Be My December (6 page)

I should have been panicked.

I should have been frightened.

I should have been alarmed.

But I wasn’t.

I stood on the sidewalk, the cool air of New York swirling around me in a teasing manner, and I waited for his next move. I chewed my lip and pulled my jacket tightly around my body. What a crazy night. The moment he asked me to leave with him, I was done for. I had no choice but to follow him out of the bar and into the uncertainty of the city. His eyes had widened when I stood from the couch and moved toward him, as if he didn’t expect me to agree so quickly. What choice did I have? He asked and I followed. I said yes. At that moment my weakness was on full display, every confidence that I tried to show was squashed by a simple statement, and as usual, I couldn’t say no. The mask I tried so desperately to portray quickly fell to the floor in a heap of lies and trepidation. 

“What are we doing?” I asked, finding my voice and desperate to put to sleep the awkwardness that was beaming off me.

He shifted slowly, taking purposeful steps, and moved his towering body so it completely overshadowed mine. He shoved his hands deep into his jean pockets and his eyes took in my features, swallowing any insecurity with one enduring look. Hazel eyes beamed into mine, then they dropped and lingered on my lips for a moment too long, a moment that both of us noticed. Ripping his gaze from my mouth, he looked me squarely in the eyes. “I don’t know. I didn’t think you would follow me.”

“I had no choice.”

“You always have a choice.”

His eyes darkened, the delicious hazel color dissolved into to a shade of murky brown, then his jaw tensed as if I had just said the most shocking thing in the world. Why did I even say that? Silence fell between us as we stood on the sidewalk on a cold November night. I shivered under the night air and thankfully a cab soon pulled up to the curb. He walked over, opening the door for me. I didn’t look at him as I ducked under his arm and collapsed onto the leather seat. The warmth in the air comforted me, and I felt my body start to relax. 

Still I felt no fear.

The seat dipped when he slid in beside me and the air immediately thickened.

“To the island,” he directed the cab driver as he shifted in his seat and looked out the window beside him. “Head toward City Towers.”

I folded back into the cushioned seat and closed my eyes as scenarios burst into my thoughts. A guy like him obviously always got what he wanted. His confidence alone was earth shattering, let alone the looks that the heavens above had blessed him with. 

I sat beside this figure of complete mystery in silence. The bright lights and the abundance of people crowding the sidewalk faded behind us as we weaved our way out of the city that never slept and headed across the river. A million thoughts went trampling through my head at a frightening rate. I knew I was getting myself into dangerous territory yet again. I was in a cab, with a strange man, heading to his apartment. This was not how my night was meant to end but why the fuck wasn’t I scared out of my wits?

We pulled up in front of a towering building twinkling in the night sky. He opened the door and slid out and moments later the door beside me opened and I stepped out into the crisp air.

“You ready?” He asked in a low tone.

“Yes.”

I walked beside him in silence and concentrated on my breathing. The closer we moved to the entrance, the more my heart rate increased. Shock and confusion collided head on as we continued past the entrance. I halted and spun around. I looked through the double glass doors into the welcoming foyer with what looked like a coffee bar at one end and a pizzeria on the other, both bursting with late night revelers. 

“Are we not going in there?” I asked, shock hinted on my words as my eyes locked on the pizzeria.

He stopped and turned back toward me, a look of disbelief cascading over his way too perfect face. “Did you think we were going to my apartment?”

“Yes,” I whispered honestly, my voice dropping dangerously low. Cautiously I allowed my eyes to finally find his. He looked at me like I was the most precious commodity in the world, a look that sent a million butterflies loose in my stomach.

A look that finally terrified me.

“Not every guy is a complete asshole. Yes, you are beautiful and yes I’d love to have you in my bed. Believe me, I’d take great pleasure in worshiping your body, but I’m not going to touch you or even attempt to touch you when you are clearly petrified to even be here with me. ” His honesty was brutal yet refreshing.

“I’ll have you know that I’m not petrified of you.”

His brow rose curiously. “Riiggght.” Over exaggeration dripped from his words. “That’s why you have barely said two words to me.” He took off around the corner and disappeared from sight.

