CHAPTER TEN
Cerise
If I had roller skates on, you could call me Sex on Wheels. Damn, I looked fine in this little dress. I never thought flannel, the most unsexy and innocuous fabric of all time, could cling this well to my small curves and still suck in the parts of me that need sucking in. It was a matte black halter dress with sort of crisscrossed ruching along the torso that fell into a swishy skirt that stopped at my knees. I paired it with maroon pumps for effect. I wondered if this fashion designer was that Steve fellow his niece is married to. Then again, I wondered if Steve actually existed outside of the vampire journals.
I heard the purr of the car outside my door, so I slicked on some lipstick—MAC’s Full Bodied, a nice wine color, and walked out the door. The air was warm, finally, considering this had been the coolest spring in New Hampshire history. The sun was just starting to turn the sky pink, and I somehow knew tonight would be amazing. The inner cynic inside me had calmed, soothed by the warmth of the air and the sun.
William was standing at the doorstep with a long, blood-red calla lily. He was wearing a suit—surprisingly well fitted, with a trendy plaid handkerchief artfully folded into the pocket.
“You look breathtaking,” he said, taking my hand. He wasn’t timid in his touch. Usually, he recoils somewhat, perhaps ashamed of his cool complexion, but I slipped my hand into his and squeezed in consent. He smiled and opened the car door for me.
For a few minutes, we drove in relative silence, aside from the classical music pouring out of the car’s sound system. Piano, guitar, and even some lilting flute in the background. All perfectly arranged.
“What is this?” I asked about the tune. “Can’t be another original composition,” I said, immediately embarrassed by my assertion. I felt hesitant tonight. I didn’t know how to talk to him in this capacity. Date capacity. Not spanking or role-playing or post-coital dining.
“Yes, it is. I play many instruments, and we have a recording studio in the basement. I use it frequently, and Breanna loves to bring in friends for some high-tech karaoke sometimes,” he said, looking over at me for far too long. Please keep your eyes on the road, William. “I actually composed it after our talk. The only way I could express what I was feeling was through music, so I recorded it for you to hear.”
I listened to the melody. It thrummed in my ears, demanding to be heard. It was more forceful than his other music, but still soft in its own way. The piano begged; the guitar entreated.
“It’s beautiful.”
“It’s step one in my efforts to win back the attention of my mistress,” he responded plainly.
I smiled at his candor. “It’s a good start,” I said as we pulled into the parking lot.
The date began unceremoniously, which was honestly a relief. The place was relatively empty for a Friday night, which was nice because we could talk in private. The waiter poured some sparkling water, and I sipped it while staring at William for a moment. The candlelight made him seem more ethereal, and less real than I remembered. The way the dark shadows hung over his eyes while the fire’s glow illuminated his smile made me catch my breath.
“Are you all right, Cerise?” he asked.
I gasped. He had used my name. Then again, we were in public. “I’m fine, Mr. Gentry,” I replied formally. He caught my guarded expression and realized his mistake.
I decided to be bold with my ordering. I picked steak tartare as an appetizer to show him I was brave enough to eat raw meat in front of a “vampire.” To show my unashamedly brutal nature, I ordered foie gras, an old standby for me, even though the stuff was banned in a few states. I was not a member of PETA. For dessert, I selected a chocolate crema, since it involved a lot of licking the spoon.
He just ordered a salad and some pasta. I frowned at his generic selections, but kept my demeanor otherwise cheerful. We were, after all, on a date and not in the bedroom. Which freaked me the fuck out.