Love Takes Time (Christian Romance) (8 page)

He
finally returned after a few minutes though it seemed like much longer to her. 

“Thank
goodness you came back.  For a second there I thought you’d left me.”

“Not
a chance.  I plan on taking every possible second with you that I can
tonight and hopefully in the future.  But before I can work all that out,
I imagine we need to eat tonight.  In my absence, have you ordered
anything yet?”

“No
but I am famished.  I warn you, I don’t eat like a dancer.”  

“Good.
 I wouldn’t want you to starve for my sake.  I’m going to go ahead
and call the waiter over so we can get started.”  

She
glanced in his direction and their eyes locked.  

“I
want to be able to enjoy as much of our time together as possible this evening.”

He
certainly had a way with words.  Every statement that he made flattered
her in one way or another.  She didn’t know what kind of poet she had
bumped into on the street but she could definitely get used to it.  Not to
mention the fact that he was apparently the richest person she had ever met in
real life, let alone gone on a date with.  Each time they met before, and
even on their current date, he wore something expensive looking.  Not too
flashy.  The simple things like that night’s gold and black cufflinks or
matching watch that periodically showed when he gestured with his arms.  

“Alright
then.  But before you call him over, I have a confession.  I have no
earthly idea what to get because they never even brought me a menu.”

“Oh,
I’m sorry about that.  I come here pretty regularly and I guess they must
have assumed that since you were with me, you knew how this place works.”

With
that, he pressed a button on the wall beside them and a hidden panel slid open,
revealing what Chelsea assumed were several full sized tablets.  Ryder
grabbed two and handed one to her.  

“These
function both as menus as well as recreation if needed.  You can even
leave a message for the chef. I can vouch that he reads each and every one of
them.  He loves the feedback.  If you click the restaurant logo at
the top, it will bring up all the dishes that are available tonight.  And
then, if you want to see what one looks like, click its name and you can see
the dish as well as recommended wine pairings and the like.  They just
started this about a year ago.  Chef Henri says he wants to incorporate
technology into his restaurant without making it distracting or affecting the
ambiance.  I think it’s a pretty smart idea.  You get to see sizzling
real motion video of a dish you might choose.”

Chelsea
was in shock.  She’d expected it to be the most high-class restaurant that
she had ever been in and no doubt it was.  What she didn’t expect was how
high tech it was.  She scrolled through the perfectly organized menu,
stopping to look at several images of piping hot dishes that had caught her eye.

“Oh
my goodness.  Everything looks delicious.  What do you recommend?”

“Well
let’s see.  Do you have any foods you hate, love, always wanted to try?”

“Um.
 Nothing I hate...well except squid or calamari.  Whatever you want
to call it, don’t call it to the table for me.  I absolutely love potatoes
and I’m not really big on steak but willing to try almost anything.”  

“Ever
try duck before?”

“Does
duck 
sauce 
have any actual duck in it?  I always wondered as
a child.”

They
both laughed at her little joke.  Maybe she’d been working with kids so
much that she’d adopted their sense of humor. 

“I’m
going to say no it doesn’t.  Since you say you like to try new things . .
. how about one of my favorite dishes here.  The Muscovy duck with orange
marmalade and Cipollini onion puree along with the twice baked potato?”

“Sounds
fantastic.  Now can you please repeat all that, but in my kind of English
this time?”

“May
I?”

He
reached across the table and she handed the tablet to him.  He scrolled
through the menu, bringing up the course for her to review.

“This
is everything and I promise that you will love it.”

She
looked at the sizzling food and she could swear that her belly growled in
approval of his recommendation.   

“I
am going to trust you on that one Ryder because this look delicious.”

Ryder
quickly called the waiter over and began relaying their orders to him.
 Five minutes later he returned with the special house salad and once she
tasted it Chelsea knew why she had never been there before.

“How
is this just a salad?  This tastes awesome.  I mean really.  And
this is only the side salad?!  If the rest of the food is as good as this,
I might have to break my budget just to come back in the future.  Is that
mint that I am tasting?  I would have never put that on a salad but it
really makes everything work.”

“You
sound like a Food Network judge.”

“Well
like I said, I enjoy a nice meal.” 

