by Jordan Marie
She leans up on the table and gives me a grin and I really shouldn’t like how that smile makes her eyes light up and dance—but I do.
“I thought you decided it was Princess?” she says, grinning even more.
“If you’re Princess, what does that make me?”
“Hmm… I may need to think on that,” she responds as if giving it serious thought.
“Here are your menus. Can I take your drink order?”
“I’ll have sweet tea please,” Princess says and for some damn reason my eyes are glued to her lips as she speaks. It’s probably just because I’m hungry. Like the commercial says, I’m not myself when I’m hungry.
“What about you, Black?” she asks. I’ve known her since we were kids and her Mama first built this place. Susie all but runs it now, but Wednesdays are usually slow days in town in general and she keeps her wait staff to minimum.
“Coffee is good, Susie.”
“Do you guys want to order? Or do you need a few minutes?”
“What are you having?” Princess asks me.
“Same thing as I always have on Wednesdays—”
“Mom’s famous enchiladas. That seems to be the consensus today,” Susie laughs.
“Well then I guess that’s what I’m having,” Princess responds, closing her menu and handing it back. I do the same and it’s after Susie leaves that she turns the smile back on me.
“Does everyone call you Black?” she asks, surprising me. It’s a strange question, but I guess we haven’t really introduced ourselves—especially since she’s refusing to give me her name.
“Most everyone,” I shrug. “Some call me asshole…”
“At least you admit it,” she laughs.
“My name is Addie, although I kind of like you calling me Princess. I can always call you my loyal servant.”
“Annnnd…. Addie it is.”
“Spoilsport.”
“Whatever,” I laugh, she’s a firecracker. I don’t know if I’ve ever met a woman so quick to give me shit—unless it’s my sisters or my mother. I shouldn’t like it… but I do.
“What made you decide to go into law as a career?”
I think on the question. I’m not sure how to answer—at least to someone I barely know, so I turn it around on her.
“What made you decide to get in the landscaping business?” I ask instead.
She looks surprised for a second and then she gets a sweet blush on her cheeks that I wasn’t expecting. Her eyes dart down as Susie brings our drinks and for a minute I think she’s not going to answer. I watch as her fingertip moves over the rim of her glass. Slowly she looks back up at me and her eyes, which I’ve just figured out look almost gray come back to me. The way she looks right now is mesmerizing. Her gaze has an intensity that I can feel and she’s beautiful. I vaguely noticed it the last time—I was too aggravated, but right now she literally takes my breath.
Damn. When is the last time that happened? Has it ever before? I don’t think it has.
“I love what I do. I could spend hours creating and planning and never get tired. Before my mother got sick, we used to spend hours together… now it’s like she’s with me in some ways.”
“I’m sorry about your mom. That’s rough. You’re young.”
“Not that young,” she shrugs.
“How young is not that young?” I ask, and now I’m genuinely curious. I was expecting this woman to stay on my ass the entire lunch and give me hell, but it turns out I’m actually having fun. When Addie isn’t screaming and trying to terrorize a man, she’s damn good company.
“I’m twenty-four,” she says and I have to say I’m surprised. I knew she was young and I guess twenty-four isn’t that young, I’m turning thirty-two this year, but I thought she’d be older. I mean she runs her own business. It’s not like her age is anything to me. If I think on it, I don’t know why it should upset me that she’s so young.
Okay not so young… but she’s still young.
“Well, actually I will be twenty-four in a couple of months,” she adds.
Motherfucker.
“How about you?” she asks and she seems interested. I shift uneasily in my chair for some reason.
“I’m not twenty-three, I’ll tell you that much,” I grumble. Hell, I don’t think I remember twenty-three.
“Oh come on. It’s not that young. How old are you?”
“I’m thirty-one,” I tell her, just wanting this conversation done for some reason.
“Oh my God! You’re practically ancient.”
“Very funny,” I mutter, taking a drink of my coffee.
“It’s very commendable that you’re still working at your age. It must be hard on you.”
“Having fun?”
“Surprisingly, I am,” she says, shocking me. “Are you?”
“Well, you haven’t tried to kill me yet and I’ve not been stung by a killer bee, so I’m hopeful,” I crack and again she surprises me by laughing.
She’s got a really nice laugh…
Damn.
Chapter Eight
Addie
I like him.
How does that even happen?
I’d been feeling guilty and I know he has to deal with my dad a lot, so I wanted to pave things over. Instead I find myself laughing and enjoying being with the big dummy. He’s funny, and sweet and those two things even manage to make me forget that he’s a tall drink of water, with bedroom eyes—at least every once in a while they make me forget.
I’m only human!
We’ve had lunch and we’re still sitting in the diner talking. I know he needs to get back to work and I really need to go too. I need to check on some applications I submitted. I need a job and I’m really hoping to put my degree to use.
“My company boring you, Princess Addie?”
I jerk my gaze back to him. My breath catches in my chest as once again I’m blown away by those beautiful eyes of his.
They really should be illegal.
“I’m sorry?”
