Page 30 of Stained
“To be fair,” she said, “you have yet to get my dress off. Ever.”
Danica was emotionless for exactly five seconds. Then, a wide, silent smile. Alicia couldn’t help but smile as well.I have no idea what I’m getting into, do I?
“May I ask where you are taking me?” The limo had been steadily moving for minutes.
Danica looked wistfully out her tinted window. “Somewhere we can be alone. There’s a lot for us to talk about… Alicia.”
She had no idea if that was good or bad. Either way, she’d take it.
Chapter 10
Alicia knew that anything Danica had planned that night had to be extravagant. What she didn’t expect was a high-rise restaurant all to themselves.
She also knew not to question it. Why would she question anything at this point? This was a woman who owned the most luxurious sex club in the nation. Her family owned Blue Bird, for goodness’ sake. Not that she would ever clear that place out so they could dine, of course… but it was the fact shecouldthat counted.
It wasn’t enough that they had the best seat in the house. Of course they did. They would have the round table overlooking the darkened city center, full of twinkling lights and rubbing cheeks with jets coming in and out of the nearby airport. The fact that they were sitting in the gallery all alone, however? That was the crazy thing. Alicia had never seen such a quiet restaurant in her life. Both a hostess’s wet dream and her worst nightmare. Depending on how she felt that day, anyway.
“Allow me.” Danica pulled Alicia’s chair out for her. “By the way,” she continued as Alicia sat down and a waiter lit the candles on their table, “you’re radiant tonight.”
Alicia froze in her seat even after Danica pushed her back toward the table. She sat down across from her, candlelight licking her features.God. Slam me on the table already.Alicia needed to think proper thoughts to get through this dinner. What kind of example would she be setting if she succumbed to thoughts of sex every time she was around this woman?Told you. It’s the perfume. Full of pheromones. She had heard that was a thing.
“Thank you.” Alicia waited for the waiter to disappear, eyes lingering on the single red rose in the centerpiece as opposed to drinking in the sight of Danica’s face. “You’re not so bad yourself. You know that, though, don’t you?”
Fingers drummed on the table. “I may have heard it a time or two. I’ll take your word on it. I’m not my type.”
Oh, good. She hadn’t imagined Danica’s sarcastic sense of humor taking over.
Red wine was brought out. Before she could sip it, however, Danica made sure to point out the vintage and make. Not that it meant anything to Alicia. All she knew about wine was that sometimes it tasted good and other times it made her retch. She doubted Danica served the latter.
Sure enough, when she had a taste, her tongue exploded in tarty flavors. “Do you like it?” Danica asked.
“Pretty good.” Alicia had another sip. “Is that an appropriate way to describe wine?”
“It works for me.”
This was already the best date ever. An incredibly gorgeous woman with Danica’s kind of humor. A beautiful, delicious restaurant all to themselves. The promise of more of what she craved later. Alicia allowed herself to be quite proud of what shehad managed to achieve in as little as a few weeks. How had she achieved this, per se? Well, it was her gut that she listened to when she first kissed this woman at Midnight.
“So,” Danica said with businesslike flair. “Tell me about yourself. Tell me everything.”
The waiter had left again after depositing their appetizers. “I’m sure anything you want to know about me can be found online. You already found out where I live and work. What’s stopping you from pulling up my college transcript?”
“Absolutely nothing. Other than the fact I’d rather hear it from your beautiful lips.”
Danica said that while her own lips wrapped around the rim of her wineglass.Can think of a few other things they can wrap around.“I wouldn’t know where to begin.”
“Tell me about how we came to meet. Why were you working at Midnight? That has me intrigued the most.”
Alicia shrugged. “I’ve been in hosting for years. It’s how I cut my teeth in the market.”
“Interesting. So, you fancy a career in hospitality?”
“Well… no…” What did she fancy a career in? “I have a degree in English. Doesn’t mean much, I guess. I can quote Dickens and Elliott until I’m in my grave, but it won’t get me a real career. Guess that’s why I’m still doing one of the only things I know how to do.”
“You don’t have a family business?”
She looked at Danica as if she had sprouted horns out of her head. “Not exactly. My father’s a schoolteacher, and my mother’s a nurse at the same school.”
“I see. Noble professions.”
