I can’t live my life and hers at the same time—so I’ll just focus on mine.
I assumed my mother would be home that evening or the next night at the latest. She did have a job and had mentioned at some point that she was running low on vacation days. Then again, my mother’s boss was her best friend from high school, so I doubted that she would get fired, even if she didn’t show up. She wouldn’t get paid, which could create a few problems, but my grandparents would bail her out like always—or she would ask me for money. I hoped it wouldn’t come to that because I was doing my best to save up so I could leave Carson Cove after graduation. It was two years way, but living in the city was expensive, and it was going to take a lot to move there on my own. I didn’t want to have to ask anyone else for help. It was important for me to earn my independence.
I’m not sure how Damien fits into that plan—I didn’t expect someone like him to come along…
Falling in love always seemed like an impossible thing that only happened in the movies—real life didn’t have a happy ending unless you found a way to create one that you could live with. I saw how my mother approached dating and never wanted to have my life revolve around a string of relationships that never went anywhere. My mother never seemed to be searching for love—although she did tell me once that she loved my father when they were together. I had never seen any evidence of it, but I didn’t think she was lying—she was too open about everything else to feed me a fantasy.
I found myself staring at my laptop screen, daydreaming about the date—the way I felt when Damien kissed me—and wondering when he was going to call. He mentioned that he would after we shared our final kiss of the evening next to my car, but the hours were ticking away. Worry kicked in about two minutes before my phone lit up, and I felt my heart do a somersault in my chest when I realized it was from him. We made plans for our second date, and I closed my laptop—whatever I needed to work on for school would have to wait. I needed to shower and get ready quickly if I was going to meet him at Cafe Russe in two hours.
At least it’s not as fancy as Moretti’s. I only have one dress that would be appropriate
for a place like that…
I flipped through the outfits in my closet for several minutes before settling on a yellow sundress that was a gift from my grandparents. Once that was settled, I opened my underwear drawer and grabbed a pair of panties—aimlessly, like always—but I hesitated before I tossed them on the bed. I never put much thought into what pair of panties I wore when I left the house—there was no reason to worry about it—nobody was going to see them. It felt like that was dangerously close to changing on my first date with Damien. If he had slid his hand further down my dress—or underneath it—I don’t know how I would have reacted.
I don’t really have anything that I would consider—sexy.
Sex, much like the panties I wore when I left the house, was something that I never really had to think about. I certainly didn’t expect to still be a virgin at twenty-one when I was trying to figure out which guy I was crushing on in high school would be my first, but it never happened. After high school, I settled into a routine that didn’t involve dating. It wasn’t like I was going to meet a guy at Carson City Inn, and my college classes were online, so there were no college mistakes for me to stumble into.
I guess a pair of black panties is the best I can do—at least they don’t look like something that a teenage girl would wear. I really need to go shopping…
Damien was so incredibly hot and the way my body reacted when he kissed me—that gave me a reason to think about sex and what kind of panties I was going to wear on our date. I didn’t know if I could actually go through with it if the evening took us in that direction, but it was impossible to ignore the desire that coursed through my veins when his lips found mine—when he touched me—I felt like a different person in his arms. I doubted that a guy like him got turned down very often when he craved more than a kiss at the end of a date.
I can’t even pretend that I wouldn’t be tempted…
I thought I was running late, but when I got to Cafe Russe, I found out that I was the first to arrive. There was no wait for a table, so I got one on the patio and looked over the menu as I waited for Damien. I could see the door from where I was sitting, and I made sure that the guy at the entrance knew I was expecting someone. I wasn’t seated for long before I saw him walk through the front door—and my heart did a somersault in my chest that felt like it did a few extra rotations than when I got a text message from him.
There was just something magnetic about Damien. The sight of him was enough to make my skin flush to the point it felt like it might start sizzling. None of the guys I crushed on in high school ever had that effect on me. He smiled when he stepped out onto the patio and spotted me—that smile could have melted an iceberg. I always felt like a nobody as I weaved my way through life, but Damien looked at me like I was the only person in the entire world that mattered—and damn if I didn’t believe it in that moment.
“Hello beautiful.” He walked up beside me, traced my arm from the inside of my elbow up to my shoulder, and kissed my cheek.
Well, now my skin is sizzling…
“Hi.” I sort of squeaked out my response because my reply got trapped in my throat.
“Did you already order a drink?” He sat down across from me and reached for the menu.
“No.” I shook my head back and forth. “I just got here.”
The waiter showed up while we were looking at our menu. Damien ordered a beer, and I didn’t see any options for wine, so I ordered a soda. I really don’t like the taste of beer. Cafe Russe specialized in sandwiches, but they had a few other options like burgers, hot dogs, and grilled chicken. One of the sandwiches caught my eye and sounded intriguing—it was called the Chicken Caesar Sandwich, and it was served on crouton bread. That sounded like a really unhealthy version of what I normally enjoyed during my lunch breaks at the Pembroke Hotel, but I wanted to try it. Damien flipped through the menu a few times before settling on a ham and cheese sandwich on white bread with extra Dijon mayonnaise—or dijonnaise according to the menu.
“Did you get all of your schoolwork done?” Damien leaned back in his chair once our orders were placed, and our drinks were served.
“As much as I could.” I nodded. “I’m caught up for a couple of days at least.”
“That’s good.” He took a sip of his beer. “So, you’re all mine tonight?”
“I mean, I still have to work tomorrow.” I looked down and smiled. “What did you have in mind?”
“My grandfather has a villa at Carson Bay—with a private beach and a nice selection of wine.” Damien raised an eyebrow. “I don’t know if it will be as entertaining as the merry-go-round, but it’s a nice place to relax—we could even go swimming if you want.”
“Um, I didn’t exactly pack a swimsuit…” I laughed under my breath.
“What?” Damien feigned shock. “You live in Carson Cove, and you don’t have a swimsuit in your car?”
“Do you?” I raised my eyebrows inquisitively.
“No, but I keep a few at the beach house.” He chuckled. “We can pick something up for you on the way—unless you just want to swing by your place.”