Worth Waiting For

Chapter Seven

Daenerys stood at the kitchen island for s moment, her mind already coming up with recommendations as she scanned the business plan. Considering he'd written it with pencil on a notepad paper, it was thorough. His handwriting was neat and easy to read.
Suddenly she had a thought. Maybe there was a way he could pay her back.
Without addressing what prompted her to do it, she half ran to the front door to catch him before he left.
"Jon!" She called out. He had already opened the truck door. He looked at her. He still didn't smile. She missed it. "Did you mean what you said ? You know, about going dancing. "
He frowned, the expression on his face a clear indication he didn't remember what she was referring to. He was going to make her practically invite herself.
She found it easier to face the partners at the firm. "You said I could come dancing with you on Friday." She took an anxious breath and held it.
He nodded. "Yeah, I meant it."
"That's how you can pay me back for reviewing your business plan. I would like to come. I haven't been dancing in a long time." She'd never been salsa dancing, but how hard could it be?
The smile returned and it was as if the sun slipped from beneath the clouds on an overcast day. He had the most charming smile. "I'd love to have you come. I'll pick you up at eleven o' clock on Friday night?"
She nodded.
Daenerys remained at the door looking at his retreating truck until it was out of sight.
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The impulsive act worried her all night. Friday was four nights away and she was already stressing about it. What would she wear? She hadn't been on a date in so long. Well it wasn't a date, but she still wanted to look attractive. She wasn't even sure she could pull it off any longer. What had she been thinking? Salsa dancing? Really?
Later she sat up in bed, the phone cradled between her cheek and shoulder, listening to the rings on the other end. Gnawing on her lower lip, she glanced at the bedside clock and then said a silent prayer, her best friend, Missandei, was not asleep and would pick up the phone.
When Missandei answered, she managed to keep the flood of relief that over took her body from showing up in her voice. She didn't launch into conversation about Jon right away. She gradually eased into it.
"Boy, I can't believe you're going salsa dancing." Missandei let out a long whistle. "And with your hot contractor at that."
Daenerys rolled her eyes. Missandei liked to tease her, but she always had her back. They had met when in school. They had become fast friends and had stuck with each other ever since. Missandei was more like the sister she never had.
Daenerys bought a spoonful of chocolate ice cream to her mouth and pulled it out clean before speaking. "He's Northern."
"Oh yeah!" Missandei made a noise that sounded like a growl.
"What was that supposed to mean?"
"A dragon!" Missandei repeated the sound.
Daenerys sighed. "Would you be serious for a minute. I swear, you become more and more crazy stupid everyday."
Missandei giggled. "Just like you."
"Ok I'll be serious. What's the problem Dany. Why are you so nervous about this? It's just dancing. "
Daenerys sighed. "I know, it's just that, firstly, it's been so long that I have gone out with anybody of the opposite sex, that I don't think I would know what to do."
"And secondly, I don't know how to salsa."
Missandei took a deep breath. "Listen Dany, the Dany I know would never be afraid of a little salsa dancing. So what you don't know how to salsa. Go with Jon, have a few drinks and just let your hair down and enjoy yourself. You owe it to yourself. I don't remember when last you actually did something fun. Don't stress about it by overthinking it. If you're not comfortable with Jon, you can always leave and come back home. Or call Viserys to pick you up. There is nothing to feel so anxious about.'
Daenerys swallowed. "You're right. " She said, in barely an audible whisper. She swirled her spoon in the melting ice cream. "I need to chill."
"Exactly" she heard her friend sigh. "You're paralyzed. Your past has you so afraid of getting hurt again that when a decent man Pays you any attention........ someone you're actually attracted to.....you get scared. You're letting him win. You know that, don't you? " It was disheartening to hear her friend say those words, even though she knew Missandei was right.
Daenerys rested the back of her head against the headboard. "Don't you think I know that, Missi. It's driving me crazy because I see how ridiculous I'm behaving but I'm still helpless to do anything about it. I just want to go out Friday night and have fun."
"Then do that!" Missandei exclaimed. "I'm not saying he's the man of your dreams, but ho out and have a good time with him. Don't cancel, Dany. You work hard, you put up with Viserys's antics, you watch my kids when I need a break before I strangle them, and now you need to do something for yourself. You know that's what your parents would say if they were alive.'
A lump rose in Daenerys's throat.  Missandei was right. Her mother would patiently listen and then advise her to go enjoy herself.  She couldn't think of a single reason why she shouldn't go.
"He hasn't asked you to marry him," Missandei teased gently. "You're going dancing."
Daenerys smiled. Her friends words put the situation into perspective. "All right, curly, you're making sense."
Missandei emitted an exaggerated groan. "I'm an adult woman, doling out advice and I still can't get you to stop calling me that."
"You'll never out grow it." Daenerys set her bed tray on the nightstand and swung her legs over the side of the bed. "Okay, I'm doing dancing on Friday night. Thanks for listening."
"No problem. And Dany ?"
"Yes curly."
"You're going dancing. Do wear something sexy chica. And please, please do something cute with your hair."
Before Daenerys could reply, she heard the dial tone.
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Daenerys stood before the floor length mirror in her bedroom, staring at her reflection and trying to ignore the Swarm of butterflies in the middle of her stomach. The nervous anticipation had been buliding all night. She knew it was because she not only looked forward to her evening out, but dhe wanted Jon to like what he saw.
To make sure he did, he added blush to her cheeks and applied her lashes with extra mascara to make sure they stood out. Rather than the nude lipstick she normally wore, she opted for a blood red lipstick that made her lips pop.
She stood in front of the mirror for much longer than necessary, turning this way and that, critically assessing her appearance from every angle before being satisfied. She'd worried more about her hair than anything else. She washed and deep conditioned it and finally got it to where she wanted. She opted to leave her hair open so that it fell in soft waves framing her face. She shook her head several times to help the strands fall naturally into place and smiled tentatively at her reflection just as the doorbell rang.
