by J. B. McGee
He quickly ate his dinner realizing that being awake, yet away from her in an empty bed, was torture. He turned the television off and thought of being with her until he could no longer keep his eyes open.
The next day, he had found it difficult to contain his excitement. He was sure that he was walking around the entire day with a stupid grin plastered all over his face. Everyone knew not to ask about his personal life, but it was clear that the office was a happier place because he was happier.
He couldn’t wait for lunch to roll around because he figured she would have a break between her two classes. He wanted to call to confirm they were still going to meet at the same place and also to make sure the time was still good for her. Really, he knew deep down that the real reason he wanted to call and not email her was because he wanted to hear her sweet voice.
He decided he would grab a sandwich at a local deli. As he waited for his lunch to arrive he dialed her number and waited for her to answer.
“Hello.”
He smiled. “Miss Gerhart, I hope you’re having a good day.”
“I am. Has your day been exciting?” She asked playfully.
He bit his bottom lip while smiling a wry smile. “Ah, you remembered. My day has been boring up until now. But, I must say that I am anxiously anticipating our evening.”
“Me, too,” she spoke warmly.
He cleared his throat and took a swig of his sweet tea. “I just wanted to confirm the location and time are the same.”
“I assumed they were.”
The waitress walked up with his order and placed it down. She was smiling at him, and he knew that she found him attractive by her body language. He politely smiled and nodded his head, motioning that he had everything he needed while mouthing thank you.
“Good,” he replied to Gabby.
“So, I guess I’ll see you later.”
He chuckled. “Oh yes you will. I need to eat my lunch. I’m in dreadful meetings all afternoon.” He crunched into a pickle slice that was on the side of the basket. He quickly chewed and swallowed it. “I hope the rest of your classes go well.”
“Likewise to your dreadful meetings.” She giggled.
“Be careful driving and I’ll see you soon.”
“See you soon.”
Unlike the night before where she had waited for him to hang up first, she hung up relatively quickly. He furrowed his eyebrows and sighed. Why did women have to be so confusing?
Gabby
She beamed through the rest of her classes. The first day of Tuesday and Thursday classes were exceptionally boring, but add to it the anticipation of seeing him again in just a few hours made the last class drag by at a snail’s pace. She could barely be still. She fidgeted, doodled, twirled her hair, and chewed on her lip throughout the entire class.
Usually at the end of class she would take her time packing her things. She’d usually go to the professor and let them know how much she was looking forward to their class. She had learned that professors appreciated the gesture and it went a long way in the end to be on their good sides.
But today as soon as class was over she threw everything into her bag and rushed out of class. She jogged to her car. Earlier when Bradley had called, she had just finished her lunch. She didn’t want to seem like she was in a rush to get off the phone, but she wanted to make sure she had time to get gas so she could leave as soon as she got out of class. She was thankful at this exact moment she had done that because that meant she would be on Interstate 20, which led to Bradley Banks in just a matter of minutes.
While she waited at the stop lights leading to the interstate, she loosely pulled her curls back into a bun. She plugged her iPod into radio and started her favorite playlist. The drive wasn’t too bad.
She stopped in Aiken, which was about halfway to Thomson to use the restroom. She had always loved Aiken. It made her wonder if maybe one day Bradley might like to meet there. She and Sam had gone there last year at for Christmas at Hopeland Gardens. The park was one of the most beautiful places she had ever seen. The history in Aiken was rich, known for its horses and winter colony mansions. The town in and of itself was quite beautiful. Crepe Myrtle and Magnolia trees adorned the streets. Its downtown was charming, much like Charleston.
As she drove the rest of the way, she could already feel the pull towards him. The tingling had started. The butterflies were flying in her stomach. She could feel her body warming at just the mere thought of him. She longed for his touch and she seriously contemplated John’s words. In fact, she couldn’t escape them.
Bradley
He had worried about getting stopped in Atlanta traffic, which would have made him late. He was thankful he had been able to cancel his last appointment. He made it there before her and was anxiously awaiting her arrival. He had worked on his cell the entire trip and now while he waited for her in his car. When he saw her car pull into the parking lot, he felt a sense of relief. For one, at knowing she had made it safely, and two, that she had not decided to stand him up.
She pulled into the space beside him giving him a playful smile. He quickly climbed out and was waiting on her leaning on the side of his car smiling. The sleeves of his light pink shirt were rolled up to just below his elbows. His arms were crossed causing his chest to almost bulge. He was trying very hard to look cool and not show just how excited he was to see her. He carefully watched her every move, which only turned him on even more. He shifted his stance and crossed his legs.
She tossed several things into her purse and bounced out of the car. It was just a moment before she was standing inches front of him. This was because there wasn’t a lot of space between cars. Bradley had purposely not moved to make her come around to him. He knew that he had to be careful to not cross the boundaries of the friendship, but he yearned for her close proximity.
He reached out and gently put his finger around a tendril of hair that was framing the side of her face, the little piece of hair that was usually fairly straight. He pulled it a little closer, “I like your hair like this.”
