“I don’t mean to be eating and running, but I do have a place to be.” His underlying meaning was clear and he was referring to quite crassly about giving me pleasure. “I’ve already called a taxi and I really didn’t want to disturb you. You obviously needed your beauty sleep. I mean…you needed to be well rested and I was going to slip out without saying anything. Don’t worry; I know how stupid that was.” I was still feeling the effects of him exploring my flesh. I’d already noticed that there were marks on the inside of my thighs from the way that he was pressing his fingernails into my body.
“You should take the coffee with you. You need it way more than I do. I could use a vitamin C shot.” He was way ahead of me and had the orange juice already poured. He reached back and grabbed it and put it into my hand. The cool surface of the glass was a welcome relief.
“I do believe that I’m going to take you up on your offer. I don’t know if it’s too early, but I would really like to see you again for supper tonight. This time, I would like you to come over to my place and I’ll cook for you. Believe me, I don’t do that for any other girl and you should consider what that means. Do you have any requests, or can I surprise you like you did with me at Antonio’s?” I was actually quite fond of a man cooking for me. I was hoping that he would wear just an apron and nothing more, but maybe that was asking for too much.
“I think that I can manage to be there for 7:00 PM. I didn’t like the way that you went about last night, but the results are undeniable. You have a gift and one that I hope that you will never share with anybody ever again. That might sound obsessive, but you brought it on yourself. All that I know is that you made me cum too many times to count. They blended in with one another and it was a never-ending log ride of pleasure.” I took the coffee from his hands, drinking half of it and then placing it back where it was.
“I don’t see you being the one that is suffering from a hangover. I know that I did this to myself, but I think that everything worked out in the end. We have something here that I would like to try and make into something lasting. I don’t know if that is even possible and I’ve never done anything like this before. This is new territory and I’m going to need your hand to show me the way.” He was the kind of man that was the perfect combination of strength and vulnerability.
“What you are asking is impossible.” I saw the confusion on his face and I was going to have to explain. “I’m exactly like you. I thought at one time that I had found somebody to care for, but I was just settling for second best. We are going to be the blind leading the blind. I’m sure that between the two of us we can figure this out. I’ve known a lot of men that get drunk and do stupid things. They either get too hands on, get silly or angry. What you did last night was make me forget about all of them. There’s a part of me that wants you to continue to drink if that is the way that you’re going to act. I can’t in good conscience do that, but I don’t see any reason why we can’t indulge.” I did enjoy having a few drinks to loosen up and I didn’t want him to go cold Turkey.
“I don’t have a problem if that is what you’re thinking. You’ve met my mother and anybody that meets her usually ends up drinking themselves into a stupor. Living with that tension all of these years has made it impossible for me to have a normal relationship with my parents. I will say one thing and they did give me an appreciation for wine. I have my own small wine cellar. Don’t get too excited, because it’s not that special. I do have a few interesting bottles that you might find to your liking. I’ll have something nice for dinner.” He was at the door and I was reaching out about to tell him everything, but then there was nothing.
I watched him leave; feeling like such an idiot and knowing that I had allowed Lillian to hold this secret hostage over me.
I went to the window with my hand on the glass. It was a good thing that he had only broken one pane. It probably would’ve cost a whole lot more to replace the window than just one small square of glass. I made a few phone calls and finally found one company that was willing to do a rush job for a price.
I called the office and told them that I was going to be late and that I had to take care of something. My boss Wendell was not exactly happy, but he knew that I was the one that was bringing in all the money. There was no way that he was going to bite the hand that fed him and kept him living high on the hog.
I had made up my mind that I was going to tell him everything at dinner. He would probably hate me, throw things and yell, but it was a risk that I was willing to take. I kept thinking about what Lillian had said and how her plans stemmed from me keeping him from learning the truth. After tonight, I was either going to have him on my side or as an enemy.
If I was going to drop this bombshell in his lap, then I was going to have to do something to make it easy to swallow. That mesh outfit was on underneath my clothing. It made me feel naughty to be wearing something so decadent that it was going to knock his socks off. I decided on a black leather dress. It was form fitting and molded to my considerable curves perfectly. I was not taking any chances. I had to let him know that my interest was more than just the job.
I was feeling pretty good about myself. The window was fixed and I had sold three cars in the span of 3-hours because they kept saying that there was something about me that made it hard to resist. It could’ve been the glow of innocence, or it could’ve been those naughty thoughts that I had about Marshall that kept my best feature on high beams. It was not exactly easy to keep those tendencies to myself.
