Searching

chapter 9

It was now a week later since Barbados and with no real work it was boring. Of course she went to the children's shelter but she wanted to go chase the pricks that had the nerve to harm such precious babies. The more they caught the better but they were getting away with her just sitting there. Deciding to get some air she drove to the fair that was not far from where she lived. Any place that had happy laughing kids was a plus for her. She leaned against a railing and just looked at her surroundings. She loved this place and she couldn't have one man run her away no matter what. She looked when she heard someone clear their throat.
   "Excuse me miss." Looking behind her she quickly stood thinking that she may be disturbing someone.
   "Oh I'm sorry..."
   "No need to apologies."
   "Tim?" She smiled after realising that it was him. 
   "Hello Elise."
   "What are you doing here at the fair?"
   "What a grown man can't enjoy himself at the fair?”
   "Of course. I didn't mean it like that.”
   "Was just joking." He said holding his hand up in apology.
   "Oh.." She smiled that beautiful smile that he grew to love a lot over the years.
   "But I'm here with my niece. She's taking a potty break." He said pointing to the porta potties.
   "Really how old is she?"
   "Seven going on twenty-five." They shared a laughed. "Would you like to join us?"
   "Oh no I don't want to disturb you and your niece."
   "No it's okay. Besides the more the merrier when it comes to my niece. She loves to talk."
   "Are you sure?"
   "Positive. Besides I'd be lying if I said I didn't invite you for my own personal pleasure. I mean...I don't want that to scare you off. I'm a complete gentleman."
   "I know that you are and I would love to join you and your niece." She took a seat and they chatted as they waited for his niece to return. “So how is everything with you?"
   "Good actually. Took a vacation off work so now I need something to do with myself."
   "You can always chill with me."
   "I think I might take you up on that offer."
   "Awe shucks I think I'm blushing." He teased.
   "Silly." She chuckled.
   "I am serious though. I would love to get to know each other better."
   “We already know each other Timothy.”
   “It wouldn't hurt to get to know each other even more though.”
   "Are you asking me out again Timothy?"
   "As a matter of fact I am. So will you go out on a date with me?" She smiled sweetly at him. What the hell she thought to herself. She gave up on John. She come to realise that he wasn't her type after all.
   He was very handsome and in good shape but his mindset was different from hers. She knew she needed to start dating. She didn't want to become a woman that did nothing but date and complained about there being no more good men out in the world. She just wanted to love and be loved unconditionally. She knew John wasn't the man for her but it still didn't mean she wasn't hurt by it.
   If he love me hard I would love him harder. She would say in her head at least once a day. The problem was that the man the she so call “loved” couldn’t stand the sight of her. Yeah it was definitely best to move on. 
   "I would love to."
   "Really. You're not pulling my leg?"
   "No I'm not pulling your leg." She said chuckling. "I would like to go on a date with you."
   "Okay good, good." His niece finally came out of the bathroom and he introduced them. They hung out the rest of the time they were there. He stopped and turned to face her once they was near his car. "So when will this date happen?”
   "I'm not sure but I could give you my number and we can make plans."
   "Oh yeah of course." He said pulling out his phone. After she placed her number in she handed it back to him. "Okay cool I'll call you."
   "I look forward to it." After saying their goodbyes he drove off and Elise went to get a funnel cake then left herself.
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   "Did you find her?"
   "Not yet but I am close."
   "Good. Keep me posted. That bitch and her team is going to pay for killing my brother."
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   Elise rushed to her phone when it began ringing. She didn't recognize the number.
   "Hello?"
   "Did I call you too early?" She smile after recognizing the voice. It was only two hours ago that they seen each other at the fair but it wasn't too early.
   "No not at all. How are you?"
   "Fine fine."
   "You still have your niece?"
   "No she's with her mother now. She said it was boring at my house." They both laughed.
   "I understand how she feel. It's so boring here also."
   "Maybe one day I could keep you company."
   "How about now? I can use a mans help over here.” She could use someone in general. God only knew she was so tired of being alone.
   "Sure I can be right over." She gave him her address and twenty minutes later he was ringing her bell.
   "Hello. Come on in."
   "Nice place you have here." He said as he looked around.
   "Thank you. I'm almost done paying off my payments then it will officially be mine. Technically I am a homeowner but a little longer and I will have no payments on this baby."
   "Congratulations."
