Penny Serenade (7 page)

Audrey glanced at the crescent moon clock on the wall. She had five hours to stay busy and stop thinking about Dominic before she had to see him. The scarves looked like they needed refolding, and would be a good place to start.

While straightening, she glanced into the oval mirror beside the shelf. Sterling silver butterfly wings extended out from either side. She leaned in close and checked for imperfections. The raven color of her hair truly was a nice choice, much more flattering than the auburn she’d had before. Somehow it had made her hair look frizzy and made her complexion look ruddy. She’d gone light on her makeup this morning with the barest hint of gloss on her lips. She wasn’t a fan of makeup or the way it felt on her face, and lipstick turned her stomach.

Rotating from one side to the next she decided what she wore looked fine. It had been years since she worried about her clothes and how she looked to someone else. Fashion wasn’t her department. Still the skirt fit her figure nice and the blouse didn’t show too much. She dressed appropriate for her job, so what if it was on the conservative side. Why she cared what Dominic thought was beyond her. They’d spend most of the time in the dark anyway.

“What are you doing?” She said to her reflection, half expecting it to burst out in a maniacal laugh.

Audrey threw her hands up in the air, more certain than ever that she’d lost her mind. Her face felt flush and she wondered if she was coming down with something. It did seem warmer in the shop than usual. She put a hand to her forehead to check. Not feverish, but not cool either. This wasn’t a good idea. She should have stood her ground instead of giving in. Where was her fight? Did it only take a sexy smile and good looks to churn her emotions into butter? If she considered other men she’d dated, that analogy didn’t stick. No other guy had made such a profound impression on her, both good and bad, and not at the same time. She’d have to be extra careful with this one, and take full control of the situation.

With all the drama of the day she’d forgotten to relight the incense and candles in the corner after lunch. She acknowledged the area could use brightening and wondered if she had the budget for lights and a small window. If she did have a new window put in she’d have a good excuse to repaint the walls at the same time.

Audrey finished folding the scarves and looked around. Restlessness washed over her. She needed to keep her hands busy and moved around the store, straightening the crystal balls and dusting figurines. The infusion of flute and violin music filled the shop and it was then she caught herself humming, just like Betsy did. Yikes. And were those butterflies in her stomach? Double yikes. She was supposed to dread tonight, not look forward to it. A man had come into her life and turned it on its head. So much for thinking that she had her shit together. Chaos had a name and it was Dominic Blume.

Chapter Three

Dominic checked that the shop lights were off and closed up for the day. He’d managed to get more done than usual and equated that to his evening with Audrey. She might not be looking forward to spending time with him, but he looked forward to seeing her.

On the way to his car, his cell phone vibrated. He pulled it from his back pocket and flipped it open.

“Hey Chloe, what’s up?” The night kept getting better.

“I just wanted to thank you again for my gift. I showed off my bracelet to all my friends and they all stared at it in envy. They think you’re the coolest uncle ever.”

He could barely form a word his lips were stretched so damn wide.

“I love that you love it.”

“Anyway, I better go,” she said, her voice somewhat muffled. “Mom watches the minutes on my phone. Bye.”

“Okay, bye kiddo.” He half expected her to give him grief for calling her kiddo, but she either she didn’t hear or she didn’t mind.

He hit end and closed the phone, tucking into his back pocket. Again he was assaulted by a heat wave when he opened his car door. Something had to be done soon or he’d start taking the bus too. The thought didn’t sound too bad if Audrey took the same bus. Dominic cringed. Why had he insisted on picking her up when his car was a sauna on wheels? She’d melt into a big puddle before they got to the planetarium.

“Smart move, dude,” he muttered beneath his breath. Unable to do anything about it, he pulled out onto the road and was surprised to find the traffic lighter than usual. It took hardly any time to get home, which gave him more time to clean up. The plan was to make a better first impression. He didn’t know if he’d succeed, but it was worth a try. He turned on the radio and sang along to the old classic, Brown-Eyed Girl. It reminded him of Audrey, even though her eyes were more of a golden honey color. Soft as they were, she could pierce him with some of the sharp looks she gave. He liked feisty, so if she was attempting to make him turn tail and run, she’d be in for a long wait.

Dominic turned into his apartment complex and parked in his designated spot. He grabbed the mail from the row of metal boxes, and headed inside his place. After downing a cool glass of water he pulled his shirt up over his head and kicked off the rest of his clothes. Scratching his head, he padded into the bathroom and stared hard into the mirror, ignoring the paint and flecks of plaster in his hair. At thirty he didn’t have much in the way of wrinkles, maybe a few lines around the eyes, but nothing tragic. No signs of gray…yet, and he sported a full head of hair. Overall not a bad catch if a woman took interest in
him,
and only one interested him at the moment.

Looks aside, he knew Audrey had some serious expectations and he wondered how high she’d set the bar. He wanted to let her see the side of him that could say and do all the right things.
If such a side existed.
Unlike him, she didn’t seem to have trouble with words. She was smart, talented, and he admired her calm, cool exterior. Those weren’t the qualities he used to like in a woman, but then again when he was dating he didn’t have any interest in something long-term. Now his thoughts drifted toward the idea of a serious relationship. It scared the hell out of him.

