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Tears pricked at the corners of my eyes, and I was two seconds away from bolting out the door so I could cry alone in the alley.
A large arm covered in tattoos nudged me holding a bite of the chocolate cake I’d just been crying over on a fork. I whipped my head around, peering up and up and up until I met the eyes of the man the tattooed arm offering cake was attached to.
Everything about him was dark—dark hair, eyes, skin, and beard. Most people probably gave this man a wide berth, crossing to the other side of the street when he neared. But I’d always preferred the dark, seeing the truth of a person better when the light wasn’t there to shield them.
And while this man appeared to be menacing, I could tell deep down he had a good soul. Life had scarred him, but he wasn’t a threat to me. In fact, his quiet presence was comforting, and I felt safer with him than I did with most people.
His eyes watched me, letting me take my time to assess him fully. It made me sad to think people were afraid of him. I smiled at him, wanting him to know I saw who he was and wasn’t scared.
The corner of his beard moved, and he nudged the fork again, reminding me what had started my perusal.
“Oh, that’s kind of you, but I don’t want to take it from you. You got it first, so you should enjoy it.” I shook my head, smiling at him so he knew I wasn’t mad he had it.
He didn’t drop it, lifting the fork with the cake closer to my lips. His eyes fell to my mouth, and I licked them under his gaze. The little bit of space between us allowed him to press the chocolate cake closer, my mouth automatically opening and wrapping around the utensil.
Chocolatey goodness exploded in my mouth, and I barely contained the moan that wanted to escape in response. He pulled the fork from my lips, allowing the cake to slide the rest of the way into my mouth, melting as it hit my tongue.
My eyes glanced up, not surprised that he was watching me. I smiled in thanks, my insides vibrating with happiness. The opposite corner of his mouth ticked up, making him almost have a full smile. He cut off another bite, taking it to his mouth. With his eyes still glued to mine, he placed it on his tongue, wrapping his lips around the silver utensil as chocolate icing spread across his lips.
Never in my life had I been so jealous of a fork.
I sucked in a breath, my heart racing as heat spread through my body. Shit, this was turning me on. I never thought chocolate cake and a hot guy… okay, I should stop right there and acknowledge I’d been lying to myself this whole time if I didn’t think this was a fantasy come to life.
Crossing my legs, I waited with bated breath for what he would do next. This had suddenly become the most intense conversation I’d ever had, and he hadn’t spoken a word. It should’ve probably been weird that I was eating cake off a random guy’s fork, but it wasn’t. There was a connection I couldn’t describe between us that went past the strangeness.
He cut off another bite, bringing it to my lips again. I didn’t resist opening my mouth for the cake. Back and forth, we took bites until nothing was left but a few crumbs. He sat the fork down on the plate, and I weirdly wanted to snatch it back and keep it forever.
That fork had seen some things.
It felt wrong to let it back out into the general public now that it had been part of my mouthgasm.
We continued to stare at one another, comfortable with the silence. The waitress interrupted it when she sat my food down, the to-go bags placed next to me.
“Here you go, darlin’. Let me know if you need anything else.”
She hurried away on a mission to serve her next customer. I picked up my cheeseburger, taking a huge bite of it. Then moaned around the greasy goodness as cheese melted in my mouth, some dripping down my fingers. I lifted the burger to the man beside me, offering him a taste. It only seemed fair.
A full-blown smile sat on his lips, stopping my breath for a second. He shook his head, motioning for me to continue.
I shrugged, going back to my meal. When I was mostly done, I wiped my face, not wanting a ketchup chin when I looked at him again. I picked up a fry and turned, the thoughts in my head ready to escape.
“Thanks for the cake. I want to feel bad for stealing half of it, but it was so good that I can’t lie about that. So, thanks.” He nodded, his body turned more toward me. He leaned one of his elbows against the counter, resting his head on his hand as he watched me. “I don’t know if you noticed, but I was at a real low point. Sometimes I get that way and am unaware until the simplest thing pushes me over that edge.”
He continued to stare at me, his eyes speaking to me as he listened.
“Most of the time, I’m this happy-go-lucky girl, ready to take on the world. I’m okay with how my life is and where it’s going. But then, sometimes, I wonder if I will repeat the same day over and over and if that’s all there ever will be. It’s hard because I do like my life. It’s safe and comfortable because I know what to expect. I live with people who understand me and accept me. I have everything I could possibly want. But…” trailing off, I realized how deep I was getting with this stranger. I cleared my throat, shoving a few more fries into my mouth.
The quiet man nudged me, his eyes soft, and I knew he understood. The emotions tumbled inside me; he’d felt them too. Even without him voicing any words, I instinctively felt them. He placed his big palm on my forearm; the warmth seeping into me, hugging me from inside. Taking a deep breath, I let it out slowly, nodding that I understood what he was saying.
That it was okay to feel alone even when you were surrounded by people. That it was okay to want something just for yourself. And that it was okay to be sad when, for all intents and purposes, you shouldn’t be. It. Was. Okay.
“So, yeah, that,” I said, using my fry to emphasize my point. “You’re an excellent listener. I’m glad I sat beside you and stole half your cake.” I giggled, the action making his eyes widen, and I could practically feel them smiling at me.
I finished off my food, wishing I didn’t have to leave. But I still needed to do a few things before today’s activities.
“Well, I guess I better head back. Gotta love a secrets and chocolate cake dinner.” I smiled as I paused, not sure what else to say. “If I never see you again, thank you for touching my heart with your beautiful soul.”
The quiet man took my hand, squeezing it between his giant paws. We held eye contact for a second longer, only interrupted by the waitress placing my bill down. She eyed me, looking between the man who held my hands and me. She only saw his outside; her face worried for me as she peered back.
