THEN-4
1146 Words
He dipped his fingers inside me before lifting them to my lips. I opened, taking them in and tasting myself as I licked his fingers clean.
“You are perfection,” he whispered into my ear before stepping away, leaving me wobbling a bit. “Let me get you a car.”
I pulled my dress up and reached back to tie the top. “It’s okay. I can take the train.” I didn’t want to wait in an attempt to avoid the awkwardness that was growing in me, but I found my thighs didn’t want to cooperate, and I fell into a nearby chair.
Atticus chuckled as he picked up his phone. “I do believe I promised to f**k you so hard you wouldn’t be able to walk.”
He had, and oh, how I thought he was just another asshole talking big. No, he delivered on his promise, and I felt it everywhere.
“Okay, so maybe I wouldn’t be opposed to a taxi.”
“I think I can do better than one of those cesspools.”
I blinked at him. What other option was there?
“There is a car waiting for you out front whenever you’re ready,” he said a moment later. “I can’t convince you to stay, can I?”
I shook my head. “Sorry. I have to work tonight.”
He pulled me against his chest, his arms holding me close. “Thank you for a wonderful evening,” Atticus said as he placed a kiss to my cheek, then to my lips.
“Thank you for a very memorable birthday. It’s definitely one I will never forget,” I admitted. It wasn’t a night I believed could be topped.
“I never did ask how old you turned.”
“Twenty-six.”
“Hmm.”
“Hmm, what?” I asked, unsure if the sound was good or bad.
A small smile graced his lips as he brushed my hair back. “Best night of my life spent with a woman nearly ten years younger than me. Unexpected.”
“Best night?” I asked.
He nodded. “It was truly a pleasure meeting you.”
“You too.”
“Would it be presumptuous of me to assume you had a good enough time that you would be willing to see me again?”
I bit down on my bottom lip and smiled as I nodded. “I’d like that very much.”
He pressed his lips to mine for a last searing kiss before I headed down to the lobby.
I was blissed out as I sat in the back of the black sedan Atticus sent me home in. It really had been the best night of my life, and I couldn’t keep the smile from my face the entire journey home.
A few days had passed, and I hadn’t heard from Atticus. I couldn’t deny part of me was saddened by this, but judging based on his suit and the expensive penthouse hotel room, he was bound to be a busy man.
At least, that was the reasoning I gave myself to lessen the ache in my chest.
Once, I saw a man I thought was him, but when he turned to face me, I was wrong. The bad part was the utter embarrassment of calling out his name, only to be proven wrong.
To keep my mind off him, I dove into work. I hadn’t been at 130 Degrees for very long, just under two months, but I enjoyed the atmosphere of the high-end steakhouse. One meal for a couple cost a bare minimum of two-hundred dollars, and the tips were just as good.
“Ophelia,” my manager, Mitchell, called out and waved me over.
“What’s up, boss?”
He led us to his office and closed the door. The action had my stomach suddenly in knots because that was a “you’re being fired” kind of move.
“We have a large business meeting coming in tomorrow. Our investors will be there.”
“Okay.”
“I want you to take the lead.”
I blinked at him, happy for the opposite of my worst thoughts. “Me? What about Chris or Megan? They’ve been here a lot longer. I’m still learning.”
Not that I didn’t appreciate it, but I was still the new girl.
“They’re good, but you have the best rapport with the clients. They like you. I need your personality to shine and show these men why a plate here is so expensive.”
“My smile doesn’t tack on an extra hundred to the bill.”
He chuckled. “No, but you are great at flavor pairing and making sure everything is perfect.”
“Thank you. Really, thank you.”
He grinned at me. “Tomorrow won’t be easy, but you’ll have help. Make me proud.”
“I will. I promise.”
The next morning, I made certain that the large banquet table was impeccably set.
My stomach twisted in anticipation as I readied everything. I wanted to make a good impression for both myself and the restaurant. It would be my first larger party, and I would have Drake around as a helper. He was a little bit squirrelly but friendly.
“Ophelia, they’re here,” Mitchell called as he stuck his head into the kitchen.
I stared up at him and nodded. My nerves kicked in, and I blew out a breath before heading out onto the floor.
The atmosphere at the table screamed money and power, and as I scanned the faces, I tried to guess their drinks. When I got to the head of the table, my mouth dropped open. He hadn’t looked up, but it had only been a few days, and there was no way I would forget.
Sitting at the head of the table was none other than my one-night stand, looking devilishly handsome. When our eyes met, I caught the flash of recognition before it was covered by a look of disgust.
What is that?
I swallowed back the pain of disappointment it caused, realizing he was never going to call me, and plastered on a fake smile to cover my breaking heart. It was a stupid reaction, but I really thought we had a connection.
I was apparently the only one feeling that way. It was obvious he was out of my league, but I couldn’t help but wonder. All of that was out the door, and I had to push that night from my mind. Pry my feelings away from the overwhelming sadness that came from one look as I tried to forget the best night of my life.
“Good day, gentlemen. My name is Ophelia, and I am at your service today.”
- Writer
