Rebound (12 page)

They walked up to the hostess stand, where a gorgeous twenty-something hit them with an amazing smile. The place was dimly lit and smaller than she thought it would be.

“Good evening, welcome to Andiamo. How may I help you?” 

She said the “How may I help you” part like she was asking, “How can I help you unzip those pants you are wearing?” She was giving Xander the do me eyes big time. That bothered Katrine because she could have been his date or wife. It was so disrespectful. She was going to send a little note about this strumpet to the owner. Xander put his arm on Katrine’s lower back and said “Yes, you can, Abbot, reservation is for 8:00.”

“Yes Mr. Abbot. Right this way,” the hostess said in a more professional manner.

The arm on her waist must have clued her in to how inappropriate she was being. She led them back to a small table in the corner, looked to be the best seat in the house, very secluded. In Katrine’s opinion the best table was far away from the kitchen and the bathroom. Eating while having a direct view into the restroom was just plain unappetizing. “Hey buddy you forgot to wash your hands…”

“Wait a second, where are the others?” she said, rapidly looking to her left and right. 

Then it slowly dawned on her, there were no others. Xander grinned and pulled out a seat for her. She obliged, willing her butt to meet the seat. Ok,
now
she was surprised. She really had not seen this coming.

Very smooth, Abbot
.

“I didn’t mean to trick you, but I was afraid that you wouldn’t agree to have dinner with just me. Are you angry?” he asked, sounding concerned.

Was she mad? Well, she did feel a bit hoodwinked, but it was kind of romantic when she thought about it. Romantic in the way she liked, creative and surprising.

After a brief introspection she said, “No. I’m not angry. But next time you want to take me to dinner, just ask!”

He chuckled, “You have my word.”

“So, I hope you like Italian food?” he asked hopefully.

“I like food period! Hey, you can add that to my smile list.” She laughed.

“Would you like some wine?”

Katrine pointed at her smile and said, “Mr. Abbot, you are on a roll!! Two for two. You do work fast,” she teased.

“Red or white?”

“Red, please.” she added.

“Your wish is my command.”

 The waiter approached and Xander ordered a nice Sangiovese. It wasn’t the most expensive bottle, but from an excellent vineyard. The most expensive wasn’t necessarily the tastiest and she liked that he ordered with his palate and not his ego.

“You approve?” he asked.

“Yes, I like a man who can order a good bottle of wine. So now that you have me here, albeit under false pretenses, what is it you want from me?”

He tilted his head and raised his eyebrows in the most naughty way. She just stared at him for a moment and he stared back at her. She started to feel a little uncomfortable and she was blushing a little, upstairs and down. There was a lot of sexual tension building and they hadn’t even had wine yet. What happens when you have two people who are attracted to each other and you add alcohol to the mix?  The answer to that one was easy… very easy.

Xander cleared his throat and spoke first to break the tension, “So, let’s take a look at the menu. That wine is meant to be drunk with food, so how about we order some appetizers?”

“That sounds wonderful, I am starving. Can one of them be calamari? I love calamari!” Katrine beamed.

“Do you have any idea how cute you are when you get excited about something?” he said, shaking his head. Katrine hid her face behind her menu for a moment. She felt a little embarrassed, but also flattered at the same time.

“I get very hyper about certain topics. But thank you for finding it endearing.” She shot him a full smile, one that she hoped conveyed that his compliment had pleased her.

The way he was looking at her made her shift in her seat a little. She was cracking under his scrutiny. He was good...he knew how to look at a woman. The look that let her know he wanted to do things to her, naked and naughty things. But there was something other than sex in his gaze, but she wasn’t quite sure what it was. Maybe admiration, maybe amusement, but mostly sex. She was not giving him more credit than was due. His attitude change in the office made sense. He wanted to sleep with her, that much was now obvious, but was that all he wanted from her? Why was she here, really? Did he decide he needed a diversion while stuck here against his will? These were questions she needed answers to, but she would wait a little bit. At least until she’d had a few sips of wine.

