by Golden Angel
He could tell that she was both excited and anxious about the changes, as she'd been planning on relinquishing her responsibility to others. Now she had a lot of support from Patricia and her husband, not to mention himself, but she was still obviously feeling a little under qualified. As she confessed some of her fears to him in the car on the way over he reached out and held her hand again, enjoying the feel of her small hand in his. Being privileged to hear her anxieties was not an honor that he dismissed lightly. From her hesitancy when she first started, he had been able to tell that she was a little nervous about showing any fear, but he'd coaxed it out of her on the ride over and then countered all of her fears with support.
By the time they arrived at the restaurant Sarah was feeling ready to take on the world. She couldn't believe how easy it had been to unload everything on Derrick, he not only seemed genuinely interested, but he didn't appear to look down on her at all for her insecurities. Instead he'd pointed out that she'd been running things since Martin had left and the restaurant didn't seem to be suffering any. Then he'd asked several pointed questions about what it took to be a partial owner, for his own education, and she found that she was able to answer all of them fully, which gave her even more confidence. And his reminder that he was even newer to the situation than she was made her feel even better.
Walking into the restaurant, Derrick didn't hold her hand but he did keep his on the small of her back. Not that she felt like he was pushing her anywhere, it was a remarkably possessive feeling gesture that made her feel like the two of them were still connected in a special way. Patricia saw everything of course, although Lloyd didn't seem to be noticing.
"Girl's trip to the bathroom," Patricia said in a sing song voice, grabbing Sarah's arm before she could sit down. Derrick and Lloyd both looked amused, nodding, as they took their seats and picked up their menus. As Patricia dragged her off to the ladies' room, she glanced back to see the two men already in deep discussion. Well that was good at least.
"So? Spill," demanded Patricia as soon as she got Sarah alone. "How on earth did tall dark and studly end up as one of our partners? Not that I'm complaining, mind you. He's great scenery, and considering that he seems to know your value I've got to give him a lot of props for intelligence. But are you sure this is smart? I can see the way you look at him and how he is around you; what if things go bad and you're tied to him financially?"
Sarah held up her hand to stem the flow of questions.
"I know. But we did talk about that, I promise. He's even the one who brought it up. While we were out at dinner last night I was telling him about my day and your offer and how I still needed to cover some of the costs, and he just upped and offered. I have no idea what he was thinking. But he said that if things didn't work out between us and we didn't want to see each other anymore that he'd sell it to me, and by then I'd have more in savings to pay for it with."
"Wait, he actually said that? As in, there are things to work out between you and that he wants to be around for awhile?"
Patricia squealed and did a happy victory dance around the bathroom as Sarah laughed at her. The implications of Derrick's actions and words hadn't really sunk in, what with all her other confused emotions, and the realization was a little overwhelming.
"I can't really date him yet, you know," Sarah said, trying to calm her friend down. "I mean, what would people say?"
"They would say that you deserve to be happy," Patricia said brutally. "And that you can't help when you meet someone." Sarah gave her a look and Patricia rolled her eyes. "Oh okay, some jerks might gossip a little, but no one who knows you and cares about you would ever think badly of you just because you met a guy. Even before he died you and Martin barely had a marriage, you were more like roommates than anything else. Friends." Which pretty much summed up Sarah's own thoughts.
Maybe she really didn't need to feel that slight twinge of guilt at how much she was enjoying herself. Or how much she liked Derrick and was attracted to him. He made her feel sexy, and at the same time like he respected her. Being around him made her feel like she really could do anything she wanted. And she wanted to get out of the house more. Be more involved in the restaurant.
"We should probably get back to the men," Sarah said, feeling suddenly eager to be back in Derrick's company, without any of the slight shame that usually tinged a thought like that.
"Ooooo our first double date," Patricia gushed as they left the restroom. Wow. It really was. A silly grin lit up Sarah's face and she couldn't stop it. On their way back to the table she saw that the two men both already had beers in front of them and were still deep in conversation. When Derrick glanced up and saw her coming his dark face split open to reveal those gorgeous white teeth, a shining smile that warmed her from the inside out. Obviously not caring what her friends thought of their relationship, Derrick grabbed her hand and pulled her into the booth next to him, sliding his arm around her waist and tugging him close enough that their bodies were touching from their hips all the way down their legs.
Lloyd raised his eyebrows in surprise but didn't say anything as he and Derrick continued to talk about the inner workings of the restaurant. It sounded like Derrick really was interested and wanted to learn everything he could from the manager, preferably within the next five minutes. She felt a surge of emotion for him. Although she knew that she was falling for him, and that the more time she spent with him the deeper she fell, she couldn't bring herself to want to stay away. Sure, he probably had a few faults, but nothing that had come up yet that she couldn't live with. Unless she counted the fact that she had no idea how he actually felt about her and whether or not he was interested in any kind of committed relationship. Considering that he was a bachelor at 35 she was guessing not. So that was a pretty major fault.
