by F. T. Zele
“Liz, if that’s what you want, then you need to tell him, or better yet, make a move. I’m sure it will completely turn him on if you were the one pushing a little. He might be waiting for the time where he thinks you’re ready again. I say go for it. Surprise the shit out of him by seducing him.” She giggles, giving me advice. I bet she’s been waiting for the day when meek little Liz wants to be the seducer not the seducee.
“I don’t know how to do that, so I’m better off waiting on him. I feel awkward trying to look sexy. I have never been like that,” I say, feeling a little defeated.
“Stop it! You are hot, Liz. You just need a little help. We should go lingerie shopping, try on some stuff, and see what you feel comfortable in. I know of this very private shop. I’ll help you.”
“Um . . . maybe not.”
“We’re doing it. Get out of your comfort zone and try something different. I swear we won’t go too crazy,” she says with the most devious grin on her face. I don’t know if I should be scared with that look on her face, but since I’m trying to embrace this new me, I guess I should go with it.
“Fine, we’ll go, but I’m not promising I’ll buy anything,” I concede, but feeling skeptical.
“Yes! This is going to be so much fun. We’ll have a couple of drinks first.” She looks down at her phone. “Shit, look at the time. I’m gonna have to call it a night. I have to go into work early tomorrow to get some contracts finalized before they go out. I’m telling you, that place wouldn’t run without me.”
“Yeah, I think I’ve had all the excitement I can handle for one night. Thanks for coming over. I’m glad we got to talk and hang out,” I say. Sophie gets up and grabs her purse and makes her way to the door with me behind her. When we get to the door, I still see the wheels turning in her head, and I give her a quick hug, telling her, “Talk to you soon. Drive safely.”
“Love ya, doll.”
I change into some comfortable clothes, hop into bed, and try not to think about what I just got myself into.
It’s been four days since I’ve seen Liz, and it’s driving me crazy. We have both been consumed with work, and honestly, I wanted to give her some space to believe what I’ve been trying to show her.
It also has become increasingly difficult to be around her and to stop myself from wanting to be with her again. I am not used to going this long without getting some relief, and doing it myself isn’t the same. I keep telling myself the wait will be worth it, and I can handle this, but try telling that to my friend down there.
We have plans to go out to dinner tonight, so basically, the day is dragging. I spent most of the morning at home with Mom, hanging outside for a while and spending time with her. Things haven’t been going the best; she’s been more tired and more forgetful. It fucking kills me, knowing there will be a point where she’s no longer around. I just hope the new medicine they put her on will help a little.
I take every second I can with Mom. I offered to stay home with her tonight, but she quickly shut that suggestion down. She is having a hard time facing the truth lately and doesn’t want me doing anything out of the ordinary. She demanded I go out and see Liz when I told her I hadn’t seen her in a couple of days. She reminded me life is short, and I shouldn’t spend that long in between seeing Liz. I know Mom just wants to see me happy, and she knows that Liz is the first person who has truly captured my attention.
After checking on the bars and finishing some work, I have plans to get a haircut and to grab some nice clothes. I told Liz to be ready by six for me to pick her up for our dinner reservations. I have a driver for the night, so I don’t have to worry about anything other than focusing on her.
Once I’m done running around, I make my way home to get ready. Standing at the sink, I look in the mirror after doing my hair and decide to leave the stubble. Getting dressed, I feel slightly uneasy about this whole dinner thing. I never doubt my decisions or myself, but this one is fucking killing me.
I’m overthinking this shit.
I turn on the faucet and splash some cold water onto my face, hoping it will cool my ass down. When I’m ready, I head downstairs to see my mom. Her door is open, so I give a tiny knock before I go inside. “All right, Mom. I’m going to be leaving in a minute. Do you need anything?” I say, nervously stalling a bit.
“Braxton, you look nice. Where are you taking Liz tonight?” she asks as she struggles to sit up in bed.
“Just a friend’s restaurant.”
