“Thank you, kind sir.” I say with a smirk and curtsey.
“You’re welcome, my lady.” He bows with a half-smile.
When he gets behind the wheel he turns to me and asks, “You hungry?” When I nod he cranks the car and drives off. Half an hour later we are walking into a small diner. It’s like taking a trip back to the 50’s. Black and white checkered floors, aluminum counter tops, and red leather booths. The walls are lined with vintage posters and record covers. Taking a seat I see there is even a jukebox that still plays off of vinyl, Twist and Shout is coming through the speakers. Ryder grabs the menu from the napkin holder and hands me one.
“You are going to want to save room for dessert. They have the best peach cobbler, and homemade ice cream ever.” He drawls out the same time the waitress comes to take our drink order. “I want a sweet tea, and the burger combo with fries.”
“I’ll take the same thing. I want onion rings not fries though, please.” I say to the waitress as she writes down our order and walks away.
“There is no way you are going to have room for that cobbler if you eat all of that.” He balks.
“I can damn sure try!” I assure him.
“That you can.” He situated his elbows onto the table and puts his hands together. “Are you originally from around here?”
I was wondering how long it would take him to start asking questions. You know the ones. First dates are always accompanied by them, the get to know you questions. I hate when that part of the date comes, because my answers become vague and the guy can never understand why I would rather just not talk about it. Girls like to talk, especially about themselves, so if I don’t they don’t know how to go about the rest of the date.
“Nope. From Georgia actually.” I inform and wait for the ‘Where at in Georgia’. I won’t say because then he could know someone there. That happened to me once and I learned my lesson.
“A Georgia Peach. I knew it. Ok, I bet you were a middle child too. You kind of stay to yourself with the exception of Lexi and Skeigh.” Ryder places his finger on his chin and looks up at the ceiling, “You got used to not getting attention.”
He doesn’t realize how wrong he is. “I don’t have any family. It’s just me.” When he brings his sight back to me I give him my most convincing smile. But, my eyes are begging him to just drop it. To not ask anymore, I just can’t answer him. We just sit there staring at each other for the longest time. Ryder has this fleeting look in his eyes that tells me that he understood what my eyes were telling his. That he sees the pain that has long been buried.
“It’s not just you, or at least not anymore. You have those three girls waiting for you back at your house. You also have me. If you want me.” He states it so nonchalant, like he goes around offering to be there for random people all the time.
“I didn’t mean that I was alone. I just don’t have any relatives. Besides the girls, Lexi, Skeigh, and Jamie.” I sit there and twiddle my thumbs until our food is placed in front of us.
“Enjoy.” The waitress mumbles and walks away.
“Are you not going to take me up on my offer?” Ryder asks as he takes his silverware out of his napkin.
I observe him before I speak, he is serious. “Ryder, why would you offer to be in my life? We just met. You don’t even know anything about me.”
“That’s what I am doing now, is getting to know you. Should I not want to be a part of your life? Are you a serial killer or something?” He jokes. “Ah, she does smile.”
I don’t even know that I am smiling until he says something, which only causes me to smile bigger. “What are you talking about, I smile all the time.”
“Yea, but that one was real.” He doesn’t say anything more, just starts digging into his food. I don’t press him on what he means because I know. The question is, how does he?
I nearly finish off my hamburger and fries while listening to the oldies coming from the jukebox. I sit back against the booth and Ryder says amazed, “I have never seen a woman eat that much.” He shakes his head and continues, “Don’t take that the wrong way. It’s just most girls are more concerned about their weight to eat like that. I think it’s sexy as hell that you eat what you want. But I need to ask, where does it go? Do you have a hollow leg or somethin’?”
