by Rye Hart
“You’re very handsome. But I’m sure you get that all the time.” I hated that I couldn’t be more creative, but it was better than asking him what a guy like him was doing on the dating site in the first place. He could have any woman he wanted.
“Actually, not really.” He moaned, and I had to wonder what he was doing, but then he cleared his throat.
“Do you really like Loving Cup coffee?” I wondered if it had been a line.
“I do, and I think I saw you in there before.” I heard a sound of shuffling and wondered if he was standing up.
“Really?” I felt that rush of panic again as his words registered. “I will admit that it’s a little freaky you know where I work.”
“Hey, don’t worry about it. I should have been smarter about that and not made you worry. I won’t go down there and bug you or anything. You’re safe.”
“What if I want you to come down there and bug me?”
Seriously, what the fuck was that?
This was not how I usually talked to someone I barely knew. Tate was definitely bringing something out in me.
His low laughter caused another wave of warmth to course through me. “What about meeting up for dinner?”
“That would be nice.” I couldn’t believe I’d scored my first date with what had to be the hottest man on the dating site. “When would you like to meet up?”
“Well, the evening is still young, how about we meet up tonight?”
I hesitated for just a moment before saying, “Ok, sure.”
God, please don’t let him be a serial killer.
“How about I meet you at your work, and we go from there?” he asked.
I appreciated that he didn’t ask to pick me up where I lived. “Sounds good, how about seven?”
“Perfect,” he purred. “I’m looking forward to it.”
We ended the call and I tossed my phone across the room so as not to get it wet. I laid my head back against the edge of the tub and tried to breath to calm the butterflies in my stomach. I was nervous for my meeting with Tate and still incredibly turned on by our conversation.
I closed my eyes and pictured his smoldering stare as I slowly slid my hand down over by breasts, stopping to tweak a nipple into a taught peak. I groaned out loud as my hand slipped below the water and my legs parted. I slid my fingers through the soft curls and gasped when they touched my clit, which was swollen and ready to be worked.
I pushed two fingers inside myself and licked my lips as I imagined Tate between my knees. I fucked myself with my fingers while drawing circles on my clit with my thumb. It took only seconds before I came, panting loudly and splashing water out of the tub. As my orgasm faded, I stood and pulled the plug on the tub. I had a lot of work to do to get ready, starting with a phone call to Rain.
Once I had my hair wrapped up on top of my head, I dialed Rain, and she answered with a bored tone. “Hey, chick.”
“Where are you?” I closed my eyes and prayed she wasn’t gone off with Daren Craig, or worse, hanging out with Devin still.
“Downstairs, why?”
“Because I have a date tonight! So, get your sweet ass up here and help me find something to wear.” I walked to the mirror and checked my face; not a blemish on it, not counting the dark circles under my eyes from working doubles.
“You do? Who?” I heard stomping through the phone, and soon those footsteps were coming up my stairs. I went to meet her in the kitchen.
She hung up her phone as she opened the door and I shut mine off too. “It’s that hot guy from Matched Solid. He wants to see me tonight.”
“Already?”
“We talked on the phone. He’s going to meet me at the Loving Cup so I will be in a familiar place, and then he said if it works out, from there we can grab a bite to eat. I sent him a picture of my feet.”
The random addition to our conversation had her face screwing up in expressions that told me she didn’t know what to think.
“Why would send him a picture of your feet?” She glanced down at my painted toes. “At least you’ve had a pedicure.”
“He called while I was in the tub and we were sending pictures back and forth,” her eyes widened and her brows raised.
“No, nothing like that!” I said quickly, deciding to leave out the part where I was so turned on that I masturbated to the thought of him.
“Ok, so what are you going to wear?” she asked.
I looked at her, suddenly panicked. “I have no fucking clue.”
CHAPTER EIGHT - TATE
I ran my fingers through my hair hoping to make it behave, but it was no use. I had let it get to the point of needing a haircut and knew I’d not be able to go more than another week unless I wanted to look like a bum. I made a mental note to get in to the barber soon.
I heard the door open and someone come in, figuring it was my sister.
“It’s me.” Her familiar voice called out when I entered the living room. “I got all the way to my house to get a few things, and she’s still at it. I swear I think the girl’s running a business.”
“We’ll get the rest of your things together. I’ll go over there with you tomorrow. I’d go tonight, but I already made plans.”
“You must have lady plans because you smell good.”
“Didn’t realize I was in the habit of stinking.” I went to the fridge and grabbed a bottle of water and broke the seal before taking a swig.
“You know what I mean. Who are you seeing? Is it one of those girls from the site or are you giving Terri one more chance?” She rolled her eyes.
“You know I don’t believe in second chances. This is the girl from the site; the pretty photographer. We had a conversation, and I didn’t scare her off. She’s going to meet me for coffee and maybe dinner.”
“Well, I’m coming back here tonight, so you can’t be a pervert and bring her home.”
“If I wanted to be a pervert, as you say, I can always afford a hotel room.” I wagged my brows at her as she watched me put the bottle back on the other side of the counter.
