Honor Roll

by Collins, Kelly

  She sat on the edge of my bed and bounced. Against my better judgment, I leaped on the mattress with her and pulled her into my arms. We were a mess of limbs and lips. I slipped my hand under her T-shirt and cupped her breast. Her nipple hardened and puckered against her lacy bra. I ran my thumb across the crest and soaked in the tiny moan that came from her mouth. I crushed my lips against hers and explored every dip and crevice. Our tongues danced to a heated beat.

  She ran her hands under my shirt and let her fingertips graze over the muscles that were now clenched across my stomach. Up and down she scaled my chest and stomach until her hand rested on the rise in my pants. I growled when she firmly stroked me. God, she was making this hard.

  I pulled her hand away and brought her fingertips to my lips. I kissed one finger at a time while I spoke. “We. Are. Not. Doing. This. Now.” On the last word, I pressed a kiss to her palm.

  “Why not?”

  “Because you deserve to be wined and dined before I make love to you. I want you to be in love with me before you love me.”

  She turned her head like a confused puppy. “It’s sweet that you’re so old-fashioned, but I’m a modern woman, and I can handle sex before love.”

  I lay on my side and looked into her expressive eyes. “I get that you’re a modern woman. It’s one of the things I admire about you.” I caressed her cheek with my thumb. “When we make love, I want it to be special. Commonplace sex happens all the time, but you deserve more than that.”

  She exhaled with what sounded like disappointment. “Luca, I imagine sex with you is anything but commonplace.” We stayed on my bed and held each other for a few more minutes.

  “What do you want to do?” I asked. She looked at me with an expression that said, duh. “Besides that?”

  “Do you have a deck of cards?”

  Once she skunked me in poker several times, we snuggled on my couch and watched mindless TV. Somewhere between reruns of The Big Bang Theory and whatever she was watching now, I’d fallen asleep. My head was cradled in her lap, and her fingers slid through my hair.

  I stayed and pretended I was asleep while her fingers massaged my scalp. Tingles skittered through my body. I never wanted to move. When her stomach grumbled, I stirred.

  “Hey, you had a good nap. Do you feel more rested?” She looked down at me, and sunshine escaped from her smile.

  “I’m sorry. I'm so tired. Yes, I feel great, but you are obviously hungry. Let’s get you fed.” I reluctantly left the pillow of her thighs and stood. My back popped as I stretched my arms to the sky. “How about the corner deli?”

  “Do they make a decent Rueben?” She ran her hand down her shirt and jeans, pressing away the wrinkles I had created.

  “It’s New York; you can’t get a bad Reuben.” I picked up my jacket and helped her into hers.

  “I’m buying,” she said while we trudged down the three flights of stairs. “I can’t have you paying for everything.”

  “Nope, it’s not the way I was raised, or the way I roll.”

  I couldn’t afford to take her out to eat all the time. My new circumstances made it prohibitive, but there was no way she was paying for anything. I’d figure it out. Maybe Diane would be a good tipper. An audible groan at the thought of seeing Diane tonight escaped from my lips.

  “Why the groan?” She didn’t miss a thing, and I wondered how long it would take before she began to ask the difficult questions.

  “Just thinking about having to work when I’d rather be watching scary movies with you.”

  “You could call in sick.” She gave me a sneaky little smile just before she walked into Jerry’s Deli.

  “You are always telling me to call in sick. How many times have you called in sick?”

  “Never.”

  “Me either. I was raised with a strong work ethic. My father wouldn’t put up with us being irresponsible.” He didn’t put up with much, which was why it was so important to break out of the mold he had created for me.

  “What do you have to do tonight?” We stood in line and waited for our turn to order.

  The question threw me. I wasn’t sure what I’d have to do tonight. All I knew was that a car was coming for me at seven. The rest was up to Diane.

  “I don’t know exactly, I suppose I’ll find out when I get there. It’s something different every time.”

