Loving Faith

by Hooper, Sara

  “You must be Faith,” Matthew stood and extended a hand. “Madison's told me a bit about you.”

  “I'm betting she left a few things out,” Faith said wryly as she shook his hand.

  “True,” Matthew admitted. He motioned to the seat opposite him. “She failed to mention your snazzy fashion sense.”

  He got points for addressing, but not addressing, the elephant in the room, Faith decided as she sat.

  “I took the liberty of ordering us some wine. I hope white's all right,” Matthew poured her a glass without waiting for an answer.

  He lost points for that. Faith hated it when men did things like that for her. It wasn't being nice or chivalrous, just arrogance, thinking that they knew what she would want.

  “Did you order my meal for me as well?” Faith kept her tone light, but Matthew caught the annoyed undercurrent.

  “Sorry,” he flashed a grin. “I have a bad habit of forgetting myself.”

  “So it seems,” Faith allowed herself to return his smile. At least he'd admitted that he'd overstepped. As a gesture, she took a sip of the wine without complaint. She preferred red, but this wasn't too bad.

  “Madison tells me you're a photographer,” Matthew took a small drink from his glass. “She didn't tell me details. Do you do family portraits, senior pictures, or are you more of a wedding person?”

  Faith shook her head. “I work for a magazine. The Oracle. I'm their primary photographer.”

  “Really?” Matthew looked surprised.

  “Is there something wrong with that?” Faith knew she sounded defensive, but something about Matthew's tone just irked her; she wasn't even sure why.

  “Did you take the picture of the meteor shower a few months ago?”

  Now it was Faith's turn to be surprised. “You remember that?”

  A sheepish expression crossed Matthew's face. “My assistant had it on her desk and it caught my eye.”

  “Oh, well, thank you.”

  The conversation stilled as the waiter came over to take their orders. Thankfully, Matthew didn't try to speak for her then. Faith was fairly certain that if he had, she would've had to explain to Madison why she'd stuck a fork in her friend's hand. And then deal with the lawsuit she'd inevitably have. It ended up being a moot point and when the waiter walked away, Faith changed the conversation.

  “Madison mentioned you were a lawyer,” she hated how trite the transition sounded, but she couldn't think of anything else to say.

  Matthew nodded. “It's my second year as an assistant district attorney.” He couldn't quite keep the smugness out of his voice. “I was an associate for two year and then was promoted up after a big case.”

  “She said you'd just moved here,” Faith picked at the breadstick she'd retrieved from the basket.

  “I transferred from the Nashville office,” Matthew took a bite of his own bread. “They say I'll be a first chair in a year or two here. I figure I'll be the DA before I'm forty, maybe even thirty-five which puts me in position to be a judge by the time I'm forty, forty-five.”

  “Ambitious, aren't you?” Faith looked around for the waiter and barely stopped herself from breathing a sigh of relief when she saw him on his way. The best thing about this restaurant was how fast it was. The quicker she ate, the quicker she could be done and get out of this miserable excuse for a date.

  “In my line of work, I have to be,” Matthew thanked the waiter as a plate was placed in front of him. “I'm sure it's the same with you.”

  Faith shrugged. She supposed he was right. Those in her line of work who wanted to make big money or be famous could be ruthless. She did have ambition, but it had nothing to do with money or fame and all to do with the art. It was different.

  “So,” Matthew poured more wine into her glass even though it was only half-empty. She wasn't sure if he was trying to get her drunk or just needed something to do. “What are your plans for the future?”

  Okay, that wasn't usually first date material. “What do you mean?”

  “Well, you can't want to be taking pictures for a magazine for the rest of your life.”

  “That sounds more like a statement than a question,” Faith stabbed a piece of chicken with more ferocity than was necessary.

  Matthew had the good grace to look embarrassed. “I just meant, where do you see yourself in a few years? What do you want to be doing? You know, other than this.”

  “You know,” Faith couldn't suppress an exasperated sigh. “For a lawyer, you really seem to stick your foot in your mouth quite a bit.”

