Gemini

Cedric insisted on cooking us a delicious breakfast of cinnamon French toast that was absolutely divine. The three of us inhaled it and Cedric and I filled Sonia in on everything that happened with Nate and how we bonded that night.

“Holy Shit, Allison…I can’t believe Nate came after you like that.” Sonia sat with her arms crossed in shock. “Where is he now?”

I sighed, “His father is a lawyer. Officer Derin told me that his parents came from out of town and cut some deal where he would enter a special six-month rehab program instead of jail time. I don’t know much more than that.”

Cedric interrupted. “Well, we have to keep tabs on his whereabouts when he gets out. I don’t want him ever touching you or anywhere near you, for that matter, again.”

I shivered at his possessive tone and relished the fact that I had this beautiful man wanting to protect me. Cedric glared at me fiercely with his beautiful eyes, a cross between fear and desire, prompting me to reach for his hand from across the table. He entwined his fingers into mine.

Sonia looked down at our connected hands and glanced up at me with a knowing smile. I knew she was flabbergasted at the bond Cedric and I seemed to have in such a short time and the real conversation with her about this situation would come later, one where she would demand to know every juicy detail.

Sonia stood up from the table to give us some privacy. “Cedric, it was an absolute pleasure. Thank you so much for breakfast. I’m gonna hit the hay for a bit; jet lag is a bitch. We should all go out soon.”

Cedric smiled and got up from his seat to give her a hug. “Absolutely.”

I loved this man.

***

I ended up calling in sick altogether and Cedric and I spent the day together, followed by another night at my apartment where the sex was even more intense than the first night.

When we weren’t physically connected, we were up most of the night talking about anything and everything. I came to the realization that if this didn’t work out, it would be the biggest heartbreak of my life.

It took all of my strength to separate from him and head to work the following morning.

Thoughts of him invaded my head all day at the diner as I served customers in a haze.

He had driven me all the way here and we decided that rather than come in for lunch, he would pick me up at the end of my shift. He would spend the morning and early afternoon catching up on some work in the office instead.

As I poured coffee for the hundredth time, I kept replaying our amazing nights together, still feeling the soreness between my legs from the times he had been inside me. There, of course, would have been one additional time, if Sonia hadn’t shown up Thursday morning. It was just as well, since we were so caught up in that shower moment, there was no condom in sight. The idea of having unprotected sex with Cedric thrilled me, though, and I wondered if I should tell him I am already on the pill to regulate my periods. I’d need to make sure he was 100-percent clean first, since he admitted to a man-whore past, though he claimed he always used protection. We’ll see. There is plenty of time to discuss that.

My lunch break rolled around and I sat down as I normally did at Mr. Short’s table.

“Fancy meeting you here,” I said jokingly, since we did this almost every day. Mr. Short lived around the corner and came into the diner for breakfast, lunch and dinner most days. He was a true round the clock regular.

Mr. Short smiled and said, “Allison. You look lovely today.”

I took a bite of my grilled chicken salad. “Thanks, Mr. Short.” I started munching on the mixed greens.

“You always look great, Allison, but I have to say, I’ve been watching you today and you seem to have a certain glow about you.”

A hot flash suddenly overcame me at his perceptiveness. “You think?” I definitely had to have been blushing.

Mr. Short smiled. “Does it have anything to do with that handsome young man I saw drop you off this morning? I saw the way you looked at him. It reminded me of the way Marie used to look at me, God rest her soul.”

Okay, I was definitely blushing now. “You saw him walk me to the door?” I asked.

“Yes. In fact, he was parked right outside the window by my booth here. Let me ask you, is your boyfriend religious?”

“He is not technically my boyfriend. Why do you ask?”

“Well, like I said…what’s his name?”

“Cedric.”

“Well…Cedric…after he dropped you off…I watched him for a bit before he started the car. He took a phone call and when he hung up, he put his head on the steering wheel for a bit and then he made the sign of the cross before driving away.”

My heart nearly stopped as Mr. Short described this observation. Why would Cedric make the sign of the cross after taking a phone call? That was bizarre.