Текст книги "Gemini"

Автор книги: Penelope Ward

сообщить о нарушении

Текущая страница: 3 (всего у книги 18 страниц)

“Karyn, what a pleasant surprise.” I lied flashing a fake smile.

“I didn’t realize you two were an item,” Maureen said, looking over at her husband who was grinning.

Karyn wasn’t exactly the most liked person at her TV station. She was known for being overbearing in staff meetings and throwing out story ideas that management didn’t always agree with ethically. Scott Ellis seemed amused by her, though. I ignored Maureen’s question about our dating and turned to Karyn to whisper in her ear.

I flat out lied. “Babe, I wish you had gotten here sooner. I have an early commuter flight to New York City in the morning and was just about to respectfully excuse 89/727

myself, since I have some preparation to do for the meeting at WANY.”

I didn’t know what else to do. I didn’t feel good about lying, but the thought of missing out on seeing Allison… who was expecting me…was killing me. If I hadn’t intervened, knowing Karyn, this would have turned a long night into a never-ending one.

I would have to make up a story tomorrow about the meeting being cancelled suddenly, but I can deal with that later.

Karyn’s eyes popped. “WANY! You are going to talk to them about the anchor position…the one I want?”

The truth was I did have a meeting to discuss Karyn and a few of my other clients at WANY next week. So, the lie was not 100–

percent ruthless. In fact, my idea was becoming more brilliant by the minute since next week’s actual meeting will look like the res-cheduling of the fictitious one.

90/727

“Actually, yes, that’s on the agenda, Karyn.” I looked up at Scott realizing that Karyn shouldn’t be discussing jumping ship in front of her current co-worker. This was my fault. I didn’t want to jeopardize Karyn’s job, even if I knew she really didn’t stand a chance at the New York anchor position. In fact, I had two other clients I would be pushing harder for to get that job, because they were better for it, plain and simple.

Karyn rubbed my shoulder. “Honey, I completely understand if you need to go. I can’t believe I didn’t know you were going tomorrow, but I am happy you are.” Karyn then did a little happy dance and stomped her feet fast in giddiness.

“Thanks, babe. You stay…have fun,” I said.

On that note, I got up from the table, shook hands with Ellis and gave Maureen a friendly kiss on the cheek after she leaned in.

91/727

“Thanks for a great meeting, Scott. I am sure this is the beginning of a great working relationship. I’ll call you later this week once I have had a chance to talk the guys in suits.” I leaned in and kissed Karyn on the cheek, slapped down eight hundred dollars cash that should more than cover the bill and walked out.

Halle-friggin-llujah. When I exited the restaurant onto the busy street, I felt relief as the cold air hit my face. I waited for the valet to bring out my Audi and gave him a higher than normal tip, patting him on the back, simply because I was so friggin’ happy to make it out of there in time.

I wouldn’t have time to go back to the condo and change, so I would have to see Allison dressed up the same way I was that first visit. She is definitely going to remember me now. I am not sure how I felt about that, given what an ass I acted like that day.

92/727

I revved the engine and sped onto I-93.

It was 10:20. I would be just getting there in time if I were lucky.

I passed a broken down Toyota Corolla and thought about the fact that if this were any other night, I would have helped the poor bastard. Not tonight, though…not tonight.

10:45…I was almost there. I started to feel my heart pounding, knowing how my body would react when I saw her again. I continued to drive focusing on that beautiful haunting face.

10:50…I exited the off ramp and made my way down the side streets, noticing the black and orange lights adorning the houses and stores on Main Street in preparation for Halloween.

I could see the Stardust in the distance, but noticed that the Open sign was not illuminated.

93/727

Fuck.

I slid fast into the space right in front and without thinking, rushed out of my seatbelt and slammed the car door closed.

When I looked up, my heartbeat ac-celerated as I saw Allison standing with her coat on facing me through the front window as I opened the door.

She looked like a doll, standing there in a fitted brown coat and a pink knit cap, with flushed cheeks. She was gorgeous.

The chimes sounded as I opened the door, bringing us face to face and into a few seconds of silence where I stood in awe of her before speaking.

“Hi…I, um, am so sorry I’m so late…I’m Cedric. You called about the credit card I left here earlier today?” I couldn’t stop looking into her eyes. They were so unique, yet familiar.

“Hi…yes, that was me who left the message. It’s no problem. We aren’t 94/727

technically closed. I’m waiting for Max, the owner to finish up before we lock up. Let me get your card,” she said.

