Naked Truth (9 page)

“Well, I’m not just any woman,” I add.

“No, Violet, no you’re not,” he says assuredly while grabbing my hand once again, pulling me eagerly toward the corner.

We walk across the street to the local deli. It’s really close to the bank and the food is absolutely delicious. A waitress walks by and seats us right away, leaving us with the pages-long menu.

“Dare I ask?” Jordan insinuates that I may have issues with finding something to eat.

“What are you saying?” I double dog dare him to say something.

“Nada, foxy mama.” He winks.

Ooh, whipping out the Spanish?

“I’ve been brushing up just for you. Pulled out those high school textbooks.” He grins. 

I don’t know if he is being serious or just playing around, but my heart is singing at the thought of him practicing Spanish for me.

The waitress comes by to take our drink orders and Jordan takes the initiative.

“Do you serve Coke or Pepsi products?” he asks and my heart swells even further. Too bad he’s about to be thrown a curve ball.

“Sorry, Sir. We only carry Dr. Brown’s. Can I get you a can?”

Jordan looks to me for an answer and I nod subtly.

“Sure. The lady will have…”

“Diet Black Cherry,” I interject.

“And I will try…” He looks at the list up on the wall behind me. “…Cream, please.”

I scrunch my nose.

“What? No good?”

“Smells like vanilla,” I whisper.

“Shit. Nevermind.  I’ll take a CelRay, please.”  I look to Violet for concurrence.

She gives me the thumb’s up. 

“Silly girl.” 

I shrug. I never thought in a million years I’d find a man who could tolerate my eccentricities.

The waitress watches our interaction and giggles. “You two make a great couple.”

“Jinx,” we both say, but then I send a quick “thank you,” for her compliment.

“No problem.” She snickers.  “Okay, I’ll go grab them for you. Can I get you anything else, meanwhile?”

Jordan is just about to say no, but I intervene.  “Two cups of ice and straws, please.”

“You got it, honey.  I’ll be right back with your sodas and to take your lunch order.”

The waitress disappears and Jordan gives me a look.  I’ve started getting used to his looks, but I still ask.

“What?”  I laugh.

“You could have given me a head’s up,” he complains.

I laugh a little more.  “Sorry.  I didn’t know you were going to order for me, but thank you for remembering.”

“You’re forgiven…this time,” he warns in jest.

“Well thank you kindly, Sir.”

Jordan’s facial expression changes quickly and I see him subtly drop his hand below the table. Again.  Same MO as when we went out to dinner.  Oh, I know what that means. But what could I have possibly done to turn him on? Who cares? He’s hard because of me. Nice!

“Are the sodas not cold?” he asks, pulling me out of my internal dialogue, just as I was high fiving myself. His face is now schooled back to his conversational-I’m-paying-attention face.

But I am totally lost. “What?” I ask, kind of rudely.

Oops. Maybe I should stay in this present conversation instead of fantasizing in my head.

“You ordered a cup of ice.”

“Oh, yeah.  I like my Dr. Brown’s cold.”

“So are they served warm?”

“No.”

He gives me the questioning eyebrows for me to respond. Time to explain another one of my quirks to him.

“I don’t drink directly from a can.”

Please let this one go.

“Okay. Why not?”

Nope, not letting it go. He asked for it; here we go.

“Cause I read this article a few years ago about how they found rat droppings in the canning facilities.  And that people were getting poisoned by putting their mouths directly on the cans.  They were ingesting it.” I shiver. “Ew.  I’m grossed out just thinking about it.”

He’s trying to hold back a laugh.  I can see it in the lines around his mouth.  I’ve gotten to know that face quite well.

“When did you read this article?”

“I don’t know.” I shrug.

“You don’t know? Violet your memory is incredible.”

“Okay, whatever.  June, 2012,” I admit.

“That’s what I thought.” He grins.

“Does it freak you out?” I ask, not really wanting to know just in case it actually does. Shoot, what would I do if he says it freaks him out? What’s gonna happen when he finds out the full extent of it. I start panicking.

Jordan must notice my change in posture because he grabs my hand across the table, and it grounds me.

“Freaked out by what? Rat urine in my soda?” he asks, lightening the mood and bringing me back to reality. Bringing me back to him.

“No, crazy pants, my memory.”

“Baby your memory turns me on just as much as that juicy ass of yours.” 

Thank freaking god. That was the most incredible thing he could have ever said to me. More than he will ever understand.

I have no idea how to respond, but no worries because I am saved by the bell. The waitress comes back and drops off the two cans of Dr. Brown’s and the two cups of ice, but she forgot the two straws, so she says that she will be right back.

Jordan chuckles again as he watches me pour my soda into the cup of ice. I then gasp as I watch him make a show of popping the tab, slowing bringing the can to his lips, and take a long gulp. His Adam’s apple bobs up and down as he swallows and I think I may need to change my panties before going back to work. Can you be completely grossed out and turned on beyond belief at the same time? Um, yes!

The waitress shows back up, ready to take our order, so I can’t say a thing about how sexy he looks. Not that I would have the guts anyway. But still. I’ll blame her.

I order a corned beef on rye with spicy mustard and a side of coleslaw, and Jordan orders a chicken salad sandwich on a poppy bagel with a side of potato salad. My mind spins out of control again, facts spewing out of my mouth before I can stop them.