  That answer seemed to satisfy her question. When we made it to the front of the line, we both ordered Reubens, and Mim pulled out her card before I could pull out my cash. I wasn’t happy about her paying, but I showed her my gratitude with a kiss.

  We brought our sandwiches, drinks, and chips to the park across the way and sat on the grass to eat.

  “What are your plans after graduation?” She bit into her sandwich, and a bit of dressing ran out of the corner of her lip. I swiped it off and licked my finger before she could get her napkin to her lips. “Hey, eat yours. That was mine,” she teased.

  “I’m going to find a job. That's what I’m working on right now. Some of the clients at the service I work for have connections to the finance world. I’m trying to see if I can get a foot in the door through those connections.” It felt good to be talking about the future, and everything I said was spot on. No lies there.

  “I’d be extra nice to those people. You never know where they can lead you.”

  If only she knew how nice I could be. Someday soon, I’d get to show her. She’d be lying beneath my body while I showered her with my brand of niceness.

  “Enough about work. What’s your plan for the rest of the weekend?”

  Her lips puckered into a frown. “I’m grading papers the rest of the weekend. My boyfriend distracted me, and now I’m behind schedule.”

  “What an awful guy. Well, my girlfriend cut my project deadline by three weeks.”

  “What an awful girl.” She rolled her eyes in that cute way she did the day I met her. “I bet she would be willing to help you.”

  “She would, but that would lead to other distractions, so I suppose I’ll have to live without her for the rest of the weekend.”

  A day without Mim was going to be miserable, but I needed to work on my project, and she would be a distraction. I’d never get past her lips and into my project if we were together.

  We finished up our lunches and walked to the subway station. I was intent on taking her home, but she insisted on going by herself.

  “Luca, I’m a grown woman who knows how to use the subway. Besides, you have to work on your project before you go to work.”

  ‘Work’ was a dirty word right now. Work meant Diane, and I wasn’t ready for her.

  “Mim, what makes you feel beautiful?” How was I supposed to make Diane feel beautiful when she looked like a truck had hit her?

  “You make me feel beautiful.”

  “No, I mean what exactly makes you feel beautiful?”

  She leaned against the subway tiles, her expression contemplative. “The unexpected simple things make me feel beautiful. When you brought me tea with the perfect amount of honey and milk, that made me feel beautiful because you were paying attention. It showed that you valued more than my looks. When you listed off the drinks you had at your house and said you’d get English tea for me, that showed you knew what I liked. To be seen makes a woman feel beautiful.” She slid into my body and tilted her head up to me. “I’m a goddess when I’m with you.”

  “You are the most amazing woman, Mim Knight, and I will make you happy.” I took her lips in a slow, sensual kiss that left us both wanting more.

  “You already make me happy. I’ll see you Monday in class.”

  She skipped down the stairs and into the station, and I walked home with a full heart.

  Chapter 9

  At seven o’clock, I was downstairs, climbing into a black town car. Diane was dressed in a black suit very similar to my blue one. I slid in next to her and placed a simple kiss on her cheek.

  “Hi, Diane.”

  I tur
ned in my seat so I could look at her. Really look at her. If I were going to get through the next few months with her as my Saturday regular, I would need to find something about her that was pleasant.

  “Luca, it’s good to see you again.”

  Was her voice always so sweet and feminine? I don’t remember her having any girly qualities. “What did you have in mind for tonight?”

  She sat upright and faced forward. “I’d like to pretend we’re on our first date. I’ve never really been on a date.” She turned her head and smiled, but her smile couldn’t mask the apprehension I saw flash across her brown eyes.

  “Okay.” I knocked on the window and told the driver to take us to Maxi’s. It was a little French café off the beaten path. “I hope you like French because where I’m taking you has the best Coq au Vin around, and wait until you taste the crème brûlée.”

  A smile spread across her face. Her lips were thin, but her teeth were perfectly straight and white. I found myself wanting to make her smile. I wasn’t interested in having sex with her, but I was intrigued by the challenge River had put before me. I would find the beauty in this woman.

