Hey There, Delilah... (23 page)

The morning comes too quickly, and I don’t want to get out of bed.  My entire night was consumed with thoughts and dreams of Nick. Actually, if I am going to be honest, Nico made an appearance or two.  Maybe I shouldn’t declare him completely dead.  I had to pee in the middle of the night, but the dream was so good, I refused to let my body awaken.  It felt so real that I think I ended up orgasming in my sleep.  Or maybe I just peed in my bed!

I spend the morning being lazy around the house. I s
trip my bed and do laundry, straighten up the other rooms, and stay in my pajamas as long as I can until it is time to get dressed and run errands.  I get all of my food shopping done for the week, as well as stop at a few dress shops to scope out ideas for the ball Nick asked me to go to with him. All he told me is that it is black tie, and going to be full of stuffy lawyers. I have no idea what I am going to wear. Do I go sexy or professional?  While window shopping, Charlie calls to see if I want to meet for a late lunch.  I haven’t eaten much today, so I say, “sure.”

Charlie spends most
of lunch pumping me for information about my date with Nick. I try to give her enough information to quell her curiosity, but at the same time, I keep most of the juicy stuff close to the vest. And forget about all of the personal information we shared.  That she will never know.  I actually feel quite protective of the information – and him.  I know that it is rare for him to show that side of himself to anyone - to be vulnerable and exposed - personally and professionally - and I value the trust that we’ve developed over the past months.  So, no, I will not share it with Charlie, or anyone, no matter how pushy she gets. And lord knows she’s got that down pat. I do, however, tell her what happened at the burger joint, and how he called me his “girlfriend.”  We both squeal like sorority sisters when I am done with the story.

Just as she
begins to berate me again, my phone bings with a text.

Nick:  thinking of u

I am sure I light up in a face splitting grin and sigh an “ahh” out loud.  Then I realize that it took him all day to text me something.  So, feeling a bit feisty, I decide to screw with him a little.

Delilah: I’m sorry, who is this?

♫
♩♫♩♫♩
♫

I am finding it difficult to sleep after hanging up with Delilah. Not only was the date fantastic, but then talking to her on the phone for hours reminded me of being in high school. It was flirty and fun and I really didn’t want to hang up.   But I knew she was tired from me dragging her around the zoo all day, along with a few other activities that we engaged in.   Since I can’t sleep, I decide to go to my home office and work for a few hours.  I would like to catch up on some work so that maybe Delilah and I can cut out of work early one day for our next date.  Instead of working, I find myself surfing the web, looking at cocktail dresses. What the hell?  I decide right then and there that I am going to buy her the dress I want her to wear to the charity ball next month.  This way, I know that sexy Delilah will be on my arm, not frumpy Delilah…who I am very attracted to as well… so don’t get all crazy on me!  I will call my personal shopper in the morning to take care of this.

Of
course, that would be way too easy, and the control freak in me is not having any of that. Plus, I don’t think Delilah would appreciate a strange woman picking out her clothes. No, if I am going to do this for her, then I am going to do it right, and be the one to actually pick it out. So, I spend the next few hours looking at dresses. By 2:00 am, my head is spinning and I have developed a splitting headache.  Do I want full length, cocktail, or tea length?  Off the shoulder, one shoulder, strapless, or halter? A line, empire, or mermaid? Silk, satin, organza, or lace?
Well, that’s an easy one.
Side slit or back slit? Backless or plunging neckline? And don’t let me get started on color. Holy hell!  I slam down my laptop and head to bed.  This is going to have to wait a few days. Maybe I should ask Carmella for help.

I toss and turn most of the night. My
thoughts waiver between nightmares of killer dresses and wet dreams of LaLa’s incredible mouth wrapped around my cock. To say my head is fucked up is an understatement. I sleep in as late as possible, knowing that I don’t have any concrete plans for the day, and I won’t see Delilah until tomorrow.  I consciously have to tell myself not to call or text her again today.

