Stenton’s lips twitched up into a delicious smile exposing his teeth. His eyes slanted displaying his long dark lashes. “You forget I have more fans in the city of Philadelphia than the mayor.”
It was that smile that assuaged all doubt and fear. It was the one rare thing that made me forget about our bizarre history. In that moment, similar to three years or so ago, Stenton Rogers was the most beautiful creature to me. Well, second to our son, who inherited so many of his father’s handsome features.
He flipped me over and completely covered me on the bed, placing his warm nude body over my small frame and reached his long arm behind him, toward the nightstand on the right side of the bed for his phone. Once secured in his hand, he resumed the previous position, placing his knee over mine and his head just under my breasts.
“It’s me. I need reservations for two.” Stenton then angled his head upward to look at me. “Where?” He sounded like a kid on his first date.
I shrugged. “I don’t know.” Then a thought struck. “There’s that new Indian restaurant, Bajwa, in Center City…right on Walnut. It looks to be fancy enough for ya,” I joked, with him and Erika in mind and all of their fancy excursions. I’d heard about countless ones. Who hadn’t?
Stenton’s face fell. Again, he was reduced to a disappointed child. “Zo, if you’re not with it, we can pick another place.”
My stomach dropped and I felt like crap. My eyes widened. “No…no! That place is fine…if you like Indian cuisine. Do you like that?”
I recalled him having his friend, Jimmy John, make it for me years ago, but wasn’t sure if he exactly enjoyed it enough to try it again.
Stenton was still crestfallen when he uttered, “Bajwa on Walnut in Center City. Make it for an hour.” Then he browsed up at me again. “Is that enough time for you to get ready?”
I bit my bottom lip as I smiled accordingly. Suddenly, I felt responsible to maintain his fragile ego. Stenton let up off of me. I immediately hopped up to leave the bed as he spoke to Srey. I stood at the foot of the bed admiring his chiseled frame. Stenton had always been irresistible to me. The only man I ogled. The only one to make me weak in the knees.
“What the hell are you looking at?” He supplied a knowing smile.
I tapped my front teeth with my index finger, meditatively. Then I pointed it to his semi-erect appendage. “If you’re bringing that, Srey might want to make the reservation for a party of three. But then you won’t have my undivided attention; he will.” I used my lips to gesture at his member.
Stenton’s head jerked back in laughter. Laughter that filled my heart. Mirth that reminded me how much I loved this man. The one who stole my heart at twenty and never returned it.
We arrived at the restaurant and were seated right away. After much deliberation, I decided on spicy shrimp in coconut curry and Stenton, chicken tikka masala. The food was awesome, even Stenton agreed. We had wine and our conversation took course naturally, as it always did as we chatted about my curriculum. In my peripheral, I could see a middle-aged man, gawking at our table. It was weird, but I understood I was with Mr. Philadelphia himself and tried hard to ignore him. Stenton made that easy with our ease of conversation and silliness.
We both declined dessert when the waitress offered. I was stuffed and Stenton could be funny with sweets. Just as our table was cleared, the man I’d been seeing eyeing us just over Stenton’s shoulder appeared at our table.
“Stenton, it’s a pleasure to see you out,” the man with a white beard, balding in the center of his head, greeted. He sported smart glasses and was fairly handsome, even for someone I’d never be interested in.
“Kenneth,” Stenton returned, not looking him in the face.
“I won’t disturb you. I can see you’ve been enjoying your evening.” His smile was too desperate. Attempting to be too impressionable. “Would you mind giving me a statement about your time tonight with Jordan’s mother?”