  We arrived at the restaurant and were seated immediately. I ordered the wine first, and while we waited for our Coq au Vin, we got to know each other. Our first meeting was entirely different, and I didn’t know if it was because I was no longer in a position to choose, or if I’d matured in the time that had passed.

  “Do you like your job, Diane?” I looked at her like she was all that existed. To be seen was what Mim said made her feel beautiful.

  “The job, yes. The people, no.”

  “Tell me about them.”

  “There’s not much to tell. I’ve been one of the guys my whole life, but at the office, I don’t fit in.” She sipped her wine. The silence settled around us.

  “What do mean you’ve been one of the guys all your life?” What made her want to be one of the guys? Men felt uncomfortable around women who were manlier than them. Had no one taken her aside and taught her to act like a woman?

  “My dad raised my three brothers and me. I’ve never had a female influence. I’m sure it hasn’t gotten past you that I’m a dude with tits and a vagina.”

  “Are you happy with that?”

  “Yes. No. I don’t know.” She drank her wine and refilled her glass. “I’m lonely, and I’m tired of paying to get a man to spend time with me. How do you think that makes a woman feel?”

  “Probably the same as it makes me feel to take money for what I do.” I’d always considered myself a commodity. Once my emotions were turned off, I was a thing to be bought and sold.

  “I’ve never thought of you guys feeling anything about what you do except satisfied.”

  “I’m looking at you, Diane, and you have a lovely smile and the most feminine voice, but it’s in stark contrast to the man clothes you wear. You don’t have to be like a man to keep up with the men. Intimidation is most effective when you’re a woman and can command the attention of men with your presence. Are you opposed to changing your style as an experiment?” I hoped she would say yes. I’d love to take this woman shopping. If there was one thing I knew after all this time, it was women’s clothes and bodies.

  She looked at me like she was searching for my motive. All I wanted to do was get through this night and see her smile again.

  She put down the glass of wine she’d emptied and nodded her head.

  “Is that a yes? If so, we’re going to eat and then dash to some of my favorite stores. Tonight, the old Diane will take her final bow, and the new Diane will emerge.”

  “You sound like a television host unveiling the prize behind curtain number three.”

  “No, inside you is a beautiful woman waiting to spring free.” God, I hoped I was right. Who knew, though? The boxy cut of her suit hid her body, and the severe cut of her hair did nothing to accentuate her eyes. If I really looked at them, they were pretty. They were brown with flecks of amber and gold. She needed more than a wardrobe.

  We ate our dinner and flagged down a cab. The stores I loved in Soho were open until ten, so we had time to shop.

  “What’s our budget?”

  “You sound like Rachel Zoe. Let’s not go crazy, but we have plenty of money.”

  I offered her my hand and helped her from the cab when we pulled in front of Zip. It was a hip place that made clothes for women of all ages. Their claim to fame was how they used zippers. I loved the edginess of their designs, and a well-placed zipper was sexier than hell.

  When we entered, I could have sworn Diane stopped breathing. I took her by the arm and sat her in the husband chair. “You sit here, I’ll find some things that will look fabulous on you.” With the help of a saleswoman, we rounded up several outfits for Diane to try on. She said she was a size eight, which was hard to believe given the clothes she wore.

  I waited outside while she tried on the first dress. It was a little black number that zipped up the front. It was simple and elegant. Paired with a sweater or jacket, she could go from boardroom to bedroom in a flash.

  “I’m not coming out.” Her voice quivered.

  “Bullshit, I want to see you.” I shook the door until she opened the latch. “Holy shit, you have a freaking hot body.” Her breasts were pushed together by the design of the dress. I tugged at the zipper to show more cleavage. “Who would have known you were hiding those under your sports coat?” I looked down at her sensible loafers and shook my head. “Those have to go.”

  “What? They’re comfy.” She pulled the zipper back up, and I tugged it down while I called for the saleslady and asked for heels.

