by R. J. Dillon
“I’ve never abused my power, but I promise that I will do whatever it takes to keep you away from her. If you even think about asking her out, or try to go behind my back to get to her, I will take everything you have. You will have nothing by the time I’m through with you,” Gavin growled.
“Is that a threat?” Carter frowned.
“Yes,” Gavin said without flinching.
The two men were so angry, they were clinching their fists, ready to throw punches. Carter backed down and stormed out of the office. Gavin closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He knew this day was coming, he just didn’t think it would be so soon. He took another breath and went to sit down at his desk. It was about lunch time, but he no longer had an appetite. He just sat in silence, staring off into space.
A few moments later, Faith came by to find out the details about dinner. Luckily, it was early. That would give him plenty of time to calm down so they could enjoy their evening.
“Hey,” she said as she knocked.
“Hi,” he said, sitting up. “Are you getting ready to leave?”
“Yes. What are we doing tonight?” she asked.
“Well, that’s a surprise. I’ll pick you up around six o’clock. Wear something comfortable.”
“Okay, here’s my address and my cell phone number. Call me if you get lost, or if anything changes.” She paused, and asked, “Are you alright?”
“I’ll be fine by tonight. Have a good day off.”
“I will. See you later,” she said, walking out of his office.
Gavin had to make a few phone calls to get ready for the evening. He was excited to finally be going out on a date. Adrian was looking for everyone, and stopped to ask Gavin where they were.
“Where are Carter and Faith?” he asked.
“I gave them the rest of the day off as a reward for all of their hard work. I’ll see Faith tonight. I owe her dinner,” said Gavin.
“Really? Why do you owe her?” ‘This is good,’ thought Adrian.
“We had a bet. We talked about which cities we thought you would choose, and whoever got the most right, would get dinner, courtesy of the loser. She got them all right. I told her she cheated,” he chuckled.
“She does have great insight. What do you have planned?”
“Faith said she hasn’t had a chance to see the city, so I’m taking her to dinner, and I’m renting a carriage to take her around the city. It’s a great time of year to do that,” he smiled.
“Sounds wonderful. Have you already sent her flowers?”
“I was just getting ready to call when you came in,” Gavin said.
“Good man. I’ve taught you well. Let me know how it goes,” he said as he left.
Adrian walked back to his office, stopping first to talk to Agnes.
“Do you have anything to report for the week?” he asked.
Agnes handed him her notes, and added, “They seem to be getting along really well this week.”
Agnes had been keeping tabs on Gavin and Faith for weeks. Sometimes, she had nothing to report, other times she didn’t want to report anything. Lately though, there was more positive activity between the two of them.
“Thanks, Agnes. We’ll see if it stays that way,” Adrian said as he went to his office.
He sat down and picked up the phone. “Hi, it’s Adrian … I’m well. How are you? … I wanted to give you an update … Yes, things are looking good … That’s right … I don’t think so, but it should be enjoyable … I’ll talk to you next week. Take care.”
After hanging up the phone, Adrian sat and smiled. He hoped that Gavin and Faith had a great evening.
Not long after Faith arrived home, there was a knock at her door. When she opened it, she found a huge bouquet of flowers. There were two dozen dark pink roses. The card read, ‘Thanks again for all of your hard work this week. See you tonight, Gavin.’
Faith smiled, and remembered what Agnes had said about flowers having meaning. ‘Dark pink must be to show thanks,’ she thought, basing her assessment on the note. She put the flowers on her dining room table. She had a lot of time to prepare for the evening, and had eaten a light lunch, since she didn’t know what to expect for dinner. She picked up a book that she had started and continued to read, falling asleep shortly thereafter.
When she woke up from her nap, she took a shower and got dressed for dinner. Gavin would be picking her up in an hour. She put on a pair of nice linen pants and a matching linen blouse to wear. This would be both cool and comfortable. She decided to wear her hair down since it was the weekend. She grabbed her phone, her ID and keys and placed them in a small wristlet, knowing she wouldn’t need a big bulky purse tonight. Fifteen minutes later, Gavin knocked on the door.
When she answered, Gavin just smiled. “Hi, beautiful,” he said, handing her a single purple rose.
“Hi,” she said, smiling as she took the rose and smelled it. This one had a delightful scent. She picked up her wristlet, locked the door behind her, and followed him to the car.
Gavin opened door for her, then walked around to get in the driver’s seat.
“Thank you,” she said. “And thanks for the other roses that you sent earlier. What does this one mean?”
He looked over at her as he started his car, “Purple means beautiful.”
Faith couldn’t help but notice how handsome he was. He looked more relaxed now than he looked earlier at work. As they drove off, she asked about their evening.
“So where are we going?” she asked.
“Relax. I’ve got it all taken care of. All you have to do is enjoy the evening.”
They drove for some time before arriving at the River Café, a unique and romantic restaurant located under the Brooklyn Bridge. Gavin pulled in front. He got out and walked around to the passenger’s side to help Faith out of the car. She was still holding her purple rose. He handed his keys to the valet, took her hand in his and led her to the entrance. The ambiance was absolutely magical as they went in. There was romantic lighting and floral décor all around them. Since it was a warm night, Gavin had reserved a table for them on the deck. He pulled her chair out for her.
