by Jewel E. Ann
I threw on my flip flops and headed back down to the café. “You coming?” The Q & A ended so he had no choice but to follow me. “I’m sorry again about your shirt. I’ll get it washed and maybe you can stop in and pick it up sometime. I’ll have it behind the counter in case I’m not here.” I hoped I wouldn’t be there; nothing about Quinn was good for me.
“Thanks, and I’ll return your loaner as well.” He tugged at the shirt I gave him.
Quinn smiled and headed toward the door. I was too busy shamelessly checking out his backside to notice the T-shirt. Jake nudged me with his elbow, which brought me out of my trance. It was the T-shirt I received at the Raw Food Expo. The back of the shirt read: RAW girls taste better.
“Quinn!” I yelled.
“Yes?” He stopped at the door and turned.
“The shirt … uh it’s … it’s yours, just keep it.” My restraint was commendable as I managed to keep my grin polite, but Jake raced to the kitchen and I knew he was getting ready to bust a gut laughing.
“Thanks, but don’t think you’re getting out of seeing me again.” And with that, he left.
“He’s either going to be so pissed with embarrassment that you’ll never see him again, or … he’s going to be knocking down your door with a raging hard-on demanding to find out if raw girls really do taste better,” Jake laughed.
“Jake! God, you are so crude.”
“I’m just a guy, Addy, seriously, you’re so oblivious to what you do to guys. I don’t know what’s sexier, you having such a sinful body or you not knowing that you do.”
“Flattering the old boss will get you nowhere, young Jake.”
“Except next Saturday off to take Jessica boating, right?”
“Yeah, yeah, except that. Now get to work.”
Jake had been a flirt since day one, but I knew he was harmless and smitten with his girlfriend Jessica. It was a tad unprofessional, but I loved hearing Jake talk to me like he did. I wasn’t sure if it was because he had such bad boy sex appeal or if it was his ten years my junior. Either way, he always made my day.
*
It had been five days since Quinn walked out of the café, not that I was counting, but I had a hunch I wouldn’t be seeing him again. The T-shirt incident was not at all intentional—I liked to think of it as a happy accident—but five days later and no contact from him, I knew it was the “pissed with embarrassment” scenario. While I was on my way to the market, Mac called me.
“Hey Mac, ‘sup?”
“Eighty degrees and gorgeous, that’s what’s up. Thought you’d come sailing with me and Evan today.”
“Hum, fifth wheel invite and I’m on my way to market anyway. Thanks, but I’ll pass.”
“Adler Sage, don’t you dare give me that fifth wheel crap. Evan and I are married, not teenagers dating. It’s just an afternoon sailing on a yacht that’s yours anyway.”
“Stop, Mac, you know what’s mine is yours and I’m serious about needing to go to the market.”
“One hour, Addy, drop off the food with Jake and get your ass down to the marina. No is not an option.”
Mac had a gift for always getting her way. She also had a way of making me think that it was my idea in the first place. “Fine, but tell Evan I’m only along for the ride. You two are in charge of sailing today. I’m not in the mood to ferry the love birds around the lake.”
“Yada, yada. One hour, Addy. Bye.”
I pulled into the marina with five minutes to spare. Tossing my bag over my shoulder and slipping on my aviator sunglasses, I strolled down the ramp to my majestic one hundred foot CIM Maxi 88. It was quite the sight for any sailor’s eyes. As I rounded the corner I brushed my fingers over my lips seeing The Sage elegantly scripted on the side. It was still hard to swallow back the lump in my throat and blink back the stinging moisture in the corners of my eyes that were always there when I came aboard.
“Addy on time, it’s a miracle—”
Mac stopped short when I lifted my glasses to wipe the corners of my eyes. “Oh, sweetie, why do you do this to yourself? You should just sell it and find something that doesn’t hold so many bad memories.”
“Mac, you know I can’t sell it. Besides, the memories hurt because the moments were so fragile and cherished,” Deep breath … I am peaceful, I am strong, “now enough with memory lane. Tell Captain Evan I’m ready to set sail.” No words, just a warm embrace and a knowing look was all she gave me.
