knew I wasn’t going to enjoy the evening. Ami talked all night about one thing - herself. She also made a point to snuggle up to me every time anyone came close with a camera. She made what should have been one of the greatest nights of my life miserable. I’d have enjoyed Maisie’s company. I made a vow that going forward I would be my own man and call my own shots. I wasn’t going to allow this lifestyle to rule me. I had the award in my hand that Carlene said would set me free, and I planned to play that card.
“I saw you win the award,” Maisie said, when I called her the next day.
“Can I tell you a secret?” I asked playfully.
“Sure.”
“If I’da had to hear one more word about Ami’s hair from her or anyone else, I think I would have puked. She likes herself.”
“A lot,” Maisie giggled. It seemed she was happy with my comments.
Maisie, Carlene, and I went on several more outings, just the three of us. It was always a good time, but I was ready to spend some time with Maisie - alone. We talked on the phone often, but I wanted to spend time getting to know her.
I called one evening and heard a merry voice when she answered. “Hi! I’m happy to hear from you.”
“Really? Have you been thinking about me, Maisie? I want you to.”
“Don’t get all pushy.” She laughed nervously.
“Can we have dinner tonight? Just us?”
“As long as it’s not a date,” she replied quickly.
I would let her think it was whatever she wanted to think it was as long as she’d go with me. “Whatever you say. I’ll pick you up at your house at six.”
“No. Here, at the shop.”
“I’ll follow you home anyway. You don’t have to invite me in. Your house at six.”
I heard the Hmmph in her sigh, but she agreed.
“My house at 6:30. I have something here to finish and then I’ll head that way.”
I went to the door. I was treating this as a date whether she wanted that or not.
“Wow,” I said when she greeted me. She wore black jeans that hugged her figure, and a white lacy shirt. It was sexy as hell, and the boots she wore that added a good three inches to her height didn’t help keep sexy off my mind.
“Ready?” she asked, moving aside as though she could read my mind.
“I am. Are you?”
I helped her into her coat and we went to the truck. As I helped her up, a breeze blew and her perfume floated in the air. She smelled like heaven. When I closed the door, I ran my hand through my hair trying to get a grip on my thoughts. Tonight she was an enchantress. I don’t think she even knew it, but she was.
“You look amazing tonight. Not that you don’t always look good, it’s just that…” I was tripping over my tongue. “You look nice.”
“Thank you. Where are you taking me?”
“Where would you like to go?”
She turned in the seat to look at me. “You don’t already have a plan?”
“I do. But since it’s not a date, I wanted to give you a chance to pick somewhere you’d like to go. Do you like Italian?”
“I do.”
“Porta Via,” I answered.
“I’ve never even heard of it,” she said, and settled comfortably into the seat. “Pizza?”
“Or pasta, or whatever is on the menu that you’d like.” That perfume she wore wafted my direction once more, and I had to shake my head. “What’s that perfume? It smells really good.”
“Pink Sugar. I like it.”
“It smells kind of like caramel candy. The kind with the vanilla center,” I said, and she laughed. As we entered the restaurant, a waiter delivered a pizza to a table close to the entrance. “Oh my goodness, that looks sinful!”
I kept my thoughts to myself. She felt dangerous tonight. They seated us in a corner booth and I waited as she slid in to see how far she’d scoot. The center. I slid in and moved close, but not so much that’d I’d make her uneasy, plus I wanted to look at her. I ordered a bottle of Chianti and got comfortable.
“The pizza pictures kind of make you want
“I saw you win the award,” Maisie said, when I called her the next day.
“Can I tell you a secret?” I asked playfully.
“Sure.”
“If I’da had to hear one more word about Ami’s hair from her or anyone else, I think I would have puked. She likes herself.”
“A lot,” Maisie giggled. It seemed she was happy with my comments.
Maisie, Carlene, and I went on several more outings, just the three of us. It was always a good time, but I was ready to spend some time with Maisie - alone. We talked on the phone often, but I wanted to spend time getting to know her.
I called one evening and heard a merry voice when she answered. “Hi! I’m happy to hear from you.”
“Really? Have you been thinking about me, Maisie? I want you to.”
“Don’t get all pushy.” She laughed nervously.
“Can we have dinner tonight? Just us?”
“As long as it’s not a date,” she replied quickly.
I would let her think it was whatever she wanted to think it was as long as she’d go with me. “Whatever you say. I’ll pick you up at your house at six.”
“No. Here, at the shop.”
“I’ll follow you home anyway. You don’t have to invite me in. Your house at six.”
I heard the Hmmph in her sigh, but she agreed.
“My house at 6:30. I have something here to finish and then I’ll head that way.”
I went to the door. I was treating this as a date whether she wanted that or not.
“Wow,” I said when she greeted me. She wore black jeans that hugged her figure, and a white lacy shirt. It was sexy as hell, and the boots she wore that added a good three inches to her height didn’t help keep sexy off my mind.
“Ready?” she asked, moving aside as though she could read my mind.
“I am. Are you?”
I helped her into her coat and we went to the truck. As I helped her up, a breeze blew and her perfume floated in the air. She smelled like heaven. When I closed the door, I ran my hand through my hair trying to get a grip on my thoughts. Tonight she was an enchantress. I don’t think she even knew it, but she was.
“You look amazing tonight. Not that you don’t always look good, it’s just that…” I was tripping over my tongue. “You look nice.”
“Thank you. Where are you taking me?”
“Where would you like to go?”
She turned in the seat to look at me. “You don’t already have a plan?”
“I do. But since it’s not a date, I wanted to give you a chance to pick somewhere you’d like to go. Do you like Italian?”
“I do.”
“Porta Via,” I answered.
“I’ve never even heard of it,” she said, and settled comfortably into the seat. “Pizza?”
“Or pasta, or whatever is on the menu that you’d like.” That perfume she wore wafted my direction once more, and I had to shake my head. “What’s that perfume? It smells really good.”
“Pink Sugar. I like it.”
“It smells kind of like caramel candy. The kind with the vanilla center,” I said, and she laughed. As we entered the restaurant, a waiter delivered a pizza to a table close to the entrance. “Oh my goodness, that looks sinful!”
I kept my thoughts to myself. She felt dangerous tonight. They seated us in a corner booth and I waited as she slid in to see how far she’d scoot. The center. I slid in and moved close, but not so much that’d I’d make her uneasy, plus I wanted to look at her. I ordered a bottle of Chianti and got comfortable.
“The pizza pictures kind of make you want
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