What the hell?

My stubbornness and desire to prove him wrong shot through me like a cannon. I could have a conversation with this guy. Couldn’t I? He made it as clear as the night sky above that he wasn’t taking me to his apartment tonight so that was one thing I didn’t have to worry about. I mumbled obscenities under my breath and took off with a rush to find where this annoying yet intriguing stranger had run off to.

I inhaled sharply the moment he came into view as I turned the corner. He leaned against the red brick wall, arms crossed strongly across his chest, his eyes focused solely on me and where I would appear. He looked like a freaking poster boy of intimidating good looks and devilish intentions.

My eyes shot up to the neon sign flashing above my head, Joe’s Place. I shot him a look, and he nudged his head in the direction of the door leading into the 50’s inspired diner. Well this wasn’t how I thought my night would end. I swallowed my frustration and entered through the doors, making my way toward the far corner and sliding into an empty booth. When I realized I wasn’t being followed, I searched the diner and found my stranger leaning over the counter talking closely to a middle aged woman with almost black hair and a cute pink frilly dress covering her body. It looked like she had stepped out of
Happy Days
.

I fumbled through my clutch in search of my phone. I was in desperate need of a distraction, something, anything to pull me away from staring across the diner like a complete fool at a man who I had no clue about. Pulling out a couple of twenty dollar bills, tissues and my lip gloss, my fingers finally grabbed hold of my phone. Three unread message icons flashed before me. 

Tori: I am so proud of you leaving with Mr. Get in my panties. Happy Birthday!!!

I shook my head at my best friend’s clear lack of people skills.

Message two.

Tori: I love this city. I love strip clubs. I love the man I am going to fuck tonight. I love yooooooooooooooooooou.

Message three.

Unknown number: I’d say it’s great to see you back in town, but then I’d be lying.

I gasped loudly, my body shuddered as a familiar feeling incapacitated me. My eyes continued to bounce over the words that tormented me from the confines of my phone. With a painful stab, my heart stopped with every letter, with every stomach churning word laid out before me. I read the message over and over again, like a sick and twisted need to allow it to further consume me. I didn’t understand this, my number was private.  No one knew I was back in town. I sat back against the leather of the booth. Suddenly, I felt like the world was watching me, scrutinizing me, waiting in the darkness to take me in. My eyes darted and dodged around the busy diner. I couldn’t do this. I couldn’t shut down. Not here. Not with him walking toward me, looking at me so all consuming. 

“What’s wrong?” He pulled his wallet and phone from his pocket, placing them on the table between us, and slid in across from me.

“This place seems cool.” I darted away from his question desperate to change the subject and hoping he would follow suit. Exhaustion was hitting me at an alarming rate, and I craved the security my hotel room and bed would provide. The thought of actually having a conversation with this man felt exhausting yet seemed somewhat necessary. “I didn’t know this place existed.”

We were interrupted by the arrival of the same lady from the counter. She looked between me and Crawford,
seriously what kind of name was Crawford
, and smiled widely, her cheeks flushing. I swear I even heard her sigh. She leaned over toward me and a plate was placed in front of me, containing a lush looking piece of chocolate cake with mountains of snow white whipped cream towering sky high. My mouth watered at the sight. My head bounced between looking at the amazingness in front of me, the lovely lady whose nametag told me her name was Carole, and the man grinning across from me. Talk about confused. Carole turned on her heel and crossed the diner, giving us one last look over her shoulder.

“What’s this?” I asked breathlessly.

“You need to eat cake on your birthday.”

“You bought me cake?” I stated, astonished beyond belief.

“So it seems.” He fired a wink toward me before digging into the piece of cake that sat on the table in front of him, a moan of delight escaping his lips. I stared at him completely overwhelmed and at a loss for words. His eyes left the cake and met mine and a perfect smirk flitted over his lips. “You need to pick up the fork and put it in the cake and then eat it. It's delicious, my aunt knows how to bake a mean cake.”