Her brother was out on a date with Dorreah, so she couldn't use him to delay her entrance.
"Too late to change your mind now," she said to her reflection.
Daenerys didn't know what to expect when she opened the door, but what she didn't expect was to find a well scrubbed Jon  looking absolutely drop dead gorgeous out of his normal construction clothes. She didn't think he could get any finer, but he had.
He wore his black curls loose and she noticed it was still damp around his forehead, as if he'd hopped out of the shower and came straight to her house. Soap and the combined scent of citrus and sandalwood in his aftershave floated upwards into her nostrils and caused her body to tingle at the manly fragrance.
The white, button-downed shirt contrasted against his skin. Beneath the thin cotton, his tantalizing chest muscles rippled when he moved. With his dark slacks, and shiny black shoes, he looked like a different man, and she wondered if she had the strength to make it through the night without rubbing up against him.
His long, lean fingers held a single red tose, which he extended to her.
"Beunas noches," he said softly, smiling a sexy smile that must have broken down the Inhibitions of legions of women since the day he hit puberty. The lapse into Spanish was a pleasant surprise, creating more tingling from the top of her head to the toes of her high heeled sandaled feet.
"Beunas noches" Daenerys replied, lifting the flower from his hand. She felt like she had nineteen years ago when she went on her first date; shy, nervous, anxious and ready for anything.
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When Daenerys locked the front door, Jon extended the crook of his arm. Any reason to touch her, because she looked so touchable tonight. When she hooked her arm through his and allowed her soft fingers to reach up and brush his biceps, his chest muscles contracted. He didn't know what possessed him to Invite her out dancing when he should have been distancing himself from her, but he was glad he did.
She looked stunning tonight. Without the air of aloofness and the cool confidence she usually exhibited, she appeared softer, more feminine, and more approachable. The neckline of her pretty feminine top dipped low enough to tease him with s hint of cleavage. The A-line skirt swirled around her knees and permitted him a good view of slender toned calves in sandals.
Her silver hair was styled in soft waves do it fell across her brow at a teasing angle...... Inviting him to reach up and brush the strands back from her face so they wouldn't block her vision. The silky softness he had noticed the first night were more noticeable now and made him want to delve his fingers into the shiny depths of her hair.
As he helped her into the newly cleaned truck, Jon couldn't resist leaning down while she was turned away and getting a whiff of her feminine scent. He got a double whammy. The perfume stirred his senses, and the smell of her hair made his gut contract with the desire to drag her close and bury his face in the fresh vanilla scented tresses.
She smiled at him as he closed the passanger side door. The red coloured lipstick made her full lips look even more fuller and inviting. More than anything he wanted to keep her smiling. He wanted to keep her safe and protect her against any further emotional harm. No woman of his...... woah!
Where had that come from?
Jon walked around the front of the truck towards the driver's side. The thought came out of nowhere. He was thinking of her as his. At that moment Jon realised how much trouble he was in.
Jon took Daenerys to a club located in a place cally Buford highway, a street known as international corridor because of the large number of Spanish and Asian restaurants and businesses lining the stretch of road. The parking lot was already packed, and when they arrived at the front door, a large man in a suit ushered them in.
The DJ called out in Spanish to the throng of men and women on the dance floor gyrating in time to the up-tempo beats of the loud music.
Jon leaned down towards her. The gentle pressure of his fingers against the base of her spine, triggered tiny shivers along her hips. "They play a variety of music here, regaetton, salsa, calypso, merengue."
He stayed by her side, guiding her through the throng of bodies to the bar and somehow making a spot for them to squeeze in.
"Hola amigo!" the bartender extended  a hand to Jon.
Jon greeted him as well, and they carried on a conversation in rapid Spanish for awhile before the bartender turned to look at her.
"Quién es?" He asked.
"Se llama, Daenerys, mi mujer," Jon answered. Daenerys cast a questioning glance at him. "He asked me who you were. I told him your name."
"I understood when you told him my name, but what does moo-hair mean?"
"Mujer" Jon corrected, smiling down at her. "It means friend."
Daenerys swallowed to moisten her parched throat. If dhe could bottle and sell that sexy grin of his, she could make a fortune fighting depression. "I thought amigo meant friend."
The bartender set a glass of white wine and a bottle of beer in front of Jon. She was pleased he remembered what she liked.
"Enjoy." Without him leaning close to her, she couldn't hear him over the noise, but she could read his lips.  He clinked his bottle against her glass.
Daenerys took a sip of the fruity wine. Jon motioned behind her, where the woman sitting in the stool had gotten down and walked away. Seizing the opportunity, she climbed up onto the empty seat.
For a few minutes they watched the dancers. After a while she could feel Jon's hot gaze on her. Turning to face him, she raised a brow.
He leaned towards her, "you're not going to sit there all night, are you? " He asked. His breath tickled the delicate skin of her ear. What she really wanted to do was turn and press her mouth against his neck and let her fingers travel down the front of his shirt, releasing each button so her hand could glide across his smooth chest.
"No. I have to get used to the place first before I jump in. You can ask someone else to dance if you like."
The instructional salsa videos she studied in youtube was a poor preparation for what she was seeing.
"I want to dance with you," he said. He pulled back and looked into her eyes.
Daenerys was caught, hypnotized by his dark gaze. He held out his hand to her. She covered his palms, with hers and there was an immediate fluttering in the pit of her stomach. Before flowing him, she tossed back the rest of her wine. No point in letting it go to waste. Besides, she needed a little liquid courage. Then with her hand clasped firmly in Jon's, she followed him through the thicket of bodies into the middle of the dance floor.