Falling

6 | Playing With Fire

The week had flown by. It was now Thursday and I couldn't wait to see Tatum. We had been keeping in touch as she visited family back in Connecticut.

When I told her about Asher, the guy from the coffee shop, she said... and I quote "Get that cute dick girl!"

She was blunt. About everything.

But under all the excitement of seeing Tatum today, was the anxiety of my meeting with Dante Brown tomorrow. I had no idea what to expect. I haven't said a single thing to anyone. I've been working long days and have kept myself busy. But at the end of the day I would find myself anxious at the thought of answering to Dante.

"Get your ass over here!" Came a voice from behind me. I whipped my head around to meet the crazy red hair of my best friend and immediately fell into her spread arms.

"Oh girl I've missed you" she said as she hugged me back. I smiled and pulled away giving her a laugh and saying "of course I've missed you to."

We agreed to meet at a bar in town. Nothing like the club from Saturday.. just a very low-key bar to grab a few drinks at.

"I can't wait to tell you about my week, but first.. ASHER?! Spill!" She said with excitement. I beamed back at her.

"Well... we've texted back and forth a few times but that's it," I sighed and continued "we haven't agreed to any sort of date yet." And that was true, we've just talked and aimlessly flirted over text but that was it.

"Don't worry, he'll ask soon, men are always so slow with stuff like that," she explained and gave me a soft smile. Turning towards the bartender she ordered our drinks.

"Now. My week, so..."

And then she talked about her family for the next few hours. We talked about other things here and there, having several drinks and just overall having a good time.

"Hey it's getting late, I'm going to call a cab, you calling one too?" I asked her. She shook her head yes and moved to the door with me. We got in separate cabs with the promise of texting when we arrived home.

The taxi ride was quick and before I knew it, I was stumbling out of the cab. I guess I had drank too much and was just realizing as the dizziness in my head and the heat throughout my body started to spread. "Shit," I giggled as I tripped up the steps.

"Fuck" I spit as I dropped my keys after opening the door. Forget it, I'll get them later.

Stumbling into the kitchen with tipsy steps, I immediately threw off the light jacket I was wearing and started for the button of my pants.

"I don't believe you've taken me on a date yet miss Rhodes, I'd keep the pants on tonight."

That voice.

My whole body froze. My fingers working at the buttons froze, and my eyes snapped towards the large body sitting in my living room.

How. What...

"How the fuck did you get in my living room," I couldn't even fully comprehend that he was there. Dante Brown was sitting in my living room. Mine.

"That's no way to talk to the man who holds your deepest darkest secret now is it... Amelia." Came his deep voice.

My fingers buttoned the pants back up, my cheeks flushing with embarrassment at the thought of him seeing me like that.

My mind searched for an answer, the alcohol clouding my judgment and apparently the ability to come up with a response. But one thing came to mind.

"It's not Friday." I met his eyes. Or I tried. It was dark and blurry from the lack of light. I saw the outline of his head and assumed that's where his eyes were.