She blushed causing him to grin. He hoped that if things continued to go this well that it wouldn’t be long before she would give into the whole ‘let’s be friends’ first thing. He was willing to play along, but he wanted her, only her, so badly he could barely stand it. He pushed himself up off the car and put his hand in the small of her back. “C’mon, let’s eat. I’m starving.”
She looked up and smiled at him as she softly spoke, “Okay, me too.”
The hostess seated them in a booth towards the back of the restaurant. It wasn’t too busy since it was a weeknight. Because of the timing, they had luckily missed the dinner rush.
Bradley waited for her to pick a side and he climbed in to the opposite side so he could drink in her beauty for as long as he could. “How was your drive?”
“It was nice. Have you ever been to Aiken?”
“I have. It’s beautiful.”
She smiled as she recalled her memories with Sam. “Yeah, I stopped there to take a quick bathroom break. Sam and I went to Hopeland Gardens to see the Christmas lights last year.”
“Oh yeah?” He had never been to Christmas at Hopeland Gardens, but he had been to a wedding at The Rye Patch, which was an adjoining winter colony home adjacent to the gardens. It was a beautiful place with ponds, old hardwoods, ducks, and flowers.
Gabby responded, “Mhmm.”
“Did you like it?” He leaned onto the table dying to be closer to her.
“I did. I was thinking it might be nice for us to meet there one day.” Gabby all of the sudden looked sad. “That is, if it’s not too far for you?”
“Not too far.” He winked at her. “I would like that very much.” Oh, she had no idea how much he would like that. He could imagine the sun glistening through the canopy of trees causing those gold speckles in her eyes to twinkle. He curled his finger over his lips. “But let’s not wait until Christmas.”
Gabby’s eyebrows arched.
He couldn’t help but grin at how adorable she was when she got excited. “Okay,” she replied quietly.
The waitress walked up to the table asking what she could get them. They had not even looked at the menus. He got the same thing every time he ate at Steak and Shake, so he didn’t need to look. But, he wasn’t sure what she wanted and he really liked ordering for her.
He glanced to the waitress and back to Gabby nodding. “Do you know what you want?”
She shook her head in affirmation back at him. “I get the same thing every time I come here.”
Bradley looked back up to the waitress. “Then we’re ready.”
Bradley ordered The Western BBQ and Bacon Cheeseburger and a Turtle Caramel Nut milkshake. Gabby shook her head smiling as she looked on at him ordering. He could see it out of the corner of his eyes. Bradley glanced over and gave her a puzzled smile. He would have to ask her what was so funny about his order when the waitress walked away.
When it was Gabby’s turn to order, her cheeks were red and she inhaled sharply. “I’ll have the same, but no milkshake, please.”
The waitress rattled the order back off to them both and walked away.
Surprised, Bradley’s beautiful blue eyes were a little large. “Do you always get that, or was what I ordered just too mouthwatering delicious to resist?” He asked her.
She bit her bottom lip. “No. That’s the best burger I’ve ever had. I always get that here.”
He nodded liking his lips and then mirroring her lip biting gesture, he playfully narrowed his eyes. “I see. Another thing we have in common, Miss Gerhart.”
She shrugged her shoulder. “What can I say?”
“Why didn’t you order a milkshake?”
“Do you know how much I would have to run to burn those calories?”
“I do. What do you say we share mine?”
She blushed and shifted in her seat. “If you insist.”
“I insist.” He gave her a flirty smile.
It was nice to see he was still having an effect on her. He wondered if she had any clue the kind of effect she was having on him.
She suddenly looked worried. He tilted his head and asked, “What’s wrong, Gabby?”
Gabby fidgeted with her fingers in her lap. She glanced up to him. “I…” She paused, “Nothing.”
“No, tell me,” he pleaded.
“I need to know why you never did the whole relationship thing. Why such the playboy?” She whispered.
He shrugged and dropped his head, then looked back up to her. “Well, my dad always taught me to enjoy the ladies. My parents have a bit of a dysfunctional relationship, Gabby. I just have never wanted that.”
“And I just magically changed your mind about this?”
He ran his hands through his hair. “Yes. Most girls are quick to give themselves to me. You are different. You forced me to take a serious look at my lifestyle and the women I associate with.”
“I just find it hard to believe you could change so quickly.”
“I can’t explain it, Gabby. Trust me. I never thought I would be this guy.” He shrugged his shoulders again, vulnerable. “But, here I am.”
The waitress brought the milkshake and placed it in front of Bradley. He was pleasantly surprised there were already two straws in it. How intuitive of her, he thought. He was thankful for the interruption, as well. He desperately wanted to change the mood and the topic of conversation.
He pushed it to the center and gave her a daring look. Holding the straw to his mouth, his lips parted and he sucked his first sip, closing his eyes savoring the flavor. “Mmm,” he groaned.
“Chocolate and caramel are a weakness for me as it is.” She squirmed. “Add you moaning over there while drinking it, now that’s a lethal combination.” She giggled.