“No hollow leg here. But food and I have an understanding, it’s yummy and I eat it. The end.” I laugh. Ryder throws his head back on the seat and belts out a laugh of his own. The sound of it hits me directly in the chest. It’s hypnotizing and I realize I want to be someone that can make him laugh like that all the time. He calms down to just a chuckle as he waves for the waitress. When she appears at the side of the booth he orders a peach cobbler with the homemade ice cream he swears by. He only orders one saying that he can’t eat a whole one now either, so we can just share. When she heads to give the order to the cook, my mouth is moving before my brain can react.
“How’d you lose your mom?” Ryder’s eyes jerk to mine, “I’m sorry I shouldn’t have asked. I didn’t mean to upset you.”
“You didn’t, wasn’t expecting it was all. I’m just so used to everyone around me already knowing.” He runs his hand through his dark hair and continues, “It was a car accident. She and dad were coming back from the movies, and it was late. When dad came around a curve there was a deer and he couldn’t avoid it.”
“He hit the deer?” I ask confused.
“Yea, that’s not what killed her though. She had a weak blood vessel in her head, the impact caused an aneurysm. She died before the ambulance got to them.”
“Wow.” I am shocked.
“They did the autopsy per my father’s request because he couldn’t understand why she died. The doctor said that it would have ruptured soon, but the impact forced it sooner. Dad accepted it wasn’t his fault after that. He loved her so much though he hasn’t handled her loss well.” He sighs, “to be honest he became a drunk.”
“I’m sorry.” I reach across the table and place my hand on top of his. “It must be horrible to have your mother taken from your life, and it must feel like your father was taken too.”
“Actually, not really he is still great dad. Raised us and kept us both out of trouble. That itself was a hard task.” Ryder turns his hand over and holds mine tightly. Silence enfolds us. It bonds us together, me comforting him, somehow comforts me. Puts me at ease.
I don’t know how long that cobbler sat there before we finally took our eyes off each other to find it sitting on the table. Without saying a word we both pick up our spoons and take our first bite. Devastatingly amazing is the only thing that can describe such a thing. When Ryder goes in for another bite, I watch him close his lips around the spoon and pull it out slowly. Licking it clean. A low moan escapes his throat, and if I had a lustometer I am sure it would have exploded past the limit any woman could contain. This is torture in its sweetest form, foreplay.
Ryder’s tongue peaks out and runs along his upper lip. When he brings his tongue back into his mouth, his lips start moving. Shit. He is talking and again I didn’t hear what it was he said. I shake my head to regain some sense, and hear a deep snicker coming from across the table. When I raise my head Ryder’s hand that was trying to hold back the laugh falls and he goes into hysterics. By the time he has calmed enough to talk his eyes are watery.
With the scowl now on my face deepening I ask, “What the hell do you find so funny?”
“Oh, maybe the fact that I so just caught you checking me out.” Ryder’s laugh is gone but his beautiful grin refuses to leave. “At first I thought you had just zoned out again, but the way your eyes were focused on my lips and then you started biting on yours, it became obvious.”
Too be honest, I don’t remember the last time someone made me blush. I don’t normally get embarrassed. Being caught by Ryder while I am pretty much fantasizing about taking him right here on this table, well that was enough to cause my face to heat all the way down to my neck. I turn towards the window
so that he can’t notice.
“Don’t turn away.” He reaches over the table and pulls me to face him with my chin. “You do know it’s ok to be embarrassed every now and then, right? It’s healthy. We are humans.”
Still blushing, I smile. He is right, it’s normal. “Did you have something else planned for us, or is this the end of our date?”
“Oh, no my dear Kat, this is definitely not the end of our night.” He takes his wallet out of his back pocket, lays down a few twenties. “Are you ready for the highlight of the night?”
Chapter 8
I don’t know what I was thinking he had planned for us, but I don’t believe I could have thought of this. We end up at the city park. They have a huge blow up screen set up on one side. Movies In The Park. Ryder tells me this is something that the city does every fall. They have vendors set up all around the park that carry anything from popcorn and cotton candy, to coffee and hot chocolate. Before we head into the park Ryder reaches in the backseat and retrieves an old quilt. We walk through the crowd of people till he finds a spot that he thinks is suitable and lays the blanket out, then we lay down on it.
