“By the way, I have news!” Her excitement is palpable through the phone.
“Yeah?” I wait for her news, unsure of what it could be. Different scenarios run through my mind.
“I’m coming home to visit next weekend!”
“Shut the fuck up!”
She laughs at my reaction. “Nope, I got Friday off. It’s my dad’s birthday that weekend, and my mom is having a small party for him. You know how she loves to celebrate birthdays. Wes will be coming too, so you’ll finally get to meet him since you’ve refused to visit me in Atlanta.”
“Oh my god! I’m so excited about seeing you!”
“Me too. Make time for your bestie. I don’t care if you’ve yourself a boy toy, I want to spend time with you.”
“What boy toy? You know you come first. What time do you get in on Friday?”
“We’re driving down so probably early afternoon. I’ll keep you posted. And I expect you to come to the party. You can bring Parker so I can meet him.”
“I’ll see how our second date goes and then ask him.”
“I’m pretty sure it will be great from what you’ve told me. He obviously can’t stay away if he goes to the bakery every day. You’ve got him whipped.” We both laugh and talk a little longer.
I hang up and can’t contain my excitement about Emily’s visit. It’s been a few months since I’ve seen her. She usually makes the trip down. I haven’t visited her in Atlanta yet and I feel like a terrible friend, but I’m kind of tied to my job as I’ve recently become aware of. I’ll make it a point to go visit her soon now that I know the world of Sweet Delights can run just fine without me for a day or two.
I barely slept last night between thoughts of seeing Emily next weekend and nerves that my date with Parker will not go exactly as I have planned. I prepare everything at work that I need to leave ready. Then make a batch of chocolate chip pumpkin cupcakes that Parker likes. I place two in holders and place them aside in the kitchen before taking the rest out to sell. I clean up quickly and leave the bakery by noon. I want to rest since I didn’t sleep a lot and have time to get ready for my date without feeling rushed.
After a short nap and relaxing shower, I get dressed and tuck my skinny jeans into my boots. I keep my makeup light and natural and my hair down in its natural waves. I grab a flashlight and blanket just in case we need it and the cupcakes. I look up Parker’s address and take a soothing breath before heading over to pick him up.
Double-checking his address and apartment number, I knock on his door. How embarrassing if I knocked on the wrong apartment. His gorgeous smile greets me, and my lips tilt up on their own. His smile is contagious and my body reacts to it. He can affect me with his smile anytime. “Hey,” he says looking me up and down.
“Hi,” I breathe out, affected by his eyes on me. “Ready to go?”
“Hmmm…So either you’re in a rush to get us there or we must be there by a specific time.”
“Let’s go,” I tilt my head towards the parking lot, willing him to follow.
“First, a proper hello.” His hands frame my face and his lips brush mine lightly. “There. Now we can go.” His fingers lace mine and I lead him to my car. We both climb in and I begin to drive.
“It doesn’t surprise me that you have a Jeep but I somehow expected to see a small sedan.”
“Hopefully this makes you less weirded out about me driving.”
“You know, there are perks to this arrangement.” His hand reaches out to brush a lock of hair behind my ear and I feel the intensity of his stare on me.
“Are you going to look at me like that the entire drive?” I quickly glance his way before focusing back on the road.
“Maybe. Does it bother you?”
“It’s weird.”
“Well, your choice to drive. I get to spend the drive however I want and I choose to look at the beautiful woman who has given me her time.”
“You’re cheesy.”
“Cheesy or not, it’s the truth.” Comfortable silence falls around us and I focus on the getting to our destination. Instead of trying to guess where we’re going like I did, Parker sits patiently and waits for us to arrive.
“McGregor’s Farm?” I hear the question in his voice.
“Yup!” I jump out of my Jeep and wait for him in the front of my car. Noticing the flashlight in my hand, he raises an inquisitive eyebrow. “Come on.” I begin to walk in through the farm until the tall cornstalks appear before us and I smile at Parker.