He took a speed shower, dried, and chose black pants with a silver-gray short-sleeved shirt to wear. The temperature was still mild outside but he didn’t want to show up in shorts, or make the mistake of wearing something sweat-inducing. His pride would take a serious hit if he smelled so bad Audrey had to get up and move away from him. Dressed, he tried to do something with his flyaway hair and headed for the kitchen. He nuked leftover macaroni and cheese and scarfed it down in about five gulps. A glance at the clock made him slow down his pace. There was plenty of time and he didn’t want to show up too early.

Dominic wandered around his apartment, picking up his laundry and straightening magazines. It helped burn off nervous energy. He tried to play out in his head how the night would go, and didn’t like the outcome at all. His excitement dwindled the more he thought about it. Not because of Audrey, but because he sucked at conversation and was certain he’d say the wrong thing. Maybe not right away, but it would happen. Damn he was out of practice. He should call and cancel rather than put himself through the embarrassment.

By the time seven rolled around, he was a mess. This wasn’t like him at all, and he couldn’t bring himself to call her after he’d worked so hard to get her to say yes. Screw it, he thought. He’d win her over with his charm, and if things went really well, he’d know the taste of her lips. Dominic hurried out to his car and drove toward Tokens of the Heart.

Despite the fact he didn’t speed, much, he arrived a couple minutes early, and even revved his engine to prove it. He watched with mild satisfaction as Audrey peered out the window from behind the blinds. The smallest twitch of a smile tugged at her lips. Yeah, he’d just scored a few points. She disappeared a moment and then came out, locking the door behind her.

He liked how her skirt hugged her hips and the tease of black nylon that showed off her calves. For a moment he could only stare. On the drive over, he’d planned to get out and open the car door for her, but his hands refused to let go of the steering wheel. By the time he freed one hand, she had opened the door and climbed in, bringing with her the scent of patchouli.

She gave him a thin-lipped smile and fastened the seatbelt. “Thanks for being on time.”

“No problem. I said I would be.” Yep, she was a feisty one.

“Hmmph,” she muttered and tucked her purse between her feet.
“Ready to go?”

“Sure am,” he answered and winked at her. “I’ve been looking forward to this all day.”

She paused, her lips ready to form a word, forehead creased. “You have?”

“Yep.
Haven’t you?”

“Um, I’ve been busy working, so I didn’t think much about it,” she answered, her voice soft.

There was an awkward pause and he pulled out onto the road. He wanted to think up witty things to say, but his mind blanked.

“For some reason I figured you for a truck kind of guy,” she said.

“I used to have one, and hope to again someday. This fit my budget at the time.”

“I see. So, do you know how to get to the planetarium?” Her voice had a calming effect on him.

“I’ve driven by it when I’ve been called to do a job,” he replied.

“Ah, I see. Have you ever been inside?”

“Nope, this will be a first.”

“I hope you won’t be too bored,” she said, almost like she was challenging him. “I’m sure it puts some people to sleep.”

If she thought he’d change his mind now, she was in for a surprise. “I’m looking forward to it. Like I said before, who isn’t fascinated by stars?”

“Stars are nice,” she murmured, “but it’s the moon that holds me captive.”

Dominic thought he heard something in her voice, sadness? Longing? He looked over to see her staring out the window. Her dark hair fell like a curtain around her face. He wanted to know more about her, but didn’t want to hound her with questions all at once. He’d take it slow if that’s what she wanted, for now. At some point tonight he planned to kiss her. Whatever followed…a slap, a string of obscenities, or more kissing, didn’t matter. He’d be ready and willing to accept it. One way or another, he’d win her over, and she’d forget all about the stupid things he’d said when they first met.

While they rode in silence, Audrey stole glances at him. Gone were the streaks of paint and plaster. He cleaned up well and she liked the way he smelled, noting the spicy notes of his cologne. The soft pounding in her chest returned against her better wishes. To be near him sent her emotions soaring. The silky wetness between her thighs made her aware of the depths to which her body responded to his close proximity. She’d gone a long time since her last lover and for the most part hadn’t missed sex. She missed the intimacy of two people, but not the sex itself. She wasn’t certain if that was her lack of interest, or poor lovers. Or the fact she had difficulty allowing herself to get too close. Men left, that was that. They left and didn’t say goodbye. Besides, she rationalized, this wasn’t even a date. It was a carpool to a place they were both going, just like she’d told Betsy. To read more into that was a waste of time and would only get her hurt.

Aside from the blaze going on inside her body, it seemed stuffy in the car. She hit the switch to put the window down but nothing happened.

“Um yeah,” Dominic started, “about the windows. Sorry.”

“What’s the problem,” she asked.

“Faulty wiring,” he said, offering an apologetic smile. “I haven’t had time to get it into the shop. I’m embarrassed. I didn’t even think of it when I asked to pick you up or I’d have mentioned it.”

“Oh, that’s okay,” she replied. Never mind that sweat was pooling into her bra and her legs were starting to itch beneath her nylons. Could she feel any less sexy? She should learn to carry travel size deodorant for those just in case times, like now.

Audrey tried not to think about the heat, but watching the way his muscles flexed and bunched when he shifted gears sent flames searing throughout her body. She squeezed her thighs together tight as discreetly as she could, and hoped he didn’t notice. Though her mind tried to remind her that he was only taking her out to make up for being an ass, her body had a different memory. Like when he first walked in, and how she’d become almost feverish, kind of how she was feeling now. This was so not a good idea. What was she getting herself into? Talk, she ordered herself. Talk so her mind would stop conjuring up racy thoughts.

“So what is it you do for a living?” She’d on purpose not asked him personal questions at the café, her thinking being that she’d never see him again.