Chapter 5
Davina shouldn’t have felt as nervous as she did Saturday morning. She was supposed to be going out with Marcel later that day, but she was a bed of nerves. All she could think about was the lingering look he had given her the last time they were together. There had been something in his eyes when she had agreed to go out to the country with him. It was clear to her that he wanted her to see where he came from and she liked that he wanted to share that with her. Now she just had to figure out what she was going to do with him. He was her boss, but she wanted something more and even without any pushing, it seemed to be naturally going somewhere else.
She changed her outfit more times than she cared to admit and ended up with a light sun dress in a bright white that seemed to make her hair and eyes pop. It wasn’t something that she would usually wear in the office and that was the point. Davina wanted her boss to see her in a new light as she was starting to see him in a different light.
It was the longest day of her life and it was only half over before it started getting good. He finally called her a few minutes before he was supposed to arrive and her heart started slamming in her chest. She had to stop herself from getting worked up, not wanting to be breathless and void of brain when he finally came.
The buzzer finally went off and she was putting on some red lipstick in the mirror. Going to the panel by the door, she buzzed him up and opened the door a crack before going back into the bathroom to smooth her hair down and give herself just the last few seconds that she needed to get herself together.
She heard him call her name out as he pushed the door open. “I am in here, I will be out in a minute, just make yourself at home.”
Davina smiled at herself through the reflection. He was finally there. Walking out, he was sitting on the edge of the couch and he didn’t look very comfortable at all in the low-slung futon. He immediately stood up and his dark brown eyes darkened further. His dark hair was slicked back and he was looking damn good. Davina increased the wattage of her smile, unable to help herself. He was looking really good. The suit was more casual, but tailored to fit him perfectly.
“You look amazing Davina.”
“You too.”
They both just looked at each other for a few more beats and then she walked into the kitchen, asking him if he wanted a drink. “Since I have a driver tonight, yes, please.”
“Are you having a bad day?”
He shook his head. “No, just seems like I was waiting all day to see you.”
She stopped pouring the whiskey and met his eyes. It was the exact way that she had felt, that time was conspiring against her in some way to make her wait even longer. It wasn’t fair, and all she could do was agree. “Yes, the day did seem extra long.”
“I am glad it wasn’t just me.”
Davina finally finished pouring the drink and slid it over to him. “Sorry it’s not that good. I like my liquor cheap and effective.”
“I am no judge. Last summer I got ahold of a batch of moonshine and that was about all we drank on the drives.”
“Drives?”
“The cattle drive.”
She gave him a look that told him that she had no idea what he was talking about. He tried to explain it, but it became clear that it was not something that a city slicker was going to get. “You will get it more when we get to the ranch. Have you ever ridden a horse before?”
“Years ago my grandmother had one. I haven’t in a long time though, so I am looking forward to that more than I am this concert.”
Marcel looked at her a little surprised. He had her pegged moments before for a girl that was hopeless. “How can you ride and not know what a cattle drive is?”
Davina shrugged, “I don’t know. I rode the horse and there were no cows around to move I guess. I only got to ride when I went to visit her, so like I said, it has been a long time. I miss it, the quiet nights out there, but I don’t know if I could live out there. It is so quiet.”
His heart had rose and fell in the same minute. He was hoping to change her mind about the country, knowing that it was where she needed to be. It was where he needed to be. “There are good things about both places. I just don’t think I could think if I lived here long. I am already trying to block out the noise with ear plugs.”
“You just have to embrace it. It’s alive.”
“I am just going to take your word for it and use the ear plugs.”
“Is it really that bad?”
“No, just different.”
“Different can be good sometimes.”
“It definitely seems that way.”
Davina found herself blushing and she took a quick drink of the fiery liquid.
“So are you ready?”
He nodded and finished off his glass before helping her downstairs with a hand on her elbow. Davina liked the way he treated her. Marcel didn’t treat her like most men did. Most men could only be bothered to get in her pants and he had never been that way with her, even if sometimes she wished it were so.
Marcel held the door open for her and waited patiently for her to get in before he got in beside her. He was not used to being driven around, but it was better than driving in the madness. He knew that he had to love her if he had agreed to stay even an extra day that he didn’t have to. But all he had thought about since meeting her was Davina and the spell that she had put over him. It wasn’t natural and even though he wanted to know what more was there, he still wasn’t sure if his advances were wanted.
The concert was loud and they didn’t get to talk much, but when Marcel did have something to say to her, he was leaning in to say it in her ear. He had to be close enough that she could feel his breath on her earlobe and she shivered as he pulled away just from asking if she wanted something to drink. She had declined, but wished that he would ask her something else.
When it was over, she invited him over to her place for a night cap, but he had other plans. “Why don’t we just drive down there tonight and you can stay in the guest room? That way I can take you to the bluffs to see the sunrise in the morning. It really is the best part of living out there.”
“I don’t have anything packed.”
“It’s fine. We will drive back to your place, pick up what you need and then we can be on our way. It takes a few hours to get there, but there will still be all day tomorrow. Can start fresh with a beautiful sky.”
She giggled. “You really want to go tonight don’t you?”
“Yes. I know you will love it as much as I do. There is an extra room, better than a hotel.”
“That’s fine. It will be nice to get away.”
“Good,” Marcel was grinning and he looked boyishly handsome to her in that moment. Davina had a feeling that she was going to see a part of him that she hadn’t seen before and she was ready for something new.