Hot Talker – by Rhian Cahill #4
I want to know everything about her. Throw thousands of questions at her, from where she grew up to what her favorite food is to her favorite book to her preferred choice of clothes, so I can sit here and listen to her talk.
And I want to know how she tastes, what sounds she’d make if I kissed her—licked the sauce from her lips.
Yeah, my desire for Haven Wilton is next level.
She pops the last bite of burger in her mouth, and her eyes close on a moan.
My dick is at full attention now. I’ve endured a semi all through dinner but now, watching her finish off her food and genuinely enjoy it without a care to how messy it makes her, my cock is harder than the table we’re sitting at.
“Oh God, that was so good.” When her eyes open, she reaches for a napkin and cringes at the state of her hand. “I swear, I don’t normally eat like a pig.”
“You aren’t now.” I hold up my own sauce coated hands. “You can’t eat a burger that good and not get a little messy.”
“True.” Hands dealt with, she wipes her mouth and chin. “I forgot how hard it is to eat a Frankie’s burger cleanly.”
“Did you want another drink?” I point at her empty glass. “More water? Something else?”
“Water. Water is good.” She twists around to look for our waitress. “You want another Coke?”
For a second I’m confused because I’m drinking Sprite, but then I remember that here, what I know as pop, the locals call Coke. “No. I’m good. One was enough sugar for today.”
After giving up on finding our server she brings her gaze back to me. “You limit your sugar intake?”
“During the season, yes. And I know we haven’t officially started yet, but I don’t want to start the year with extra weight. As a goalie I don’t skate as much as everyone else on the team and as the Rogues backup goalie, I play even less, so I have to be careful to stay in shape.”
“You don’t look like you need to worry.”
I grin. “Been checking me out?”
A pink flush rises up her neck and fills her cheeks. “Ah, um, no, but…” She waves a hand at me. “It’s not like you’re covered up in winter clothes.”
“No.” I laugh. “I packed all my winter gear when I moved, but I doubt I’ll need it living here.”
“You’ll travel to colder places to play, right?”
“Yes, but the Rogues have a uniform. It’s not only on the ice that we wear the same gear. I don’t know the details, but the team is owned by the people who own Rogue sportswear.”
“Oh. I read about them!” She leans forward in her seat. “Four women who met in college and started making sportswear in their living room.”
“You know more than me then.”
“It was big news when they first announced they were building a manufacturing plant here, then they added the professional hockey team, and a mall or something. I don’t remember exactly.”
“I know I should be more interested in the story, but honestly, I’m just grateful to be playing at a national level. It’s what I’ve worked toward since I was a kid back in Sweden.”
“You’re from Sweden? You don’t sound like you’re from Sweden.”
I smile. “Yes, I was born in Sweden. Came to America when I was fourteen. You didn’t google me after you agreed to this date?”
“Oh, no. I never even thought of it.”
“Really?”
“I had other things on my mind.”
“Like?” I can’t help but ask. I want to know everything there is to know about this woman. Her dreams, her worries.
“Oh, nothing important.”
“Anything to do with you is important. But I understand if you’re not ready to share everything with me yet.” I need her to know this isn’t just a passing thing. I’m serious about getting to know her on every level. “Want to go get dessert now?”
“Oh, yes. But if you want the best ice cream in Baton Rouge, we’ve got a long walk, or we have to take the bus.”
“How long a walk? Burning off some of our dinner would be good.” I spot our waitress and signal for the check.
“It’s about thirty minutes or so from here.”
As our waitress arrives with the check, Haven scrambles for the bag hanging on the side of her chair.
“What are you doing?” I ask, my card already out to pay for our dinner.
“I’m getting my purse so I can pay my half.” She looks at me with confusion.
“Why would you do that?”
“Because that’s what you do when you go out with someone.”
“Is it?” At her nod, I say, “Well, that might be what you’ve done on other dates, but not this one. Or any other one we go on. I ask you out, I pay.”
“Oh, no that’s not?—”
“I asked you out, I'll pay.”
“But—”
I hold up a hand. “No. Not arguing with you about this. When I date someone, I pay, end of story.” I see our server heading back with my card and I push back my chair. “Now, let’s go get ice cream.”
I don’t give her time to argue, just skirt around the table and help her from her seat. Once she’s on her feet, I grab her hand and weave our fingers together.
“Thanks.” I take my card from the waitress before I tug on Haven’s hand and lead her through the restaurant to the front door.
We’re hit with humid air the second we exit, and I wonder if it might be too hot to walk.