“You’re horrible. It’s the first date.”
“No offense sis, but I’ve got this under control.”
“I’m just saying, you should probably give this a different approach than your norm. She seems like a nice girl, and if she’s using a dating site, maybe it’s because she’s leery and has been hurt before. The site is set up like a huge screening room, so some women use it that way.”
My sister had a point. Although, the reality of the matter was I had a short period of time to meet the requirements of my inheritance.
“I’ll take things as they come, but I’m not making any promises. I like this girl, so far. If we hit it off, I’m going to let things run their natural course, and if we end up in bed tonight, whether it’s her place or a hotel, that’s my business.”
She gave me a scolding glare that was so much like my mother’s it gave me chills. She really was becoming a clone, but I’d never tell her that. “Just promise me you’ll be careful with your own heart and I’ll shut up.”
“I’ll be careful.” I grabbed my wallet and keys off the bar and gave my sister a kiss on the forehead. “Don’t wait up.”
My sister knew about the clause in my trust that said I needed to be settled and have a kid before I could get the rest of the money. She teased me about it constantly, especially since my father hadn’t suggested my grandmother do the same for her. We both knew she wanted to see me settled. Then she could stop worrying about me.
I headed out to the car and was soon on my way across town to the coffee shop. The Loving Cup was a local gem, and it brought back memories.
I parked my Jeep up front and fought the urge to check my hair in the mirror. She could take me or leave me as I was.
I walked in and found her already sitting at a small table to the side. It had to be the best sight I’d seen in a while. She was sitting there alone waiting for me. The spot she chose was perfect for privacy, and I glan
ced around at the other patrons and was thankful it was a quiet crowd.
Her eyes sparkled, and her cheeks turned red as she greeted me with a smile on my way over. She got up and greeted me with a handshake, and I took the time to feel how soft the skin on the back of her hand was. “It’s nice to see you in the flesh.”
I pulled out my chair and took a seat across from her. “Likewise. Have you been waiting long? My sister showed up, and I got held up in traffic.”
“Not long at all, I just sat down. I thought I’d check work my schedule while I was here.”
I nodded and took in the sight of her. She’d let her hair down, and it fell to shoulders in soft waves, the chestnut color complementing her green eyes and alabaster skin. She was a real beauty, natural with a wholesome look, but there was a gleam in her eye that told me she had a slight wild streak in her just begging to come out.
“I haven’t ordered yet, I didn’t know what I wanted, and I thought I’d let you choose something for me.”
“Wow, you trust me with that big of a decision? I’ll see what I can do, but I will admit, it’s been a while since I had a cup.”
“Well, I work here, so I like it all. I’ve tried every combination on the menu, and my favorites include caramel.”
I took her hint and minutes later returned with two caramel mocha lattes and two biscotti.
“Great choice. Thank you.”
“They didn’t let me pay since I was with you and said it was in the house.” I slid into my seat and dunked my biscotti.
“Yeah, one of the many perks of knowing a Loving Cup employee. I can also get you tickets to and UT game, so if you bleed orange, there’s that.”
“Nice. I love UT.”
“You were saying you do astral photography. I’ve always wanted to try that. I love Orion, and it would be nice to capture that for my apartment.”
I was surprised she knew anything about it. “Many people are fascinated with his belt, but I’ve always preferred the shoulder stars.”
She stirred her latte and nodded. “Betelgeuse and Bellatrix. I know that because I had two cats named Castor and Pollux.”
“The Gemini twins?” I wondered how the two were related.
“Yes! I was going to name them Betelgeuse and Bellatrix, but my dad said that was too hard to spell, so we went with Castor and Pollux instead. My dad loves astronomy and used to take me to the observatory to see the stars all the time. It was like our thing, you know. He’d always take me out for ice cream and then to the observatory.”
“That’s awesome. I can’t believe you know about the stars.” There weren’t too many people around that have a passion for astronomy.
She waved her hand. “Well, I don’t know much, really. Just a little. But it’s something I’d love to learn more about. It’s fascinating, especially how you’re able to capture them on camera.”
“Maybe you’d like to go camping with me sometime, and I’ll show you how to do it. You can even take a few shots using my camera if you want.” I thought of having her in my tent, all to myself and my body even responded to the idea. My cock grew in my pants, and I couldn’t help watching her mouth as she talked. Her pouty lips were amazing, and I knew just what I wanted to do with them. With any luck, I’d get a kiss from them before the night was done.
“I used to go camping some when I was younger, but I haven’t been in years. It seems like I haven’t done much of anything lately but work.”
I wanted to steer her away from the topic of work if possible because I couldn’t tell her what kind of work I did for Hazen’s company, but sure enough, it was the next thing she asked.
“Do you work as a photographer or something else?”
“I do photography mostly these days, but I work for a friend’s company here and there.” I held my breath and hoped she wouldn’t ask me to specify.
“That’s great. Where do you go camping?”
“There’s a place up in the hills that’s a bit closer, but caught light pollution in the last image, so I have to find a place further west. I need someplace dark.”
