by Mia Sosa
“Can I get a pass on that one?” he asked.
She covered her grin with her hand. “Definitely. It was too painful to acknowledge.”
“Let’s move on then. Is Mimi your real name?”
“No.”
“Okay. We’re playing twenty questions then. Does your real name start with an M?”
“No.”
He tapped at the steering wheel as he drove. “Give me a clue.”
“It starts with an A.”
“Too easy.”
“Har-har. It’s Amelia, all right?”
“Amelia. I like it.”
“Don’t think you’re going to use it, Vargas. It won’t endear me to you.”
“No, I’d never. Amelia is the PR professional who doesn’t know how to crack a smile. Mimi is the funny and sassy badass with a judgmental streak.”
She twisted her upper body to face him. “I’m not judgmental.”
“You told me once your father’s delusional. Must have picked up the trait from him then.”
She laughed. “Touché.”
Minutes later, they reached the restaurant. Daniel handed his key to the valet attendant before placing his hand on her lower back and steering her into the building.
“Wait here,” he told her once they’d made it inside the vestibule. Then he squeezed past the other guests waiting to be seated and spoke with the hostess.
Mimi’s eyes adjusted to the muted lighting as she surveyed the space. Co Co. Sala’s interior seduced the senses. The aroma of melted chocolate permeated the air and filled her nostrils. The décor, a combination of fixtures, tables, and booths in reds, blacks, and golds, complemented the sumptuous curtains that separated the sections of the dining room. Candlelit sconces gave the room a soft glow. Everything about the place made her feel warm and cozy—and slightly aroused.
When he returned, Mimi took in his satisfied smile and snorted. “Why’d you decide to bring me here?”
“Why wouldn’t I? This place has great food.”
“Yes, served on a bed of sex.”
“Get your mind out of the gutter, Mimi.”
The hostess escorted them past the main dining area to a private room near the restaurant’s kitchen. There, she drew back a curtain to reveal a single table in the center of the room. “Your server will be with you shortly.”
“We’re eating alone?” Mimi asked as he pushed in her chair.
“We are.”
“Any particular reason why?”
“Because you’re worth my undivided attention.”
“Laying it on a little thick for a friendly dinner, don’t you think?”
“Yeah. About that—”
She leaned in. “I knew it. You have seduction on the brain.”
“Can you hear me out before you start making assumptions?”
“Sure,” she said.
Their server chose that moment to draw back the curtain. “Good evening,” he said as he handed them their menus, each a single page printed on heavy butterscotch cardstock. “My name’s Jasper. I’ll be your server this evening. May I start you off with a cocktail?”
Daniel picked up the cocktail menu and handed it to her. “For you, I recommend the Fetish.”
Mimi read the description and nodded. “You had me at chocolate-infused vodka and strawberry foam. Sounds perfect.”
“And you, sir?” Jasper asked.
Daniel took a sip of water. “I’ll have the Libido.”
Mimi snickered. “Are you sure that’s wise? Any more of that could be dangerous.”
“Any more of that sauciness and you’ll need a bib.”
Jasper cleared his throat. “Do you need a few minutes with the menu?”
“Yes,” Daniel said.
With Jasper gone, Mimi circled back to Daniel’s seductions plans. “So you were about to explain why you chose this place.”
“Right. So I’ve been thinking about your rules, and it occurs to me that I can help you.”
Mimi blinked. “You want to help me with my rules.” She narrowed her eyes. “How?”
“There’s a school of thought on rule-based learning that argues rules aren’t really rules unless your adherence to them is tested.”
Mimi pressed her lips together to stop herself from smiling. “Is that so? Tell me more.”
“The idea is that you can make up rules to live by, but they’re meaningless unless you’re actually challenged to follow them. Let’s take an example. Say you make up a rule that you’ll never drive your car over fifty-five miles per hour. Fine. But if your car isn’t capable of going over fifty-five miles, your rule has no true meaning.”
