“A table for two, please,” Cabrina repeated.
“We are all out of tables. Would you like a booth?” The girl asked, looking glassy eyed at Gabriel.
Cabrina turned to look at her husband, wondering if the girl was either a robot or an idiot. She arched her eyebrows at him as he placed his hand in hers, giving a wicked grin. The girl stood there waiting for a response from Gabriel, who refused to answer her.
“The booth is fine. We will follow you,” she told the waitress.
Gabriel’s eyes were low, and he allowed Cabrina to lead him to the table as the young waitress nearly tripped three times trying to swish her handful of bottom to get the man’s attention. Taking a seat first, Cabrina slid into the booth seat, surprised to see Gabriel slide in next to her.
“I’ll take your drink orders as well,” the waitress said, eyeballing Gabriel with moon eyes.
“Honey, you want an iced-tea or something fizzy like a Pelligrino?” Cabrina asked him.
He nodded, then used sign language for a drink, which confused the waitress. “Make that a Diet Coke for me and a Pelligrino with lime for my husband,” Cabrina said.
“Is he deaf or something?”
“Deaf is unable to hear, mute is unable to speak,” she told the young woman.
“He’s a deaf-mute? Wow! And he is so fine, too,” she said, looking disappointed. “I will get those drinks.”
Bouncing off, Cabrina took in the gaudy restaurant which was a cross between Buca di Beppo and a mean old Italian woman’s kitchen turned museum. A large motorcycle sat atop a counter which appeared to be taken from the movie set of the Outsiders. Every inch of wall space was covered either in horrific wallpaper or Italian memorabilia, including several photos of Sophia Loren, opera singers, and red, white, and green stripes. If she weren’t so hungry, she would lose her appetite.
Gabriel’s seemed to be picking up her discomfort as he slid closer to her, his hand on her thigh, gently rubbing it as he also looked about the place. She is so warm and cordial. I fully expected her to eat the young woman for her blatant flirtations with me, but again, she’s surprised me.
“I guess you can add sign language to your list of languages you speak,” Cabrina said, looking down at his hand on her thigh. It didn’t go any further. He rubbed up and down her thigh in the same spot. “Gabe, you didn’t want to sit on the other side of the table?”
“No,” he said, gently squeezing her thigh. “You feel so good.”
“Oh, okay,” she said, blushing at the intimacy.
“You are so warm,” he said to her, taking off his glasses.
“Well, we have been sitting in a hot vehicle for four hours. I may be bordering on smelly before the day is over based on this menu,” she said to him. Every item came loaded with cheese. “Have you decided what you want to eat?”
He gave her a lascivious grin, which caused her to blush even more. “I’m going to have the Big Beefstro salad,” he told her, thinking the slices of prime rib would hold him over until dinner.
The bouncy-boobed waitress returned with the drinks, ready to take the orders for their lunch selections. Cabrina ordered the Beefstro salad for Gabe and the All Kale Caesar for herself. His hand continuously caressed her thigh as he handed back the menu, still not making eye contact with the young woman.
“You are thinking mighty hard about something,” she told him, uncertain what to make of his behavior.
“Waterfalls,” he said.
“As in don’t go chasing them,” she said, throwing in the words from one of her favorite 90s groups.
“Have you ever come across a natural waterfall, especially in the tropics?” He asked. “You are simply wandering along a nature trail, and wham, there is it. Splendid. Glorious. Cascading droplets fall over the edge from a high location, making you wonder from whence streams the never-ending supply of energy and water flow.”
“I’ve been to Niagara Falls,” she said.
“No, that one is different. It is powerful, forceful, aggressive. I am talking about simple beauty, nothing complex or complicated, but soothing to the soul,” he said. His hand still massaged her thigh as he spoke, looking away, but in a way remaining in sync with her.
Cabrina didn’t know where he was going with the conversation or if it was perhaps a Biblical reference. She answered him softly. “Yes, I have seen one of those in the mountains,” she said.
He asked, “When you came upon the waters, did you first stick your hand in to test how cold the water could be before you added your body or was it a sweltering day and you wanted to feel the coolness of the water on your head, to wash away the stickiness of the hike to find it?”