With
that, he picked up his fork and she watched him get into his salad as
well.  They continued making small talk into the evening, and throughout
their dinner.  

“I
wouldn’t have pegged you as a Guns and Roses or Red Hot Chili Peppers kind of
guy.”

“And
what exactly did you think of me?”

“I
don’t know.  Maybe Beethoven, Mozart or some Italian guy whose name I
don’t know.  You just seem so...”

“Stuck
up?”

“No!
 That’s not what I was trying to say.  You just seem so cool and
above it all. Sophisticated.  I’m just saying that when I look at you I
would never guess that you have 
Welcome
to the Jungle 
or 
Under the Bridge 
in your rotation
.  
I actually thought I was the only person in my
generation that would even know those songs.”

“Okay,
you are already pretty enough.  You can stop trying to impress me by
knowing my favorites, even the old ones.  And about them not being in my
rotation, if you don’t believe me, I will start singing either one right now.”

She
laughed at him, covering her mouth in the process.

“Oh
no, don’t worry about it. I believe you.”

“Good. 
And for your information miss doubting my musical tastes, I own every album
from both of them.  I even learned how to play the electric guitar when I
was younger.  My older brother played the drums.  At one point, I
actually thought I was going to become a musician.  Thank God my dad
talked me out of it.  More like yelled me into submission.  I have a
confession to make though.  You were partially right.  I actually do
like every one of those guys you mentioned.  Beethoven, Mozart.  You
didn’t mention my favorite though.  Vivaldi.”

“Ah. 
I have heard of him before.  Maybe you could share some of your favorites
with me.  I always wanted to learn more about classical music but I never
got into it beyond the mandatory classes at school.”

“I
tell you what.  If you keep dating me, I’ll have you in love with
classical music.”

“Be
careful what you ask for Ryder.  I am the type of girl that will hold you
to it.”  

“I
don’t mind that at all.  I wouldn’t have it any other way.  What
about your musical inclination?  Obviously you like a little nineties rock
too.  What else?  I would guess that you are into jazz.  Maybe
opera?”

At
that, they both chuckled.  

“I’m
going to consider the opera a joke and say that you are either a great judge of
character or just a good guesser, but jazz is my favorite.  I do love the
nineties rock like you as well but my favorite is still a nice band just
playing.  No singing, or anything else to overshadow the essence of the
music.  Especially as a dancer.  It’s all about the beat, you know. “

“I
get that.  You know, pure jazz is like a cousin of classical music in a
lot of senses so I guess the stock broker and the dancer seem to have a thing
or two in common after all.  I’m hoping we have time to find out how much more. 
I’ve got a pretty good idea.  I know this really great live music club.
 They do it all.  Jazz.  Big Band.  Swing.  Anything
you want to hear, they can play you as well as in house originals.  Maybe
we can go there for our next date.”  

He watched
her, his unasked question evident.  She looked away from him and down at
her almost empty plate.  She definitely was going to say yes but she
didn’t want to look too eager doing so. 

“So
you are already planning our next da--”  

She
was startled when she heard the shrill voice.  She didn’t know when the
uninvited guest turned up at the table. She had been just that into Ryder that
everything else was just there.  At first she thought it was just another
waiter until she saw the woman looking at Ryder with a smile that said so much
more.  Apparently he hadn’t noticed her yet but that changed the instant
her nasal voice shouted his name much louder than was necessary. 

“Oh my goodness, Ryder?”
 

Chelsea didn’t know who this
woman was but she didn’t like it.  Then again, what woman wants to be out
with a man and have their date interrupted by a woman who was undeniably
attractive.  She was tall, and slender like a model and if her fur coat
was any indication, she was in Ryder’s class monetarily.

Oh great. 
Competition.  This is definitely not what I was hoping for tonight. 

“Phaedra?”
 

The
terrified look on Ryder’s face further confirmed that there was most likely
something more with he and the woman who just interrupted their date that was
going pretty well before she waltzed her way in.  It got worse when he
stood up to shake her hand and she grabbed him instead, hugging him in a way
that was. . . a lot more than just friendly. 

Phaedra
is it?   I don’t think I like you much.
  

