Dinner with the Coffee Guy
“No way,” Ken says as he pours me another glass of wine.
Even though my sensible side tells me not to go to his house, I ignore it. Yet again. He’s decidedly the most normal guy I’ve met since this whole experiment started, so I know I don’t need to worry.
I hope.
Plus, I’ve told Mona about him and where I am. She’d track him down if I suddenly go missing. It’s the way the world is these days, unfortunately.
“I’ve never been propositioned for a threesome in my life,” I say, taking a sip of the delicious wine. “I’m almost flattered. Kind of.”
His eyebrows lift. “Flattered? Did you consider it? Even for a second?”
“Um, no. But to have two people who clearly care about each other to find me attractive enough to want me included in the fold is something, right? More than just for sex, too. They wanted me.”
“Why’d you even go on the date?”
I’ve told him—high level—about this app, and that it’s more of a social experiment at this point. He doesn’t need to know I still hold out hope I’ll find Mr. Right. Even if it’s just Mr. Right Now.
Shrugging, I laugh. “I was curious, to be honest. I don’t know how much you know about romance novels, but there are a lot of subgenres. Some require… imagination. This one was marked as such, but it seemed safe enough.”
“What other categories require it?”
“Um, like Second Chance Romance. I mean, how are you going to do that with a stranger you’ve just met, right? So, you probably talk to the other person through the app to create a backstory to play along with. Then, when you meet, it’s just role-playing. At least, that’s what I think you’d do.”
“And some people like doing that?”
Some do. Ken clearly isn’t into that kind of thing, which is okay. But it gives me insight into how he probably is in the bedroom, too. Reserved.
“Yeah, some people will do just about anything to live out a fantasy. And here are some that require a lot of pretending. That’s not really my thing, but tastes are diverse.”
“I guess I can see that. But Love Triangle?”
“It’s not like I was going to pick Surprise Pregnancy,” I say with a laugh, cutting another piece of my steak. “I really thought it would just be something kind of fun. Dramatic, maybe? I’ve always wanted to toss a drink in another person’s face.”
He laughs, chewing thoughtfully as he watches me. It doesn’t quite reach his eyes, and I can’t help but wonder if he’s judging me.
“You’re a big reader, then?”
“Reading has been my escape my entire life. I read more than romance novels, but it’s a guilty pleasure. Whenever I need to step out of my real life when it gets stressful, I jump into a world someone else has created.”
“Couldn’t that be just as stressful?”
I lift my shoulder in a half-shrug and smile. It’s not the first time I’ve had this conversation with a non-reader. And I don’t think it’ll be the last.
“No, not really. Not when you can usually anticipate what’s about to happen. Sure, it can frustrate you because the love interest does something stupid, or the female lead makes a crazy assumption and reacts the same way rather than talking it out, but it’s like movies. You like movies, right?”
“Yeah.”
“And you probably anticipate how things are going to go when you watch them, right? There’s conflict that creates tension and suspense, but the ending is usually satisfying.”
“I guess I never thought about it that way.
In my experience, most guys don’t. “Books are just like movies except they’re written and let you play them out in your head rather than watching it on a screen.”
He chews a piece of his steak and thinks about this. “I normally watch action movies—when I actually have time to watch them. I’ve never really been into romances.”
“There’s usually a romantic element in most action movies. Like Die Hard. John McClane is trying to save everyone in the tower, but especially his wife, Holly. It’s the reason he’s in that position in the first place.”
“I never really paid attention.”
Chuckling, I’m not surprised. “In the end, romance novels are what a lot of women dream of, whether they want to admit it or not. Even when it’s just an alternate universe.”
“How so?”
“Meeting a guy at a time you’re not necessarily looking for him, falling head over heels, and he sweeps you off your feet? The type of love story you tell your grandchildren about. Which is what we all want, isn’t it? To find our happiness?”
“So, does our meeting fall into that?”
Meeting Ken at the coffee shop when my date ran late, only to end up at his place where he cooked steak and vegetable paired with the perfect wine? “Oh, I think so. We definitely have the comedy part down, too. I mean, look at how we met.”
“So, Holly Jordan, what are you looking for in a man?”
Setting down my knife and fork, I lean onto the table. Candles are lit, and he even has a vase of flowers on the buffet next to the dining room table. For someone who doesn’t watch or read about romance, he has a knack for it.
“Well, I’m looking for someone I can share things with. I’m an over-sharer by nature, and I don’t like feeling like I have to keep parts of me locked away. That I’m an embarrassment to the man I’m with.”