“Initially, I stuck my fingers in it to test the coolness of water since it wasn’t quite hot enough to immerse my body,” she said. “Why do you ask?”
He turned his torso slightly in the seat to look at her, the faux leather seat covering wailing at his movement like a squeaky mouse. The hand on her thigh, came up to gently tug on one of the strands of her curly black hair, wrapping it around his finger, pulling her face to his. His lips met hers, kissing Cabrina tentatively, his tongue briefly probing her lips, then sliding inside of her mouth. He ended the kiss with warm lips trailing down the side of her face, to her neck, nibbling, sucking quickly, then pulling away. Her lids were heavy with an ignited passion as his thumb ran across her bottom lip.
“You are my waterfall,” he said to her. “Initially, I simply wanted to test the waters, but now, I want to immerse myself completely in your beauty, allowing you to cover me.”
“Mr. Neary, I do believe you are trying to seduce me,” she told him, gripping his hand tightly.
“Believe it, because I plan to, every day, every night until I am completely drenched in every cascading drop of your flowing loveliness,” he said, leaning in to kiss her again.
Cabrina turned her head to the side, avoiding his lips. “Mr. Neary, you act as if I am not a sure thing,” she said.
“Nothing in this life is certain, Mrs. Neary. If a man wants success, he has to labor for it,” Gabriel said to her. “I want you to love me and I am willing to put in the work in order to reap the rewards.”
“Then get to work if you wish to receive the bounty tonight for your toils,” she said, turning her face, her cheek touching his, her hand now on his thigh, the other on his chest. Her soft voice whispered in his ear, “Make me fall hard for you, Mr. Neary. Make me crave you, your touch. I want you to hunger for my mouth on your skin, this heart thudding in your chest when I touch you, kiss you, tell you how good you feel next to me.” Her long fingers pressed against his breastplate as if her hand could permeate the skin and bones to touch his heart.
Gabriel turned, mumbling almost incoherently, “Check, please!”
The waitress, who made her approach with their lunches, nearly dropped the meals. “Oh wow! Did you just learn to talk?”
He nodded his head up and down like a dashboard doll while Cabrina sputtered with laughter at his antics.
Fascinating.
This man is an enigma, but fascinating.
Cabrina was all in and ready for whatever the rest of the day would bring.
THE GIFT SHOP ONLY carried three tee shirts with attitudinal sayings for the brand: Legalize Marinara, Oregano Dispensary, and Practice Safe Sauce. The sauced one was perfect for Gabriel since he stated his plan was to create the perfect bar-b-que sauce, and she opted for the Legalize Marinara shirt. He purchased a bottle of the house wine, along with requesting the empty shipping box the wine came in for the back seat of the vehicle.
“That’s where I will store the collection we gather,” he told her with pride.
Cabrina noticed the second box in the back of the vehicle. “What’s in this one?”
“Your wedding present from me that you will get to open tonight,” he told her. “But first, we need a photo of us in the shop, buying the tees.”
Six photos later, they were fueled up and rolling hard towards Albuquerque whe
re they would spend the night. The five hours sped by as Gabriel put his foot in the floor, ready to call it an evening.
“I can get us a room at the Holiday Inn. It’s reasonable, plus we get a free breakfast,” she said, checking her rewards points.
“Not for this evening,” he said. “I went ahead a booked us something special for tonight.”
“Honey, we talked about a budget before starting this trip,” she cautioned.
“Yes, and we will stay on it, but tonight, I have something special in mind for my wife,” he said.
“Is this part of your grand seduction plan?”
“Cabrina, you truly can’t expect a man to win, woo, and have you fall head over heels in love with him by spending a hot night at the HoJo,” he said.
“Odder things have happened, and if all the man can afford is the NoTell Motel, then he will have to get his love on with limited funds,” she said, laughing.
“My pockets are all right,” he said, exiting I-40 towards the airport, turning down MLK Drive to Central Avenue, and pulling up at the Hotel Andaluz in historic downtown. “Plus, you said there were a couple of shops downtown you wanted to visit. This is a win-win.”
