Chapter Three
~Nolan~
Filthy’s Dump was a great little bar, one of those hidden treasures just off the beaten path. For some reason, it reminded me of Bailey’s coffee shop, a place I could see myself becoming a regular in. The only difference was the smell of stale beer and popcorn rather than the strong perfume of coffee grounds and sweet spices. I changed my mind and ordered a draft after waiting twenty minutes. Bailey wasn’t late, it was only quarter to, but it felt like the last twenty minutes had taken an hour to pass.
The more I thought about Bailey, the more I wondered if I was making the right move. It had been over three years since I even considered asking a man on more than one date. One night stands and a quick romp in the hay kept me happy. That was, until Bailey forced my heart to beat with a bit more elation.
I vowed my past was not going to rule my head and I meant exactly that. Not everyone was a cheater, not everyone lied. And just because I got the wrong end of the stick shoved up my ass in the past, figuratively speaking, of course, didn’t mean that my future was set in the same direction. I was ready to move forward and if Bailey was going to be part of that move, then so be it. However, taking it slow would be wise, I believed that Bailey was worth my time and my effort. Who knew, maybe he was the one and it was just a matter of time before I realized.
“Is that for me?” Bailey caused me to jump from my thinking as he took the seat opposite me and grinned.
The waitress followed behind Bailey and took our orders and as she walked away Bailey slipped out of his jacket and draped it over the back of his chair. He had a deliciously distracting physique.
“Is what for you?”
“Well, it’s gone now, but you had the most amazing smile on your face when I came in.”
His testimonial caused a red-hot blush to wash over my cheeks. “I was thinking about you, so I’m sure it was all for you.”
“All good thoughts I hope,” Bailey sat back as the waitress set cardboard coasters on the table and our drinks. Bailey handed her a twenty. “Keep the change, darlin’.”
“Are you hungry?” I changed the subject without him noticing, or if he did he never let on.
“Not really, but you go ahead and get something if you like.”
“Nope, I’m good. I ate a late dinner once I got my ass out of bed,” I confessed with a titter, lifting my glass to my mouth and taking a long haul of foam from the lip of the mug.
“Do you sometimes feel like Dracula?” Bailey snickered. “I know I do. It’s like sunlight doesn’t exist in my world.”
“Yeah, sometimes,” I agreed. “There are times that the only daylight I see is when I get out of bed long enough to pee.”
We laughed and clinked our glasses together.
“You working tonight?” Bailey asked.
“Yeah.”
“What it is you do at the station?”
“I don’t want to talk about work, okay?” I skipped around the subject. I wanted to get to know Bailey better before he found out about my could-turn-things-awkward career. “Tell me what you would like to do tonight.”
“The game is on,” Bailey pointed to the big screen. “We could just stay here watch the Braves beat the Cubs to a pulp and get to know each other better.”
“Braves fan, huh?” I leaned back dipping my hand into my front jeans pocket and slammed a twenty-dollar bill on the table. “Twenty says the Braves don’t have a chance against the Cubs.”
“I’ll take that bet, plus the loser buys the next round.” Bailey matched my twenty with his, placing the tables salt shaker on top and waved the waitress over.
~
~Bailey~
“So, why the secrecy about your job, is it illegal?” I asked Nolan, lifting the salt shaker and slipping the bills into my pocket with a grin.
“Of course not.”
“We can do this all night,” I assured him. “Or you can just tell me now and get it over with.”
“I don’t like to talk about my work, people tend to judge before they know me,” he told me as I watched him take a long haul from his beer glass, licking the foam from his upper lip.
“You work in a radio station, what’s to judge?” I asked, utterly confused. “Besides, we’ve kind of been an item for a while and I think it’s only fair, especially since all we seem to talk about is the coffee shop. I’m bored talking about coffee and me.”
“Fair enough,” Nolan agreed. Taking his wallet from his hip pocket, he opened it and tossed it on the table in front of me.
“No shit?” My jaw gaped open, as I read his license. “You’re a doctor? Why would they need a doctor at a radio station?”
“I’m a doctor of psychiatry, a therapist actually,” Nolan clarified. I could feel a momentary hesitance to continue though. “…a sex therapist.”
Eyeing Nolan, he shrugged lazily and gulped down another mouthful of beer, waiting for a reaction that never came. I intentionally held back, knowing how it felt to be under the microscope. I sensed he had more to say and waited, swiping condensation off of my glass with a napkin before taking a drink.
“And what does a sex therapist do at a radio station?” I had to ask the obvious question.
“I host a radio show called The Doctor’s In. Basically, I help people with relationship issues, help them spice things up in the bedroom, therefore helping cement their relationships. I’m like the Ann Landers of radio.” The way he reacted to the teasing on my face made me laugh. “And before you ask, no, I do not engage in sexual activity or watch patients while they do.”
“The thought never crossed my mind,” I sustained my laughter, because that was the first thing I thought of.
“Bullshit.” Nolan rolled his beautiful mocha brown eyes.
“So, you do what Doctor Ruth does, except you do it without the accent.”