The wine was really nice and the appetizers were delicious. He had ordered calamari, per her request. It was light and crispy accompanied with lemon, spicy marinara, and a creamy aioli.  They also shared a simple Caprese salad. The fresh mozzarella and tomatoes were drizzled with rich olive oil. Sprigs of bright green basil brought color to the plate. The tomatoes were thick and sweet, and burst with juice at the bite. All of the elements were simple, simple yet perfect.

“That was delicious. I hope I have room for my actual dinner,” Katrine said, taking a deep breath, hoping it would free up some space in her stomach. She ordered grilled salmon and seasonal vegetables for dinner, hoping to off set all of the garlic she had just ingested. But this was an Italian place, so the odds of that were slim.

Remember to chew some gum later. 

He had garlic. Do two people with garlic breath cancel each other out?

No, probably not...

“The wine is excellent as well. Should we try something different or get the same kind?” he asked.

“Usually I like to try different ones, but I am really enjoying this one. You decide.” 

“Ok, let me think about it.”

While they waited for their main courses to arrive, Katrine decided to get some answers to the questions she had about this whole little set up.

 “I was wondering when you decided to do all of this? As of last week you tolerated my presence with contempt.” She looked him right in the eye. 

 “Again, I apologize for my previous behavior... I had convinced myself that if I was rude enough, you would keep your distance. And in all honesty I was pissed off about being stuck here and I’m sorry to say, I took it out on you,” he said, seeming ashamed.

“Yes, you had some pretty rude moments. I’m glad to hear it wasn’t really personal. But it was hard not to take it that way.”

“I just thought it would be easier, for some misguided reason.”

She nodded and shrugged her shoulders, deciding to let him get it all of his chest, so she didn’t comment. He owed her an explanation.

 “Every day you tried your best to be pleasant and kind, despite my horrible attitude. And every time I saw you smile or heard you laugh, I had to re-convince myself. It was kind of torture really. Being unpleasant was proving more and more difficult. Once I make up my mind as to the right course of action, I try not to change directions. I’m stubborn that way.”

 “The true turning point was when you caught that mistake. I knew that I couldn’t continue treating you like before. It just wasn’t right. It wasn’t about the money as much as your competence and hard work. You deserved more respect then I was giving you.” 

Katrine smiled a small knowing smile. She wasn’t going to interrupt, this she had to hear. He paused for a moment then went on. 

 “Saturday you were so professional and personable. Everyone was impressed, especially me. And can I just say that you looked absolutely beautiful, no one held a candle to you, not even close. I couldn’t help but go to you when I saw how upset you were. I couldn’t just sit back and watch that asshole do that to you, not if I could do something about it.” He paused to take a sip of water.

“Still I wasn’t sure how things were going to be between us on Monday. I didn’t know how much you disliked me. But when I saw you at my office door, all I could think about was spending time with you. I just wasn’t sure how to go about it. I had been such an ass. I was afraid too much damage might have been done.” 

“That is when this crazy plan hatched, but please believe me when I say that my intention was to spend time with you, not trick you.” He exhaled softly, then grinned.

Good lord! I just wanted a few answers
.

Wait... Does he mean any of that? It sounds like a line.

Oh, he is good
…

He knew how to get a woman in the sack before the main course hit the table. 

But didn’t she want that too, rebound plan and all? So why did it matter? Just a few nights ago she was planning his seduction, so why not follow through on the original plan? But something about his suavery didn’t sit well with her, and she was more confused now than ever. Her head was leery, but other parts of her anatomy were saying, “Yes please!”

 Katrine drained her glass of wine. He ordered another bottle. The look on her face, her silence, or both must have worried him. 

He grabbed her hand and said, “I can tell by the look on your face that you don’t know if you should believe me or not. You think this is my move to get you into bed?  Of course I want you in my bed, but usually I  don’t have to go into an emotional monologue to succeed. I know I’m leaving in a couple of months, but I would like to spend time with you until then. I’m sorry if I am coming on a little strong, but frankly I don’t have time for a drawn out seduction. My time here is limited.” 

He was being really intense and it was really a turn-on. It was such a nice change. David was so clinical and matter of fact about everything...even with matters of the heart.

I guess his fraternizing rule just got flushed down the toilet.