The vehicle pulled in front of the hotel as a valet, dressed like Aladdin opened her door. Gabriel pointed to the bags which would need to accompany them inside as well as the box on the back seat. In his hand, he held the tee shirts from Oregano’s as they went to the check-in at the counter.
“Ah good evening, Mr. Neary,” the man behind the counter said. “We have your suite ready and everything you requested.”
“Thank you, Sabid,” he told the man, taking his key. “It has been a long day.”
“Your dinner reservations are in an hour. You are booked in the Mint Casbah for your meal,” Sabid told him.
“Very good,” Gabriel responded, taking the key from his hand.
“You are in room1217. Enjoy your stay,” Sabid added before they walked away from the front desk.
To Cabrina, the hotel reminded her of a down-sized version of the Aladdin Hotel in Vegas, minus the faux sky ceilings and a street urchin with a Capuchin monkey. The lobby greeted them with oversized tufted chairs, colorful wall art, and archways. However, the bedroom was subtle. The walls were beige, nearly white, with an understated wood headboard. Dark curtains covered the entire window and wall, giving privacy to the guests. Sliding barn doors of tinted glass hid the bathroom with a standalone rocker tub trimmed in dark brass where she longed to soak her sore body, but there wasn’t enough time.
On the bed lay a black dress with silver heels next to a black suit for her husband. Her fingers slipped into her mouth, the dryness of her tongue shielding her words as she looked at him with new appreciation.
“Tonight is ours, but first, we shower and change, and then you can open that box,” he told her.
“Am I showering alone, or do you plan to wash my back, Mr. Neary?”
“The aloneness is over,” he told her, pulling her by the hand to the shower. He started the taps, kissing and undressing her at the same time. While she stood nude before him, he opened the shower door, encouraging her to climb inside. The water pelted her skin, and tiny beads of liquid life clung to her as he sat on the side of the tub, watching, waiting, and observing.
She took the sponge from the shelf, opening the plastic wrapper and wetting the material. It doubled in size as she added a bit of shower gel to it, and starting with her breasts, washed her salty skin. Cabrina’s eyes remained focused on her husband as she cleaned herself, taking time on her arms and long legs. The delicate parts she touched with the sponge, and thinking better of it, turned her back to him while she washed intimately.
The shower door opened, allowing in a moment of a cool air which hardened her nipples. He’d joined her in the shower, turning her quickly to face him, his lips finding hers as he lifted her against the shower wall, moving against her, raising her slightly, then lowering her body as he impaled her in one sudsy, liberating moment. She clung to Gabriel as he breathed hard in her ear, pumping his hips, the water assaulting him in the back. Cabrina cried out his name as she found her release, holding on tightly as he found his, kissing her as if it would be their last night, the only moment they would be able to steal away to be alone.
She’d never seduced a man in her life, but tonight she had. Her eyes wandered to the bed where the lone box from the back of the vehicle awaited. The box. What is in the box?
Curiosity got the better of her, and she washed quickly, climbing out of the shower and wrapping her body in a hotel robe. Waiting patiently on the side of the bed for him, she toyed with the ribbon around the pink box. While they were in the shower, she assumed the bellman had brought up the truffles and bottle of sparkling cider which sat on the bed. She wasn’t interested in that; she wanted what was inside the box.
“Go ahead and open it before you pop,” Gabriel told her, smiling at his blushing bride.
Cabrina was worse than a kid at Christmas as she opened the box and peered inside. Never in her wildest dreams would she have imagined her husband giving her a perfect wedding gift. Shaking fingers ran over the contents, as she grinned at his thoughtfulness.
“I figured it would be easier if you had a mini mobile printer for the images on your phone. This way, you can print the pictures from the day saving storage on your phone and add them to our honeymoon scrapbook,” he told her.
The white scrapbook in her hand was the most basic on the market, but to her, it was simply perfect. She waved her finger at him to join her on the bed and they rested their heads against the board. The bottle of sparkling cider between them, she held up her phone, snapping a selfie of him, minus the glasses and wet hair.
He was a master at the game.
