Ditching The Dream (Dream Series)

by Isabelle Peterson

  “Nah, just PX90. I’m actually just in the cool down anyway. Come in, I gotta get some water.” He gestured for me to come in and, against my better judgment, I did.

  When he turned and headed into the apartment I shivered as I saw his back, smooth and un-inked, and just as muscular as his front. His waist was so trim… What I’d imagined earlier paled to the real deal.

  I followed him into his apartment, watching his muscles ripple. He picked up the remote and shut off the TV that had the cool down exercises from the PX90 playing. I looked around his home. It was the same layout as mine, a small living room, tiny kitchen, and two doors down a short hallway, one for the bathroom and one for the bedroom.

  I leaned on the breakfast bar and watched him reach into his fridge. He bent at the waist, his backside in my direction. You could bounce a quarter off that ass, I mused. When he turned he caught me staring, a boyish grin covered his face.

  “What are you gawking at?” he said knowingly.

  “Nothing. I’m sorry,” I muttered.

  “Turnabout is fair play, I guess,” he replied.

  “I beg your pardon?”

  “Earlier, I got a gander at your – um – lindo trasero.”

  “My what?” I gasped. I think I knew what he was saying. I could feel my face turn bright red as I recalled earlier when my ass was stuck in the air while I was stretching.

  “Nothing. I shouldn’t have said anything.” He handed me a water bottle, holding back a grin. He cracked open his water bottle and downed half of it. I was entranced as I watched his strong jaw pull on the water.

  Gathering my own strength, and suddenly thirsty as hell, I opened the bottle he’d handed me and drank a few gulps, closing my eyes, enjoying the cold refreshing water. When I opened them, Kevin was staring at me the way I had probably been staring at him while he drank. His gaze igniting a fire in me, despite the cold water. He was hot before, but now, he seemed impossibly handsome. And he was flirting with me.

  “So. What can I do ya for?”

  “Sorry?”

  “You stopped by. Did you have a question? Or you just couldn’t wait until tonight to see me?”

  “Oh, um…” Damn it! Why was I so inarticulate around men lately! I have a college degree! I’m not some brainless bimbo!

  “I’ll knock on your door at seven?”

  “I, ah, actually just stopped by to give you your mail. A piece was put in my mailbox by accident.” I picked up the envelope with the fancy handwriting.

  “Ah, mi abuela,” he glanced at me. “My grandmother. She sends me cards all year round.”

  “You two are close?”

  “She’s one of my best friends. My closest confidant. She took care of me after school while my parents worked.” He set the card aside and set his eyes on me. “So, dinner? Please say yes. I’m so tired of going to these things without a date.”

  “I really…”

  “But it’s not a date. I swear. You’ll just be my neighbor who is joining me.” His eyes, those sparkly pools of emotion, staring at me with hope and warmth. His smile loaded with boyish charm. “Please. I don’t think I can stand another night of my friends trying to set me up on dates.”

  “I’m surprised you don’t have a girlfriend.”

  “We broke up six months ago.”

  “Oh, sorry.”

  “Don’t be. We weren’t at all simpatico. She wanted to get married and have kids right away. I didn’t. After 2 years, I ended it.” He shrugged, basically saying that it was no big deal. He didn’t seem heartbroken at all. “So? Please? Pretty please?” He flashed his big, dark green eyes at me, with their gorgeous lashes and went all ‘puppy-dog’ on me.

  Well, it wore me down. “Okay. I’ll go.” I smiled shyly.

  “Awesome! I’ll knock at seven.”

  I shook my head at him, wondering to myself what I was getting into. “Thanks for the water and I’ll see you in a couple hours,” I said, picking up my package and making my way to the front hallway.

  Kevin rushed past and opened the door for me with a wide smile. Those dang southern manners.

  “Oh!” I said turning. His intoxicating scent filled my nose, as I was only a few inches from his chest. I had an inkling that I was headed into dangerous territory. And somehow, I was okay about that. “What should I wear?”

  “It’s casual. Jeans. Comfortable shoes,” he added with a wink.

  I nodded slowly, taking it in. I could do casual.

