He broke off a corner of the banana bread and popped it into her mouth, letting his fingers linger on her lips. “You like that?” he whispered.
She nodded, deciding to take a short break from worry and common sense.
“Here,” he said, sliding another crumbling morsel between her lips. After she swallowed it, he leaned in and kissed her lips. She pulled away, shocked, ecstatic; horrified at the situation she was getting herself into.
“No?” he whispered.
“I don’t know if I should be doing this.”
“Here,” he said, feeding her more of the banana bread. After a couple of tiny pieces she couldn’t take it; she caught his hand in her own and brought it back to her lips, taking a moment to kiss his fingertips. They continued playing this game until the entire piece was gone.
“Not bad for day old bread,” he said.
She laughed a little at that. She wanted him to kiss her again. This time she wasn’t going to stop him.
“Back to your captor,” Charlie said abruptly, wadding the plastic wrap into a ball and tossing it on the table in front of them. “Let me guess: He was your boss.”
“He’s not exactly my captor. You know, I think I’d rather not talk about him right now. I’m having a good time forgetting he exists.”
“I feel really bad for you,” Charlie said softly. He put his hand on Abby’s arm.
“I don’t want you to feel bad for me, like I’m some kind of victim or something. That’s what you probably think, right?”
Charlie pulled his hand back away from her and took a sip of his coffee. “Don’t try to guess what I think of you.”
“I wasn’t. I just meant that that’s probably what everyone who really knows me thinks. That I’m pathetic.”
“I don’t think that. I actually thought you seemed like the kind of girl who had it all going for her.”
“That’s assumption one that most people make, until they know me better and go straight to assumption two,” said Abby.
“Maybe I’m not the kind of person who makes assumptions.”
“Okay,” she said.
“You assumed that I assume, but I know better than to assume anything.”
“Okay,” she said again. There was the nagging suspicion that her thirty minutes were up.
Charlie put his hand back on her arm and began rubbing from her elbow up to her shoulder. She felt her toes involuntarily pressing against the soles of her sandals. She tried to look unfazed by his touch. “Want to come to my place sometime for a movie night? I’ll make you dinner,” he said.
“Maybe,” she heard herself
telling him.
His hand closed around her arm. He pulled her close to him and began kissing her. It was unreal. Heaven. Abby glanced up again to ensure they were truly alone, and then she closed her eyes and let it happen. After a few minutes Charlie pushed her back against the throw pillows, kissing her harder. When she responded by pulling him closer, he rolled all the way on top of her and began thrusting against her. She wrapped her legs around him, letting their bodies take control. They both came together. It was so easy. It all happened so fast. Before Abby knew it, Charlie was wiping his taught, hairy belly off with some paper napkins. Then they were primly sitting side by side again, sipping their drinks and exchanging flushed, unbelieving smiles.
“I guess I’d better get going,” Abby said when her iced tea was down to melting remnants of ice cubes and Charlie’s cup of coffee was half empty and cold. “I wish I could stay with you longer.”
“Me too,” he said, “but I don’t want you to get in trouble.”
They stood up and he took her in his arms, giving her a long, sweet kiss. She already felt like we were a couple. Just like that.
Charlie dropped her off at her car and waited while she got inside. She checked her phone and held it up to him. “No missed calls!” she yelled.
He smiled and nodded. “Glad to hear it. See you soon, Abby-girl.”
She waved goodbye and drove away, watching him in her rearview mirror as he turned off in the direction of some neighborhood she’d never before noticed.