“Yes
it’s me silly.  I knew that was you from across the room you handsome
thing.  It’s been a while but you still look as good as usual.”  She
exclaimed.

“I
thought you were still in Paris last I had heard.”  

“I got
back just yesterday but it’s nice to know someone so nice was checking up on me
while I was away.  You are such a cutie.  Always so concerned about
me.”  

Ryder
stumbled over his words.

“
Th
-that’s not really what I said.”

“Oh
stop being so modest.”

“Okay
then.  Anyway, since you’re here, let me not be rude.  Phaedra, this
is Chelsea, Chelsea… Phaedra.”  

She
watched as Phaedra turned her look in her direction while at the same time
moving her hand across his bicep.  Chelsea didn’t like that one bit. 
The other thing she didn’t like was the way Phaedra looked at her. 
Moments before, she had been smiling at Ryder but she gave Chelsea such a
dismissive, who-are-you look that really got under her skin pretty
quickly.   Chelsea knew then that Phaedra was the kind of person with
money that she was never a fan of and she was determined to be cordial while
taking in the far-from-genuine smile that was directed towards her from the
ice-queen that she had just met.

“Nice
to meet you, Phaedra.”

Chelsea
felt like throwing up.  In her mind she entertained the idea of doing
so.  Right all over her new female friend, of course.  The thought of
that allowed her to smile inside. 

“Yes.
 So how do you know Ryder here?  Is he out on another one of his
nonstop meetings?  I swear this man does not stop working.  He is
always on the search for new young talent.  Are you interviewing to be an
intern at Chatham Holdings?”

Chelsea
would have rolled her eyes but she didn’t want Ryder to think she was a drama
queen.  If she had to respond to that question though, she might have said
something she didn’t want.  She was relieved when Ryder saved her from
saying something she just might regret. 

“Actually
Phaedra, Chelsea is a friend of mine.  We were in the middle of a date
that I like to think was going pretty well right before you showed up.”

The
woman showed her disingenuous smile to Chelsea once again. 

“Oh. 
Isn’t that nice.”

Ryder
must have been able to tell that Chelsea had nothing to say to the woman so he
continued. 

“Yeah
Chelsea, so Phaedra and I have known each other for years.”

“That’s
an understatement.”  The woman who was too full of herself to take a hint
and leave butted in yet again.  “Chelsea, this silly guy here and I grew
up together.  I mean we were constantly around each other.  We were
practically inseparable.  I’d like to think that we still are.”  

She
frowned at Chelsea with a very matter-of fact look and Chelsea was finally at
the point that she couldn’t take anymore.  

“Well
Pheedra
--“

“It’s
Phaedra.”

“Right. 
So it was nice meeting you but you’ve had Ryder your whole life while I’ve only
had one night so far.”

“Oh
right, of course.  I have to run anyway. Ryder, honey, we should do lunch
tomorrow.  Call me.”  

She
turned her attention to Chelsea once more.  

“It
was a pleasure meeting you as well.”

Those
were the words but the look said ‘you better watch your back, and your step,
and sleep with one eye open’.  Chelsea was sure that she felt a shiver run
up her spine.  She watched as Phaedra turned and sashayed towards the exit
as if she owned the place.  If she was any indication of the kind of
people that Ryder spent his time with, she might have to reconsider who he
really was.  

“I’m
so sorry about the interruption.”

“No
problem.  Interesting taste in women there.”

“I
promise she makes the relationship seem like so much more than it was.”

“I’m
not worried.  After all, this is just our first date.  It’s not like
you have a tattoo of my name on your back.  And I’m not head over heels
for you yet anyway.  It is all a bit strange to me that I am even here.”

His
head tilted to the side and his eyebrows scrunched at her. 

“Why
would you feel that way?”

She
looked towards the exit where Phaedra had just left.  

“I
don’t know.  People like her.”

“Phaedra? 
Pay her no mind.”

“Believe
me, I don’t.  It’s just that I don’t normally date guys like you with the
fine cars and fine dining.  This is something more the speed of my best
friend, Ava.  She would be completely at home here. I just always thought
it was shallow.”

Ryder
sat back for a moment.  

“So
you’re saying that me having money and spending it is shallow?  You aren’t
a democrat, are you?”  

