Although I was never the type to be conceited about my looks, I knew it didn’t take much for a man to want me. Especially one I had already had.
“Well how about I just wanted to do your hair to spend time with you before you leave.” Myla confessed as she wiped gel residue onto her purple tie dye shirt. “Sunday is my last day of bedrest.”
“….and I can’t wait. As much as you have been complaining about it.” I used my hands to waft away the smoke that filled the room. “Can you hurry up and put that out? You keep that lit any longer and I’m gonna catch a contact high.”
“Maybe that’s exactly what you need to chill the fuck out.” Myla snapped back.
I paused for a moment in an effort to make sure I could still hear Junior playing video games downstairs.
“Only reason why I’m letting you smoke in here is because I feel sorry for your crippled butt.” Myla turned the stereo up so The Weeknd could continue to encourage her behavior. “I’m sure I’ll have a drink or two wherever we go tonight.”
“Then you wouldn’t mind having a drink with me before you go.” She tempted.
I could see the desperation in Myla’s eyes as I heaved a huge sigh.
“Fine. Why not.” I replied while she went to retrieve the liquid courage.
When she returned I immediately regretted my decision.
“I am not drinking Hennessey before I step out to see this man. You must want me to end up in an alley somewhere.”
Myla rolled her eyes and placed a red Dixie cup in front of me.
“Anything to loosen your tightly wound ass up.”
We laughed together and took our first shot.
“Ugh gross.” I shouted, choking while Myla laughed uncontrollably. “I haven’t done shots since college.”
“We used to do a few rounds worth of shots before our shows.” I watched her down another and take a drag of the blunt. “Kept us from being completely aware of the shit we were doing.”
“Well I need to be somewhat aware because I don’t plan on any do-overs.” I moved a piece of hair away from my face. “Whatever she gets this time will be all I can help her with. Remind me to tell her that I’ll need that footage DELETED once it’s said and done. I’m a counselor at the end of the day.”
“I’m a counselor at the end of the day.” Myla mocked in a high pitched voice.
“Girl bye.” Her making fun of my therapist’s rationale was something I had grown accustomed to. “Are you almost done? I have to leave in ten minutes if I plan to get there on time.”
“What’s wrong with being fashionably late?” Myla questioned, teasing my hair with her fingers. “The baddest bitches always show up fifteen to twenty minutes late.”
“I’m not a bad bitch I’m a LADY.”
I stood up to look at myself in full form before heading downstairs.
“Okay LADY, make sure you get those glamour shots Momma wants!” Myla joked, stepping back to survey her handiwork. “Now go along before I make up another excuse for you to stay.”
When I arrived in the living room, I lightly doused myself in Bora Bora and kissed my son on the forehead.
“You think Mommy looks pretty?” I inquired, kneeling down and pinching my son on the cheek. Out of all the opinions in the world, his would always be the most important.
“The prettiest.” Junior replied with a lisp.
I waved him and Myla goodbye as I prepared to hop in the car for my rendezvous, hopefully the shot I had would last me until I met up with Delano because I was beyond nervous.
*****
When the GPS informed me that I had arrived at my destination, I couldn’t keep my mouth from falling wide open. In the many years that I had lived in Seattle, I never had the experience of dining at Canlis before. The night sky illuminated the glassy modernesque building that stood in front of me. I squinted my eyes and could see people of upper-crust backgrounds eating expensive dinners underneath candlelight. If I was genuinely interested in Delano, this would have put the icing on the cake in the romance department.
I was so entranced by the exterior of the building that I damn near had a heart attack the moment Delano came knocking at my window.
He chuckled at my panic as I rolled down my window.
“You should probably pay more attention to your surroundings.”
“Or maybe you shouldn’t knock on people’s windows without their consent.” I flirted, giving him the once over.
Delano was dressed in a beige Shark suit jacket, white shirt and matching slacks. When he smiled, I could see the mixture of passion and lust in his grin.
I opened my door and placed my right foot forward. Delano extended his hand out for me to grab and we remained that way until we reached the entrance.
“Ladies first.” He swooned, opening the door so I could walk in. In my several years of marriage Pierce never opened the door for me yet I had never really noticed until this moment. They say it’s the little things that let you know how into you a person really is.
“Thank you kind sir.” I goofed, waiting for him to walk in front of me so he could lead the way. “Yet another fine place you’ve picked for us to meet.”
I took a second to look at the décor of the restaurant and knew that the food had to be five-star quality. Good thing I came with an empty stomach.
“So I take it this is another place you’ve never been.” Pierce shook his head with disappointment. “What kind of man were you married to?”
“Obviously someone with mediocre taste.” I replied, beating him to the punch.
“Well..I wouldn’t say that. He chose you.”
If I wasn’t mocha in skin tone, I’m sure he would have seen me blushing from a mile away.
“Will we be serving two tonight?” The friendly blonde-haired waitress asked.
She looked to be about twenty-one but her professionalism made her seem beyond her years.
Delano gave her a simple nod and smiled back at me.
