Chapter 5
5
It was finally Friday night. Dressed in jeans, a button-up shirt, and a black leather jacket, Aaron pulled to a stop outside the bakery and looked toward the door. He’d visited the coffee shop every morning since they’d arranged a date, finding that he didn’t want to go a day without seeing her. She smiled widely and greeted him as deputy each time. He was looking forward to hearing her call him by his name.
The door next to the bakery opened, and she walked out. He started to get out of the driver's seat when she trotted over and threw open the passenger door. Her broad smile met his, but he admonished, “You need to wait on me so I can open the door for you.”
She lifted a brow as she twisted to look at him. “Under other circumstances, that would make sense. But it’s chilly outside. There’s no reason for you to get out of a warm vehicle just to open the door for me while I’m outside, getting cold, waiting on you.”
Her response caught him off guard, and he couldn’t think of a witty retort. He shook his head and chuckled. “From now on, I just need to get to your place earlier so I can park and meet you at the door.”
Now, both of her brows lifted. “Oh, is there going to be another date after this one? Are you being presumptuous or hopeful?”
Laughing, he admitted, “Probably a little of both.”
Her gaze held his, and her smile exuded what he hoped was the same happiness he felt that they were finally meeting somewhere other than the bakery. He’d given the place of their dinner a lot of thought. It wasn’t far to drive to the tiny town of Seaside. While Baytown had more restaurants, he knew people would recognize him, and he wanted a chance to be with Belinda without the possibility of constant interruptions.
He parked outside of what could be considered a shack. Now that he looked at it more critically, he winced, second-guessing his choice. “I know this place looks like a dive, but it has some of the best burgers in the county.” She looked out of the windshield, but her facial expression just held wonder and not disdain. “I’ve never been here. I can’t wait to try it.” With an overly dramatic tone, she glanced to the side and said, “I warn you that I can be a hamburger connoisseur. So I can’t wait to see how they do.”
“The fries are great, but their onion rings are out of this world.”
She rubbed her hands together and exclaimed, “Let’s go try them!”
She waited for him to exit the vehicle, and he hurried around to open her door. The last time he’d brought a date to this establishment, it was not well received, so he had to admit, he was thrilled that she was all in for trying food at a place that didn’t look like a five-star restaurant. He caught himself from snorting, thinking that this dive wouldn’t come close. He opened the door, and they walked inside. Tables and chairs filled the space, and a bar lined the left side.
As soon as they were seated, they looked over the menu, gave their orders to the server, and then turned their attention toward each other. Before he had a chance to say anything, she blurted, “I’m really glad you asked me out.”
Her honesty was refreshing. “I’m glad I did, too. I’m sure a girl as beautiful as you has a choice of dates, so I’m glad you’re taking a chance on me.” He meant exactly what he said, but he was also fishing to learn more about her.
“There might not be a dearth of someone showing interest,” she admitted before sipping her beer. “I turned thirty on my last birthday, and I’m no longer willing to go out with just anyone.” She scrunched her nose. “I suppose that makes me sound like a snob, doesn’t it?”
“No, I know exactly what you mean.”
“It’s just that I work weird hours, and between the photography gigs and helping Bess get her bakery going, I don’t have much free time.” She shrugged while keeping her gaze on him.
They were sitting close, and he leaned in her direction. He liked that she didn’t attempt coy mannerisms while talking, but it also made him realize that he was better at flirting than deeper conversation. “Then I’m glad I asked, and I’m glad you said yes. And here we are about to have the world’s greatest burger.”
Her lips curved, and he was struck by how her smile was just part of her natural expression.
Laughing, she nodded. Right on cue, the server set their plates down, and they proceeded to dig in. She took an enormous bite, and he was impressed. The former girlfriend he’d brought to this restaurant had complained about the size of the hamburgers, then finally cut off a few bites that she nibbled on.
But Belinda dug into her meal with gusto, moaning with enjoyment with each bite. She was only able to eat half but had the server box up the other half and some of the onion rings. Looking over at him, she said, “I’m stuffed, but I don’t want the food to go to waste. Anyway, I’ll wrap it up when I get home, and it’ll make a great meal when I finish the wedding shoot.”
