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At first, Maxine was confused about the greeting until she realized it was four o’clock in the morning. The words drifted back to her mind “it’s the friends you can call at four o’clock in the morning that count.”
A warmth crept into her stomach. Lucas was a true friend in her time of need, wasn’t he?
“Are you okay, Maxine?” Lucas asked her in a low voice. His tone was silky, smooth and deep. But the way he said her name. The way Maxine rolled off his tongue sent shivers of delight rushing through her.
“Yes, I’m good, thanks,” she replied as she captured his beauty from across the table in the plush, cozy booth. The dim light of the candle and ambiance was soothing, romantic and calm. So inviting. Oh, God! This place was way too inviting. Anything could happen right there and then. There were very few people in the establishment except when she’d entered she noticed a few men dressed in the finest of suits. A discreet place where elite hang out. Who would have ever thought that she, ordinary, unknown Maxine, could be at a place such as this?
When the waiter took their orders after she’d made her selection from the iPad menu on the table, they were finally left alone.
“Nice place. Do you come here often?” she questioned in a hushed tone, trying hard not to gaze into his dark, sexy eyes. Every time their gaze met tingles would erupt between her thighs and she could feel moisture pool between her legs. She had to get her mind off sex. Off how sexy Lucas was.
“Sometimes. When I need to get away from it all.”
“I see.”
He sighed and leaned back into the leather seat of the booth. Lucas cocked a sexy boyish grin that melted her inside, yet again. The place looked elegant and rich, everything seemed elite, expensive from the art work on the walls to the soothing music in the background to the ambiance but it was all nothing compared to the vision of loveliness before her. Lucas.
“No freelance photographers, no onlookers, no hassles.” He grinned.
“I get it. I should have known. It must be awful being chased by…reporters every time something…um…”
“Every time a girl makes a claim against me in the media?” he finished for her, a grin of amusement played across his sexy lips.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to—"
“Don’t be. I’m pretty much used to it by now.”
The waiter came back to the table in no time with Maxine's Caramel Macchiato. A rich blend of sweet steamed, deliciously frothy milk with a shot of freshly brewed espresso and creamy caramel. A filling hot beverage and one of Maxine’s favorites when she could afford it. What really grabbed her was the fact that when she brought the drink to her lips, it tasted more rich than she’d ever remembered. Holy! Was the milk from a sacred cow or something?
She’d heard of rich folks going to places like this where it appeared that the chef took extra care with preparing their meals. This gave new meaning to the term expensive taste. Mind you, she’d also read online that some rich people went to places like this to pay $400 for the world’s most juiciest, tastiest hamburgers with the most expensive organic beef. Imagine that! That was a week’s worth of wages for most people.
Lucas enjoyed a steaming cup of freshly brewed black coffee. Strong and dark. Like him, she mused.
They engaged in small talk about sports and other issues before the waiter came back with their breakfast. Maxine delighted in his sense humor during that time.
She enjoyed an exquisite queen sized plate of soft scrambled eggs, mushrooms, shredded cheese and Pico de Gallo toppings and American fried potatoes. She also had Cinnamon Swirl French Toast with warm maple syrup to the side—unsure of how she would accommodate the proportions. Maxine had no idea how huge the dish would be when she ordered.
She salivated over her entrée. Lucas had a similar dish with a slice of steak! So early in the morning? But then again, judging by his broad shoulders and his muscular build she knew he worked out hard at the gym so having a protein-rich meal was probably expected.
“I’m really sorry about what happened to you at the apartment, Maxine.”
“So I am,” she lamented. Her eyes looked downcast. “But I’ll survive.” A knot tied in her stomach but she had to be brave about the whole thing.
