Dante

by J. S. Cooper

  “Nope.” I shook my head, my eyes burning.

  “Liar.” He chuckled. “I think you’d do it for a lot less than that. I mean, your kids are willing to sell you out for a couple of free steaks.” He winked then and I gasped.

  “You pig!” I growled and then turned away quickly. “I’m leaving.” I tripped slightly again and this time I dropped my handbag and everything went flying out to the ground. I groaned and bent down quickly, attempting to pick everything up and stuff it back in and get away from this jerk. “Leave it.” I glared at him as he bent down to help me, his expression amused. His fingers brushed mine as he handed me my lipstick and I jumped up as if I’d been burned. “I’m going,” I said as I looked at him one more time. “I’ll have you know my kids and I want nothing to do with you, not for ten million dollars, not for filet mignon, not even for all the diamonds in Africa.” I gave him one last glare as he stood there laughing and I walked away as quickly as possible and over to the kids. “Come on guys,” I hissed as they all looked up at me with wide eyes, wondering what had just gone on. “We’re leaving now.”

  And for the first time in their lives, all three boys jumped up silently and followed me to the car without questioning me or asking me for something. I could feel Dante’s stare as we walked back to my car and it took everything in me to not turn back around and give him one last look and the finger. I was a lady, after all.

  7

  Dante

  I watched as Sadie scurried to her car with her little boys in tow. She walked quickly as if she was in a hurry and her sons followed behind her as if they were ducklings following their mama. I could see the two youngest ones almost running to keep up with her and I felt sorry for them. I couldn’t believe that she had brought her sons with her. In fact, I couldn’t even believe that she had three sons. She didn’t look old enough to have three kids and there was a youthful look in her face and demeanor that would have led me to believe that she didn’t have any real responsibilities that were weighing on her mind. She seemed to be a very lackadaisical, irresponsible young woman and yet, I was strangely attracted to learn more about her. Not that I would. Not that she would be interested either. She intrigued me; this beautiful young spunky woman with the fiery eyes and caustic tongue. It didn’t hurt that her body was curvy in all the right places. When I’d first seen her, I’d been very happily surprised. Her hair was a dark brown, almost black and her brown eyes were warm and friendly. At least they had been when we’d first met. They had very soon turned unwelcoming. Her young sons hadn’t looked like her at all, though, with their fair complexions and blue eyes. I supposed they looked like their dad. I was curious as to what must have happened for their dad to be in their lives, but I supposed he had gotten fed up of being used. Because she had to be some sort of user, most probably on the take for the richest man she could get to look after her and her kids. I was surprised that Nana had set me up with her; I knew she wanted grandkids badly, but she normally vet the women a bit better than this. I knew she didn’t care for social climbers or gold diggers at all. I pulled out my phone to call her and give her a piece of my mind.

  “My darling, Dante, it’s so good to hear from you.” Nana Addie answered the phone in two rings. “How was your date?”

  “That’s why I’m calling.” I said in my no-nonsense voice. “How well did you say you knew Sadie’s grandma?”

  “Sorry who?” Nana Addie sounded confused for a few seconds. “Oh wait, sorry, I thought you said Sadist. And I was about to say, who do you think I am Dante, that I would know any sadists. I’m a respectable older lady. I would expect that kind of talk from Blake and Steele, but not from you.”

  “Nana.” I said sharply. “How well do you know Sadie’s grandma?”

  “Why are you asking?” She said, her voice suddenly becoming feeble. I knew her next line of defense would be to talk about how old and decrepit she was.

  “She has three sons.” I said accusingly. “Why would you set me up with a lady with three sons?”

  “She what?” Nana’s voice sounded confused. “Are you sure?”

  “Yes, Nana. And they weren’t sweet little angels either. They looked like little hellions.” I thought back to their ice-cream stained faces and generally scruffy looking appearances. “She brought them to the date with her.”

  “She did?”