Lifting the fork, I sunk it into the rich looking cake and lifted it to my lips. The smell alone caused me to sigh in anticipation. I felt his eyes on me. My eyes closed as the chocolate wonder set off my taste buds, smashing the emptiness of my stomach with pure delight, and a soft moan escaped. This was hands down the best cake I’d ever eaten.

“Why did you do that?” I asked between bites of cake.

“Why did I do what?”

“Um, back at the club. With that uh, that guy.” I stuttered, immediately regretting bringing it up.

He placed his fork down on the plate and gave me his full attention. “I have never seen someone look as terrified as you did. I knew you didn’t want to be there and I had to do something. I had to stop that asshole from putting his hands on you.”

“But why me?”

“I couldn’t take my eyes off you from the moment I saw you so yeah, I noticed when a fucktard came onto you and took you away and I refused to sit around and watch that.”

He couldn’t take his eyes off me?
I tried to let his words settle within me but to be honest this whole situation was freaking me out. What was I meant to say to that?

“Is that not what you wanted to hear?” He leaned in and his eyes twinkled in amusement.

I felt my lips curl slightly. “I’m not exactly sure.”

“How about we just eat our cake?” He suggested and dropped his eyes to the half-eaten piece of cake sitting in front of me.

I nodded and picked up my fork. Silence fell over the table as I got lost in a world of rich chocolate goodness and I soon I forgot where I was and who I was with.

“This is so good,” I spluttered between mouthfuls of cake, losing all sense of manners. His laughter flooded my ears as my cheeks flushed crimson. Nice one Eden, way to play the sophistication card. “Thank you so much for bringing me here. What was a pretty shitty night is finishing pretty awesome.”

“The night isn’t over yet,” he declared with a straight face.

His fork clinked against the plate once he finished his mountain of cake, and he folded his hands together and sat watching me. Every bite I took, his eyes followed the fork to my lips. My hands trembled with nerves under the intensity of his gaze and what would have usually been massive forkfuls of cake were now tiny, petite bites as I sat opposite this handsome stranger.  My head throbbed with his declaration that the night wasn’t over? What the hell did that mean? He said we wouldn’t be going to his apartment.

I licked the fork before the icing dripped off and the sound of his sharp intake of breath grabbed my attention and my eyes met his.

“I never thought I’d witness someone who could make eating chocolate cake look so sexy.” His voice had dropped dangerously low, rumbling with intent and seduction. “Fuck, I am damn jealous of that fork.”

Heat rushed to my face, and I knew I was a billboard for how his words were affecting me. I slowly put the fork down because suddenly I felt like I couldn’t stomach another bite. I wanted to finish it, but I didn’t want to encourage this guy any further.

“It looks like our night is coming to an abrupt end.” His amused expression focused on something over my shoulder at the same time a loud crash sounded from the doorway. I jumped in my seat and shifted to find out what the commotion was. Deep laughter flooded out from within me. Josh walked in with Tori on one arm and Ashlyn on the other and both girls looked a little worse for wear. Ashlyn’s eyes locked onto where we were sitting, and she slipped out of Josh’s grasp and stumbled across the diner.

“We found you!” she cried in over exaggerated sing song and slid in the booth opposite me. Her eyes squinted as she tried to gain focus. “You bought her cake. Oh my God, you do have a beating heart in there.”

Crawford rolled his eyes at Ashlyn and huffed, “And on that note, it’s time for me to leave.”

“Let’s all go,” Josh suggested, gaining an exasperated look from Crawford.

Ashlyn slid out of the booth just as quickly as she slid in. My hand was soon encased by hers, and I was pulled to my feet. She marched out of the diner and hooked her arm with mine. What the hell was happening? Deep voices mumbled behind me, but I couldn’t make out what was being said. Within five minutes, we were entering the brightly lit foyer of City Towers that was still abuzz with chatter.

“What are we doing Tori?” I asked as we all lingered in the foyer. All I wanted to do was go back to the hotel, have a shower until the hot water ran cold, and go to sleep.

“Well I am going to be doing him,” she slurred and drunkenly pointed to Josh. “What do you want to do?”