“Corn maze,” he says in understanding. “Oh, this could be fun.” He grabs my hand and leads us in without another word but the smile on his lips expresses the thoughts in his mind. There’s nothing innocent in his smile.
We begin to walk down the path carved out between the tall stalks, their shadow casting down around us in the late afternoon sun. A few people pass by us and we take our time to explore each turn and twist, coming to dead ends and turning back around to find an alternate route.
As we get lost in the maze, we talk and get to know each other better. I ask Parker about his family and his life back in Georgia. His parents are still married and live happily in their Athens home. He has two siblings, an older sister and a younger brother. That thought intimidates me a bit. Not that I’m going to meet his family or we’ve even spoken about that, but thinking of a big family I realize how small mine is. Even when my parents were alive, it was just the three of us. The closest thing I have to a sister in Em and that’s just one person. I cannot imagine how fun it must have been to grow up with a brother and sister.
“You guys must’ve had a blast when you were younger.”
“Yeah, we did.” Parker shares his childhood stories–getting into trouble and the pranks they would pull. They both still live in Athens. His sister is married to her high school sweetheart and his brother is apparently forever single. Parker says he’s a playboy with no cure. As for himself, he swears the playboy gene missed him. That’s hard to believe with his looks and amazing personality. Besides, he’s an athlete. I smile at the fact that he doesn’t want to brag about it.
His family seems to be a close one and they have their values well prioritized. I tell Parker about my parents, what I remember and what my grandparents told me. We talk about my childhood, going fishing with my grandfather and baking with my grandmother. My grandfather passed away a couple of years ago and I miss him, but I’m grateful I had the years I did with him. He taught me about life and dreams. My grandmother taught me to fight for what I want and she continues to do so. I admire all she’s accomplished in her life and I hope I achieve as much as she has throughout my life.
Silence falls over us again and we hear the distant laughs and murmurs of the others traveling through the maze. Our hands stay connected, sparks running up my arm and throughout my body. The deeper we get into the maze, the lower the sun dips into the horizon. I smile at the intimacy this date provides so we can get to know each other and just enjoy the company.
Two children come running by with their parents hot on their heels yelling their names. Parker pulls my hand to prevent a potential collision and I’m drawn into his chest. The people continue to pass us by like they weren’t a disruption and I look up at Parker, laughing. His expression throws me off and I apologize as I begin to pull away. He was the one that pulled my arm, so I don’t understand why he would be so serious.
Next thing I know, my body is pinned to his and his hands are in my hair, holding my face to his as his mouth devours mine. His tongue seeks mine and begins to move perfectly with it, seduction laced in his kiss and I tremble. I melt into him, losing myself in this kiss.
My arms reach up and wrap themselves around his neck, one hand tangling in his hair, the other holding the flashlight. I moan into him and allow my mouth to take control and taste Parker’s mouth. Heat consumes me and I lose track of everything else except Parker. His lips leave mine to move to my neck, licking and sucking the sensitive skin below my ear. My eyes stay closed,
tilting my head to the side so his lips have unlimited access.
Parker groans and breaks away, keeping his hands loosely around my waist, the darkness of his pupils taking over the blue in his eyes. Our breathing ragged, he leans his forehead to mine. “I really want to take this slow and do it right, but you’re making it really difficult.”
“Oh, it’s my fault?” I smile at him.
“Yes. You walk around full of confidence in your tight jeans and with your carefree attitude, it is contagious. It turns me on.”
I blush and look down. I know I have had my issues with confidence in the past and trying out online dating was a hit to my self-esteem, but hearing how he sees me makes me happy. I try to stay true to myself.
“You’re not the only one,” I say with a wink and lead the way before we drop to the ground and attack each other.
