Page 12 of Tuxedos and Tinsel
“You what?” Rhonda asked when Maya trailed off.
“I met a man at Mr. Capshaw’s party and spent the night at the hotel with him,” Maya finally blurted.
There was silence for a full five seconds before Rhonda screamed into the phone. “Oh, my God!I don’t believe it. You didwhat?”
“I’m not repeating it. You’re the one who suggested it. Happy now?”
She giggled. “Are you?”
“It was the most erotic night of my life,” she confessed.
Rhonda screamed again. “I’ll be over in thirty minutes to hear the details.”
Maya heard a loud click and shook her head. She really wanted a long soak in the tub but opted for a shower instead, knowing her friend would be ringing the doorbell in exactly thirty minutes or less. She was just putting her hair into a ponytail when she heard the door. Her hair had gotten wet last night and Maya would have to wash it and flatiron it sometime today.
“Hey, girl,” she said, opening the door to Rhonda.
“Hey.” She handed Maya a cup and followed her to the living room. “I stopped and got you a decaf mocha. Although, by the looks of you, you could use a shot or two of caffeine,” she added slyly. Taking a seat on the sofa, she said, “Okay, spill it. And don’t leave anything out.”
“Can’t I get a chance to enjoy my coffee first?” Maya chuckled at the death glare Rhonda shot her. She dropped down on the sofa and told her how Ian had come over to the dessert table, his verbal play and the dance. “The way he held me... Stephen never made me feel like that the entire year we dated.”
Rhonda snorted. “Don’t get me started on that jerk. Anyway, how did you get from the dance floor to the bedroom?”
“He came right out and asked me to spend the night. I knew we were attracted to each other, but I never expected him to be so bold.”
“Well, don’t leave me in suspense.” She leaned forward. “How was it?”
“It was all that andmore!” They both screamed and giggled like teenagers. “Girl, he had servings of the black-and-white parfait, a bowl of the melted chocolate from the fountain and strawberries sent up to the room and...”
Rhonda screamed again. “What does he look like?”
“His name is Ian and he’s about six feet, fine as all get-out, slender muscular build, rich milk-chocolate skin—chiseled chocolate.”
Rhonda fanned herself and fell back against the sofa. “Whew. I’m getting warm just hearing about it. Sounds like a night to remember.”
Maya smiled. “It was.”
“So, are you going to see him again?”
She dropped her head. “It was only supposed to be one night, but he wants us to continue seeing each other. I agreed, but I just got out of one bad relationship. Stephen broke my heart and I don’t want to feel that pain again. Ian is charming and I can see myself falling for him. I can’t let that happen.”
“What are you going to do?”
“I’ve already done it. I sort of sneaked out while he was in the shower and he doesn’t have my phone number,” Maya said sheepishly.
Rhonda threw up her hands. “What am I going to do with you? You didn’t even give the man a chance.”
Maya dropped her head in her hands and groaned. “I know, I know. I feel so bad, especially since I agreed to amend our one-night stand.”
“Well, at least you can say you’ve had your toes curled once in your life.”
That she could. But already she was beginning to have regrets about tipping out on Ian. After Rhonda left, Maya spent time going over her schedule, washing her hair and finally having that long soak in the tub.
She was at the shop bright and early Monday morning getting her baked goods ready for the day. She didn’t usually have a lot left over, but whatever she had was donated to a local shelter. Halfway through the morning, she left Rhonda to man the store while she went to pick up her containers from the hotel.
The moment she stepped into the Bonaventure Hotel lobby, memories of her night with Ian rose swiftly in her mind. She tried to push them aside to no avail. Wanting to get in and out as soon as possible, Maya quickened her steps. On her way out, she was still chuckling at the chef’s pitiful expression at her refusal to work for him. But he did agree to pass her name along to a few people who might want desserts for an intimate gathering and tried to coerce her into giving him the recipe for her black-and-white parfait. The mention of the dessert brought on more heated memories. Her nipples puckered beneath her blouse, and the space between her legs throbbed with the same rhythm Ian had started Saturday night. What she wouldn’t give for just one more night.
Wednesday afternoon, Ian sat hunched over his drafting table staring at a blank page. He was supposed to be working on a design for a new senior living complex, but his concentration was at an all-time low. It had been three days since Maya sneaked out of the hotel room, and he couldn’t stop thinking about her. When he had emerged from the shower and found her gone, he was angry and more than a little disappointed. Why had she left? He thought they were on the same page, but apparently she’d had second thoughts. Usually, he had no problems moving on from a woman, but Maya wasn’t like other women. Something about her had piqued more than a passing interest, and he didn’t want to stop and analyze the reasons why. He should probably just let it go and move on. But he couldn’t.
