Chapter 25 #2
“Seriously, though, I know this feels like déjà vu, but it’s different. You were never this nervous about thimble dick. And he’s already given you an orgasm. Which is why I say go for it. If all that happens is a few more orgasms, you’ll be in front.”
I chuckled. “You’re not wrong. Fair warning, though. When this ends, I’m going to be mopey, and there’s every chance I’ll move out and to somewhere cheaper.”
She threw her arms around me. “Don’t say that! You’re not moving back to your mom’s. I won’t let it happen.”
“You’re the best friend ever, but I have to grow up sometime and stand on my own feet. I won’t move back to her place. I’ll find somewhere I can live on a small income, which won’t be New York.” I took a fortifying breath. “It’ll be fine. And I promise I’ll come visit often. It won’t be so bad.”
“But I’ll miss you.” She frowned.
“I’ll miss you too.” I swallowed the heat in my throat that was trying to make it to my eyes. “Now, no more of th—”
The intercom buzzed.
I startled, and Amy said, “Looks like the driver snuck past your eagle eyes. I’ll answer it. You grab your bag.”
I suddenly needed to pee again, but it was too late, and there were likely no more than a few drops.
It’s all good. You’ll probably only be working anyway.
Which was disappointing but mostly for the best. He’d promised more, though.
The anticipation of when that would be, if that would be, ramped up my butterflies until they’d spilled from my stomach and were trying to choke me.
I grabbed my laptop bag from my room and made my way to the front door.
“Lovely to meet you, Curtis. I’ve heard absolutely nothing about you.
” My best friend laughed at the obvious absurdity.
But what in the squashed donuts? I tripped and flew into the small foyer, managing to stop myself just before hitting Amy, although she deserved a bit of a smack upside the head right now. My cheeks burned, as usual.
Curtis, still dressed in his suit and tie, smirked. My lungs panicked, expelling all the air. If this was the way I died, so be it. His eyes still glued to my face, he said, “Lovely to meet you, too, Amy.”
“I’ll leave you two to it. Have fun, Faith. Don’t work too hard.” She actually winked at me. Being a lawyer, subtlety escaped her. She was always rather succinct, making sure everyone understood her communications.
“Yeah, sure.” I narrowed my eyes at her retreating back, my scowl lost on her. Willing my cheeks to calm down, I turned back to Curtis. Maybe he needed a new nickname. From Bosshole to Hothole maybe? Hmm, no. That sounded all kinds of wrong.
“Well, that was a whole conversation in your head I just missed out on.” He chuckled, his dimples hypnotizing.
“Ah, um, yep.” Nice one, Faith. The most intelligent sentence ever uttered. “I’m just surprised you came rather than your driver. I thought I was meeting you at your place.”
“Well, this morning, I took my own car to work. The universe probably wanted me to drive you.” Oh, my iced donut. A man who could joke about woo-woo stuff? I never would’ve plugged him for a sense of humor.
“I guess we should go, then. Get this work done before your deadline.”
His easy manner beat us out the door, and his dimples fled. His shoulders dropped a fraction. “Yep. Let’s go.”
I shut the door behind us and led the way down the three flights.
He overtook me at the bottom just so he could open the door.
“Thank you.” I smiled at him. I hadn’t thought he’d be so…
considerate. Rich people didn’t need to be, and they often weren’t.
Mark never opened any doors for me—not that it was a requirement—but going through a door first and letting it shut in my face? What the heck did I ever see in him?
There was no fanfare when he reached an impressive, shiny, black Porsche. And guess what he did? Yep, he opened the door for me.
“Thank you. Also, your car is so cute.” Horror leapt onto his face. “Oh, um, wrong word? Gorgeous. Is that better?”
He gave me side-eye. “Just get in.”
Yikes, I was in trouble. But I was pretty sure he was kidding, so I laughed and slid into the smooth, cream leather seat.
I buckled up and left my laptop bag in my lap for comfort.
It was good to have something to hug against my chest. Yet again, I was out of my depth in such an expensive car with a man I didn’t know well, a man who shouldn’t have looked at me twice.
I had no idea what I was doing here. Oh, yeah, that’s right—I had to help save him from losing his CEO position. No pressure, then.