  “I promise, I'm much more charming and articulate in front of a jury.”

  Faith didn't have a hard time believing that. Matthew seemed like the type who'd be great in front of a room of people. An answer for everything. A quick wit that allowed him to counter any argument. In one-on-one conversations, those same techniques didn't really work, at least not with her. Matthew, however, didn't appear to be aware of it. Rather than grace him with a response to his comment, Faith merely raised an eyebrow and took another bite of her chicken.

  “Look,” Matthew sighed, the expression on his face changing, somehow becoming younger-looking, less sure of himself. “This is not going the way I thought it would.”

  “You mean I'm not falling for all of your shit and stumbling over myself in awe of the handsome, powerful lawyer,” Faith said matter-of-factly. She'd been around guys like this her whole life. Why Madison had thought she and Matthew would be a good match, Faith was still trying to figure out.

  A dark flush crept up Matthew's neck to his cheeks. “I guess so.” His bravado was still there, even if slightly shaken. “This whole thing started off wrong.” He handed the bill and his credit card to the passing waiter. “When Madison said she wanted to set me up with a photographer friend of hers, I wasn't expecting anyone like you. To be honest, I figured you'd be some empty-headed romantic who'd be an easy lay.”

  All right, credit for honesty.

  “Then you show up and you're nothing like that,” Matthew continued with a strangely shy expression. “Do you think there's any way we could try this again? Like a do-over or something?”

  Okay, not what she'd been expecting. “You want a second date?”

  A real smile spread across Matthew's face, reaching his eyes this time. “How about a second first date?”

  Faith smiled as she stood. “All right. A new beginning. But this time,” a daring idea came to mind, “I get to choose the activity.” She turned and walked away before Matthew could protest. She called over her shoulder. “I'll text you the details.” Oh, yeah, this was going to be interesting.

  ***

  Faith stood at the edge of the river, a small smile playing at her lips. Kayaking had always been one of her favorite past-times. This was, she thought, a good way to take things on her own terms. Somehow, despite Matthew's nice tan and strong body, she doubted he was athletic outside of a very expensive gym. When he came walking down the path, she immediately knew that she was right.

  Matthew had taken great pains to look like he fit in. Shorts, fitted black t-shirt and sturdy sandals – all of which were far too pristine to be anything but brand-new. Still, she had to admit, he looked good in them. She couldn't stop herself from laughing as she saw his hair, perfectly coifed. If the clothes hadn't been a sure sign that he'd never done this before, the hair did it.

  “What's so funny?” Gone was the confident alpha-male. Matthew sounded more like someone had kicked his puppy... and then laughed about it.

  Faith sobered, the young man's vulnerability tugging at her. “It's just kind of pointless to style your hair before doing pretty much anything in the water.”

  “Oh,” Matthew stuck his hands in his pockets. “I didn't think of that.”

  “It's okay,” Faith found herself wanting to reassure him, a pleasant change from wanting to assault him with a dinner utensil. “I've done this dozens of times. I'll be with you the whole time.” A horrible thought suddenly struck he
r. “I didn't ask. Can you swim?”

  “Yes,” Matthew nodded, some of his former swagger returning. “So, how does this work?”

  He was a quick study, Faith found. Not that it surprised her. Anyone that ambitious who had the work ethic to carry it off had to either be a genius or a hard-worker. Matthew, it seemed, was a little of both. She never had to tell him anything twice and he paid attention to everything she said with an attentiveness that almost made her uncomfortable. She had a feeling that if she looked up the definition of a type-A personality, she'd find a picture of Matthew next to it.

  “Are we going somewhere specific?” Matthew asked.

  Faith was half-tempted to tell him that it was surprise, just to see his reaction, but she decided that he'd had enough torment for the day. “Yes. There's this really interesting spot under the Hunter Museum.”

  “Did you just say 'under'?” Matthew gave her a doubtful look.

  Faith grinned. “You're not claustrophobic, are you?”

  “Not exactly,” Matthew muttered. “Next time we're going to test some of your limits.”

