Maybe I could fuck her before dinner, in that cute, beat-up little car. Or on the hood of it, in front of whoever passes by.
I’m getting myself worked up.
Alex emerges from the car in a tight-fitting red dress with bare shoulders and crisscross straps around the neck, covering bruises. The dress stops mid-thigh and it’s doing nothing to help the ache in my balls.
I step out of my car, a silver Audi I chose for this occasion, and look her up and down. “Wow.”
“My eyes are up here, Settimo.”
I couldn’t give a fuck about your eyes.I almost say it out loud before remembering I’m supposed to be charming.
I meet her gaze and burn when I see desire rivaling mine.
“You look… stunning,” I say, although stunning isn’t quite the word I’m searching for. I don’t think there is a word for what Alex does to me.
“Thanks.” She blushes. “You don’t look so bad yourself.”
I lick my thumb and rub the paint smudge from her cheek. “Did some painting, huh?”
“Oh, yeah.” She touches her cheek. “Got a little caught up in it. Sorry I was late.”
“What were you painting?” I ask. I hope it was me. I shouldn’t hope for that. The less she’s interested in me, the less I’ll hurt her. But I hope for it anyway.
A look of horror flashes across her face for a moment, so she must know what I’m thinking. She composes herself and shrugs. “Just a project for class. Nothing special.”
“Nothing special?”
“It’s abstract. So it isn’t really anything.” She tucks her hair behind her ear and breaks eye contact to look to her left. “We’ve been doing portraits a lot lately in another class, so I’ve been practicing those like crazy. I’ve pretty much drawn every person I’ve ever known.”
Alex chuckles and looks back to me nervously. She is hands down the worst liar I’ve ever met. How could I have suspected her of anything malicious?
I nod, mercifully accepting the lie. “Cool.”
“Yeah, so should we…” She extends her hand toward the car.
I look her up and down to gauge where it is we should be heading.
Fuck the reservation. I have someplace better.
I walk her around the car and open her door for her, pulling the roses from the passenger seat and handing them to her before helping her in.
“Oh my God,” she gasps as she takes them. “They’re beautiful… Thank you.”
What is that in her voice? Genuine gratitude, but something else. Sadness?
“Of course.” I smile and lean down to plant a kiss on her lips. Her face is the same shade as the roses. “Anything for you, beautiful.”
14
ALEX
Ilaugh so hard that I snort and cover a hand over my mouth. Settimo’s grin widens, and he shakes his head.
“You are so easy to amuse."
I wipe a tear from my eye and try to come down from my laughter. He’s right, I’m making this way too easy for him. I’m a schoolgirl giggling at everything her crush says, and as much as I made fun of that girl in high school, I get it. I totally get it.
I wipe under my eyes once more and take a sip of my red wine.