Page 17 of Love’s Strongest Soldier

That was the end of the discussion because she removed her hearing aids until the waitress returned with the bottle and two glasses. She poured us both a glass, and then we ordered food. I had a simple smoked salmon with grits while Luxe ordered damn near everything on the menu.

“Who all are you trying to feed? Everyone in the fucking bar?” I questioned her after the waitress left.

She snickered. “Everything just sounded so good that I couldn’t decide. There’s no telling when I’ll come back, so I want to try it.”

Her glass rested at her lips as she swayed in her seat to the song that was playing in the background.

“Have you ever thought about getting the surgery so you can hear without hearing aids?” It was something that I’d been wanting to ask her for some time now.

She rested her glass against the table and leaned forward, holding her head up with her hand as she gazed at me. The look in her eyes just did something to me. It was lustful and sexy at the same time. The sudden urge to lean forward and kiss her glossy lips took over my body, but I tried my best to hold my composure.

“No. I like being able to turn the world off. My parents brought it up to me when I was younger, but I never wanted to go through with it. I like being different. It’s what makes me . . . me. Would you want to change the one unique thing about you to make you just like everyone else?”

I guess she had a point there. “No, I wouldn’t.”

“Come with me.”

Luxe got up from the table and took me by the hand. She pulled me to my feet and dragged me out toward the dance floor.

“Can you dance?” she asked me.

“No.”

“It’s really not that hard. Let me show you.”

Everything Luxe was doing tonight was inappropriate, but nothing was making me stop her.

“This is something that you should’ve been learned. How old are you?”

“What makes you think that I want to know how to dance?” I saw no reason in me learning to. Gripping her by the waist, I pulled her into my frame. “This about the best you gon’ get out of me.”

Luxe stared up at me with wide eyes. She wasn’t expecting me to handle her the way I did. Her head rested against my chest as we swayed to the music.

“You still didn’t tell me how old you were.”

“Does it really matter?”

“I’m just trying to get to know the guy that I’ve been spending all my time with.” The way she was talking was as if we were on a date.

When she moved, I caught her scent. Luxe always smelled good whenever she came around me. I’d get whiffs of her when she entered and got out the cars. Her hair had a fragrance that I could just lay there and smell all day long.

“I’m twenty-eight.”

“Dang, you’re just a baby.” Her head lifted, and she stared up at me.

“I’m a grown-ass man. Stop playing with me.”

“To me, you’re just a baby. Are you this mean when dealing with your girlfriend? I’d hate to see what she has to go through.”

“Lucky for me, I’m single.” And I’d rather keep it that way. Relationships weren’t nothing but trouble. I’d rather keep my sanity.

“I don’t blame you. I don’t like me when I like somebody.”

I wasn’t sure exactly what she meant by that, and I wasn’t about to pry and find out. That was her business. Soon as I saw the waitress place our food on the table, I peeled away from her. Luxe gazed at me with a bewildered expression.

“The food,” was the only response she got out of me.

She looked over at our table and then strutted in that direction. An older woman caught me by the wrist as I followed her. She was lucky that she was my elder or else I would’ve cursed her ass out.