He didn’t move his head from the milkshake, but glanced up at her. His eyes were on fire with desire and his lips formed a smile around the straw, “Lethal, huh?”
“Yeah, it just solidified what I had been pondering for the last couple of days.”
He looked confused. Given what they had just discussed that could most definitely be a bad thing. His brows furrowed. “What’s that?”
She glanced down nervously. When she looked back up to him, he could see the desire in her eyes. Her voice was low, seductive, and husky when she replied, “The very death of this stupid friendship idea. I can’t fight this anymore.”
Bradley almost choked on the milkshake. “Damn, don’t say things like that to me while I’m eating or drinking.” He chuckled when he saw the expression on her face turn to despair. “Or you’ll be the death of me. Gabby....”
She interrupted him, “Now, that would be tragic.”
“You have no idea. Want to get this food to go?”
“Go where?” She huskily replied.
“Somewhere more private.”
“Mmmm, that sounds delicious.” She winked.
He shook his head as his hooded eyes watched her. She was sexy, beautiful, and she made him laugh. He was very impressed at her ability to make whitty double inuendos.
He motioned for the waitress and told her that they needed to leave quickly and asked her to make everything to go and bring the check.
He swiftly pulled his wallet and threw down thirty dollars, telling her to keep the change.
He picked up their bag and the styroform cup with their milkshake while holding his hand out to her, helping her out of her seat.
She placed her hand in his and smiled shyly. “Do you have any idea where we’re going?”
He glanced down at her as he quickly led them to his car. “Hotel. Just leave your car, I’ll bring you back.”
She gasped as she bit her lip smiling. “Okay.”
After he opened her door and put the food in the center console, he was unable to contain himself any longer. He put his hand around the back of her neck and pulled her into a passionate kiss. He could feel and hear her moaning on his mouth. He pulled back panting. “Gabby. We have to get outta here. Like now.”
She touched her swollen lips as she shook her head in affirmation. Her eyes gleamed with anticipation.
He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. It was all he could do to not devour her in the middle of the parking lot. “God, I want you so bad. Get in the car.”
She climbed in while Bradley raced to his side. He sped out of the parking place and onto the street. He surveyed the strip of road for the nicest hotel he could find. There wasn’t a lot of choices. He decided the Comfort Inn and Suites was probably the nicest and closest thing he could find. This was going to be the worst part of a long distance relationship with her, finding a place where they could be intimate. It wasn’t about the money, but more of comfort and luxury. He also didn’t want her to feel like a whore by taking her to hotels. He decided in the future he’d do more research on places and he’d find bed and breakfasts for them to meet.
Gabby
They sat in silence until they arrived. The heat and desire was palpable. She was trying to not grin like a fool, and it was taking all the control she had to refrain from squealing. John’s words that had been playing in her mind over and over came back. She knew she had made the right decision because John was right. She was a walking ticking time bomb of pent up sexual frustration, although, she still had no plans of having sex with him. She hoped that he remembered that. Gabby started to worry that he had taken her comment the wrong way. Yes, she wanted to be with him, but she hoped he knew that she wouldn’t budge on the whole sex before marriage thing.
She was worried if she said anything about it, it would ruin the mood. She decided she’d just see how things played out and pray for the best, give him the benefit of the doubt.
When he parked he looked over at her with piercing blue eyes. He caressed her cheek. She leaned in to his touch smiling.
He whispered, “Hey,” as his brows furrowed, “You okay?”
She closed her eyes as she nodded, relieved by his touch.
“No, you’re not. What’s wrong?”
“Are you planning to have sex with me?” She asked bluntly.
“No, Gabby. If anything, I’d make love to you. It would be so much more than just sex.” He closed his eyes for a moment and then they flashed open with a resolve and calmness about them. “But, I respect your decision to wait. I told you that Saturday.” He kissed her forehead, “You don’t have to do this if you don’t want to, though. I can take you back to your car.”
“No, I want to. I just don’t want to break my promise to my mom,” she whispered.
“We won’t, you have my word.”
“Okay.”
Gabby
It didn’t take long for them to get a room and Bradley reached down for her hand as he led the way to the elevators. The doors of the elevator pulled together causing her to smile thinking about how she and Bradley had that same pull. The attraction was slow and steady like doors of the elevator coming together. As soon as they were touching there was a jolt as the elevator climbed. She could feel the butterflies somersaulting in her stomach with anticipation of the climb her body was taking in its heightened status. He rubbed her thumb with his. She gazed up to him as she wondered if he was as nervous as she was.
The doors were opening just moments later, and she knew her desire had only grown in that minute of being in a confined space with him. She couldn’t wait to show him this side of her, the side of her that was no longer fighting this, this connection, this pull, this tension.
He looked down at her and smiled. That smile was delectable. She briefly thought back to the first time she had seen him at the wedding and how she had wondered what his sexy body looked like under that tight suit. She squirmed knowing she was probably about to find that out first hand.
He stopped at the door, tilting her head up to look at him. “Hey, you sure?” He asked.