“Okay. So how does that help me?”
“Well, unless you’re tested to break your dating rules, they’re pointless. But don’t despair. I volunteer to help you test them.”
She set aside her menu. “What does testing the rules entail exactly?”
“I try to seduce you. You try to follow your rules. I’m the perfect candidate, too.”
“Oh, yeah? Why’s that?”
“With me, you can test all three rules: Never date someone you’ve met through your friends, never date a man who reminds you of your father, and never mix business with pleasure. You have to admit, it’s like someone handpicked me for the task.”
“You,” she said laughing. “You handpicked yourself for the task. And you totally made all that shit up about rule-based learning.”
“Sounded good, though, right?”
“It was entertaining, I’ll give you that.”
And it really was. She couldn’t remember having this much fun on any other date. Wait. Not a date. Dinner with a friend. No, a client. Whatever.
Jasper returned with their drinks. “Ready to order?”
Mimi picked up the menu. “Sorry. I haven’t had a chance to look at it.”
“I’ll come back in a few minutes.”
Daniel watched Jasper leave. “My point remains. I’ll try to seduce you. You’ll try to resist.”
“Because you think you’ll make me cave?”
“Because I think you want to cave. If it turns out you’re able to resist me, then I’ll move on. It’s a simple proposition. Unless you’re not up for the challenge?”
“Hardly. Resisting you is as easy as taking a dirty diaper from a baby.”
“Disgusting.”
“True.”
“Care to test that theory?”
She was strong. She was woman. Hell, she could almost hear herself roar in her head. Plus, once the week was over, she’d prove to him—and more importantly, to herself— that she could resist him. And if she were being honest with herself, she might even admit that she wanted an excuse not to resist him. If only for a little while. After all, she was human, wasn’t she? Okay then. Let’s do this, Mimi. “Sure. You have a week.”
“A week to convince you to date me?”
Where’s the fun in that? “No, a week to convince me to sleep with you.”
“My fragile sensibilities can’t handle such frank talk, Ms. Pennington.”
“Kill it, Vargas.”
“Okay. Well, if you’re only giving me a week, do you mind if I give you a few menu recommendations?”
“I’d love them.”
“Start with the oysters on the half shell.”
“Ah. An aphrodisiac. Of course.”
“Next you’ll want the cocoa-dusted salmon with asparagus tips. And finally, for dessert consider the Latin Love Affair. I typically draw a bright line between Latin and Latino, but tonight, they’re close enough.”
Mimi hid her face. “Oh, my God, you went there.”
“I’m doing my best to make you cave.”
“Why?”
“Because you’re like no one I’ve ever met, and I think we would be incredible together.”
“Incredible together? But you ditched me in Puerto Rico.”
“For a very good reason.”
“You don’t want to be just another guy in my l
ife, right?”
“Exactly.”
In truth, he wasn’t. But she could hardly admit that to herself, so telling him was out of the question. “Well, guess what? You got your wish. Now you’re my client.”
He narrowed his eyes and opened his mouth to respond—to challenge her, she was sure—but Jasper interrupted their conversation.
“Ready to order?” he asked.
Daniel sent her an inquiring look.
“I am,” Mimi told Jasper. “I’ll start with the oysters on the half shell. Then I’ll have the salmon.”
Daniel lifted a brow. “I’ll have the same.”
“Very good,” Jasper said. He pivoted and left them alone again.
“Is asparagus an aphrodisiac, too?” she asked.
“It is.”
She leaned forward and gave him a wicked grin. “You know what they say about asparagus, right?”
He shook his head. “No. What?”
“It’s bad for oral sex. Leaves a bitter taste in your mouth.”
He pursed his lips and gave her a conspiratorial wink. “When your dinner arrives, I’ll personally remove the asparagus from your plate then.”
She fell back in laughter. “That’s a good idea. Plus, I hate when they’re limp. When they’re firm, though? Mwua. Perfecto.”
“You’re messing with me.”