  I returned to my apartment, bemused that I’d accepted a dinner invitation with a younger man, and had a date for the next day as well with an older man. I guess I was really going to do this. I didn’t seem to be able to help myself.

  Safely in my apartment, I turned my attention to the mysterious package. Inside there was a shipping document with a message:

  Hey Bets,

  Happy Birthday – a little early. Since you won’t take Greg up on his permission to be with other men, thought this might come in “handy.” (But I still think you should change your mind!)

  Huggers,

  Jess

  I pulled away the packing material and burst out laughing. Inside was a turquoise blue vibrator. And not just any vibrator. It had a name. The packaging called it a Wascally Wabbit Vibrator. Must have something to do with the fact that it wasn’t just a straight shaft shaped like a penis, but there was a secondary – um – protrusion, shaped like a small rabbit with really long ears sticking straight up. As I looked at the packaging more, the descriptions touted all sorts of features: “Waterproof – For pleasure in bed or the bath!” “Multiple speeds for multiple sensations!” “Solid construction for hours and years of pleasure!”

  “Oh my god!” I groaned. Only Jess would have thought to send me one of these. She had one and swore by it! She’d been trying to get me to buy one of these forever. Blushing, I took the package, un-opened, and tucked it into the nightstand next to the bed. Shedding my sweaty running clothes, I turned my attention to showering and getting dressed for the night.

  CHAPTER 14

  After a refreshing shower, I popped my iPhone into the iHome that was a part of the apartment’s furnishings and selected the SiriusXM Radio app. I entered in a search for Country Top 40 and selected The Highway, then set about getting dressed for the night.

  I let the tunes wash over me as I chose my clothes. I slipped on a pair of capri jeans, and a cute, Kelly green, short-sleeved, button down. I decided to sculpt my hair into the spikier style that Bobbie showed me. I really liked it. It felt young and fun. I kept my make-up light, and put on just a spritz of perfume. When I looked myself over in the mirror, I saw someone I’d not seen in a while. A youthful Elizabeth. A ‘Lizzie,’ well, sans the long tresses.

  I thought I would I miss my long locks. But I loved my new, sassy, short hair. I’d had long hair my whole life. When Princess Diana was all the rage and my friends all cut their hair in the same style, I was tempted, but I just couldn’t do it. Now with my new coif, I understood the freedom of a drastic haircut like the one I’d gotten. And with this spikier fix, I looked closer to Kevin’s age.

  My appearance, coupled with the music, was starting to seriously influence my attitude. I listened to the singer on the radio sing about how she was Done. So was I. I was done with second guessing myself. I was here to learn about me. Maybe my sexuality was one of those things I needed to learn about. And then, when I talked to Greg, he had turned this thing into his needs. I cared, but it seemed that he just wanted me back for cooking, cleaning and ironing, not companionship.

  The singer sang about how she was done with some guy’s selfish ways, and games and what the guy says and so on. I knew how she felt, too. Greg’s whining over his life without me in it. Ironing and microwave meals. Ha! Maybe one day I’ll feel sorry for you, Greg, but not today.

  I decided I liked country music.

  I had about an hour before my ‘date’ so I poured myself a Gimlet on the rocks and sat down with my Kindle to read whi
le I waited for Kevin.

  The latest book our little book club was reading had been Penny’s choice. She had chosen one featuring an obsessive, domineering, alpha male who is outrageously gorgeous, ridiculously rich and has an insatiable appetite for sex. It was an easy, deliciously raunchy read, and I quickly found myself lost in the story. Leave it to Penny to choose a book such as this. That girl was big into ‘mommy porn.’ But we all loved her for it, and so did most of our husbands.

  I was just at the part in the book where the couple was in bed and very explicit descriptions of what his tongue was doing to her ‘nether regions.’ I was squirming in my chair when there was a knock on my door, scaring the bejesus out of me. I looked at the clock and saw that it was seven o’clock on the nose. Hot and bothered from the book, I downed the last of my drink and answered the door.

