The Grind

Chapter Six

Thursday had arrived. Colton made noble efforts to calm my uncontrollable nerves over the last several days, explaining if I managed putting up with him on a daily basis, his parents would be a breeze. I sort of always had that "girl you'd want to bring home to mother" personality, so it wasn't actually Michael & Beth that had my belly twisted in a knot of nervousness. More so what the meeting itself represented. Exposing me to the two most sacred people in his life, was without a doubt a huge feat for him. Were things taking a drastic turn in the direction of serious between us? Not that it would change anything in my book, seeing as I had already succumbed to the tantric spell he was putting on me long before meeting the parents came into the equation. Yet still, I never imagined Colton seeing what we had as anything more than casual (not to say anything less than mind blowing) sex, and the simple comfort of just having someone around. But, when he picked me up that night for dinner, I could tell he was ever so slightly off. Like maybe, Colton Ritter may actually feel the effects of normal, human-ish emotions, and was dealing with some nerves of his own.

Stepping clumsily on the backs of my heels on the way to the car, then nearly latching my finger in the door as he escorted me into the passenger seat. I noticed the dewy sweat beading on his full pink top lip and offered up some concern.

"Everything okay, Colt? You kinda... look like hell."

In the literal sense, he looked irresistible in every manner of the word. Dark cobalt denim paired perfectly with the white hooded, long sleeve tee that enfolded every bulging muscle.

"Course, babe. I'm good. Better than good." The obviously phony smile hadn't eased my budding stresses, but nevertheless I rode in silence the remaining drive to the restaurant.

Approaching the hostess Colton linked our hands, his squeezing mine to the point of actual pain. He had chosen a rather impressive dinner spot downtown, surprising me with such an eloquent decision on his part. A quaint, candle lit Italian bistro with tables spread in white clothes, adorned with a single white rose slipped into a crystal vase. It felt elegant, but not stuffy. Before she was able to point us to our already waiting party, a petite brunette waved her arms from across the room at us.

I could nearly feel the heat radiating from her warm, contagious smile. The simple bob of her haircut accentuated her soft features flatteringly, along with a black ribbed sweater accessorized with the simplicity of a strand of pearls.

She came straight for me, arms stiffened out to wrap me into a hug, "It's so nice to finally put a face with the name Colt is always talking about. And a beautiful one, may I add!"

She looked at him, winking with what looked like a silent 'atta boy', causing him to quickly drop his head, rubbing the back of it with his, what I would bet, very sweaty palm. I also noticed the rather sizeable solitaire diamond that circled her ring finger, concluding that the Ritter family lived indeed quite comfortably.

"Ma, let's cool it with all that, yeah? Liv, clearly my mom took the liberty of introducing herself, and this is my pop, Michael."

I gestured a hand to meet his offering one, the familiarity of his firm shake reminding me of Colton's the day we'd met, "Very nice to meet you both!"

I instantly recognized that Colton had definitely inherited his lopsided smirk from the paternal side. The cut of Michael's hair was what I would've closely described to a "high and tight". According to the briefing his son gave me, his father owned a successful construction operation in the suburb of Bradford Woods in Pittsburgh. His personality was one of a professional nature, possibly a military background, which would've reasonably explained the polite, chivalrous behavior his son exhibited when called for. My hand never touched the handle of a door if he was in my presence, and he always pulled my chair out to sit.