“What’s wrong, dear? You don’t seem like yourself today,” she says, not having to read too deep into how I’m feeling.
“I’m okay, just have a lot going on in my mind.”
“Does this have to do with Liz or something with the business? Whatever it is, you know what you’re doing. You have always known what’s best for you. Don’t start doubting yourself now.”
“You’re right. I just . . . never mind.” My phone beeps. It’s the driver letting me know he’s here.
“You can talk to me, you know. You don’t always have to be so tough and closed off.”
“I know, Mom. I’m just having a rough night. My ride is here, so if you don’t need anything, I’m going to take off.”
“Have a nice night. Tell Liz I said hello.”
“I will. Love you,” I say as I walk over to her, lightly placing a kiss on her cheek.
I feel the back pocket of my jeans, making sure I have my wallet, and then I am out the door. I walk to the blacked-out SUV and see the driver standing at the opened back door. I don’t usually have someone drive me around, but tonight is special.
“Hey, Stuart,” I call out as I get closer to the SUV.
“Mr. Wright.” He nods. I get inside, and he closes the door behind me.
“You have the plan I sent you?” I ask when he gets into the driver’s seat.
“Yes, sir,” he curtly replies.
Once he pulls out of the driveway, I lean back in my seat, trying to calm my nerves from earlier. I don’t know what the fuck has gotten into me today, but I do know I need to cut this shit out before I do something stupid, again. When things aren’t going smoothly in my mind, I lash out, and the last thing I want to do is lash out at Liz. The pressure that builds inside me boils until it finally explodes, and even I wouldn’t want to be on the receiving end of that.
Fifteen minutes later, we’re pulling up to Liz’s house.
“I’ll be right back,” I say as I hop out of the car. I make my way up the driveway, and as I am walking to the porch, the door opens. When Liz comes out, everything I was thinking before disappears. Just seeing her, I’m fucking speechless. Her beauty leaves me picking up my jaw from the ground, and it takes everything I have not to gawk like a teenage boy.
She’s wearing a red wine-colored tight dress that hugs every curve she has always hidden and a simple pair of black heels. Her hair is in curls flowing all around her, and most men would be drooling over this, but not me. I can’t seem to swallow past the dry lump forming in my throat, and I desperately need some fucking cold water to wake me up and to calm this raging hard-on I’m getting from seeing her.
“Hi.” Is all I can say when we finally lock eyes.
“Hi, I hope I dressed appropriately,” she says sheepishly.
“That’s more than okay. You look incredible. I don’t even know if having you next to me does you justice.”
“Oh, shut up. You look great. Shall we?”
“We shall,” I answer, holding out my hand for her.
The sudden urge to keep her close takes over, and I hold her hand a little tighter. All the craziness and doubt I feel disintegrates when she’s close. I dare any guy to give my date a second look, because tonight, she is all mine.
We pull up to the restaurant, and I wait until Stuart walks around to open the door. I can’t do anything other than stare at her, and suddenly, I don’t want to get out.
I gather my composure and hop out, turn, and give her my hand to hold while getting out, b
eing the gentleman she’s teaching me to be. We walk inside, immediately greeted by Jonathan, the owner and a personal friend, “Braxton.” We shake hands and give each other a one-armed hug.
“Jonathan, this is Liz,” I introduce the two.
“Liz, nice to meet you.” He grabs her hand to shake, but kisses it instead. He likes to throw on the charm when he sees a beautiful woman.
“Nice to meet you as well. Wow, this place is beautiful,” she replies as she looks around, taking in Jonathan’s exquisite attention to details.
“Thank you. It might not be as beautiful as you are, but I hear the food is pretty good.” He slips in a small joke, but he better watch his words. This time, this one is mine. I wrap my arm around Liz, claiming what’s mine so he knows she’s off limits. This isn’t like the old days when we swapped girls once we got what we wanted out of them.
“Man, you never stop. Is our table ready?” I say, giving a slight warning, not wanting to ruin tonight.
