Paige
I USED TO fight the excitement that would wash over me at the thought of seeing Sean, but now I welcome it. Maybe I’m letting my guard down, but the idea of us doesn’t terrify me like it used to. I still have my moments where I have to chase away the panic, but they come around less and less. The realization brings a smile to my face as I give myself a once-over in the mirror. Sean wouldn’t tell me where we were going on our date tonight, only that there would be food. Since I wasn’t sure how fancy this place would be, I went with a simple black dress that hugs my curves and strappy black heels. I just finished tucking a loose curl into place when my doorbell rings.
A swarm of butterflies take flight knowing I’ll see his bright smile in mere seconds. And when I open up the door, he doesn’t disappoint.
“You’re gorgeous.” He tells me this daily, but my reaction is always the same as my cheeks turn pink and I become tongue-tied. I swallow hard when he pins me with his appreciative stare and heart-stopping grin. Even the butterflies are swooning. After he steps into my condo, his arms sling low around my hips and pull me close.
“You don’t look bad yourself.” With charcoal gray slacks and a light blue buttoned-down shirt, his eyes stand out like a single star in the dark of night.
A boyish grin crosses his face. “You ready?”
I nod and say, “Where are we going?” I bite my lip to hide my smile, hoping he finally tells me.
“You know I’m not telling you.” The amusement in his tone gives away that he’s enjoying this.
“Why not?” I try not to sound like a petulant teenager, but pretty sure I fail.
He leans in close, invading all of my senses until the hairs on my arms stand on end. “Delayed gratification,” he whispers in my ear. Pulling away, his boyish grin morphs into a cocky one that knows the affect he has on me.
Damn him.
My arms cross over my chest. “Oh, we’ll see whose gratification is delayed later tonight.”
The amusement in his eyes only heightens my annoyance. After I lock up my place, he helps me into his car and we’re on our way.
Truth be told, I’m really not upset about his mysterious plans, but this is who we are. He does little things he knows will annoy me, and I act like it bothers me more than it does. Maybe that’s why I’ve been single for so long. Other men couldn’t see my attitude was my way of joking and giving them a hard time, but Sean welcomes it. Hell, I think he even likes it.
He’s perfect for me.
Those four words send a chill up my spine that I can’t shake. Yes, we’ve known each other for a while now, but we’ve only recently ventured into this new area of our relationship, and thinking in terms of perfection is way too soon.
“Seriously, where are we going?” I ask again, knowing he’s not going to tell me, but I need something to break the silence and distract my mind.
“You’ll see,” he replies.
“Come on, you know I hate being kept in the dark.”
“Then you’re really going to hate where I’m taking you.” His small clue does nothing for me. “Stop being a control freak and relax.”
My mouth parts open in mock offense. “I am not a control freak.”
“Oh, really? Did you or did you not insist on folding all of the baby shower napkins a certain way so they’d all look the same?”
I look at him from the corner of my eye as the expression on my face falls. “Whatever.” I look out my window and mutter, “They looked pretty that way.” His deep chuckle hits my ears and I have to fight back my own grin.
“Chin up, buttercup, we’re here.”
“After Dark?” I ask as I read the sign. “I’ve never heard of this place before.” Without responding, he gets out of the car and comes around to open my door.
“It’s new. A dining experience unlike any other.” He holds his hand out to me and I take it.
“Welcome to After Dark,” the hostess greets us. The room is dimly lit with a large set of double doors behind it. I look around, slightly confused by the lack of tables or other guests, but what perplexes me most is the strange set of goggles on her head.
“Have you two dined with us before?” she asks.
“No,” we respond in unison.
“Awesome! I’ll explain a few things before we go inside, and your waiter will take it from there.” She goes on to tell us how we’ll order now, then be led into a pitch black dining room where the wait staff will navigate with night vision goggles. I’m apprehensive, but also excited to experience something completely new with Sean. She wasn’t kidding when she said it would be dark. I literally cannot see my hand when I hold it up to my face. My eyes widen, like they’re searching for any source of light to reflect off of. I scuffle my feet, afraid I’ll run into or trip over something. Sean must sense my anxiety because he gives my hand a gentle squeeze. I can’t see him, but I imagine he’s looking at me to help settle my nerves. Even though he makes my heart beat erratically, he has the same ability to calm me when I’m on the verge of panic.
We’re helped into our seats across from each other when I notice soft chatter around me, letting me know we’re not alone in here.
“You okay?” Sean asks.
“Yeah, just trying to adjust. Is the hostess still here?” If she said her name, I missed it, and since I can’t see her, I figure she’ll say something right now if she hasn’t left.
“No, she said she’d send our waiter in with our drinks shortly.” A stretch of silence passes before he breaks it again. “They say when your body is deprived of one sense, your other senses heighten to compensate. Can you tell the difference?”
I give myself a second to process the experience. Normally I never hear neighboring conversations when I’m out to eat, but as the other guests carry on with their dinner, I find it almost impossible not to eavesdrop.
“Yeah, I feel like I can hear everything.”
“Just wait until the food gets here.”
“Hey, guys,” a voice comes out of nowhere, startling me. “My name is Jim and I’ll be your server tonight. I’ve got your drinks here and I’m setting them at your two o’clock. Your appetizer will be out shortly, is there anything else I can get you in the meantime?”
“No, thanks,” I reply.