Katrine sat still for a few minutes, trying to decide how she wanted to respond to his impassioned speech. 

“I do forgive you for how you treated me these past few weeks. I understand your reasoning, although it was a little misguided and a little bit childish. But with that said, I would be lying if I told you I hadn’t thought of you in a new light since Saturday. I would be lying if I said that I didn’t want to spend time with you before you left. And I would be lying if I said that I was sure it was a good idea, because I’m not so sure...I do appreciate your honesty and I hope it is the truth and you’re not playing some game with me. I know you could find some other woman to sleep with if that was all you were interested in, so where does that leave us?”

“I hope that leaves us with the mutual decision to see each other while I am here. And to enjoy each other while we can.” He paused for her reaction.

Katrine was not expecting the cards to be laid out on the table so soon. She really wasn’t expecting any of this, and she wasn’t sure how it all made her feel. She looked down and smoothed the napkin on her lap several times. Then she looked up and played with the salt shaker, turning it around and around, not wanting to meet his eyes. 

The food arrived, but Katrine was suddenly not very hungry. She did however continue to drink her dwindling glass of wine, which was both calming and warming her body. Why was she warring with herself on this? It would be so easy to just give in and take a chance. She had played by the rules and look where it had gotten her. Divorced and unemployed. All her planning and pragmatism had left her high and dry.

“Katrine, maybe it isn’t a good idea, but maybe it could be the best, bad idea you have ever had.” He smiled. And it was a smile that made her want to give him anything he wanted. It made his eyes sparkle. 

Damn him and his beautiful green eyes and amazing smile.

She had only one choice, well only one that appealed to her. Who was she fooling? She wanted to be with him too. She just nodded her head and looked down at the table. He reached out and grabbed her hand and squeezed it lightly. Xander then pushed his seat back and went over the Katrine’s side of the table. He gently grabbed her hands and she let him pull her to her feet. He looked down into her eyes and held her shoulders lightly. He then pulled her close and gave her a light kiss on her mouth. There was so much to that one tiny kiss, promise, relief, and maybe even triumph.

It was over in an instant but that instant was long enough for Katrine, for in that instant
her remaining defenses were obliterated, utterly and completely.

Well, bring on the fling
....

Chapter 16

Katrine did end up finishing her dinner and the mood lightened as well. They had wonderful conversation and a lot of laughs. They got onto the topic of college and some of the crazy things they had done. Katrine shared a slightly embarrassing story about getting caught sneaking a date into her room by the dorm adviser. The advisor knocked on each door on her floor, and anyone who was there had to watch her walk her date out of the building.

 “She wanted to make an example of me. I was mortified at the time. She said, ‘This is what happens when you sneak boys into your room. Let’s all thank Katrine for showing us how not to behave. Perhaps this will also show you that controlling your urges is the best policy.’ It was awful. I hated that girl. She was a prude and a total nazi. I transferred out of that dorm the next semester.”

“What happened to your date?” he asked.

“I never went out with him again. He asked, but I was just too embarrassed. Looking back I can see it wasn’t that big of a deal, but to my 18- year-old self, it was awful.”

“I have a story to top that.”

 He started telling her about a very tumultuous 24 hours during his initiation into his fraternity. “We were all locked into a room and we were forced to drink these huge cups of water. Doesn’t sound so bad, right? The horrible part was they wouldn’t let us use the restroom. They even put on a CD playing sounds of streams, waves and various other types of running water. Well, of course eventually I really had to go. I looked around and the other guys were obviously having the same problem. Some were holding their crotches, some had their legs crossed, some where dancing around the room, anything to stop from going. A few had gone in the cups they had been drinking from. That was stupid. What were they going to do with the contents when the brothers came in to refill?” He was a very animated storyteller and he used his hands frequently. She was completely absorbed in his theatrics. “A few guys even went in their pants. Well there was no way in hell I was going out like that. So there I was, tears literally coming to my eyes, because that was just how bad I had to go. When inspiration struck. I noticed the window in the back of the room. I went over, but my triumph was short-lived. It wouldn’t open. So I picked up my chair and broke the window...”