Tim stills for a moment.
“Do you usually give lap dances in the private room?” he asks in a low voice.
I blush as I meet the fire in his gaze. “No,” I whisper. “You were the first.”
Possession flares in those blue eyes and he subtly shifts closer to me in the booth. Then he bends his black head, putting his lips close to my ear. “Good,” he rasps. “Because I don’t want you to do those anymore.”
His voice sends delicious shivers down my spine, his breath hot on my neck. All at once, I’m transported back to the room at the Krazy Kat, and I remember the magical way he controlled and dominated my body. I look up at the handsome man, wanting nothing more than to experience a repeat of that night, and he reads my mind, silently sliding a big hand up my thigh. But at that moment, our server returns with our food, and we pull apart, both of us breathing hard.
“That was close,” he grins after the waiter leaves.
“Too close,” I whisper, blushing hotly.
“But I like it,” he says in a low voice. Then, he bites into his steak like nothing’s wrong. “So what got you interested in becoming a florist?” he asks, as if we weren’t just about to make love right in the middle of the restaurant.
I stammer a bit, unable to recover my cool so quickly.
“My grandma,” I say. “She always had gorgeous gardens, and she grew pretty much everything. My mom also had a bit of a green thumb, and together they taught me everything I know. Right now, my apartment is filled with plants, but I’d like to have an outdoor garden of my own someday too. It would be wonderful.”
Tim nods thoughtfully.
“Any siblings share this hobby of yours?”
I almost choke on my sip of wine but manage to get a hold of myself. “Nope. None. What about you?”
Oh no, why did I say that? I open my mouth to correct myself, but Tim’s already started talking again.
“No, no siblings at all. Oh wait a minute. I had a step-sister a long time ago, but we fell out of touch after our parents divorced,” he frowns. “I wonder where she is now?”
I almost choke on my ravioli.
“Um, oh, I see. Do you, um… do you ever miss her?” I ask in a rush, holding my breath as I wait for the answer. I know I’m playing with fire right now, but I can’t help it. I have to know what Tim thought of me back then.
He thinks for a moment, merely contemplating.
“Not really, to be honest. We didn’t interact because I was a lot older than her, so we weren’t exactly peers. Plus, our parents weren’t married for very long either, so our paths didn’t cross much. But come to think of it, I think she was really into plants and flowers too.” He pauses for a moment. “She was a sweet kid, but honestly, I can barely remember her name right now. I think it was Angela. Or was it Melissa?”
My heart drops. I knew it. My stepbrother barely noticed me back then, and it’s embarrassing to realize he doesn’t even remember my name.
“Well, wherever she is, I’m sure she’s fine,” I say in a low voice. Then I shake myself and ask in a perky voice. “So what made you want to be an EMT?”
With that, the conversation flows onto the next subject and the rest of the date passes without a hitch. I laugh at some of his more ridiculous stories of being an EMT, and I also share some of the silly things that have happened at the Krazy Kat.
“No way,” he says, his fork paused in mid-air.
“Yes way,” I retort sassily. “I didn’t see it myself, but Marlene, my best friend at the club, told me that by the time it was over, they had to disinfect the place with an electrostatic sprayer. It was that debauched and dirty.”
Tim shakes his head, taking another bite of steak.
“I don’t know if I want you working there at all anymore, sweetheart. Definitely not the back rooms, but even the front is starting to be too much.”
I laugh merrily.
“Trust me, all’s well that ends well. Nothing was permanently damaged, but yes, some of the girls at the Krazy Kat are insane. But only in a good way!” I add with a smile. “They’re my friends.”
He nods, smiling a little.
“But still, I’m serious honey. Is Amazing Blooms picking up financially? How much longer do you have at the Krazy Kat? Can I help?”
I stop, my throat going dry.
“Help how?”
He shrugs by sipping at his wine for a moment.
“Can I give you money?” he asks in a low voice. “I’m happy to, Lina. I make plenty as an EMT, and I’m a single guy. I have very few expenses. Let me help you, baby girl.”