When Curtis agilely slipped into the car, his subtle spicy scent mingled with the new-car and leather smell.
He shut his door, buckled up, and started the growling engine with smooth, deliberate actions.
When his large, strong hands gripped the steering wheel and he pulled into traffic, competent I-can-do-anything vibes poured off him like the smoke off dry ice.
He was spectacular to watch, even doing something as mundane as driving—okay, so being in a Porsche added to the spectacle.
But if there was a zombie apocalypse, I wanted him in the driver’s seat.
“So, you think my car is cute?” His voice was almost as growly as the engine, sending vibrations through my body, matching the car’s energy perfectly. Could this man be any more divine?
Those are dangerous thoughts, Faith. Please stop having them.
“Yep, in an expensive, sexy way. She’s also gorgeous, as I said. This is the most beautiful car I’ve ever been in.”
He glanced at me, something in his eyes.
I didn’t know what it was, but it was serious and silenced me.
Before I could get lost in the moment, he was looking back at the road.
Probably a good idea because the traffic was bad, as usual, and rear-ending someone would ruin the car.
My immature brain got stuck on the rear-ending portion.
Would he ask if he could? I knew some people enjoyed that, but it was a hard no from me.
That was a one-way street no one was entering.
“You look worried. Is my driving bothering you?”
I tried not to smile, but it broke free. “Not at all. Just thinking about one-way streets.”
His forehead wrinkled. “What about them?”
“Ah, I went to cross one once, and I looked, but a car came from the wrong way and almost took me out.” That had happened, and I had to come up with something, so…. “No one should go the wrong way up a one-way street. Don’t you think?”
He side-eyed me. “Ah… yes.”
Oh, God. We could add “boring as a bucket of air” as number two on the list as to what he thought of me, “mouth breather” being number one.
Kill me now. I needed to save this. “What’s your favorite color?
” Oh no. I didn’t just ask the most clichéd date question, the one people asked when things were going badly.
I shook my head at myself and hugged my laptop bag to my chest. Being this close to him was short-circuiting my wiring. “I’m not really this boring. Honest.”
He laughed, the streetlights glinting off his perfect teeth.
His laughter made me grin. After everything he was going through, it was a relief to see him happy, if only for a moment.
Why did I care? Because I was a nice person.
That must be it. Also, we both suffered from SPS—shitty parent syndrome.
I wanted him to win because it was right, and also, it would give me hope that one day, I could win something too.
Achieve the things I really wanted, even if they were above what the universe deemed appropriate.
If I was ever successful, maybe my mother would finally be proud of me and see I was worth it. That we both were.
But I wasn’t holding my breath for that because a girl could die waiting.
“Boring is not an adjective I’d use for you.
Also, the answer is scarlet. I would’ve bought a red version of this car, but black flies under the radar better.
I try and avoid attention when I can.” And who could blame him.
He had a huge target on his back. Why wave the red rag to the bullies. “What’s your favorite color?”
Here he was, showing me that he could be boring too.
How sweet. “Aqua. It reminds me of the ocean, of course, and it’s bright and happy.
It’s also the Italian word for water. Just to prove to you that I’m not just a pretty face.
” I chuckled, hoping he got that I was kidding—I didn’t think I was a pretty face.
Not that I thought I was ugly. I was just another average-looking woman with good marketing skills and no money.
I preferred to think I was realistic rather than too hard on myself.
“No, you’re not just a pretty face. Do you know much Italian?”
“A bit. I downloaded one of those free apps a few years ago, and I could get by if I went. I’d love to go there, see Tuscany, Positano, and all the other places.
” I sighed. There was no way I was getting there any time soon unless I became a flight attendant.
Hmm, maybe I could do that if I didn’t get anywhere after the latest iteration of my marketing life ended.
“Sounds like someone’s been watching Under the Tuscan Sun.”
My mouth dropped open, and I let my laptop bag slide back onto my lap. “It’s one of my comfort movies. How did you know?”
He rolled his eyes. “You just named the two main settings in the movie.” He glanced at me before watching the road again. “It’s one of my favorites too. I love a good rom-com. But don’t tell anyone at work—they’d never fear me again.”