She definitely seemed nervous.

“No rush,” I said.

No rush…stupid thing to say. Why wouldn’t she want to get the hell out of here?

It’s the end of her shift.

I watched as she walked behind the counter toward the register. She was the perfect height, about five feet six inches, not too tall, not too short and was wearing light beige Uggs. She must have changed out of her work shoes. She is really ready to leave. I am inconveniencing her. She looked frazzled as she rummaged through papers and folders near the register. I heard her whispering to herself. I thought I heard a faint ‘fuck’.

I hadn’t moved yet from my spot near the door, so I walked over to her.

“Is everything ok?” I asked.

95/727

“No…um…it’s not. My co-worker told me she left your card in this folder and it’s not in here. I am afraid I have to call her and find out where she put it because it’s not here.”

I smiled, wanting her to relax. “No worries…it’s gotta be in this place somewhere, right?” I am in no rush. Please take your time, Allison.”

The credit card was the least of my concerns right now. It could be on its fucking way to Nigeria now for all I cared.

Just then, an older black haired man with a moustache who looked like Super Mario came out from the kitchen, dressed in a coat and hat with a newspaper stuffed under his arm.

“Ready to go, Al?” he asked. This must be Max.

“Max, if it’s okay, I need to use my key to lock up. This customer left his credit card here earlier today and I don’t know where 96/727

Sonia put it. I just tried her cell and there is no answer, so I am gonna look around for it.”

“No problem. You know how to lock it, right?” Max asked. He didn’t seem worried. You can tell he trusted her.

“Yup…done it before plenty of times.

Thanks.”

The bells chimed as Max left the diner, leaving me alone with Allison.

Alone with Allison.

This was my one and only chance to get to know her. It’s now or never. I hope she never finds that goddamn card.

“Cedric, I am really sorry about this.” She looked over at me quickly, while still rummaging through cabinets and drawers, her big eyes frantically searching. “I know Sonia wanted to put it someplace for safe keeping, but apparently, that backfired.” Her cheeks looked red. She was actually really upset about this. I wish I could tell her how happy the situation was actually 97/727

making me, but then if she knew that I’d probably end up in the back of a cop car heading back to the city.

“Allison, it’s really ok. Please, don’t worry about it. Do you mind if I sit down while you look?” I asked.

“Please…yes…can I get you a slice of pie or something?” she asked.

“That’s really sweet of you, yes, I would love some.” Pie actually sounded really good.

“Apple or coconut cream?” Allison held the door open to the kitchen as she waited for my reply with the sweetest look on her beautiful face.

My heart was fucking toast.

“Aw,

man…that’s

easy…coconut

cream…thanks.”

Could this night get any better…now there’s pie in the mix?

Allison walked out of the kitchen with a small plate that had a huge slice of pie and 98/727

a generous dollop of whipped cream and a maraschino cherry on top.

“Here you go.” She smiled and placed the pie in front of me.

“Thanks.” I stared up at her again for a few seconds. This time, she was staring back at me, her hand slowly backing away from the pie plate and it reminded me of the awkward pause we experienced the first time I came into the diner. God I just want to grab her and sniff her hair. Thank God she can’t read my mind because if she could, this pie would be in my face and the cherry up my ass.

Allison abruptly walked away and said, “I am going to try Sonia again.” She picked up her iPhone and scrolled down to a number and this time she got an answer. I watched and listened to her as I stuffed my face with pie.

“Sonia! she shouted. “Where the hell did you put the credit card? I looked there; 99/727

it’s

not

there!

You

said

the

green

folder…what do you mean top shelf? Oh, the shelf in the pantry…crap, alright…yes, he is…later…later…I

can’t

now…

al-

right…thanks.”

She hung up and ran into the kitchen.

When she came out, she flashed me a big smile showcasing her perfect teeth.

“Cedric, I am so, so sorry. Apparently, she left it in a green folder, but it was a different green folder in a different spot…anyway, I am really sorry for the mix-up.” Allison handed me the card and our fingers brushed together, the feel of her skin sending a shiver down my spine and an awareness somewhere else. That was the first time I actually touched her.

“Please, don’t apologize, Allison. Sitting here enjoying this pie has seriously been the highlight of my day. And I should be apologizing to you for putting you through the 100/727

trouble of having to look for it, when it was my asinine mistake, leaving it here.”

“Well, it all worked out, I guess.”

“It did,” I said.

Then, there was more tense silence, as I got lost in those gigantic green eyes.