  “Hasn’t a friend or a relative talked to you about fashion? Comfy isn’t going to get you laid.”

  “No, money is.”

  “Well, let’s see if we can change that.” I would certainly give her what she was paying for, but her life would be infinitely better if she met someone who made her feel like Mim made me feel.

  Thirty minutes later, we left Zip with two bags of clothes. I insisted she wear the black dress and heels because I had every intention of proving to her that she could attract a man. She stopped dead in her steps when I tried to pull her into Ulta. Clothes were fine, but this wasn’t a naturally beautiful woman like Mim. Diane would need a little help.

  “You’re not stopping at the clothes. You’re not going to get made up to work the streets, but a little blush and lipstick will do you a world of good, and your eyes would pop with some liner and mascara.”

  She reluctantly followed me into the store. She was still getting used to the heels, so I had her hold my arm for balance while she tottered across the room.

  “Can I help you?” A saleswoman named Tita approached us with a look of exactly how I felt. She scanned Diane and took her from me. “Oh honey, we have to make your face match your outfit. You can’t go out looking like your face stayed in bed and your body got its groove on.” Tita looked at me and said, “Give me thirty minutes.” She opened her eyes wide and crossed her fingers behind Diane’s back.

  They walked toward the back of the store. I could hear Tita gush over the dress right before she asked Diane what barber she used. I wanted to laugh because the woman was spot on. While they did whatever women did, I looked around the store and found a small present I could afford. It was a jeweled purse mirror. I was pretty sure Diane didn’t have anything like it.

  Half an hour later, the new, much improved Diane walked forward. She didn’t look confident, but she did seem eager.

  “Wow.” Tita had slicked Diane’s hair back and spiked the top giving her an edgy look that went well with the dress. “You look fabulous.” Compared to how she looked at dinner, she had taken a one hundred and eighty degree turn. She looked like a female. I loved the way her eyes shined as she soaked in the compliment.

  “I feel like I’m wearing someone else’s skin.” She walked toward me, and I proudly held out my arm. Outside, the wind had picked up, making it a little chilly.
I removed my jacket and hung it around her shoulders. Tears fell down her cheeks.

  “What’s wrong?” Had I gone too far? Had I pushed her too much?

  “You putting your jacket around my shoulders was the nicest gesture I’ve ever received.” She acted like I’d presented her with a two-carat diamond. I was just being me. I didn’t have to think about giving her my jacket; the action was embedded in my DNA.

  I stepped in front of her and brushed her tears with the pads of my thumbs. “You can’t go ruining your makeup. We’re going dancing.” I pulled the tiny, jeweled mirror from my pocket and placed it in her hand. “Diane, I bought you this so you can see yourself as I see you. You look lovely tonight.” I leaned down and kissed her cheek.

  “You’re going to make me cry again.”

  “You can’t because then everyone will think I’m a louse for causing your tears.”

  “I don’t dance.”

  “You do tonight.”

  She looked down at her watch. “We’re over your time.” She’d booked me for two hours, but in the grand scheme of things, it didn’t really matter.

  “The rest of the night is on me.”

  We walked the short block to Sway—a salsa club just blocks from my house. The distinctive Latin music filled the building. Once we dropped her bags at the coat check, I bought her a glass of wine and watched while she took in the scene. Bodies moved along the dance floor. Some just danced, while others looked like they were making love. Salsa was sexy and seductive, and the perfect place for Diane to find her inner deity.

  I pulled the glass from her hand and led her kicking and complaining all the way to the dance floor. When I pulled her tightly to the front of my body, she shut up altogether.

  “Just feel the rhythm.” I swayed my hips to the beat. Pressing my hand against her lower back, I’d crushed her into my pelvis, giving her no option but to move with me. “Let the rhythm soak into your soul.” She looked around at the people near us, worry or fear covering her face. “Shut your eyes; no one exists but you and me.” I moved her around the dance floor several times. She never opened her eyes, but her smile told me something had changed for her tonight. I was going to have to thank River.