pic on side is Lance
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Chapter 9
Just as Taylor and Alessandro were trying to get over their simultaneous shock a very tall and very blonde guy walked out of Dad’s office. He walked with very fluid strides straight to me looking me over like I was a crystal vase. It was not a turn off per se but it was slightly uncomfortable.
“Hey, I’m Lance and you must be Rhetta,” he said with what can only be described as a surfer accent. He looked the part too. He was wearing dark jeans and a white button up shirt with the top buttons undone showing off the tan skin there. His blonde hair looked strikingly handsome against the contrast of his tanned skin and bright baby blue eyes. As he said my name his hand reached for mine and he lightly brushed his lips over my knuckles. The old-fashioned gesture made me blush like mad. His sexy smirk let me know he had not missed my furious blush.
“Hi,” I said to my utter embarrassment I couldn’t form words.
“Your father did no justice when he told me how beautiful you were. I am one lucky dude,” he said sincerely as he slid his arm around my waist.
“Are you ready to go?” Lance asked.
“Yeah, yeah I think I am,” I said truthfully.
“Sweet!” he said with a ton of enthusiasm. I could tell by his demeanor that tonight would not be boring. Now, I was almost excited about going. I mean here I am with an extremely hot guy, the kind of guy every girl dreams about at night, and he thinks I am beautiful.
Rhetta’s Dad POV
Darn! If anything would get that boy’s head out of his ass I thought sending the girl on a date with someone who looked like competition would break him. Instead he sat there with Taylor them both looking like a couple of lumps on a log. Ah! Well maybe this date will at the very least boost her self-esteem and her mood. Terry still thinks this whole idea was a bad idea, but what could it hurt to pay a guy to go on a date with my baby girl if it helps her out. I still can’t believe it costs $400.00 for a simple date, man those call services are expensive but my little girl is worth every penny if it makes her happy again.
Rhetta’s POV
“Um, I feel like I should at least ask if my father told you about the stalking issue I have been having lately?” I asked Lance. Looking at him I still cannot get over how perfect this guy seems. He opened my door to the car and helped me in. He has seemed interested the whole time, not talking about himself but rather listening and encouraging me to go on and on about myself.
“Yeah don’t worry I can protect you with these,” he said flexing his bicep muscles for me causing me to laugh. I mean really laugh like I haven’t done in I don’t even know when.
“I didn’t mean to protect me. I just meant…I mean, is it really worth all the trouble to take me out on a date knowing that my ex is well psychotic?” I asked.
“Are you kidding me right now? Look at you! I would walk the fire coals just to get to you woman! Damn, you have no idea how hot you really are. You know your Dad told me you have basically been hiding out in that firehouse and man, I am lucky you did or I would have a hell of a lot of competition for your attention tonight,” he said so smoothly I had to wonder if this guy was for real. I mean he has to be some woman-pleasing robot made just for me. The rest of the night went much the same; he made me laugh, blush, and turned me on with his thoughtful comments and full attention. Even when a super hot girl would walk by us he never even strayed an eye from our conversation. He made me feel like I was the only other person on the planet with him. After we had finished our night we pulled back into the firehouse parking lot, quite late. He suddenly turned to me.
“Can I kiss you?” he asked.
“Yes,” I breathed. He unbuckled his seat belt and leaned to me capturing my lips with his. His attentions throughout the night had me anticipating this moment all night. When he pulled away we were both breathing hard.
“Forget all this, come home with me tonight,” he said confusing me.
“What do you mean forget all this?” I asked not understanding the meaning of all this.
“Look I know this date was a setup, but I really do like you. Your smart, hot, and I enjoy being with you,” he said making my blood race with adrenaline just hearing him say those things like he meant every word.
“I don’t know if I am ready for something like that,” I said thinking it over.
“Come on when was the last time you did something impulsive, huh?” Lance asked or more like begged.
“Never, I guess,” I said laughing as he leaned to kiss me again. As I was trying to make up my mind on whether to throw caution to the wind and have a crazy, wild night that this gorgeous man was offering on a silver platter to me, I pulled out of the kiss to notice that someone was standing in the doorway of the firehouse. It could be my father watching and this is what he wanted; me to move on with my life.
“Hell yeah I will go home with you,” I remarked. He laughed out loud at my eagerness.
“You won’t regret it,” he said smugly, but I had to wonder would I?
Alessandro’s POV
As I watched for her to come inside my heart broke to see her nod her head at the punk she went out with and then they drove off. It doesn’t take a genius to figure out what they were leaving to do. Damn! I guess I played my hand all wrong with her. I don’t know if I can stay here and watch her be all lovey dovey suck face with blondie. Maybe, I should just pack up and go home and admit to my family that life is what it is, just as they have tried to tell me it is. With her I thought I found it though, the thing to end all of my suffering; love. Dad was right. When a woman throws you to the side it hurts like hell. When love is one sided it never works out. I have seen it in action. Maybe that’s why I was drawn to her, maybe she would never have been able to love me and that’s why I love her. Now I understand what all the fuss over Romeo and Juliet was.
Knocking on the boss’s door I heard him call out, “Come in.”
“Hey Chief, I am turning in my two weeks’ notice effective today,” I said. He sat back in his chair looking shocked.
“Are you sure this is something you want to do, son?” he asked.
“Yes sir. I have done a lot of thinking and I don’t belong here. It’s time for me to go home even if it’s with my tail between my legs,” I told him truthfully. Chief dug through his filing cabinet and then handed me some paperwork. As I started filling out the paperwork he said, “You know I sat up this date for her. Cost me 400 smakaroos too.”
“What the hell are you talking about?” I asked angrily. He sat her up on this date, this paid for date.
“Whoa there son I am looking out for her,” he said defensively.
“Did she know the date was paid for?” I sneered.
“No she didn’t. I thought setting her up on a date would pull your head out of your ass and do something about how you feel about her but I was wrong!” he exclaimed. Shock settled into every bone in my body.
“You said for none of us to even have a thought about her!” I yelled. He leaned over his desk and smiled.
“And it didn’t stop you did it?” he asked.
“Hell no it didn’t! I love that girl!” I told him.
“Shit!” I cursed him.
“What?” he asked.
“You do realize that she went home with that prostitute you hired, right?” I leveled at him.
“She wouldn’t go home with him. It’s not that late. They will probably be pulling in any moment,” he reationalized.
“You old fool they came back even before I came in here. She left with him again! Where do you think he would ask to take her after bringing her back home?” I asked him. Something kin to horror and guilt shone clear on his face.
“Oh no the service promised that none of their men ever took the women home or had any relations with any clients,” he claimed.
“Yeah well they never had a client like Rhetta,” I said.
“We have to go get her,” he said.
“How? We don’t even know where they are,” I reasoned all paperwork forgotten.
“I will call the service and explain the situation to them and offer them a reward for his address,” he said and quickly began dialing the service.
Rhetta’s POV
Lance took me to his apartment, which is very extravagant. I wonder what he does for a living? I was pondering my thoughts as he came back into the living room with two glasses of wine. He sat the glasses down and grabbed a remote and hit a button and the lights turned down, the fireplace lit, and some soft music began to play. Suddenly, I felt as if I was in some practical joke. For being so smooth this was kind of corny, but cute I guess.
“You are so beautiful, you know,” he said leaning into me causing me to lean further into the couch we were sat on. His kiss was exhilarating. When he broke the kiss his lips traveled to my collar bone and he began to lightly suck on the skin there as his hands pulled my body closer to his. Dang! He is really good at this.