CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Nora
“NORA, MY LOVE, do we need to stop by and get you a wax job. It’s been a while since anyone has seen your lady bits. It’s been even longer for Hank, so you could have a full on seventies bush and he’d still dive face first in your beaver.” Zoe’s voice echoes through the dressing room. I can hear the woman in the room next to mine giggle.
I open the door and step out in blue dress number five. It’s been a long morning dress shopping with my sister. We’ve been to four stores looking for the perfect blue dress. I think I’ve found the one in this maxi dress with shades of blue, teal, and purple leaves. “This is our first date, it’s not like we are going to be climbing into bed right away. But, if the moment strikes, I’m more than ready.” I wink at Zoe through the mirror.
“If, oh please.” She snorts. “You’re getting penetration tonight.” She walks up behind me and examines the dress I’m wearing. “Especially if you are wearing this dress. Damn Nora, you look gorgeous. Hank won’t be able to keep his hands off you.”
“That’s what I’m hoping for.” I run my hands along the soft fabric. It still hasn’t fully set in that I’m going out with Hank tonight. I’ve felt oddly calm today. Maybe it’s because Hank and me feel right together, or maybe the freak out is yet to come. But either way, I have this feeling in my heart that tonight will be the start of something amazing.
“I want all the details. I am living vicariously through you.”
“What about the hot cop from the donut shop?” I ask.
“He comes in every morning and we talk and I give him my best flirt, but he still has yet to take the bait.” She sighs. Zoe has been on a dry spell as long as mine. She has put her ballet career before basically everything in her life. She lives and breathes ballet. I haven’t seen her show an interest in a guy in probably three years, so this guy must be something special.
“Maybe he is waiting for the right time. He’s obviously interested if he’s coming in every day. Hell, it took Hank two months before he pulled the trigger.”
“I guess. But we are not talking about my sad life right now. So, do you need a reminder on how sex works?” Zoe makes a circle with her thumb and middle finger and uses her pointer finger on her other hand to simulate penetration. I drop to the floor laughing my ass off.
* * *
I pace back and forth in my room, watching the minutes tick by on my phone. I’ve been ready to go since five. For the past two hours, I’ve touched up my make up six times, changed my shoes four times, and fixed my hair twice. To say I’m excited for this date would be an understatement. I’ve been floating on air all day.
Right as the clock changes to seven, there is a knock on the door. Damn, Hank must have been waiting out in the hallway this whole time. I give my makeup and outfit one last check, I don’t want him to know I’ve been anxiously awaiting his arrival. My hand shakes as I reach for the knob. Slowly, I open the door and let out the breath I didn’t realize I was holding. I’m greeted by Hank’s sexy, sweet smiling face. He looks absolutely scrumptious in his black leather jacket, white t-shirt, and dark jeans. This man could wear a garbage bag and still look sexy as fuck.
“Wow, Nora, you look beautiful.” His smile grows even bigger as he eyes me up and down.
“Thank you. You are looking pretty handsome yourself.” I return his smile, enjoying my own view. Hank reaches his hand out to me and I slide mine into his. A surge of electricity courses through my body. For a moment, I want to pull him into my bedroom and say fuck dinner, let’s start the night with dessert. Stay calm Nora, you have all night to get that man between your legs.
“So where are we going?” I ask, as we make our way downstairs.
“It’s one of my favorite places. They have the best tacos in all of Washington,” he replies.
“Tacos are one of my main food groups.”
Hank leads me past the front door and through the house to the back patio. Now he has me confused. We step out on the deck and to my surprise Hank has set up a picnic for us. There are pillows and blankets laid out on the lawn surrounded by bouquets of roses and peonies. The trees are adorned with twinkle lights and paper lanterns. How did he do all of this without me seeing him?
“Hank, this is . . .” I’m speechless. No one has done anything like this for me before.
“Do you like it?” he asks.
“Hank, I absolutely love it. For a man who has never been much of a dater, you’re pretty romantic.”
“I picked up a thing or two from Colby’s storybooks.” He leads me down to our picnic where there is a feast of street tacos, Spanish rice, chips and guacamole, and a pitcher of margaritas. He thought of everything. “I thought this would be better than going to some crowded restaurant.”
