The D.C. weather quickly went from uncomfortably hot to brisk, a clear sign that fall was definitely heading Cheri’s way. She no longer felt wishy-washy and indecisive about the state of her life. Instead, she resolved to do precisely what Thomas suggested and contact her insurance company to give them a heads-up. She just wanted her house back together so she could chill in it. She could relax there, at home, and hopefully move beyond all the horrible emotions and confusion she was feeling.
By noon the next day, she had received an email from Thomas’s company, with a very businesslike estimate of what it would take to put her house back together. They also sent a separate estimate, to give her an idea of what it would have cost if she had listened to him in the first place. Gee, doesn’t he like to rub it in? she thought as she stared at the wide gap in the numbers. She was more than a little miffed that he didn’t even bother to send the estimate himself; rather, it came from someone named Todd.
Cheri took a cab to her place at lunchtime and found Mr. Titus there with a small, pathetic-looking crew, picking up the pieces they’d removed. His operation came nowhere close to the professional, hardworking group of men Thomas employed.
“What the hell did you do?” Wayne Titus asked, glaring at her, without one trace of happy-go-lucky handyman in his voice.
“Pardon me?” she asked, thrown by his harsh tone. “I’m just here to check your progress, which I have every right to do in my own home. Is that a problem?”
“Did I misread the nasty message I got from Graham Builders? Are you really going to have them do the work and try to stick me with the bill?” he said bitterly.
“I need the house fixed, so I had to seek a second opinion,” she said. “What you’re doing was wrong.”
“I said I’d do it,” he snapped angrily. “You called my insurance company and the licensing board. I guess I should probably ring up my lawyer. Damn it, lady! I was fixing the leak, like you asked me to, doing a thorough job. I saw the estimate for the flange and whatnot. It was far worse than that, no matter what Graham tried to tell you.”
“They’re pretty sure that was it,” she said. “They’re positive.”
“No,” he said, shaking his head as he swung down the ladder with ease. “Come see for yourself,” he said, gesturing Cheri to a spot in her front yard. “See that?”
“Yes. What about it?” she asked, looking at the flowers and fencing.
“My guess is that there used to be a large tree there, and that had somethin’ to do with the compromise of structure in the roof,” he said.
“The people I bought it from said the roof was practically new,” she challenged.
“Not so much new as a patch job, to cover the obvious damage underneath, but suit yourself. I’m putting it back the way I found it, and you can have your boyfriend fix it,” he said, squinting at her with hate in his eyes.
Cheri didn’t want to dignify his nastiness with a confirmation, nor did she want to confirm the words that she was sure were just a guess on his part. “First you said I needed a new roof, and now you’re telling me I had one already, covering up a damaged part. You’ll have to excuse me for having my doubts, but you keep flip-flopping on your story, and you and your crew are the ones who broke it in the first place.”
“Whatever, lady. I guess it’s just a he-said/he-said situation, a difference of opinion between me and him,” said Titus. “I can’t pay for this, and I won’t. Graham’s prices are way off the chart, while mine are far more…economical. I’m happy to pass on the gig.”
“I just want my house fixed.”
“Well, then get him to do it,” Wayne said in a huff, then tossed the material from his hand onto the ground. “C’mon, boys!” he called out to his crew. “I’ve got the check. Let’s go have lunch.”
“Please just talk to him, Mr. Titus,” Cheri pleaded.
“I already did, after I got his nasty message,” he said again.
“Maybe you can sub out the work from him,” she brainstormed.
“Nope, I’m done here,” he said. “Adios. I’ll review the work I’ve done, which I totally stand by, and send you a final bill for any outstanding.”
Cheri scrambled, fumbling with her phone to pull up Todd’s email so she could call him. She assumed that since the note was from Todd, Thomas was not available. Besides, she didn’t feel like talking to him at the moment. “Hey, Todd,” she said frantically into the phone, “this is Cheri. My home repair guy is leaving the job. When are you guys supposed to start?”
“We can’t start till Monday at the very earliest. Thomas is in Maryland with his father, and I can’t leave my guys here without a supervisor,” he said.