“Are you okay to walk in this heat?”
“Of course. This is nothing. I walk everywhere, even in summer.”
“You don’t have a car?”
“No.” She looks away. “I like to walk.”
I’m sure she does, but I bet that isn’t the reason she doesn’t have a car. With what she’s told me about her mother abandoning her and having to drop out of school, I doubt she has enough money to run a car, never mind purchasing one to begin with.
“Let’s walk then.”
“We can get the bus if you want.”
“I’m fine walking. I was worried about you.”
“Oh.” Her gaze finds mine before darting away. “I’m good.”
“Okay. Which way?”
“That way.”
“Let’s go then.” I don’t let her hand go. I want to be sure she knows I’m in this. Whatever this is.
Her nervousness has been obvious all evening and if I can, I’ll make sure when it comes to me, she has nothing to be nervous about.
“I’ll get a better idea of my schedule tomorrow. Once I do, we can work out when our next date is.”
“You want to do this again?”
“Yep. I’d love to see my new hometown through the eyes of a local. Are you up for that?”
“I, yes. But I work every day.”
“We’ll work around your work and mine.”
“I can show you some of the cheapest places to…”
“Perfect!” I don’t want her to be self-conscious of her comment or that she doesn’t have a lot of money.
“I have a friend whose family does this thing whenever they go anywhere. They use a review app and only eat or stay at places that are four or five stars and one dollar rating, meaning they’re cheap. ”
“I’m not familiar with that app.”
“I’ll get it.” I make a mental note to message Isak. The Rogues defenseman made sure to tell me I have a fellow Swede on the team, and I could contact him about anything. His wife, too. She’s the one who told me about the app and how they use it.
“We need to turn right at the end of the block.”
I give her hand a gentle squeeze. “So, tell me more about Haven. Do you want to keep working in the library?”
“Yeah, I’m hoping to. But I need to get qualifications to do more than man the loan desk or reshelve books.”
“What does that entail?”
“Years of study because I have to do it around work.”
“I have no doubt you’ll get there.” And if I can help her reach her goal quicker, I will.
HAVEN
“You’re happy this morning. Did you pass your test?”
I face Mrs. C. “I won’t know for a few weeks, but I think I did okay.”
“Good. We’ll get you into the librarian program sooner than you think.”
I keep the smile on my face until my boss disappears into her office.
Yesterday’s test hasn’t been on my mind at all since I sat down to take it. My date with Kallan overshadowed any other thoughts.
A date that went exceptionally well. I think.
Frowning, I replay last night, from the moment he surprised me on the sidewalk to the moment I said goodnight and closed my front door.
He’d insisted on taking me home and no amount of protesting had convinced him I would be okay on my own. I was embarrassed for him to see where I live but he didn’t show any signs of disgust. Which is good. Because I can’t afford to move.
I don’t know what I’ll do if I ever get evicted. I have no savings. Well, not enough to pay a deposit on a new place. I barely cover rent and food now only because the rent on the basement apartment is low—really low—and I live on peanut butter sandwiches.
I’m two subjects away from finishing my high school diploma, and I doubt I can get a better paying job with flexible hours in any other library.
Except after last night, I wish more than anything my life wasn’t such a struggle, that I had two loving parents, and we lived in a nice, happy home and they supported me, let me finish my education. Continue it.
“Good morning, beautiful.”
Kallan’s voice has my gaze snapping to the front doors, the smile I’d lost returning full force. His grin makes my belly flutter, my heart race. I didn’t expect him. When we parted last night, he said see you later but didn’t mention when.
“Good morning. What are you doing here?”
“I came to see if you want to get some lunch. I got a recommendation for a café that isn’t far from here, and I thought it would be nice if you joined me.”
Disappointment swells inside me. “My break isn’t for another hour.”
“I’ll find a book to read while I wait.”
“Oh.” My cheeks hurt with how wide I smile. “Okay.”
We grin at each other for several seconds before Kallan says, “I’ll just…” He waves in the direction of the romance section.
“Yes, okay, I’ll come get you when my break starts.”
“Perfect. See you soon, beautiful.”
For the second day in a row, I watch Kallan disappear into the stacks and wonder if his backside is as hard as it looks.
“My oh my.” I turn to find Mrs. C using her hand to fan her face. “I said it yesterday, I’ll say it again today. That is one fine, fine looking young man.”
Unlike yesterday, I can’t stifle my laughter. When she arches one eyebrow, her eyes sparkling with mirth, I laugh harder.