One Night: A BWWM Interracial Romance (16 page)

He took her surprise as reluctance and urged some more. “Come on, a week in New York City? All expenses paid? How can you pass that up?”
 

She really couldn’t. “Okay, I guess,” she said, then as she accepted it, she got more excited about the prospect. “Sure,” she said brightly,” it would be fun.”
 

A week in New York, with Jake Cavanaugh. Another shiver went through her as she thought about it.
 

“In the meantime,” Jake continued while she was still in an agreeable mood, “I’d really like to see more of you while I’m out here.
 
Would you be open to dinner tonight?
 
Anyplace you want.”
 

Natalie was about to instinctively protest but caught herself. Her earlier angst had all but disappeared during this coffee date and she couldn’t deny that she also wanted to see more of him.
 

“Alright,” she said, smiling out the window. “It just so happens I’m free.”
 

JAKE

Jake had insisted on taking Natalie to any restaurant of her choosing. After only a tiny bit of protest she had thrown out
Nobu
, since she had never tried it before. He had called but, it being last minute on a Saturday night, reservations were impossible. He had gone back and forth at a couple of other places but they too were booked. In frustration he had suggested the restaurant at his own hotel in the Hilton downtown.
 
He had seen it in passing and looking it up online it seemed pretty upscale.
 
Sitting at a table across from Natalie, he looked around thinking that it actually turned out to be a rather nice place.
 

When the waiter came around to take their orders, he was impressed to see her order the steak without hesitation. Usually women liked to make a good impression by ordering something like a salad or appetizer for dinner. It was cliché to say it, but Jake liked a girl who enjoyed a good hearty meal. He ordered the the rib eye for himself.
 
He then ordered a nice bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon to compliment their entrees.
 

“I guess when it comes to food, great minds think alike,” he said, and was happy to see an extraordinarily pleased look on her face.
 

When the wine was poured in each of their glasses, he raised his up towards her. “To…happy reunions,” he said.
 

She laughed and replied, “I guess we’re not counting this morning’s debacle,” she said, laughing and bringing her glass up to meet his anyway.
 

It was nice how comfortable he felt around her. He could tell by her relaxed body language that she felt the same way.
 
He smiled to himself thinking about the crazy day. This morning she had slapped him across the face. Now here she was having dinner with him.
 

He sipped his wine as he took her in. Her hair was up in a twist and she was in a black and white sleeveless print dress that hugged her curves well and ended just above the knee. He focused on her face in the complimentary light of the restaurant. Her high cheekbones were even more pronounced in this atmosphere. The bright brown eyes wandered around the room taking in the decor and spying on other diners. As usual, his eyes were drawn to her full lips.
 
Tonight they were covered in the same lipstick she had worn for coffee. He wasn’t sure what her usual make-up regimen was but he doubted she needed the adornment. He remembered the naked face looking up at him from his bed several months ago. That had been perfect. Still, the red tonight was a nice touch.
 

Jake had switched out his jeans and boots for dark gray slacks and loafers. His dress shirt was a light blue that had obviously just been pressed. He was wearing a dark suit jacket over it. Despite the mismatched colors, it seemed to work well together.
 
Jake thanked his lucky stars he had thought to throw in what he would call “formal wear” at the last minute, just in case. At the book tour, people expected the “ruggedly handsome” author, so jeans were not only acceptable but expected. Looking across the table at Natalie, he was glad that he had packed something nice.
 

“So, you never really asked me any questions while we had coffee,” he reminded her. “Now’s your chance.”
 

Natalie took a sip of wine and pondered it. “Okay, might as well go for broke,” she said finally. “Have you ever dated a black woman before?”
 

Jake gave a smile that bordered on a chuckle as he fingered the stem of his glass. “Define ‘dated,’” he said.
 

“Ugh,” Natalie said with distaste. “Please tell me you’re not one of
those
men.
 
The kind that like to try a bit of everything...if only for the night?”

Jake looked up at her with alarm. “No!” he protested. “I mean...I’m not a
monk
. I mean...I
haven’t
been a monk.” Why did this woman get him so tongue tied?
 

“What I mean to say is, I used to have a career where
relationships
were...not a good idea. So did I take advantage of situations when they came along? Sure,”
 
he shrugged. “And, to somewhat answer your question, yes, some of them were black women.”
 

Jake paused and looked Natalie directly in the eye. “But those days are over.”

He could see her getting slightly heated under his gaze and she looked down at her wine to mull that over.
 

“So,” Jake went on, “same question to you.
 
Have you ever dated a white guy?”

“Sure,” she said looking back up at him. “In college I did and a one or two after. As in
dated
not...whatever you did,” she added, laughing.
 

“And since, well, you
know
about the infamous break up,” she said rolling her eyes.
 
Jake nodded with a knowing smile. The break-up that had brought them together.
 

Wherever you are, God bless you Malcolm.
 

“Well, since then,” she continued “I’ve gone on a few disastrous dates.”
 

Jake hated the sound of that. So she
had
been seeing people since Lake Tahoe. It made sense, he thought to himself, looking her over.
 
She was attractive and young and available. He hadn’t expected her to be a nun since then, but it was a little disappointing to hear her actually admit it. He wondered if she’d ended up in bed with any of them.
 

“Have
you
been dating since...?” Natalie asked the question casually but he could tell that she was anxious about his answer.
 

 
Jake had patently refused to do the online thing and he lived a pretty introverted lifestyle. He thought about the rare times he’d ventured out to bars, sharing a drink with a woman who’d shown interest. It had always ended at the last drink and, if he was lucky, decent conversation. He thought about that night with Terri. That was the closest he’d come to being with another woman. Maybe subconsciously he’d been waiting for this moment right here with Natalie all along?
 