“Fuck off,” Nolan laughed, knocking my elbow, the beer in my glass swishing precariously close to the rim.
“Hmm…” I hummed narrowing my eyes, allowing him to think I was sizing him up.
“What?” Nolan asked.
“So, I’m dating a sex therapist.”
“And?” he asked.
“And I you haven’t got a decent kiss from you yet.”
“I’ve kissed you.”
“Yeah, on the forehead or the cheek, like your little sister,” I held up my palm like a stop sign. “Oh, hang on. I think you may have grazed the corner of my mouth at one point. I get more intimate kisses from Sierra at Christmas time when I hand over her bonus check.”
Nolan removed the glass from my grasp with a playful sneer. He reached around me, grasping hold of my seat and yanked it around to face him. Our knees mingled as he wrapped his hand around the nape of my neck and pulled me towards him, stopping an inch from my lips. His breath smelled of beer as his eyes slowly scanned over my face, memorizing each and every feature. It was sexy as hell, zapping the breath from my lungs.
“What are you doing?” I asked.
Nolan’s tongue swiped invitingly across his lips. “Making it last.”
“What?”
“This.”
His lips softly touched my forehead. His eyes slowly closed as he tenderly trailed kisses against each eyelid and across each cheek. My lips parted as the tip of his tongue probing along the seam of my lips, his fingers snaking into my hair, the palm of his hand holding my head in place while he kissed me deeply. Sucking his tongue into my mouth as he moaned, his eyes opening meeting mine and he pulled away.
“Mmm…” I hummed, licking my lips with an unabashed grin. I enjoyed the way Nolan kissed me with the kind of passion crafted in your dreams.
“That was nice,” Nolan said, his hand slipping from my hair, to take me by the chin. “You taste as sweet as you look.”
“No one has ever said anything like that to me,” I smiled, releasing the front of Nolan’s shirt. I had not been aware of my fisting it. “Your lips are so soft.”
“No need to ask?”
“It was all good, in fact, I wouldn’t mind a second helping,” I wiggled my brows causing Nolan to laugh out loud.
“Later,” Nolan said, in an alpha-like-tone all authoritative. I had to admit I felt somewhat let down for a moment or two. “Not that I wouldn’t mind taking you off to some seedy dark corner and having my way with you, but I think we should take things slow, okay?”
Slow? I wasn’t used to slow, not that I screwed around with everyone on the first date, but it had been a while since we met and all we did so far was go out for dinner and drinks. Nolan hadn’t made a play, and each time I made my own moves, he managed to sway away from my advances. Maybe he wasn’t as into me as I believed, was I doing something wrong? No. Now wasn’t the time for acting paranoid, fuck that idea. I didn’t do insecure, insecure long left me the day I walked out of my parents’ home on a mission to take control of my own life. No one would ever treat me like an invalid again and nothing was going to stop me from taking over the world. Well, taking over my little part of it anyway.
“Is it a nightly radio show you do?” I ever so slightly amended the subject, not wanting my mood to dictate the rest of the evening.
“No, just Tuesday and Wednesday nights, and the occasionally spot when one opens on other nights,” he said, waving his hand to the bartender. “You want another one?”
“I’m good,” I tipped back my glass and finished the last of my beer, wiping my mouth with the back of my hand. “Not that it’s any of my business, but you must make amazing fucking money to only have to work two nights a week. I work almost every night and my business is just making it.”
Nolan laughed as he fished a credit card from his wallet and handed it to the bartender.
“I’ll get these,” I offered.
“It’s okay,” Nolan assured me. “Radio isn’t my only gig. I’m a youth counselor at a group home and I also offer my services once in a while at a friends practice. Believe me when I tell you, I work my ass off.”
“I didn’t mean-”
“I know, relax,” Nolan smiled, he was so sweet. “Tell me what did you do before opening the coffee shop?”
Now it was Nolan’s turn to change the subject. Unfortunately, it was to a topic I rarely spoke of, a time in my past that changed everything in the blink of an eye. But if we were going to take this thing further, Nolan needed to know who I was, he needed to know my past and how a single miscalculation sculpted my fate forever.
One step at a time, I internally told myself.
“I was a police officer for three years,” I offered, watching Nolan’s brow lift, the shocked expression nothing new to me. “You could say cops and donuts kind of go hand in hand. Hilarious, right?”
“Funny,” he laughed. “Why did you leave the force?”
“Another time, okay?”
I guess I wasn’t as ready as I thought I was. With anyone else I had no problem, with Nolan, for some reason, I would be heartbroken when he dismissed me. I wasn’t ready for that kind of rejection.
“It’s getting late and I have to work,” Nolan said, looking at his watch. “Mind if we call it a night?”
“Not at all,” I smiled, as we stood shrugging on our jackets, hoping the disappointment I was feeling didn’t show.
“I have tickets for the game at the dome Sunday afternoon,” Nolan announced. “Want to go? I can pick you up at one outside of the coffee shop.”
“It’s a date,” I agreed, feeling stupidly giddy. “It is a date, right?”
“Right,” Nolan held the door as I stepped outside. “I might be pushing it, but I’d like to think of us as exclusive?”