“You keep staring at your watch, darlin’. From my experience, that’s never a good thing.”
“Oh! I have an appointment in Redmont—soonish.”
“New client?”
I stumble for a second. I should just tell him the truth, but we’ve been having such a good time, I don’t want him to know who my dad is yet. My whole life people have been nice to me because Dad’s money or because of who my family was. While Black might not be interested in my money, he might treat me differently if he knew that my dad is essentially in control of his money requests and other things. Dad controls everything when it comes to the budget of the police station. Somehow, I think knowing my dad is the mayor would make Black stay away from me and I don’t want that.
“I’m hoping it will be. I’m trying not to be nervous, but I hate these interviews.”
“Do you usually have to interview to get hired to take care of lawns?”
“You have to interview for everything these days,” I tell him, feeling horrible for not just confessing everything. Someday soon this will all blow up in my face.
I really don’t want to think about that right now.
“Fair enough, but I mean what are you going to do? Hop on a lawnmower and show them how you mow?”
“You really have a hang up about women landscapers don’t you?”
“No—”
“Yeah right,” I mumble, looking around the table for the bill.
“Seriously, I don’t,” he says grabbing my hand when I would reach for the bill.
“You—”
“I just wanted to know if I should call 9-1-1. You know, just to get an ambulance on standby,” he says with a smirk.
“You really are an asshole, Black.”
“Words hurt, Addie,” he replies and I giggle. I never giggle, but here I am--sounding like a school girl.
“Hey! What are you doing?” I ask when he grabs my phone off the table. My heart starts beating faster. I
f he looks at my contacts and sees my dad’s number, will he recognize it? He will if he sees my pictures. I’m in the middle of a mini-panic when he asks me for my code.
“Why?” I ask, almost whining.
“I’m going to key in my number so you can call me and let me know if you got the job.”
“Why would you care?” I ask him, studying his face.
“You’re full of questions, but I’ve yet to get your number…” he hedges and he may be mostly looking at my phone, but I get the feeling he’s studying me.
It’s a gamble, but I find myself telling him my code to unlock my phone.
“Thank you,” he says with a smile. Men with eyes that deep shouldn’t smile—especially when they have dimples and laugh lines that make a woman’s insides tingle.
“De nada.”
His left eyebrow quirks up and somehow that makes him even sexier.
“You speak Spanish?”
“I’m fluent with several words,” I brag.
“Words?”
“I can count to three. I know the meaning of de nada and I can say one or two very explicit curse words.”
“Where did you learn those?”
A picture of our maid Rosa comes to mind. She left the states not long after my mother died. I miss her too, but we keep in touch through emails. I don’t really want to explain that to Black though, so I shrug.
“That’s a story for another day.”
“I’ll hold you to that Princess. There, now you have my number. So you can call me to let me know if you got the job, or…”
“Or?”
“Or if I need to come bail you out of jail because you ran over the homeowner,” he says standing up. He instantly helps me up and puts his hand at my back. He’s tall, a good five inches taller than me, and he’s broad. I feel tiny beside him and it’s a feeling I find that I like. I can’t stop myself from looking up at him.
“You’d pay my bail? It almost sounds like you like me, Black.”
“I’m a cop it’s my job to protect and to serve.”
“To serve… me?” I ask with a smirk. “Sounds kinky.”
“To protect innocent bystanders from you,” he says with a wink and I roll my eyes—but I do it with a smile.
Really, I smile the whole time Black pays our bill, refusing to let me help. I smile as he walks me outside to my car and I smile as he opens my car door for me. And I really smile as I head out of town, looking in my rearview mirror to see Black’s ass in those tight uniform khakis he’s wearing. I slow down to watch as he walks toward the sheriff’s office.
Any girl would really… I just happen to be the lucky one.
Chapter Nine
Black
“I thought you forgot about me, Princess Addie.”
“Does that happen often?” Addie laughs. Even over the phone her laughter rings out and seems to grab me. It’s the strangest thing. I wanted to strangle her yesterday. I sure didn’t see myself enjoying her company. One lunch with her and everything turned around. I found myself disappointed when she didn’t call me about her interview. I hold the phone out from my ear and check the time. It’s almost eleven. I knew it was getting late, but I’m glad she called just the same.
Of course hearing her voice while I’m naked in bed might not be a good thing. I reach down and adjust my cock which is waking up with just the sound of her laughter. I guess it could also be a good thing… better if she were in bed with me…
“Does what happen?” I ask, bringing my mind back to our conversation and not my cock which is now starting to more than wake up—it’s practically standing at attention.
“Your crisis in confidence.”
“Afraid I’m not following, Princess.”
“I’d wager to guess that not many women ever forget you, Black.”
“There’s been one or two I wish would. Does that count?” I ask her, my mind instantly shifting to my crazy ex, Linda Jones.
…annnnd just like that my cock deflates.
The bitch is still messing with my life almost a year later.
“Totally counts,” Addie whispers, and I try to concentrate on her voice. It’s warm and sleepy and she sounds so sweet—deceptively so, since she’s given me hell like no other woman I’ve met—including my mother.
