Especially since my extra large boobs were the main reason most boys wanted to date me in the first place.
But I was a grown woman. A grown woman with a curvy figure and the knowledge that most men grew up between high school and their thirties. Not all, but most.
“I always loved the way the world looks from the top of a rollercoaster. That pause of a few seconds before all the tension releases and you plummet through the rest of the ride.”
“Yeah, when the world rushes up at you and you pray the track holds.”
Hunter laughed and tipped my chin up. “If you’re really freaked out by this, we can do something else. Like bumper cars.”
I groaned as his eyes dipped to my chest. “Really? Are you that big of a pig?”
He shrugged, but his eyes sparkled with mischief. “I’m really just a big kid. And I can’t help but drool when I see a beautiful woman.”
“Hey,” I said, tipping his chin up. “My eyes are up here.”
He winked at me and scooted along the rail, keeping me between his thighs as he moved. “I’m just messing with you.”
“Uh huh. We’ll see about that.”
He shook his head and laughed. I had to admit I liked the sound of his laugh. I really did believe he was screwing around, and it was refreshing to have a guy not try to play that he wasn’t staring at my breasts all the time.
It was also annoying when that was all they did.
“So, tell me about the best date you’ve ever been on.”
“Seriously?” I asked. “Why would you want to know that?”
“I told you. I like to size up my competition.”
I stared at him for a few seconds before I realized he was completely serious. With a head shake, I thought back to the date I’d compared all others to for years. “He was a friend of my sister’s, another doctor. I really didn’t want to go out with him, but she convinced me that he liked me a lot. We’d met a few times, but I didn’t know him well. I finally agreed, and I was really happy I did.”
“Why?”
“He was funny. I really wasn’t sure if he would have a sense of humor because my sister is kind of dry. She’s always so focused on work, and I figured if she picked him for me, he would be like her. But he was sweet and entertaining. I really liked him.”
“Where did you go on your date?” Hunter asked, sliding along the rail further.
“He picked me up, which was kind of nice. We went rollerskating along the lake first. It was a beautiful day and getting outside was nice since we were both inside for work all the time. I fell a few times, but he held my hand and we skated together. It was sweet. Then we took the ferry to the outer harbor and found dinner at a food truck. We sat and talked and got to know each other. On our way home, we went to a karaoke bar and chose songs for each other to sing.”
Hunter hopped down from the rail and extended his hand. I took it, confused. “Well, it was nice to meet you. I’m afraid I’ll never top that.”
I smiled. “Did I forget to mention that we broke up because he chose work over me one too many times?”
Hunter’s eyes turned sad and regretful. “You deserve more than that.”
I nodded. “Damn right, I do. I liked him a lot.”
“Did you love him?”
“Maybe. I was getting there, at least.”
“Well, shit. I fucked this up.”
I laughed. “No, it’s fine. I don’t like to dwell on the past. He was a lot of fun when he was around, but he was married to his work.”
“So I still have a shot?” he teased.
I shrugged. “We’ll see how the rest of the date goes.”
He rubbed his hands together. “A challenge? I can handle that.”
He tipped my chin up and lowered his head at the same time, claiming my lips in a soft kiss that made me forget about the rollercoaster, and Dan, and everything around us. Someone behind us finally shouted for us to move forward, breaking our kiss. But the date was quickly edging toward the number one position.
The rollercoaster wasn’t bad. It didn’t go upside down so there was a lap belt instead of an over-the-shoulder harness. Hunter’s thighs were so big, and his legs so long, that the bar didn’t come close to hitting me. I almost felt small.
Hunter dragged me from one rollercoaster to another, stopping in between to share kisses and a few stolen moments where we felt like the only people in the crowded place. By the time we left the park, I was more than a little anxious to move things to phase three.
“What’s next?” I asked when we pulled out of the parking lot onto the quiet back road.
He looked over at me with a grin that said his mind went the same place mine did.
“I’m not sleeping with you on the first date,” I declared.
His grin widened. “I’d be disappointed if you did. I was thinking I should feed you again.” His stomach growled. “Okay, fine. I’m starving and want to appear chivalrous.”
I laughed. “I could eat.”
He pulled into the parking lot of a small diner that looked like it had seen better days. When he made a move to get out of the car, I reached for his arm.
“Are you sure about this place?”
He glanced from me to the diner and laughed. “Yeah, I’m sure. Trust me, Vicki.”
With a deep breath, I got out of the car and followed him to the door. He held it open for me, letting me enter ahead of him. The first thing I noticed was the smell. It wasn’t the overwhelming greasy scent I expected from a roadside diner. I could smell food cooking, but it smelled like freshly baked bread and the sugary scent of something sweet, with hints of other foods.
As my eyes adjusted from the bright sunlight outside, I saw a purple and black checkerboard floor, black booths lining the wall beneath windows, and a gleaming silver bar with purple vinyl stools lining the front. It was kitschy, with a chalkboard menu, giant silverware decorations, and handpainted plates on the walls. A large baker’s rack sat in the corner with a coffee pot and a sign saying, ‘Take it or leave it, but don’t leave it empty.’