  “Sounds like fun,” Faith winked at him and was pleased to see a smile flash across his face. “Now, what do you say we head out?”

  “All right,” Matthew took a deep breath. “Here goes nothing.”

  Faith stepped ahead of him, letting him watch as she took the bright red kayak into the water. She waited just a few feet out while he got comfortable. After just a couple of minutes, he joined her, his face set in a grim expression. He wasn't moving like a pro yet, but he didn't look like a first timer either.

  “Ready?” Faith asked. This was where she would be able to tell if he was going to follow through or make an excuse. She was betting on the former and he didn't let her down.

  “Lead the way.” It didn't sound like those were words he was used to saying, but he seemed to mean them.

  Faith nodded and began to row. She allowed herself to fall into the rhythmic movement, her muscles moving with the memory of prior trips, each one flexing and relaxing in turn. It wasn't easy work and it made talking difficult, but that was all right in her opinion. Matthew got himself into enough trouble with his mouth. Her thoughts immediately skewed in a different direction, wondering just how much trouble Matthew could be with that mouth.

  His lips were soft against hers, his tongue tracing her bottom lip.

  He kissed her pussy as if he were kissing her mouth, deep and long and thorough.

  “Faith?”

  Matthew's voice drew her back and she flushed. As much as she hated to admit it, there were certain things that she couldn't accomplish with her toys at home. And it had been a while since she'd had someone go down on her. Maybe Madison's idea hadn't been such a bad one after all.

  “How much further is it?” Matthew sounded breathless.

  Faith looked around. It was a good thing he'd spoken up. They would've gone right by it while she was daydreaming if he hadn't said something. There was no need to tell him that. “It's right there.” She pointed, a little smug that she didn't sound as out of breath as he did. She suppressed a quip about how he should've spent more time on the rowing machine at his gym. Instead, she maneuvered her kayak towards the shadow in the rocks that hid her destination. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Matthew following.

  “This is cool,” the admiration in Matthew's voice was genuine as he pulled his kayak up next to hers. His tone was hushed, the sound echoing eerily off of the rock walls.

  Faith climbed out of her kayak and pulled it further up on the rocks so the river wouldn't take it back out. Matthew did the same and then followed her up to where the rocks were dry. She perched on the wide ledge and waited for Matthew to join her. They sat in silence for several minutes before Faith broke it.

  “When I was fifteen,” she didn't look at Matthew as she spoke. “Money was tight so my mom, instead of us going on a big vacation, decided that we would explore Chattanooga over the summer. One weekend, she brought me to the river. We took out the kayaks and ended up here. Now, whenever I go out, I stop here. It's my own private oasis. Sometimes other people come in, but not as often as you'd think. Sometimes when I'm stuck for an idea, I like to come here, sit and listen to the water on the rocks, watch the shadows on the walls. It inspires me.”

  “You and your mom sound close,” Matthew's voice was soft, laced with something that took Faith a moment to recognize as wistfulness.

  “We are,” Faith glanced over at Matthew and was pleasantly surprised to see him looking back at her, something unreadable on his handsome face. Now, this was the real thing, the real Matthew, not the self-assured bastard he'd been a week ago. “Are you close with your family?”

  “My parents,” Matthew's voice went flat, as if he'd said the words so many times that they failed to carry any emotion. “They aren't around and I don't have any other family.”

  “Oh,” Faith's heart went out to the young man sitting next to her. “I'm so sorry, Matthew.”

  “Thanks,” he turned towards her. She could see him weighing a question. “Are you close to your father?”

  Faith shook her head, the muscles in her jaw immediately tensing at the mention of her father. “No.” She didn't offer any additional explanation and she could sense Matthew processing her response.

  “Sorry,” Matthew's mumble was embarrassed and Faith knew that he was thinking he'd screwed up again.

  She reached out a hand and touched his shoulder. “It's okay. It was the next natural question. I just don't talk about my dad. At least, not on a second date.”

  “A second first date,” Matthew corrected with a smile that Faith could just make out in the dim light.