“Allison, I hope you have a safe way of getting home tonight…it’s pretty late.”

“I actually usually walk to the train station with Max, but…wait, what time is it?” She looked at her watch. “Crap,” she said.

“What…what’s wrong?” I asked.

“The last commuter train left at 11:20.

It’s 11:25. I missed it,” she said sighing.

“Well, it’s obviously my fault. Please let me drive you home. Where do you live?” This was too good to be true.

“I live in Malden. It’s about a half hour drive from here. Are you sure? I could call a cab.”

101/727

“No way. You are here because of me and it’s actually right on my way home. I live in the city.”

“I figured that.”

“You figured I lived in the city…how so?” I asked with a curious gaze, not able to take my eyes off her swollen lips.

“Well, you’re always so well-dressed, like a businessman from Boston, I guess. I mean…uh…I remember the first time you came in,” Allison said shyly.

Shit. Ok, so she remembered me as

‘tip guy’.

I had to think quickly and then lied.

“Yeah, I have a client up this way which is why I’ve stopped in before.” Allison searched her bag for the key.

“Ready to go?” she asked.

“Absolutely.”

Absofuckinglutely.

I walked out first, watching her shut the light, lock the diner door and check it a 102/727

few times. I disarmed the car and stopped at the passenger side to let her in.

Her smile was mesmerizing as she stepped into the passenger seat and I gently closed the door, wondering again how I got so damn lucky.

CHAPTER 7

ALLISON

Holy shit. Is this really happening?

Cedric opened the driver’s side door, turned on the heated seats and started the car. He smelled so incredibly good, I swear, I could die happy right here in this seat, intoxicated by his scent. It was a mix of musk, sandalwood and leather in here.

He is so damn hot, dare I say the most handsome man I have ever laid eyes on. Just like I remembered, but with even more of a five o’clock shadow on his chin, which made him even sexier. There was a roughness about him that directly contradicted the business attire.

104/727

As he grabbed his stick shift (pun intended), a slight piece of his shiny hair fell over his forehead and I nearly died.

He wasn’t wearing a jacket, just a purple fitted dress shirt that showed off his muscular chest. He was even rocking sus-penders, that wouldn’t have been sexy on any other man. He could pull those off really well, though. I had the urge to pull them and snap them back against his chest.

I turned around and saw that his suit jacket was thrown in the backseat, along with a bottle of wine on the floor. I wondered who would be drinking that with him.

Nervous chills ran through me as his big beautiful slightly scuffed hand grabbed the stick shift and moved it in a jerking motion. My body was fluctuating from cold to hot, reacting to these feelings of lust. I could feel my armpits welling with sweat again and a tingle in my nether regions. I realized at 105/727

this moment, how little control I actually had over my own body.

Cedric broke the silence. “So, you remembered me, huh?” he said suggestively in a low smooth voice as he turned to look at me with a sexy side glance, before returning his eyes to the road.

“Well, you were kind of hard to forget.

I…mean…you left quite a big tip.” I was sure to add that last part. I didn’t want to give away too easily the real reasons I thought he was unforgettable, which had nothing to do with the money.

Cedric seemed to hesitate, shaking his head and said, “Yeah…I guess I did, didn’t I?

I was in a bit of a rush, so I left you what I had in my wallet.”

“Well, thank you. It truly brightened my day and was very generous. I had wanted to thank you, but you left so fast. I thought maybe it was a mistake. I have never received such a big tip in my life. I actually 106/727

split it with Delores since it was technically her table to begin with. Delores is really cool.

She’s a hoot. She makes working at the diner fun.” I shut up immediately. Oh God, I was rambling like a bumbling idiot and making no sense.

“Well, I am really glad I could brighten your day,” Cedric said as he glanced at me and smiled.

“Thanks again.” I turned to look out the window when a sudden bout of bashful-ness took over.

In my periphery, I could see his head turn in my direction and I looked back at him.

“So, Allison, tell me, how long have you worked at the diner?” Cedric asked as he sped onto I-93, returning his eyes quickly to me once he entered the highway. I loved watching him drive.

107/727

“Just a few months. I am just biding my time there. I was in a special education program at Simmons, but I am putting that on hold for a while. But working with kids with disabilities is really my passion.”

“Simmons is a great school. Special education? That’s an honorable field. What made you decide to go in that direction?” He switched gears and continued to alternate between looking at me and the road.

