Maria Undone

Chapter 11 (Maria)

***Author Note: If you've read Simon Says (Simon and Sofia's story), you may have read this teaser at the back of their book. Since this chapter was written first, I've had to remove/add/edit sentences to fit the previous chapters.***

My eyes bounced around the restaurant, excitement fluttering in my stomach as I took in the elegant decor. I had been to nice restaurants before, but nothing this fancy. 

There were no bright strobe lights or loud classic rock music that I had to shout over to be heard. 

Not that my dates cared one lick of what I had to say.

Instead, Da Vinci's Grove had an ambiance that screamed, 'Our cheapest food option starts at thirty dollars.' Low lights, candles on the table - real candles, not those LED ones that staff didn't bother to change once the battery ran out - and if you listened carefully, soft classical tones played through the discreet speakers.

Patrons sat at the white cloth tables, all dressed immaculately. Women wore their finest dresses or pantsuits, and not a single male wore a polo shirt or shorts. They matched their partners with suits and smart-looking dress shirts that shimmered under the low lights. 

I glanced down at my own attire, relieved that I had chosen another conservative number. I was used to living bold and provocatively - low-cut tops to draw attention to my generous breasts, short skirts, and shorts to showcase my long legs, and long perfectly coiffed hair that shook with each step - and for some reason made men want to yank it as they shoved my throat over their cocks or pounded me roughly from behind.

My green cocktail dress covered my chest completely and fell respectively just above my knees. My makeup was light and subtle, and I styled my choppy lob with just the barest of waves. I thought it accentuated my high cheekbones and brought out the sparkle that had been dead in my blue eyes for a while.

I gazed across at Brian, taking in his dimpled smile and soft brown eyes - eyes that never dropped below my chin. He was the reason the sparkle returned.

Admittedly, I had a wobble this week when I suspected Brian was pulling away. We had such an unexpected and wonderful lunch together in my office. My cheek tingled all day from where he stroked it before leaving. He even texted me before leaving work, promising to call me that night. 

But then, nothing.

I waited until midnight for his call to come through before my heavy eyelids naturally fell closed.

When I woke to an empty phone, I finally reached out.

Busy. Tired. Phone died. 

For some reason, those excuses didn't ring true. Was it because I started to question him about his late wife? I had been in two minds on how to broach the subject, so I decided just to ask. I didn't feel any jealousy toward her; that would be stupid. But it was natural to be curious. I had never dated a widower, so I had no idea where Brian was on the grief scale. Of course, a significant part of me was nosey as hell about the woman he loved enough to marry. 

When it became clear that Brian was uncomfortable, I immediately backed off.

Throughout the week, his contact was scarce and impersonal. He was definitely not the same attentive and caring person he had been since we reconnected. I was a wreck thinking he was done with me.

Thankfully, my worries disappeared when he picked me up this evening and greeted me with a soft, lingering kiss. His eyes seared my body as they roamed over my form.

"You look fucking incredible," he had growled.

A warm, large hand settled on mine, and I immediately turned my palm up to clutch it. I gave Brian a sultry smile as he stroked my hand with his thumb. Sparks of awareness shot down my stomach straight to my pussy; reminding me that I hadn't been laid in a while. And as much as it pained me, I wouldn't be getting any tonight.