Her belly shook as she wiped the tears from her eyes. “I am.”
After a brief moment of silence, he cleared his throat. “I want to know more about you, Mimi. Any brothers? Sisters?”
“I’m an only child.”
And she was just fine with that. Really.
“Tell me about your parents.”
There wasn’t much to say. “My mother’s a doormat. My father’s a jerk. The end.”
“And I remind you of him?”
Not anymore. Daniel’s radar for jerk behavior sometimes malfunctioned, but she suspected he was a good guy at heart. “Now, not as much, but when I first met you, yes. He’s a little too perfect on the outside. And he’s charming, always the life of the party. But he’s lost his moral compass, and he expects everyone, including me, to ignore that fact. I can’t.”
“Do you see them often?”
She twisted the cloth napkin in her hands. “No. Two, three times a year. My father can’t be bothered to be home that often, and my mother…she always seems uncomfortable when I’m around, like she can’t think of a thing to say to me. They trot me out every once in a while for important events. I’ll be going home soon for one of those.”
The truth sounded depressing to her own ears, so he probably felt sorry for her. His face, however, remained impassive.
“Where’s home?” he asked.
“Austin.”
He tapped his finger against his lips. “Ah.”
Her gaze momentarily fixed on the movement, she had to shake her head to continue. Roar, woman. Roar. “What about your parents?”
“They live more than half the year in the States and the rest in Puerto Rico. But they’re slowly making the transition to living here full-time. The economy is so broken there, they feel they have no other choice.”
“Did you grow up here?”
He nodded. “I did.”
“And did you grow up with Gracie?”
“Not at all.” He chuckled. “Her parents and mine met at the church’s Bingo Night a few years ago. They’ve been inseparable ever since.”
“Any other siblings?”
“No. Just the one.”
He ran his finger over the rim of his glass, staring at the water in it. If he wanted to share the details of his sister’s death, she’d listen. But she wouldn’t push.
The murmurs of the patrons in the other room intruded on the quiet moment. His Adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed air. Finally, he spoke. “She committed suicide. My twin.” He squeezed his eyes shut and opened them, looking directly at her as though he were drawing strength from the fact that she was there. “My twin…committed…suicide.” His voice tripped on the statement, each subsequent word harsher than the one that preceded it.
Mimi struggled to think of an appropriate response. Damn, she was so bad at this. Would a squeeze of his hand be okay here? Or too intimate? And where the hell did all this second-guessing come from? Frustrated with herself, she set aside her misgivings about initiating physical contact, leaned toward him, and set her hand atop his. “I’m so sorry, Daniel.”
His eyes, which had been glazed only seconds ago, cleared. “Not your fault obviously. Anyway, I don’t talk about it much, but it’s come up twice between us, so…”
Jasper swept in with their appetizers, and Daniel rubbed his hands in anticipation. After inspecting his plate, Daniel gave their waiter a broad smile. “Perfect.”
If she hadn’t been a part of it, she would have seriously questioned whether that difficult exchange had just occurred. But now she knew unimaginable pain remained hidden behind his easy smiles and infectious charm. It made her question the conclusions she’d drawn about him. Made her wonder how much of the man she’d seen in public differed from the man he was in private. Which wasn’t helpful to her cause at all.
They spent the remainder of their dinner discussing lighter subjects. His high school years. Her unsuccessful attempts at horseback riding when she was in grade school. They veered into dangerous territory only once, over dessert, when he asked her whether she’d ever been in a serious relationship.
“Never,” she said.
“Never?”
“Well, I’ve had boyfriends. But anything serious? No.”
“Their choice or yours?”
She stared at her water glass. “Initially, theirs. After a few false starts, I figured out that I was doomed to be either arm candy or a one-night stand. So I chose to make them my one-night stands.” When she dared to gauge his reaction, she was surprised not to see any sign of disapproval. “What about you?”