I have an early lunch, since I pretty much skipped breakfast, then decide to give Calvin a shout to see if he wants to meet up to shoot some hoops.  Club M is closed on Sundays and Mondays, so he is usually up for some physical activity since he doesn’t have to
go into work later tonight or tomorrow. We meet at his place because the condo has private courts and play a couple games of one-on-one.  He embarrassingly kicks my ass four games to two, and I give up. I just can’t concentrate. All I can think about is Delilah and where I want to take her next. And when I am going to taste her sweet pussy again.  I chug a bottle of water, get my shit together, and wrap a towel around my neck.  Then I sit on the bench next to Calvin.

“Dude, I am screwed,” I say to him, hesitant to open up. I don’t like having these personal conversations with anyone, but I
have known Calvin for years, since my law school days, and he is good peeps. In fact, besides Delilah, he is the only other person to know the truth about my mother.

“
I noticed you were a little distracted out there.  I know you suck, but, my man, you sucked hard today,” he replies.

I chuckle with him because we both know he is dead on. “I ju
st can’t get her out of my head, bro. She worked her way under my skin and took residence,” I say honestly.

“Ooooh, you’re in looooove, playa,
” he teases, with an underlying seriousness.

I
drop my head into my hands and groan. “Fuck me.”  I don’t confirm or deny his accusation, but in my heart, I know he’s right.

“So? What are you going to do about it? Cause if you don’t want her, you can send that fine white ass my way,” he says, trying to goad a reaction from me. 

“Are you trying to piss me off?”

Calvin
grins and nods knowingly. He stands up to leave, says “later,” and walks away.  I guess my jealous reaction to his comment about wanting Delilah answered his original theory. Do I love her?  Holy fuck, I think I do.

I sit here for a few more minutes, enjoying the fresh air, and the peace and quiet. Except there is no peace, not in my head, at least.  Everything about the past few months is swirling around confusing the fuck out of me. These feelings I am having, physically and emotionally, and the ache I feel when she is not around worries me. What if, at the end of the day, I am not enough for her, and she just ups and leaves.  I don’t
think I could survive that.

As I head home, I debate whether or not to call her. We said at the end of the date that we would just see each other at work on Monday. But, the pansy ass that I am, misses her too much to wait.  So I decide to take the easy way out and just text her.

I force myself to wait until I get home, which is utter torture, because I am an instant gratification type of guy, but I know it will be worth it.  I stink to high hell from playing ball with Calvin, so I decide to take a shower first.  Once clean, I slip on a pair of comfortable workout pants, grab a bottle of water, then sink down into my leather sectional. Ahh! Now…it’s time to see what my little bit is up to.

Nick:  T
hinking of u

Delilah: I’m sorry, who is this?

What the hell?  She better be fucking with me.

Nick: The man of your dreams

A few minutes pass and I am getting really impatient.  I distract myself by going to the kitchen and getting another cold bottle of water. It is really hot out there today, and I was sweating buckets on the courts.  When I get back to the couch, there is a text waiting.

Delilah:
Christian?

Christian? Who the hell is Christian.
Okay, I need to keep calm. Delilah is a smart girl; I have to assume she is still messing with me, so I play along.

Nick: Guess again, doll.

Delilah:  Gideon?  Ethan?

What? I stand up quickly and knock over my bottle of water. Shit!  I am
stunned, shocked, and shaken. How many guys is she seeing?  Before I can respond, another text comes in.

Delilah: No, No…this must be
Jesse.  You’re the one that kept me up late last night. What you did with that peanut butter. Omg, it was so hot!

Enough with the texting!  I pick up the phone and dial her
number; she picks up on the first ring.  She doesn’t say hello right away. All I can hear is her laughing so hard that she is snorting through her nose.  When she finally calms down, I speak first.

“
Who the hell are all of these guys and how many are you fucking?” I shout into the phone. I don’t even know if she can hear me over her laughing.   The fact that she is laughing should clue me in to the reality that she is just screwing with me, but the mere thought of another man touching her has me so riled up that I can’t think straight.

She must hear the seriousness in my voice because she stops laughing, but t
hen states, “Oh, Nick, come on. Don’t get your panties in a wad.”

“You still haven’t answered my question, Delilah. Who are all of these men?”