“I think it’s perfect,” I say, taking a seat amongst the pillows. “The food smells amazing.”
Hank cozies up next to me and starts dishing up a plate of tacos for me. “It should, I made it.”
“You made all of this?” My eyes widen in surprise as I look down at my plate of food. I pick up a shredded beef taco and take a bite. A moan escapes my throat. These tacos are like sex in my mouth.
“While you were out with Zoe this morning, I was making dinner.” He sits back against the pillows and watches me devour my plate of food. I’ve only seen Hank make breakfast for Colby. During the week, I make Colby lunch and dinner, and on my days off, I spend my time with my family to give Hank and Colby their space. So, I’ve never gotten the chance to see him work his magic in the kitchen.
“These are the most amazing things I’ve ever eaten,” I mumble between bites. I want to lick my plate clean when I’m done. “If you are half as good in bed as you are at cooking then I’m never letting you out from between my legs.”
His head falls back with laughter. “Only long enough for me to cook for you, right?”
“That’s a given. I need to keep my energy up,” I say with a sly grin.
“Eat up, because you are going to need your energy for what I have planned for us tonight,” he says matter of factly. His statement sends my imagination straight to the gutter. He set up a picnic in the backyard, keeping us close to home. Close to a bed. Get your mind out of the gutter Nora.
I need to change the subject to get my mind off me climbing on top of Hank. “Hank, can I ask you something, and, if I’m stepping out of place, you can tell me to shut up.”
“You can ask me anything, Nora. I will never keep secrets from you,” he replies.
“What happened to Colby’s mom?” The only information I received from the agency when I was getting ready for my interview was that Hank was just a single father. In the short time that I have been working with them, I’ve never seen Colby go visit her mother or heard her ever mention her mom, for that matter.
Hank sets his plate down on the blanket then takes a swig of his beer. “I haven’t spoken to Chloe since the night Colby was conceived. Chloe worked in the dispatch center, and we would run into each other at the local watering hole. Dispatcher’s, cops, and other emergency personnel tend to hang out in the same places. Anyway, I had only spoken to her a couple of times. Too much whiskey mixed with a handful of pills one night, and we ended up in bed together. I woke up the next morning and found the broken condom. At the time, I didn’t think anything of it because Chloe said she was on the pill. After that, she disappeared. I didn’t even know she was pregnant until the morning the social worker showed up at my door telling me I was a father. In the letter that she left at the hospital, Chloe had gone back and forth on whether she wanted to keep Colby or give her up. It wasn’t until Colby was born that she knew in heart she couldn’t raise her. So, she signed away her parental rights and left Colby at the hospital.”
My mouth drops opens in shock. My heart aches for Colby. I can’t even fathom giving up a child. I know it can’t be an easy decision for anyone to give up a child. Maybe it was for the best that Chloe left Colby with Hank. Colby is thriving and so happy and joyful.
“When the social worker said the word baby, I was fully prepared to put Colby up for adoption. I was in no condition to be raising a kid. I was a drug addicted, selfish asshole, and no child deserves to be raised in an environment like that. But then the nurse put Colby in my arms, and I couldn’t see my life without this little girl. She made me the man I am today. Colby is the best mistake to ever happen to me.”
“You saved each other. Do you ever see yourself having more kids?” I ask, secretly hoping he says yes. I’ve always imagined having a big family like the one I grew up with. Maybe not ten kids, but four would be nice.
He cracks a smile as he thinks about his answer. “I would love to have a big family. Growing up, I wished I had siblings, and I want Colby to have some brothers and sisters, especially if they are as beautiful as you.”
A quiet sigh of relief escapes from my lips. “Can we finish dinner before we start making Colby a little brother or sister?” I half tease. I must be insane, I’ve only known this man for a couple of months, and I’m ready for him to put his baby in me.
“I’ve waited this long, what’s a couple more minutes while you finish that taco.” He watches as I slowly bring my last taco to my lips. Just to tease him a little more, I take a tiny nibble and take my dear, sweet time chewing.
He collapses back on the blanket. “You’re killing me, Nora.”