Chapter 14
Zane
I didn’t know what to think about Kathryn’s attitude toward me as I guided her out of the park and down the street. She seemed to like me and find me attractive, and I got the impression she wanted to sleep with me. But it also felt like she was constantly trying to catch me in a lie.
And I was struggling to cover myself and tell enough truth to keep her from being suspicious, while not giving too much away.
The more I thought about it, the more I decided that maybe it was for the best. There was definitely a mutual attraction, and it might be good to keep things on a physical level. If we satisfied our baser urges, that could be enough. I wasn’t in a place to be anything more to her, if I was honest with myself, and she was still taken. I assumed she hadn’t called it off with her man just to meet me in the park. If we kept things on a sexual level, neither of us had to get hurt.
Deciding to see if I could play the game, I reached for her hand as we finally cleared the activity of the park. She looked up at me in surprise, but she didn’t pull away. In fact, she purposefully adjusted her grip so our fingers were interlaced. It sent a shockwave up my arm, and I found myself picturing our bodies wrapped together just as fully.
“Your hands are so smooth,” she commented.
I smiled and told her, “I spend a lot of time with my hands wet, behind a bar, so I have a strict regimen of lotion and cream to keep them from chapping or getting calluses.” With a mischievous grin, I added, “It also comes in handy when I want to touch smooth skin on someone else’s body.”
I watched her shiver and saw her pupils dilate in response. Good, I was giving her dirty, naughty thoughts. That would make it easier to draw her in and take things a step further after dinner.
“Where are we going?” she asked, frowning. We’d walked a few blocks now, and she was probably getting antsy. And if she was as hungry as I was, I didn’t blame her.
I pointed just ahead. “Right there.” The Second to None Steak and Brewery was half a block away, a swanky joint that was quiet, out of the way, and offered some really delicious cuisine.
Her eyes went wide, and she looked down at herself. “Alexander, I can’t go in there.”
“Why not?” I asked, confused.
She gestured to her sundress. “I’m not dressed for it. That’s a really nice place, and I’m in casual clothes.”
I shook my head and scoffed. “Are you kidding me? You look amazing, and I guarantee you’re more beautiful in that sundress than anyone in there wearing something more formal.” I took advantage of our linked hands and pulled her closer to me, giving her a heated gaze. “Besides, I really like looking at you in that dress. I like all the skin that shows and the way it shows off all your assets.”
Kathryn’s blush was dark, and she averted her eyes. I laughed and told her, “Come on, I’m just being honest.”
I played the gentleman, opening the door for her and holding it as I guided her in with a hand at the small of her back. I asked for a table in the corner, slipping a twenty to the host while Kathryn looked around at the low level lighting against the dark wood seats and bright white tablecloths. If anyone was underdressed, it was me, and I didn’t care. I was too busy admiring the rear view of Kathryn in that dress.
Once we were seated, I saw her relax, her shoulders not so tense. I thought maybe I could ply the rest of her hesitance away if I ordered something to drink, so I asked for a sweet red that was high end but not overly expensive. She narrowed her gaze and said, “I told you I wasn’t a big drinker.”
I shrugged. “Have a glass with me. Or don’t. Or have three, if you want. You know what I think? I think you set too many rules for yourself and you should just live a little. After all, you only live once. And I want to experience everything that I think will satisfy my desires.”
That ruffled her feathers, but for once, she didn’t blush. Instead, she shrugged and retorted, “I’m very picky, but a girl can be persuaded from time to time.”
So, now we were on a level playing field. I wasn’t the only one sending signals, and I realized I’d read her right all along. She had complications – we both did – but she wanted to escape them as much as I did. And she wanted to find that escape with me. I was more than ready to up the ante, and I knew I’d find every possible opening over dinner to hit her with another innuendo.
As the waiter poured our first glasses of wine, I held mine up for a toast. “To meeting new people and experiencing all the pleasures life has to offer.”
She quirked a brow and added, “To wine, spirits, and bringing people together without inhibitions.”
I liked where this was going, and we hadn’t even ordered dinner yet. Kathryn was taking my cues and running with them, coming onto me brazenly and with heart. I definitely liked being the recipient of her little quips, but I was also starting to get a little hot under the collar. I would have to slow down the progress of the conversation, or I wouldn’t be able to hold out until after we ate. I was finding it hard to concentrate already.
We were on our third glass of wine by the time the food arrived, and I knew Kathryn had to be pretty tipsy, considering I was a little heady myself. Wine usually had a quicker effect on me anyway, and with so little for lunch, we were pretty much drinking on empty stomachs. It was going straight to the brain.
“You better slow down a little,” she laughed as the waiter poured a fourth glass. “You work at the club tonight, don’t you?”
I waved it off. “I can make my own schedule. I don’t have to go in tonight, if I don’t want to.”
