A part of me, somewhere deep, was flattered by his words. But, that other part, the superficial one, hated that he was so eager to please. What was wrong with me?
“Are you going to respond?”
My thumbs hovered over the phone. “And say what?”
“I dunno. You could at least say thank you.”
I took a large gulp of my wine. “Ugh!”
Me: Thank you. It was nice meeting you last night.
Whitney moved closer and leaned over my shoulder to read what I just typed. “Seriously?”
“What?” I asked, not seeing the problem. “You said to at least say thank you.”
“Well, looking at it now, it just looks cold.”
“Too late now.” I jumped when the phone vibrated in my hand.
Jack: I’m very glad I met you. Do you have time for a drink tonight?
Whitney howled in my ear. “He’s got it bad for you.”
“He said we’d see each other after spring training. Why is he changing that now?” I whined.
“He must have enjoyed the kiss a lot more than you did.” She winked and finished her wine. I picked mine up, doing the same.
Me: Spending the evening with Whitney. Calvin just left, and I don’t want to leave her alone tonight.
“Nice, so you’re using me to get out of this?”
My lips curled into a wild smile. “Ingenious.”
Jack: Okay. Well, I leave in two days. If you get a chance, I’d love to see you before I go.
Me: Okay. ?
“Holly, you need to see him before he leaves for Florida.” Whitney insisted.
“Why?”
She rolled her eyes. “If it was just a fluke kiss, you need to know.”
The thought of kissing Jack again was less than thrilling. The thought of kissing Ace, on the other hand, that was beyond thrilling. Maybe I could think of Ace while kissing Jack.
I lounged around the guest house with Whitney most of the day. We planned to go out on the town, but by the time it reached an appropriate time, we both decided to stay in.
The next day was similar, both of us in pajamas all day, staying in where it was nice and warm. Every time I made the short trip from the guesthouse to the main house, I yearned for the warmth of Florida, and Ace’s bed.
Jack continued to push for a drink or at least a cup of coffee. And between both him and Whitney’s firm nudging, I finally agreed.
I smoothed my hair back into a tight ponytail, rolled a thick headband over my forehead to keep my ears warm, and pulled on a heavy sweater that covered me from neck to mid-ass.
“Wow, you scream ‘stay the fuck away,’” Whitney screeched when she saw me.
Perfect. I’m ready.
Jack picked me up at Whitney’s front door. I begged her to let me take a cab so I wouldn’t be trapped, but she put her foot down. He was handsome, very handsome. His white teeth sparkled as he smiled at me. “You look adorable.”
“Thank you. It’s just so cold,” I said, explaining my heavy attire.
“I’ll keep you warm.” His arm reached around me, pulling me in close to him. Damn. He smelled really good.
Whitney winked at me as we walked out the front door. His car was modest, nothing like Ace’s Porsche. He opened the door for me, told me to adjust the heat to where I was comfortable once he slid into the driver’s seat, and then took my hand in his as we pulled off. He was a gentleman, I had to give him that much.
We drove past several popular clubs and restaurants. I was beginning to wonder if I’d been kidnapped when he pulled into a small gravel parking lot. The sign read ‘The Diner,’ and there was nothing impressive about the building.
Only a few cars were in the lot, most of them older models, lower end cars that I’d expect to see in my hometown. “What’s this place?” I asked, unable to keep the curiosity from my tone.
He chuckled, opened his door, and walked to my side. I took his hand as he offered it, stood on the gravel in my winter boots and was glad I’d decided to under dress. Maybe that’s why he brought me here. I didn’t look good enough for those other places.
“You’ll love it. I promise.”
His deep blue eyes penetrated into my soul. I felt a tingle, a real tingle between my legs. Maybe there was hope for this guy.
He held the door open for me to walk inside. The place smelled like peanuts, and as I crunched the empty shells beneath my feet, it was clear why. The few people inside wore jeans, t-shirts, boots, and looked like a blue collar crowd. It felt homey. I followed him to a table near a stage where a few guys worked loading equipment onto the small platform.
“You look disappointed,” he said.
“No.” I forced my smile to brighten. “It’s just not what I expected.”
He laughed, a deep sound that was very attractive. “You told me you loved fried catfish and country music. You know how hard it was to find that around here?”
My heart instantly warmed towards him, and that tingle returned between my legs. Wow, this is something Ace would’ve never done for me.
The waitress took our order, two catfish specials, and two Long Island iced teas. It was just like the place back home, warm, friendly, and comfortable.
Jack’s hand slid across the table and gripped mine. “I would really love to see you smile like this all the time.”
I hadn’t realized I was smiling so cheesy until he mentioned it. My cheeks actually hurt. The band had set up and started to play, their first song “Stupid Boy” by Keith Urban. I didn’t find that to be a coincidence since I told him Keith Urban was my favorite country singer, and that was my favorite song. My smile widened. I squeezed his hand. Yes, I could get used to this.
Our food came on large white plates, overflowing with fish and fries. It was delicious. Jack admitted he’d never eaten catfish, always believing they were muddy bottom feeders. “It’s all in the preparation,” I told him, a fact my grandpa always said to me.
He listened so attentively while I talked about the man I admired so much. I told him about how he used to take me fishing, tell me stories of the war, and beat me at pitch, a card game he’d never heard of before. He seemed truly interested, fascinated really.
It felt good to talk about the good memories in my past. There weren’t many.
The band was surprisingly good, and Jack even managed to get me onto the small dance floor. I wasn’t a dancer. Never had been. But, in his arms, it felt natural.
A slow song started, and he pulled me close. That beautiful aroma of his cologne wafted under my nostrils, lulling me into a trance of contentment.
His hands moved to my hips, gripping me tightly before sliding around to my ass cheeks. He didn’t grope me, squeeze me, or even slap my round cheeks like Ace would’ve. Instead, he rested them there sweetly; stirring up an arousal in me that was unexpected, but delightfully welcomed.
This is good. There’s hope for me after all.
He pulled back from our embrace, and a hand left my ass to move just below my chin. He lifted my chin and lowered his head. Our lips were dangerously close together, his eyes seductively staring into mine. My eyes closed, my lips parted, and as his soft lips pressed against mine, I felt another stirring of arousal.