“Thank you,” she said, looking up at him. ‘This is a nice change,’ she thought.
Faith looked out over the water where she could see the Manhattan skyline. It was awesome to see.
“What do you think?” he asked.
“This is great,” said Faith. “I love the location. How’s the food?”
“Fantastic,” he said, opening his menu.
“I can’t wait to try it,” she smiled after glancing at her available menu options. She was still overcome by the atmosphere and there was a piano playing in the background.
A server came to take their drink orders. Gavin asked, “Do you like wine?”
“Of course,” said Faith.
Gavin asked for a couple of glasses of their Bollinger Grande Annee from the vintage wine list.
They continued to look at their menus. Faith decided to get the Vegetarian dish, while Gavin chose the Crisp Duck Breast. Gavin ordered for both of them when their server returned with their wine. It was a great start to the evening.
“You didn’t have to do all of this, you know? I would have been okay with Olive Garden,” she giggled.
“Loser treats, remember?” he smiled at her, captivated by how lovely she looked in the dim lighting.
“Well I’m glad I won, because I wouldn’t have been able to come up with something like this for you,” she said, taking a sip of her wine.
“There’s more to come. This is just the beginning.”
“Do you do this for all the girls?” she asked.
“No. Just you. You’re different,” said Gavin.
“Why is that?”
“Down girl. There will be plenty of time for serious talk later,” he smiled.
Moments later, their food arrived. They enjoyed their meals, wine and conversation. When they finished eating, their server offered th
em dessert. They both said no. Gavin had other ideas for dessert anyhow. He paid the ticket and escorted Faith back to the front of the restaurant. He took her hand and led her down Water Street.
“Where are we going now?” she smiled.
“We haven’t had dessert.”
In less than a minute, they were standing in front of the Brooklyn Ice Cream Factory. Looking up, Gavin beamed like a kid, lost in his memories.
“Mom and Dad used to bring me here a lot when I was little. It was one of my favorite places to come.”
Faith tenderly looked up at him as he shared this memory with her. He glanced back down at her, seemingly held in a trance by her beauty. Staring at each other, forces almost pulled them together, but the faint noise of other couples laughing and talking brought them back to reality.
“Let’s go inside,” Gavin said, taking Faith by the hand again.
They shared an ice cream sundae made with Chocolate Chocolate Chunk ice cream. The whipped cream tasted homemade, and could have been a sundae by itself. Gavin let Faith have the cherry. Sitting on a bench close to the factory, they talked about childhood memories, since Gavin brought it up. Almost as soon as they finished their sundae, a horse-drawn carriage pulled into the area.
“Perfect timing,” said Gavin. He stood and led her to the carriage.
Faith looked at him, “Is this for us?”
Gavin grinned. “No my lady, it is for you.” The driver had opened the door for them to enter.
“What do you mean it’s for me?” she asked.
“You mentioned that you hadn’t gotten a chance to see the city. This is one of the best ways to do it,” he said. “It’s a perfect night for it.” Once they were in the carriage, it began to make its way from the factory toward Manhattan. They were sitting next to each other.
“How long do we have this carriage?” she asked him.
“As long as we need it. There’s no time limit. Are you enjoying yourself?” he asked, carefully placing his arm around her.
“I am. This is really great,” she said, continuing to look around like an awestruck teenage girl.
“So do you want to talk about this week?” he asked.
“You actually want to talk about this week?” she asked, turning to look at him.
Gavin smiled as he leaned in closely to her, gently kissing her neck.
“Oh, you want to talk,” she said, closing her eyes as he laid her back on the seat.
Gavin ran his hands up and down her body, caressing her, feeling her. Faith wrapped her arms around him, allowing her hands to stroke his back. He moaned with excitement. Gavin tried to kiss her lips, and again she turned away. They kissed and fondled each other a little while, both finding themselves extremely aroused. He tried to slip his hands underneath her blouse, but she kept his hands at bay.
“Gavin, we…… should….. stop,” said Faith.
“Unh unh,” he whispered. “I don’t want to stop.” He gently stroked one of her breasts as he kissed her where her shirt gaped open.
Faith took a deep breath in, as she tried to get her body to relax.
“Gav - ” she tried to say, but the words just wouldn’t form. Gavin’s hands were sensuously caressing every inch of her. The only place they hadn’t been was in between her legs.
“Shhh,” he whispered. “Relax. Enjoy my touch.”
“We.... need to …...,” she paused, “oh my…..,” she couldn’t finish her sentences. She squeezed his shirt, trying to contain her pleasure.
Gavin tried once again to join her lips. Once again, she didn’t allow him to.
They rolled onto the floor of the carriage, with Faith now on top. She sat up, playfully rubbing his chest. He smiled at her as she did this. She leaned in to kiss his neck and his chest. As she got more aroused, she quietly said, “We need to stop.”
“I’m enjoying you. Don’t stop,” Gavin pleaded.
Faith took a deep breath. “Don’t look at me like that. You know we need to settle down.”