“Great,” she said sharply, scurrying up to Wayne. “Thanks.” She ended the call and looked sternly at the disgruntled Mr. Titus, who looked as if he’d eaten a whole bowl of sour lemons. “Can you please at least put the tarp back on or leave the ladder so I can do it?”
“No can do, lady. I have to talk to my lawyer,” he replied, his face showing her that he was clearly loving putting her in a shit-spot.
“How did this happen?” she asked rhetorically.
“Ask your boyfriend,” snipped Wayne.
“Stop calling him that!” she snapped back.
“Why? The foreman said that’s what’s up, or was he just bullshitting me? Either way, that’s gonna go over really well in court on my side. I can tell ya that for sure. What do they call it? Conflict of incest?”
“Interest,” she corrected with a sigh and an eye-roll, “a conflict of interest.”
“Well, whatever they call it, it might just be my ace in the hole.”
She’d had enough bad luck with being in court. She had no intention of jumping back in. “Maybe my homeowner’s insurance will cover it. Please just put the tarp back on. You can’t just leave my roof torn open like that. What if it rains?”
“I couldn’t care less,” he said. “I’m off the job as of five minutes ago.”
“Please be reasonable here,” she pleaded.
He sighed and dropped the ladder. “Fine, borrow it,” he said. “I’m not responsible if you fall and break your neck, though, and rest assured there better not be one tiny nick of damage on a single rung of my ladder, or I’ll bill ya for that, too.”
As Titus Home Repairs pulled away, Cheri studied the situation of her house. How hard can it be to climb up on a roof, pull the plastic up and over the hole, and nail it in place? The only challenging part was getting to the roof, and she had a nice, long ladder for that.
Cheri kicked off her high heels and went inside to grab a pair of sneakers. She dragged the ladder to the side of the house. She situated it against the side but that was no easy feat, as the aluminum contraption was a lot heavier and more awkward than it looked. Not only that, but from the base of the ladder, looking up to the roof, it was clear that the climb was a lot steeper than it appeared to be when Wayne Titus was ascending and descending with all the skilled ease of a circus acrobat. Frustrated that she was neither that brave nor that knowledgeable, she left the ladder and tarp where they were and wandered into the house.
Cheri flipped the light switch, only to discover that the room remained shaded and dim. “Great,” she muttered, wondering why Mr. Titus’s men had cut the power. She quickly dialed Wayne and was surprised that he picked up on the second ring.
“Tell me you didn’t break my ladder…or your leg, lady,” he said before she could even say a word.
“No, but did you turn off the power to my house?” she asked.
“Oh yeah,” he said. “We ran into a wiring issue. If you go to the box and flip the main breaker, you should be good to go.”
“Fine. Thanks.”
“Yeah, yeah,” he said, then hung up without a goodbye.
Already on track to be late back to work, Cheri decided to forego fooling with the electricity for the time being and instead dashed up the stairs to the floor above to examine the state her house was in. There were drop cloths all over the middle floor. She carefully waded through them to the trapdoor that opened to the crawlspace between the highest floor and the roof. She knew it wasn’t very intelligent to be up there, but she vowed to be careful as she climbed up through the trapdoor and braced herself, only to find herself back in the fresh air again.
Just as the house was a lot steeper looking up, it seemed a lot higher looking down. She felt vulnerable, as if the first gust of wind, no matter how slight, would send her flying down into the yard like a wayward maple leaf. As she looked around the rooftop, she spotted a big black truck with the Graham Builders logo on the side.
The truck pulled up to the side of the house, and she nearly lost her footing when Thomas stepped out of the vehicle. Cheri’s heart seized with terror as she looked down into the canyon of her yard and realized she could seriously hurt herself or even much worse if she took a tumble from that height.
“What the hell are you doing up there?” he shouted from the street. “Don’t move a muscle!” He charged into the house, littering the air with every curse word he knew, but that anger soon transformed into desperate promises to save her. “I’m coming!” he called out. “Just hold on!”