“Evan, baby, let’s do this!” Mac yelled.
Evan was a perfect complement to Mac’s personality. She was a complete spitfire and he was as laid-back as they came. His short, bulky body builder frame was the complete opposite to her twiggy appearance. Where she was fair, he was golden brown. He looked nothing like the typical white-collar professional. They completed each other in every way.
The warm breeze, bright sky, and gentle lull of the lake made the afternoon perfect. I found such serenity in sailing. The wind through my hair and the sun bathing my skin was a beautiful evanescence of a world that didn’t matter.
“Addy, check out that yacht! It rivals The Sage in luxury yachts that look too nice for Lake Michigan.”
“Jeez, Mac, you act like cruising Lake Michigan is slumming. We have our own yachting association for goodness sakes.”
She knew I was a yacht enthusiast, so after a few minutes I couldn’t resist. “Fine, hand me the binoculars. Let’s have a look.”
“I’m just saying, certain yachts like yours and that one scream coast of Italy, not Lake Michigan.”
I tried to focus in while it was still a good two hundred yards away. “Sweet, looks custom built,” I hummed in admiration. On the upper deck I saw two young kids, maybe five and seven, drinking what appeared to be juice boxes. Then a tall slender woman with long dark hair joined them holding a martini glass came into view. Finally, I saw the back side of a tall man with broad shoulders, swarthy skin, and dark hair. He turned and I stumbled backward, flustered as though we made eye contact, which was ridiculous since I was the only one with binoculars.
“Quinn,” I whispered.
“What’s that, Addy?” Mac questioned.
“It’s Quinn, and what appears to be his wife and two kids.”
“Shut the fuck up. Are you serious?”
“Remind me to give your mouth a good washing before we have kids,” Evan added while shaking his head.
“Oh you love my dirty mouth,” Mac quipped right before laying a deep wet kiss on his mouth.
“Well, that explains why I haven’t seen him since the smoothie disaster. I’m amazed Cleopatra didn’t cut off his nuts and bury them in my shirt.”
“A shame. That was organic cotton, wasn’t it Addy?”
“Yeah it was,” I laughed, but part of me felt punched in the gut.
Why the let down? I’d seen Quinn three times, the first he chewed my ass after almost running me over, the second time I fell on my ass in the most embarrassing fashion, and the third time I drenched him in flying smoothie, like the clumsy ass I was. But each time I’d been with him I’d felt something other than the constant beat of my heart marking time. I tried to convince myself he was just a lustful distraction, which he was, but there was something else.
“Kind of quiet, Addy. Ready to head in?” Evan asked as he applied more sun lotion to Mac’s shoulders.
“Earth to Addy. Did you hear Evan?”
I just nodded and put the binoculars back. I knew Mac was onto me but she wouldn’t have brought it up in front of Evan, which was good because I didn’t know what I would have said anyway.
CHAPTER THREE
“Love is the answer, but while you are waiting for the answer, sex raises some pretty good questions.”
~Woody Allen
“ADDY, ADDY? CAN you see me? It’s me, Mac. No, stop, you have to leave your oxygen mask on for a few more hours while they monitor you.” Sniffle, sniffle. “I’m sorry sweetie, they’re … they’re,” sniffle, sniffle, “They didn’
t make it, they’re gone.”
Th-thump. Th-thump. Th-thump …
*
Ten o’clock Saturday night and we were a packed house with Super Moon, a popular local band, playing a great mix of alternative music. Jake, as I promised the week before, had the day off but the two new part-time girls I hired the month before were working their butts off serving the customers while Mac was working her magic behind the juice bar. The food orders had slowed down so I grabbed an order pad and helped out Mac. After tugging on my pigtails to tighten them a bit, I looked for a pen from under the counter.
“What can I get ya?” I asked the next customer in line without glancing up.
“Green Goddess, in a cup this time, please.”
Quinn
Deep Breath … I am peaceful, I am strong.
“Anything else, sir?”
“Yes, I think you’re holding a T-shirt for me somewhere behind the counter.”
“Sorry, sir, I wasn’t sure who that old thing belonged to so I donated it to a refugee family.”