  “Yes, Nana. Now I don’t know what’s going on, but this is not the sort of lady I’m looking to date or get into any sort of relationship with. I know you want grandkids but this is ridiculous.” I shook my head as I watched Sadie’s car screeching out of the parking lot, of course, she would be a bad driver as well.

  “Did she ask you to look after them?”

  “No, she actually ended up leaving before the date officially started.” I said, suddenly feeling even more annoyed. If anyone should have ended the date early, it should have been me. Who did she think she was? She was the one that had lied to me. Well technically, she hadn’t lied as we’d never even met before, but she certainly she wasn’t a good mom.

  “Oh?” Nana’s voice sounded slightly giddy. “She deserted you on your date?”

  “She didn’t desert me. She didn’t like getting called out.”

  “Oh Dante.” She said, her voice sounded happy. I had no idea why she would be happy at the news that she’d set me up with a lady that had a bunch of other kids. “Will you be seeing her again.”

  “No.”

  “I see.” She paused. “Maybe you were a little rude to her. I know how you can be sometimes. Maybe you should apologize to her if you upset her.”

  “What?” My jaw dropped. “What are you talking about Nana?”

  “Well if she just left your date before it even got underway, then she must have been upset. I don’t want her to tell her Grandma Louise that you treated her poorly. She is one of my best friends, after all."

  “Uh huh.” I said and because I didn’t want to call her out for lying, I said. “I’ve got to go now, Nana, but I will speak to you soon.” I hung up the phone and just stood there for a few seconds, feeling a bit out of sorts. Of all the possible ways I’d imagined this date ending, this hadn’t been one of them. An image of Sadie’s face flashed in my mind for a few seconds and I was surprised to feel a jolt of disappointment spreading through me. She had nice lips, not such a nice mouth, but her lips, they were definitely kissable. Oh well, it didn’t matter now. I’d never see her again.

  8

  Sadie

  “Oh, my God, Sadie. You need to tell me everything that happened last night. I can’t wait to hear about it.” Cara’s voice was more excited than I had heard it in a while and I wondered if the kids had told her anything. No, they couldn’t have had time. They’d been fast asleep before she’d gotten home and they were still in bed now.

  “Oh, Cara. Trust me, you do not want to know what happened. I just can’t believe it myself,” I said and groaned. “Can we make some coffee? I need coffee!”

  “What can’t you believe? What happened?” she asked eagerly as she jumped up and walked over to her coffee bean grinder. I could tell that she was really excited to know what had happened. I mean who wouldn’t be? But she was even more excited because it had been a long time since either one of us had gone on a date.

  “Dude, you do not want to know what Dylan did to me last night,” I said as I remembered Dylan’s words to Dante. The words that had caused the whole night to turn sour. And into a dramatic mess. Ugh, I rubbed my forehead in shame just thinking about it. I wasn’t sure what Grandma Louise was going to say. She was going to be so pissed.

  “What did he do?” And then she paused and made a face as she poured the ground coffee beans into the French press machine. “I’m really sorry that I made you watch them last night. I’m sure it couldn’t have been easy.”

  “Girl, you do not even know.” I groaned again dramatically, though they were really only partially to blame for how the night had turned out.

  “Why?
What happened?”

  “Dylan ran up to me and to Dante. And he asked Dante if he was gonna be his new daddy.”

  “He what?” she said incredulously, looking embarrassed and then suddenly we both started laughing. “His new daddy? Oh my God.”

  “It’s not funny, Cara,” I said.

  “I know it’s not funny. Oh my God,” she said, gasping for air. “I can’t believe he did that.”

  “Yeah,’ I groaned. “So he came up to us with chocolate ice cream all over his face. And he goes to Dante, ‘Are you gonna be my father?’”

  “Wow. What did Dante say? Did he laugh? I mean, he must have been impressed that you were looking after my kids, right? Even though you had a date, you were a good friend and took them with you. Shows you’re reliable and responsible and a good human being.” She looked at me thoughtfully. “If he couldn’t see that, he’s an asshole.”

