Hattie Mae
“Speed dating at Rowdy’s—seriously Kiesha? It is as if you don’t know me at all,” I huff standing outside the front entrance with my arms crossed over my chest as I eye her suspiciously.
“Come on, this could be fun or entertaining. Never know the future father of your children could be waiting for you on the other side of that door,” she mocks, pouting her bottom lip out.
Groaning, I let out an exasperated, “Fine.”
She grabs my arm, tugging me through the door excitedly. I am starting to rethink our newfound friendship. I didn’t see Zane’s truck in the lot. I hope that he is off tonight. That would be all I’d need to make this more humiliating—Zane witnessing this debauchery.
We get inside, and the place is packed. Maybe this could be fun. We walk in and the lights are dimmed for the evening crowd. Kiesha takes the liberty of signing us both in.
Cassie, one of Zane’s conquests seats us at tables side by side. At least Kiesha is close enough I can smack her if this goes horribly wrong. I try to plaster a smile on when Cassie goes over the basics for us. There are about twenty other women here. Some I recognize but there are a few I don’t.
I glance over at the bar where most of the men are waiting. There are a few good looking candidates. I decide to say screw it. Tonight, I am going to try something different. I order a Long Island iced tea and get ready to meet Mr. Tonight. Maybe I just need to get over my breakup with Justin by putting myself out there again and hooking up with someone. Maybe I should hook up for one night with a random man.
I suck down a hard drink through my straw. Kiesha throws her head back with a laugh and gives me a thumb up. “That’s what I am talking about. Cut loose and have fun, girl.”
My first suitor takes a seat and I start the timer. I look at his nametag—Francis. Nope, he gets an automatic no. There was a kid I went to school with and his name was Francis. He was as annoying as hell. He used to swipe my books from my hands and tease me. He said one day he would grace the covers of my smut books. I don’t even bother to really listen as this Francis drones on for the whole five minutes about his cat named Claude. It might be rude but that name… I simply can’t. Who in the hell names their cat Claude and talks about it nonstop, seriously? I feel like I am being Punked.
I politely decline his offer of his phone number and email address once the timer sounds. Maybe this wasn’t a great idea after all if Francis is any indication of how this night is going to go.
I smile a sweet smile of satisfaction as I see Kiesha suffering the same fate as I just had. Francis is laying it on thick for her, trying to hold her hand. I quickly lose my smile when none other than Zane takes a seat across from me. Where in the hell did he come from? He smirks at me and I swear it is as if his lips are teasing me. It’s as though they have taken it upon themselves to torture me. He licks them slowly in a tantalizing fashion and takes a drink from my straw.
“Excuse you,” I snap at him loudly, causing the rest of the speed daters to quieten and stare at us for a moment. He has a lot of nerve. Why is he here and sitting at my table of all tables? There are plenty of other women for him to hit on or whatever it is that he does with them.
He does look cute tonight. He is dressed nice. He is wearing dark jeans and a black shirt that buttons, but he has it over a white t-shirt. The contrast with his tan is sexy. Zane oozes sex and charm from his freaking pores though…so it really comes as no surprise that on a night there is bound to be plenty of single women for him to pick from, that he is looking top notch.
Zane chuckles in response and takes another drink. I am ready to say forget this whole thing. I feel like I was setup anyhow. I scoot my chair back and he grabs my hand, softening his expression. “I’m sorry, don’t go. Let’s start over.” He is smiling as I notice he still has my hand in his. His touch is warm and inviting.
I don’t want to like the way his touching me makes me feel but I do. I miss being touched but at the same time, Justin was the only man who had ever touched me, and it wasn’t genuine.
“Okay, you have three minutes left.” I smile weakly, taking my hand back.
He coolly turns the timer off. I turn it back on in response. Zane shakes his perfect chiseled face with a wicked but amused grin. “Stop being difficult, Hattie Mae. This is me trying to be your friend. I am saving you from another hour of dudes like Francis and Lucas.” His eyes flicker with what I think is a hint of jealousy, but I can’t be sure. What does his brother have to do with anything? He isn’t even here. At least I hope he isn’t—I cannot handle the two of them together, making those damn sad puppy dog eyes at me.
