Angel & Ace

The Charms Of A Simple Man

I was beginning to get frustrated with the manuscript that'd been sitting before me for quite sometime. I'd advised the writer not to introduce unnecessary characters. But of course, writers with their visions rarely knew how to follow such advice when their minds were made up.
I'd been sitting at Roveretta's for a couple hours before she caught my eye. She stood tall in her 3 inch high-heels— about 5'9'— and had long, elegant legs. Her skin was creamy and reminded me of iced caramel. She was nicely toned, obviously she kept up with her body and appearance. She reminded me somewhat of a model if not for her luscious breasts, curvy hips, and round derrière— which all seemed bigger because of her flat toned stomach and her height. She wore a peacoat, masking her flesh from the bitter winter wind roaring outside and when she took it off every pair of eyes in the place landed on her.
   If they hadn't already been.
   On this particular night she dressed to impress in a sheer mesh bodycon dress that accentuated each and every curve of her flawless body. I second guessed myself and wondered if she did in fact work out, or perhaps her fitted curves were genetic.
   I'd seen her here once before tonight, and even then my body reacted like a hormonal fifteen year old boy. As if I hadn't even lost my virginity. She was arresting, and I remembered thinking that she would never even look at a man like me. Someone simple and austere. Someone without limos and loads of cash hidden in their impressive sized mansions.
   No. I was living in a small apartment in Inwood, with a simple job and no romantic relationships. The only reason I was there at Roveretta's in the first place was simply because the WiFi was free and they handed out complimentary rolls.
   Plus, my apartment was small and cramped which I particularly don't enjoy so I tried to get out as much as possible.
   I watched her order wine, and enjoyed the way her thick heart-shaped lips moved as she talked. The cranberry-red matte worked well on her lips along with the rest of her makeup that she'd kept neutral. She displayed expensive diamonds around her neck and in her ears. She looked like she'd just spent the majority of the day in a spa. Her shiny red toes and matching polished fingernails gave it away. Or maybe it was her creamy golden skin.
   Her dark chocolate hair was in an elegant bun, only leaving out a few thin tendrils. I could tell she was younger than me but had a hard time deciding how much so. She carried a class you'd see in someone near their forties but no way was she older than twenty-six. I didn't mean to watch her the way I was, I just couldn't help it. She sat alone, which was shocking itself and I figured she was waiting for someone.
  Obviously.
   I smirked, then returned my eyes to the laptop, often glancing up to look at the goddess that sat just four tables down from me. Her bright azure eyes scanned the door more than a few times and I began to imagine ripping out the douchebags throat who'd stood her up.
   Her phone must've buzzed in her purse for she reached inside and retrieved it. The iPhone case was shimmering white and she talked into it animatedly— looking rather agitated.
   When she hung up she took a heavy, exhausted breath and as if she needed more stress a broad, tall man approached her. He had a sly, slightly drunken smirk on his face and his eyes wouldn't break away from her exposed cleavage. Which he was probably imagining sticking his face in.
   I stood, knowing she could most likely handle the man as I'm sure she had to give the red light to them often, I also realized this was my only shot. I had to know her. Even if she burned me, too.
   The intruding man made a pass at her, touching her shoulder and giving her a crude compliment that I'm sure he thought was charming. She held back a small laugh and pushed his hand off of her. She wiped away his print as if he'd just touched her most prized possession with mud covered hands.
   It was a matter of time before there'd be a scene. A few eyes had already found the commotion.
   I neared her table and my heart thundered in my chest like a storm. I was anxious to be in her presence. I wasn't even sure what I were going to say or do but I wasn't considering backing out.
   "Excuse me, sir. She's with me." I warned dourly. It was also a threat. If he touched her again, we'd really have a problem.
   They both looked my way, equally shocked. He gave me a once over and snickered, as if a plain man like me securing such a goddess was so unimaginable it just had to be a joke.
   I'm not sure what he saw in the mirror, or even what charm he thought he possessed, but he was far more out of his league than I.
   I turned my attention to her and a smile broke my face unwittingly. She had a faint silhouette around her from the lighting, and it gave her an angelic aura.
   I stepped closer to her and placed my fingers beneath her chin. I lifted her head so her neck craned and her blazing blue eyes bored into mine.
  She was breathtaking, sexual and alluring in a way I couldn't believe. Blood creeped along her neck and into her cheeks, warming my fingers. It gave even more color to her flawless skin. Her black pupils dilated and I watched her blue irises swirl and darken. Her lips parted as I'm sure she felt the electricity pulsing between the two of us. The sheer magnetism.
   My body sure as hell felt everything. Need twisted inside me, famished for her. I was hot with lust in the already heated dining room.