“Did you know you can fail a drug test if you take it right after eating a poppy bagel?”

He looks at me like I grew a second head.  “For real?”

“Yep, it’s an opiate.”

“Shit. That’s interesting.  Read that in an article, too?” he teases.

“No.” I chuckle.  “My dad actually taught me that one. He tells me all of the time,  “Don’t eat a poppy bagel and drive.” It’s so corny I laugh at myself.

Jordan just stares back at me with a small smile on his lips.

“Guess its kind of an inside joke,” I tell him timidly.

“I love that your family is so close,” he says and it warms my heart.

I smile. “Me, too.  I love that you are close to your parents.”

He nods and smiles.

“So…” I start but hesitate.

“Hmm?” he asks while taking another sip from the nasty can.

“Well, um, I kinda told my mom about you,” I say shyly. Ugh, I’m so embarrassed.

“Oh, you did, did you? All good things I hope.”

“Shut up.” I laugh. “Anyway, she wanted me to invite you over for dinner.”

He’s just watching me, not saying a word.

“Too soon?”

“No, not at all. I love that you are talking about me to your mom.”

Phew.

“So, will you come one night?  Maybe next week?  My sister is getting married soon and I think we are supposed to be having a special dinner next Friday.”

“Sounds like fun,” he agrees.

“Really?”

“Really, Violet. I’m serious about us trying to make a go of this.”

I smile from ear to ear, unable to contain my giddiness.

“Now I have something to ask you,” he says, and I am shockingly not nervous at all.  His admission about wanting to make us work has taken all the self-consciousness away. And he loves my brand of crazy.  I can truly be me and not worry about rejection.

“Okay, shoot,” I say.

“When is your next day off?”

“This Sunday and Monday,” I tell him.

“Go away with me?”

I choke on the soda now fizzing in my nose.

“Come again?” I ask him to repeat himself.

“I’ve never been to Disney.  Come with me. Devirginize me.” He smirks.

I laugh at his choice of words.

“Devirginize?”

“Yup!  Pop my Disney cherry,” he adds all crass and I love it.

“Oh my god. Shut up.” I giggle while looking around to make sure that no one else is listening to our conversation.

“Come on, what do you say?” he begs.  “We can stay the night then drive back early Monday.”

“Stay the night?”

“Oh, yeah…um…in separate rooms, obviously.”

This is really tempting. A chance to be alone in a hotel room. With Jordan.

“Can I think about it?”

“Of course!”

Our food comes out pretty quickly and we spend the rest of lunch eating and chatting.  We end up trading our sandwich halves, getting the best of both worlds. I finally remember to ask him what he does for a living and he tells me that he works nights at a club in South Miami, where he lives temporarily.  He’s trying to get transferred back to North Miami where his family and friends are. It doesn’t go unnoticed that he wants to move back here to be closer to me as well.  I wonder briefly if all that cash he deposits weekly is from tips.

“I don’t want to work at the club much longer.”

“If you could choose any job, what would it be?” I ask.

“I’d be a police officer, actually a detective. I think that’s what I was born to do.  It’s my purpose. Not working the night shift at dingy clubs.”

“I could help you with that. My father…” I start but am cut off when Jordan leans in and kisses me. Our first kiss.  Wow! That came out of nowhere. His lips are so soft and firm and it is everything I was hoping it would be.  He increases the pressure slightly, but doesn’t push for anything. We are in the middle of a deli, and a little affection is okay.  But I don’t want to look like a slutty mess. 

I pull away and we lock eyes, both of us smiling like idiots.

“What was that for?”

“For having enough faith in me to offer to help.  Not knowing if I would suck balls at being a cop but willing to find out. And for trusting me, and not believing Susie’s psychopathic version of the truth.”

“Always. I’ll always have your back.” I nod, bobble head style.

“Back at ya, pretty lady,” Jordan tells me then leans in for a quick peck on the lips.

I could get used to this.

Jordan pays the bill and we get ready to head back to the bank. He once again threads his fingers through mine as we cross the street, him ensuring my safety by monitoring the cars swooshing past us.  I’m in a bit of a daze still, but I swear to god, I can’t wait for him to kiss me again.

He walks me to the door and I really don’t want him to leave. This day is going to drag on forever now.

“I really don’t want to leave you here,” he admits.

“I was just thinking the same exact thing.” I smile, even though I’m a tad bit sad.

“Don’t be upset. We’ll see each other again soon. Call me when you are ready for bed. Okay?”

I nod in agreement, unable to speak all of a sudden. I look down to the ground so he doesn’t see my face. Don’t cry, don’t cry.

He knows me too well by now. He takes my chin, raises my face to his, and then places the softest of kisses on my lips. Unable to hold back any longer, I wrap my arms around his thick neck, pulling him in closer. I then grab onto his hair at the nape of his neck as Jordan deepens the kiss briefly, but then pulls back.  Dammit!  He softly kisses each eye and then my temple and I am a total goner.

“I want you so badly right now, Violet. I need to walk away before I do something one of us regrets.” He is definitely a bigger person than I am right now because I am ready to lock us in a storage closet or car or somewhere, anywhere private.