One Day You'll Be Mine(50)
“Fine! At least let me do your makeup!” She insisted. “But first, I’m going to do your hair.”
She fussed over my hair for an hour, putting my hair in huge curls that she pinned to my scalp. Afterwards, she spent another forty minutes carefully applying mink lashes and doing whatever secret makeup tricks she was doing.
Before she let me see the final look, she took a bunch of photos with her phone. “Lady, come on, I have to get going!”
I was anxious, time was running short and I didn’t want to be late. But when she slowly undid my hair and I finally allowed me to take a glance of myself in the mirror, I had to gasp. The woman in the mirror was hot. She had smoldering gray eyes, intensified by smoky shadow, and rich caramel lipstick that warmed up her usually fair complexion.
“No way,” I whispered. I had to touch my own face to make sure this was me.
“Yes, way,” Rose but in. “Now get out house and go meet Desmond the Dreamsicle!”
***
I arrived just five minutes before my scheduled time. Trembling with nervousness, I checked my skirt and heels before exiting. I knew I looked striking from what I saw in the mirror, but I was still intimidated by Desmond. I was accustomed to a certain kind of woman, and while I surely wasn’t exactly of that caliber, I could do my best to put forth a stunning presentation.
Walking with clutch in hand, I stored my debit card, $20 cash, and keys in my cleavage. People thought it was tacky for a woman to stash her things like this, but in the event my clutch was stolen, I wouldn’t be completely stranded and hopeless. My cell phone was discretely hidden in a back pocket of my skirt.
Desmond met me at the door.
“Good evening, Natalia.” He took my hand in his again and kissed it, sending that intense wave of pleasure through me. My nipples immediately hardened in reaction. This time, I held my breath and smiled, forcing every ounce of me not to melt under his touch. I don’t know how I’d forgotten the effect he had on my body.
Desmond placed his arm around the small of my back and guided me to our table. “You are unquestionably gorgeous, but tonight you’re really taking my breath away.”
His words caressed my ear and tickled me. Losing any hope of cool, I giggled as my face turned 50 shades of red. “Thank you.” Rose informed me that saying anything besides thank you would turn a man off, because men liked to give compliments. My job was to receive and accept them graciously.
Our booth was in the back, in a corner that allowed us utmost privacy. “I hope you don’t mind this section,” he asked. “I tend to enjoy people watching.”
“Kind of like you did the day you met me?” I teased. Using my slight sense of sarcasm as humor was my form of self-protection, albeit not the strongest form available.
“No, I wasn’t people watching that day. You just happened to attract me, and pull me in with those gorgeous features of yours.” He gazed intensely at me. Part of me fell into those piercing brown eyes, but only for a second before I broke contact to look over the menu.
“So… What’s good here?”
“Do you have any dietary restrictions?”
“None whatsoever.”
“Would you trust me to order for you?”
“Sure…” I’d never had a man take control and order for me. “You promise not to give me anything crazy?”
“Define crazy.” He looked at me with a twinkle in his eyes, playing along.
“You know, something that I wouldn’t be caught dead eating. Pig snout. Fish elbow.”
He smiled. “I wouldn’t get you anything I wouldn’t eat myself.” He excused himself to approach the wait staff. I could see him pointing at our table, and then holding conversation with them. One of the servers seemed to nod and take notes as he spoke, and nodded in confirmation. He smiled in gratitude, and turned in the direction of the bathroom.
As the server, a young man in his twenties, approached the table, he smiled. “Good evening Ms. Natalia. I was informed by Mr. Devereaux to get your drink order. What would you like?”
“Ahhhh…” I looked over the menu quickly for something that stood out. “Give me the… Pretty in Pink.” It seemed the least harmless out of all the other cocktails. Suck My Kiss? That sounded like a drink for Kelli.
“Fabulous choice, ma’am. I’ll have that right out for you. My name is Jordan, and I’ll be your server if you have any questions. My heart panged when he said his name. It reminded me of my own son, who I hadn’t spoken to that much these past few days.
Desmond returned a minute after Jordan took our orders. “You seem lost in thought.”