   "Thank you." She said as she took a bow making him laugh.
   "So what is it that you need help with?" She turned and looked at him questioningly.
   "I said that I needed help with something?"
   "Yes. Over the phone. You said that you could use a mans help with something."
   "Oh yes. It's just one thing." He followed her into the kitchen to the closet. "Can you please get that bag of sugar for me?" He arched his brows.
   "Bag of sugar?"
   "Yes John put it up there and now I can't reach it." Something told him that even though the sugar was up high she would be able to get it if she truly wanted. That couldn't have been the reason she had asked him over. Handing her the bag he watched as she went and poured the sugar into a jar.
   "That was it?" He asked. "That was all you needed me for?"
   "Of course not Timothy." She said in a way that made him smile.
   "I simply want your company. Is that okay with you?"
   "Of course it is but you do know that’s all you had to say right? Is that you wanted my company."
   "I thought I just did." He grew confused at that and scratched the top of his head before saying.
   "Yes you did."
   "Are you hungry?"
   "No thank you. Actually, I just ate."
   "Okay cool." She just stood there and stared at him and he begin to feel awkward. She knew that and she smiled. She wanted to see how he would react to her weirdness. So far so good she thought.
   She did come off weird to people and although she didn't care who thought she was weird she wanted to know how he felt but she guess she shouldn't be testing him since he's known her just as long as John has. He knew she was weird but he still liked her. Brownie points for him.
   Tim was a very handsome man. Deep caramel complexion. Broad muscular shoulders with a muscular build all around. Elise knew that he attended the gym regularly. There were times that they would see each other there before she built her own gym in her basement. With her line of work she had never had time to make it to the gym so if she wanted to stay in shape her only option was to build her own personal gym. Working out was a great stress reliever for her and she loved doing it.
   "I do need you for something else. One more thing.” She said out of the blue. She began walking to the living room and he followed. Pointing to her ceiling she said. "My light bulb blew and as you can see my ceiling is quite tall. I do have a latter but I'm a little afraid of heights..." she fibbed.
   "I have no problem with changing your bulb"
   "Great. I'll go get the latter."
   "No I'll get the latter, you get the bulb."
   "Sounds like a plan."
   "So how was it being roommates with John?" Tim asked as he changed the light bulb.
   "It was..."She searched for the right word. "Challenging." He laughed.
   "I bet. So..." He continued as he climbed down from the latter. "What made you say yes to a date with me? I mean I know how you're stuck on John and everything." She looked away with a frown on her face. He immediately felt bad.
   "Hey I'm sorry..."
   "It's cool." She said. "John and I are on two different pages... and I knew that, you know? I woke up I guess you can say. I have the tendency to be...tolerable of a lot of things. I guess I couldn't tolerate it anymore."
   "I got you." He said nodding his head in understanding. If you asked him he was beyond happy that she finally “woke up” as she put it. It meant he finally had a chance with her. "Maybe now you'll allow me to show you how a man is supposed to treat a women."
   "I look forward to it." Truth was she was very attracted to Tim it’s just she had John blinding her for years. In her mind, in her eyes John was the only man for her and she truly believed that but you couldn't be the only one in love. And although he was never in love with her to begin with the way he spoke and treated her was unacceptable. She knew that she deserved better and maybe Tim will be that man. They sat and watched tv all night and after the second movie she gave him his way out.
   "You know you don't have to feel obligated to stay." She said. She had noticed that he begin growing tired.
   "Trying to kick me out?" He said smiling over at her.
   "Not at all I just know how boring it is here."
   "Watching tv with you is way more fun than going back to my boring place. Let my niece tell it." Elise smiled. 
   "So Timothy. Why don't you have any kids of your own?"
   "Because I haven't found that women to bare my children yet." She wasn't expecting that answer. It was honest enough.
   "Understandable."
   "Do you want kids?" He asked.
   "Yes. I want as many kids as God bless me with."
   "Really?"
   "Yes. I love children. They are the best thing in the world. I can't wait to be a mother. I would adopt also in a heartbeat. I just..."
   "What?" He prompt.
   "I don't want to be a single parent."
   "I can understand that. Well I think you will make a great mother."
   "Awe thank you."
   "You're welcome." He winked at her. "Well with all this time spending together and I still haven't asked you about our date." Was she blushing.
  "What about it?" She asked.
  “When would you like to go on this date?"
