1 #2
“That was great, Rosie. Left foot to red, Sophie,” instructed Chloe. Sophie placed her foot on a red circle. Rosie spun the dial again after being prompted. “Ollie, right hand to blue.” He jumped up and placed his hand in the blue circle.
Within a short space of time, the three players were already beginning to get tangled, to the amusement of Rosie, Chloe and Adam. Dani deliberately stretched into the most awkward position so that they were all precariously balanced.
The doorbell rang and Adam looked over at Chloe, puzzled. “Are you expecting someone?”
“No,” she replied, equally puzzled. He put down his mug of coffee and rose up from the armchair, stepping over the numerous toys on the floor and heading to the front door.
Rosie spun the dial again. “Left foot on green, Dani.” Chloe laughed, knowing Dani would purposely find the hardest position so that Sophie and Ollie would find it funny, and Dani would inevitably fall.
Looking through her legs at Chloe, she winked.
Her ponytail touched the floor as she bent over double, her bottom in the air and her thin sweater falling down, exposing her middle.
Rosie squealed with joy. Ollie sniggered at Sophie, who had her arm extended under Dani’s face.
Adam opened the door and was faced with a rather nervous looking Jerome Ferretti. Adam furrowed his brow, then raised his eyebrows.
“Er, morning, Adam. Happy New Year.” Jerome shifted on his feet.
“Happy New Year,” Adam answered, clearly bewildered as to why Dani’s boss was on his front doorstep on New Year’s Day, at eleven in the morning.
“Sorry to drop by unannounced. I tried to call Dani’s phone but it’s switched off and I don’t have your home number. Er, here.” He thrust out his hand, which was holding a bottle of Dom Perignon.
Adam’s eyes widened, then he took the bottle. “Thanks. Um, please come in.”
Jerome nodded nervously and stepped through the threshold. “I wanted to see if Dani was alright, after last night. She was quite upset.” They were standing in the hallway and Adam turned to look at Jerome as he shut the front door, confused at his comment.
“Upset? Why?”
“Well we had an incident in the restaurant last night and she was pretty shaken up. Didn’t she tell you?”
Adam shook his head slightly. “No. What happened? What incident?”
“A customer of ours had a bit too much to drink and as Dani was opening a bottle of Champagne for them, he reached down and lifted up the skirt of her dress. The place was packed out and, well you can imagine. She was extremely embarrassed.”
“He did what! She never said anything. Who was this asshole?” Adam replied, his face hardening.
“He was a guest of one of our regulars. Normally our customers are well behaved. Don’t worry, though. Peter sorted him out. He won’t be doing that again. I just wanted to make sure she was alright.”
“Sure. She’s in the sitting room. Come this way.” Adam led an anxious Jerome through the hallway into the sitting room. “She’s playing with the kids.”
They entered the sitting room to find Ollie spread-eagled under Dani, who had now widened her legs further, her bottom still in the air, bent over. Sophie was bending over Dani’s left leg, waiting for her next instruction from Chloe.
As Adam and Jerome entered Rosie squealed. “Ex pot!”
Dani’s blood raced and she bent down further so she could see through her legs, a feeling of dread and excitement rushing through her veins simultaneously.
Holy fucking shit! There he was, standing in the doorway.
All she could see were his unmistakable lean, long legs clad in tailored black trousers and black ankle boots. “Fuck,” she muttered.
“Uck,” repeated Rosie.
Ollie and Sophie giggled as Jerome stood paralyzed at the sight of a bent-over-double, half-exposed and obviously embarrassed Dani.
She quickly straightened up, pulling her sweater down to cover her exposed midriff.
Her face flushed from both embarrassment and the blood rushing to her head while being upside down.
Chloe stared up at Jerome, as stunned as her sister.
“Jerome came to see you, Dani,” Adam explained, stifling a grin. Jerome recovered his composure, dragging his eyes away from Dani. Stepping in further, he extended his hand moving closer to Chloe.
“Sorry for the intrusion. Happy New Year.” He spoke softly and Chloe awkwardly took his hand while balancing Rosie along with the Twister dial on her lap.
“Happy New Year,” she answered, still unable to fathom why he was standing in her sitting room.
Jerome smiled at Rosie and he lowered himself to her. “Happy New Year. Rosie, isn’t it?”
Rosie beamed at him and nodded. “Ex pot!”
Jerome raised his eyebrows in surprise. Chloe blushed and momentarily closed her eyes.