“You WHAT? That was a two hundred and fifty dollar shirt!” He was upset but he tried to hide his anger behind his gritted teeth.
“Sorry, looked like a Target special to me,” I muttered.
He placed both hands on the counter and leaned in closer. “Have I done something wrong? Because last I knew I was the one wearing the ‘RAW girls taste better’ shirt to the market, bank, AND for the big reveal … to lunch with some buddies!”
“Well, sounds like a good thing it was drawn to your attention before your wife saw it. Here’s your drink. Next!” I willed myself to stay strong. When he leaned into the counter my body started to perspire from the seductive scent of his woodsy cologne.
“Wife? What the hell are you talking about?”
“DON’T! Don’t you dare give me that line of shit,” I growled.
“Addy, uh why don’t you take this someplace else, the girls and I will close up because you’re kinda making a scene,” Mac implored while pushing me toward my loft door.
“You’re right, Mac, I’m done. Make sure Mr. Cohen pays for his drink and finds his way out.”
I entered my code and took the stairs two at a time. When I got to the top I felt a large hand grip my arm turning me around. I couldn’t believe Mac let him follow me. Traitor.
“What do you want? Is this about your stupid shirt? I’ll buy you a new one, whatever, just leave!” I went to pull my arm away but he yanked my other one as well and pushed me against the wall. I was breathing so fast and heavy I could have passed out if it hadn’t been for the adrenaline running through my shaky body.
“First, I don’t give a fuck about the shirt! Second, I don’t have a wife and—”
“I saw you, her, them … your kids.” I huffed. “On. Your. Yacht!”
He searched my eyes, but he was looking through them into someplace in me that was deeper. It made me nervous, and scared. The unwelcome vulnerability shook me to the core.
“Alexis is my sister …” He moved his mouth to my ear without making contact then whispered, “and those were her kids.” He loosened his grip on my wrists and feathered his fingers up my arms leaving a trail of goosebumps in their wake. Cradling my jaw in his hands, he grazed his lips and nose across my cheek from my ear to my lips. He pulled back and rested his forehead on mine as he breathed out. “My God, you’re so beautiful.”
I closed my eyes and felt his thumb brush my bottom lip. My sigh came out as a needy whimper. Then, gliding his mouth back to my ear, he sucked my ear lobe into his mouth and grazed it with his teeth. Releasing it he whispered, “Goodnight, Addy.”
Immobilized, I watched him walk down the stairs. When I heard the slam of the door, I sucked in a shaky breath and melted down the wall resting my arms and head on my bent knees. Ho-ly shit!
*
The next morning brought little clarity to what happened the night before between me and Quinn. While sipping my Rooibos tea, my phone chimed with a text from Mac.
What did you do to Quinn last night?
Not following?
He came back down, grabbed his smoothie, winked at me, and tossed a Ben Franklin by the register b4 walking out … must have done something for that kind of tip!
WTF? He left a $100 tip?!
Yep, oh and did I mention the huge smile he was wearing?
Argh … not what u r thinking, call u later!
You’d better!!!
As I walked into the kitchen to get more tea, I heard my door buzz. Who would be at my door on a Sunday?
I pressed the intercom. “Yes?”
“Delivery for Miss Brecken.”
Delivery on a Sunday? Weird.
I peeked out the back window and saw a black Bentley parked in front of the steps and a gentleman, possibly in his late fifties, wearing a black suit holding a box with a sheer bow and floral embellishment.
“One minute.”
Quickly finding a pair of yoga capris and a sweatshirt to slip on over my white tank and pink boyshort panties, I opened the door.
“Miss Brecken?”
“Yes.”
He nodded and handed me the box.
“Sunday delivery, huh? What company do you work for that sends their driver out in a two hundred thousand dollar vehicle?”
He rewarded me with a small but warm smile. “I work for Mr. Cohen.”
Note to self: spend more time finding out about Quinn’s business ventures and less time drooling over his body.
“Well, thank you, sir, have a nice day.”
“Miss, I’ve been instructed to wait for a response.”