   I leaned down, nearing her perfectly cushioned lips but waited until she gave me a look over. She licked the inside of her lip as if she couldn't wait to taste me and I grinned, giving her a chaste kiss. I held my lips against hers, inhaling her sweet smell. The signature scent intoxicated me instantly, and I didn't know if it was perfume or just her skin but I wanted a taste.
   A tiny little taste.
   We moved in sync against one another, deepening the kiss. She lightly gasped for air, opening her mouth and giving me opportunity. I briefly tasted her piquant tongue against my own and her pulse raced beneath the surface of her lips, beating against my own.
   The harsh rhythm matched mine.
I dipped into her again, tasting her sweetness as she slowly, and hesitantly tasted back.
  I thought to myself that I was glad the douchebag stood her up. Whoever he was I'd have to thank him. I broke the seal of our lips. Feeling deprived immediately after.
   She leaned in, putting her lips to my ear and whispered, "Took you long enough." Her breath sent shivers across my neck and down my spine. My body went rigid for a moment before I stood. The man had long left and I chuckled softly at the fact that maybe she'd been watching me, too.
   "My apologies, Miss, I seen where that was headed. I hope you don't mind my antics." She gave me a genuine smile and her eyes wondered over my own as she instinctually touched her lips. She shook her head.
   "No, thank you." Her tone was sweet, breathless, and feminine. I don't think I'd ever heard anything like it. I detected an accent, it wasn't strong but it was there. Latin, is my best guess.
   "Well, I'll leave you to your dinner. It was nice to meet you." I didn't want to leave her but I saw no way I could stay. That is until I heard her voice behind me.
   "Why don't you join me?"
   I turned on my heel. "I would love, too." I answered, not bothering to hide my enthusiasm. We sat there, gazing at each other. I took in her appearance up close. Her hair was almost black, but I could see the hints of chocolate in the light. Her jaw and cheekbones were soft but defined, highlighted with makeup. She was stunning, watching me with large protruding eyes. She sat up straight, and held elegance like it was burned into her hippocampus. Maybe she went to an all girls institution for school. She didn't seem like a military brat, but I've been wrong before.
   "You've been watching me," she stated. After giving me the same treatment I'd been giving her this entire time. I smirked.
   My wine glass was dripping, the condensation made me parched and when I glanced at her again my throat dried. I took a sip, enjoying the icy liquid refreshing my body.
   "Where's your date?" I pried purposely dismissing her comment. She let the irritation from being stood up pass before answering me.
   "Who cares," she shrugged. "How about you? Why is a handsome man like yourself dining alone?" I loved her compliment. Especially the fluent, silky way it fell from her tongue.
   Her tongue. I still tasted it on mine, the sweetness. The faintness of expensive wine.
   "I was just getting some work done," I mentioned. "I'm single." Her eyes that'd been working on my lips, snapped to my own. She curved her mouth, satisfied, and my mind slipped into the gutter. She was like cursive; Elegant, classy, and damn was she sexy. Those sparkling ocean blue eyes with her golden complexion and dark hair made her mesmerizing, she was hard to look away from.
   "Good to know." I let out a chuckle and her eye caught mine again, sparking the electric air around us.
   "So tell me, what is your name?"
   "I'm Tobias Graveston, and you?"
   "Sutton Dávila."
   I held out my hand, feeling her much smaller one slip against me. Her fingers were long and elegant but they were skinny and that gave them a smaller feel. Her eyes darted to our conjoined hands then back up to my eyes as the atmosphere charged again.
   "It's nice to meet you, Sutton."
   She blushed bashfully and I enjoyed the glint in her eye when she smiled.
   "You as well, Tobias." She rubbed at her chest, almost like she was trying to calm her racing heart. "So tell me, why've you not married?" I shrugged, and the waiter stopped by to take our order. His name tag read Joseph.
   "Ah- no, no thank you. Bread is fine." I tell him, knowing the money in my pocket wouldn't make up for my half of the bill. I knew this restaurant was a little expensive but I had to come back to see if she had.
   "Nonsense." Sutton chimed. "You've been here for awhile, I'm sure you're famished." She gave me a sultry wink and her long dark lashes batted beautifully. She ordered us both a salad, a steak with a side of baked potatoes. Something about her taking control so effortlessly had me hardening beneath the table, although control was my thing, I hadn't minded her ordering for us in the slightest.
   "A girl that can eat, I find that interesting." She raised her perfectly waxed eyebrow and my John jerked beneath the table.
   "And why's that?" She wondered.
   "I don't mean to offend, but most girls are too self-conscious to eat in front of a man." Her lips curved yet again, and this time in humor.
   "Well, I'm not most girls." She assured, somehow I already knew that, "and you never answered my question, Tobias. Why've you never married?" I sighed. I was close once, truth is marriage just might not have been in the cards for me.