“Um...actually
I am a democrat.”

“I’m
joking!  Chelsea I don’t care about your party, and I am a democrat too so
we mesh anyway.”

“Well
I don’t care that you have money or not.  It’s just not what I expected.
 Meeting you, I think I might have misjudged a lot of people with money.
 Either that or you are just different.”

“Well
to be honest, the majority of the people I know in my financial bracket are
much more like Phaedra than they are like me.  You stumbled upon the good
stuff, lady.”

His
humorous attitude dissolved any concerns that were gaining ground within her
about him.

***

A
few hours later the driver pulled the huge car to the curb in front of her
apartment building and Ryder exited, extending his hand to her.  When they
were both out of the car, Chelsea allowed her eyes to skim the features of his
face as he leaned against the street lamp pole, one hand in each pocket and his
head tilted to the side.  He was staring at her and she felt
self-conscious and excited at the same time.  

“Thanks
for a great time Ryder.”

“Oh
no.  You really think you are ending my date short?  I have to get
you inside and to your apartment safely.”

“That’s
not really necessary.”

“No
it’s not, but I’d like to still.”

She
blushed.

“Okay,
but the elevator is temporarily out of service so those high priced legs are
going to get a workout tonight.”

He
chuckled before looking at the building.

“Hey,
I’m not just another pretty face you know.”

“I
know that.”

More
than anything else, she was just eager to end the night.  Not because it
was bad but because it was so good.  That had her nervous and excited at
the same time.  Barely a minute later their slow pace had them on her
floor and standing in front of her door. 

When
he began in her direction, Chelsea wasn’t sure what he was about to do but if
the look on his face was indication, the moment of truth was coming.  This
was probably one of the few times she hated having her principles because she
desperately wanted to kiss him.  It didn’t matter though.  She
wouldn’t. 

She
just hoped it wouldn’t turn him off from her.

As
if he heard he leaned forward and dipped his head to kiss her.  It took
everything she had to turn her head to the side and give him her cheek.  She
could tell he wasn’t expecting it.   

“Everything
ok?”

“Yeah.
. .  I just.  I
kinda
have a few rules that
going out with a guy as cute as you make difficult.”

“What
are you some kind of super religious person or something?” He chuckled.

“I
wouldn’t say I’m a saint but I am a
practising
Christian.”

He
fumbled over his words. 

“I-I’m
sorry.   I didn’t mean to make light of what you believe.”

“Don’t
worry, I’m used to it.”

“Good. 
Then in that case, thanks for a wonderful night Chelsea.  Can I call you
for another date maybe?”

Chelsea
was surprised.  After what just happened, she definitely didn’t think he’d
want to see her again.

“Really? 
Even after what I just told you?”

“What? 
That you’re a Christian?  I mean I’m not a saint but I’m not the devil
either.  Besides, I like that you have your principles.  It’s nice to
meet a woman that respects herself.  As they say, anything worth having is
worth waiting for.  I’ll settle for a hug and a second date if that’s okay
with you.”

“I would
love that Ryder.”

She
leaned forward and hugged him.  She was glad he hadn’t given her the
normal response from most guys.  He pulled away and looked into her
eyes.  He was still all there with her and that made her smile grow more than
ever before.  She
really
liked him.   

“Call
you tomorrow?”  

“You
better.”

Her
shaky fingers stuck the key into the door and turned the knob to go
inside.  She felt his eyes on her right up until the moment she closed the
door behind herself.  She walked over to the window and waited until she
saw him get back into his limo.  Chelsea pivoted away from the window,
floating on cloud nine.  She kicked off her heels and walked towards her
room when Sasha called out to her from her bedroom.

“Is
it safe to come out there?”

Silly
Sasha.

“What
do you mean?”

“Don’t
play coy with me
Chel
.  I saw you guys just
now.  Did he kiss you?”

“None
of your business—Wait a minute! 
Were
you
watching me through the front door?  I’m living with a peeping tom. 
Or whatever the female version is.”

“Hey,
nothing good was on television.”

“Yeah
right.”

Sasha
was just being nosy and Chelsea knew it.  Right now she didn’t care in the
least bit. She looked at her roommate who had sat on the couch with her laptop
in hand.