She flushes prettily. “I think I trust you.”
“Good,” I take her hand and kiss it and I’m thrilled to see her blush travel further up her cheeks. She’s precious and I feel a surge of renewed determination to give her the best date possible.
Usually when I try to impress a girl I go for the tacky and expensive - big jewels, expensive restaurants, enough flowers to fill their apartments. That feels like the wrong direction to go with Heather, though. She’s sweet and sincere in a way that the women I see aren’t usually.
I know exactly where I want to take her.
We drive through the city and I can tell how excited Heather is. It’s obvious that she hasn’t been spoiled very much in her life and I want to change that. She certainly seems to have earned it after what’s happened in her life.
We talk about light topics, her job and my ridiculous cousins and before I know it we’re drawing up to park outside a tiny little chocolate shop. I used to come here with my nonna when she was still alive, we would eat cannoli and drink the rich dark hot chocolate in the tall thin glasses.
It’s one of my favorite memories and I know that nothing except something special will do for someone like Heather. I help her out of the car gallantly and take her into the store, grinning as her eyes get very big when she sees the rows upon rows of Italian deserts and handmade chocolates.
“Bambina!” Zia Maria comes bustling out into the shop, wiping her hands on her apron. “You haven’t been here in so long, we’ve missed you. And who is this beauty who stands with you?”
I introduce Heather and chuckle a little as Zia Maria and Zia Rosa bustle around her, trying to find out what chocolate she likes best and offering her tiny delicacies to taste. They were good friends to my nonna and the first lesbians I ever met. I think even when I was very young my nonna knew that I was going to be different and had looked out for me by giving me great role models to look up to.
I feed Heather tiny lime chocolates and she buys the most adorable chocolate teddy bear for Emma and barely protests when I pay for it. After some of the creamiest and most indulgent hot chocolate in the city I bid my goodbyes and sweep us both on to the next place.
When Apollo and Daniella and I were in our teens we promised to always have each others backs. We went to a small jewelers and had three gold bracelets made with all of our initials carved into them. Apollo and I still wear ours and Daniella had hers turns into a charm she wears around her neck.
I take Heather into the small jewelers and we spend ages pouring over the jewelry as she protests she couldn’t possibly accept any such thing from me. I notice that her eyes keep getting drawn back to a delicate filigree silver chain with a single perfect pearl set into a teardrop pendant hanging off it and when she’s distracted by a display of charm bracelets I buy it and slip it into her jacket pocket.
As soon as we’re outside the store I tell her to look and the amazement on her face is enough to make my heart swell.
“What about the theatre?” I ask as we wander further up the street, window shopping. “Is there anything that you’ve been dying to see?”
Heather laughs. “I’ve never been to a Broadway production in my life!”
“Well we have to do something about that. What about Wicked?”
“The one about the Wizard of Oz?”
I am by no means the theatre nerd that Apollo is but even I have to let out an outraged noise at that. “That’s it. We’re going tonight.”
“Won’t they be sold out?” she looks a little dazzled.
“Not for me.” I make a call and before five minutes have passed I’ve got hold of two front row seats. “There. Would you like to come back to mine for dinner before the show?”
She has an admiring look in her eyes that does something amazing for my ego, and when she nods I feel like I’ve won the world. No matter what Stefano says I know that if I can get Heather into bed she’s not going to want to leave me any time soon.
And I can’t deny that this adorable woman is so gorgeous that I’d like to spend a whole day kissing every inch of her body.
We arrive at the flat and I take her all the way up to the penthouse. The tension between us is searing. Heather can’t seem to take her eyes off me and I barely have to ask before we’re bypassing dinner and heading towards the bedroom.
She’s so beautiful it almost takes my breath away, and I’m sure I’m going to be a little of taking her breath away in turn. I wish I could tell Stefano how completely his plan has backfired. Things have never gone better.
Eleven
Heather
I feel a twinge of excitement in my stomach as Rafaela leads me back to the bedroom.
Her bedroom is as big and extravagant as the rest of her home. I start to feel a bit nervous and awkward.
I’ve never done something like this before. Still, I want to so badly with Rafaela.
Her hips sway as she walks me over to the bed. I can’t help but feel a jolt of lust as I watch her. I feel a wetness growing in between my legs.