“I cannot believe I didn’t know they did this. What type of movies do they show?” I question.
“It’s a theme and they change it every year. Like last year it was feel good movies like, Forrest Gump and It’s a Wonderful Life. Apparently this year they are paying tribute to Tim Burton.” He reaches in his shirt pocket and hands me a flyer with all the movies playing this month and the dates they will be played on.
“You’re shitting me right. Who told you?” I twist my body to face him as I ask.
He scrunches his face before he says anything, “Who told me what?”
“Ryder, there is no way in hell you coincidentally brought me here on the night they show The Corpse Bride.” Sadly I love it because I see myself as the corpse bride, dead and lonely just wanting to be loved and normal.
He clears his throat and says, “The only recon I got from your sister was your number, and then she threatened me pretty much like your friends did if I hurt you.” Then he slides to sit in front of me. “So not only is the movie a definite coincidence, you have the grand knowledge that I would like to hold on to my balls. In which case means that you don’t have to keep on guard as much as you are when I am around.”
“I am not on guard.” I catch a whiff of his scent and lean into it, “I just think you’re chasing something you don’t want, something you can’t understand.”
“I don’t chase after anything. So the fact that I am chasing after you should be a good enough indication that I want you. If that isn’t good enough for you then I will have to keep trying and prove it to you. As for you not being something that I understand, it makes me crave you all the more.”
Before I know what is happening Ryder’s lips are pressed to mine in a kiss that sets my whole body on fire. I part my lips as his tongue caresses my lips, begging for passage. I swear my body is so hot by the time his hand comes up to grip the back of my neck, that there is literally lava pooling in my lower belly. When we break the kiss, I notice that we are both on our knees holding on to each other like we are scared the other is going to disappear. Neither of us say anything. I don’t because I don’t want to say the wrong thing and break the moment. I have no clue why Ryder doesn’t, maybe he has the same fear.
His hand at the base of my neck slowly circles around till it cups my cheek. “Are you done telling me what I do and do not want?” I manage to move my head in a small nod. “Good, let go and just have fun. I am going to get some popcorn. Do you want anything?”
“Will you grab me something to drink, please.”
“Anything specific?” Ryder ask, getting up from the blanket.
“Nope.”
“Ok, I’ll be right back.”
Let go and have fun. Have I always been so on guard with guys? It’s possible, I think it has more to do with Ryder and his uncanny ability to make me feel more than I have in forever. It terrifies me. That’s the main reason that I tried to avoid this date at all cost. Maybe Ryder is right though, I should just let go. I hope I can do it.
I lay down and survey the sky as the first hints of twilight break through with the bright pinks and blue hues coming off the fading sun. This is my favorite part of any day even knowing that it is only a sliver of time. Beauty beyond comparison shines, just before darkness takes over.
Ryder comes back and lays next to me just in time to see the last of light fade. “It’s beautiful isn’t it?” He asks.
“That’s exactly what I was just thinking.” I turn my head to catch Ryder looking at me. I don’t think anyone should be allowed to be so drop dead gorgeous. His green eyes are lighting up the night, while his dark hair falls in messy locks all around his head. Both his arms are behind his head causing his shirt to raise just enough to tease my view with a hint of that famous ‘V’ that make women lose all hormonal control.
“My eyes are up here, Katrina.” I slowly pull my eyes up his body, back to his. “That’s better, granted I was really enjoying you devouring me with your eyes. I like the way you look at me afterward much better.”
“Do tell. How is it that I look at you?” My interest is piqued.
“Like you aren’t scared to try this.” Ryder answers as he rolled to his side propping up on one elbow over me. The way he said it however sounded more like he was asking me if I was going to give this a try. Taking his words from earlier I hold on to them.