“They are my book boyfriends, Nick!  Jeez, calm down.”

I take a deep breath and try to be rational. In a calm voice, I ask. “What’s a book boyfriend and how do I find them so I can kick their asses?

She chuckles again at my expense and responds, “I don’t think you will be able to kick any of their asses, sweetheart.”

Now my hackles are rising once again. How dare she question my ma
chismo?  “What? You don’t think I can take them?” I ask, my ego bruised.

“
Because they live in my Kindle, dumbass. They are fictional!” she shouts at me, knocking me down a peg or two.

“Oh,” I say softly, “In that case, what was that about peanut butter you mentioned?”

We laugh together until the drama is forgotten.  We stay on the phone for another few hours talking about everything and nothing. We even listen to some music and eat dinner on the phone together.   The conversation flows so easily and there is a comfort level between us that is so natural, as if we have known each other for years, instead of months.  Every day that passes, I fall deeper for this girl.  I can only pray that she feels the same way.

As midnight approaches, we
start saying our goodnights. Neither of us wants to hang up the phone, but we both have to be at work early.  By 1:00 am, we are still holding on.  Both of us are drifting to sleep, so I force her to hang-up. 

“Hang up, LaLa,” I say
softly, “You are exhausted.”

“So are you.  I can’t wait to fall asleep in your arms.” She yawns, and my heart flutters.

“You know if I was there we wouldn’t get any sleep!”

She sniggers
and agrees.  “Yeah, you’re probably right.”

“
Goodnight, LaLa. It’s time to hang up.”

“
Okay,” she agrees sleepily.

“And
, Delilah?

“Yeah, babe?”

“Don’t be on time tomorrow.  Your boss says to come into work a little late.”

“Yes,
boss,” she answers with a giggle. 

M
y cock stirs.
Damn it!

“Goodnight, sweetheart.”

“Nite, Nick. I …”

I suck in a quick breath, wondering what she is about to say.  Am I ready for it?  Will I say it back?  “Yeah?”

“I’ll see you tomorrow,” she answers, and I let out the breath I didn’t know I was holding.

Before I have the chance to respond, I hear a click, dead air, then the operator yammering in my ear…”If you’d like to make a call, please hang up and try again.
If you need help, hang up, and then dial your operator.”   Oh, yeah, I need help all right.

♫♩♫♩♫♩
♫

I can’t believe I almost let it slip. I was so tired, and it felt so natural, that it just escaped. Thank God, I caught myself! That would have been tragic; especially since there is no way that Nick has those kinds of feelings for me.  I wouldn’t be able to face him in the morning.  I mean, I know he is attracted to me, and he really likes me as a person.  He even calls me his girlfriend, but I just don’t see those words coming out of his lips for me. But that’s neither here nor there. 

Nick
told me to take the morning off and to come into work late today, and I know he meant it, but that’s just not in my nature. Besides, I can’t wait to see him.   I take my time getting dressed, prepare myself a lunch, even have a second cup of coffee, but I am still running early.  I stop at the café on my way in to pick up a coffee and cannoli for Nick, but they are out of cannolis. Of course. So, I pick up a donut instead. If he doesn’t eat it, I will.

I get to the
office just after 9:00 am, and as I approach my desk, I see the top of Nick’s head, his ass in the air. What a sight!  I say good morning, but obviously startle him because as he stands to greet me, he slams the top of his head into my desk.             

“
Ouch, shit! Hey there, Delilah.”

“
Are you okay?”

“Yeah, it’s pretty hard,” he says, knocking on his head. But the double entendre isn’t lost on either of us and my eyes drift south. I can’t
stop the blush that creeps up, but ignore it as I know Nick likes it.  “What are you doing here?” he asks.

“
Couldn’t sleep, so I figured I would just come into work.  What are you doing
here
?” I ask, waving my arms around my desk, wondering why he is going through my desk drawers.

Nick continues to rifle through my bottom right drawer, obviously looking for something.
  “Ah ha! Here it is!  I have been looking for this file all morning,” Nick elates, and then throws his arm in the air showing me the document. 

