Doms, Divas, & Dating

Chapter Three: Pretty Things as He Goes

It was roughly 50 degrees outside, although in the shade between buildings it felt much colder to Devina as she stepped out of her uber. Clouds lingered nearby but were far enough south of the city; she didn’t worry much about them. It was early October- her favorite time of year, especially in the city. 

She hurried over and found a small patch of sun in front of the GW metro station, much like a cat would. Through her oversized black Tom Ford sunglasses, she started to scan the hoards of people moving at speed across the streets and in and out of the metro station, searching for Jacob. She had not bothered to verify if he was still game to come, as most people probably would have.

Sibil told her if he doesn't show, then he’s a tool for not verifying himself before. Devina could argue that both ways but she really didn't want to message him and risk sounding like a fool again. At least if she met him in person, she could work her charms and smiles to smooth out any dumb things she let tumble out of her sometimes over-eager mouth. 

So now she scanned. Hoping his height and startling green eyes were real and that she would be able to pick him out of a crowd with ease. 

“He’s too pretty to miss. Surely I will see him first,” she mumbled to herself as she continued her slow spin from left to right.

“f**k, what if this was a bad idea? Maybe I should just bail?” Devina mumbled once more to herself.

She drew in a heavy sigh and rolled her shoulders back. Her hangover was at bay, but the rising panic and anxiety of potentially being stood up started to creep its way up her spine.

“Nope. Can’t do this!” she quietly proclaimed as she spun on her heel to head towards the metro entrance.

However, she did not look up enough to see that her path was directly blocked. 

Devina slammed full stop into what must have been a stone wall. She ungracefully bounced back, wobbling on her heels and dropping her purse on the ground as she held out her arms to try and brace her inevitable plummet to the ground.

A deep and whispered “Jesus” was all she heard as she seemed to be falling in slow motion.

“Did the wall just talk?” she asked out loud as arms that she did not recognize shot out and caught her flailing frame.

“If by the wall, you mean me, Devina, then yes. The wall did just talk,”

“Oh s**t! Jacob?! I’m so sorry. I was distracted. I didn't see you there!” Devina blurted out as she let Jacob lift her back to a standing position on her heels. Although, he kept his arms locked around her waist.

“Are you hurt at all?” Jacob asked.

His voice was deep and gritty, like that of a man just waking up. It seared into Devina’s senses, causing all sorts of little shock waves through her nervous system. Particularly to the parts that had been lying dormant for the last year. 

“Devina? Are you in there?” Jacob said, lowering his head a bit and pulling her a little closer into him to avoid her being pushed by the rushing herd of tourists currently exiting the metro station.

“I like your voice,” Devina blurted out.

Oh, f**k me. Her inner voice screamed as her hand shot up to cover her mouth as a deep and heated blush crept up her neck and onto her cheeks. 

Jacob could not hide the amusement in his eyes even as he fought his unmistakable urge to laugh at her random remark. 

“Thank you, Devina, now answer the question- are you hurt? You didn’t twist an ankle in those cute boots of yours, did you? You bounced off me fairly hard,”

The heat on her cheeks reached a near nuclear level. No foundation was going to hide this embarrassment. 

“Uh, yeah. I MEAN NO, no, I’m not hurt. I am fine. I’m so sorry I swear this is not how I intended to greet you,” Devina muttered out, her eyes darting around, looking anywhere but into his.

“You were moving pretty quick there. You weren’t trying to bail on me just yet now, were ya?”

“NO! No, not at all. Just a lot of people around,”

“Does that make you nervous?” Jacob asked, c*****g his head slightly to the side as he looked down at the frazzled woman in his arms. 

Until that moment, Devina hadn’t even noticed that he was still holding her against him. It wasn’t firm or indecent, but it wasn’t a hold she would easily fall out of either.

“Uh, yeah, kinda, I guess it does,” Devina replied.

“Well then, how about we make our way to a quieter spot so we can properly continue this excellent first date,” Jacob said with a confident grin and wink just as Devina raised her gaze to meet his finally.

Before she could respond, Jacob had turned around and started leading her through the corded sidewalk with a firm grip on her hand. Devina almost panicked when she realized she had left her purse on the ground when she looked forward and noticed the tiny little thing in the palm of Jacob's other hand.