At first, she was emboldened by a sense of girl power, certain that if Titus could climb the roof she could, too. Now she knew better, and she squatted down, afraid to move.
Thomas’s heavy boots stomped across the littered floor below, and then his head popped through the trapdoor. His hands found her hips. “Don’t drag your legs on the surface. There could be nails and stuff. Lift ‘em. That’s it. I got you,” he coached, lifting her with ease.
With her head spinning, she was up and off the roof and down below.
“Where were you thinking?” he said in a lecturing tone. Then, before she could answer, he carried her outside. He set her down on the grass.
“How did you know—” she started.
“Todd called me just as I was heading back. I stopped by because of the response to my email I got from that ass-wipe. Now look,” he said, “I know you’re concerned about your house, and I get that, but do not—and I repeat, do not—set foot in there again. You have to trust me on this, Cheri. I’ll get it all fixed up for you, but under no circumstances are you to go in that house like you just did, especially alone. I know you need get to work, so I won’t go on and on about it now, but I mean it, Cheri. It’s not safe.”
“But my clothes… my stuff…”
“I’ll go in and grab it if you need it, or buy new stuff. Do not go in there.”
“He said he was going to sue me.” She broke down into sobs and covered her face.
“He can’t.”
She couldn’t gather the words to say that it would be a conflict of interest, that he’d have to go to court again… All the memories of the robbery in the subway came back and dropped her spirits lower.
“Come on, I’ll take you to work.” Thomas set her in the truck and they drove in silence.
All the way to the office, Cheri sobbed. Of all the contractors on the web, she Googled her way to the worst possible one. She was terrified she was going to lose her house, that it wouldn’t be covered by insurance, but she would be stuck paying the steep mortgage anyway.
Thomas killed the engine, not at all concerned he was illegally parked.
“What are you doing? Don’t you have to go?” she asked, wiping her eyes and trying to hide the tears from her face.
“Not till I talk to your boss,” he said.
“What for?”
“You’re all shaken up. If you go in there like that, without any explanation, they might can you. I’ll tell them what’s going on.”
She put her hand on him to stop him. “I’m fine. I can keep it together until the end of the day, and then I’ll go straight back to the hotel. From here on out, I’ll follow your instructions to the letter,” she promised. She didn’t want to lose him. She needed her knight.
“Cheri…” he said, using his booming voice to command.
She turned to him. “Yeah?”
“I’ll pick you up tonight after work and take you over to the hotel.”
“I’d like that, Thomas,” she said, “but I know you already have a lot on your plate. Honestly, it’s only a few blocks away. I can walk.”
“I want to see you,” he said. “There’s nowhere else I would rather be than with you. At the hotel.”
“Thank you,” she whispered.
***
When she stepped out in front of her building at quitting time, he was waiting. It was apparent to her when he met her that he had stopped by his job sites, because he had the look and smell of work on his face and clothes. He quickly swapped his colorful t-shirt for a faded tank-top. She had gotten good at climbing in and out of the truck, so he didn’t bother to hold the door for her as he usually did. Still, she basically had to jump into the truck, using momentum to her advantage, due to her lack of height. When she looked up at him, his mouth lingered close to hers, and even though he was clearly tired she could tell he was not as distant as he had been.
He threw his arms around her right there in front of her building, not at all caring who saw them. He squeezed her tightly and kissed her. Out of the corner of her eye, before she pressed her eyelids tightly closed in the heat of the moment, she could see that he had gotten a new tattoo. She kissed him for a little bit before she was overtaken with the nagging desire to examine the new ink. She impetuously pulled away and looked at it.
“You’re adorable,” he said with a laugh.
“I am?”
“Yes. I felt like putting you over my knee for climbing on that roof, and now here you are, checking out my tat.”
It was a simple one, a crest with his last name on the banner. On either side were two other names; one was hers, and the other was his.
“Thomas, I…” she began, overwhelmed and just blinking at him in disbelief.
“Are you okay?” he asked, stroking her hair.
“No, er…I mean, um…yeah,” she said emotionally, “maybe.”