“This place is fascinating,” I murmured.
Hunter chuckled and guided me to two stools at the counter. A waitress came over almost immediately and leaned across the counter to kiss his cheek.
“Hey, honey. How are you?”
“I’m good, Aunt Shirley. You’re busy today.”
Aunt Shirley nodded. “Always. Who’s your friend?”
“This is Vicki Prescott. She works for the company that’s fixing up my space.”
She extended her hand to me and shook with a firm grip and a fierce look in her eye. “Be good to my boy.”
I nodded, but didn’t say anything. What was there to say? He brought me to meet his family on our first date? Yeah, I was freaking out just a bit.
“What can I get you guys?” she asked, focusing back on Hunter.
“Bacon cheeseburger for me. Fries. And a chocolate milkshake.”
Aunt Shirley shook her head. “You never try anything new. You’ve been eating the same thing since you were eight.”
Hunter grinned. “I know what I like.”
She rolled her eyes then looked at me.
“I’ll have the same,” I blurted, too overwhelmed to think about food. Plus, I wanted her to leave so I could demand an explanation.
“Alright. I’ll have it up in a few.”
She walked off, and I turned on Hunter. “You brought me to meet your aunt?”
He shrugged like it was no big deal. “I have goals, too. I need to make sure you’ll fit in with my family. And not just see me for the suit you think I am.”
I narrowed my eyes at him. “This is a test?”
He shook his head. “Of course not. This is the best food between here and Winterville. And I wanted you to see that there’s more to me than you see.”
“So what do you do?”
He grinned. “How about this? If you guess, I’ll tell you. If not, we’ll keep it a mystery.”
I held his gaze until we both started laughing. “Fine, but this is going to be easy. You’re a developer.”
He laughed. “Nope.”
“Seriously?” He shook his head. “Are you going to tell me if I actually guess?”
“Of course.”
Aunt Shirley brought over our milkshakes, halting our conversation for a minute. I took a sip, sucking hard to get the thick shake up the straw. I felt Hunter’s eyes on me and turned to look at him.
“I shouldn’t have brought you here,” he said against my ear.
“Why not?”
He ran his tongue over the shell of my ear. “Seeing you suck that hard is doing some dangerous things to me.”
I laughed and rolled my eyes, but peeked at the tent in his shorts. Damn.
He picked up his spoon and held my gaze. He dipped it into his milkshake and slid the bite in his mouth. Still watching me, he licked the spoon clean, and I had to admit, the place was dangerous.
“I’m not sleeping with you on our first date,” I reminded him.
He grinned. “Who said anything about sleeping?”
“You’re dangerous, not this place.”
“Maybe we both are.”
I pulled in a deep breath and steered the conversation back to safer topics, like his job. “Are you a stripper?”
He choked. “What?”
I shrugged. “You seem to think I won’t be able to guess what you do. I figured I’d guess the most random job.”
He chuckled. “No, I’m not a stripper.”
“Teacher?”
Head shake.
“Doctor? Lawyer? Business manager?”
Head shake.
“Radio personality? Musician? Personal trainer?”
He laughed and shook his head again.
“Can you give me a hint?”
“Nope.”
“Why don’t you want me to know what you do?”
He smiled. “Because I have the same concerns as you. I need to make sure things will work out before we go all in. It took me three tries to get you to go out with me. Most women see the job title and forget who I am underneath.”
“You’ve been screwed also.”
He nodded. “More than once.”
“Well, maybe I should stop guessing and just wait until you want to tell me.”
He grinned. “Up to you.”
I leaned in closer to him. “Well, I was having more fun with my milkshake.”
His eyes widened and followed my lips. I slowly wrapped them around the straw and sucked hard. The milkshake broke free and went straight down my throat, and I choked.
Just my damn luck.
Hunter pounded on my back as I coughed the milkshake out of my lungs. Thankfully, I didn’t spit any out, but it was close. When I could breathe again, he was laughing at me.
“You’re going to laugh at me after my brush with death.”
He nodded. “Yep, because there’s nothing sexier to me than a woman who can suck hard enough to cause an explosion.”
I laughed. “You’re just jealous because it wasn’t you.”
“Damn right I am,” he said, tugging me close and sealing our lips together. I didn’t care about the other people in the diner in that moment, just Hunter. One hand on my thigh and the other around my back. I would have crawled into his lap if I would have fit. Thankfully, Aunt Shirley brought our food over before we got too carried away. She set it down with a hard thunk, startling us apart. She tossed me a glare, but thankfully turned away before my smile broke free.
Hunter laughed and pulled me against his side. He nuzzled against my ear and whispered, “I think she likes you.”
I snorted. “Yeah, right.”
We ate and left before Aunt Shirley could hate me any more.
And somehow, I kept my promise. I did not sleep with him on the first date.
But I’d be lying if I said I didn’t want to.