“Well, I really love kids and one summer when I was a camp counselor for the YMCA, I bonded with a little girl with Down syndrome. Her parents had actually given her up for adoption at birth, so she lived temporarily with foster parents. I am also adopted, so that made me even more attached to her. I was crushed when she was transferred to another family out of town.

We still write to each other to this day. Ever since that summer, I wanted to work in some 108/727

capacity with special needs kids. Even though I can’t afford Simmons right now, I am hoping to find a way to get into the field while I wait to get back to grad school.” Cedric nodded slowly as if he was thinking of what to say next. “I think that’s amazing. I give you a lot credit for that.”

“Thanks,” I said.

He paused and licked his lips, his expression turning serious. “Actually, I don’t tell too many people this off the bat, but my younger sister, Callie…well, she has autism.

She is twenty-four now, but she is a lot like a little girl in many ways. Back when she was diagnosed as a child, there were not a lot of autistic people. Nowadays, it’s something like one in every fifty kids is on the spectrum.

Incredible. So, there really is a need for people who can work with them.” The emotions that talking about his sister conjured up were written all over Cedric’s face. After a 109/727

pause, he said, “My sister…she’s…she’s special.”

I was caught off guard at how impas-sioned he became when talking about his sister.

“Wow. Is your sister verbal?” I asked as I thought to myself and smiled when I realized her name would be Callie Callahan.

“Yes, somewhat. She can ask for simple things. She can read, but she doesn’t have the ability to converse like you and I.

She is totally dependent on my mother and has someone coming to the house a few hours everyday to work with her on daily living and to help Mom out in caring for her.

They actually go with her to a job where she helps sort books at the local library, which is pretty cool.”

You could tell he was very proud of his sister, but also a little sad about it. The tender look on his face, made me want to grab his hand.

110/727

“She sounds amazing. I am sure having her in your life gives you a different perspective on things.”

“Yeah. It sure does. We neurotypical people take so many things for granted.” He smiled.

“I would love to work with autistic kids, myself,” I said.

Cedric scratched his chin. “Hmm.

There’s an agency that provides the services Callie receives. I know they work with children, as well as adults. Maybe I can ask my mother for a human resources contact there and email it to you. My mother complains a lot that the turnover rate of people working with Callie is high, so maybe they are looking to hire. We can exchange emails.” Yes.

“That

would

be

fantastic,

Cedric…really, that would mean a lot.” I was truly amazed that he cared enough to offer to 111/727

look into this for me. We’ve known each other less than an hour.

“My pleasure. I wish I could say I had a meaningful career like that. My profession…well, it’s about as shallow as they come.” He shook his head and glanced at me.

“What do you do?” I was dying to know.

He held his breath with a mischievous smile and then glanced at me again, seeming hesitant to tell me. He rolled his eyes and said, “I am a talent agent. I represent mostly TV journalists…news anchors and reporters and we handle things like contract negoti-ations for them and we also do some consulting for the news stations.”

“That sounds exciting, actually. So, you represent people like Katie Couric?” I asked.

Cedric laughed. “Kind of like her…but not her, yeah. It can be exciting at times. But it’s really quite a cutthroat business.” 112/727

“How so?” I was curious.

“Well, sometimes you have clients who are both competing for the same job and you have to make both believe that you’re in their corner, otherwise, you could stand to lose them, but you also want one of them to get the gig, because the agent gets a commission on their salary. And then there’s the consulting end of things, where you basically walk into these TV stations and tell management everything they’re doing wrong…which reporter needs to lose weight…which anchor-man is getting too old to relate to the target audience…that sort of stuff,” Cedric said as he looked over at me for a response.

“You’re right. It does sound kind of nasty,” I smiled.

He nodded his head in agreement and we both laughed. “Yeah.”

I continued to ask him questions about his job over the next several minutes.

That turned into my telling stories about 113/727

some of the characters that come into the diner. We laughed a lot and it was so easy to talk to him.

Then, at one point, neither of us said anything for about a minute. He licked his lips again and I turned away embarrassed suddenly when he seemed to catch me staring at his mouth.

Breaking the silence, I spoke up.

“You’re going to want to take exit 32, by the way, to get to my house.”

I glanced down at my watch willing the time to stop going so fast. I wished I lived farther away. I wanted to stay in this car forever with him.

“Great. So, do you live alone?” Cedric asked.

“No, actually, I live with Sonia…the waitress who took your order today? She and I met through Craigslist. She was looking for a roommate and thankfully it worked out.