“Well, we’ll have to work on that,” he said with a wink. “How about we go over to that fancy hotel of yours, so I can shower and change? We’ll order room service, a nice big salad and steak, and have ourselves a talk.”
“Yes,” she said, curling into him. Talk? Is that what they were calling it now? She scooted over to the middle seat so she could be as near to him as possible while still letting him drive safely.
“Good. Then, if you’re comfortable with it, you can check outta that place and stay at mine while we sort out your house. Let’s take the evening to come to an understanding.”
“Okay,” she said, warming inside. It would alleviate a lot of stress if she didn’t have to stay at the expensive hotel indefinitely, because it was rather pricy, even with her company discount. Still, she didn’t want to put him on the spot, even if he had just had her name permanently marked on his perfect body. “Where’d you get that done?” she asked.
“Baltimore,” he said, regarding her with a snide grin, as if she was some sort of a bad girl for being so interested in it.
“You have a couple others. Do you ever regret them?” she asked. “Is there such thing as tattoo remorse?”
“I’ve never had an issue with it,” he said. “I did notice that you have yet to mar your flawless body. Why don’t we get you a little ink and see how it goes?” he teased.
“No, I’ll never do that,” she said with a sheepish giggle. “I mean, a temporary one might be okay, but I’m not into needles.”
He held her hand tightly with his right and steered the truck deftly with his left. “Not even if I ask nicely?” he asked sensually.
“You might be the only person in the whole wide world who could talk me into it.”
“It would be so hot,” he remarked, a haze of arousal shrouding his face.
Gee, if tattoo talk is all it takes to turn him on, I’ve gotta remember to do that more often, she thought with a smile. “So what would you like to see on me?”
“You mean besides me?” he asked wickedly.
She floundered in her seat, still shocked that Thomas had the uncanny gift of making her drunk with passion in an instant, just about any time he wanted. She cleared her throat and tried her best to continue the conversation. “Not a rose,” she said, shaking her head. “That would be so cliché.”
“Real, live roses are great, but line drawings just don’t do them justice,” he said. “Flowers really don’t do much for me.” He pulled the truck up to the valet and looked over at Cheri. “You ready?”
“Yep.”
“You know they have a masseuse here, right?” he murmured as they entered the hotel.
“Nice change of subject,” she remarked.
He leaned down and whispered in her ear, “Trust me, I’ve got a one-track mind right now, and I’m still thinking about the same thing.”
They entered the lobby of the Four Seasons, and Cheri suddenly found the place to be intensely romantic. The grandeur seemed to smooth things over between them, work out all the rough edges. Now that they had some distance from it, the tension lifted a little. Couples have tiffs and arguments. It’s 100 percent normal, she told herself, feeling a fool for being worried for nothing.
Thomas took her by the hand as they stepped into the ornate elevators. “You know,” he said, wagging his eyebrows as he pressed the button for the fifth floor, “I know how to stop this thing.”
Cheri stalked closer to him, a sensual smile spreading across her lips. “Why is it that every time a guy gets on an elevator, his mind goes right to sex?” she teased.
“Pardon me,” he said with a grin. “Is the elevator thing too old hat for you? Have you had your fill of love in an elevator, milady?”
Heat colored her face, and she knew she was redder than any beet she’d ever seen. “Not really,” she confessed, then bit her lip nervously.
“Why is it that every time I’m alone with you, beautiful, my mind goes right to sex?” he asked with a growl.
“Maybe it wants to visit my mind.”
“You telling me that’s where your mind is right now?” he asked in the softest of voices.
The elevator dinged, and the doors whooshed open to the vacant hallway of the fifth floor. Thomas stooped and forced her easily over his shoulder, then fireman-carried her to her door. She protested in jest, playfully kicking, knowing that if she kept it up, he might spank her. It worked like a charm, because Thomas’s large palm landed squarely on her bottom. The sting was brief but sure, and it spread through to her very core, filling her with tingling arousal.
With the worst possible timing, another Four Seasons guest rounded the corner and stared at them.
“You’re going to get us in trouble,” mumbled Thomas.
