Dinner

Seven o’clock took forever to arrive. Jennifer had to make up the hours she had missed because there was simply too much to catch up on from her last vacation, and she had more days off planned between this week and next. She had called Richie earlier to let him know she would be later than she thought, and he chuckled. “No problem, darlin’, he had said. “Just let me know when you’ll be ready, and I will come get you, and we can celebrate.”

“I can just take a cab to the hotel,” Jennifer insisted, her mind whirring at the possibilities for the celebration. She had decided to quash any nervousness she had been feeling, and just go with the flow, so to speak. She knew where they had been headed in England, and it wasn’t a stretch of the imagination to believe that they would be intimate. Jennifer was nervous at first, especially since she hadn’t been with anyone in that way since her divorce. Coupling that with the thought of actually making love with this particular man had her fidgeting all day, and not all of it from sexual tension. She thought she’d the extra few minutes to talk herself down from the ledge of insanity.

“Nonsense,” Richie said. “I want to spend as much time with you as possible. That means picking you up from work.” Jennifer could practically hear his smile through the phone.

Jennifer took a deep breath before answering, smiling herself. “I’ll be in the lobby then, at seven, sharp.”

“I’ll be waiting for you,” Richie purred into the phone. “Don’t keep me waiting too long.”

So, at ten to seven, Jennifer was waiting in the lobby, and smiled when the sedan cruised to the curb. She left the building, and watched as Richie got out of the car and smiled. “How was your day, dear?” he called as Jennifer descended the steps of her building.

“Just fine, thanks,” she answered laughing, and crossed the sidewalk to the car.

“Have you been waiting long? Traffic is a bitch around here,” Richie complained.

Jennifer laughed. With the seemingly endless Big Dig project, traffic patterns were constantly changing as old roads closed and new ones opened up. Even the most seasoned drivers sometimes had trouble navigating the streetscape. “No, not more than a few seconds.” She shrugged. “And the traffic? Well, welcome to Boston,” she said, kissing his cheek.

Richie chuckled. “Aw, hell that’s a wimpy welcome,” he said, and swept her into his arms and kissed her long and thoroughly. His tongue gently stroked hers, and his hands held her fast to him; one at her nape, one at her waist. Jennifer wound her arms around his neck and just held on. Her knees weakened, and her heart pounded, and she could feel Richie smiling against her mouth. He eased back from the kiss and smiled fully at her, dimples and all. Jennifer fell a little bit in love with him in that moment. “That’s better,” he said, smacking his lips and releasing her. “I missed the way you taste.”

Jennifer blushed and brushed her lips against his. “I missed you too,” she said. “So, what are the plans for tonight?”

Richie kissed Jennifer’s neck and handed her down into the car. “Dinner and dessert,” he said, wagging his eyebrows. He settled in next to her, and draped an arm across her shoulders.

“Am I to be blindfolded again?” Jennifer asked saucily.

Richie laughed softly. “Only if you want to be,” he said.

“Hmmm,” Jennifer said cryptically, and looked out the window.

“Um, listen, about tonight,” Richie said. Jennifer looked at him quizzically. “I know you probably have some idea about what my sex life has been the last couple of years.”

Jennifer blushed. “Most of it.” She knew where this was going, and was frankly relieved he brought up the subject first. “Look, Rich, were you careful?”

Richie nodded. “I can honestly say yeah, I’ve been careful.”

“Then that’s all I really need – or want – to know.” She looked down at her hands. “I haven’t been with anyone since before I left my ex-ass, but given his extra-curricular activities, well, let’s just say I made sure I have a clean bill of health.”

“As did I,” Richie answered, smiling at her nickname for the ex.

“Then as long as we’re careful, things’ll be fine.” She kissed his cheek.

“Darlin’,” Richie rasped, “I plan on things being a whole lot better than ‘fine’.”

They arrived at the hotel a short time later. The spacious lobby was adorned with hand-carved wood, Italian marble, and framed historical maps of Boston. Elaborate floral arrangements gave off splashes of color and delicately scented the air. At the back of the lobby, huge bay windows looked out onto a lively yacht marina and a gold-domed pavilion, which was glowing softly in the rays of the setting sun.

“I missed out on this view the first time around today,” Jennifer said, crossing to the windows and looking out over the private marina. “This is one of my very favorite hotels in the world.” She turned to smile at Richie. “Though I suppose after all this time, hotels all seem the same to you.”