She and I get along really well.” 114/727

“You’re lucky she wasn’t a murderer if you were looking for roommates on Craigslist.”

We both laughed. “No kidding.” After a bit more silence, Cedric turned the heat down and looked at me. “I hope I am not prying, but you mentioned you were adopted? Did you grow up here in Boston?”

“Yes. I have always lived here. My mother adopted me when she was in her mid-forties. She had always wanted a child, but never married and so, she took things in-to her own hands. She was really lucky, since in those days, single parent adoptions were rare. But Mom was a professional and made a good living for the city with good benefits and they had no reason to deny her.”

“What does your mother do?” he asked.

“Well, she worked for the mayor’s office before she retired. She passed away about a year ago.”

115/727

The look on Cedric’s face turned suddenly sullen and he was briefly silent before letting out a deep breath that made me shudder.

“Oh, I am so sorry, Allison. I lost my father…I know how hard it is,” he said frowning.

My heart hurt that he had endured losing a parent too. “Thanks. I was an only child. So, it’s been tough,” I said fighting back watery eyes.

Cedric looked at me and then turned away staring ahead in silence at the road.

The expression on his face showed that he seemed genuinely affected by my revelation that I was essentially alone.

He turned to me again. “Allison…you don’t have any other extended family?” Well, my aunt Irene…I call her Reeni…lives in upstate New York. She has a son, but he is a bit of an ass clown…Cousin Arthur,” I said rolling my eyes.

116/727

Cedric’s head rolled back as he shook with laughter at my use of that term. “Good old cousin Arthur the ass clown…I love it.” He was cracking up and had such a deep smooth laugh. It was the first time I heard it.

I

was

laughing

as

well

now.

“Yes…cousin Arthur. He’s thirty-five, has in-curable acne and spends most of his days playing video games and chatting online with other Trekkies. This is my next of kin. He works in a comic book shop part-time and mooches off my aunt the other times. So, essentially, I am indeed alone, although I have some wonderful friends, so I never feel it, really.”

“Well, that’s good. I am glad to hear it.” Cedric smiled.

“Um…the exit is coming up next.” I pointed to the green highway sign that showed we were a quarter of a mile from my neighborhood. I was bummed that this was 117/727

coming to an end. It’s not like I could invite him inside.

Could I? God, I wanted to.

Cedric pulled off the highway and I directed him down the side streets of Malden.

I pointed. “Turn left here, this is my street.”

“Nice little neighborhood you have here,” he said, looking out the window.

“Yes, it’s very family-oriented, so it’s pretty safe. You can park right here,” I said, pointing to the space in front of the green two-family house that I lived in on the second floor.

Cedric pulled into the space, put the car in park and then surprised me when he turned the car off completely. There were no moving cars on the street and it was quiet except for the sound of a train horn in the distance.

118/727

We both just sat in silence for several seconds and then he turned to me. The streetlights were shining on his blue eyes which were now glowing. He seemed like he wanted to say something and we stared at each other before Cedric spoke. “I hope this isn’t too personal, but do you know anything about where you came from?” That caught me off guard. “You mean my biological parents?” I asked.

Cedric nodded tenderly looking into my eyes and whispered, “Yeah.” His question surprised me, being that we had just met, but I felt comfortable enough with him to be open.

I shook my head. “I don’t know anything, actually. Mom always said it was a closed adoption, so it would be very difficult to find her or…them. I never really tried to find anything out. I never wanted to hurt Mom’s feelings and truthfully, in my eyes, 119/727

she was my real mother in every way. I never knew anything else.”

That was the truth. I had no desire to meet the person or people that gave me away. My mother was everything to me and I never felt slighted until the day she died.

Cedric looked down at his shoes pondering my response and looked back up at me, his eyes seemingly staring into my soul.

“Do you feel differently about it now that she’s gone?”

I broke from his intense gaze, looked at the ceiling of the car and thought about that for a moment. “I haven’t really given it much thought to be honest. Mom’s only been gone a little over a year. But no…I think my birth mother or birth parents probably would have found me by now if they were interested…and if they never wanted to find me, then I certainly don’t want to look for them. So, I think I’ll continue to leave well 120/727

enough alone. Hopefully, someday I’ll start my own family, you know?”

Cedric nodded slowly, soaking in my answer then said in a low voice, “I am sure you’ll make a wonderful Mom someday.” Chills ran down my spine at the sound of his soothing voice saying words that evoked so much emotion in me. I secretly wished he were right and that by some miracle of my imagination, he could be the one to give that to me someday. My feelings for him were growing by the nanosecond. It was strange to feel so close to someone I had just met.