“Worst date you’ve ever had?” he asks nonchalantly, thinking I will say now I am sure of it.
“About eight minutes ago,” I retort softly, glancing at Kiesha and Francis with a shudder.
“What are you most passionate about?” He raises a brow at me as he continues to share my drink. If I take a drink from my straw now it will be as if we have kissed again, kind of.
Stop thinking about his lips, I order myself, but it isn’t working. Telling myself not to think about it has me remembering the night I did kiss him. His lips were so soft and inviting. Gah, now I am staring at his lips wrapped around my straw. This crush is getting out of control, fast.
I sigh, remembering his question. “Out with the heavy already.” He probably thinks I am a weirdo, the way I keep watching him as he sucks on my straw. “Honestly, I don’t know yet. I had this plan in motion. It was going perfectly until it wasn’t.” I throw my hands out and shrug. I don’t currently have a plan. I have no idea what I want to do with my life.
“What was this plan you had?” He looks curious and I feel embarrassed to answer.
I don’t want to admit how I was a clingy girlfriend who had nothing on her mind but becoming a doting wife and starting a family. Because now that is the furthest thing from my mind. I look around the room taking in the décor around me, hoping to escape his question. My eyes land on a sign that reads, This isn’t Burger King, you don’t get it your way, you get it my way or make the damn thing yourself. That has to belong to Zane. It strikes me as exactly the type of thing that would fly out of his mouth. I laugh lightly as I picture him telling someone exactly what is on the sign.
The timer on the table next to us goes off and a chubby banker-looking type of man stands next to Zane’s seat expectantly, waiting for his turn. I look to Zane, waiting for him to move but he doesn’t. Instead, he takes the timer and sets it for the rest of the hour. “Sorry, buddy, this seat is occupied.” He doesn’t even bother to look at the guy. He continues to gaze at me, waiting for me to answer his question.
I ignore how rude Zane is to that man I really don’t want to waste any time with. The man rubs the back of his neck as though he wants to say something, but he decides against it and sits down with Kiesha, whom has a pleased look on her face. I shake my head at her in warning.
“You were saying,” Zane says, directing my attention back to his question. His blue eyes are burning deep into my green pools, hypnotizing me. Maybe that is how he gets so many women to bed, he uses his eyes like laser beams to brainwash them.
“You’ll only laugh if I tell you. It was stupid. I was so dumb,” I answer him honestly.
“Whoever he was, he didn’t deserve you,” he states with a twinkle in his eye.
Why does he have to be so damn near perfect and charming? He drives me crazy and draws me near at the same time. He gives me whiplash— one minute he is being a bit of a prick and the next, he says something incredibly sweet. It must be part of his game plan. I can’t quite figure him out. As much as I say I don’t want to be his friend, I can’t help but be intrigued by him. I want to get inside his head and find out what makes a man like him tick. I take a sip of my tea. I swear I can taste his lips. God, it must be working, I am already falling under his hypnotic spell.
We fall into a casual conversation about living at Wild Horse Acres. He tells me some funny stories and local gossip. It makes me feel that I belong with the crazy group that is my neighbors. They all have their own story. I guess everyone does though. I wonder what Zane’s story is…has he always been a lady-killer?
The rest of the hour flies by quickly. I hadn’t realized how much time has gone by. Zane and his snake-charming mouth must have me entranced. I may have possibly spent the past hour wondering if he is as good a kisser as I think he’d be. I mean sure, we shared one brief kiss, but it wasn’t enough to judge him by. That liquor must be hitting me, there can’t be any other reason I would willingly sit with Zane and allow him to play with me like putty in his hands.
My phone beeps and I look down to see a text from Kiesha saying she had to bail, and that she has to work tonight. I look to the table next to me and she is gone vanished from my sight as I try to see if I can catch her before she is out the door.
I try to hide the disappointment on my face that she just left me here in Zane’s clutches. Then it hits me, she set me up. Both of them did. “You,” I grit out, pointing my finger at him. “This was a setup. You had Kiesha bring me here, so you could get me alone.”