I quickly nodded my head, “I would like that, too.”
“Share a cab?” Nolan asked, stepping close to the curb and raising his hand. “I don’t drink and drive, officer.”
“Good thing,” I tittered. “I won’t have to break out the handcuffs.”
“Shit,” Nolan pouted as a cab swooped to the curb, the brakes squealing to a stop. “That will teach me to keep my big mouth shut next time.”
~
~Nolan~
“It’s not brain surgery, just sit still and smile,” Tag clicked his camera and stood back viewing the shots as they appeared on the camera’s screen. “Are we doing newsman serious or relaxed and casual? Cause this isn’t working at all.”
“I don’t know,” I shrugged. I hated having my picture taken. “All Diane said was to get a few bust shots. I don’t fucking know, just make it bus-worthy.”
“Bus worthy, like I know what that should be. Ditch the jacket and tie then,” Tag instructed, yanking my tie free. “I have an idea.”
When Tag had an idea, it was easier to simply go with it then argue, he was the professional after all. I was just here for the ride. I watched as he ran to the front reception area and came back with a chair that looked like it needed a good lick of paint. Tag set it on the drape of the backdrop facing us and gestured for me to sit. I sat, my back facing him and he laughed.
“For a well-educated man you can be as thick as a stump,” Tag chuckled. “Stand up you dork, and straddle the fucking thing.”
“I’ve never done this before,” I defended myself as I straddled the chair and sat, in my mind bashing Tag over the head with the chair. “Better, Your Highness?”
“Listen, smartass, I’m doing this as a favor,” Tag tugged a few of my buttons open on my shirt. “Put this arm on the top rung and kind of wrap this one around here.”
Tag posed me and then proceeded to ruffle his fingers through my hair. When he was satisfied with my look, he stepped back and began snapping pictures while we talked.
“Loosen up,” Tag instructed. “So, tell me, where you’ve been hiding lately and does it involve a certain coffee grinder?”
“His name is Bailey,” I revealed. “And we’ve been out a few times.”
“And?” Tag purposely walked to my side causing my eyes to follow and my head to turn as he kept taking pictures.
“And stop asking because I’m not telling,” I gave Tag a mischievous smirk.
“That’s it, that’s the look!” Tag cheered, bending in closer with his camera. “One more and we’re done. There.”
Tag motioned the end to the shoot, set his camera to the side before resting his hip against the counter’s edge and folded his arms across his chest. I stood as I buttoned up my shirt and reached for my tie where Tag had discarded it on the floor. I slipped it around my neck and proceeded to tie it glancing up and catching Tag’s stare.
“You know, I’m not going to hold anything back,” Tag warned.
“I would expect nothing less from you.”
“Tell me you’re not falling in love,” Tag said more as a question, though I knew from experience that was not his intention. “Not that it’s for me to say, and you can tell me to go pound salt, but I’d really hate to see another yahoo come along and walk all over you.”
“Are you serious?” I huffed. “I know what I’m doing.”
“So, why all the mystery?” Tag pushed in a way only he could get away with.
“Why are you so concerned with my love life?” I walked over to the full-length mirror on the wall and tugged my tie into place. “You do realize it’s been over three years… I’ve been on dozens of dates, had my fair share of one night stands, I even agreed on that blind date Fletcher and you talked me into. You didn’t question me at all those times, why now?”
Tag scrubbed his fingers through his beard.
“You’re doing things that are out of character for you,” Tag said, pouring himself a coffee from the machine set up in the corner for clientele.
“Such as?” Our eyes met in the reflection of the mirror.
“You stopped calling,” Tag placed his hand on my shoulder while he spoke. “Fletcher has invited you to dinner at least five times and, low and behold, your ass is always too busy. Getting you to return calls is like pulling teeth, you have never since I’ve known you not answered your phone. Then, to top it all off, after three years, you have cancelled poker night twice. I’m hoping you haven’t rushed into something permanent.”
“I should be pissed off,” I grumbled, reaching for my jacket and shrugging it on. “But I know where it’s coming from and I appreciate your concern, I really do. I’m happy, okay? Give us time to get to know each other before we start involving family.”
And that was exactly what Tag and Fletcher were; family. They were there for me during the best of times and the worst of times. They saw me at my lowest, when I wasn’t sure how to go on and they would be there when I finally hit my high. Hopefully Bailey would be part of my cloud nine, everyday couldn’t be a dark one. Not anymore.
“Hmm…,” Tag followed behind as I reached the shop door of his studio. “Just be careful.”
“Yes, dad,” I saluted.
“Always use a condom, young man,” Tag joked, adjusting my tie that didn’t need adjusting. “No glove, no love. Don’t make a mistake, cover your snake. Don’t be a fool, cover-”
“Stop! I get it. We haven’t slept together, nosy.”
“Hmm…you must really like this guy,” Tag swiped invisible lint from my shoulder. “That or you forgot how to use that thing.”
He pointed to my nether region and I swatted his hand away. Shaking my head as I walked out the door, determined that I was not gracing his comment with an answer.