afar. I was unaware places so quiet existed in the city.
I wasn’t sure if he planned it or not, but he
met me on my side of the SUV, which was parked alongside the curb.
With his hand on my lower back, we entered the small restaurant,
which couldn’t seat any more than twenty people at one time. The
middle-aged woman behind the counter smiled immediately when she
noticed Miles.
“Miles! How’re ya, love?” she asked, coming
around the counter to greet Miles with a hug.
At first impression, she seemed sweet and
caring, not overcome with his appearance at all. I wondered how it
was possible, but didn’t complain. Not that I’m the jealous type,
but having other women ogle the person I was seeing definitely
wasn’t appealing.
“Doing well, Truly. How’s the business treating
you these days?” he asked, seeming genuinely interested.
“I’m still here, honoring my blessings,” she
smiled.
“Good to hear,” he grinned, but it wasn’t the
one I received repetitively and on a daily basis. It wasn’t
suggestive, but a genuine, happy, engaging smile.
I looked up at him, noticing a different man; a
different side to the Miles Blackwell I knew. A tender one. One not
so economically and dominantly driven. It warmed my heart to see,
but also left me intrigued. Who was this woman? It obviously
wasn’t a love interest or an ex, that was obvious enough, but she
was someone that knew Miles, that touched his life somehow, that
had broken through his tough-shelled façade. She was brilliance in
my eyes.
There was a second of silence until the focus
turned to me. Truly stared, smiling. She wanted to be
introduced.
“Oh yes,” Miles said, his hand sliding from my
lower back up to my neck, cupping the nape loosely with his
hand.
My body instantly melted under his touch. And as
his thumb slowly caressed my skin, I felt a rush of heat fill my
body. I was enamored by the sentiment I felt through his hand; the
interest, the protection. I tried hard not to shiver.
He looked down at me and smiled. “This beautiful
woman is Kayla.”
Lord, was I sinking. I was engulfed. Drowning
into the sea of this man.
“Kayla, this is Truly.”
“It’s truly a pleasure,” she told me, happiness
radiating from her smile and soul.
I loved her. She didn’t look like your typical
New Yorker and was far from business-attired like Miles and I. She
was short and slightly overweight, but had warm brown eyes that
sparkled and short curly hair that flowed crazily in every
direction. I had no clue who she was, but I loved her anyway. Her
heart was pure, and she had a connection to Miles that was both
warming and intriguing. She was unique…different.
She went back to business mode, ready to take
our orders. “What can I getcha both?”
Miles looked to me, letting me go first, but I
was so consumed with the situation that I hadn’t even glanced up at
the menu yet. “Go ahead, I haven’t decided,” I told him, gesturing
with my hand for him to order.
“Uh…I’ll have the tomato, basil, and mozzarella
pressed Panini with a cup of your beef barley soup, if you would,
Truly?”
Everything on the menu board sounded amazing,
but so did what Miles just ordered. “I’ll have the same,
please.”
As we waited for our food to be prepared, we
grabbed a seat at a table towards the front.
“I feel like we’re hiding out,” I told him once
we were seated.
He chuckled. “Why’s that?”
“Because I can almost forget that we’re sitting
just outside of Times Square. I feel like we’re sitting in a bistro
in Italy or somewhere.”
His smile matched the sparkle in his eyes,
stealing the beat in my heart. He was amused by my statement. “This
is my little slice of heaven in the world of crazy that I live
in.”
“Well, thank you for bringing me here. I’d have
never known it was here otherwise.”
He nodded his head. “It’s my pleasure.” He wet
his lips and leaned further back into his chair, bringing is right
foot up to
I wasn’t sure if he planned it or not, but he
met me on my side of the SUV, which was parked alongside the curb.
With his hand on my lower back, we entered the small restaurant,
which couldn’t seat any more than twenty people at one time. The
middle-aged woman behind the counter smiled immediately when she
noticed Miles.
“Miles! How’re ya, love?” she asked, coming
around the counter to greet Miles with a hug.
At first impression, she seemed sweet and
caring, not overcome with his appearance at all. I wondered how it
was possible, but didn’t complain. Not that I’m the jealous type,
but having other women ogle the person I was seeing definitely
wasn’t appealing.
“Doing well, Truly. How’s the business treating
you these days?” he asked, seeming genuinely interested.
“I’m still here, honoring my blessings,” she
smiled.
“Good to hear,” he grinned, but it wasn’t the
one I received repetitively and on a daily basis. It wasn’t
suggestive, but a genuine, happy, engaging smile.
I looked up at him, noticing a different man; a
different side to the Miles Blackwell I knew. A tender one. One not
so economically and dominantly driven. It warmed my heart to see,
but also left me intrigued. Who was this woman? It obviously
wasn’t a love interest or an ex, that was obvious enough, but she
was someone that knew Miles, that touched his life somehow, that
had broken through his tough-shelled façade. She was brilliance in
my eyes.
There was a second of silence until the focus
turned to me. Truly stared, smiling. She wanted to be
introduced.
“Oh yes,” Miles said, his hand sliding from my
lower back up to my neck, cupping the nape loosely with his
hand.
My body instantly melted under his touch. And as
his thumb slowly caressed my skin, I felt a rush of heat fill my
body. I was enamored by the sentiment I felt through his hand; the
interest, the protection. I tried hard not to shiver.
He looked down at me and smiled. “This beautiful
woman is Kayla.”
Lord, was I sinking. I was engulfed. Drowning
into the sea of this man.
“Kayla, this is Truly.”
“It’s truly a pleasure,” she told me, happiness
radiating from her smile and soul.
I loved her. She didn’t look like your typical
New Yorker and was far from business-attired like Miles and I. She
was short and slightly overweight, but had warm brown eyes that
sparkled and short curly hair that flowed crazily in every
direction. I had no clue who she was, but I loved her anyway. Her
heart was pure, and she had a connection to Miles that was both
warming and intriguing. She was unique…different.
She went back to business mode, ready to take
our orders. “What can I getcha both?”
Miles looked to me, letting me go first, but I
was so consumed with the situation that I hadn’t even glanced up at
the menu yet. “Go ahead, I haven’t decided,” I told him, gesturing
with my hand for him to order.
“Uh…I’ll have the tomato, basil, and mozzarella
pressed Panini with a cup of your beef barley soup, if you would,
Truly?”
Everything on the menu board sounded amazing,
but so did what Miles just ordered. “I’ll have the same,
please.”
As we waited for our food to be prepared, we
grabbed a seat at a table towards the front.
“I feel like we’re hiding out,” I told him once
we were seated.
He chuckled. “Why’s that?”
“Because I can almost forget that we’re sitting
just outside of Times Square. I feel like we’re sitting in a bistro
in Italy or somewhere.”
His smile matched the sparkle in his eyes,
stealing the beat in my heart. He was amused by my statement. “This
is my little slice of heaven in the world of crazy that I live
in.”
“Well, thank you for bringing me here. I’d have
never known it was here otherwise.”
He nodded his head. “It’s my pleasure.” He wet
his lips and leaned further back into his chair, bringing is right
foot up to
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