8. Aubree
EIGHT
Buzzzzz
“Hello?”
“Hey, it’s me, Hayden.”
“Hey! I’ll be right down.”
Since I let Brody up, I’m meeting Hayden downstairs this time. It’s clear that whatever happened on my date with Brody didn’t go as well as I thought, so I’m doing the opposite. Instead of venting and talking about my kids and coffee, I’m going to keep it light and fun. And instead of googling him, I’m going to get to know him the old-fashioned way. I’ll let him tell me about himself instead of snooping and finding shit about him that will cause me to feel insecure. Not exactly the safest route to take, but I’m going with the whole ignorance is bliss and all that jazz.
Tonight, since Hayden called and said he’s taking me out for dinner, I’m wearing a storm-gray maxi dress. It’s short-sleeved and flows almost to my knees, paired with faux alligator print heels. My hair is down again but braided on one side around my face. I went bold with a smoky look around my eyes to match my dress and blood-red matte lipstick on my lips. It’s been a long time since I’ve dressed up and put makeup on like this, and I must admit, I feel pretty—and like a real adult.
When I step off the elevator, Hayden waits for me. He’s no longer in a suit, but he’s dressed up in a striped, black button-down, sleeves rolled to his forearms that give Brody a run for his money, and matching black slacks. But unlike Brody, Hayden’s sporting ink on his arms, giving him more of a bad-boy vibe.
As he watches me walk toward him, his eyes light with interest, and I’ve honestly never felt sexier in my life. Maybe I am curvy, and maybe I have put on some weight since I had my kids, but between Brody’s words and the way Hayden is looking at me, it’s clear they both find me attractive. So it didn’t work out with Brody… Lacey’s right—I’m young and single, and it’s time I act that way. Have a little fun.
“You look stunning,” Hayden says, leaning in and pressing a soft kiss to my cheek. “You hungry?” he whispers in my ear, making me wonder if his question is a double entendre.
“Starved,” I tell him.
“Perfect.”
He escorts me to an awaiting SUV, where he opens the back door and slides in after me. There’s a driver in the front, and he takes off to wherever we’re going once we're in.
“How was the rest of your day?” Hayden asks conversationally.
“Good. Busy. People love their caffeine and sugar.”
He laughs. “I don’t blame them. After drinking your coffee, my stash at home tastes like shit.”
“Guess you’ll have to come in more often,” I say, shocked by my easy flirting.
“Guess I will.”
The drive to the restaurant is quick, and once we arrive, Hayden takes my hand in his and guides us inside. The name of the restaurant is Lush, and while I’ve heard of it since it’s extremely popular here, I’ve never been. For one, I couldn’t afford it, and two, it’s not somewhere you take your kids.
“Mr—”
“Please, call me Hayden,” he says before she can finish. “For two.”
“Right this way,” the hostess says, bringing us to a table situated outside on a terrace. Since we’re the only ones out here, it’s private and quiet, aside from the soft music playing above us.
“Wow,” I breathe, staring out at the city. The setting sun provides a breathtaking view. “I’ve lived here my entire life, and sometimes, I forget how beautiful the city can be.”
“I agree,” Hayden says. “It’s a view worth memorizing.” But as he says the words, his eyes never leave me.
“Thank you for giving me a chance,” he says.
“It wasn’t that I didn’t want to go out with you,” I admit. “I just wasn’t sure if I was ready to date.”
“And now you are?”
“Yeah, I am.”
“Good,” he says with a nod.
After we peruse the menu and order our drinks and appetizers, he says, “Tell me about yourself.”
Because I don’t want to scare him off the way I did with Brody, I stick to the surface. “Well, as you know, I own a coffeehouse and bakery. I inherited it from my grandparents after they passed. Baking is my passion, and coffee is my addiction.” I wink playfully, and he chuckles.
“There are worse things to be addicted to.”
“True. What about you? What are your passions?”
He flinches slightly, and it’s so quick that I wouldn't have seen it if I wasn’t watching him. “Work, mostly. I work for my dad. He has high expectations, so most of my time is spent trying to reach them.”
“That doesn’t sound like much fun,” I say honestly.
“No, not really, but I love what I do. And I’m hoping to take over one day, and when I do, I’ll change shit so it’s a better place to work. I’ll be a better boss to work for.”
“That sounds like a good plan.”
“So when you’re not baking those addictive brownies and cupcakes, what are you doing?”
“When I have the time, I love to read and take bubble baths. I enjoy going to wine tastings. One day, I’d love to do one of those tours. You know, the ones where they show you how it’s all made.”
“And you step on all the grapes?” Hayden adds, making me laugh.
“Yes! That would be so cool.”
“What else?”
“Umm, when the weather permits, I love going to the beach, and on rainy days, I enjoy baking and trying out new recipes. When my kids—” I stop mid-sentence, realizing too late what I just said. I try to think of how to backtrack, but there’s no way without sounding like an idiot.
“When your kids…?” he prompts. “You have kids?”
“Yeah.” I clear my throat. “I have two.”
“Any reason you didn’t mention them earlier?”