“Noted.”
“Um, I’d like a man who is a great kisser, and if he can make amazing coffee, that’s a bonus.
Let’s see… Someone I can introduce to my brother.
He’s not quite the critic my mother is, but he’s the tough one who never thinks anyone is good enough for me.
He’s the only family member I really talk to, so if you get in good with him, you’re golden. ”
He smiles and nods. “I’m usually good to take home to meet the family. I’m great with first impressions.”
I believe that. “I also want someone who cares as much about my dreams as his own. I think partnership is very important.”
Ken stands and walks over to my side of the table. Holding out his hand, he smiles. “Would you care to dance?”
This feels like a dream, and I love it. Taking his hand, I let him lead me into the living room. He changes the music to something we can sway to, holds me close, our bodies moving in sync.
He smiles at me as he looks down into my eyes. “This accomplishes one of my goals for tonight.”
“One?”
His tongue slides over his lips, and I tilt my chin up in anticipation. He understands I’m more than willing, and he slowly lowers his lips to mine. The kiss is soft and sweet. Gentle, almost.
As we continue to dance, the kisses intensify, and it’s incredibly sensual. He definitely has the kissing requirement down pat.
“And that’s goal number two,” he whispers when we finally come up for air.
I have no idea how long we’ve been like this, but I do know the song is different from the one we started dancing to. “How many goals do you have for this evening?”
His hand moves up my body to cup the back of my head as he lowers his mouth to my ear. “So, so many.”
The way he says it sends a chill of excitement down my spine. “Like what?”
Fingers tangle in my hair, massaging my scalp—messing up my hair, but it makes me melt. “One night, not tonight, I hope to get you naked to see how well we really dance together.”
“I don’t want you to take this the wrong way,” I say, my heart racing, “but why not tonight?”
“Because I’m not the type of guy who wants just one night, especially with you, Holly. I want many nights, and I think jumping right into bed, no matter how badly I want you, would hurt what I’m trying to build here.”
It’s a valid point, but now I can’t stop thinking about what he has to offer. Still, he’s right.
I had sex with Decker, and now we avoid each other like the plague. I’ve only seen him three times since our conversation about the puppy, and it hurt the friendship we’d kind of created.
“When we do spend the night together,” I say, making sure to emphasize when to let him know I want this, too, “will you promise me something?”
“What’s that?”
“Assuming you don’t kick me out the door right afterwards, will you bring me coffee in bed the next morning?”
He presses us closer together, and I can feel the bulge in his jeans. He groans, and I know he’s thinking the same things I am. I’m just lucky that my tells aren’t as obvious.
Damn him for being a gentleman who wants something most guys I’ve dated don’t want.
“I promise to make you coffee. In bed,” he whispers.
“I promise to thank you for the coffee. In bed.”
“I have to bring you home now.”
Pulling back, I frown. “Why?”
“Because if I don’t, you won’t be leaving my place until morning. Which would make everything we’ve just talked about a lie.”
“You do seem a little… aroused.”
“I’ve been aroused since I first laid eyes on you,” he admits. “You captivate me. Starting with your inability to turn down a second date in person. Which is why I’m going to ask you to dinner again.”
I smile and nod. “I’d love to.”
“I’m opening a new coffee shop on Monday, so I’ll be a little busy for a while. But I promise, you will never be far from my mind.”
“I can’t wait,” I whisper, kissing him gently. “And you’re right. If we don’t get out of here soon, I’m not leaving. My clothes will magically fall off.”
“Well, maybe I’m being a bit hasty with this decision,” he says, his index finger tracing my exposed collarbone. “No, you’re right. As much as I want to see you with your clothes on the floor, I want it to be right.”
He blows out the candles on the table, and he takes my hand to lead me out to his car. I stop and face him. “What about the clean up? You did all the cooking—”
“Don’t worry about it. I have it covered.”
“You don’t have a wife locked up in a closet inside, right? The type who lets you bring girls home and cleans up afterwards because she wants a poly relationship? Because I hate to tell you, but I’ve already turned down that proposition.”
Ken chuckles. “No wife. No girlfriend… yet.”
The way he says it has my stomach fluttering with little butterflies. Finally, I’ve found someone who wants a relationship. Not that I’m making any commitments until we’ve spent more time together, but I appreciate his forward thinking.
What surprises me more is this is the first time I’ve gone more than an hour without having to push thoughts of Decker to the back of my mind. And when I kissed Ken, I didn’t compare it to Decker like I did Isaac.
Maybe this is what I’m looking for.
What I need.