They bled out in ways that included hard nipples that drew the attention of men and women alike. I hardly had to do anything to convince them to buy. That seductive glance came from the way that he had consumed me. My body was screaming sex. Wendell was ecstatic and actually, gave me a fair-sized bonus and one week off paid vacation. I told him that I was going to take it immediately and that I had my eye on this certain ski chalet that I’d always wanted to stay in.
I had made arrangements and was hoping that Marshall was going to join me, but I was putting the cart before the horse. Whatever the hell that meant. I was hoping that he would listen to reason and that we could run away together. It was a little girls’ fairy tale dream. It was something that I’d thought about several times since meeting him but never was able to pull the trigger.
I was standing at his door remembering the last time that I had graced his doorstep and how badly it had gone. I half expected him to have company, but this time it was different. Opening the door, I found him wearing an impeccable suit with no tie. In his hand were a bottle of wine and two long stemmed glasses.
“I don’t think that it’s legal for you to look like that. I’m sure that you had a lot of guys looking at you on the way over here.” He was probably right, but I really wasn’t thinking about them. I was playing over the conversation that was going to turn into a heated argument with a few choice words.
“I have to say that you do clean up well.” He was shaved, showered and smelling like a million bucks. I loved the cut of the blue suit. I had no problem looking at the outline of his package and licking my lips with a desire to quench my thirst. It would’ve been so easy to push him into doing something that wa
s more likely to make him listen to me. I could give him lip service, shower him with affection and then when he was suitably satiated, I could tell him everything that I had on my mind.
That was the coward’s way out, but it would’ve been so pleasurable and at least I could say that I had returned the favor for last night.
“Let me take your jacket. Dinner will be ready shortly. We can enjoy a glass of wine and talk before dinner. I have a few things to say that were left unsaid last night. I wasn’t just saying those words because I thought that you needed to hear them.” He slipped my jacket from around my shoulders and I heard him gasp with seeing the dress that I was wearing. He moved my hair away from my neck; took a whiff of my womanly scent and then lightly touched the tip of his tongue to the nape of my neck. I thought that I was going to collapse into his arms. I managed to control myself for the time being.
“I want you to know that these moments these last few days have been the happiest of my life.” I was preparing the scene, trying my best to pull the Band-Aid off slowly and not startle him like a wounded animal.
“I know when I started to have real feelings for you. It was when you leaped out of the plane and screamed at the top of your lungs. I saw how willing you were to take that leap of faith and it hit me right where it mattered. You scared me and I know that I didn’t act appropriately. I could’ve handled that a whole lot better, but I didn’t know what to do with those feelings. They were new to me and there’s no way that I could express to you all of that.” He opened the wine and we sat down in his living room where I remembered putting my head on his shoulder.
It was comfortable and serene. There didn’t seem to be anything that could break up this feeling like we were supposed to be together forever.
“I appreciate what you have to say, Marshall, but there’s more to it than you realize. I should have told you a long time ago, but I was cowardly. I may seem strong and confident, but underneath, I still have moments where I’m not the person that you think I am.” I was saying the words, but I still hadn’t gotten to the point of the conversation.
The ding of the stove interrupted my thoughts. He took my hand and we went into the dining room. Everything was perfect. He even pulled out my chair, letting me sit down and then retreating to his own side of the table. We were eye to eye. He lifted the lid of each dish. I could smell the aroma of the Italian pasta, garlic bread and this freshly made ravioli that had me looking at him with surprise.
“My grandmother, god rest her soul, taught me some of the finer things of Italian cooking. I sat at her feet and I learned from the master how to make my own pasta. I think that you’ll agree that it is better than the store-bought variety. She always said that everything tastes better made with love.” I was feeling claustrophobic like the walls were closing in on me. I quickly took the glass of wine and downed it in one swallow.
I had a few bites, but I really couldn’t think about food at a time like this. It was delicious and I had to recognize that he had gone out of his way to make this evening special. I had to steel myself for what I was about to say. I knew that I would have the wrath of Lillian down on top of me. I didn’t care anymore and my feelings surpassed any danger that might befall me.
“I’m going to have to say this before I lose my nerve. I was hired by Lillian, Tina, and Julia to make you fall in love with me. They wanted me to break your heart, stomp on it and then leave you to pick up the pieces. I thought that was the extent of it, but Lillian has had it out for you from the moment that you stopped seeing her. She doesn’t just want to break your heart, but she wants to ruin you and leave you penniless.” I could see that the evening had taken an ugly turn. The expression on his face was a mask of euphoria. It was replaced with contempt.
“I’m going to ask you very nicely to leave.” His tone was neutral, but his anger was right there driving like a knife through me by the look in his eyes.