He lets out a combination of a growl and a laugh then follows me. I turn on the flashlight towards the end of the maze after we had tried turning straight into some cornstalks a few times. Laughing, we make it out of the maze. I’m pretty sure we were the last ones left in there. We may have gotten distracted a few times stealing kisses from each other and wandering hands slowing down our movements. Our flirting has escalated and we’re no longer subtle about it.
Parker pulls me to him, his hands grabbing my hips, and kisses me. “That was fun. Thank you.” He smiles down at me and I look up into his eyes, taking it all in. I feel him harden under his jeans and squirm at the affect I have on him.
“I’m glad you had fun. I still have one more surprise.”
Once back by my car, I reach for the small bag that has the cupcakes. “Close your eyes.” Parker obliges and I tell him to open when I have the cupcakes out of the bag and in front of him.
“Are those the pumpkin cupcakes?”
“You know it.”
“Oh, definitely best date ever.”
I laugh and shake my head. “I guess it’s true that it’s easy to get to a man through his stomach.”
“I believe the saying is, the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach. Although, I like more than just your baking skills.” Parker wraps his arms around my waist and steals another kiss. His tongue parts my lips and there is nothing timid about this kiss. I place the cupcake container on the hood behind me and reach up to grab a hold of Parker’s neck, pulling him down to me so I have better access to his mouth and gently pull the ends of his hair. My body reacts to him, my core clenching, wanting more than a kiss and my nipples tighten as his skilled mouth explores mine. We finally break away, breathing heavily, and I smile up at him.
“I’m glad you’re not just using me for my cooking skills.” I leap up to the hood of my jeep and settle in, opening the container to let Parker grab his cupcake. We eat them quietly; Parker standing between my legs and his eyes devouring me the way his mouth is devouring the cupcake. Heat consumes me despite the cool evening weather and suddenly my sweater is suffocating between the way he looks at me and the kiss we just shared.
Parker’s gaze is intense and he leans in but doesn’t kiss my lips. His tongue reaches out and licks the side of my lips instead. My expression must have been a confused one because he says, “You had some icing there.” His lips twitch with mischief and I close my eyes composing myself.
We stay in the parking lot after the cars have begun to dwindle down, both of us now leaning back on the hood of my jeep quietly gazing up at the sky and the twinkling stars shining above us. It’s a full moon so the natural light shining from it brightens the sky. Parker’s fingers draw swirls on the palm on my hand and every once in a while my fingers twitch at the tickling sensation. I see his smile as he watches me react to his touch and I sigh happily.
We share more about ourselves, not only our upbringing but what’s going on now. He asks about new recipes I have come up with for the bakery and volunteers to be a taste tester before I serve the recipes to the public. He tells me about the players on the team and the potential he sees in them.
I dare to ask Parker about his time in the Minors hoping it isn’t a sensitive subject for him. He was a pitcher so there was no way of continuing after his shoulder injury. It seems he threw out his shoulder too many times, leaving him in pain and slowing down his pitches. That eventually escalated after he ignored the first few times it hurt and kept on with the intensive training. He can fortunately still coach and pitch on occasion, but he needs to take it slow to not cause any instability or to dislocate his shoulder. Not the ideal situation for a pitcher in the Minors let alone the Majors.
I can tell how passionately he feels about his career by the way he speaks. That is something I can totally relate to. My job is my passion, and I don’t know what I would do if I couldn’t do it completely, or if I had to settle for second best because of an injury. I admire Parker’s outlook on life and his positive attitude towards his job. He sees it as doing what he loves. He may not be able to play professionally, but his heart is in the game and coaching future stars instead of letting envy and bitterness take over.
His stomach growls, breaking our conversation and I laugh loudly.
“Oh god, I forgot about dinner! I got caught up here and lost track of time. Sorry,” I say, sheepishly.
“No apologizing. That cupcake was better than any meal.”
“Yeah, yeah. Let’s go grab something to eat. I know a diner not far from here. It’s not the fanciest place but they have the best French toast.”
