Diavolo

viii

PRESLEY

       I couldn't sleep at all last night. There was this burning feeling something bad was going to happen today, and even through work, I couldn't shake this feeling away. I'd stayed up all night watching the front door before eventually falling asleep an hour before my shift this morning.

       I completely dozed off through work, a bit grateful Mr. Grant wasn't in today, and called it an early day around four. I'd emailed Desmond I wouldn't be coming in tomorrow because I didn't feel well enough even though that was a complete lie.

        I needed to sleep.

        He hadn't responded but I knew there was no way he could refuse me and if he did, I would go straight to HR and write a letter detailing how unfair he was with his employees.

        I headed straight home before the afternoon traffic rush, feeling a bit dizzy and overwhelmed but by the time I got home, it'd only gotten worse. I took a quick nap, woke up around right, popped some pills into my mouth, and rushed into the shower.

        There was no way I could reschedule the dinner with Jax especially since I'd bailed on him last time, and I knew it was often difficult making reservations at restaurants.

        By 8:45, I was ready to go. I was oiled down, and lotioned in every way a woman could be. I was wearing a satin, cream dress, showing off my tapered waist and wrapping loosely around my curvy hips.

        I used to be judgmental about my body especially my hips and ass since I grew into my female parts very quickly as a child but I realized if I couldn't be thin, I might as well embrace my body.

        Who the bell was going to do it for me?

        I took my knotless braids out of the snug ponytail, allowing the braids to fall loosely around my shoulders and back. I didn't want to put on heavy makeup since I didn't have much time so I went with a natural face.

        I shaped my lips with a dark brown lip liner and applied a thick coat of lip gloss on my pouty lips, and applying mascara on my thick lashes and a bit of foundation.

        I slipped into a pair of my favorite clear stilettos and called an Uber to the restaurant downtown.

         I played with the heart-shaped necklace resting between my breasts the whole way to the restaurant. I didn't know why the hell I was nervous, I'd been on countless dates with men and this wasn't my first rodeo but this time mattered.

        It was the first time I'd been on a date since I broke up with Enzo. The man was a cheater and I never saw through the lies and fake smiles, I only focused on the good things. He treated me good, he treated my best friend nicely but sometimes niceness wasn't enough.

        "Baby girl." Jax greeted me at the door, looking all handsome in his buttoned-down black shirt and dress pants. He came over, placed a hand on my lower back and left soft kisses on both sides of my cheek. "I'm glad you made it."

        "Me too." I flushed at the close contact between us, the heat of his body encompassing me in every single way possible and making me feel small against him.