“They pretty much do,” Richie answered, leaning in to nuzzle her collarbone, “although I’m starting to really enjoy this one. C’mon,” he said. “Our dinner reservations are for seven-twenty.”

They went out to the waterfront terrace, where a jazz quartet was playing. A smile crept over Jennifer’s face, as she watched several couples dance around the floor. Richie didn’t miss her smile, or the way her toes were tapping to the music once they sat down. They perused their menus, and Jennifer settled on a pasta primavera with shrimp, while Richie opted for the filet mignon. The sommelier offered a bottle of a fine Chablis, but Jennifer demurred. “No thank you,” she said, and ordered a club soda with lime.

“You don’t have to not have wine on my account,” Richie said, taking her hand across the small table.

“I want to be fully clear tonight,” she said, squeezing his fingers. “I missed too much of our first days together because of jet lag, I’ll be damned if I let wine make me miss a moment of tonight. I also don’t want you to think that anything that happens tonight is because of the grape. It’s all me, baby.”

Richie raised Jennifer’s knuckles to his lips, and the whisper soft brush of his kiss on her skin had her tingling. When he slid his tongue between two of her fingers to lick their junction, she dampened, and her eyes darkened. Richie smiled. He was enjoying the hell out of seducing her. “Would you like to dance?” he asked her.

Jennifer smiled and nodded. “I would absolutely love to.”

Richie came around to pull her chair out, and tucked her hand into the crook of his elbow before leading her to the dance floor. He spun her dramatically before pulling her in close to sway to the familiar strains of an old Gershwin classic. Richie smiled and dipped Jennifer deeply before bringing her back up and singing in her ear.

Dozens of girls would storm up, I had to lock my door
Somehow I couldn't warm up to one before

What was it that controlled me?
What kept my love life lean?
My intuition told me you'd come on the scene

Lady listen to the rhythm of my heartbeat
And you'll get just what I mean

Embrace me, my sweet embraceable you
Embrace me, you irreplaceable you
Just one look at you my heart grew tipsy in me
You and you alone bring out the gypsy in me

I love all the many charms about you
Above all I want my arms about you
Don't be a naughty baby...
Come to papa, come to papa do…

My sweet embraceable you...

When the band finished, they announced they were taking a break, and Jennifer was a little glad. She was overwhelmed. Opening up like that to him, then dancing with him: feeling his arms around her, moving with him, hearing his voice in her ear, telling her to come to Papa, well, hell, she was ready to forego dinner and do just that.

Richie led them back to their table, his hand at the small of her back, and held her chair for her while she sat. Wait staff brought their dinners, and they ate slowly, talking and sharing bits of each others’ main courses. They shared looks and laughs and touched hands often during the meal, and by the time Jennifer excused herself to duck into the ladies’ room, she was wound tight. She checked her teeth for stray bits of dinner, wet her fingers and pushed some of the stray hairs back into place, and went back to Richie.

The air changed the moment she was back in the room, and he turned instinctively to watch her approach their table. He ended the call he was on and turned off his cell. There would be no interruptions tonight. He saw her smile as he tracked her progress.

“You know,” Jennifer said when she reached the table, “you keep looking at me like you want to eat me alive, and this suit is gonna start to feel mighty uncomfortable.” She winked as she tossed his words from earlier back at him, and he laughed at her.

“Well then, Jennifer, perhaps we should get you out of that suit, darlin’,” Richie said with a leer. “Because damn, I sure as shit want to eat you alive.” Jennifer felt warmth spread through her body, and couldn’t tear her eyes away from his gaze.

When the pastry chef approached to offer them dessert, Richie answered for them both in the negative. “We’ll have something in our room,” Richie told him.

Richie stood, his eyes never leaving Jennifer’s, and held out his hand to her. The unspoken question behind the gesture wasn’t lost on her. With a steady hand and without hesitation, she gripped his hand and let herself be pulled to her feet. Richie grinned at her and pulled her in close to his side. “Ready to go?” he asked her as they strolled through the patio.

Jennifer wrapped an arm around his waist. “More than ready,” she said huskily, then laughed and blushed. “Sorry. Didn’t mean to sound too eager there, but hell, Rich, walk faster.”

Cuddled together, they made their way back into the hotel and to the elevator. The doors swished open, and they stepped inside. When the doors swished closed, Richie pounced.