19
Chad
I never expected to be invited over, but I was thrilled. I couldn’t concentrate on the material I was supposed to read anyway. All I could think of was Emily. I wanted to be with her. I wanted to get to know her better and make her laugh. It sounded like she wanted to see me as much I as wanted to see her. This was a good sign.
I threw on some jeans and a T-shirt and headed out. It took about twenty minutes to get to her place from where my apartment was. The doorman held the door for me, and I gave my name to a man behind a security desk. Emily had already given him my name, so he showed me the way upstairs.
When I got into the elevator, I had to type in a code. It took me to the top floor. The penthouse? This should be interesting. I rang the bell to the only door I saw, and Emily opened it quickly.
“Hi,” she said coyly. She was a little out of breath. How cute.
“Hi back,” I said with a smile. It was obvious she was anxious to see me. I was glad she felt the same way.
“Uh, come on in. The pizza is great. I’ve already had a piece. It’s in the kitchen over here.”
I followed her into the kitchen. It was impossible not to scan the layout of the apartment. It had a spacious floor plan, high ceilings, and large windows. The décor was a combination of sleek, contemporary lines with a hint of a classical motif. There was a cathedral ceiling that offset a stunning marble fireplace. The furniture looked like Italian leather and the tables were all glass. The wood floors and random wood furniture were all a dark mahogany. Although it was obvious this was an extremely expensive place, it had a homey feeling. I liked it. My mother was an interior designer in San Francisco and would be impressed by the color scheme and design.
“Tough to be a struggling law student in New York, huh?” I teased her.
“My dad has been very successful. This is where I lived while I was in high school. When he remarried he moved to a different place with my stepmom, Katharine. Since it’s such a prime piece of real estate, he decided to hang on to it for a while. I’m grateful I had a place to go when I left He Who Must Not Be Named.”
I had to laugh at her Harry Potter reference. I’d wondered whether she’d have a sense of humor. Apparently she did. I needed her to forget about Martin and move on, so I focused on the décor. I looked around a little more before I said, “The woodwork is incredible. My mother is an interior designer. My whole life I’ve been watching her renovate homes or designing new ones. She does incredible work. It’s impossible for me to walk into a new place and not notice the details of the wood, tile, windows, and furniture. I’m kind of a snob when it comes to stuff like that. What are the chances you’re living in one of the most beautiful penthouses I’ve ever seen?”
Emily smiled at me. “I’m glad you’re impressed. I could have gotten a place closer to school after I left Martin, but I really do love it here. It has a lot of good memories. Sara and I were relieved when our father got custody of us. This was a pretty awesome place to live in. I’m glad I was able to come back here.”
She motioned for me to sit down. “Beer or wine?” she asked politely.
“Wine works for me.”
She grabbed a bottle and handed it to me to open. I saw her go into a glass cabinet and get out two wine glasses. There were already plates and napkins on the table. I poured two glasses and waited to toast her. She picked up a glass and clinked it against mine.
“To new friendships,” I said.
“To new friendships.”
We sat down and opened up the pizza box. It was a vegetarian white pizza. A lot of my friends back home were vegetarians, so I was used to eating meals without meat in them. We ate in silence for a few minutes. She looked nervous. I didn’t want her to be. We’d had so much fun earlier in the day. Maybe being alone with me intimidated her.
“You OK? You seem a little anxious,” I asked her gently.
“Yeah, I guess I am a little nervous. I’m not used to being with a man alone. I’m not sure of your expectations.” That was honest. And candid. “With my dismal experience with men, I’m worried I’ll scare you away before anything even gets started.”
Oh, this wounded bird needed some serious mending. “Please don’t worry. I’d never force you to do anything you didn’t want to do. I just want to get to know you better. I know it’s too soon for you to get serious with anyone, since you just broke up with that guy.”
At that point she set her piece of pizza down and wiped off her mouth. “I feel like I left him about a year ago. I’m not sure we ever had a real relationship. It was more a partnership based on mutual respect and convenience. I liked him in the beginning. I was flattered that a guy asked me out. He was the first person I ever really dated.”
That was one bit of information I didn’t expect. “I don’t understand that and find it hard to believe. Why didn’t you date in high school? You’re a smart, beautiful girl. It doesn’t make sense to me.”
She took a long sip of her wine and waited a minute before she answered. “My parents split up when I was entering high school. Our mom didn’t want us, so our dad moved my sister, Sara, and me here. I always knew I wanted to go to law school, so I worked really hard to have straight A’s. There’s a strange sense of responsibility being the oldest child in a family, even though there were only the two of us sisters. I saw what my mom’s infidelity did to my dad. It destroyed him. Being in a relationship never interested me.”
Her honesty was refreshing but also sad. I had so many questions. I wasn’t sure where to start. “If this is too personal, you don’t have to answer me. I just wonder if Martin was the only man you’ve ever been with.”
She smiled sadly and looked down at her hands. “Not exactly. I went to the senior prom with a guy from my class. I was happy to be asked, so I went. I had never been asked out before. It was flattering at the time, but I quickly found out he just used me. We drank at an after party, and he had his way with me in the back seat of his car. It was painful, since it was my first time. I didn’t even know him very well. I could have probably said no, but there was a part of me that wanted to know what it was all about.
“A quick, painful tryst in a car wasn’t the best idea. I was glad it didn’t last long. I never spoke to him again after that. In fact when I saw him at school the following week, he acted like he didn’t even know me. Then I met Martin when I went to college. He took control of the relationship and made his master plan. I enjoyed not making any decisions and was content going along with his plan. It made me feel good to be wanted. So, as you can see, I am not experienced in the sex department. My sister, on the other hand, is involved with a man that she loves and they have intense sexual chemistry. That is something I’ve never experienced. We’re just very different, I guess.”
She seemed self-conscious about her inexperience. I thought it was endearing. She also seemed jealous of her sister. That made me sad. All I knew was that I’d never thought she would be that forthcoming, and I was ecstatic that she opened up to me like that. I was becoming more enamored by the minute.
She played with her wine glass, waiting for me to say something. I wanted to choose my words carefully. I didn’t want to frighten her, but I wanted to show her the same type of honesty. “I think it’s pretty sexy that you don’t have a lot of experience,” I told her. “I haven’t been with a lot of women. All of my past relationships lasted about a year or two. I will say my girlfriends’ needs were always more important than my own. I enjoy bringing women pleasure. I’ve worked hard trying to figure out what works and what doesn’t. I’ve always been an avid reader, so I’ve actually read several books on lovemaking. I find the human body fascinating, especially when it comes to sex. I hope someday I can show you.”
It was out on the table. I wanted her. There was no denying it. I knew it was probably premature, but I couldn’t help myself. If she could open up to me, I had to reciprocate.
Now it was my turn to wait for her to say something. Her cheeks were flushed. I knew I’d embarrassed her. She seemed to be weighing her words carefully as well. It must have been some part of our attorney mentality that had us pause before speaking.
She took another sip of wine and cleared her throat. “Chad, I can’t tell you how flattered I am. A beautiful man like you has never shown any interest in me. Thank you for that. It feels indescribable to be desired.”
I reached across the table and held her hand. I waited for her to look me in the eyes. “You don’t have a clue how beautiful you are, do you?”
She looked at our hands. “No one has ever said that to me before, not even Martin. I’m a little uncomfortable with that kind of flattery.”
“Well, you shouldn’t be. We need to work on your self-esteem, Miss Jensen. I hope you’ll let me be the one to help you work on it.”
“I think I’d like that, Mr. Baldwin.”