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Her father, Richard, has been in our office a time or two carrying on. I’ve never put her face with the name. Now that I have though, she’s in my sights and I’ll never let her out of it.
“Absolutely,” my voice is just above a whisper, not wanting the outside world to impede on our moment. Her eyes never leaving mine as she takes the last sip.
4
Summer
Well if there’s one thing to say about being somewhere I’d rather not be, it’s that at least I have someone that is in my realm of age, not to mention he’s handsome too.
Unlike who my father tries to set me up with one of his “friends” another one of his great ideas, marry off his only child like we’re back in the eighteen-hundreds. Usually, they are as old as my father, that though makes me cringe eternally.
I take the last sip of my wine, this one a hardy one at that. It’s so un-lady like, but I don’t really care. The thought of dancing with Rome is my only goal at this time.
My eyes go back to the man who has captured my attention, he fills out his tux like no other man I’ve seen before. His deep green eyes that pull you in, he’s comfortable in the way he carries himself. The tone of his skin is a warm golden tone. One you’re not sure if he was born with or if he loves the outdoors as much as I do.
Rome’s attention doesn’t seem to leave mine even as I place my wine glass on the bar top.
“I’m ready,” I tell him, his gaze perusing over my body. It makes the flesh on my skin pebble up and bead.
“I guess you are,” he croons. Rome places his hand at my lower back and guides me to the dance floor. With his height and stature, people seem to move out of his way, it’s enough to make me feel small and safe walking by his side. Something I’m really not. I have curves and for the most part, I’ve embraced them. That doesn’t mean I don’t know that sometimes when you do have a different body shape, people look at you differently.
When we get to the floor, I’m spun and his hand finds mine, he tucks it against his chest, leaving his other arm to wrap around my waist. I raise my arm and hold onto his upper arm.
“Just like that, baby,” his head dips, my breathing hitches. I think he’s going to kiss me. Yet, he doesn’t. He glides his nose along mine in the sweetest gesture I could ever receive.
In all of my years, I’ve been told who to date. Not that I actually went on those that were foisted on me by my parents. I was always able to finagle myself out of them. It’s one of the best things about the career path I chose. Of course, it was ill fitting for them, but I truly love it. Being a freelance photographer allows me to travel the world, take in the sights, and stay away from my parents. Don’t get me wrong, I love them, but I think they forgot what unconditional love was along the way.
Rome brings me further into his body, allowing me to get out of my own head. I look up at him, he has a soft smile playing on his face. He’s devastatingly handsome, the five o’clock shadow he has, it doesn’t usually look good on the men I’ve been around, but he makes it look effortless and handsome.
I really hope this is a night to remember.
“Rome,” I whisper out. He tips his head in acknowledgement, slowly moving the hand he had at the small of my back to where the skin on the back of my neck is bare, I can feel every tingle on the path he took to get there.
He squeezes my nape in a reassuring motion and slowly brings my head to rest on his shoulder.
I don’t care who’s looking, talking, or dancing around us. It’s just the two of us, and I couldn’t be more thankful.
5
Rome
Fuck, I hate to dance, but now I’m thankful as fuck Mom made all of us boys learn how to. I could have kept her on the dance floor for hours, but I saw the way she was wincing after two songs, slowly moving from one foot to the other at one point.
Leading her to the tables, not giving a damn that we’re supposed to sit where our names are assigned. I hold onto her hand while pulling her chair out with the other.
Once she’s settled, I sit down in the chair beside her. The bonus of this event is that the chairs are so close together our legs are touching, and that feeling of closeness doesn’t leave.