He looked up at her wondering what to say. He didn’t want to lie, but he didn’t want to admit that he’d pretty much been celibate. Finally he settled on “not really.”

He watched her body relax. Maybe that was just the right thing to say.
 
As his own body eased in response, he realized that he had been tense as well.

From there they comfortably talked about each other’s lives, detailing the happy and sad and funny through their salads, entrees and well into dessert.
 

 
“...one sister.
 
She lives in Connecticut with her husband David, and two boys. Sam and Kenny…”

“...solo mia. Spoiled only child....”

“…mostly football, I’m a definite Giants fan….”

“…well there’s the hair thing. You have no idea what goes into making it look like this, not to mention keeping it this way...”
 

“…they want to turn it into a movie, but I’m not sure how I feel about it…”

“… so exciting though! Who would you get to play Naomi…?”

"...If I could go anywhere? Hmm...I guess a nice quiet beach somewhere. Maybe Tahiti...."

"...Maldives. I already know it. Before they disappear...."
 

"...So I'm watching Sam run and run and he turns around to catch the ball and just as he's got it in his hands he stumbles back and falls smack on his ass. It was funny in and of itself but you should've seen the totally stunned look on his face...."
 

"...New York doesn't even have In-n-Out. Next time you're here you have to get some.
 
Fries, Animal Style. Trust me...."

Nearly two hours later they were sharing the crème brulee with coffee and still talking easily with one another. They were the last two people there and the wait staff were hovering politely in muted suggestion.

“So, I’m getting the feeling we should probably take this elsewhere.” Jake said, not wanting the night to end. Hoping maybe it would lead to a repeat of what had occurred earlier in the year.
 

“Like, maybe I should head home,” Natalie declared.
 

“One last coffee,” Jake urged, looking at her. He wasn’t about to let her get away that easily. “I’ve got a machine in the room. This has been too fun to end it now.”

“Don’t you have your meeting with the studio tomorrow morning?” Natalie protested. “And I’ve got to go to church.”

That threw him. “So...you’re Christian?” he asked.
 
Jake wasn’t necessarily atheist but the fact that she might be religious was something he hadn’t considered. He realized there were quite a few things he didn’t know about her.
 

Natalie seemed to be pondering the question before finally answering “I guess, in a generic sense, but no, it’s not like what you’re probably thinking,” she assured him. “My mom, aunt, and I go once a month with my grandma because she seems to enjoy it. It’s just a chance for us to spend time together. Honestly, I’d probably be labeled a heathen base on the last time I went to church of my own accord.” She laughed.
 

Jake relaxed a little.
 
That was something he could handle. He was even a bit jealous of how close she seemed to be with her family. Of course, he had his sister, who he loved dearly.
 
The rest was a long story, one he was glad they had avoided touching on tonight.
 

“Well, what time do you have to be there?” he asked, hoping it wouldn’t be an obstacle to getting her up to his room. “My meeting is not until 10:00.”

“What a coincidence, so is mine,” she smiled. “But I should still get going.”

“Hey now,” Jake said, practically begging. He looked at his watch, “We have 11 hours to kill.
 
Just one coffee.”
 

Natalie looked at him, and seemed to be debating it.
 
Finally she gave in. “One coffee,” she warned.

Jake instantly signaled their waiter who hurriedly made his way to their table with the check ready.
 

NATALIE

Natalie couldn’t believe she had caved so easily. She had debated the pros and cons to going up to his room. The problem was, she couldn’t find any cons. Even if they did end up...whatever, she’d still be able to escape in time to go home, get dressed, and get to church.
 

The smile he had given her made it worth it.
 

Leaving the restaurant, Jake put his arm around her waist to draw her near. It was a comforting and comfortable feel and she let it happen easily. She thought back to their first elevator ride up and how awkward they were with one another, even after so much whiskey.
 

They waited by the elevators in silence, enjoying the feel of each other’s body next to one another. When the doors opened, Jake held the side and let her walk in first. They had the compartment to themselves and when the doors closed he came in closer to her, walking her up against the back wall.
 

“I thought we were just going up for coffee,” she said smiling up at him.

“Everybody knows
coffee
is not coffee,” he said in response.
 

“Is that like
no
doesn’t really mean no?” she replied.
 

“Whoa,” he said backing away with mock offense.
 

Before he could take another step back Natalie grabbed the front of his shirt and pulled him in for a kiss. Even in her short heels he had to bend down to plant his lips on hers so she rose on the balls of her shoes to meet him half way.
 

Her arms wrapped around his broad back underneath his jacket as his went around her shoulders. The taste and feel of his mouth on hers was both foreign and familiar.
 
She had been there before, most recently this morning, but it felt fresh and new this time and she sank into it, feeling the passion growing inside of her.
 

Coffee was most definitely not going to be coffee.
 

The doors opened, breaking them out of their spell. He pulled away from her and stared down at her with a smile on his face. Before the doors could close on them again, he reached out a long arm to stop them and pulled her out with his other arm on her upper back.
 

Once again they wrapped arms as he led her down the hall to his room. He pulled away for only a second to retrieve the key from his pocket and slide it in the door to unlock it.
 
At the green light he pushed it in and allowed her to enter first.
 

It was nicely decorated modern room with just a bed and a desk and she walked across the plush carpet to the window, placing her purse on the desk.
 
She looked out to see the view of the buildings in downtown L.A. She felt him come up behind her and place his arms around her. She turned around in his embrace so she could look up at him.