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“Ouch, that hurt.” I laughed. “I’ll get in next week and have you cut it.”
She smiled and said to please do so. After cleaning up from dinner, we grabbed Simba’s leash and took him for a walk. Suddenly turning to face Kayla, I said “Hey, let’s take the boat for a spin. It’s been so long, and it’s a beautiful night.” Kayla loved the idea and clapped her hands, bouncing on her toes in excitement. Simba jumped on the boat before either of us got on and was waiting for a ride. We laughed at the dog and jumped aboard with him. I navigated our way out of the canal and into the open water with the skills of a captain. We tooled around for an hour or so before turning back.
“It's so peaceful at night, with a little mystery as to what’s out there in the dark. What a beautiful evening,” Kayla said.
I agreed with her by nodding, focusing on the boat as I pulled into the canal to re-dock. Passing by Liv’s place, I saw she had a guest and was out on the lanai talking to him. I could see she was having a good time as she laughed at what must have been a joke. I watched the two of them interact with a ping of jealousy.
Expertly, I docked the boat as Simba jumped out before the boat was tied down. We walked back up to the house, and Kayla said goodnight. I offered to walk her home, but she said there was no need. So we hugged, and she was gone.
Restless again, I decided to take a shower and have a nightcap to see if that would bring some sleep my way. I sat on the lanai with a drink and played back, watching Liv and her friend. They looked cozy and intimate, didn’t they? Feeling the effects of a restless sleep the night before, I yawned and decided to try and get a good night’s rest.
Olivia
Life is never fair, and perhaps it is a good thing for most of us that it is not.
Oscar Wilde
Over the next week, Parker and I only spoke when our paths crossed. One would be going in when the other would be leaving, and vice versa. I guessed it was a busy week of photoshoots, golf lessons, and errands because every time I saw him coming or going, he had clubs at his side.
I had completed the paperwork to have the house put in my name that week. Friday came around in what was the longest week ever, in my opinion. Going to check my mail, I saw Parker heading back in from checking his, from the looks of the pile of envelopes in his hands. He stopped and came over to say hi. With a strut in his step, he reached me and leaned against my mailbox.
“Hi, a long week?” I exhaled as I caught the breath he’d used up in his proximity.
“It was a grueling week. I can’t wait to finish a few things and have a strong drink.” I laughed. He looked at me with his smoldering eyes and beautiful smile, and my knees became weak.
“Want to have a drink and hang out?” The question lingered in the air a moment before I answered.
“I’ll do one better than that. Would you like to come over and have drinks and dinner?”
His smile widened at the prospect of spending an entire evening with me. “Sure, under one condition.” He smirked.
I raised my eyebrows, hoping the condition meant I would be in his arms again. “What’s that condition?”
“Let’s cook dinner together.” Letting out a nervous laugh, I agreed, a little disappointed.
“What should we have? I have a taste for seafood. How about you?” I raised my eyebrows questioningly.
“Um, sounds amazing to me. Do you need anything from the store?
“No, actually, I planned on making seafood anyway and picked up everything I needed from the store earlier today.”
Impressed by how prepared I was, Parker said he’d come over in about an hour. He wanted to clean up and take Simba for a walk first and I agreed, smiling from ear to ear as I walked through the door to my house.
After I finished up some emails, I took a quick shower and slipped on a strappy sundress that hung just low enough not to show my ass.
True to his word, an hour later, he was ringing my bell. I opened the door and caught him sucking in his breath. “You look beautiful as usual,” he said as he leaned over and kissed me on the cheek. I could feel the heat where his lips had touched, ever so lightly against my skin. Then he handed me flowers and followed me to the kitchen. My hand automatically went up to the cheek he’d just kissed and rubbed the warm spot. The effect that man had on me was surprising; I was a hot mess already.
“Thank you for the flowers, they’re beautiful. I’ll put them in a vase and set them on the table.”
“I was thinking lobster bites for an appetizer, lobster tails, potato, and steamed broccoli for dinner, followed by Crème Brulé for dessert. How does that sound?” I wanted Parker to respond as I tapped my foot.
“Um, I’m not sure if my mouth is watering because of the food, you just mentioned or because of how much I want to kiss you,” Parker said with a sheepish grin.
Swatting him out of the kitchen, I asked him to start the grill while I gathered the ingredients we’d need and put them on the counter. I couldn’t help but watch as he worked, letting out a deep breath. I knew it would be a long night of fighting off my urge to take him to bed.
I carefully pulled out the bowl of lobster meat I had steamed earlier and cleaned out of its shell, leaving only the tails intact. I chopped the meat into small bite-size pieces, adding the necessary ingredients. Happy with the outcome, I put the large cast iron skillet on the burner to heat; by this time, Parks had returned to the kitchen and asked, “What can I do to help?”
I glanced around to see what I could have him do. I was excited by the possibility of seeing him working in the kitchen.
