C28 Chapter 28

RICK

I can’t believe it. I never thought I’d see Viola again. She looks as stunning as ever. She’s wearing a white cotton mini dress. It’s not too short nor too tight but the material clings to her every curve as she moves. The lights catch her dress making it almost transparent. Her hair is still long and she’s got it tied back in a pony tail revealing the soft skin of her face. Her white mini dress contrasts against her light brown skin.

I watch her as she heads over to her friends. Her dress shifts over her firm ass as she moves. I wonder how I ever let her go not that she was ever mine in the first place.

She chats with her friends and motions to me. They nod and wave. Then she returns to me.

“Let’s go,” she says grabbing my shirt and pulling me along behind her. I manage to keep my balance and fall into step beside her. We leave the club and the cool, fresh evening air hits us. She flags a cab and it stops.

She opens the back door and gets in.

She bends as she gets in and stretches her dress over her back and her ass. I can see her thong outlined as the dress is stretched and then she’s in the cab. I get in and close the door.

‘Afterparty, please,” she tells the driver. She’s so in control I can’t believe it. I never thought she could be like this. The cab driver pulls away and heads to our destination.

She leans back against the door on her side of the cab and looks at me.

“I don’t believe it,” she says.

“Neither do I. I’d given up on ever seeing or hearing from you again.”

“Why?”

“Why? Why?” I ask incredulously. “You never returned my calls. You stopped answering my messages. Where have you been?”

“I left town,” she answers. Her eyes are drinking me in and drinking me up. I’m doing the same. I’m guessing she decided to skip wearing a bra this evening. I can see her nipples pressing against the thin fabric of her dress. The way she’s dressed is a far cry from the way she was dressed the night of the wedding. But then she’s not working tonight. She must notice me looking and smiles but pulls her jeans jacket closer around her covering up.

“So, are you visiting your friends?”

“I’m having a night out with them,” she says avoiding my question. I meet her gaze. Her eyes are hungry with passion but there’s something more. A caution. A barrier.

The cab stops and I pay the driver. I get out. She slides over to my side of the cab and her dress rides up revealing her golden, brown legs up to her thighs. I glimpse her black thong as she takes my hand and steps out. If she notices she doesn’t show it. She grabs my shirt and pulls me into Afterparty. It’s a well-lit café serving snacks and coffee. The flashing sign outside promises twenty-four service. It’s not very full at this hour but then I’m guessing it serves clubbers when they finish clubbing and need to sober up. It probably only gets busy after midnight.

Viola leads me to a table in the back corner by the window and slides into the booth. I move to slide in beside her and she stops me.

“Over there,” she says pointing to the other side of the table.

“Are you normally this bossy?” I ask as I slide in opposite her.

“No. I just don’t know what to do with you,” she says.

“Do with me? You mean like chop me up and store me in your freezer until you need some meat for dinner?”

She laughs that husky laugh that I have forgotten from the one time when we met. “Funny,” she says.

A waitress stops at our table and Viola orders two coffees for us. The waitress leaves and Viola meets my gaze again.

“So what’s happening in your life?”

“Nothing much. Still doing law.”

“Sue any more wedding planners?”

“No. You think I have something against wedding planners?”

“Just asking,” she smiles and I realize she’s teasing me.

“What are you doing now?”

“I’m starting a new business.”

“Really? What is it?”

“It’s back in the wedding industry. I’m doing weddings for people who want to elope.”

“Do you think there’s a market for that?” I ask frowning. “I thought people who want to elope don’t plan it. They just do it.”

“Mostly yes. But just because they decide to elope it doesn’t mean it has to be a cheap affair. It can still be classy. That’s where I come in. I offer great destinations and add a touch of class even if it’s last minute. It’s for the high end of the market.”

“I had no idea. I wish you success with it,” I say. Her hazel eyes are gleaming with excitement as she tells me about it and I can tell she’s happy doing what she’s doing. “So, are you based here in LA?”

“My boss lets me work from anywhere,” she replies. She’s avoiding answering me and I don’t know why. I decide to let it go for the moment. The waitress delivers our coffee and we thank her.

We sip our coffee and an awkward silence settles over us. I can’t stop looking at her. I feel guilty though and keep glancing around afraid that Christine or one of her friends is going to see us. But I’ve never been here with Christine and we’ve never been clubbing. I don’t think it’s her thing. I try to relax but the guilt won’t let go. I know what I did with Viola last time. I feel like our business is unfinished.

I eventually break the silence. “Listen, I’m sorry for everything. I never meant to upset you. I never forgot that moment in the garden at the reception. I feel like we never finished it.”

“Oh, believe me, it was finished,” Viola says. “After you told me how you felt about love, marriage, and relationships? It was finished. Dead in fact.”

I fall silent. If that’s her opinion I wonder why she was so happy to see me tonight and practically pulled me off my feet behind her out of the club.

“Ookaayyy,” I say slowly. “So why are we here?”

A glint of mischief enters her eyes then she picks up her coffee and gulps it down. She gets up. “I gotta go to the ladies' room. Finish your coffee. It’s time to go.”

I watch her as she heads to the ladies' room. Her ass is accentuated perfectly as the dress shifts over her skin. Her golden brown legs are so damn sexy against the white of her dress. I gulp down my coffee and head to the counter where I pay the bill.

Viola returns from the ladies' room and takes my hand. She leads me outside and flags a cab.

“Where are we going?” I ask.

“You’ll see,” she says as we get in. She gives the driver an address and he pulls off.

The drive takes a few minutes only and the cab stops outside an apartment building. We get out and she leads me inside. We get in the elevator and the doors close.

“Is this where you live?”

“It’s temporary,” she says as she hugs me close. The elevator stops and we get out. She leads me down the hall and opens the door to an apartment. She holds the door open for me and closes it after I step inside. I turn to look at her and she pulls me close.

She looks up at me with her eyes and I’m lost immediately. “The time that I met you is dead.”

“You told me,” I murmur, “So I’m wondering why we’re here.”

“Well,” she says slowly. “I have a problem and knowing what your attitude is about relationships and love, I think you’re perfect to help me.”

I frown, confused. “What’s your problem?”

“Cobwebs.” She says not taking her eyes from mine.

I look around quickly. I’m not a fan of spiders and I have no idea why she thinks I’m the man to help her with cobwebs.

She giggles then and I meet her gaze again. “Seriously?” she asks, a tone of disbelief in her voice.

“What?” I ask.

She grabs my hips and pulls me against her. I’m hard. She can feel it. She moans softly and grinds herself against me. “Cobwebs. In my pussy,” she whispers. Her hand settles behind my neck and pulls me down to her while her other hand tangles in my hair. Before I can do anything, she kisses me.