by C. C. Wood
My level stare was her answer and she laughed as I went into the bathroom. The underwear I’d chosen was perfect beneath the dress, both the panties and bra were black satin and the straps of my bra wouldn’t show even though the dress was sleeveless.
I removed my robe and slid into the dress, zipping the side zipper. Though the waist and bust were a bit tighter than I remembered, it still fit well. When I looked in the mirror I wanted to march right back into the bedroom and tell Tanya I would choose my own damn outfit. Since my breasts were larger after having Carolena, the dress was no longer quite as loose at the waist and it revealed my shape a lot more than I expected. In fact, I looked curvy and a lot sexier than I felt comfortable with.
I exited the bathroom with what had to be a mutinous expression on my face. Tanya looked me over.
“You look fantastic!” she cried.
“I look like a Marilyn Monroe wannabe.”
She scoffed. “Quit complaining. Most women would kill for your figure and Marilyn was a sex symbol. If you’ve got it, flaunt it.” She held up a pair of black pumps with a silver stiletto heel. “And where in the hell have you been hiding these?”
“I’ve been saving them for a special occasion.”
“Well, I’d say this is it.”
I had to agree. “I’ll put them on last. I don’t want my feet to be killing me before I even leave the house.”
“Good plan.” She set the shoes on the bed and clapped her hands. “Okay, make-up. You need something dramatic.”
I held up a hand to stop her and pointed to Carolena, who was still playing on the floor. “You watch the baby, I’ll do my make-up myself.”
She sighed. “Fine, but I reserve the right to make adjustments.”
I didn’t bother to argue. She was the lawyer, she would win anyway. I went into the bathroom and pulled out my make-up bag. While I usually kept it simple for work and hadn’t had an occasion in a long time, I loved to play with make-up and I used to try different looks all the time.
Since Tanya made the Marilyn Monroe reference, I decided to do a neutral eye with a thin black line of liquid eyeliner and a nice red lip. Then I applied my concealer and foundation. Fifteen minutes later, I was done.
When I entered the bedroom, Tanya’s eyes widened. “You look amazing, Yancy. I’d say you should fancy yourself up more often, but you’d make the rest of us look bad.”
I shook my head at her exaggeration and walked to the bed to retrieve my shoes. “Whatever.”
As I slid the pumps onto my feet, Carolena stood up and toddled over. Looking up at me, she fingered the material of my skirt. “Pwetty.”
I leaned down and kissed her forehead. “Thank you, baby.” I grinned when I saw my red lip print on her skin and gently rubbed it away.
Tanya came over and handed me a pair of pearl drop earrings and my pearl bracelet. “I took the liberty of choosing jewelry and a bag for you.”
I managed to hold back a sigh. She was almost as pushy as my sisters. “Thanks.”
I put the earrings in my ears and clasped the bracelet around my wrist. Tanya handed me my only evening purse, which was plain black satin embellished with jet beads. We all headed downstairs and I transferred my phone, ID, some money, and my red lipstick into the tiny clutch. I glanced at the clock and realized that it had taken me a lot longer than I expected to get ready. Charles would be here any moment.
Quickly, I gave Tanya a rundown of what she needed to do for Carolena. “I’ve already bathed the baby and given her a breathing treatment. You’ll need to feed her a little after I leave. I left her plate in the fridge. She’ll have a sippy cup of milk about 7:30. Her bedtime is 8:15, so change her diaper around 8 and rock her for a few minutes before you put her down. The baby monitor is in my bedroom, but you can move it to wherever you want. All of this is on a sheet of paper on the fridge if you forget anything. Any questions?”
Tanya shook her head. “Nope. You forget that I have been around babies before, including yours. It’s been a while, but I remember what to do.”
I smiled. “I just wanted to make sure you knew her routine. Call me if you have any questions or you need me to come home.”
“We’ll be fine.” Tanya picked up Carolena. “Ready for dinner, doll face?”
“Yummy!”
