CHAPTER SIX #2
He nodded and took a sip of tea. He licked his lips discreetly.
“I went into orthopedic medicine because of him. When I received my doctorate, he offered me the position at his clinic. His previous partner was retiring, and it was perfect for me. We both knew it was always where I would end up. I didn’t expect him to make me a partner, though.
That was one of the best moments of my life.
I guess most boys aspire to follow in their Dad’s footsteps. ”
Nodding, I ran my fingers along the smooth surface of the table. I had no idea. My father was a blank spot in my life. I didn’t even know his name.
“What about you?”
There it was. The dreaded question. What about me, my past, my family? There wasn’t much to tell, nothing good anyhow, and it wasn’t worthy of a first date. I shrugged. “I’m not close with my family.”
“Oh. I’m sorry, that’s a shame. I couldn’t imagine not having Dad and Mom in my life,” he said.
He stroked his chin for a long moment, apparently deep in thought.
He glanced at his phone. “The other day, when I made a scene in the store, my sister–She has her problems and her problems have bled into the family, creating chaos.”
I nodded, not sure what to say. I didn’t console family drama very well.
“But who cares about that? I want to enjoy my time with you. I was wondering why you didn’t approach after watching me for months?”
“I, uh… Didn’t know what to say,” I admitted. I instinctively reached for my depleted water glass, only to pull my hand back.
He made a sound of acknowledgement. “I have to admit that I like being ogled by you. It’s good for the ego to have a cute guy staring at me, untold naughty thoughts flying through his head.
Old men like me get off on that.” He must have realized he was talking more to himself because he cleared his throat and went for his tea.
A flush crept up his neck and I hid my smile. Was Mr. Dreamy really blushing? It settled me that I wasn’t the only one nervous. “You? An old man? I knew you were up there, but how old are you?”
“Up there? Ugh,” he said, looking dejected. “As if you can’t tell, I’m very touchy about my age.” He took several deep breaths. “Forty as of April.”
“Oh. That’s not old,” I said and swallowed a dry breath. A tease popped into my mind, but should I go there? Could I? Go for it! YOLO, and all that. “I always wanted a sugar Daddy.”
He laughed, his eyes catching the light. “I’m not far off from that. And I got plenty of sugar.”
Our gazes met and I was surprised when I didn’t instinctually look away.
I was so glad he was not a tight-ass. If he’d been rude and boring and bitchy about every little thing, it would have aggravated my anxiety.
But he was the opposite of what I had imagined, and it was comforting.
Not only was he physically perfect, but what was inside was shiny and bright, as well.
“What about you?” He asked, leaning closer again as if he’d grown comfortable. “I know you’re younger.”
“Twenty-four,” I muttered, hoping the age gap wasn’t a deal breaker.
“God, I remember when I was that age,” he said, looking up as if the memories were fond. “But I won’t go into that, because I promised I would behave myself.”
“It sounds like you’ve had a lot of adventures,” I said just as the waitress arrived with our food. What I wouldn’t do to have an adventure of my own.
We chatted lightly as we ate, Gabriel sharing his meal with me.
I found that I enjoyed it, and it was nice eating real food for a change.
Ramen got old and boring after a while. People came and went, the clamor of the restaurant dying down as the evening went on.
He talked about his travels in the U.S and abroad, mostly for doctor’s conferences and the occasional family vacation.
I listened with interest. I’d never been anywhere neat, much less, out of Chicago.
Sometimes I forgot there was a whole other world beyond the city.
He was a talker. Once he got going, he didn’t stop.
He also was an animator, his hands going everywhere as his eyes twinkled while detailing what London was like.
The waitress returned for the third time, and he apologized sheepishly. “Sorry. I was gifted with gab. We will need some to-go containers.”
She seemed delighted to help and as soon as she was gone, he returned to his conversation. It was nice being talked to, and taken on a trip, if only in my mind.
When he took a breath, I interjected. “Well, now I don’t need to go there.”
A flush highlighted his cheeks and he chuckled. “Like I said, gift of gab. It is getting late. You should probably muzzle me.”
“A gag seems more appropriate,” I said, before I could stop myself. I wasn’t sure why I’d gone there, but there was no going back.
He blinked at me for a moment. “That sounds hot.”