The guest walked by, shaking his head, and it was obvious to Cheri, even upside down, that he was quite unhappy with their very public display of more than a little affection.
“She’s under arrest,” Thomas teased loudly. “I’m gonna take her to her room and interrogate the hell outta her.”
Cheri laughed so hard she could hardly move. She fisted her hands and gently pummeled him. Her hair fell forward and fanned straight down from her head as he carried her into her room.
“This is our room, if you’d like to complain to the front desk, buddy,” he announced with a daring smile. “If you’d rather, feel free to take pictures. Just don’t tag us on Facebook!”
“Thomas!” she admonished.
He eased her down off him. “Careful,” he said. “Watch out for the head rush.”
“Wow,” she said as the room spun around her. “Yeah, you’re right about that.”
A rush it was indeed, but she was sure it had more to do with being with Thomas. She suddenly felt very shy, as something about their previous unpleasant moments seemed to have renewed her vulnerability. She couldn’t believe how nervous she was, as if it was her first time. She loved being with Thomas, and there was no other man for her, but she felt almost as if he was a stranger all over again.
The passion they conjured was the most sensual, real thing she knew. He touched her fingertips before weaving their hands together. He was trembling, as nervous as she was. She embraced him, and with her ear pressed to his chest she felt his heart drumming loudly.
Thomas made them pratfall back into the bed. They lightly bounced before rolling around to entwine. Cheri gazed at him and rolled up and over him. She pressed her palms on either side of him in a very wide plank position, then drew herself up so they were face to face. Her silken hair spilled around him. The serious moment was made silly when he sputtered as the strands landed on his face, tickling his nose. He brushed them away as she gathered them up frantically.
“Sorry,” she said, then lost her balance and collapsed on top of him.
He groaned. “Ow,” he said. “As much as I hate to say it, I think you’re gonna have to get off me a minute.”
She sat beside him on the bed. Thomas came to the rescue one more time. He turned, shoveled his palms under her buttocks, and lifted her back onto him with ease. As always, they were a perfect fit, and their faces were lined up so they could look one another right in the eye.
“There,” he said. “Much better without the crash landing.”
He placed his powerful palm on the small of her back. His hand was so large against her petite frame that it spanned her whole backside. Cheri drew her knees up and huddled over him. Her center was perfectly lined up with him, and she grabbed the edge of mattress and used it for leverage as she grinded into him, gyrating and teasing him with all her might. Thomas growled, emitting a soft, brief, guttural sound so naturally deep that he didn’t need to project much to be heard. That was her victory flag, her evidence that what she was doing was having a real effect on him, that she was pleasing him immensely, whether he admitted it or not.
His fingers pressed between her buttocks and his lap, and lifted up and down. Cheri took it from there. She planted one foot solidly on the floor and broke into a lap dance. She rocked and writhed, all the while loosening her clothing to very strategically expose herself. She leaned back and stripped off her blazer with flair, revealing a sweet satin camisole. She unzipped her skirt all the way down, lifted it, then slipped the garment up and up over her head, like a shirt. He stroked her belly, splaying his fingers over the flat surface, causing her to shiver. She regained her composure before slowly standing.
Thomas’s eyes were riveted on her every move. Though they were dark, smoking with arousal, they glittered. His lashes were so dark that his eyes seemed clearer by the very contrast. She dropped into a lascivious squat, twerking gently as she bunched her long tresses into a wild nest. Her arms were up and bent, holding her hair, and she turned her face to pose the sexiest way she knew how, offering him a pleasing pout. She then turned her gaze to connect with his, doing her best to convey with her eyes how much she wanted him. Her breath rose, and her heart raced, not from nerves but from passion. It was difficult to focus on her erotic dance while her body was already moving on to the next phase of their lovemaking. Every cell in her body wanted to mate with that man; it was as animal as that. She moved forward with her thighs spread, and resituated herself onto him.
“Come to me,” he murmured.
With her pressed against him, Thomas stood. Both worked to unfasten his jeans with their free hands and pushed the pants from his hips. He sat back down, and they gazed at each other, his erection grazing her softness. Each time he brushed her, she drew up into tightness.