We both laughed at Carolena’s exclamation and I gave her another kiss before Tanya carried her into the kitchen. As soon as they were gone, I felt the nerves return. The last few hours, I’d been so busy getting the baby and myself ready that I didn’t have time to be nervous.
Now that I was standing in my foyer alone, I felt the butterflies coming back in full force. It wasn’t as if I hadn’t been out with Charles before. We’d been to lunch twice now. It seemed silly for me to feel this nervous over a dinner date.
When we had lunch, it felt easy, casual, and we both had to return to work. It hadn’t quite felt like a date either time. I looked down at my dress and heels. Tonight was different and it most definitely felt like a date.
Before I had a chance to descend into a good, old-fashioned freak out, the doorbell rang. I took a deep breath and opened the door. Charles stood on the other side, looking fantastic in a dark grey suit. His white shirt was open at the throat and I was tempted to step forward and bury my face against his neck so I could breathe in his clean, fresh scent.
As I looked at him, he looked at me, his eyes traveling from my head down to my feet. “You look beautiful, Yancy.”
“You look great, too.”
“Are you ready to go?”
Feeling a little silly for standing there staring at him, I nodded and stepped out onto the porch. I knew better than to go into the kitchen to say good-bye to Carolena. I would end up with food all over my dress or face. I locked the door and followed him out to his car. He opened my door and helped me into the vehicle.
After he got in and we were on our way, I looked over at him. “Are you going to tell me where we’re going?”
He smiled. “Nope. It’s a surprise.”
THREE HOURS LATER, I was back in Charles’ car, feeling full and slightly tipsy. He had taken me to The French Room in the Adolphus Hotel in downtown Dallas. The French Room was considered one of the best restaurants in Dallas and I had no idea how he’d gotten a reservation so quickly. He suggested the chef’s tasting menu and each of the five courses was paired with a specific wine. It was incredibly sumptuous and the flavors were heavenly.
We lingered after the meal. I drank wine and he had espresso. While my love of coffee demanded I order an espresso as well, I knew I would never fall asleep if I drank caffeine at nine at night. We had talked for most of the meal, starting with the subject of books and movies.
Somehow, the topic of the conversation came around to his first month at the company. Since I was feeling especially lubricated after three glasses of wine, I asked him, “So why were you so rude to me when you started at the company?”
Charles was silent for a moment as he stared into his wineglass. “I’m not sure I can explain it.”
This was getting interesting. I leaned forward, placing my elbows on the table and my chin on my hands. “Try, please.”
He grinned. “There’s that feisty streak.” I merely raised an eyebrow and stared him down. He sighed. “Well, the first time I saw you, I thought you were the most gorgeous woman I’d ever seen. Then we spoke and you seemed so warm and approachable. I really liked that. Then I heard Judith mention your daughter and I assumed you were married. I, uh, shit, I hate to admit this, but I wanted to keep my distance from you because I didn’t want to start lusting after my married coworker. You know, all the drooling and stammering can get embarrassing.”
I laughed at his joke, even though I was taken aback at his words. Lusting? Gorgeous? I had no idea that he’d found me so attractive. “Is that why you constantly called me Nancy?”
He shook his head, a rueful expression on his face. “No, unfortunately, that was all me. I wasn’t tryi
ng to be rude to you, Yancy. I just didn’t want…” he trailed off.
I toyed with my wineglass, staring at him across the candlelit table. “So, when I told you I was divorced, and you knew I was single, you started being nice to me?” I wanted to be offended, but the wine had lowered my inhibitions too much for outrage. Now, I was just curious.
Charles sighed again. “I didn’t think of it like that, I swear.”
I continued to stare at him, thinking of how he’d behaved the first month. He liked me but didn’t want me to know it. Then, I smiled. “So you were acting like a teenage boy?”
He chuckled softly. “I don’t think I’ve been so tied up in knots over a woman since high school, so that’s probably accurate.” He leaned forward and snagged my hand. “So, am I forgiven for my awkwardness?”
“Since you brought me to this wonderful place, yes, you are.”
We continued to talk after that, moving on to a more comfortable subject. Sometime around 9:30, we started getting pointed looks from the wait staff and I realized I needed to get home.