She looked at me funny. “You must have a pretty cool boss.”
I grinned. “Trust me, I’ve earned the clout. Nobody will question me if I don’t come in.” I was feeling pretty cocky, and I wasn’t thinking straight.
“Clout? I thought you were a bartender, and one of those promotional people.” She looked confused but even more suspicious, and I realized my slip.
Backtracking a little, I told her, “I am, but I bring in more business than anyone else. It gives me a lot of freedom, and as long as I keep the bars covered and have my guy there to manage things, I don’t have to show my face.”
“Your guy?” She put her fork down, and I could see the effects of the wine wearing off. I had slipped again, and I didn’t know how to fix it this time. “Alexander, you’re not making a lot of sense right now. I’d like an explanation. Maybe the truth this time.”
I was angry with myself, and while I hadn’t really said anything that meant I wasn’t what I’d said I was before – especially since I’d been so vague – I knew I couldn’t stick to the story entirely. I had to find an explanation that was suitable, without telling Kathryn I owned the Machine.
Folding my hands and trying to look humbled and apologetic, I told her, “The truth is, I’m an assistant manager at the Machine. But my role changes all the time, just like I told you before, so I don’t really consider myself a manager. I feel more like a jack of all trades, and I really like bartending best. I told you the truth from the start about that, Kathryn, and I need you to believe me. I just didn’t use a title because my title doesn’t mean much in the grand scheme of things.” And none of that was really a lie, either. My title meant nothing without my employees, and with a manager I could trust, I only assisted in the management of my club.
But she didn’t seem to be buying it, at least, not entirely. “Come on, Alexander. No guy who manages at a prestigious club like that fails to tell a girl he wants to take out on a date exactly what he does. Why do you always seem to have something to hide? There’s no reason you couldn’t have said you were a manager at the club. Why would you skirt the issue?”
Once again, I found myself without a good answer. I fell back on a cliché. “I wanted you to like me for who I was, not what I was.”
She sat back in her seat and glared at me, obviously waiting for a better response. I sighed. “Come on, Kathryn, I’m sorry. I didn’t lie to you, not really. And if it feels that way, I apologize. That wasn’t my intention at all. Can you forgive me? I mean, look what a good time we’re having. It would be a shame not to see where this goes.”
Kathryn looked torn, but I could see her resolve fading. I had her convinced to let it go, and I breathed a sigh of relief.
A moment too soon.
“Zane!”
Had I not looked up, Kathryn wouldn’t have known the difference, and I could have blown it off as someone who had mistaken me for someone else. But when I heard my name, my head instinctively popped up.
Wes was waving at me, headed our direction. Of course, my manager had to show up with the poorest timing ever. Kathryn had just relaxed, and now I could see her sense of betrayal rearing its head as she realized I answered to a name that wasn’t Alexander.
But I couldn’t explain anything with Wes right there.
“Hey, man, how’s it going?” he asked, smiling comfortably and eyeing Kathryn with a confused look.
I was in deep shit, and I had to crawl out of it in a hurry. I turned to Kathryn, looking for a way to ease into this, but her face was a mask of rage.
Before I could say anything, she clipped out, “I appreciate your hospitality, Zane, but I can’t stay.”
She was on her feet and storming out before I knew what was happening. I stared after her for a moment, but Wes was still standing there, and I had to deal with that first.
“Is everything all right?” he asked. “Who was that little hottie?”
Under any other circumstances, I probably would have clocked him for talking about a woman I was into with such disrespect. But I shook my head. I had to go after her. I couldn’t just let her leave without trying to clear things up. This was far too important to me. I couldn’t put my finger on where the desperation came from, or why Kathryn had become so important, but I refused to stand by and watch her walk away from me yet again. All because I couldn’t control the universe and keep people out of my business long enough to get through a pleasant dinner. After all, I would have eventually gotten around to a better explanation of who I was. I just wasn’t ready yet, and she obviously wasn’t ready to hear it.
Blowing off his question and needing to cover my tracks, I said, “She’s an old friend from college.”
His confusion cleared. “She’s gorgeous. I’d ask if she’s taken, but I’m not sure I can handle that much emotion. She seems a little…high strung.”
I shrugged, anxious to get away. “Women typically are, right? Listen, I’ve got to go see what’s wrong with her. I’ll catch up with you later, all right? Don’t expect me to come in tonight.”
I threw some cash on the table – enough to cover the meal and a large tip – and rushed out the door before he could say anything else. I didn’t want to answer any more questions, and I didn’t want to waste any time catching up with Kathryn.
I burst out the front door of the restaurant and looked both ways, but she was nowhere in sight. She had to have caught a cab. I wasn’t going to let this go, so I hailed one myself and gave the driver her address. I was determined to fix this.