  “I can’t say he was too impressed.” I paused not knowing whether to tell her the full truth or not. I really wanted to tell her, but I didn’t want her to think I had lied and used her kids. Well, I didn’t really use her kids, but I had lied. I mean, it wasn’t like I had gone into the date thinking that I was going to pretend that I was their mom. It had just happened.

  “Sad.” Cara made a face and then studied mine. I knew she could read me like a book and I definitely had a guilty expression on my face. “What are you not telling me?” she asked me in her best mom voice.

  “Um,” I said, feeling like one of her naughty kids. I stood there furiously trying to figure out whether or not I should tell her the full truth, though it wasn’t like I could keep anything from her.

  “Okay, you gotta promise not to hate me?”

  “Uh oh. Firstly I could never hate you and secondly, why would I hate you?”

  “Well, maybe hate’s not the right word. You have to promise not to judge me.”

  “Judge you?”

  My face turned red as I thought about how easily the lies had slid from my mouth. I had been so annoyed and had gotten completely carried away. He’d just been so rude.

  “What did you do?” Cara’s voice was now very high. I could tell that she really wanted to know what I had done.

  “Sooooooo, I kinda didn’t tell Dante that I wasn’t Dylan’s mom.” I bit down on my lower lip as I waited for her reaction.

  “You what? Why not?”

  “He was being such an ass and he was giving me such an attitude. He was a judgmental jerk. And you know what, he called me a bad mom. He called me a bad mom. He said that I shouldn’t have brought the kids with me on my date with a strange man. He said it was irresponsible of me to leave them at the ice cream shop next door while I went to gallivant around looking for a sugar daddy.” He hadn’t exactly used those words, but he’d essentially said that.

  “No way. He did not say that.” Cara’s jaw dropped. “Sugar daddy?”

  “Yeah, girl. He said that. I couldn’t believe it. What an asshole.” And then because I felt guilty. “Well he didn’t say sugar daddy, exactly, but he basically said I was willing to whore myself out for a free steak.”

  “No way.” Her eyes widened. “So you pretended they were your kids?”

  “I said. Well, hey, you know what’s a single mom like me going to do? If I want to go on a hot date and get a free dinner?”

  “You did not say you wanted to get a free dinner. Did you? Did you actually say that?”

  I laughed as I spoke to her. “No, but I wish I had said it. I know, I know, I’m crazy right. I shouldn’t have lied, but I couldn’t stop myself. It was stupid. He was the one that made the assumption and I was trying to correct him at first, but ugh his attitude. He deserved it. You should have seen his face when I left.”

  “So did you get a free dinner?” Cara laughed as she shook her head at me and I remembered why I loved her so much. She just didn’t judge me for the stupid shit I did.

  “No. I didn’t even get the free coffee.” I laughed. “And I was hoping to get a brownie as well.”

  “So what happened?”

  “Well, Dylan was saying how he wanted his pizza . . .” I paused as Cara groaned and then continued. “And I thought to myself, these kids are hungry and this guy’s a jerk, I’m leaving.” I giggled. “You should have seen the look on his face when he said in a disbelieving voice, ‘You have three of them?’ His eyes were getting narrower and narrower. He couldn’t believe it.”

  Cara just started laughing even louder then. “Poor guy.”

  “I didn’t know what to say. I just couldn’t believe it.”

  “Oh my God. I am so sorry. Sadie. This is all my fault. I should have just stayed home. I never should have made you look after them.”

  “Girl, this is not your fault. You were gonna lose your job. There was no way I was gonna say no to looking after your kids. You have put a roof over my head and I was not going to let you down in your time of need for some stupid date with some stupid asshole.”

  “Was he cute though?”

  “I’m not going to lie. He was all man. He is most probably the most gorgeous guy I’ve ever seen in my life. He was about six four. So well-built that I know he most probably lives in the gym. Silky dark hair. And, girl, he had the most incredible eyes.” I groaned as I remembered gazing into them. “Sometimes when I looked at him they were like an emerald green. And sometimes I looked and they were like this chestnut brown. Oh, my God. And he had this deep golden olive tan. He could have been a male model. I swear. Maybe he is a male model.” I stopped then. “But he’s a player and an asshole and he told me he doesn’t do relationships.”