“I think we’d better go, Charles. Carolena wakes up early, even on Sundays. I need to get some sleep.”
He nodded and looked around for our waiter. He brought our check and, within five minutes, we were on our way. The drive home was quiet, but Charles held my hand. I was definitely feeling the aftereffects of all the wine, so I leaned my head back against the headrest and just enjoyed the ride.
When he pulled up in front of my house, Charles put the car in park and turned to look at me. “Thank you for finally agreeing to go out to dinner with me.”
I smiled. “I’m glad I did. It was wonderful.”
He leaned toward me, placing his lips on mine. After spending the evening with him in a romantic restaurant and drinking several glasses of wine, I didn’t hesitate. My mouth opened beneath his and the kiss rapidly spiraled out of either of our control.
I turned, trying to get closer to him, but the console was in the way. Suddenly, Charles shoved his seat back and hauled me across the console so I sat sideways in his lap with my back against the door as my feet dangled over the passenger seat.
Before I could fully comprehend what was happening, he tangled one hand in my hair and cupped my hip with the other, pulling me against his chest. We kissed, our tongues tangling, for what felt like an eternity. I felt surrounded by his heat and scent and my head became light. For the first time in a long time, I felt the sharp ache of desire between my thighs.
I heard a low moan and realized that wanton sound had come from my throat. I pressed my breasts against Charles’ chest, trying to get as close to him as possible.
Suddenly, a car horn blared through the fog of lust that permeated the interior of the vehicle. I broke the kiss, leaning back slightly and realized my elbow was resting on Charles’ steering wheel and I was the reason the horn was still sounding.
I tried to scramble off his lap, but Charles had to help because I was wedged so tightly between his body and the steering wheel. Breathless, I laughed as I settled in the passenger seat and brushed my hair away from my face.
“Oh my God, I don’t think I’ve made out in a car like that since high school,” I gasped.
Charles grinned. “Me either. I’d forgotten how difficult it is to cop a feel in the front seat.”
I laughed. “I really did have a wonderful time tonight, Charles. Thank you for such a special evening.”
His grin morphed into a soft smile. “It was special, wasn’t it?” He leaned forward and placed a quick, soft kiss on my lips. “At the risk of sounding too pushy, I want to spend more time with you, Yancy, and not wait a week between dates.”
My heart leapt at his words. God, it had been years since a man not only wanted to spend time with me, but actively pursued me. There were no games being played, just honest desire.
“We’ll figure something out. I’m just not ready to have a new man in Carolena’s life and I can’t have a babysitter constantly either.”
Charles’ smile faded and I knew I needed to explain further.
“I really want to spend time with you too, Charles, I’m just not sure how to make it work. You’re the first man I’ve dated since my divorce, so I haven’t had to think about this before. Will you call me tomorrow after I’ve had some time to think about it and see if I can come up with a solution?”
His grin returned. “I can do that.” He glanced up at my front door. “I think you’re going to get grounded if you don’t go inside soon.”
I looked up and saw Tanya standing on my front porch, arms crossed over her chest, the toe of her red flats tapping impatiently. “Nah. No grounding. I think she just wants all the juicy details of the date.” I sighed and gathered my purse and coat.
Before I could say anything else, Charles was out of the car and at the passenger door. He helped me out of the car and wrapped an arm around my waist as we strode up the front walk to my porch.
“Evening, Tanya.”
“Hello again, Charles. Are you two done necking in the car like a pair of teenagers?”
I felt warmth crawl up my face. “Thanks for your concern, Tanya. I’ll come inside in just a minute, okay?”
She took the hint. “Good night, Charles.”
“Good night.”
We watched her sashay back into the house. I turned to Charles. “I’m so sorry.”
He shook his head. “It’s fine. She seems like a good friend.”
“Yeah, she really is.”
He wrapped both arms around my waist and pulled me closer. “Well, it’s almost ten, so I think you need to get inside. From what I understand, your daughter likes to wake up early, even on Sundays.”