   "Haven't met 'the one' yet, I suppose." She bit the olive from her martini Joseph fetched for her, showcasing her exceptionally white and straight teeth. "What about you? Was the man you were awaiting a boyfriend?"
   She didn't say anything, just watched me, studied me, contemplating whether to tell me or not.
   "He was just someone I was supposed to meet." She answered cryptically. I decided not to push the subject, obviously there was something going on with her and said man, but it wasn't my business. She made that clear. The waiter returned with our salad and left quickly.
   "What is it you do?" I asked, forking my lettuce.
   She replied casually, "I'm in the family business."
   The women was hard to read; she was cryptic and vague, but I figured maybe she just didn't feel comfortable telling a complete stranger her life story. Understandable, and smart.
   "What about you, Tobias?" The way my name rolled off her sweet tongue was enticing, and my John jerked again. Was she doing it deliberately?
   "I'm nothing extraordinary, just an editor." I answered. Compared to her, I was mundane. Whereas she was wealthy and likely more exciting beyond anything I've ever encountered.
   The question she asked wasn't the one I was expecting, "You like books?" She was intrigued, as if I was interesting.
   "I do, do you?"
   "I do, it's a nice escape from reality. Mostly though, I don't have time." I never understood how someone could be too busy to escape reality even for thirty minutes.
   "That's unfortunate." I finished up my salad. Or what I could of it. I've never been much of a fan.
   "Have any family?" I nodded.
   "I do. My parents and a sister. They don't live in New York, though. My sister is a few years younger than I and she's studying in Boston." I'd always been proud of Laura. She was my best friend. As kids we did everything we could together, I'd always protected her and everyone knew if they screwed with her they'd have to answer to me.
   "You must be proud of her."
   "Always will be. What about your family?" 
   "I have a father. My mother died when I was young. No siblings. And lot's of uncles." We laughed, and hers was music to my ears. A splendid sound indeed.
   "That's unfortunate, being the only women."
   "You're telling me. I've had to prove myself every second of my life. Always have. My father doesn't tolerate anything less than exceptional, and when my mother passed I had to step up." I couldn't imagine the loss of a parent for I still had mine. I'd learned, though, that people don't take kindly to the sympathy. I wondered for a moment if she was groomed to take over the business. From what she was telling me it didn't sound too far fetched. The frigid, nervous waiter returned with the steaming tender steaks. The seasoned juices wafted along my nose and I was suddenly famished.
   "Anything else I can get for the two of you?" He was nearly sweating before Sutton, clearly taken by her beauty.
   "No, thank you." I answered politely.
   "He's hard on you? Your father?" I dipped my steak into the A1 sauce provided and enjoyed a bite. Savoring the richness. As she chewed, I had the sudden urge to feed her. I liked to feed women, the ones I wanted to fuck precisely. I liked leaving them feeling a bit helpless, having them give me even the slightest control was a turn on for me.
   "Precisely, he wants big things for me. What father doesn't?" I halfheartedly shrugged, because albeit she tried, that last part sounded spurious.
   My father loved me I knew he did, but he stopped caring about my future when he realized I wouldn't be a pitcher, or dribbler, nor a thrower. He didn't like the idea of his only son being more into books than sports. I'm not saying my childhood was scarred or tainted— my parents loved me and my sister and they made sure we had everything we needed— I'm just saying I may be a disappointment to my father. I wondered if she ever felt the same. Maybe her father was too hard on her.
   "Where'd you go just now?" Sutton asked, eyeing me intently with her ocean deep eyes.
"Nowhere," I answered.
We finished our meal in silence, giving each other thoughtful glances every now and then. Her skin was becoming reddish, and she was working up a sweat. I could say the same for myself. She'd been watching me with bedroom eyes, teasing me with them. I wiped my mouth with the towelette and cleared my throat, grabbing her attention.
"What're you thinking about?" I practically demanded of her. I took a large drink of water to wash down my food, and she wiped the corners of her lips and gazed at me.
"That I'm glad my guest didn't show." She admitted. I smiled at her and nodded my head, elated from her answer.
"Me, too."
She glanced down coyly and said, "You're a good kisser." My heart skipped a beat and a chuckle escaped my throat.
"That was hardly a kiss, Angel." Her mouth dropped to a small 'o' before she recovered quickly. She almost looked...
innocent.
   That face would haunt me in my dreams, I knew it. She looked at her expensive diamond cut watch. It was small and snug around her tiny wrist.
"Well, Tobias Graveston. It was amazing meeting you, but I must take my leave. My ride will be here momentarily."
I was disappointed she was leaving and wanted to talk her into staying here, with me.
I found myself asking, "When can I see you again?"
She placed a staggering $300 on the table, all one hundreds, and gazed at me once more. She bit into her plump bottom lip, driving me mad as my John twitched under the table for the umpteenth time since meeting her.
"Tomorrow." She finally spoke. "9pm."