I do.
I do.
“Thank you. I will,” I say, letting go of his hand as mine suddenly feels bereft.
“Is there any other big revelation because I didn’t think you were expecting, “ he says with a grin. I think he’s trying to lighten the mood.
Looking down at my barely there bump, I smile. “Yes. I’m not showing yet. As for another secret,” I raise my eyes and tap my chin, “Hmm…I’m afraid of elevators and tunnels.”
“For real?” His eyes sparkle with curiosity.
“Yep. It’s weird. I’m afraid that the elevator will stop working and we’ll get stuck in it. And tunnels.” I shiver at the thought. “I’m particularly afraid of the ones under water. What if something happens and it collapses when I’m in one?”
“It’s okay, Dimples. I’ll take pity on you and save you,” Arsen says, smiling.
I laugh. “And how do you intend to do that?” I lean forward, “Do you have super powers that I’m not aware of?”
“Baby, wouldn’t you love to know?” Arsen teases back as he leans forward, bringing our faces closer together.
“Maybe…but, what if I don’t need saving?” I say.
“Even if you didn’t, I’d be there for you.” He retorts.
“Oh, this is getting interesting.” I lean even closer than before. “Arsen, my knight in shining armor.”
“Only for you,” he answers, but he’s not smiling anymore. As a matter of fact, he looks dead serious.
Our faces close, the whisper of his breath hitting my lips...we stare at each other silently for a moment too long. The friendly vibe from before is gone, and instead the air has turned tense...charged with energy.
Slowly, he lowers his gaze and stares at my lips intensely, prompting me to do the same with his. Are they as soft as they look? I can’t help but wonder what they would feel like on my skin.
“Excuse me. Your food is ready,” the waitress cuts in, breaking the tension filling the small space between us not a moment ago.
“Finally. I’m fucking starving,” Arsen says before digging in, back to his usual self.
I grab my fork and run my fingers along the handle, pretending that the awkward moment from before never happened.
After lunch is over, he walks with me to the curb to wait for a cab. It had started raining while we were in the diner, so as we are making our way to the corner a strong wind passes us by, flipping my umbrella inside out. The sudden pull tugs me forward, causing me to stumble blindly into Arsen who immediately wraps his arms around my waist to stop me from falling.
When I look up, embarrassed beyond recognition, he’s already staring at me with his piercing eyes. I feel the beginning of a blush stain my checks as I hear the loud thumping of my heart.
I wonder if he can hear it.
I would die.
“I haven’t kissed you yet, but I’m already making you weak in the knees?” he teases, tightening his hold on me.
I’m trying to come up with an answer, but my mind is drawing a blank. Instead, I get lost in the warmth of his body so close to mine. His touch feels comfortable and organic as if it belonged there.
“W-what?” I say, swallowing hard.
“However, I think this is where I’m supposed to kiss you,” Arsen says as the tips of our noses touch. In a daze, I observe how he brings his lips closer to mine. As he draws nearer, a voice in the back of my head is shouting at me to move because nothing good can come of this. When I think he’s about to kiss me, I snap out of my reverie and put my arms in between us, ready to use all my strength to push him away, but Arsen surprises me when he aims for my ear instead.
“I’m just messing with you, Catherine,” he whispers before he pulls slightly back, staring at me with laughing eyes.
Relieved because he was teasing me, I begin to push him away and lift a hand to wipe some of the rain off my face. “In your dreams, Arsen,” I joke back.
“Fuck, you’re getting wet. Let me fix that for you.” He lets go of me instantly, grabs my umbrella and fixes it by flipping it back.
“It’s all better.” He holds it above me, shielding me from the rain.
“Um, yes…thank you.”
“Told you. I’m here to save you.”
His statement makes me lift my eyes and stare at him as the rain keeps falling around us. The grin plastered on his face sets me at ease. I’m comfortable with friendly and flirty Arsen.
We’re standing next to each other while he holds the umbrella over me and not him. He’s getting wet, but doesn’t seem to mind. “Are you sure you don’t want to squeeze under here? I think there’s enough room for the two of us.”
“Nah. It’s okay. A little water won’t kill me.” He grins, making his eyes crinkle.
As we stand on the corner of Church Street, the noises of the city come alive all around us. I can smell the smokiness of the wet cement and the exotic spices coming from the gyro stand across the street from us. I don’t think I’ve ever noticed all these smells and noises floating in the air before.
“Would you like to share the cab with me?”
Arsen smiles. “Sure.”
I’m about to discuss a coming assignment when I hear my phone ringing. I take my cellphone out and see Ben’s picture on the screen. “Excuse me for a sec. My husband is calling me, and I need to get this.”
Arsen nods stiffly.
After a quick conversation, I say goodbye to Ben. By the time I turn to look at a soaked Arsen, a cab finally pulls to a stop in front of us.
When Arsen opens the door for me, I get in but he doesn’t follow me.
“Aren’t you coming? I ask, confused.
“No. Actually, I just remembered that I need to run some errands. If you don’t mind, can I borrow your umbrella?”
“Um, okay.”
Leaning inside, Arsen kisses my cheek goodbye taking me by surprise. And I’m further stunned when he whispers in my ear, “Thank you, Catherine. It was a lot of fun. We should do this more often. You know, just you and me. I know I would like to.”
He straightens and shuts the door without saying another word to me.
As the cab pulls into traffic, I turn around so fast I can feel the ends of my hair hitting my face. He’s standing under the pouring rain watching the cab drive away.
Nerves sear through my body, making me feel feverish as I look at the stranger staring back at me in the mirror with eyes that shine brightly.
“Uh, I’m not sure how I feel about this.” I tug at the leather skirt, trying to get it to grow a couple of inches without any luck. Turning to look at Morgan who is sitting down on her bed looking perfect, I rub my hands against one another, the sweat making them stick together. “I feel like I should be working a corner or a pole, Morgan. I mean, if I bend down just a little you can probably see my ass.”
“Are you kidding me? You look gorgeous. Like the new, improved, and sluttified girl next door. Ben is going to lose his mind when he sees you in that outfit.”
Smiling at me, she stands up and makes her way to stand next to me. As she closes the distance between us, I take in her outfit and for a moment wishing I were as tall and as curvy as she is. She’s wearing very tight, shiny black leggings with a fitted Rolling Stones t-shirt, and bright pink stilettos. A female version of Julian, she is stunning.
“Seriously, Cathy. Julian gave me a rundown of what’s going on between you two, and I know this is going to sound immature, but if you want a guy to stake his claim, make him die of jealousy. Look hot and flirt with hot guys, and he will go all cave man on you. I swear it works like a charm.”
I watch her out of the corner of my eye, laughter and disbelief in my voice, “And this has worked for you before, I take?”
“Yep. Always. And let me tell you, the more pissed off you get them, the hotter the make-up sex is after.”
I shake my head and continue staring at my reflection in the mirror. “Okay, I get it. But this isn’t a skirt. It’s more like a scrap of cloth!” I show her the way the skin-tight skirt is hugging my hips. I’m wearing leather glued to my ass, a pretty cream blouse with black lace applications and my black riding boots.