“What are your favorite types of photo shoots besides nature?”
Without hesitation, she replied, “Families. Even weddings, except occasionally, I have to deal with a bridezilla or a mother of the bridezilla. I even like photographing babies, although I sometimes have to wait for hours if they’re sleepy or hungry or just pissed off about somebody wanting to take their picture.”
Her eyes were bright as she continued to explain. “I love doing family get-togethers where they want to have the sunset behind them on the beach. I love anniversary pictures of couples who have been married for a long time. I even did one last year for a couple who’d been married for seventy-five years. They got married as teenagers, and were about ninety-three years old. They were adorable!”
He remained quiet, loving her enthusiasm, hoping she would keep talking.
“I just like the idea of people who love each other enough to want to capture moments in time. I sometimes wonder if Bess and my parents don’t get tired of me taking pictures of them.”
He smiled, hating when the server interrupted to bring their check. He tossed out his credit card, then looked around to see the restaurant was almost filled. He wanted more time with her—more time to get to know her.
She had finished her beer, and her half burger was now boxed and ready to go, but it seemed she wasn’t ready for the date to end either. “So I know you have a brother. Do you have any other family?”
“Just Andy and my dad. The three of us are close.” Praying she would leave his comments alone, he was pleased when she simply held his gaze, offered a slight smile, and looked up as the server placed his card back on the table.
Once he pocketed the card, he escorted her back to his car. She was quieter, and he knew it was his fault. For some reason, he’d clammed up, unable to think of what to say about his family. Hoping he hadn’t ruined the date, he prodded, “So tell me about the wedding you’re going to photograph tomorrow.”
“Oh, there’s nothing particularly interesting about it.”
“I’m interested in anything to do with you.” The words came naturally, and he meant them. It was always when conversations turned toward his family that he felt ill at ease. Another thing he blamed on his absent mother.
She turned toward him, and he could feel her penetrating gaze as though trying to decide whether he was telling the truth. Her lips finally curved. “It’s going to be an afternoon wedding at one of the small churches in the area, and then the reception will be right there in the church hall. The location makes it a lot simpler, although it doesn’t give me a lot of great backdrops. A graveyard surrounds two sides of the church, and I’ll have to figure out the best lighting to place the bride and groom for some pictures that won’t involve headstones behind them.”
At that, Aaron barked out a laugh. “I had no idea what might go into wedding photos!”
It didn’t take long to drive back to the bakery. As he parked, she turned to him and said, “Would you like to come up for a drink? I know that sounds like a pickup line, but I’d really just like to have more time to talk with you.”
Her honesty was refreshing, and relief scored through him. It wasn’t the first time he’d been invited for drinks or had made the invitation himself. And it was always a euphemism for sex. But with Belinda, he accepted it at face value, knowing she meant what she said. “I’d love to. Getting to know you more is exactly what I’d like to do.”
They entered the door by the bakery, and he was glad to see it was key-locked. Upstairs, there was a hall with two doors. She passed the first door on the left and unlocked the second.
“Bess lives there,” she said, indicating the door next to hers.
Entering, his gaze scanned the area quickly to find out more about the woman who captured his interest. The walls were painted the palest color of blue, and the lights were reflected as she flipped the switch on the wall, making the space seem larger. Her furniture was also in pale colors. The kitchen table to the right was filled with computer equipment.
But what really snagged his gaze were the photographs on the walls. Gulls flying over the bay. Seaglass washed up on the sand. Sand runners racing in the surf. A sailboat in the Baytown Harbor. Freighters anchored in the bay, awaiting their turn to proceed to Baltimore. A black-and-white photograph of an old oysterman standing waist-deep in the water of the bay with his boat just behind him. Each photograph pulled him in. Having grown up on the Eastern Shore, he appreciated every picture, noting how she’d captured the subjects perfectly.
He turned toward her, seeing her lips pulled in. She appeared to hold her breath as though awaiting his critique.