  “He told you that.”

  “Yup.” I nodded.

  “Wow.” She looked shocked. “So he wanted a hookup?”

  “I guess?” I shrugged, suddenly feeling warm as I remembered his body against mine as we’d hugged.

  “Would you have hooked up with him?” She looked at me curiously. “If it hadn’t been for my brats?”

  “You know, I do not do one-night stands.”

  “I know you don’t normally do one-night stands. But you don’t normally go on first dates either, especially ones that your grandma set up.”

  “I know. I know,” I acknowledged.

  “Sooo . . .” She paused. “Say you were to have a one-night stand. Do you think that Dante could possibly be a guy you would have one with? I mean he sounds like a douche and all, but quite a hot one?”

  “That’s hard to say,” I said honestly and groaned.

  “Ooh?”

  “If I were to have a one-night stand, which I would never have, I guess I wouldn’t care about the guy’s personality. It would just matter that he was good in bed and if I’m honest, Dante seemed like he would be good in bed.” I could feel my face reddening and she grinned as she handed me over a steaming cup of coffee, which I grabbed eagerly.

  “So you would.”

  “Ugh.” I moaned as I sipped. “Okay, looks-wise he would totally be the sort of guy that I’d have a one-night stand with.” I couldn’t believe that I had just admitted that.

  “Okay, so do you think you’re going to see him again?”

  “I don’t think I’m ever going to see him again.” I shook my head vehemently and I didn’t know if that made me feel happy or sad.

  “Because you don’t want to see him again?” she questioned.

  “I never want to see him again. And honestly, why would he want to see me? He thinks I’m an irresponsible single mom with three kids. And I left him standing outside a coffee shop. Why would he ever want to put himself through that again?”

  “True,” Cara said with a nod. “It’s a pity though, you might have had some fun.”

  “Yeah right.” I rolled my eyes. “He’d be as much fun as an elderly narcoleptic in bed,” I said, but deep inside I knew I didn’t believe that. Deep down inside I knew that he looked like the sort of guy that would provide a lot of pleasure in bed.

  I paused by my laptop as I got r
eady to head to bed. I knew that I should get under the covers and go to sleep. I had an early morning the next morning, but a part of me was curious to see if Jonas had sent me another message. I stood there for a few seconds before finally sinking into my chair and opening up my laptop quickly. I reached for my phone and scrolled to my Spotify account and went to my top 40 playlist. Music streamed through the small bose speaker in the corner of the room and I pressed the keys to take me to my dating account. I looked to see if I had any messages and I saw that Jonas and Mike had both messaged me again. I didn’t bother to open the messages though. I was curious to see if I could find anyone I knew on the site. I went to the search feature and clicked through the different options to search for men who were above six feet, with brown hair and hazel, green or brown eyes, as I wasn’t sure what color Dante would call his eyes.

  Beep beep. A chat message from Jonas popped up on the screen.

  JONAS: Hey there, Kiwi. I thought I scared you the other day.

  KIWI: I don’t scare easily.

  JONAS: Good, good. So have you thought about it?

  KIWI: Thought about what?

  JONAS: What I said the other day?

  KIWI: Not really.

  JONAS: Why don’t you tell me one of your fantasies then? Would you rather me be the one tied up?

  KIWI: You have a thing for ropes huh?

  JONAS: A bit. Not terribly huge. I have a thing for prolonging pleasure.

  KIWI: Don’t we all?

  JONAS: You have a smart mouth, don’t you?

  KIWI: If you’re asking if I’m smart, then yes, I am.

  JONAS: The things I would do to your mouth?

  KIWI: Oh?

  JONAS: Or rather, the things my cock would do to your mouth.

  KIWI: That’s a bit forward, don’t you think?

  JONAS: Do you like to swallow?

  KIWI: No comment.

  JONAS: I wonder if you could fit my entire cock into your mouth without gagging?