From behind was even as beautiful as from the front. This man was a demi-god, at least. Even though his wool coat which outlined his broad shoulders perfectly, Devina could see the flex of his muscles as he maneuvered them both through the crowds. 

Under his black wool coat, he wore a black button-up whose buttons seemed to stop one shy of what most men would be willing to wear out, putting the entirety of his neck tattoos and the start of what looked to be a full chest piece, on full display for Devina to salivate over.

His hair was a little longer and messier than what his pictures had shown, but Devina loved it even more as it was. Thick and soft looking, she wanted so badly to run her hands through it, but thankfully before she was dumb enough to reach out and touch it, they seemed to arrive at their destination.

Jacob loosened his grip on her hand but held it like a gentleman as he ushered her through the glass door of the coffee shop bookstore. 

Immediately Devina’s mouth started to water as the scent of croissants and something filled with cherries wafted from behind the kitchen doors as they swung open and closed with every waiter running in and out with trays of what could only be described as sugar-coated works of fine art. 

The name was a bit misleading as the whole bottom half of the building was a cafe, with the top floors being the bookshop portion. 

“Is that a habit of yours?” Jacob asked from his spot right beside her as they waited to be seated.

“Huh?” Devina asked, returning her attention to the man she was on a date with. The food looked so good she had kind of forgotten for a moment that she was there with someone. 

“When you see something you want, do you always bite your lower lip?” Jacob asked with a new intensity in his eyes as he waited for her reply.

Devina had to think for a minute before answering, “Yeah, I think so, but no one has ever called me out on it before so thank you for that”

Jacob chuckled, but before he could quip back, the hostess appeared.

She was young, thin, beautiful in every way, and absolutely drooling over Jacob as he gave her his name for their reservation. 

“We don’t really have reservations, Sir. I'm sorry. The wait is about an hour, but I will add you to the list!” the beautiful redhead replied. 

“Alessandro is expecting us; perhaps you can ask him?” Jacob answered smoothly. 

Too smoothly. Devina thought as she watched him navigate the conversation with skilled ease that immediately made her think she was not the first or even the 4th girl he had brought here. 

“Oh! Mr. Volkov, that’s right. I am so sorry I forgot Alessandro said you would be visiting us today. Your table is ready, so you may go on up. A waiter will be up there already waiting for you.”

Jacob nodded his appreciation to the redhead, then immediately grabbed Devina’s hand again and led her to the elevator.

“So you know the owner, I take it?” Devina asked once they were alone in the elevator.

“I do,” was all Jacob replied with.

He entered a pin into the keypad beside the floor buttons, and it seemed to be the approval needed to allow the pair to travel up to the top floor.

“You are very trusting, Devina. Are you always this way?” Jacob asked as the elevator doors opened up, and he led her out and down a long hallway of beautiful dark and moody floral wallpaper. Not at all what she was expecting.

“You know, when you say it like that, I suddenly feel the need to go back down and take my chances with the crowds Jacob,” Devina replied with a heavy dose of sarcasm in her voice.

She didn’t feel at all threatened by him. His tone and posture seemed incredibly relaxed- something being with Rhett had trained Devina to look for. She also knew if she ran now, he would catch her, so what was the use of being scared?

Jacob chuckled, and the deep sound seemed to reverberate inside Devina like a shock wave. 

She liked it. She liked it a lot.

“Here we are,” Jacob said as they reached the end of the hallway. He pulled out a key, unlocked the ornate door, and then moved to the side to usher Devina inside.

She had to give it to him. He had this gentleman’s routine down great. 

The door opened to an even more dark, moody, and breathtakingly beautiful room. There were floor-to-ceiling shelves filled with books and artwork everywhere except the wall facing the capital mall. That wall was floor-to-ceiling glass. 

Devina gasped as she entered and took in the beauty of the space. 

“Am I in heaven?” Devina muttered to herself.

“Not yet, but I would say this is close,” Jacob replied, startling her back into their date once again.

“What is this place?”

“The personal library and art gallery of the owner. He travels quite a bit and collects pretty things as he goes,”

“And you have a key, so you can bring all your first dates up here, huh?”