“I don’t know that I’d like to be all alone in the pitch dark,” she said.
“What if you weren’t all alone?” I asked boldly, looking into her emerald eyes.
She cleared her throat and a blush rose to her cheeks.
I asked my next question, trying to lighten the conversation. “The latte is good, but I’m feeling like a steak. Do you eat steak?”
“I love a good steak. I can’t remember the last time I had one. Aunt Helen makes smothered pork chops that are out of this world.”
“Aunt Helen?” I wondered if she lived with her aunt. That could pose a problem if we wanted privacy. With Megan living at my place, we couldn’t go there.
“She’s not my aunt; she’s my friend Rain’s. I live in their garage apartment. Both of my parents moved a few years ago, and they took me in. I’ve got my own space, but my best friend is right next door, so it’s the best of both worlds.”
“That sounds great.” Really great, in fact, no nosy aunt just down the hall. “So what do you say to dinner?” I asked her again.
“I’m in. Where are you taking me?” I caught her glance over across the room and turned to see her make eye contact with a girl across the room with jet black and purple hair.
When I glanced back at Kami, her cheeks were redder. “That’s my friend Rain. She’s trying to be discreet about keeping her eye on me, but she was afraid you were going to be a pervert.”
“Well the night is still young,” I said in an over-the-top way that said I was joking. But was I? She laughed, took my hand, and led me across the room to her friend’s table.
“Hey, Rain. This is Tate Evans. Tate, this is Rain Campbell.” Rain held out her hand.
“It’s good to meet you. I was just finishing up my coffee and about to head home. Should I wait up?”
That’s up to you.
CHAPTER NINE - KAMI
Tate brought me to dinner in his jeep, and I couldn’t get over what a nice ride it was. The thing was tricked out with every additional feature you could imagine, and I knew he must have a good job to afford it.
For dinner, he’d bought me the biggest steak and shrimp platter I’d ever seen, and I had more than half of it in a to-go box.
We’d spent the better part of two hours getting to know one another. We shared stories from our childhoods, talked about photography as well as our other hobbies, and confessed our hopes for the future. It was thrilling to hear that he wanted a sole career in photography as much as I did.
“That was an amazing dinner. I only wish I could have finished.”
“I can’t believe I did. I haven’t eaten that much in a long time.” He helped me into the lifted jeep and placed the to-go box in my lap after I clicked my seatbelt.
He went around and climbed in beside me. “Do you need me to take you back to your car at the Loving Cup?”
“No, Rain brought me. I didn’t want to have to go back for my car. I live across town, not far from the coffee shop.”
“I’ll take you home then. If you’re ready?”
I didn’t want the night to end, but I gave a nod, not wanting to sound too eager. “Sure, thanks.”
As soon as we rounded the corner to my place, I could see the problem. There was a crowd of cars lined up outside Aunt Helen’s house and at least six people out on my lawn. Rain had called the practice, and they were still going strong. Then again, it was still early. I leaned forward in my seat and let out an audible sigh. “Oh no.”
“Is that your house?”
“Yeah, that’s where I stay, up above the garage. Looks like I won’t get any sleep tonight either.” I knew I was going to have to move out sooner or later, but Rain and Aunt Helen were the only family I had around. It’s what caused me to stay so close to them. Not to mention, it was super cheap and I’d just started making it my own.
“Does this go on a lot?” He pulled to a stop ju
st out front.
“Yeah, like every other night lately. Rain’s my best friend, and her Aunt’s been good to me, but this is getting old.”
His eyes narrowed as he sympathized with me. “I could imagine. Do you work tomorrow?” He leaned up and glanced out at the window.
Yeah, first thing in the morning.”
“Look, I know this is our first date, and I understand if you want to say no, but my sister is at my place, and if you want to come home with me and stay, you’re welcome to. I mean, just for a night of peace and quiet, no strings or conditions and you can sleep wherever you like. I have two guest rooms and a couch. Plus, a built-in chaperone in Megan,” he added with a smile.
“I don’t want to impose. Besides what would your sister think? It’s not exactly the best first impression.”
“She would think that her brother knows what he’s doing and she doesn’t need to worry about it. You can give Rain my address and phone number so she knows where to reach you.”
“It sure sounds better than listening to sound checks and arguing all night; and they don’t know when to leave.”
“Then stay with me. I’m serious; it’s cool. We can go in and grab a few things and be on our way.”
I hesitated only a minute longer. “Ok, if you’re sure.”
“I’m sure,” he promised. “I promise I’ll be on my best behavior. If you want me to be.”
The way he looked at me made my insides turn to jelly, and if he wasn’t careful, I was going to drench my panties. I cleared my throat and opened the door.
“I’d introduce you to Aunt Helen, but she’s at bingo.” We approached the house, and I hoped to not bump into anyone, but as per usual, Devin was in the path of my stairway.
His head turned and his face grew serious as Tate and I passed, then they turned and headed back into the garage, whispering like a couple of adolescents.
We walked into my apartment and I suddenly became super self-conscious.