Signing for a package was normal, waiting for a response … not so normal. I squinted my eyes but he simply nodded toward the package. I removed the lavender roses. Untying the sheer bow, I read the lettering on the dark brown box: Allison’s Gourmet Vegan Truffles. Under the lid was a hand written note.
Dinner 7:00 p.m. tonight?
Quinn
Jeez! No pressure with Mr. Suit waiting for an answer, I decided to stall. Removing the protective cover I offered a truffle to him.
“No, thank you, Miss.”
“Oh come on, it will speed up my response. Please?”
He reluctantly took one and plopped the whole thing into his mouth. I, on the other hand, bit it in half and invariably ended up with a creamy fruit filling dripping down my shirt.
“Oh Crap!” I laughed, wiping my chin, while trying to chew with my mouth closed.
Mr. Suit was savoring his too while struggling to hold back a smile.
“Oh my God, these are so good, right?”
He nodded.
“That answers that. You can tell Mr. Cohen my response is … yes.”
“Very well, Miss Brecken, seven o’clock it is. Mr. Cohen said to wear something nice.”
I smiled.
Nice?
I wasn’t sure how to interpret that, but I had all day to figure it out.
*
It was almost six-thirty and I was second—more like tenth—guessing my choice of attire. The winner was a basic black, halter dress with a fitted bodice and a flared skirt that fell an inch above my knee. A plunge back revealed ample skin, which I initially covered with a sheer wrap then decided to ditch it at the last minute. Maybe I should have thrown on a muumuu and saved the inevitable heartache that was Quinten Cohen. As I buckled the wide black strap of my four inch, wedge open-toed Stella McCartney shoes around my ankle, the door buzzed.
Stepping out the door I expected to see Mr. Suit waiting by the black Bentley, but the man at the bottom of my stairs dressed in a platinum suit, pinstriped shirt, black tie, and sexy, perfect white smile was none other than my seductive new acquaintance.
“Quinn,” I breathed, but just barely to myself. A mixed cocktail of emotions warred in my head: guilt, fear, anxiety, lust, desire, and need. The kind of need that was a physical craving. A craving to touch and be touched. Steadying my shaky legs I took my first step, a st
ep that felt like a gigantic leap.
He watched me slowly make my way down the stairs and everything in me was screaming to run back inside, shut the door, and move to a remote village in China. My body, being the ultimate traitor, kept moving forward like it was being pulled by a magnetic force. I watched him take me in with a look of pure pleasure.
“Cat got your tongue, Mr. Cohen?”
He unapologetically raked his dark eyes over my entire body. I noticed him giving me a slight nod while wetting his lips seductively with his tongue. “I wanted to take you to dinner but what you’re wearing implies we should head back up those stairs.”
Flirting was a game I knew well: bashful smiles, stolen glances, a nervous laugh. Quinn was not flirting. He was fucking me with his eyes. He was the calm, calculated predator and I was his nervous prey.
“Your uh … driver, chauffeur, whatever, said to dress nice.”
“Mmm, yes, well I have to confess I had you pegged for nice being a sundress with flip flops. This …” he stepped to the side to see nothing but the bare skin of my back, shook his head, and held his breath for moment “ …this is … distracting.”
“Well, enough ogling, eyes up here, big guy.”
“Big guy, huh? We haven’t even gotten to that part of the evening yet, but I can assure you, I won’t disappoint.”
“Presumptuous much?”
“Not at all. You’re full of too many surprises.”
“Speaking of surprises, are we dumpster diving for dinner or was I supposed to pack a granola bar? I don’t see your car anywhere but we can take mine.”
“No need to drive.” He offered his arm and I willingly accepted it. We walked to the front of the building and crossed the street to the lake front.
I stopped when I looked down at the pier and saw a sheer round tent with gold Chinese lanterns enveloping a single candlelit table and two white fabric wrapped chairs. I was in shock but my heart knew better than to show it.
“Oh jeez, same old private dinner on the pier date. You’d think guys these days would try to be a little more original.”
Quinn dropped his shoulders, head shaking it in defeat. “Gonna make me work for every inch, aren’t you?”