
“Maybe this was a bad idea.” He said folding his arms across his chest sounding defeated.
“Why?” I said looking away and letting my eyes wander around the restaurant.
“Well, for starters, I confessed my feelings for you and you say nothing.”
I sighed. I didn’t want to have this conversation right now. I just wanted to eat my steak and get fucked later. That is all. I am not interested in discussing feelings.
“Well hell Michael, I don’t know what you want me to say?”
He loo
ked dejected.
Oh brother.
We set in silence for a long time.
After a while, our server brought wine to the table and poured a glass for Michael. She was trembling as she poured his glass. She left the bottle in the middle of the table.
“Is there anything else I can get you?” She said to Michael still not looking at me.
Michael watched her intently and smiled. She smiled back.
“No, that will be all.” I said in a semi-nasty tone. I tried to end it with a smile.
He laughed coming out of his slightly funky mood.
The server glared at me, turned and walked away from the table.
“You know, she just might spit in your food.”
His eyes grew openly amused
I looked at him.
“Well, she was so rude like I wasn’t even here.” I protested.
“You just proved something to me.” He said taking a sip of wine.
“What did I prove to you?”
He leaned in close.
“You do feel something other than lust for me.”
I eyed him.
“Why? Because I don’t want another woman honing in on my piece of ass?”
I thought he would be upset but instead he began to laugh, loudly. A very loud belly laugh. It was infectious and I had no choice but to laugh as well.
I did not want to tell him that I was a little jealous at the way he was looking at her. Then he would really think I had feelings for him.
Crazy.
He reached over grabbing my glass and the bottle of wine. He filled it and set it in front of me. He set the bottle down and reached over grabbing his glass of wine. He took a drink and motioned for me to take a drink as well. I lifted my glass and took a sip. I’m not really a wine drinker but I had the feeling I was going to need a little tonight.
I looked around the restaurant and at the dance floor. Couples were dancing and a small rock band was playing. The server walked over to the table and put our salads in front of us.
“Enjoy your salad.” She said to Michael and left me unacknowledged again.
We ate our salads. He took a drink of wine and then leaned back in his chair.
“I have an idea to lighten the atmosphere in here.” He pushes himself away from the table and stands.
“And what is that?” I asked.
“Let’s dance.”
“Michael, I…”
I really was not a good dancer and always felt uncomfortable doing it. I wasn’t drunk enough yet!
“It’s just dancing.” He said in a deep voice.
He grabbed my hand and pulled me from the table. I opened my mouth to protest but he held my arm tightly and we were already halfway to the dance floor.
Once we were there, he pressed me close and wrapped his arm around my waist. He was so much taller than I and I had no choice but to lay my head on his chest. It felt so good and he smelled divine.
I let myself imagine that he was mine. It would have been nice. Deep down, I knew that pursuing anything with him would be a mistake. There was potential for my heart to be broken.
As we danced, our bodies began to sway to the music and for a second, I just let all my thoughts vanish. The only thing I could focus on was his hands on my body and the slight erection I could feel grinding against me. The wetness between my legs increased and I knew my panties just had to be soaked.
I looked up to see the same desire in his eyes.
We danced to one slow song and then we made our way back. Our server was placing our dinner on the table when we arrived.
Looking at the food, I realized how hungry I was. I started in on my steak. Though the server never asked me how I wanted my steak prepared, lucky for me it was cooked perfectly. I was eating away not noticing that Michael was staring at me.
“Michael, is there something you want?” I said in exasperation.
He smiled.
“You know what I want.” He seductively answered.
I could see his eyes trail up and down my body.
I smiled.
I was happy that we were getting back to the topic of sex. I was more comfortable talking about sex more than anything else at this point.
“You can have it as many times as you want.”
“I’m not just talking about sex Maxine. I want all of you, not just your body.”
I reached for my napkin and wiped my mouth.
“Michael this is the deal,” I said leaning back in my seat. “I was in a horrible relationship. Once I got out I realized that relationships are just not for me. Having sex with a married man kind of proves that.”
His eyes never left mine. I was having a hard time
reading what was in them. It took awhile for him to respond.
“As long as you’re honest with me, I am fine with how you feel.”
“Michael you can’t fall in love with the first woman you have an affair with.” I stated.
His eyes clouded over.
“You think you are my first affair?”
I was in the process of putting a piece of steak in my mouth. I had to stop my fork in mid air and sit it back down on my plate.
Why I am not surprised.
“Oh I get it. That is how you get women hooked. You pretend to care about them and get them to stick around before you move on to the next.” I said with a laugh.
“Well let me tell you. You don’t have to do that with me. I will be around to fuck you for awhile.”
He looked upset by my words.
“Maxine, that is not it at all. Well, in the beginning maybe it was just sex. It is much more than that now. You have no idea what my marriage is like. The last 10 years have been torture.”
I was lacking on sympathy at this point.
“Well, why don’t you get a divorce?” I asked taking a sip of wine.
He ran his fingers through his hair.
“It is not that simple,” he said almost inaudibly.
“Well, answer this question for me.”
There was something that I needed to know.
“How many women have you had affairs with?”
He looked panicky and tense.
“Honestly?” He asked.
“No, lie to me.”
He laughed.
“Has anyone ever told you, you’re a smart ass?”
“Yes, continue please,” I said in the sweetest voice I could summon.
“There have been a few women.”
“A few?” I responded.
He was cute when he was tense and uneasy-and trying to be vague.
“How many exactly?”
“Does it really matter?”
I laughed.
“Michael I am just trying to see how many women? I mean, you talk about having all these feelings for me. It seems to me, you are just after what I am after. Sex. You have not divorced your wife. You cannot be serious about me and still be planning to stay married.”
He slowly ran his fingers through his hair. I think I struck a nerve. He seemed upset and disturbed by what I said.
“All I have is my word Maxine. You are different. You make me feel different.”
“Like I have not heard that line before.” I joked.
He didn’t find it funny.
“Maxine, don’t do that. Don’t play with me. I am pouring my heart out to you and you just laugh at me. How dare you! How dare you act like such a bitch?”
I was taken aback. I could not believe what I have just heard.
The last time a man called me out my name like that I ended up withering in pain begging him not to hit me anymore. I could not believe these words were coming out of Michael’s mouth.
“You just called me a bitch. How dare YOU call me a bitch!”
I could see the immediate remorse in his eyes. But I didn’t care.
Prohibited: an erotic novel Page 9