“These are fucking fantastic,” he said.
A breath escaped her lips, and her smile widened as her eyes brightened. “I’m glad you like them. They all mean something to me. I know I’m a good photographer, but it's always nerve-racking when someone sees your work for the first time.”
Stepping closer, he placed his hands on her shoulders and bent slightly to hold her gaze. “You should never be nervous about anyone seeing your work, Belinda. It’s wonderful.”
Her smile remained, but her gaze dropped to his lips. Her beautiful eyes snagged his attention, but he’d stared at her pink, plump lips all evening. Not wanting to misread the moment, he waited.
Time passed slowly, but she moved closer, reaching up to place her hands on his waist. She tilted her head as he slid his arms from her shoulders to her back.
He bent farther, stopping just before their lips met. While it seemed she was offering her mouth to him, he didn’t want to misread her cues. “I’d like to kiss you.”
She smiled and nodded slowly. “I’d like to kiss you, too.”
Without hesitation, he leaned closer and erased the space between them, sealing his mouth over hers. He didn’t know what he expected. As a younger man when he was into hookups, kissing was rare. In the past few years, when he dated and had exclusive relationships with girlfriends, kissing had often just led to sex. But now, all those thoughts blurred until they were nonexistent as she gently pressed her curves to him, and he received the gift eagerly. The kiss was hot but not wild. He made sure of that, holding back when he wanted to let go. She lifted on her toes, and his arms banded tightly to support her, keeping her mouth right where he wanted it.
Time seemed to slow, holding itself in anticipation. He glided one hand upward to cup her jaw, angling their faces to more easily allow his tongue to slip inside her warmth without their noses bumping. He traced the contours of her cheek with the reverence of a sculptor admiring his muse, discovering her skin to be as soft as he imagined.
Their breaths mingled, a prelude to what was building between them. The kiss deepened from a tentative exploration to a passion-filled declaration. His heartbeat quickened, a rare occurrence with just a kiss.
When he finally distanced his lips from hers, she leaned forward with her eyes still closed, her mouth still reaching for his lips. He dragged in a raspy breath, and her eyes opened, the lust in them slowly dissipating as her chest also heaved with the effort of breathing.
“Oh…” she whispered. Her eyes blinked, but no other words came forth.
“I… really should go.” He realized how his statement sounded as her cheeks spotted with blush, and she settled her heels on the floor with a thump. “No, no,” he rushed. “I don’t want to go.”
“I’m confused,” she said, her brow furrowing.
“What I mean is that I’d love to stay. But I’m not going to. I want another date with you. I want to see you again. Get to know you. I… this isn’t just about… um…” Unused to what he was trying to say, he fumbled the words, trying to get them right.
Her kiss-swollen lips curved upward slightly. “This isn’t just a hookup?”
The words had formed a question, but he could hear the hope in them. Rubbing her cheek with his thumb, he shook his head. “No… it’s not a hookup. I’d really like to see you again.”
She nodded slowly, and her eyes sparkled in the light as they stared at him. “Okay, Aaron. I’d like that, too.”
“You have a wedding to shoot tomorrow. What about Sunday afternoon?”
Her brows lifted. “So soon?”
“I don’t want you to think I’m not interested.”
The silent seconds that followed seemed to last forever. Her top teeth landed on her bottom lip in an effort to keep her lips from curving, but her beautiful smile shone through. “Sunday sounds good. I have no plans.”
“Then I’ll pick you up at one. Dress warmly. I’ll take you out on the bay.”
Her eyes widened. “Oh, I haven’t been out in so long!”
Her blinding smile kicked him in the chest, and he battled to keep from shouting in excitement. Maintaining his composure, he bent and kissed her lightly. He nuzzled his nose alongside hers until his lips were at her ear. “Lock up behind me, and I’ll see you in just two days.”
With that, he turned and walked out, afraid that if he didn’t put some distance between them, he would go back and continue kissing her all night. After jogging down the stairs and out into the chilly air, he breathed deeply. He had no idea what was happening between him and Belinda, but he was filled with a hope he hadn’t felt in a while.