So smooth, Devina. Really. Tell him you have trust issues without telling him you have f*****g trust issues why don’t you! Her inner voice scolded her as she looked anywhere but at Jacob- pretending to not care about how he would respond but deep down caring entirely too much.

“No, actually, I haven’t ever brought anyone up here. But your bio said you loved to read and that you worked at the national art gallery. I thought of all the women who agreed to go out on a date with me so far in my life; you were the one who would appreciate this the most,” 

Jacob’s reply caught her entirely off guard.

“Men actually read those? I thought you just looked at our t**s?” Devina blurted out.

Jacob let out a full laugh at that, which was her only saving grace. Her filter must be on vacation today because it was indeed not on this date with her.

“Perhaps I may have admired those as well, but yes. I at least am one man who always reads the fine print,”

There was a mischievous sparkle that seemed to flare in his eyes as he spoke to her. 

“Come take a seat, let's get you some food and coffee. I know you are still hungover, although you hide it well, Devina,”

Her mouth dropped open as her ass sat in the chair he had pulled out for her after helping her out of her coat.

“I do not recall telling you that I was still hungover!” Devina exclaimed.

“Oh, you didn’t, but I knew you would be since you were most certainly drunk when you were texting me on the app last night,” Jacob replied coolly as he took the seat across from her.

“How could you possibly know that?” Devina demanded.

“A perceptive man can always tell a ladies mood even through her texts, Devina, and I happen to be a very perceptive man,”

He flashed a perfect grin at her as she tried to gather her shredded pride before coming up with a witty comeback, but he beat her to it.

“Tell me, do you like hot or cold?”

“Hot,”

“Sweet or savory?”

“Sweet,”

“Cherry or blueberry?”

“Cherry. Always cherry,”

“Coffee or tea?”

“Coffee,”

“And how many have you had today already?” 

“One,”

“Very good. Chris?” Jacob said as he beckoned to a young man standing by a slender door in the corner that Devina had not even noticed. 

“Ready to order ,Sir?”

“Yes. I will have my usual, and this beauty will have an oat milk latte with canella and bring her whatever cherry items are most fresh,”

“Yes, Sir, coming right up!” the young man replied as he filled both their water glasses and left through the slender door in the corner.

“Did you just order for me?” Devina asked curiously.

No one had ever even tried to do that for her before, and she found it oddly arousing but still confusing.

“I did. Did you not wonder about my string of questions? You answered them very well,”

What an odd thing to praise. Devina thought as she sipped her water and eyed her mysterious date.

“Are you like a drug lord or something?” she asked, causing Jacob to laugh through his sip of water.

“What? No. I am not a drug lord Devina. I work in shipping and manufacturing of ships, but alas no drug trade,”

“So you’re a pirate then?” 

Devina barely got the words out with a straight face.

Jacob, thankfully, met her humor with another loud laugh as he nodded his head, “Yes, precisely what I am, a pirate for sure,”

“That’s neat. Never been on a date with a pirate before,” Devina replied.

“No, I suspect you haven’t; we are a shy bunch,”

“Makes sense. Given the sea monsters, of course,”

“Oh yes, they really bring our membership numbers down each year,”

“And your union can’t do anything about it?”

“They try, but the sirens keep luring them out to sea before we get the documents signed, the damned beauties,”

“Can’t trust them, but I bet they have great t**s,”

“Some of the best,”

Devina couldn’t keep it up anymore as she erupted into another fit of suppressed giggles soon followed by Jacobs’s laughter. 

When they both seemed to regain control of themselves, Jacob smiled at her in a way that made Devina think it was not a common thing to see on this otherwise edgy-looking man.

“I have not laughed this hard or this much in a while Devina; thank you for agreeing to come out with me today,”

She felt a blush rush across her cheeks as she smiled back at him.

“Thank you for inviting me and not running for the hills when I messaged you like a lunatic last night,” Devina replied. 

“Maybe I like my women just a little wild,”

“Well, that's a nice way to put it,”

“How would you phrase it?” Jacob asked with a c****d eyebrow.

“Mildly unhinged, perhaps? I’m not sure; let me workshop that and get back to you,” Devina replied just as Chris reappeared with a cart of food and coffee.