“He’s always been a little jealous because I’m better looking,” he says to Liz, and she laughs. “All right, I’ll stop. Your table is over here. Follow me.”
As we walk behind him, Liz leans over and whispers into my ear. “You are definitely the better looking one.” Once again, I am forced not to think about those words, that dress, or we aren’t going to make it to ordering.
“Here’s your table. Enjoy your evening,” Jonathan says, as I pull out Liz’s chair for her.
“Thank you,” Liz politely states as I gently slide her chair closer to the table.
He set up a private table in the back of the restaurant and moved away any close tables. I told him I didn’t want to be bothered with anything going on around us. I had him place a small bouquet of flowers and some candles on the table, but nothing too much. I want to look across the table and see her, not flames. Immediately, a waiter comes over and grabs the bottle of champagne that is on ice next to the table. “Would you like me to open this now for you guys?”
“That would be great, thanks.” As he starts to fill our glasses, I lean over to Liz. “I hope you don’t mind, but they’re making something special, so there is no menu. It’s already been taken care of.”
“That’s fine with me. I hate deciding what I want to eat anyway.”
Once our glasses are filled, I pick mine up and raise it. “Thank you for coming tonight. This is different than our normal hangouts at your house or mine. To you, for showing me there’s more than long hours at work and for being the reason I want to be a better person. Also to us, for new beginnings and both of us starting from broken and mending the pieces, together.”
She softly clinks her glass to mine, smiling with a small twinkle in her eye, and that’s all I need to know. This is making her happy.
Before long, our food is served. The same waiter places our main dishes in front of us, but I can’t wait until dessert. That is where I had Jonathan do something different.
“This is a petite filet seared in a garlic butter sauce, small red potatoes seasoned with rosemary, salt, and pepper, and asparagus drizzled with light olive oil. Enjoy,” the waiter informs us.
“This looks delicious. Thank you,” Liz says to him. He nods and walks away, leaving us alone.
“This is my favorite dish here. I hope you like it.”
We eat in silence due to both of us inhaling our food. When we finish and Liz places her fork onto her plate, I reach out my hand across the table, silently asking her to grab it. “It’s like your hand was made to fit into mine. This is how it should always be, you and me. Everything just seems to fall into place,” I say, rubbing my thumb across the back of her hand.
Shyness overtakes her as she looks down to the table, and it’s fucking adorable. Even without words, I know she’s thinking the same thing. “Dinner was amazing. Are you ready to go?” she says, anxious to leave.
“Not yet. Let’s finish our drinks, and I ordered dessert.”
Right on cue, dessert is delivered, but with no explanation. That’s for me to do. “So, I had the chef make something special. It’s a light pastry with a raspberry filling. It’s my take on a classy jelly donut. Hope you like it.”
Her eyes light up, and I know she would have been happy with just a jelly donut. That’s what really matters. I watch her take the first bite before I try mine. “Oh. My. God. This. It’s better than a donut. You did this for me?”
“Of course, I did this for you. There isn’t anything I wouldn’t do for you. You have to know that,” I say, gesturing to the table with my hand. “This is nothing. It’s the little look on your face that makes everything worth it to me. Your smile, which you don’t do often enough, makes this all worth it. When you aren’t with me, I just . . . I just can’t think straight. That’s always been something I’ve been able to do. Since you came into my life, you’ve made me second guess everything I do when I’m not with you. You are the one thing I never knew was missing.”
“Braxton, I feel the same way, I do. Thank you for everything. For waking me up and opening my eyes to a world I was drowning in.” Then, that damn tear she is set on never exposing appears in her eye. She tries to wipe it away without me knowing, but I see it. I see her, and that’s all I need to know. She is it for me.
“Well, if you’re ready now, we can head out.”
“I’m ready.”
We get up from the table, preparing to leave since I had given Jonathon my credit card information when I was setting up the date. I didn’t want anything in the way and told him to take care of the waiter as well.
