The look on my face gives Othello his answer.
He puts his arm on the armrest and leans in closer to me. His scent embraces my nose in an intoxicating hug, and my nerves start to dance like a cat on a hot tin roof. He smells like exotic incense and mandarin fruit, and his mouth is so close to my cheek that if I turn, our lips will touch.
“I think,” he says quietly, “for the sake of your vacation, you just let things be. Don’t overthink it. It’s just a date.”
“Just a date?Onedate?”
“Onedate. That’s all I’m asking. Let your hair down, and have some fun with me for one night.”
I laugh at the words my mother had spoken to me hours ago.
“What’s so funny?”
“My mother told me those same words today.Let your hair down.”
“Mother knows best.”
If only you knew.
“My mama used to say, ‘Don’t let fear make your decisions for you’.”
“Words to live by,” I say.
He nods, a small smile on his lips, and I assume he’s back in the past, thinking of his parents, so I change the subject.
“I’m actually surprised you don’t have a date lined up with one of the bridesmaids. Not unless you’re just adding me to the roster.”
He feigns offense. “Me? Is that what I look like to you? Some kind of player?”
I give him a look, taking in his effortless confidence.
“I mean…yeah. Dogs come in all colors, shapes, and sizes.”
That pulls a full laugh out of him, and I can’t help but smile too.
“Ouch. Okay,” he says, clutching his chest in mock offense. “You’re funny. But I like that,” he says, shaking his head. “But no. I’m not a player, Marley Jacobs. That lifestyle is too exhausting. Too many women to keep up with. Too many personalities to deal with. And if you’re not being upfront with these women, too many lies to remember.”
“Sounds like you’ve been down that road before.”
“Nah, not me. My cousin has though, and I witnessed it from him.”
“This cousin that’s getting married?” I asks.
His face nearly turns to stone. “Yeah, him,” he answers gruffly.
Clearly I’ve hit a nerve, but Othello changes the subject.
“To be honest, I don’t get out much. I’m a bit of an introvert.”
“Is that why you don’t do book events or interviews?”
He gives me a curious look.
“How do you know that?”
“I’m a journalist and an avid reader. I notice things. Especially when an author is topping bestseller lists and somehow still managing to avoid every camera put in front of him.”
This makes him double over with laughter. “Wow, okay. So you think you have me figured out. What else have you noticed about me?”