He smiles and doesn’t even try to deny it. “You were having a good time. Let me buy you another drink and I’ll drive you home. I promise I won’t even attempt to flirt. I told you I just want to be your friend, Hattie Mae.” God, the way he always says my middle name makes me feel warm inside. I really don’t have any other way home other than asking his brother to pick me up, so I agree. What can one drink and one ride home hurt?
Three more drinks and another hour passes, and I don’t know what has come over me, I feel reckless and wild. I lick my teeth. “Damn, I can’t feel my teeth,” I say with a giggle. Zane grins at me, obviously entertained with my antics.
“I think I should take you home, wildcat,” he says with humor in his eyes. He is leaning close to me and his body fits nicely against mine. I am tucked safely under his protective arm.
“Kiss me,” I tease, grinning at Zane. “That’s what you have been wanting, right? To get me drunk and kiss me senseless,” I continue taunting him by leaning in close to his mouth. I can’t help it, I need to kiss him. God, I want to kiss Zane. I want to feel those torturous lips one more time—just once.
“Already told you I just want to get to know you.” He licks his lips. I think he is about to take the plunge and touch his devilish mouth to mine. He moves back. What the hell? I know he wants to kiss me.
Instead, he picks his beer up from the table and brings it to those lips I was hoping to taste and takes a long slow drink. I watch the lump in his throat as he swallows, and it feels so intimate when his eyes meet mine. I part my lips and let out a small moan while appreciating his sexiness. I can now see why he gets women all the time. And then it hits me…Zane would be the perfect man to get over my breakup hump with. He is a player and wants no attachments and I need to get over this hurdle.
“I might like you better if you were to take me home and get me naked,” I blurt out the confession that was meant to be spoken silently in my head.
“You, my friend, are cut off.” He takes my glass from my hand.
I am not able to put up much of a fight anyhow. I am too embarrassed by what I just admitted to him. He leaves me alone for a moment to go pay our bill. I tried to pay for my drinks, but he wasn’t having any part of it. I watch him at the bar as a woman runs her hand up his arm. Shit, there goes my ride home. Is she why he is in a hurry to take me home? Maybe I am stupid. I thought he liked me but maybe he really does only want to be my friend. My head is swirling with so many scenarios and I don’t know why I care so much about that woman rubbing up against him, but I do.
I continue to watch as she tries to whisper something that is probably provocative and seductive in his ear. Maybe he will take her in the bathroom and fuck her before he takes me home. But I am shocked when he gently blows her off. He looks in my direction and I try to look away and pretend I wasn’t just watching him with her.
Zane walks back over to me with a strange look on his face. “You ready to go?”
I don’t know why but I am not ready for him to take me home. I like that he turned that woman down and now I want to rub it in her face that he is with me. I know it’s petty and childish, but I don’t care. I am relishing in the thought that he chose me.
“Dance with me,” I say with a wink, making my way to the dance floor with the other couples who connected at tonight’s speed dating thingy.
The song is upbeat and flirty. I can see him watching me. He looks like he is unsure of his next move. I want to ask him what has him suddenly so shy. I have seen Zane in action. I know he is a smooth operator, so why isn’t he making a play at me? I work my hips, swaying and rocking in what I hope is a sexy manner. Who knows at this point? I feel invincible right now.
Moments later, I feel him coming up behind me. Electricity and excitement is coursing through my veins. He wraps his arm around my waist and I lay my head back on his shoulder as we move together. We fit together nicely, and he isn’t half bad at dancing. He sings the song low in my ear, sending a shiver down my spine. My arm is stretched, wrapping my hand around his head. God, it feels good to touch him. I feel so turned on right now.
We continue to grind and press our bodies tightly together until I feel like I am about to burst. I want Zane to have his way with me. I don’t care what I said about him before. If dancing with him can feel this good, I can only imagine what doing other things with him could feel like.
“Take me home, Zane,” I say, grinding my ass into his crotch. My panties are soaked. I can feel that he is aroused.
He basically laughs and says, “Sure thing, tight ass.”