I giggled. “Yes. I fully intend to get my revenge when she’s a teenager and all she wants to do is sleep until noon. I’ll be waking her up at seven every weekend.”
Charles leaned forward and gave me a light, lingering kiss. “I like the way your mind works. Revenge is a dish best served cold.”
I put my hands on his chest. “Tonight was beautiful, Charles. Thank you again.”
He squeezed my waist then released me. “It was great. I’ll call you tomorrow, okay?”
I nodded and opened the front door. Before I went inside, I looked over my shoulder at Charles. “Good night.”
“Good night, Yancy.”
Feeling as though I were floating on air, I went inside and shut the door behind me. With a deep sigh, I leaned back against my front door. I couldn’t wait to see Charles again. I would have to figure out a way to spend more time with him, even though I wasn’t ready for him to meet Carolena. I knew it was time to move on from the pain of my failed marriage to Cooper. I was ready to live my life, on my terms.
Chapter Eleven
I WASN’T SURE what Tanya did to my daughter, but she slept until nearly 9:00 a.m. on Sunday morning. I woke up at eight and immediately jerked upright in fear because the baby hadn’t woken and wasn’t moving when I looked at the monitor. I snuck into her room and looked down at Carolena. When I saw her chest moving up and down in deep, even breaths, I relaxed. I left her room silently, grabbed the baby monitor, then enjoyed a cup of coffee and a long, leisurely shower that didn’t include a shrieking baby throwing shampoo bottles at my head.
We spent a quiet morning eating breakfast and Carolena ‘helped’ me with chores around the house. While I vacuumed, she followed me around with her toy vacuum. When I folded laundry, I had to give her a couple of wash cloths to ‘fold’. I only hoped her enthusiasm for household chores extended into her teenage years, though I wouldn’t hold my breath.
As I continued with the housework, I thought about what Charles and I discussed in the car the night before. I was excited that he wanted to see me more often, but it might be tricky to make it work. While I laid in bed last night, I thought about how we could spend more time together that didn’t involve me leaving my daughter with a sitter constantly. I came up with a solution that was surprisingly simp
le. He could come over after Carolena went to sleep. At least for the interim. I wasn’t ready to introduce him to my daughter, but I would never be ready if we didn’t spend a little more time together. It was a short term solution, which was what I was looking forward. I needed to be sure this wasn’t just a crazy infatuation that would fade after a month or two.
Around noon, my phone rang and it was Charles.
“Hey.”
I smiled at the sound of his voice. “Hi.”
“Did you sleep well?” he asked.
“Yes, I did. Carolena slept in until nine! I need to find out what Tanya did so I can repeat it.”
He chuckled. “When can I see you again?”
His low, lightly accented voice felt as palpable as his fingertips on my skin. I shivered a little.
“Hmmm…how about tonight?” When he didn’t respond, I began to stammer a little. “I mean, if you don’t have plans, that is.”
“I would love to see you tonight.”
At the tone of his voice, I shivered again. As brilliant as he was at his job, he could definitely consider a position in voice-overs or radio. Or maybe 1-900 numbers. He would make millions.
“Good.”
“What time?” he asked.
“I was thinking 8:30. Carolena goes to sleep around 8:15 and you and I could watch a movie or something.”
“Sounds perfect.”
“Great. Any food allergies or preferences? I think I’ll make some snacks.”
“I’m not crazy about Brussels sprouts,” he said dryly. “Don’t go to any trouble. I’ll eat before I come over.
I chuckled. “Well, my plans for the evening are shot to hell now.”
He laughed outright. “Sorry to ruin your night. I’ll see you at 8:30, okay?”
Smiling, I said good-bye and hung up. When I looked down, my daughter sat on her haunches and stared at me as though she were telling me to quit being such a dork.
I pointed a finger at her. “Don’t look at me like that. You’ll understand someday.”
She grunted and went back to playing with her toys. I shook my head. How was it my almost nineteen month old daughter made me feel silly when I doubted she understood even half of my phone conversation? It was good preparation for her teenage years.
