Pushing the salad I've barely touched around my plate I hear a sound rise and fall from the direction of Marcus and although the words don't register as language, the way 'my date' sits up tall in his seat and releases a long, deep, deliberate breath I know I should be offended... but I'm not.
In fact, I'm too high on 'eau de Canada' to register anything other than the way Travis' body heat is radiating through his suit and then burning through mine so that every fibre of my body is whispering his name
God, he makes me feel as though I'm 17 again!
How I wish I was 17 again!
I wish he would look at me the way he used to, smile at me the way that melted my heart.
I wish he would take me in his arms and hold me with the intensity he did when we were 17... and then 27 year old Taylor kicks in and I realise that everything 17 year old Travis gave me wouldn't be nearly enough these days, not after I've witnessed the heat in 27 year old Travis' eyes.
17 year old Travis might have owned my heart but 27 year old Travis owns that and the rights to every naughty thought I've ever had
Sitting just inches from him now has caused butterflies the size of Pterodactyls to wage a war on my stomach. My heart beat trebles every time anything of his touches anything of mine... and trust me, there has been a lot of touching!
In fact, every time Marcus speaks Travis' hand brushes mine and I'm not sure whether he's trying to soothe me or stop me from ripping Marcus' rusty heart out of his chest but in truth all he's really doing is succeeding in convincing me that this is not over... we are not over.
How can one smile from a man that I dumped over 10 years ago set a fire in me that burns through every emotional barricade I've ever put up?
I mean, come on, 10 years is a long time. It's a lot of dates and a lot of other guys.
True, most of them had a black cross next to their name long before the butter had even melted on the popcorn but one or two of them got close, but not one of them got near my heart, not like this, not like him.
I deal with the professional conversation that keeps interrupting the thoughts of my happy ending with Travis as though I'd heard every word that they've said, but trust me... I haven't! but I know my job, and I know my clients, God knows I worked hard enough to win us this account, and the way that Travis smiles proudly down at me every time I say something that impresses them just feeds the eternal longing I have for his approval
As I push my plate away from me and then take a sip of my water, I settle back to enjoy the silence whilst everyone else continues to eat, and Marcus continues to empty the wine bottle.
The 'You always were a cheap date, huh Trev?' that slurs its way through three glasses of wine and then falls embarrassingly from his lips tells me that I will never enjoy anything whilst he is around, but the fire that had driven every step it took to get me here, the one I had been planning on using to burn Marcus alive, died out the second I saw Travis standing there, looking like a God, looking that way for me, even after everything I put him through.
The flames I had been planning on using to hurt Marcus have now turned on me and are doing their best to burn away what remains of my senses... and my self control
"Are you okay?"
The feel of Travis' breath on my cheek tells me that his lips are mere inches from my face and for a split second I almost forget where I am and why I'm here.
The sudden urge to just turn my head and press my lips to his is almost too much to resist.
I wonder if he will still taste the same... or react with the same shyness he always did when we were in high school.
Judging by the show in sexy confidence he put on earlier I doubt it but now I'm intriguing myself with thoughts of his reaction.
Would he pull away, or pull me close?
Would he be impressed by my bravery of appalled by it?
Would it even be bravery or would it be stupidity?
And why do questions only bring more questions, and never answers?
"Taylor?"
His breath kisses my cheek once more only this time it acts like water being thrown onto a fire
I have to get out of here... and I have to take Travis with me
I have to not lose us this account but I need air.
I need to talk to Travis and I need to talk to him now
I'm vaguely aware of Marcus's voice polluting the air around us once more but all I hear clearly is my name and then gasps of air being pulled in to the chests of each member of our party.
I don't have time to ask what was said before Travis fakes a cough and then raises a hand to his mouth. As his hand returns to the table I see him accidently (on purpose) knock the glass of red wine that Marcus had pretty much been making out with. It drops as though moving in slow motion and then empties its self in to the lap of my loser boss.
This time is my turn to gasp in horror (or perhaps delight) as Marcus leaps up from the table, a river of curse words spilling over his lips. In an attempt to keep his balance he reaches out for the table cloth but it's too late because he, the table cloth and the entire contents of the table are now lying sprawled in a messy heap at Travis' feet.
Kelce 1 Meat head 0
Obviously that brought the evening to an unceremonious end but at this point I was done caring about Marcus, work and even the account I had worked so hard to win. Now the only thing on my mind was showing Travis how greatful I was for everything he had done for me since he turned up in New York and if that meant ending the night naked and sweaty then the messiness was just beginning