I blushed fiercely, my cheeks flaming.
“I’m behaving myself,” he whispered to himself as the waitress set a pair of containers and the check on the table.
We piled what was left of our food into the Styrofoam boxes. He finished off his tea with a big gulp, rewarding me with a view of his throat as he tipped his head back. Something tightened in my gut, the sudden urge to lick my way up that stretch of skin undeniable.
“Good to go?” He asked.
“Yeah,” I said and pulled my wallet out. I hadn’t looked at the check, too scared of my eyes popping out of their sockets.
“No, I got it,” he said, snatching the little black book from the table. “I asked you out.”
I watched apprehensively as he withdrew a credit card from his leather wallet and stuck it inside the checkbook. “Can I at least leave the tip?”
“Deal,” he said and slid out of the booth.
My heart drumming, I left a ten-dollar bill on the table.
I had no idea if that were enough but figured our dinner couldn’t have been over fifty.
Before I could ask, he was at the counter, paying with a friendly smile.
Looking at the crinkled money, I couldn’t help thinking about all the necessities I could buy with it. The curse of living in poverty.
Realizing he’d left his topcoat in the booth, I grabbed it, surprised by how heavy and soft it was.
I glanced at the label, not recognizing the name.
It was made of Hungarian wool and smelled like a fortune.
Sugar Daddy, I mused. I turned to join my date but found him behind me.
He grinned, turned, and held his arms out. I slid the coat over his shoulders.
“Thank you, sir,” he said merrily.
We stepped out into the world, the block thick with the illumination of the streetlamps. Despite the chill, people were out and about, walking their dogs and shopping. I zipped my jacket up and threw the hood over my head. I inhaled deeply, getting a lung full of crisp air.
Gabriel was buttoning his coat as he stepped beside me. “Smell that?”
“What?”
He pulled in a big breath. “City nights always have that air of fun.”
City nights were like any other for me. Then again, I didn’t have much fun.
“Did you enjoy dinner?” He inquired.
“Yes. It was incredibly good. T-thank you.”
“I eat here at least once a week. I’m not at home much so I don’t cook very often,” he said. “So, what do you want to do now?”
The tone in his voice was suggestive. I understood it all too well and as much as I wanted him to take me home and fuck my brains out, I wasn’t that guy.
Could I be, though? For a first date, I’d felt fairly comfortable with him.
I was sure the moment I got naked, my anxiety would build and ruin the moment.
“I uh… I don’t know. It’s getting late, like you said. I should probably head home.”
His expression dropped. “Yeah, it is.”
Cursing myself, I knew I should quickly retreat to the safety of my apartment. It was the safest option. But I’d been doing that for years. It hadn’t gotten me anywhere and it never would. I needed to join the world, and man up. You don’t want to be alone for the rest of your life, do you?
“I–I did have a great time. And I want to go home with you. But I need to go slow with this if that’s what you want. I’m not good with…regular people things. I’m not good with anything, really.”
He considered me for a long moment, his hazel eyes catching the light of a lamppost. He smiled softly and stepped closer until I was against the restaurant building. “So, you do want a second date?”
Grinning ear to ear, I nodded.
“Phew. I thought I blew it.” The relief on his face was strange. I had never known him to be anything other than confident. Then again, we didn’t know each other at all. But I was hoping we would get to. “Okay. Slow. I can do that.”
A weight was lifted from my heart. “Thank you.”
“But,” he said and came closer until I had nowhere to go. Every feature of his perfect, perfect face became clear as he leaned in, from the dimples creasing his cheeks to the angles of his nose.
My breath caught in my throat as he planted a kiss on my cheek. His lips were so warm, even in the cold weather and were smooth as satin.
“I can at least do that,” he whispered, his breath gentle against my skin.
Sweet arousal shot through me. Ask me again. Ask me to come home with you again. I was sure I wouldn’t turn him down now. He stepped away, his face creased with a smile.
“Can I walk you home, or something?”
“I take the bus… I’m good.” Biting my lip, I weakly play-punched him in the arm. It was the bravest thing I’d done yet. “Are you going to ask me for my number or what?”
The grin that split his face was amazing and I knew I was in trouble.
CHAPTER SIX
GAbrIEL