“I had a girlfriend in high school. I convinced myself we’d marry after college. But then she went to California. And we were young and stupid. It’s the rare eighteen-year-old who can manage a long-distance relationship.”
“Let me guess, you’ve been collecting notches on your belt ever since.”
His expression turned grim. “No more than you, is my guess. But I’m not judging you like you’re judging me.”
He was right, of course. Nothing like having your hypocrisy shoved in your face across a candlelit table to make you immediately contrite. “Sorry. That was unfair of me.”
After taking a sip of his water, he shook his head. “That’s your pass for the evening. And just for the record, I know how to be with and stay faithful to one person, so I’m not averse to monogamy.”
“Yes, well, would you look at the time?” She made a show of inspecting her wrist—which had no watch.
He smirked. Because that’s what he always did. That damnable smirk made her want to travel back to the mud run earlier today so she could cover his head in wet dirt again.
He motioned for Jasper’s attention.
Jasper, who’d been standing outside the gauzy curtain, rushed to their table. “Sir?”
“We’re done, Jasper. I took care of the tab in advance.” Daniel reached into his pocket and pulled out his valet ticket. “Could you ask the valet to bring my car around?”
“Certainly, Mr. Vargas. Was everything to your liking, sir? Madam?”
“It was wonderful,” Mimi told him.
Daniel’s lazy gaze roamed over her face. “Perfect, in fact.”
“Careful, Casanova, don’t hurt yourself with that smoldering stare.”
“Too much?”
“Yep.”
He laughed, and she joined him.
But the situation wasn’t as funny as she pretended it was. Because he was getting to her. And she really was tempted to cave.
* * *
Mimi smoothed her skirt as she sat in the passenger seat. “I had a nice time.”
> “Don’t sound so surprised.”
He stared out the windshield, his gaze following the activity on her block. He’d turned off the engine, and the car’s interior lighting had dimmed, leaving his profile visible only by the light of the nearby streetlamps. “Do you ever think about that night?”
Her throat constricted, refusing to help her admit how often she’d thought about it. So she settled for a stripped-down version of the truth. “Yes.”
“I do, too.” He squinted as he focused on one of her neighbors walking his dog. “I think about it a lot.”
Talking about that night was dangerous, especially this close to her home. Time to go. “Thanks for a lovely time. I should head in.”
“Sure. Let me walk you to your door.”
She’d opened the car door and had one foot on the sidewalk before he’d unlatched his seat belt.
She mumbled good night, practically sprinting to her building and then dashing up the steps, keys in hand.
“Mimi, wait,” he said behind her.
She fumbled with her keys as she tried to get inside. “Dammit.”
His hand closed over hers. “I’ll help you.”
He fit the key into the lock with ease and swung the building door open for her. “Have a good night.”
“You do the same, Daniel.”
After she closed the door, all her emotions—good, bad, and definitely not indifferent—rushed out in a tangled mess. She stood in the vestibule, rested her head against the wall, and released the breath she’d been holding. It would have been so easy to ask him in. But she’d only regret it later.
She jumped when he knocked on the door. Wide-eyed, she undid the lock and peeked out. “What is it?”
He stood outside the doorway, a tight expression making his cheekbones more prominent. “I saw you standing there. Are you thinking about it?”
Without much thought, she took a step back, letting him in. “It?”
He crossed the threshold and crowded her with his body. “Us.”
“Yes. I was thinking about all the reasons why being with you is a bad idea.”
He snaked his hand around her neck and pulled her flush against him. “How many did you come up with?”
“Quite a few.”
He caressed her jaw with his fingers and then trailed his thumb across her mouth.
She parted her lips—to say what, she suddenly couldn’t recall—and he pressed his own lips against hers, licking his way inside. In a fog, Mimi closed her eyes, her lids weighed down by the intensity of their kiss. “This isn’t a good idea,” she whispered against his mouth. Her hands had missed the memo, however, and grasped the front of his shirt, drawing him closer. She wanted to lose herself in him, but her brain remained her last defense.