I open the door for her as we make our way out to the street where the SUV is waiting for us. Once we pull into her driveway, I plan on walking her to her door and leaving this night the way it is. When we get to her door, she digs in her little bag to find her keys, pulling them out and unlocking her door.
“Well, thank you for this evening.”
“You aren’t coming in?” she questions.
“I hadn’t planned on it, but if you want me to, I will,” I answer. She suddenly gets red in the face, and I don’t understand.
“I forgot you probably have to go to Jade. It’s okay.”
“No, I don’t. I just didn’t really plan anything else. I’ll stay. Let me tell the driver he can leave,” I say, turning and jogging down the driveway.
Am I ready for this? Standing here, I watch Braxton jog down the driveway. I thought this is where the night was going, and that’s good. My nerves got the best of me when I assumed he was staying, but he didn’t plan on it.
I had this whole thing planned out in my head. He doesn’t know I went shopping with Sophie and picked out something I thought he would like. I have never in my life had to be the one to make a move, and I wonder if I’m going about this the right way.
I swallow my insecurities, knowing this is it, my one chance to go for it. When he makes it back to me, he goes to open the door, but I stop him. He looks over to me with confusion written all over his face. Reaching up on my toes, I wrap my arms around his neck and kiss him, pouring out everything I have onto his lips. I know I have taken him by surprise because he stumbles against the door, but quickly recovers and wraps his arms around my back. He reaches blindly behind him with one hand, never breaking his lips from mine as he opens the door. Lifting me, I wrap my legs around his waist, not caring if my ass is hanging out of my dress. Nothing matters since our lips touched. He carries me into the house, kicks the door closed once we’re inside, and walks to the couch.
“Not the couch, my room. I hate that couch from before, so anywhere but there.” The last thing I want to do is be reminded again of what took place on that couch.
I need a new couch.
“Whatever you want,” he says quickly, then goes back to kissing me as he walks down the dark hallway. The second the door clicks open, my stomach drops with anxiety, but I am fully ready. He places me on my feet, arms still wrapped tightly around me as he drops his head, aggressively working my neck. “A
re you sure? We don’t have to do this right now,” he says, pulling back.
“I’m sure.” The words leave my lips eagerly, and that’s all it takes for him to change his tone.
“Turn around,” he demands. The sexy take-charge Braxton that has been MIA for the last couple of weeks has returned, and the way he talks reassures me. There is nothing sexier than when he is in control.
I turn around with my back facing him. He grabs my waist, slowly bringing his hands up my back. He unzips my dress, and when it’s open all the way, he slides it off my shoulders, trailing his fingers down my arms before pulling it down my waist until it pools at my feet.
Standing here looking at the floor, I fight the urge to instinctively cover myself with my arms, but the one thing that helps is what I’m wearing under my dress. Braxton walks around me, and I feel his eyes all over me.
“Don’t be embarrassed. You have no reason to be ashamed. Look at me,” he says, standing in front of me. I look up slowly. “You are fucking perfect. There should never be a reason you feel insecure standing here like this with me. Now, take off the rest for me,” he commands. I slowly reach down to take off my heels, but he stops me. “Keeps those on. I like them. Just take off your bra and these.” He hooks a finger under the waist of my underwear, letting them snap back to my skin, leaving an intensified tingle.
He waits for me to bare my body to him, and it makes my heart beat rapidly. I reach behind with one hand, unclasping my bra and taking a much-needed breath before I carefully slide it off my shoulders and let it drop to the floor.
Braxton inhales loudly, and a barely audible “shit” leaves his lips when he sees my exposed chest, fueling me to finish taking off everything. I gather the tiny bit of sexy I can muster sliding the underwear off my hips. Bending at the hips while keeping my legs straight, I find my inner seducer that has never shown up before. I step out of them, expecting Braxton to stand there staring like before. Instead, he grabs me and races to the bed, placing me on my back.