“Hate to break it to you, but I am scared of this. Frightened. But, I am tired of feeling like that. So, I am letting go.” Before Ryder has a chance to react, I take his face in my hands and pull him down for a kiss. For a second he is still, then he kisses me back. This kiss isn’t like the first one, there is no holding back for either of us. I am giving myself over to be hurt, I know this. What’s the saying? Go big or go home. That’s what I intend to do. I ease my hands away from his face and around his neck. His elbow still supporting his weight, his other hand has made it to my hip. He grips it and pulls me closer to him, our bodies lined together perfectly. When his teeth graze my bottom lip in a soft nip, I can’t contain the moan that leaves me. Hearing it, Ryder deepens the kiss.
We come back to reality when the movie starts. Ryder pulls back, my body begging for more, and he has that damn grin on his face. “That makes me very happy.” I smile on the inside, I want to make him happy. To be the reason that smile takes residence on his handsome face. He sits up, “Come here.” I sit up and he pulls me between his legs, him cradling my back and he wraps his arms around my waste. “Now, let’s watch the movie.”
I find it odd that being with Ryder, whom I only met a week ago, I can feel normal. Something that I have tried so hard to reach but never have. It feels right, too. I’ve never believed in fate, or destiny and I’m not sure about whatever God is out there. I can’t. Not with everything that I have been forced to endure, but with Ryder I want to believe in fate. Like, somehow he was meant to come into my life. I place my hands on his arms that are around me, and a calm washes over me.
Throughout the movie, he randomly kisses the top of my head. Somewhere towards the end he remembers he had brought me a hot chocolate, which is no longer hot. It nor the popcorn was touched. When the credits start rolling on the screen, my heart sinks. I’m really not ready for the date to end, or for this happiness to go with it. Ryder untangles himself from me and stands. He offers me his hand and I take it. I bend over to pick up the stuff off the blanket when red hot pain shoots across my rear. I yelp and drop the popcorn.
“Sorry, you put it right there, and it was too damn tempting not to give it a smack.”
I know my mouth is hanging open but I don’t know what to say to that. Frankly, I am still baffled about the fact that it had turned me on as much as it did. He picks up the popcorn from where I dropped it and hands it back to me, shakes off what fell on the quilt and folds it. I take a handful of the popcorn and throw it a
t him.
“Oh, I’m sorry. It was just so tempting.” I laugh out.
A devious look crosses his face, “Darlin’, I bet you still look amazing covered in popcorn.” Before I can turn and run, he snatchs the bucket out of my hand and pours it over my head. “I love it when I’m right!”
“You really just did that. Wow.” I breathed as I start picking kernels out of my hair.
“You started it,” Ryder mused. “I just finished it.” Tucking the quilt under his arm he says, “Here let me help you.”
When he is confident that it is all out of my hair, I realize that the park has pretty much cleared out. He puts his arm around my shoulders and pulls me to his side. We take our time walking through the park. It is a wonderful night, not to hot or cold, and the stars are so bright against the black backdrop. I can’t help myself, I stop and tilt my head back to gaze at them. Ryder comes to stand in front of me.
“You have the prettiest fucking eyes I have ever seen.” He claims.
“They’re brown, average.” I look towards where his car sits just a mere ten feet away. “Your eyes on the other hand, should have poems written about them.”
His hand comes up to sweep some of my hair out of my face, then it travels down my neck. Holding the side of my throat, he uses his thumb to tilt my head towards him. “I have yet to find one thing about you that could be compared to average.” He leans down and kisses my forehead. When his warm lips leave my head he takes his hand from my neck and entwines our fingers. In the car, as Ryder goes to crank it he looks over to me and says, “Poems. Really?” We both let out a good laugh as we head to my house.
***
With the car parked at the curb, where it was when he picked me up, he insists on walking me to the door. “The date isn’t over till you are inside, and I promised to be the perfect gentleman. I don’t break my promises, ever.”
From Lies to Promises Page 6
