Chapter Fourteen
Emily
I wait almost impatiently for Marvin to show up after being back for nearly a week, I can’t go a day without seeing him. It’s as if I have a constant craving to be with him.
We’re supposed to go out to dinner, and I’ve been ready for a while because I’m too excited. I didn’t even bother to go to the office today. I just spent most of the day trying to figure out what to wear and catching up on some sleep. One thing about us is once we get started, we don’t know how to stop.
The business is coming along nicely with Marvin's help, and I have fun thinking of all the ways I can reward him for all the help he’s giving me.
I find myself thinking all too much of Marvin lately.
There are the occasional thoughts, where I wonder what I mean to Marvin, compared to what he means to me. He seems to care about me and doesn’t want our time together to end. He even offers me more help than we agreed on, and I have hope that it isn't just an extension of our original deal. But he's so hard to read, it's difficult to guess what he thinks, and I’m not confident enough to just come out with it and ask.
My doorbell rings bringing me out of my thoughts. I grab my purse from the couch than head for the door, taking a second to catch my breath before opening the door.
Marvin is on the other side, breathtaking in another of his tailored suits. At one point, I found him intimidating, but now, all I can think about is seeing him without clothes, and I blush every time such thoughts enter my mind.
“Are you ready to go?” he asks, holding out his arm for me to take.
“Of course,” I reply breezily, sliding my arm into his. I’ve gotten good at acting like I’m not flustered by him. Now, if I could stop the blushing habit, it would be even better.
By the smirk he aims at me, he probably knows what I’m thinking. His eyes trace over my body, and I bite my lip, pleased at the look of satisfaction in them.
“Every time I think you can get even more beautiful,” he murmurs, taking my hand from his elbow to kiss the back of it, before placing it back. “You just keep proving me wrong.”
“Every time I think you can't get even more cheesy,” I say teasingly as we walk out of my apartment building and out into the cold air, “you just keep proving me wrong.”
Marvin just chuckles. I’m looking forward to our date, but also to what comes after if I would go to his place or he would return to mine.
We walk to his car, Marvin circling with me and holding onto my hand as I climb in, then he closes the door and moves to the driver's side. Once he's seated, he sends a smirk my way, then the car is on, and we're moving.
“We’re going to Del Posto. I know how much you love Italian food?”
He knows me so well, as a kid, my dream was to visit Italy.
“You’re spoiling me.”
He nods, “You’re worth it.”
He lifted up my hand and kissed it. I can get used to this type of treatment. I don’t know what part I love the most. The fact that he’s so caring and always thinking about the best way to take care of me. It’s the little things that a girl likes. Not the fancy restaurants, but just paying attention to the things we like.
Marvin’s more than any man that I’ve ever known, and he makes me want him not just for now, but always.
“I spoke to Ben last night. It was a bit weird when he asked what I was doing tonight and if we could meet up.”
“Oh, if you wanted to meet up with dad then that’s fine.”
He shakes his head while keeping his eye on the road.
“It’s not that. I’m just trying to think how to talk to him about us. I’ll have to do it eventually.”
“I know, but I don’t want to think about it tonight. Can we just spend a lovely evening out.”
“Eating pasta?”
“Exactly!”
I’m sticking my head under the carpet as far as my parents are concerned, I know that it’s a path that I’ll have to cross. I just don’t want to do that right now.
Two weeks ago, I’d come to the realization that I may have to lose my business. My parents are not going to take our relationship lightly, and we both know it. So, until we get to that bridge, I just want to enjoy him.
It doesn’t take long for us to arrive and I’ve always wanted to eat here, but I’ve never been able to afford it. I want to look around the restaurant, but my eyes are more focused on my date. As soon as he gives his name and we’re seated, Marvin blurts out, “I have a request tonight.”
I take a deep breath as I think back to the conversation in the car, wondering if it has something to do with my parents.
“What?”
“Can we please not talk about work tonight?”
I smile, pleasantly surprised by the request and more than willing to give in.
"Of course," I answer easily.
The meal is brought out to us, and it's as amazing as I thought it would be. We each get a different dish, but he lets me taste his. It’s all so delicious I can't tell which I prefer, and he offers an exchange, half of mine for half of his, so we can each taste everything.
“This is so good, Marvin,” I almost moan on another bite.
Marvin chuckles at me. “I’ll be taking you to a few of my favorite places around the city, but we can always come back here whenever you want.”
“Definitely,” I say with enthusiasm, and we go on to have a little discussion about other restaurants we’ve gone to, foods that we like.
It's not all innocent, of course. We’re getting on and flirting with each other, Marvin’s offering me food on his fork just to watch my mouth as I eat, and me doing the same as I pick up the cue from him and feed him from my plate.
“You didn’t make a mess. Where did the clumsy girl go to?”
I wink at him, “I can show you where she went to?”
He stiffens up and then abruptly asks for the bill. If only we could spend one night, without thinking of sex, then it would be amazing, but something always makes one of us want to go home early.
Tonight, it was my turn as I looked at the lady eating ice-cream and all I could think about was Marvin scooping up my pussy with his tongue.
He pinches my butt as we head out of the restaurant and growls, “You’re such a bad girl.”
That’s when I bump into someone. A person that I love to hate. Brenda Keeps, the CEO of the Silk Box. The company that’s been dragging me down and I needed Marvin to pick me right up.
“Watch it!”
She pushes me away from her and then I bounce in the direction of Marvin.
I’m just about to say something when she smiles, a sexy, seductive smile. Totally different to what she was doing a few minutes ago.
“Oh, Marvin. I never saw you.”
I watch as Marvin seems indifferent and wants to pull me away from her.
“What? You know her. How?”
Brenda’s blurts out, “See you in the morning, Marvin.”
He’s pulling me away, and I think that she’s laughing as Marvin’s refusing to answer my question. I’m not getting in the car with him.
No way!
“What does she mean about to see you in the morning? How do you know her? Why would you be seeing her in the morning?”
I think that I’m starting to answer my questions, but I’m throwing my hands up in the air because I want Marvin to respond to me right now. But he’s quiet. That can only mean one thing. I hate causing a scene in public, but I need to know the truth right now.
“Marvin?”
“Can we talk about this at home?”
I shake my head, “No. I can’t wait that long.”
“Fine, seeing as you want to hear it. I own the Silk Box. You happy now.”
“No, but I’m going home alone. Don’t follow me and don’t call. I don’t care what you have to say about it. Everything that’s happened has been a lie.”
“No. Not the way I feel…”
“Save it, Marvin! I’m not interested. At what point were you going to tell me that the one company that’s ruined mine, just happens to be one of yours?”
He smirks, “I thought that we agreed that you destroyed your company. Not the other way around.”
Wow!
“I can’t believe that you just said that, but then again what should I expect from a snake. You used me, knowing that you could have helped me a long time ago.”
He starts to head to the driver’s side.
“If that’s what you want to believe then fine. I wanted to talk about this at home. Behind closed doors, not on the street like animals. I think you’ll find that you used me too. You never came to Vegas for a good time! You went for the money.”
Then he gets in his car, and then he leaves me on the side of the street like a hooker. I hated Marvin when I thought that he was using money as a means to get me hot and bothered under the sheets.
But now I hate him even more, not only for the secret. But for saying that I’d slept with him for the money, even if it was the truth.