Our hands reached across the table and I didn’t let go when he started to pull away. I forced him to stay with me in the moment as awful as my inquisition had been he obliged me.
“It worked out, but Viola wanted no part of that. Anyway, I came home on leave thinking that she’d come back with me, but then I found out she was sleeping with someone else. The baby was his, not mine.”
“That’s awful and that poor kid.”
“Yeah, well, tell my mother that. She was so attached to the idea of a baby. She’d spent months buying clothes and things to keep at the house in her excitement. After my brother’s girlfriend skipped town she’s been on our case about grandbabies. We were young too, my brother barely eighteen. I think out of all of us, our mom had it bad.”
“Well If I ever see this Viola chick, I’ll be sure to go crazy on her ass.”
“I would be forever in your debt, but I did hear she relocated to Virginia and I hope she stays there.”
“Deveraux lives in Phoenix so unless we’re going on a road trip they will both live another day.”
“I’m sure we can come up with better things to occupy our time with.” David smiled.
“And that would be?”
The man winked, he actually winked and I was down with it. “Let’s get out of here, I promised you I’d take you home, but how about a drink?”
****
“I think you’re trying to get me drunk, Mr. Easton, and on a school night no less.” I raised my glass toasting him, my hand a little wobbly and I licked the excess from the soft place between my thumb and forefinger.
His eyes widen.
“That’s Specialist Easton, to you madam.” He tapped the edge of my nose playfully and I enjoyed this relaxed version of David.
“What? Ho!” I pulled him in for a quick kiss. Our lips smacked together to quick.
“Nope, not getting away that easily.” He tugged me forward and kissed me again, this time letting his lips linger over mine molding them and then slipping his tongue inside on a desperate moan. I tasted the alcohol on his tongue, smoky and bitter.
Delicious.
Divine.
David.
The irrational part of me recognized the slow decent into feelings-ville. I’d been here before, but this was a roller-coaster that bypassed all the safe stops. I was catching feelings for him and neglected to hit pause for the first time.
I needed to back the train up. I had feelings for this man. Serious as a heart attack kind of feelings. Of course I did, but love? I wasn’t sure where that came from, but I felt it in the deepest part of my heart. The part that said I’d never need love, or a man in my life to feel complete and yet here I was drinking on a Wednesday night without reliable transportation home and all my school stuff tucked away in my hall closet across town.
“Wanna play a game?” We separated for a fraction of a second.
“Any specific game, Specialist Easton?”
He looked at me with a deadpanned expression whispering into my ear.
“Seven minutes in heaven?” He said seriously as I busted out laughing. He could be so random.
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“I figured you’d suggest strip poker?” I pushed his beer closer to him.
“Naughty girl. I was hoping to be lucky enough to get my mouth on you again and see what tiramisu, espresso, and dark beer might taste like on your lips.”
My core clenched thinking about that kind of kiss tucked away as we were at a private table without the scrutiny of the world around us. A very thorough exploration of each’s other lips, faces, and other parts that hands might stumble across. Refusing him would be like refusing air, water, or substance.
“Your place is closer and I’m betting you’ve got a closet that needs some…redecorating.”