“We’re good,” Sean says.
“Perfect. A member of our staff is always watching from the perimeter of the room, so if you need anything, just hold up your hand and we’ll be with you right away.”
Footsteps follow his last instruction and I know he’s walked away.
Chair legs scraping across the floor directly in front of me grabs my attention next. “Sean?”
“To your left, gorgeous.” He’s closer than I was expecting and not across from me anymore. But it’s not his voice that causes me to jump, it’s his hand on my leg that’s reaching higher and higher.
“What are you doing?” I whisper.
“Just making sure all of your senses are alert.” His voice is low and husky and that alone has my core throbbing. Suddenly, he’s not touching me anymore. My skin is on fire, anticipating when and where he’ll touch me again. A breath gets trapped in my throat when one finger lands on my collarbone, trailing toward the middle and down my sternum.
“How does that feel?” he asks.
“G-good,” I whisper. My heart beats in my ears and it’s the only thing I can hear.
“What’s going through your mind as you wonder if I’ll touch you again?” he asks as his hand leaves my body again.
“How much I miss it. How much I want it. My body feels coiled up tight waiting for it.” My words are breathy even to my own ears. My only hope is that none of our fellow patrons are listening.
“So if I touch you . . . here . . .” I jump and arch my back as his hand palms my breast.
“Sean.” I’m not sure what I’m asking for, but I want more and I don’t think I can get it here.
But my arousal is doused when a throat clears next to us. “Your appetizers are at your twelve o’clock,” our server announces.
I. Want. To. Die.
There’s no telling how long he’s been standing there listening to us. When the realization hits me that he could not only hear us, but see us, it takes every ounce of strength not to slide off my chair and hide under the table.
“Thanks,” Sean says, sounding completely unfazed.
Yet again, footsteps notify me of our waiter’s retreat. How I didn’t hear him approaching the table goes to show how distracted I am when Sean is this close to me. When his hands are on me, nothing else around us exists.
“Oh my God, Sean, he totally just saw you cop a feel.”
“Then we should get a discount for providing a show.”
“If I could see, I’d hit you right now,” I deadpan.
His deep chuckle fills the dark space between us. “I know what to get you for your birthday.” His words are muffled, indicating he’s talking around a bite of food.
“What?” I ask.
“A blindfold.”
I’m pretty sure I’m red from head to toe right now. With no response on the tip of my tongue, I reach forward for some cheese they paired with the wine I ordered.
We fall into an easy conversation, my earlier embarrassment and lapse in judgment forgotten as our server brings out the rest of our food.
“Can I ask you something?” Sean asks after we start eating.
“You just did,” I reply sarcastically.
“Oh, someone is funny tonight,” he replies, mirth evident in his tone.
“Go ahead.” My own amusement coats my words.
“What made you hesitate?”
My eyebrows pull in. “Hesitate about what?”
“Me.”
One word is all he gives with no further explanation, not that one is needed. Without his watchful gaze, answering these types of questions is easier. Maybe hearing the answer is for him as well.
“Honestly, it was your pickup lines. I wasn’t lying when I said I thought you were a player, and the lines further perpetuated my belief. I figured it was just a game to get into my pants for you.”
“Do you think that now?” The normal humor in his voice is absent, leaving nothing but utter seriousness in its place.
The answer is easy, and for once I don’t second-guess myself. I don’t hide and lay down the truth in front of us. “No.”
“Good.”
There’s a small lull in conversation as we finish our meal, and I’m dying to know what he’s thinking. My small admission feels like a huge deal. With every truth I admit to not only myself, but to Sean, it’s like our relationship takes another turn toward something more serious. At first, I’m not sure how to feel about this, but if I take a second to calm the hell down, I realize I don’t hate it. In fact, I’m starting to get used to the idea.
“I just wanted to make you smile,” he says after a while. My silence must give way to slight confusion because he continues. “That’s why I’d say that stuff to you. It’s not because I thought they worked, but I thought they were so dumb it’d make you laugh and relax. You were always so serious around me and you can’t fault a guy for wanting to see a smile as pretty as yours.”
My arms fold over my chest. “Is that another line?” I ask, skepticism lacing my voice.
“No. It’s the truth. Paige, I’m just going to lay it all out for you, okay? I may not be the funniest guy there is, but I am honest. I’ll never lie to you. Ever. In the very beginning, you posed a challenge. You were different and no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t get you out of my head. It didn’t take me long to realize my attraction to you wasn’t about a challenge, it was about needing you in my life. I don’t intend to break your heart, but you forget your feelings aren’t the only ones on the line.”
His words aren’t hollow, but firm with conviction. I know without a doubt he’s not saying these things to butter me up, but because he wholeheartedly believes them. It helps me believe in us.
An audible sigh leaves his mouth. “I don’t know how else to convince you, but I’ve been falling for you since you snarled at me in disgust at that bar two and a half years ago.”
He’s rendered me speechless.
Falling for me?
But isn’t that what I’ve been doing too?
I raise my hand high in the air, and like promised, someone is at our table within seconds. “How can I help you?” an unfamiliar voice asks.
“Can we have our check, please?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“What’s the rush?” Sean asks, but I can tell he knows exactly why I want out of here.
“Time for you to finish what you started before the appetizers interrupted us.”
“My pleasure,” he all but growls.
“Mine too.”