“How did today go?” I ask, when she doesn’t say anything more.
“Good, I think. There are several others being interviewed so I can’t be positive, but they told me I made their short list and would be in contact with me no later than next week.”
“Damn. The world of landscaping must be pretty demanding. I had no idea.”
“You’d be surprised.”
“I guess so, but then I’m just a poor country boy. I usually mow my own grass. Except when I lived in Dallas, my HOA fees paid for lawn care.”
“You lived in Dallas?”
“Yeah for a while. I’ve only been back in Mason for a little while.”
“And already in the position you’re in. That’s pretty impressive, Black.”
“If you think that’s impressive, you should see my—”
“I think it’d be best if you didn’t finish that sentence,” she laughs. I close my eyes and it’s easy to imagine her smile and those gray eyes of hers twinkling, her blonde hair draped over a pillow. It’s entirely too easy to imagine that hair lying over my dick….
“What are you wearing right now?” I ask her, grinning.
“You so did not just ask me that,” she laughs.
“But, I did.”
“What do you want me to be wearing?” she says and she giggles.
Damn I really like it when she giggles.
My first answer is, “me”. That answer is probably not what I should say since we barely know each other. Besides, I don’t know her well enough yet. She could turn into another Linda and I’m not sure I can survive another crazy ex-girlfriend.
“I’m thinking those overalls. You know, the beige ones like Jason wears in all of those millions of movies he kills people in.”
“You want me to be wearing blood stained overalls…”
“Well not bloodstained. There’s a lot to be said for cleanliness.”
“You’re a freak, you know that?”
“That’s my brother, Blue.”
“You have a brother named Blue?”
“Yep, we’re twins. Although the older we get the easier it is to tell us apart. Plus, his hair… the boy has no style.”
“You have a twin brother?”
“Yeah. Though just between you and me, I’m much bigger in size.”
“You’re not talking about height are you?”
“I’ll leave that to your imagination, darlin’,” I joke.
“I don’t know if I should be more scared that there are two of you in the world, or that I’m enjoying our conversations so much.”
“Make no mistake, Princess Addie, there’s only one of me.”
“So I assume you two fight a lot and that’s why they call you Black and Blue?”
“Fight with Blue? Nah, he’s too quiet to fight with.”
“Talking with you makes my head hurt,” she whispers.
“You should talk to my Mom sometime,” I laugh.
“I better get to sleep,” she murmurs while yawning.
I want to tell her no, because I really am enjoying talking to her. I can’t remember the last time that I just talked to a girl on the phone and it made me happy. That’s a clear sign that Addie might mean trouble for me, but I’m not sure I care. It’s been a really long time since a woman has appealed to me this much.
“Sweet dreams, Princess Addie.”
“Sweet dreams, Black.”
She hangs up the phone and I’m left holding mine wishing she was still on the other side.
She’s definitely going to be trouble.
Chapter Ten
Addie
“Run over anyone today?”
I read Black’s text and giggle out lo
ud. I haven’t seen him or talked to him in two days—not because I didn’t want to, but I just haven’t. Dad came back and I’ve been spending time with him.
“What’s so funny, Princess?” Dad asks and I look up from my phone.
“Just a text from a friend,” I answer, with a sly grin, because it’s more than that, but I don’t want to talk to Dad about it yet.
“Not yet, but the day is still young.” I reply to Black.
“Are your friends missing you already?” Dad asks.
It would probably surprise him to know that I don’t really have friends. I was so busy trying to learn and hone my craft that I had no friendships out of class. I was so tired after working that I never tried to contact the few friends I had at school anyway.
“Something like that. What are we doing today?”
“You’re going to hate me, Princess…”
“Dad,” I sigh, already knowing what’s coming.
“It’s an emergency committee dinner.”
“What is an emergency committee dinner? Everyone got hungry at the same time and have to go grab Big Macs together because they’re starved?” I grumble sarcastically. I shouldn’t be upset, I know, but I was looking forward to spending time with him. He wasn’t around a lot as a bank president, but this is kind of ridiculous. I mean, we haven’t seen each other since Christmas. Maybe I’m being a giant kid, but it still hurts that he keeps shoving business in front of me.
“It’s a working dinner. We’re in a huge gridlock over the expenses on the proposed water plant for Mason. I need to sway the council to vote to approve the additional cost.”
“And that can’t wait one night so we could actually have dinner together?” I ask. Somewhere in the back of my mind, I feel like I’ve heard my mom ask that same question a hundred times before. Does Dad even realize that?
“How about I go to the dinner and get this done and tomorrow I leave work early and we go bowling?”
“Bowling?” I ask, and if I sound like he’s grown two heads right in front of me, there’s a reason. I haven’t been bowling since I was seven. My parents took me to an all-night bowling alley and it was all done up with black lights and the pins and balls would glow in florescent pinks, blues, yellows and greens. It was fun… when I was seven. Still, he’s making an effort and it seems like the only way I’m going to get to spend time with him.