“Right this way.” She responded.
Once we were seated, I wasted no time taking a look at the menu which included anything the mind could imagine.
“This is amazing.” I said in awe, unsure of what to indulge in.
“The ambiance is just the tip of the iceberg.” Delano exclaimed, stopping briefly to order chardonnay for the both of us. “The food is exquisite. Please order anything you want.”
Instead of protesting in my usual “good-girl” fashion, I decided that my yoni was worth the price of any of these meals.
The waitress brought our drinks and prepared to take our orders.
After debating with myself about what to get, I settled on the Black Cod while Delano ordered the dry-aged duck.
Delano took a sip of his wine and leaned forward.
“Now usually this a four course meal type of place but I figured you’d like to see the artwork they have here after dinner.”
I looked up from folding my napkin on my lap and gleamed.
“You know me too well.”
“Not as well as I would like to.”
His comeback made me feel as he if wanted just me. If only for a second.
“What kind of wine is this?” I asked, changing the subject in fear of falling into a conversation about feelings.
“Bruno Piallard” Delano answered taking another taste. “I believe this one is fairly new though. Can’t be more than about ten years old.”
“I forgot that I was sitting across from a wine connoisseur. How do you know about so many?”
“Traveling with my dad when I was boy had its perks.” He winked and used his foot to caress my leg from underneath the table. “That and going on business trips through the years. You should come with me. Be my concubine.”
My mind found the idea entertaining but my heart knew better than to extend our visits past this point.
“Sounds like an adventure.” I lied through pursed lips. “Nothing like being held hostage by a handsome wealthy gentleman such as yourself.”
“Hostage?”
“Bound and gagged.” I confirmed, licking my lips in an attempt to channel my inner slut.
The waitress came back with our food just in time and it was everything that I’d imagine it would be.
I allowed my nostrils to take in the heavenly aroma before pressing my fork and knife into my cod.
“You know, I feel like you know so much about me but I don’t really know much about you.”
Delano’s words hit the nail on the head. Since I didn’t plan on a forever, I didn’t make an effort to tell him anything other than what was necessary.
I chuckled, flipping my hair as if what he was saying could be easily explained.
“I’m sorry, it’s just that as a counselor I am so used to making sure not to counter-transfer.”
“Counselor. Nice.” Delano bit into his cod. “What kind of counselor?”
“Individual but I do offer married services.” I responded.
“Where were you when my marriage was failing?”
“Technically, you still have a chance to salvage that.”
“Not the way I see it.” He sneered, grabbing his glass with trembling hands.
The soft serenade of violins filled the silence that welcomed itself into the conversation.
“Hopefully, I’m not getting in the way.” I reasoned.
“If I wanted her back nothing or no one would get in the way of that.”
In front of me, I saw a duality of things. The hardworking, sweet, debonair, man that he claimed to be and the flashy, manipulative, pompous dog Denise described. Very much like Pierce yet nothing like him at the same time.
“Ivory!” A voice called with footsteps that quickened the closer they got.
My ears perked at the guest who stood to blow my cover in more ways than one.
“Dinner for three?” Tegan offered playfully, first hugging me and extended his hand for Delano to shake.
It was times like this that I needed my girl Myla the most.
CHAPTER 18
“Tegan.” I spoke, looking behind me to spot where he might have come from. The confusion written on his face was enough to let me know he was waiting for some sort of explanation. “What brings you here?”
I had to think quickly or else Delano would end up knowing way more than he needed to.
“Going over somethings with a business associate for the counseling center. You look really nice and who is this?”
I turned my attention to Delano who was watching our interaction and eating his food in silence.
“Delano, this is my close friend Tegan Whitmore. Tegan, this is Delano Gathers.”
T nodded his head to acknowledge Delano.
“She meant her best-friend and it’s nice to meet you man.” He chuckled to ease the tension. “I was joking about pulling up a chair with you guys by the way.”
Delano took a break from his meal to engage in conversation.
“It’s all good. Ivory was just telling me about how she worked as a counselor. I’m assuming you two work together.”
“Yes, we do. He is my supervisor…unfortunately.” I joked, nudging his side playfully.
“Hey, when you need a day or two off it comes in handy.” Tegan spoke, smiling. “It’s so refreshing to see you looking happy and whatnot on your date.”
“That’s not what this is.” I said a little too quickly.
Damn my mouth for not allowing my brain to process what the hell I meant to say.
I didn’t want to seem like a hoe but I didn’t want Tegan to know about what I had going on with Delano. Even though he was my best-friend, his role as counselor supervisor would have frowned upon the idea of me intermixing in “marital chaos” for money and retribution. I also was unsure of how public Denise wanted her broken marriage to be.
“What is it then?”
“Just friends getting to know one another.” I corrected, taking a sip of wine to calm my nerves. “Delano here is very much married and was considering possibly seeing us for services regarding a few things.”
Tegan tilted his head to the side and smirked, letting me know that he didn’t believe me for one second.