“You could have called me if you couldn’t find something, Nick.  That’s what I am here for… to assist you.”

“Thanks, Doll.  But I was hoping that you were sleeping in this morning,” he says with a wink. “But now that you are here, can you come into my office?  I have something that I need to talk to you about.”

I put my purse in
to my desk, grab the coffee and donut, and head into his office.  I tamp down my sudden burst of panic. As soon as I hear the words “need to talk,” my stomach drops with dread.   “I picked this up for you on my way in.  They didn’t have any cannolis today, sorry,” I try to say cheerfully, hoping that he doesn’t catch on to my anxiety.

“Thank you, Delilah.  You really didn’t have
to do that, but since you did…”  Nick rips into the bag like a kid on Christmas, and his eyes light up when he sees the donut.  “I haven’t had a donut in years,” he says talking with a mouth full of donut, his lips covered in powdered sugar.

I
chuckle at the sight of a grown man devouring the treat like it’s the first time he’s ever had sugar.  “I’m glad you are enjoying it! I try to have one myself at least once a month. Why deprive yourself of the doughy, sugary, goodness?”

“I am so glad
that you are a dessert connoisseur because I have a job for us. Well, for you actually. That’s what I need to talk to you about.”  I take a deep breath and let it out, feeling much better knowing that whatever he needs to discuss with me is just about work.

Nick sits in his big leather chair behind his desk, and then points to the chair across from him, telling me to take a seat.
“Since I didn’t think you were coming in this morning, I went through all of the voicemails.  There was one from my ex, Veronica,” he says disdainfully.

“Um,
okay?” I say, panic rising again, as are my eyebrows.

“She is the new President of the charity we are going to the ball for next month.  It’s a non-profit helping abused and neglected children find loving homes.”  I nod for him to continue
, listening intently. I am not thrilled that his ex is still in the picture, and even more perturbed knowing that she will be at the ball.   “Anyway, she called because the board member who is in charge of finding the dessert caterer, as well as choosing all of the desserts for the event, has a family emergency and can no longer fulfill her job duties.”

I am not 100%
certain where he is going with this, but it definitely does sound like something I would love to do.  “Okay, go on.”

“So, since she is so new at this, she really doesn’t know anybody she can ask a favor from…”

I cut him off, feeling a little annoyed.  I really can’t explain what transpires next.  Hormonal, raving, out of my mind, lunatic. Yep, I went there.   “That’s just bullshit, Nick. She is totally manipulating you to get you back.  First, you will be her ‘hero,’ by saving the desserts, then she will attempt to lure you into bed,” I say, jealousy rearing its ugly head. “If you want to be with her again, just tell me.  Feel free to go and work with her on this whole dessert rouse, but don’t treat me like an idiot.  I don’t deal with liars, and I certainly don’t deal with cheaters!” I yell, standing up abruptly.  I guess Ryan did fuck me up more than I thought.

I start to walk out of Nick’s office
, but he jumps up and blocks me from leaving. “What just happened?” he asks, completely confused.

“I’ve just been here before, Nick. Remember, with Ryan? And I can’t put myself there again. If you would rather be with someone else, then please…”

Nick leans down and kisses me gently.  “You are the only woman I want, Delilah.  The only one I have ever wanted. The only one I will ever want.”

“Really?” I ask, completely humiliated by my outburst, but proud of myself for standing up for myself just the same.
Fucking green-eyed monster.

“Yes, really. Trust, remember?” he asks, running his knuckles down my face.

“Ugh, yeah, I know. You’re right, Nick. I am so sorry for freaking out on you. Please forgive me,” I beg. Boy have the tables turned.

I lift onto my tippy toes,
trying to reach his mouth. He meets me half way and as our lips collide, I feel a desperation that I never felt before. 

“Of course I forgive you,” he says a little out of breath from our kiss.
“Green looks good on you; I’m flattered by your jealousy, but it is completely unnecessary,” he reassures me, then gives me a soft kiss on the tip of my nose.

And just like that, I have no doubt that I have fa
llen in love.

♫♩♫♩♫♩
♫