“Thank you for that.” I smiled and was hopeful that we could drop the subject of my history. I have never been fully comfortable discussing it. Bringing up the subject of my birth parents is something I have always avoided. Talking about it seems to demean in some way the only true mother I have ever known. I could never fathom how a mother 121/727

could give up her baby as easily as my birth mother must have given me up as a newborn.

I decided to change the subject. “I can’t believe all these years we lived in the same city and never crossed paths,” I said.

Cedric laughed, his eyes now turning mischievous. He looked down and shook his head. “I think that might be a relief on my end. I was a bit of a punk growing up. You wouldn’t have liked me then.”

“Oh really?” I said.

I just couldn’t get enough of looking at those eyes. He had a darkly impish grin on his face now.

God, he was drop dead gorgeous.

Then, he continued. “Seriously, looking back, I realize I was a bit of a dickhead when I was a kid, used to start fights and break windows. My friends used to joke that’s why my initials spelled cock. Cedric 122/727

looked at me for a moment and then broke out in laughter as he waited for my reaction.

I shook my head and laughed. “What, now?”

“My middle initial is O, so Cedric and Callahan wrapped around that…you have C-O-C…cock.” He laughed.

“Ah…makes sense.” I continued laughing, then realized something. “Wait…your middle initial is O? My middle initial is O

too!”

Cedric’s mouth dropped. “Really?” I nodded and grinned. “Yes…my middle name is Ophelia.”

His eyes widened and glistened in amazement. “Allison…you’re friggin’ kidding me,” he said.

“No, I am not…what’s wrong with Ophelia?”

“Nothing at all. It’s absolutely beautiful…but when I tell you my middle name, well—”

123/727

“What…Cedric tell me…what is it? Os-car? Omar? O’Shaughnessy? Obi Wan Ken-obi? Tell me!” I laughed, waiting in suspense.

Cedric put his hand on my headrest and moved in closer which startled me. I could feel his breath near my face when he said,

“Allison…your

middle

name

is

Ophelia…”

“Yes…don’t tell me your middle name is Ophelia, too?” I joked.

Cedric shook his head. “No…not Ophelia…but—”

“But what?”

“You’d never guess it.”

“Give me a hint.”

He rubbed his chin and smiled.

“Okay…it’s from Shakespeare too.” My jaw dropped and I did guess it. “Oh my God… Othello? You’re telling me your middle name is…Othello?”

He nodded. “That’s exactly what I am telling you.”

124/727

This was really bizarre and hilarious.

“You mean to tell me we are both named after Shakespeare characters?” I stared at him in awe before thinking about it again for a few seconds. “Wait…are you shitting me?”

Cedric burst out laughing. “It would seem that way wouldn’t it, but unfortunately, I’m not. I swear on my father’s life,” he said.

Now, I knew he was being serious. You just don’t joke on someone’s life. “Wow,” I said.

Cedric seemed really amused by this coincidence too. “Wow is right…you’re telling

me.

My

father

was

a

huge

Shakespeare fan and insisted on my middle name being Othello. The Othello board game was pretty big back then too. For some reason, he thought it was the coolest name. It started as a joke, really. My mom was dead set against it and one night, they were with some friends and she lost a bet and 125/727

well…there you have it…Cedric Othello Callahan.”

“I guess maybe this is a sign we were meant to meet,” I said, immediately regretting the suggestive comment.

Cedric smiled, his white teeth glisten-ing. “I think so, Allison Ophelia.” He was so surprisingly easy to talk to and I didn’t want this night to end, but I was apprehensive about asking him to come upstairs.

No, there was no way I could do that.

Cedric turned the interior light on and reached across me to open the glove compartment when I got my closest interaction with his body yet, breathing him in. The heat beneath my ass from the seat was nothing compared to the warmth throughout my body as his hair sat inches from my nose. His arm brushed against me and I fantasized about pulling it towards me, putting his hands on me.

126/727

He looked frantically for something, eventually grabbing a pen. I spotted a pack of cigarettes in there as well. Strange…he didn’t seem like a smoker and I didn’t smell it in here.

Mmm…I think the cologne might be Cool Water.

“Aha…here it is,” he said grabbing a pen. “Do you happen to have a piece of paper in your bag?”

“Let me look.” I opened my purse and dug through all of the crap: hairspray, gum, mace, wallet, change…not one darn piece of paper?