Finally accepting that it was alright if she moved on from Martin had also made her start thinking about what she wanted in a relationship. Derrick fit all of those things except that she wanted commitment and children; two things that this man had obviously avoided for awhile. Maybe they could keep this up for a little bit, but unless she changed her mind about what she wanted, there was no future here. The thought made her sad and she realized that she was kind of hoping that maybe there could be some kind of future with Derrick. Was this what people meant by rebounding? But she didn't feel like she was rebounding, because she didn't have any dependence on Martin to transfer to anyone. No, for the first time in her life she felt like the romance books she'd read, like the other women who talked about their boyfriends or husbands. She was falling in love.
She really should have thought through all the implications of her feelings before agreeing that Derrick should get involved in the restaurant. On the other hand, didn't she deserve a little bit of love and happiness? Even if it wasn't returned from him, at least she'd know what it felt like for a little bit. But it could only be for a short period of time, because she wasn't getting any younger and she definitely still wanted children. If she could find someone to fall in love with who also wanted them. For a moment her shoulders sagged and she felt Derrick squeeze her lip. Looking up she could see concern in his eyes and she dredged up a smile for him.
If only he wasn't so damn perfect; he'd even noticed that her silence meant something was wrong. Because he cared. Even if he wasn't in love with her too, he did care. Sarah's smile became a little more genuine.
By the time dinner was over Sarah had made a decision. Derrick was an incredible lover, he cared about her, and he was part of the restaurant team now. Most importantly, it made her happy to spend time with him. So she'd appreciate the time that she'd get with him, save up her money to buy him out, and explore as much of her sexuality as she could while she was with him. Who knew if the next guy that came along in her life would have the kind of chemistry that she and Derrick did together.
Several times throughout the meal she'd thought about some new things that she wanted to try out with him, things that she had never thought abo
ut before in her life, and had been hard put to pay attention to the conversation. For his part, Derrick wondered about the heat that infused Sarah's face occasionally. The conversation never seemed to be anything that should put that look on his face. She looked rather lustful in fact. Aroused. God knew he was aroused just from sitting next to her. He wanted to get her back home, strip her down and make love to her all night.
If she wasn’t still too sore anyway.
*****
The announcement to the staff went really well, apparently Vincent had been even less well liked than Sarah had realized. Everyone was thrilled that Patricia was now officially part of the restaurant family - Linda and Angela practically mobbed her with hugs. When she introduced Derrick to them there was a veritable flood of whispers and a few knowing winks, which she tried to ignore although she knew she was blushing. To her relief everyone was grinning about it and no one seemed upset at all. Since they were catching both the lunch and the dinner staff, only a few were missing the official announcement. One of which was Q, since he was part time. She wondered if Derrick had let his cousin know what he was up to.
Sarah was elated when Derrick asked her if she wanted to come back to his place for dinner. She'd already been wondering whether or not to invite him into her house when he took her home, since she didn't want to seem clingy or desperate but she truly did want to spend the night with him if she could. That he not only wanted to spend the night with her, but also wanted to show her his home, made her feel joyously happy. Really, too happy considering that she didn't know where this - whatever it was they were doing - was going, but she pushed the negative thoughts aside.
While Derrick checked out the options in his refrigerator and opened a bottle of wine she explored his bachelor pad. It was a lot cleaner than any bachelor pad she'd ever been in. A two bedroom condo, the smaller of which had both a bed for a guest and a desk with a computer for working, with a large den area, the entire feeling was very masculine and comfortable. All of the decor was done in soft earth tones, including a handmade afghan draped over the back of a dark brown leather couch that was far too comfortable to sit down on. She giggled as she sank into the seat, feeling like a child playing on her father's furniture. The couch cushion practically swallowed up her petite form. Across from her was a very large television with bookshelves on either side, some with DVDs on them and some with books.
"Do you like mahi-mahi?" Derrick asked as he came into the room to hand her a glass of crisp white wine.
"Mahi-mahi sounds lovely," she replied as she accepted the glass. "Thank you."
Seeing Sarah sitting on his couch in her business suit that she'd worn for going to the attorney's, her shoes off on the floor in front of her, with her legs curled underneath her cute little butt, sent an unexpected thrill through Derrick. She should have looked out of place with her petite, feminine form in his masculine apartment with the large furniture that was suited to his frame, but she didn't. Somehow she just seemed to fit right in with his home, something that probably should have scared him but right now it was just making him feel good. This woman was all to easy to be comfortable around. And the more he had her around, the more he liked it. Some part of him wondered why he wasn't fighting that, but the truth was he liked the feeling. Maybe he was starting to get old enough to think about settling down. Or something.
And watching her taste the wine, with a little purr of pleasure as she licked her lips was enough to stir the arousal that always seemed to be waiting in his groin when she was around. For a moment he debated just scooping her up and carrying her off to his bedroom caveman style to have his way with her and getting to dinner later, but he thought the better of it. After all, she deserved to be wined and dined, and he would just have to control the impulses of his body.