Parker chuckles and gets off my car, reaching up to help me down. I take his hand even if I am very capable of getting down from the hood by myself. I welcome any contact between us and the sparks it creates within me. He holds me close to him as he places one last kiss on my lips before we leave the farm and make our way to the diner.
“This really is the best French toast.” Parker just finished his meal as we drink our coffee. It isn’t a traditional date, but definitely one of the best ones I have been on. We have taken the time to really get to know each other, flirt, and exchange glances that are more than just a friendly look in the other’s direction.
“I know you’re in the bakery a lot, but what do you do when you have free time?”
“I love to be outdoors. I don’t get to do this often, but I love to go out to the trails and just get lost in the forest, walking around and enjoying my surroundings. I need to make more time for that.”
“I haven’t checked those out yet.”
“You have to! If you like hiking, there are some great trails around here. A few parks are nearby with different ones.”
“Sounds good,” Parker says and grabs my hand across the table. I try to stifle a yawn but he notices and laughs. “Let’s go.” I insist on paying since it was my date, but he won’t hear of it and pays our bill before we leave.
I notice Parker looking at me from the corner of his eyes as I drive. “What?” I ask, curious about his thoughts.
His smile is that of a southern gentleman with mischief thrown into the mixture–my perfect kind of guy. “Nothing.” He smiles wider and I feel the butterflies in my stomach flying freely. I’m like a smitten teenager all over again.
The drive back to Parker’s apartment is faster than I expected and I’m unsure of what to do. Do I walk him to his door? This is usually the guy’s job.
I park and turn to him. Parker grabs my hand as he says, “I should be dropping you off at home. You do know how to plan one hell of a date though. Let me take you out to lunch tomorrow.”
“Okay,” I say, a surreal feeling wrapping warmly around me. It’s been a long time since I’ve met someone like Parker, if I have ever met someone that affects me like he does. Relationships for me were always a second thought, never really putting all of myself into them because I always focused too much on my bakery or the thought that they weren’t the one, if the one was really out there.
“Good. I’ll call you in the morning. Text me when you get home.” I love his protectiveness yet find humor in it. I’m
not far from home and I know I’ll get home without any issues, but grateful that he cares enough to say it. I nod and lean in for a chaste kiss. Before I can pull away, Parker deepens it, making sure our goodnight kiss is a memorable one.
As I drive home, my mind wanders back to tonight and how amazing it felt to just let go and have fun. It’s not like I’m some uptight bitch. I love having a good time and going out. I love spontaneity, but finding that type of freedom with a guy you’re dating can be challenging. Parker is easy to be around but he doesn’t bore me. He keeps me intrigued. And he’s hot.
Ha! Seriously though, besides his hotness, he’s a great guy. Despite thinking he was an ass the first couple of times I saw him, he has proven to be a nice guy. His sense of humor can be misunderstood at times, but then again, so can mine. I’m the person who thought it would be funny to put down “space monkey” as a career on my online dating profile. That reminds me I still have that open and now that I’m dating Parker, it won’t be necessary. At least I hope not. I forgot to even look at the site, let alone care if there are any messages. I’ll cancel my registration this week.
I get home and make sure I’m locked in my house before I text Parker.
Me: I’m home. Had a great time tonight. Goodnight.
The grin on my face must make me look like an idiot. There’s just something about him that gets to me. It’s all so perfect right now, our connection is unmistakably flawless and that kind of scares me. It’s that too good to be true mentality, but I won’t let that get in the way.
Parker: I had a great time too. I’ll call you tomorrow. Night.
Smiling down at my phone, I get ready for bed and lie down hoping to get lost in a dreamland where a certain southern man sweeps me off my feet. I love Parker’s no bullshit attitude. If lunch goes well tomorrow, I’ll tell him about Emily’s dad’s birthday party. It would be nice to have a date for a change, especially since Em is also dating someone.
Sweet on Wilde Page 7
