his words and fold my arms across my chest. “It’s pretty easy to feel connected to someone when you’re literally connected to them.”
“Bullshit.” He blocks the entrance into the shop. My only means of escape. “Something happened between us. Something I’ve never felt before or since. I know you felt it, too.”
“Sorry, I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“For fuck’s sake, Charlie, you cried when we had sex! I held you.” His voice bounces off every surface in the room.
“Shhh. Keep your voice down.” I look over his shoulder. I swear I saw the curtain flutter.
“Why? You afraid someone’s going to find out you’re not the tough girl you pretend to be?”
“Honestly, Alex, I’d rather they hear about the spanking.”
An uninhibited smile tugs at the corner of his mouth.
“I’ve got to get back to work. Thank you for stopping by.”
Alex shakes his head. “Oh, no you don’t. You’re not disappearing on me again.”
I wave my arms around us. “I’ve got a three year lease. I think you caught me.”
He turns serious. “What time do you close?”
“I close at one on Saturdays but Paige has her dress fitting, so I’ll lock the doors early today.”
“So you’re coming to Dallas?”
I nod once, reluctantly.
“Perfect. Have dinner with me tonight. We can talk.”
“About what?”
“About where we go from here.”
There’s a challenge in his eyes. I’ve seen it once before when he asked how much pleasure I could stand before I would beg to be put out of my misery. I won that game, as I recall, but then again, I’d also been naked. I’m not sure how well I’ll fair against him fully clothed. “Fine, dinner tonight.” Then, as an afterthought, “Somewhere public.”
He smiles, accepting my terms. “Where’s the dress shop?”
“Downtown, near Commerce, I think.”
He’s quiet for a moment, weighing his options. “Do you like steak?”
“Is that a serious question? I live in Texas, Alex.”
“Seven-thirty, the Dallas Chop House. It’s on Main.” Not waiting for a response, or for me to change my mind, he turns and walks to the partition. There’s an unmistakable scramble of heels on ceramic tile. Alex pushes the curtain to the side and ushers me through before him.
The aunts are sitting primly at their table. Their, “Who? Me?” expressions don’t fool me for a minute.
Alex looks back at me when his hand is on the front door’s metal bar. “I’ll see you tonight.” He turns his dimples on the aunts and nods his goodbye. They each wave gracefully. Amazing. They’ve gone from porn stars to princesses in fifteen minutes.
They crane their necks to watch his retreat and melt back into their seats, saying nothing. It’s discomforting.
Brook recovers first. “For the love of God, girl, please tell me you got it on videotape.”
I read somewhere that the difference between an awkward silence, and an uncomfortable one, is a black eye. If Cadence Spelling says the words, ‘trailer park,’ one more time, this situation is gonna get uncomfortable real fast.
“I simply can’t wait to see Paige in her dress. I helped her pick it out, Charlotte. And I must say, I think your sister’s going to be the most gorgeous bride of the season.” She smiles beatifically.
I’m not totally sure what she means by season, but I’ve got a feeling it has nothing to do with football. I muster-up a thin smile and lean to the left, trying to see down the hallway. Paige played me. Big time. She knew Cadence was coming today and that I wouldn’t if I’d known.
“So, Charlotte--”
“Please stop calling me that.” I hold up a hand to cut her off.
“Charlotte?” She wrinkles her forehead. “But that’s your name.”
“Yes, but everyone calls me Charlie. That’s the name I prefer.”
She huffs and waives her hand in front of me. “Don’t be silly. You’re nearly thirty years old. Grown women do not use nicknames.”
I’d like to
“Bullshit.” He blocks the entrance into the shop. My only means of escape. “Something happened between us. Something I’ve never felt before or since. I know you felt it, too.”
“Sorry, I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“For fuck’s sake, Charlie, you cried when we had sex! I held you.” His voice bounces off every surface in the room.
“Shhh. Keep your voice down.” I look over his shoulder. I swear I saw the curtain flutter.
“Why? You afraid someone’s going to find out you’re not the tough girl you pretend to be?”
“Honestly, Alex, I’d rather they hear about the spanking.”
An uninhibited smile tugs at the corner of his mouth.
“I’ve got to get back to work. Thank you for stopping by.”
Alex shakes his head. “Oh, no you don’t. You’re not disappearing on me again.”
I wave my arms around us. “I’ve got a three year lease. I think you caught me.”
He turns serious. “What time do you close?”
“I close at one on Saturdays but Paige has her dress fitting, so I’ll lock the doors early today.”
“So you’re coming to Dallas?”
I nod once, reluctantly.
“Perfect. Have dinner with me tonight. We can talk.”
“About what?”
“About where we go from here.”
There’s a challenge in his eyes. I’ve seen it once before when he asked how much pleasure I could stand before I would beg to be put out of my misery. I won that game, as I recall, but then again, I’d also been naked. I’m not sure how well I’ll fair against him fully clothed. “Fine, dinner tonight.” Then, as an afterthought, “Somewhere public.”
He smiles, accepting my terms. “Where’s the dress shop?”
“Downtown, near Commerce, I think.”
He’s quiet for a moment, weighing his options. “Do you like steak?”
“Is that a serious question? I live in Texas, Alex.”
“Seven-thirty, the Dallas Chop House. It’s on Main.” Not waiting for a response, or for me to change my mind, he turns and walks to the partition. There’s an unmistakable scramble of heels on ceramic tile. Alex pushes the curtain to the side and ushers me through before him.
The aunts are sitting primly at their table. Their, “Who? Me?” expressions don’t fool me for a minute.
Alex looks back at me when his hand is on the front door’s metal bar. “I’ll see you tonight.” He turns his dimples on the aunts and nods his goodbye. They each wave gracefully. Amazing. They’ve gone from porn stars to princesses in fifteen minutes.
They crane their necks to watch his retreat and melt back into their seats, saying nothing. It’s discomforting.
Brook recovers first. “For the love of God, girl, please tell me you got it on videotape.”
I read somewhere that the difference between an awkward silence, and an uncomfortable one, is a black eye. If Cadence Spelling says the words, ‘trailer park,’ one more time, this situation is gonna get uncomfortable real fast.
“I simply can’t wait to see Paige in her dress. I helped her pick it out, Charlotte. And I must say, I think your sister’s going to be the most gorgeous bride of the season.” She smiles beatifically.
I’m not totally sure what she means by season, but I’ve got a feeling it has nothing to do with football. I muster-up a thin smile and lean to the left, trying to see down the hallway. Paige played me. Big time. She knew Cadence was coming today and that I wouldn’t if I’d known.
“So, Charlotte--”
“Please stop calling me that.” I hold up a hand to cut her off.
“Charlotte?” She wrinkles her forehead. “But that’s your name.”
“Yes, but everyone calls me Charlie. That’s the name I prefer.”
She huffs and waives her hand in front of me. “Don’t be silly. You’re nearly thirty years old. Grown women do not use nicknames.”
I’d like to
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