“Oh I see. Well I don’t want to take up too much of your time. Delano, hope you enjoy your night and Ivory, I’ll call you.”
He rubbed me on my shoulder and went to rejoin his table.
“I’m seeing you for services?” Delano repeated, giving a haughty laugh.
“I apologize for that.” I began as I dapped my mouth with a napkin. “It was the best I could come up with and wasn’t sure how much you wanted other people to know.”
“No, I appreciate it. I’m glad we have a mutual understanding that my marriage is in shambles and that you will be the miracle worker that saves it.”
It wasn’t until he cracked a slight smile, that I realized he was joking.
“Funny, funny, funny. As much as you like to play around, you should have considered being a circus clown.”
“Buy me a big red nose and I’m your guy.”
“Oh, I think you can afford it.”
“You don’t know that.”
“Says the guy who takes a girl to Canlis on their first date.”
Delano held his pointer finger up.
“Second.”
“First. The date in your son’s yacht doesn’t count.”
I covered my mouth after realizing that the info I disclosed was given to me from Denise and not Delano.
His expression became slightly distressed which let me know that I had definitely struck a nerve.
“I’m so sor...”
“Its okay.” He answered, cutting me off. “Not to be rude but I don’t remember expressing that to you.”
I could feel my hands sweating as the conversation became tense. How would I get myself out of this one?
“I noticed a few things while I was there.” I held the napkin against my lip for a few extra seconds to give myself time to think. “Again I apologize, I’m a counselor at the end of the day. We spot things.”
“You must have seen his name engraved on the inside of the boat across from the island.” His somberness turned into joy once more. I relished in how easily things seemed to cheer him up. “Can’t fault you for being a woman of your profession.”
“And I appreciate that.”
“Your welcome.” He replied, chuckling before raising his glass for a toast. “Lets make this night about us. To good vibes.”
“Yes, to good vibes.” I reveled, clinking our glasses together as we continued our magical night. Thank God for false memory and good drinks!
***
We spent the next half hour completing our meal. Delano and I grazed numerous intellectual topics that I was unaware he knew anything about. The man was much more cultured and community oriented than I thought. He expressed to me that not only was he the top surgeon at his company but also helped to raise money for kids with Leukemia on the holidays. Of course, the subject of his unborn son resurfaced only this time, he was willing to reveal everything. We admired the immaculate art-work of the restaurant as we talked about his feelings toward the situation and the impact it had on his life’s outlook. He walked me to my car after the exhibit and told me to follow him back to his house. Once we arrived, I refreshed my makeup and proceeded to the entrance only to get there first.
Flashbacks of our original encounter invaded my mind.
I felt the friction of my panties and private area become more apparent.
“Here we go.” I muttered to myself breathily as he approached.
Delano give me a kiss on the cheek and led me into his dimly lit home.
The familiar fragrance of sandalwood reminded me of what I came to do.
“Every-time I see this place; I can’t help but mention how cozy it is.” I praised, rubbing my hands together to keep myself warm.
He went to turn on the heat once he recognized I was cold.
"It would be much cozier if you got
closer, you know I’d enjoy keeping you toasty.”
I eyed his bravado with hesitation.
“Mmm I’m not sure if I trust that whole situation you got going on at your side of room.”
“Promise I won’t bite.”
Delano make motions of a growling dog which made me laugh.
“Okay, but just for a little.”
I inched my way over as he kept his gaze glued on my svelte body.
Once I was in reach, he lunged his arms around me playfully and held me from behind.
“Ahh, I knew I couldn’t get too close. So much for trusting someone you thought you could…”
“Care about?” Delano finished, making a trail of kisses down my neck.
I moved my neck to the opposite side to prevent him from seeing the small recorder.
“Something like that.” I moaned, moving his hands onto my inner thigh.
Delano forced his way into the creases of my hot spot.
“Moving awfully fast for our first date.” My breathing became shallow at his touch. “You are the type of guy that could get a woman in trouble.”
“Second date. Must not have been impressive enough to remember.”
I turned to face him as he made a face similar to a pouting child.
“Well it doesn’t make a difference. I’m only here to persuade you to commit to counseling at my site remember?”
“Oh, how could I forget.” The sinister smirk lit a fire in my body. “What have you come to bargain with?”
I turned to face him and brought myself close.
“This is definitely the warmth I was looking for.”
“Oh yeah?” Delano asked, leaning in for a kiss.
I nodded slowly and allowed our lust for one another to put me into sexual auto pilot.
Usher’s “Nice and slow” crooned in the background.
The moment my lips touched his, I began to feel the electricity our chemistry had created.
Even though this was Denise’s man, I couldn’t deny the enticing yet ominous spark we carried.
Delano used his free hand to softly caress my cheek. I welcomed his supple kisses and traced the inside of his mouth with my tongue.
“Mmm.” I moaned, as the motion of his fingers grew more rough and aggressive.
Dancing in and out of my yoni.
Jaded: The First Cut is the Deepest Page 10