“She’s excited about Ollie’s new X-Box. She can’t quite get her words right yet,” Adam explained as his eyes darted to Chloe and Dani.
Then he glared at Sophie and Ollie as they rolled on the floor giggling.
Dani took a deep breath and cringed. How unbelievably embarrassing! She wanted to die!
Jerome straightened himself and turned to Ollie who had now sat up. “Happy New Year, Ollie. So you have an X-Box?” Ollie’s eyes darted to his Dad, then he nodded slowly. “And Sophie? Right?”
“Yes,” Sophie answered coyly.
“Happy New Year to you too.”
“Happy New Year,” she replied, smiling sweetly.
Jerome’s eyes rested on Dani who was now twiddling with her hair nervously. He swallowed and smiled at her.
“Maybe you’d like to go through to the lounge, Dani. Would you like a coffee Jerome?” Adam fixed his eyes on Dani, then looked over to Jerome.
“Thanks, but I’m fine.”
“Okay. Dani will show you through,” he urged, moving away from the threshold, effectively signalling them to leave the sitting room.
Dani stepped towards the door and Jerome followed her, but not before smiling nervously at Chloe, and then nodded his silent thanks to Adam.
Once they were in the lounge, Dani closed the door behind them. She could hear Chloe and Adam’s muffled, confused voices as she slowly turned around smirking to herself. They must be at a total loss as to what was going on, she thought. Hell, she was at a total loss!
Jerome licked his lips and stepped closer to her, but Dani backed into the door, pressing herself against it, trying to get some distance. Her heart was racing. What was he thinking? Didn’t his wife think it was weird he wasn’t with her? It was New Year’s Day, for goodness sake!
“Are you okay?” he asked tentatively, his incredible eyes searching hers. He looked breathtaking as always.
He clenched his jaw and Dani focused on his throat that worked on a swallow. What was it about Adam’s apples that were so sexy? She thought. “Why are you here?” she whispered.
“I was worried about you. After last night. Your phone was off…” He rubbed his forehead nervously.
“You were upset and then, well, with what happened, I just wanted to make sure you were alright.” He stepped closer and Dani tensed.
Her eyes fell to the tanned chest exposed by his slightly open, burgundy-coloured dress shirt, his black jacket straining around his arms. He looked good enough to eat.
Dani breathed in deeply, trying hard to calm her pulsing heart.
This was all wrong. He shouldn’t be here.
He had a family. Dani looked up at his pensive face, beyond ecstatic that he was here, for her.
Side-stepping around him, she moved further into the lounge and Jerome turned around to face her.
“I’m fine, Jerome. Really. David was drunk and he was out of order.
His brother-in-law was an ass. I just got embarrassed, that’s all.
It was tough yesterday. I mean, working.
It was busy.” Her answer was a mumble, a disjointed explanation.
She didn’t want to mention what had happened between them.
She’d hardly slept thinking about it and to be honest, she wasn’t sure what to make of it.
All she knew was that he was married. That was the bottom line.
She rubbed her tired eyes with her thumb and middle finger, trying to soothe them.
She couldn’t bear to look at him, and in that same instant, all she wanted to do was unashamedly stare at him.
“Look, he gave me a great tip. I’m sure he’s embarrassed too, especially after their wives made them leave. Forget it.” She looked up at him and smiled weakly.
Jerome narrowed his eyes and sucked on his top teeth, as Dani continued to stare at him, involuntarily leaning forward – the couple of feet that separated them seemingly too much, too far.
Within an instant, Jerome stepped forward and his hand reached up to her face, cupping her jaw.
Dani clenched her eyes shut as if his touch was unbearable, her heart pumped violently and the blood raced through her veins.
“Dani… I…” His voice was a whisper. He leant down and gently kissed her, his lips warm and soft, exactly how she remembered them.
She leaned into him and he instantly pressed himself against her.
The initial gentle kiss changed. Jerome’s arm encased her, holding her tightly against his rock hard body.
His hand slipped to hold her head as he deepened the kiss.
Dani’s hands smoothed around his waist under his jacket and she gripped onto his firm back.
He moaned against her mouth and she melted into him, relishing his touch, his taste, drinking him in as he kissed her more urgently. Fuck! What was she doing?
As realisation swept over her, Dani stiffened and then pulled back.
Jerome’s grip tightened before he released her, sensing her resistance.
Stepping back and covering her face with her hands, Dani closed her eyes.
“Jesus, Jerome. What the hell are you doing? I mean we… oh fuck.” Her hands dropped as she looked up into his intense gaze.