The wine Derrick had brought her was wonderfully chilled. Although it was crisp it was a good sipping wine with hints of apples and pear, depending on what he did with the fish, it would probably pair well with the mahi-mahi. Perhaps she should turn on the television, but mostly what she wanted to do was sit and think. It had been an extremely hectic couple of days. She'd had a couple of days to integrate Martin's deception and betrayal and to get very used to having Derrick in her life and she didn't fancy pondering the future with him anymore. At the moment she'd just wait and see what happened one day at a time. What she wanted to think about was Vincent. Not that he was a pleasant topic of thinking for her, but she couldn't figure out why he had capitulated so quickly over his shares in the restaurant. It would be one thing if he truly wasn't interested, but since he'd been thinking about buying her out then that didn't make sense. The other curiosity was how quickly he'd moved on selling her his portion, especially his confusing insistence that it had to be done today.
Biting her lip she pondered what it meant. In her rush to secure his shares, the excitement and distraction of Derrick, and her worry and elation over maintaining her own portion of the restaurant, she hadn't really taken the time to think about why he might have wanted his shares off his hands, and why it had to be so quickly. Getting up from her seat on the couch, she left her shoes behind and walked barefoot over to the kitchen. Watching Derrick make dinner was a treat. He flashed her a quick grin as she appeared in the door way, his sleeves rolled up to his elbows to show off his muscular forearms and a hand towel draped over one broad shoulder. Every movement was quick and precise. It was nearly as good as watching Cara at work in Polenta.
"That smells delicious," she said, watching as he slid the delicate fish into the pan to sauté. Another pan already held a mix of asparagus and oranges simmering in some kind of sauce that was slowly reducing, which would probably be going over the fish when it was finished. On the counter a rice maker was filled with steam. Once again she was impressed, not just with his culinary skills but with his care in making her a delicious meal. She was really starting to feel bad about not having returned the favor yet.
"Hopefully it will taste delicious too," he said, winking at her as he leaned over for a quick kiss. The gesture made her heart flutter, she couldn't believe that a man who was feeling casual about her would do that so naturally. Tilting her head to lean against the doorway she smiled back at him, feeling happier than she had in years. But that's not the real reason she'd come in here to talk to him.
"Did you end up finding anything out about Vincent?" she asked. "After the strange way he was acting yesterday when Patricia and I confronted him, and his insistence that the deal for selling out his shares go through this morning for noon... I just can't help but feel like there's something going on that I don't know about."
Derrick winced. He'd forgotten to call Nick. Again. "I'm sorry, I should have told you earlier. I've got a voicemail from my accountant friend that I told you about, still waiting to be listened to one my phone. I'm hoping that he'll have some insights for use. I'll call him back after dinner."
"Oh good," Sarah smiled up at him. "No apologies necessary, I was just wondering. I know I've kept you a bit busy today. And last night." The last three words just seemed to slide out of her, in a lowered tone that made her blush furiously even as she said the words. No, she wasn't quite ready to play seductress, but at the same time she'd enjoyed trying. The heated look that Derrick gave her before he snaked out his arm, wrapping it around her waist and bending it back for a much deeper and more thorough kiss than the one he'd giving her a few minutes ago, made her attempt worth it. He didn't seem to mind that she turned into a tomato at the first hint of innuendo, no matter how subtle.
"I'd like to keep you busy tonight again, if that's okay with you," he said, his eyes glinting down at her. The sheer magnetism of this gentle giant had Sarah enthralled as she stared up at him. Her heart was pounding as she flicked her tongue out to lick suddenly dry lips. The expression on Derrick's face as his eyes dropped to her mouth sent lust surging through her. He chuckled, and she swore she could feel it all the way down to where liquid heat was pooling in her core. "I'll take that
as a yes."
"Oh," said Sarah, blushing furiously again as she realized that she'd gotten too distracted by her arousal to answer him. "I'm sorry."
"Sweetheart, you can look at me like that anytime," he replied, chuckling again as he released her. Sarah leaned against the doorway again, although much less casually this time and more because she actually needed it to help support her trembling body. This time she remained silent, just watching him move. While part of her might want to continue to ponder the mystery of Vincent, all she could think about now was how incredible Derrick made her feel, how sexy he was as he plated their food. Her nipples tightened just thinking about what was in store after dinner. This would be their first time having sex at his house. The fact that they'd soon have been intimate in both of their homes seemed to mean something, although Sarah was too timid to actually admit to herself just how much it meant to her.
Dinner was delicious. Of course. She hadn't expected anything else. And eating at his table, playing footsie with him as she ate the delicate fish with the flavorful oranges and asparagus, made her feel like a little kid again. They talked about the restaurant a little bit, but mostly about their childhoods, trying to top each other with the funniest or most outrageous story. She even found herself telling him about the time in middle school when she'd accidentally run face first into a locked door, trying to escape the humiliation of having her friends point her out to the guy she liked, only to end up humiliating herself in a different way entirely.
Of course, as soon as they both had clean plates she became anxious again. She'd also had several glasses of wine, enough to make her feel warm and fizzy with anticipation. When she licked her lips after the last bite, sweeping away the small drop of sauce that had been caught, Derrick's eyes locked onto her mouth like a homing beacon. The smoldering heat in his eyes nearly made her moan, she was so turned on just by having him look at her. It was like her body had become primed for him - she was Pavlov's dog and he really rang her bell.