  “Right,” She swallowed hard, suddenly aware of how alone they were, how close. Her heart was pounding so loudly that she was certain he could hear it.

  Matthew reached for her, his palm cool and damp on her cheek. He moved slowly, giving her time to process every detail of what was happening. His eyes were the glimmering green-black of the deepest pools. His teeth flashed white in the darkness as he smiled. It seemed like an eternity before their lips finally touched.

  Faith closed her eyes and gave herself over to the sensations. Matthew's lips were as soft as she'd imagined, his mouth one of a man who knew how to use it. A thrill went through her as his lips parted and his tongue darted out. It was a brief swipe, not a request for entrance, just a taste and then he was pulling back.

  “That's how our first date should've ended,” Matthew's hand lingered a moment longer on her cheek before falling back to his side.

  Faith nodded mutely. If the first date had ended with a kiss like that, she would've been calling Madison with a thank you that night. Yeah, she should probably do that when she got home.

  “Faith?” Matthew sounded worried by her lack of verbal response. “Should I not have done that?”

  “That was exactly what you should have done,” Faith managed to speak, her voice weak. That was definitely the best first kiss she'd ever had. Not the best all the way around, but it was up there.

  “So things are looking good for a third date?” Matthew's question was almost shy.

  Faith chuckled and stood. “I'd say so.” She reached out a hand. “Ready to go?”

  Matthew slid his hand into hers and let her help him to his feet. “You lead, I follow.”

  ***

  May turned to June and then June to July. Between their busy schedules, it had been difficult to find the time for anything more than a phone call or a quick lunch in the middle of the day. They'd actually only been on three additional 'real' dates since their second first date. Despite the difficulties, Faith and Matthew managed to grow their budding relationship.

  Faith had quickly learned to see past Matthew's 'lawyer face' to the infinitely more likable young man underneath. Matthew had learned that Faith, while tough and independent, did like the genuine romantic gesture.

  They were taking things slow, which Faith liked. W
ell, most of her liked it. The ache between her legs had steadily grown with each touch, each kiss. The last time they'd gone on a proper date, it had ended with both of them panting, clothes in disarray. Only the fact that they were in a car had stopped Faith from begging Matthew to fuck her right there. She didn't want their first time to be something quick yet satisfying. Whatever this was growing between the two of them, it had long-term potential and she wasn't about to destroy it just because she was horny.

  Madison was over the moon that her set up had worked. To Faith's embarrassment and general annoyance, the model had spent the entire shoot after the successful “second” first date crowing about how she'd been right. It had been a very long day at work. Matthew had been entirely amused when Faith had related the story over the phone to him that night. He'd been less entertained when he had a similar lunch with Madison a few days later.

  As the Fourth of July neared, Faith decided to move things forward and asked Matthew to come to the picnic her mother was hosting for some extended family and friends. To Faith's surprise, Matthew readily agreed, saying that he'd wanted to meet her mother for a while. Ester had been thrilled.

  When the day of the picnic arrived, Faith was a nervous wreck. She'd had boyfriends in the past, but no one serious since college and that hadn't ended well. And if she were to be totally honest with herself, she was a little extra nervous because Matthew was white. Her mother knew already, having seen pictures, but Faith didn't know if her aunties, uncles and cousins knew, and she wasn't sure how they'd react. No one that she could remember had ever brought a white guy home to meet the family.

  Matthew arrived a bit early, a bowl of potato salad in one hand, and a nervous smile on his face. He looked amazing, with his hair tousled and without any product, wearing a pair of dress shorts and a fitted green t-shirt that highlighted his eyes and showed off his lean torso. Faith had a feeling he'd changed his clothes more often than she had that morning and that was saying something. Faith had changed from shorts to skirts to dresses half a dozen times before settling on a pale yellow sundress with tiny white daisies. It was cool and light, nice but not too dressy for a picnic and fireworks. Best of all, Matthew hadn't seen it yet and she knew it looked good on her. Judging by the widening eyes and expression of admiration, he was a fan of the choice.