Thomas flipped Cheri on her belly, then stood as she dutifully straddled the corner of the mattress. She pushed up onto her tiptoes to flex her backside for his visual pleasure. He stroked her smooth muscles for a moment before he explored her wet heat.
He penetrated her, toying with her in all the right places, livening her desire for him. She clutched the bedding as he leaned over her and drove into her. In a single glide, he was deep, deep inside her. His broad chest covered her petite back. Her arms were outstretched, and he intertwined his fingers with hers, squeezing and holding tightly as he drove into her. He moved gently and easily at first, as they both savored the moment.
Suddenly, Cheri twisted so her abdomen was on the mattress, but she managed to face him, eager to kiss him. She plunged her tongue into his mouth, and the contact was electric while their bodies were connected. She lifted her legs and let them buckle, making their rhythm more wicked, more wanton. He lifted her without disconnecting and shifted places, till he was on his back on the big, sprawling mattress, with her on top of him again. This time, neither of them had any complaints, even as her featherweight pushed her down onto him. He was inside her as deeply as he could possible go, and she shivered with the sensation of it. The electric jolt traveled from her belly, all the way up her body and out her nipples. The tiny buds pebbled, pointing in the air.
Thomas’s coarse fingers pinched them gently, and arousal pulsed through her in heated waves. A moan escaped her lips, and wetness flowed from her body. She rocked on him like she was riding a bucking bull, wagging her hips this way and that. All the while, he had her rosy tip in his grip.
She whimpered as she rocked him. Her body seemed to be melting as she was more and more turned on. He flipped her with ease, until they were side by side. He took hold of the small of her back and worked her back and forth on him, until her body hummed.
He took her hand and placed it between them. Cheri pleasured herself as he pounded into her, uninterrupted. Their bodies shook and trembled, quaking until they nearly burst with sugared spasms. He seized powerfully, crying in a duet with her as pleasure overtook them both.
Damn, there’s something so erotic about the way he cums, thought Cheri as she joined him in his climax, so mentally powerful that every little stroke and touch just sends me over the edge.
Their bodies were slick with sweat as they pulsed and writhed. They lay on the top of the super king, basking in the sweetness of their joyous sex. When they regained their minds and conscious thought, they showered quickly and collapsed on the bed for a quick, deep sleep.
Almost just as quickly as they were out, they both suddenly awoke from their catnap.
Thomas looked at his watch.
“Well? Is it too late to get anything but room service?” she asked.
“I know a place,” he said, rubbing her buttocks. “Let’s ride.”
She perked up. “On the bike?” she queried excitedly.
“You’ll have to take a rain check on the Harley, honey. I’ve got the truck, remember?”
“Oh yeah,” she said, with some disappointment, as the cool, clear night would have been the perfect evening for it. “Well, I’ll hold you to it.” She slid off the bed and slipped into her jeans and threw on a cropped, sleeveless cotton sweater.
Thomas’s eyes walked all over her as she slipped on a light denim jacket. “You look good enough to eat,” he flirted. “What a shame to cover all that up.”
The valet pulled the truck around, and Cheri smiled when he once again confirmed that he was a generous tipper. He was so nice to everyone that it was hard to imagine that he was once hard and aloof.
They drove to a place in Adams Morgan, the Black Squirrel. It was a rougher part of town, but that didn’t seem to faze Thomas at all. If Cheri was alone and spotted a guy like him walking down the street, he certainly would have intimidated her, so she assumed others felt the same way and would leave them alone.
Even if he was aware of his own ominous-looking façade, he continued to act every bit the gentleman, even holding the door open for her and gesturing her inside with a sweet, “Ladies first.” The fact that he always called her a lady was her favorite part, and it sounded a whole lot better coming from him than it had coming from that jerk, Wayne Titus.
“Can I get you something to drink?” the server asked as they were seated.
“I’ll have a shot of Cuervo, and the lady will have the same…and bring us some mac n’ cheese to start with. We’ll share.”