  What was on the other side of the door took my breath away. Kevin was wearing a crisp white shirt that offset his olive tone skin just perfectly. His hair begged to be touched, the way the girl was grasping her man’s hair in my book… the man who had his head between her legs lavishing her with ‘Australian Kisses.’

  “You all set?” he asked, snapping me out of my sex crazed mind. His boyish smile laid me out.

  “Lemme just grab my purse,” I said turning quick, snatching my purse off the counter then we scooted out the door. I secured the lock with my keys and we were off.

  We walked down the hall, his hand at my lower back, sending a tingle through my whole body. Damn book! And here we were about to get into an elevator. Had I made a terrible mistake? Accepting a dinner invite from this way too cute, and way too young sexy guy? Reading a smut book before the date was a definite mistake. But no time to think about it. As soon as Kevin pressed the call button, the doors opened and he was ushering me inside.

  As the elevator made its slow descent, and my mind recalling the intimate details from the book, I chanced a glance up at Kevin. He had this silly little grin on his face.

  “What?” I asked, fearing that I had something smudged on my face. I ran my fingers under my eyes just to be sure.

  “You look fantastic, that’s all. I swear. Well, that, and I’m thrilled you decided to come tonight.”

  It felt good that he was happy to be going out with me. I couldn’t tell you the last time I had experienced that. Greg often made me feel childish for wanting to go out places, saying that I was a better cook than any restaurant. Going out had very little to do with the food though, it was about a break from the regular. It was about experiencing new things. That, and it was a less work for me.

  We arrived at the restaurant after a quick walk. It was a Mexican restaurant and the aroma of carnita and salsa was amazing. Kevin introduced me to his friends and was very gracious in simply introducing me as his neighbor who was new to New York. He had this terrific way of making me feel comfortable.

  Kevin’s friends were all terrifically wonderful people. Funny and kind. And incredibly smart. I felt a little out of my element, as these were all career teachers, and I’d not had a job until recently, and was only a bartender at that. But they didn’t seem to mind one bit.

  A few hours later, we all sat back in our chairs, fully stuffed with incredible food and seemingly bottomless pitchers of out of this world margaritas.

  Gary ordered a round of tequila shots to celebrate Pauline’s birthday, which we all did, then we all said our goodbyes and headed out the door. Kevin was really a great date. So considerate. As we made our way home, my legs moved like rubber from too much tequila, Kevin stopped suddenly as we passed the doors to a night club.

  “Wanna dance?” he asked.

  “Oh, I don’t dance,” I replied, giggling at the thought. I barely danced when Greg and I got married. And even with our first dance and the couple of others we managed, we looked more like sixth graders swaying in a gymnasium converted to a dance hall.

  “C’mon. I’m a great dancer which means you’re gonna be a great dancer. Let’s go,” he said, tugging my hand jubilantly.

  It must have been the tequila talking because I next heard myself saying, “Is that a bet you’re willing to lose?”

  His face lit up with a smile. “Oh, I won’t lose this bet. Somethin’ tells me you’re a fabulous dancer. You certainly have the body for it.” And with that, he pulled me through the doors, paid the cover fee, and we were in.

  The dance floor was packed, which surprised me as it was a Tuesday night. The crowd was thumping to a top forties beat. Kevin shouted over the music something about a guy named Jimmy, and pulled us to the bar. I stood and let the tequila continue to work on my mellow mood and stared out among the crowd.

  It was fun to people watch. Not just the people on the floor but also the groups standing along the edges. The music was infectious, and under the influence of the margaritas, and I found myself starting to bounce.

  “You’ve got natural rhythm,” Kevin said in my ear as he sidled up behind me and handed me drink, what I surmised to be a Tequila Sunrise. I had a hunch that tomorrow morning would be a foggy one for me. But those thoughts were nudged out of my mind as I felt Kevin’s body aligned behind mine, leading me in a sway that perfectly fit the music. And tequila or not, I could definitely feel his as arousal pushed into my backside.

  I gulped down the drink not knowing what to do. I mean, sure I was attracted to Kevin… who wouldn’t be? Look at him! The hair, the eyes, the smile… even his voice with its deep timbre and the-sexy-as-hell southern drawl. My insides were way out of control from nervous to horny.