“No,” he said, playfully pulling her down and rolling on top of her. The carriage they were in was enclosed and sound proof. The driver didn’t hear a thing.
He started to kiss back and forth between her neck and her ears again. She closed her eyes momentarily, but snapped out of it.
“Come on, Gavin. Do you want to have to go wake Chandler up?” she asked, assuming their evening would be late.
“I’m not seeing Chandler anymore,” he said, kissing her cheek.
“What? Why?” Faith was shocked.
Gavin looked Faith in the eyes and said, “When I was with her last night and called out your name, I realized that it was you that I wanted to be with, and only you.” He wanted to kiss her right then, but based on his earlier attempts, knew he would be unable to.
Faith sighed, “Gavin, you know you can’t have me in that way. I would never be enough for you.”
“What if you would be?” he asked, looking at her seriously.
“I can’t just give you sex,” she said.
“What if I want more than just sex?” he asked.
Faith looked at him suspiciously. “I don’t think you mean that. I don’t think you’re sure of what you want.”
“I’m sure it’s you that I want to be with.”
Faith sat up, gathering her bearings. Looking back at him she said, “If something is supposed to happen between us, then it will. Let’s not force it, okay?”
“Alright,” he said, stroking her arm. He sat up and kissed her shoulder, then her neck again. Faith closed her eyes and smiled.
“You’re not making this easy,” she said.
“I’m not trying to,” he whispered as he grabbed her gently by the waist and pulled her back down. They continued to caress and fondle each other a little while longer.
After some time, Gavin and Faith lifted themselves off the floor and sat back on the seat. Faith made sure that her blouse was buttoned up. She looked at Gavin and reached up to touch his head, fixing hairs that were out of place. He smiled and wrapped his arms around her, locking his hands behind her back. Faith leaned in and rested against his chest, looking out the window at the city lights.
As the carriage took them through Central Park, Gavin couldn’t help but think about how nice it was to have her in his arms. He didn’t allow his thoughts to go too far; he didn’t want to get ahead of himself. He decided to do as Faith said, let things happen if they were supposed to. The two of them were going to be spending several weeks together. This would give him an opportunity to see if he was truly ready for more than just a physical relationship.
The carriage made its way back to the restaurant, where the evening started. It pulled alongside Gavin’s car, now the only car in the parking lot. The valet had given Gavin his keys before they started the carriage ride so they wouldn’t be stranded. Gavin got out first, and then helped Faith out. Gavin had paid for the carriage rental in advance and included the tip, so they thanked their driver and went to the car to head home.
When they arrived at Faith’s house, Gavin pulled into the driveway. He got out, opened her door and helped her out. They held hands as he walked her to her front door. She still had her purple rose.
“Thanks for a wonderful evening. Although, you owe me another dinner,” she said, smiling.
“Why is that?” he asked, gazing into her eyes.
“Well, one, you said you’d take me to dinner for my payback last night. Two, I didn’t get to see much of the city. We were a little preoccupied.”
They chuckled. Gavin pulled her in close. He gently cupped her neck in his hand, stroking her cheek with his thumb. They gazed at each other for a moment. He kissed her forehead, assuming he would meet the same resistance as he had earlier to kiss her on the lips.
“Okay,” he said softly. “Another dinner on me.”
He wrapped his arms around her, hugging her. She looked up at him, and said, “Drive careful. Call me when you get home so I know you made it.”
<
br /> “I’ll send you a text in case you’re asleep,” he said.
She kissed him on the cheek and said good night. As she unlocked her door and stepped into her house, Gavin walked back to his car. She stood at her window and sighed, watching him drive away.
CHAPTER NINE
Faith rolled over in bed the next morning and slid her phone from her nightstand. She gently rubbed away the evidence of a good night’s sleep from her eyes, clearing them so she could focus. She continued to lie in bed, propping her back up a little with her pillow. The phone beeped at her, informing her that a message was waiting for her.
“Made it home okay. Thanks again for a wonderful night.”
Faith’s fingers sprung into action as she texted back.
“Thanks for letting me know you’re okay. I had a great time. Have a great weekend.” Her phone beeped, sending the text.
Faith carefully plopped her phone down on the bed and laid back against her pillow. She closed her eyes and sighed, thinking about her night out. She smiled, her eyes remaining closed. All of a sudden, her phone beeped again. She picked it up to find another text.
“You too, beautiful.”
She fell back into her pillow again as she let her phone drop onto the bed. It remained silent. She closed her eyes again and smiled.
Faith rolled over on her side and stared out into nothingness. After a few long moments had passed by, she pulled herself up again. She swung her legs over the side of the bed, away from the covers and stood up. Immediately she turned to make the bed. There was only one side to make. Just as she was finishing, she heard a rustling noise coming from another room. She frowned and went to make sure everything was okay.
Another weekend was over. The office was abuzz with preparations for the city tours. Faith came in early as usual. She closed her door to her office, walked over to her desk and logged on. While she waited for the system to boot, she placed her purse in her drawer and walked over to the coat rack where she kept a sweater. It could be a bit chilly in the building in the mornings. She put the sweater on, crossed her arms and rubbed them, trying to warm them up as she walked back to her desk.