“Mac n’ cheese, huh?” She smiled as she looked over the menu.
“They were voted the best in D.C.,” he replied. “I need to watch you eat some.”
The sexual undertones of his remark floored her, and she nearly choked. She sputtered and made faces, trying to contain her reaction. When he extended his leg under the table and stroked her with his foot, she squirmed in her chair as if she was sitting atop a very active anthill.
The waitress returned with two shot glasses.
“Bottoms up, Cheri,” he said with a wink.
She slugged it down, only to realize, in hindsight, that he waited until she did so before finishing his sentence.
“Because we’re gonna get ourselves a tattoo,” he promised. He then turned to the server and said softly, “Bring us two more, and that’ll be it on the drinks.”
“Wait. Two more?” Cheri squawked.
“Yeah, one a piece,” he said. “I just want to warm you up.”
“I’m not getting a tattoo,” she protested.
“We don’t have to participate,” he said suggestively. “We can just watch if you want. This one place I know is open till two a.m., so we can hang out there after we eat.”
“I know you better than that, Thomas. You’d never just be a benchwarmer and watch,” she said with a smirk. “Oh my gosh. I’m getting a tattoo tonight, aren’t I?”
He grinned at her with all the sadistic fervor of the devil himself.
“You’re going to tattoo seduce me, aren’t you?” she whined.
“It won’t hurt a bit,” he said, “at least not for long.”
She tried to take her mind off it by ordering. She settled on mini-quesadillas, and Thomas asked for a burger, after she talked him out of the all-you-can-eat mussels. She was not a fan of seafood, even if he did try to convince her that they were a well-known aphrodisiac. “We don’t need any Viagra on the half-shell,” she said, leaning across the table for a kiss, feeling fully relaxed. “We’re pretty powerful as it is.”
“Yes, ma’am,” he agreed. “So, if you do get that ink, what’s it gonna be?”
“Hello Kitty,” she joked, basking in the playfulness of actually having a life after work, of actually having a life with Thomas Graham, which she was quickly beginning to enjoy and crave once again.
“Careful,” he said wickedly. “If you say it, it might be so.” He then sat back in his chair and steepled his fingers in front of his face, as if he was thinking deeply about it.
She stole his French fries as she waited to hear his decision. “Can’t think of anything else, can you?” she with a grin.
“How about a motorcycle?” he suggested. “Someplace you, I, and only our doctors might see.”
“I’ll consider it,” she said, “but I need a little more time. Let’s do a little window-shopping tonight.”
They finished their meal, and there was one more part of the Black Squirrel Thomas wanted to share with her, something Cheri had never tried before.
She tugged on him gently so he would lean down. “You’re just trying to get me into bed, aren’t you?” she whispered when he mentioned the absinthe bar, smiling from ear to ear when she realized she’d made him blush. There was something very appealing in watching her words wreck his composure for a change. Thomas’s beautiful facial features gathered together with confusion, as he was nicely disturbed by what she said, the same reaction he had caused her to experience so many times before. “Shall we share this, too?” she asked.
“That’s probably a good idea,” he said. Thomas broke up a lump of sugar in the glass, and the pieces swam at the bottom as he stirred it. They each took a sip, and Cheri knew right away that she certainly didn’t want much of the powerful cocktail.
He looked her dead in the eye and winked, pinched the glass stem in his fingers, and lifted it to his lips, then threw his head back until the contents were gone. He let out a hiss. “Boy, that’s some strong medicine,” he said with a whistle.
“Don’t be a lightweight now,” she kidded. “Somebody’s gotta drive me home tonight.”
They paid the check and went for a walk down the dark street, to the end of an alley where a neon sign illuminated the area with a faint hue of pink and orange. A second sign in the tattoo shop door said, “Open! Come in!”
We’re just looking, Cheri reminded herself, but as she walked she felt a sense of bravery she had seldom felt before, like she was ready to do something risky, even something stupid. Whether it was the absinthe or the company of Thomas or a little of both, she was on an absolute high, and she didn’t want that feeling to end.