“Truth?” When he nods, I continue. “I recently went on a date, and I thought it went good, actually, better than good.” I cringe, feeling bad that I just said that to the guy I’m on a date with. “But he never called afterward, so when I went over how the date went, I thought maybe I went too deep too fast and scared him off. So tonight, I was trying to be less deep and more carefree. But the truth is, my life is kind of deep. I’m a widowed single mom. I lost my husband almost five years ago, my grandma shortly after, and now I’m raising my eight-year-old twins on my own. Until this week, I had only been on one date since my husband passed away, and it was horrible, making me not want to date at all… And there I go again,” I groan, “word-vomiting my entire life.”
I stop talking to take a breath, and also, to see if there’s anything he wants to say—like nice knowing you, but I gotta go. But when I look at him, he’s smiling softly.
“First, I’m honored to be on your short list of dates. And second, I want to know everything about you, including your kids. Any man who truly wants to get to know you, spend time with you, have a future with you, will be okay with you having kids and understand that the three of you are a package deal. And if he doesn’t get that, he’s not worth wasting your time on.”
I release a sigh, finally relaxing. “Thank you. I think I needed to hear that. My kids are my life. They’re away with my in-laws for the summer, and it’s taking everything in me not to drag them back home.” I laugh lightly, and Hayden joins.
“Where are they?”
“Florida. The kids and I are close with my late husband’s parents. They’re all the family we have left. They took them to their vacation home. They live on the beach, near a pier, and have a boat. My kids are in saltwater heaven.”
Our food arrives, and we continue to talk while we eat. Hayden tells me a little about his family. His parents are married but not close. He believes the only reason his mom stays with his dad is for financial stability. He has one older sister, who also works with him, but they’re not close either because they’re both vying for the same position. She’s married but doesn’t have any kids because she’s too busy with work.
“My true family is my best friend and roommate,” he says as we finish our dessert. “We’ve been friends since we were kids, only separating during high school when my parents forced me to go to boarding school.”
“That sounds horrible.”
“It was, but in our family, it’s tradition. My dad went, my sister went, so of course I went. When I returned, my dad wanted me to go to school where he went—Yale. But I drew the line and went to NYU. Graduated with honors and then went straight to work for my dad.”
“Sounds like you’re just as married to your job as your sister is.”
“I was,” he says simply, “but recently, my priorities have shifted, and I find myself wanting more.” At that word, my thoughts go back to my earlier conversation with Lacey, when I told her I wanted more. Could it be possible that the second guy I’ve been out with could be the one? I shake the thought from my head. No, that’s crazy. And besides, I thought that about Brody and look how that ended.
Hayden stands and extends his hand, knocking me from my thoughts. “Dance with me?”
I place my hand in his, and he pulls me up so our bodies are flush against one another. My hands glide up his chest and encircle his neck, and his slide down my sides and settle on my lower back. We sway to the music as the chemistry sizzles between us. I consider resting my head on his chest, wanting to hear his heartbeat and smell his scent, but as his eyes stay locked with mine, I can’t bring myself to break the connection.
“I could dance with you all night,” he murmurs, drawing me closer. “You feel perfect in my arms.” He twirls us around, and my back hits the brick wall. His hand ascends into my hair, and he tilts my head back. “Tell me I can kiss you, Bree. Tell me I can feel what your lips feel like, taste you…”
My breath hitches, and I nod. I’m about to verbalize my permission, but before I can get the word out, Hayden’s mouth is on mine, his lips coaxing my own. His tongue pushes between the seam of my lips to taste me, and when I suck on his tongue, wanting to taste him back, he groans into my mouth. When his fingers tighten around the strands of my hair to the point it’s almost painful, a zap rushes through my body and straight to my core.
Our kiss turns fervent, desperate. Our mouths fuse, our tongues dueling with each other. My hands lock around Hayden’s neck, and with one hand, he lifts me off my feet, pinning me against the wall. My legs wrap around his waist, and I grind myself against his hardness, wanting more… needing more.
And then he breaks the kiss, his eyes meeting mine. “Fuck, Bree. I knew you’d taste good, feel even better, but…” He shakes his head. “You’re as goddamn addicting as those brownies you make.”
I can’t help the laughter that bubbles up, and then I realize I’m in his arms, my heat rubbing against his stomach, and I go shy.
“Don’t do that,” he says, gripping my underside and pushing me farther against the wall so our bodies are closer. “Don’t go shy on me, now.” He kisses my lips softly, and butterflies swarm my belly. “That kiss was hot as hell, baby, and if I were any less of a gentleman, I wouldn’t have stopped. But I don’t just want tonight with you. I want tomorrow and the next day…”
“More,” I breathe. There’s that damn word again. The one that’s both exhilarating and scary at the same time. Both exactly what I crave and am afraid of.
“Yeah, I want more,” he says.
I nod in understanding and untwine my legs. He reads my silent request and puts me down. “I…” I swallow thickly. “I don’t know what I’m capable of giving you,” I admit truthfully. Sure, the kiss stirred something deep inside me, made my heart pick up speed, made those damn infamous butterflies appear, and I have no doubt I’ll be spending some time with B.O.B. later tonight, thinking about this kiss, but I also felt like this about Brody a few days ago. I told Lacey earlier I wanted more, but the truth is, I’m not sure if I’m ready or if I’m even capable of more.
“Until this week, I hadn’t really dated in over four years, and before that, I was with my husband for almost ten, and he was my first real boyfriend… my first and only everything. I want to put myself out there, but I need to take things slow.”
Hayden nods. “I just want a chance to get to know you. See where things go. We can take it slow, no commitments or strings. Keep it casual.”
I find myself relaxing at his words. “That sounds good.”