Chapter 7
When Drew got to work Monday morning, he stopped by my desk. “I need your help. This project I’m working on with Hunter is a little outside my area of expertise. I can do the work, but I’d like another set of eyes on it. I want you to go with me today and walk through it with me and make sure I have things the way you think they should be. Hunter is pretty flexible with the layout, but-”
“You want it perfect,” I finished. Drew was a bit of a perfectionist. It was one of the things I enjoyed the most about working for him. I had the same tendencies, and it was nice to know I wasn’t alone.
“Yeah, I do. Do you have anything else going on today?”
I grinned. “Always, but I can shuffle.”
Drew nodded. “Thanks. Let me get some coffee and go through my email and we’ll head out.”
“Do I need to change?” I asked, knowing most of their worksites were littered with construction debris and were dangerous in a pair of heels.
He shook his head. “Nah. It’s not bad.”
My curiosity piqued, desperate to learn more about Hunter. I knew I said I’d let him tell me what he did when he was comfortable, but I couldn’t exactly tell my boss I wouldn’t help because I was waiting for the client to share what he did for a living.
Getting out of the office and helping with the projects was my favorite part of the job. When Carrie hired me, she shared that the guys had very little vision when it came to overall design and that she’d inserted herself in their projects to make sure they thought about things like outlet placement and lighting design instead of simply following the laws. Yes, they always worked within the law, but many times it made more sense to add an outlet or shift them all a few feet so they still passed inspection but were more user friendly. It was something Carrie felt very strongly about.
When I started working at XD, I understood what she meant. Drew and Xander could see a kitchen, or a bathroom, or an office, and know exactly what needed to be done to make it perfect, but they were frequently scrambling at the end to add in the little things they overlooked at the beginning.
If Drew was asking for help already, it was a bigger project than I realized.
Less than an hour later, we were on our way into town. We chatted about the weekend, during which I carefully avoided any discussion about my date with Hunter. I figured I’d tell Drew about it eventually, if something came of us dating, but I wasn’t ready to talk to him about it yet.
Drew pulled behind a building on Icy Lane not far from the park Hunter and I had lunch at on Saturday. I knew the building sold a few months ago, but never paid it much attention. It wasn’t an area I spent much time in since it was mostly residential. I was even more curious as we walked in the back door.
The saws and hammers echoed through the mostly empty space. I could see out to the front where windows lined the street. Even with all the windows, it was dark inside. Drew walked into the room, stepping over stacks of wood and piles of trash. I followed him, wondering what the hell the huge place was going to be.
“Obviously, we have a pretty blank canvas here, no pun intended. We’re putting in half walls at the front of the space so there’s room for a desk and a register. We’ll add in floating walls also so they can be moved around. I think that’s one of my biggest concerns. I need to figure out lighting that will work with multiple wall positions. That way when things are moved, everything is still highlighted well.”
“Drew, you need to back up a few steps. I have no idea what this place is going to be.”
“Really?” he asked, giving me a look of confusion. I shook my head. “Sorry, I figured you read the file. It’s an art gallery. Local artists only. A place for people to come when they want something made and designed here.”
That made sense with the walls. I could picture it as I looked around. White walls to showcase the colors of the art. Bright lighting, LED to make sure the artwork was both undamaged and illuminated well. And plenty of space to move around and examine each piece.
“What’s the back going
to be?”
A wall was under construction at the rear of the space. It ended at the side of the hallway we’d walked in when we entered. I assumed it was for bathrooms, but as I stood in the front, I was no longer sure what was going on.
“That’s Hunter’s studio,” Drew said, glancing toward where I was headed.
He spun, focusing on the rest of the space, but my brain was stuck on studio. I walked through a framed wall and looked around. Hunter had a studio? Why did he need a studio? What was going on?
“How’s it going today?” I heard him say as I examined his studio space. He and Drew talked while I explored, shamelessly digging into whatever was going on. Canvases lined one wall, some full of color, others blank. An easel stood to the side with a tiny canvas on it. A toolbox, one of those huge red ones, sat next to it with two of the drawers partially opened. I peeked inside and saw stacks of papers with other drawings on them. Charcoal I assumed.
It was all stunning.
I finally went back into the large room to join Drew and Hunter. Hunter’s back was to me so he didn’t notice my approach. When I finally stood next to him, I barely recognized the guy in front of me. Ratty jeans, paint stained t-shirt with almost as many holes as paint splatters. Canvas sneakers covered in more paint. Messy hair.
Was he the same guy that I judged as a workaholic because he wore a three piece suit when he was in the office?
“Well, I brought Vicki down to have another set of eyes on the place,” Drew said with a nod to me.
Hunter spun and jumped, clearly not expecting me to be standing there. His eyes flipped between Drew and I before resting on me. A look of disdain slid onto his face as his arms crossed over his chest.
“I didn’t realize you’d be involved,” he said, almost in accusation.
“Neither did I,” I challenged. “Drew asked me this morning to make sure he got everything right for your studio.”
Stocky & Sumptuous Page 5