She was going to have to step up hers on their next stop. If Mr. Neary wanted to seduce his wife and make her fall in love with him, it was only fair that she returns the favor. Gabriel Neary wasn’t going to know what hit him.
Chapter 6 – An Adventure in Love
Silence.
The silence in the room was deafening as she woke to an empty bed. The 1200 thread count sheets felt like silk against her skin as she pulled back the covers to find her body complete missing a stitch of clothing. Her hand reached across the soft sheets, feeling for her husband. Two days. She’d been married for two whole days and her husband was not in bed next to her.
Quickly turning her head, she stared at the bathroom door, thinking maybe he was inside taking care of his morning routine, but the door was open. Pressing her head backward into the pillow, she didn’t want to call out for him, seeming ridiculously needy after only two days. The alone feeling wasn’t keeping her company this morning, but a new sensation of excitement coursed through her, creating an urge to throw back the covers and seek him out in her naked form.
Listening for him as she tip-toed through the hotel room, her feet sank into the deep pile carpet, not making a sound when she entered the formal sitting room and located him on the floor. Gabriel’s form rested on his knees, a Bible in front of him with a journal next to it, reading, making notes, focusing on the words he scribbled in the notepad. Jotting a few comments, he lowered his head in a moment of reflection as if he were meditating. Is he praying? She wanted to clear her throat to let him know she was there, but instead, she backed up, retreating to the bed.
“I know you are there,” he said, his head still lowered.
“I didn’t want to interrupt your morning studying...meditation...prayers,” she said uncertainly.
He looked up, staring at her face, not the nude form. “Good morning. Breakfast should be arriving...in five...four...three,” he said before the knock came at the door.
“We get to enjoy breakfast in bed this morning, Mrs. Neary. However, you might want to get back in bed and cover up all my goodies before the room service man believes all that loveliness is for him,” Gabriel said, bounding to his feet. He used his hands to shoo her back to the bedroom.
Once she was safely under the covers, he answered the door.
“Good morning, Sir,” the waiter said, pushing the cart into the room. “I have breakfast to serve you both in bed this morning.”
“Come in,” Gabriel said, running to the bed and diving in like a kid. Cabrina giggled as he propped the pillows against the headboard. Getting comfortable in the bed next to her, he didn’t get under the covers but remained on top of the bedding. His long hairy legs were well-shaped with muscles as if he were a marathon runner. His stomach rumbled as they watched the server prepare their morning meal.
The entire setup was lavish, and each was given a tray to cover their laps while the server prepared bedside fresh omelets loaded with the toppings of their choice. She tried not to appear enthralled as oranges were cut in half, and the server squeezed fresh juice into both glasses. He offered Champagne to mix with the juice, but Gabriel instead offered the free bottle of sparkling cider to mix in with the freshly squeezed oranges for an additional kick. Strawberries drawn in hot melted chocolate accompanied the meal, but one thing was missing from the perfect morning surprise.
“I hate to be a bother, but could you please snap a photo of the two of us?” She asked, forgetting she was completely nude under the covers and sitting up for the photo. It would be later in the evening when she realized her breast had been center stage in the happy shot. The server did not comment as he placed the warmed plates in the serving trays. The omelets, perfectly cooked, were plated with slivers of fresh cut fruit under metal servers. The waiter slash chef only nodded his head as he left the room with his cart of morning joy.
“This is amazing,” Cabrina told Gabriel, sipping gingerly on the juice. “I don’t know how I am going to top this.”
“No need,” Gabriel told her. “It is my goal to make you fall head over heels in love with me. By the time we reach your place in Cleveland, you are going to want to marry me all over again in your family’s church.”
Cabrina’s cheeks warmed with nasty thoughts on how to wrap him around her finger and make him slobber every time she walked past him. The omelet was going to have to wait. She had a better idea for breakfast. She moved the tray to the side as she flung back the covers, standing next to the bed, sticking her fingers into her plate, lifting a handful of fluffy egg concoction into her hand. Walking around the bed to his side, she nibbled on a mushroom, the eggs flopping between her fingers, and then she leaned forward, sticking part of the omelet between his lips.
Buckeye and the Babe Page 5