   "Tomorrow is fine with me."
   "So soon?" He asked surprised.
   "Yes I mean I'm on vacation so I don’t have to work."
   "Lucky you. I do have to work but I'm off at five o'clock. So will seven o'clock be okay?"
   "Seven will be perfect. I did promise Mrs. Barbara that I'd help with her pool party she's throwing."
   "Yes she invited me to that but unfortunately I have to work. Why does she throw a lot of parties anyway?"
   "Like me she loves kids. I guess she likes to see them have fun. It also gives her something to do." They sat and watched another movie and they both dozed off. Tim woke to find Elise had fell asleep on his chest. He guess it was time for him to leave. He didn't want to wake her but the only way to get up was to wake her. Did he just stay put? He didn't mind at all that she was laying on him. He dreamt of moments like this. But he also didn't want her to get the wrong impression. He didn't want to move too fast. Deciding to leave he sat up with her still in his arms. Before he could speak her name she popped up. The fear in her eyes had him grabbing her.
   "Elise." She didn't scream or anything but the look in her face told him that she was having a bad dream. Once she realised where she was she closed her eyes and let out a slow calming breath.
   "I'm sorry." She said. "I had the weirdest dream."
   "No need to apologize for it. Are you okay though?"
   She rest her head on his chest. "Yes I'm fine." Looking on her phone she seen the time. "It's one-fifteen in the morning.” She said holding her phone up for him to see.
   "Would you like for me to leave?" He asked. She looked up at him
   "Only if you want to."
   "I don't want to but I feel I have to."
   "Why?" She asked confused.
   "Because I like you a lot Elise. I'm a grown man and I can only take so much." Reading between the lines she sat up but only enough for her to be face to face with him. She took his bottom lip into her mouth and he groaned. "I should go." He said feeling himself losing control by the second. She placed her hand on his chest. He watched as she moved in toward him. He held his breath as her mouth connected to his. His pulse begin racing. He felt his heart as it thudded in his chest. This women had no idea what she was doing to him. He groaned again once her tongue slid against his top lip encouraging him to open up to her. Once he did he immediately deepened the kiss unable to control himself. Grabbing her he placed her onto his lap and silently thanked God when she didn't protest. She wrapped her arms around his neck and grinned against him. When he grabbed her ass and pulled her even closer she knew that she would have to stop this before it went any further. She broke the kiss resting her forehead against his; both of them out of breath.
   "I should go." He said.
   "Yeah." She agreed but didn't attempt to move.
   "You have to get up Elise."
   "Okay." She said but her hand slid up his chest sliding the pad of her thumb against his bottom lip. She was surprised when he took it into his mouth. She leaned in kissing him again this time it was slow and sensual. She got the taste of him the feel of him and she was loving it. The man definitely knew how to kiss. Okay she had to stop this. Pulling away she stood and looked down at him.
   "Sorry about that."
   "No need to apologize at all." He said standing himself. "I should apologize for being so rough with you though. I don't know what came over me."
   "Why apologies for it? I’m not complaining." Her brow shot up in a challenging look and he chuckled.
    "I guess there's no need for any one of us to apologies then."
   "No there isn't.” She agreed.
   “I should go because if not I'd go crazy and take you against that wall." She looked at the wall imagining just that and it made her pulse race a little more. He began making his way toward the door knowing that she just may tell him to stay and this was more than just sex to him and he needed for her to know that. After opening the door he turned to face her.
   "I had fun Elise."
   "Did you really?"
   "Do you really have to ask that?"
   "I'm a boring person Tim."
   "Keep telling yourself that but I don't believe it." She smiled up at him. "See you tomorrow?"
   "Yes see you tomorrow." She said smiling. He turned to leave but then stopped and turned back to face her.
   "What?" She asked.
   "Can I kiss you again?"
   "Now?"
   "Yes."
   "I would love for you to." He moved in on her bending down to kiss her but she couldn't stop smiling.
   "Why are you smiling so much?"
   "I can't believe this is happening."
   "Yeah right. You can't be serious. All those times of me asking you out and you can't believe this is happening? I should be the shocked one."
   "I guess you're right but I'm still surprised." With that she stood on her toes and took his bottom lip into her mouth. He groaned and pulled her closer to him slowly deepening the kiss. After breaking the kiss he said his goodbyes again and quickly left before he did something stupid.