  The music changed and suddenly Kevin snatched the drink out of my hand, handed my purse to the guy behind the bar, and dragged me to the dance floor. Without thinking about it, we were in a tight dance hold and Kevin was expertly maneuvering me in all sorts of directions. Left. Right. Twirls. For the first time in my life, I was light on my feet. Often, my dancing resembled that of a person with two left feet. Heck, even my walking was sometimes like that. And I couldn’t seem to take my eyes off of the man who held me so comfortably in his arms.

  The next thing I knew, the crowd had cleared a small area for us and we were the entertainment for all. Kevin made me feel like a real dancer. The song ended, the crowd applauded, and a new song fired up, bringing new groups of people to the floor.

  Kevin twirled me out, then back in very tightly, and scooted us off the floor back to our drinks at the bar. His warm breath covered my ear. “See, you’re a natural.”

  “I want to know where you put the strings! That was incredible! I’ve never danced like that a day in my life. How did you learn to dance like that?”

  “My abuela taught me. All the traditional Latin dances, like the Cha-cha and the Rumba, the salsa,” he said shimming his trim hips with his hand resting on his taught abs and dancing in place. Even the traditional dances like the waltz and foxtrot, the various swing dances… Guess it paid off.”

  “Paid off indeed! That was fun! Thank you,” I responded, sipping my drink eagerly, thirsty from the exertion and trying to cool my raging hormones.

  “You were great. Erica never let me take her dancing, so thank you, Liz – er, Elizabeth,” he said planting a small kiss on my cheek.

  I put my hand up to his right shoulder to push him back to show him my rings and let him know I was married, when I noticed that my rings were gone. After the initial panic, I blushed from the recollection of last night’s shower. The rings were still sitting on that small shelf in the shower.

  And suddenly, with Kevin’s kisses now trailing down my neck, I was sensing that need build in me again. The need that only a man could satisfy. The need that Jack started to bring out in me last night.

  And I’m not sure why, but instead of pushing him away, I smiled at Kevin and said, “The pleasure was all mine. And, you can call me Liz if you want.”

  CHAPTER 15

  Several more dances later, and who knows how many more drinks, Kevin and I were gliding through the doors of our building. Gilbert, the qui
et, night doorman, held the door for us. Kevin still had dancing feet though and traipsed us to the elevator Fred Astaire style. Once in the elevator, though, the mood changed. Kevin’s breathing wasn’t the breathing of someone tired from dancing — it was a breath of desire. I knew because my breathing had the same rhythm and energy.

  The doors closed and the car lurched as it started its upward crawl. I was more than a little tipsy and the jolt knocked me off my feet and into Kevin’s arms. His strong, solid arms. Glancing up at him, his amazing mouth was smirking at me. I suddenly couldn’t think of anything but kissing that delectable mouth.

  “You okay?” he asked.

  “I think so,” I muttered, though my mind screaming, Take me now!

  And like he read my mind, his lips were on mine. Little encouragement was needed on his part, I was suddenly wrapping my arms around his neck, and his arms encircled my waist. I was gently licking his lips, seeking entrance, which he willingly gave. His lips were soft and yielding, but at the same time expertly working on mine and the feeling was electric, yet comfortable. I was so grateful he wasn’t all southern-well-mannered-gentleman.

  The elevator dinged and the doors opened, and just like we were still dancing, Kevin led us down the hallway, never breaking the kiss or our hold. If I had thought his arousal was evident when he first pressed up behind me at the bar, it was raging now as he pressed into my belly against what I assumed was my door.

  “Keys?” he asked, his lips not leaving mine.

  I fumbled in my purse, also refusing to break the kiss. I pulled out the small key ring, which he softly took from me, and unlocked my door.

  Once inside, he flipped the light switch next to the door and pressed me against the hallway wall. Pulling back just an inch, he searched my eyes. “God I’ve wanted to do that for days,” he panted.

  “Days?”

  “Since you were standing talking to Dominic, asking questions about the building. Then that night in the elevator, when you were wonderfully scented in steak.”