What the Heart Desires (Contemporary Erotic Romance) (5 page)

On a whim, Kimberly decided to go back to the Thai restaurant
she and Felix had tried out.  It wasn’t too far from her place and the food there really had been delicious.  She figured she could sit at the bar and, even though she was there alone, it wouldn’t be so bad.  Maybe she could visit with the bartender or watch whatever was playing on the television in the corner.

The restaurant was moderately busy when Kimberly got there.  She quickly made her way to the bar, asked for a glass of water and began thumbing through a menu. 

“You again,” a deep, masculine voice said.

Kimberly looked up.  Seated a few barstools away was the stranger who’d helped her and Felix order the first time they’d been there.  Just like last time, he was seated at the bar with a drink in his hand.  Judging from his slightly disheveled appearance, it wasn’t his first drink.

“Hi,” Kimberly replied, surprised to see him.  It was a strange, but convenient coincidence.  “I’m glad I ran into you,” she told him, “because I need help ordering again!”

The stranger smiled and moved to the seat beside Kimberly.  He took a swig of his drink and then pulled the menu from her hand.  “You don’t need this,” he said, tossing it aside without a second thought. 
“Just leave it to me.”

Kimberly wasn’t used to letting someone take the reins like that.  After being on her own so long, she’d learned to be independent and self-sufficient.  Even now that she was with Felix, their relationship was equal in every way.  To let the stranger order for her yet again was an odd feeling, but she was content to sit back and let him take charge.

“Don’t disappoint me!” she teased as he motioned for a server to come over and take their order.  She didn’t miss the way the server hustled over, as though being summoned by a VIP.  It made Kimberly curious about the stranger.

“Never,” he grinned.  “You’re not allergic to shellfish, are you?”

“No,” Kimberly replied, surprised that he remembered such a minute detail. 

“Good.
  I thought it was your husband who was allergic but couldn’t remember for sure.”

“He’s not my husband,” Kimberly corrected him quickly.  Then she blushed, embarrassed and puzzled by her kneejerk reaction.  What did it matter if the stranger thought Felix was her husband?  Why was it so important to her that the record be set straight?

“Well okay,” the stranger conceded with an amused smirk.  “Not-Husband is missing out because the shellfish here is the best in the country.”

~~~

The food was to die for.  The shellfish, especially, made Kimberly salivate.  She and the stranger dug into a plate of seafood Pad Thai.  She ate voraciously, like she’d been on a week-long fast.  He laughed at her as she closed her eyes and savored the flavors before shoveling more food into her mouth.

He did the same, although he seemed more interested in watching her enjoy the food than eating it himself.

The stranger ordered them a round of drinks and led the conversation.  She found in addition to being vulgar and an excellent food connoisseur, he was also a born storyteller and natural comedian.  His ridiculous, inappropriate jokes and stories had doubled over with laughter.

Halfway through the meal, Kimberly caught the stranger’s eye. 
He gave her a wink that was so subtle she half-wondered if she’d imagined it.  “We’ve been sitting here for close to an hour and I don’t even know your name,” she told him, her face feeling warm either from the alcohol or from his attention.

“Well in that case, I think it’s only fitting we introduce ourselves,” he replied
, extending his hand.  “I’m Garrett Strong.” 

“Kimberly Iverson,” Kimberly replied,
placing her hand in his.  When Garrett shook it she could swear a jolt of electricity went through her body.

“So, Kimmy, you mentioned you’re in forensics?” 

No one had ever called her Kimmy before, but apparently Garrett had made up his mind to do so.  “Yes,” she replied.  “I’m studying to be a forensic analyst.  I work at a crime lab.”

“Impressive,”
Garrett replied.  “Is Not-Husband also a forensic analyst?” 

“No,” Kimberly replied, inexplicably feeling flustered.  “He’s in academia.  He teaches a few first year classes, is finishing up his thesis and is hoping to be a science professor one day.  What about you?” she added quickly.  “What do you do?”

“Blondes, mostly,” Garrett replied, not missing a beat.  “But also the occasional redhead or brunette…I don’t discriminate.”

Kimberly blushed, unsure of how to respond.  She couldn’t even tell for sure if
Garrett was making a joke or being a cocky bastard. 

“I’m
in the music industry,” he added, finally giving her a straight, albeit short, answer.

“So what, are you like a rock star or something?” Kimberly asked in a teasing tone.  The booze really was starting to go to her head.  She felt giddy and silly and giggly.  The sadness she’d felt over moving away and leaving Felix behind was the furthest thing from her mind at the moment.

“Nah, I couldn’t carry a tune in a bucket,” Garrett rasped with a dismissive wave of his hand.  He finished off his drink and motioned to the bartender for another.  Then he explained, “I work for a major record label.  I find talent and sign it.”

“That sounds pretty cool.”

“I hang out at bars and clubs and listen to all sorts of noise,” Garrett smirked.  “But,” he admitted, “eventually you learn to tune that all out – and there’s nothing quite like finding a gem amongst all the shit.”

Garrett
was the type of person who didn’t seem to care about much.  He spoke with a laid back, easy-going tone.  Nothing seemed to get to him.  But when he spoke about his career, Kimberly heard pride in his voice.  Clearly he was passionate about what he did for a living.

“Do you travel for a work a lot?” she asked.

“Yeah,” he glanced at his wristwatch, which looked expensive.  “I fly to Barbados first thing tomorrow, actually.  I’d love to stay and keep drinking with you, but there’s nothing quite as unbearable as traveling with a hangover…believe me, I’d know.” 

Kimberly smiled to hide her disappointment.  She hated the thought of going back to an empty apartment, but what other choice did she have?  “Well it’s been fun,” she said, reaching into her purse to pull out her wallet. 

Garrett reached out and touched her arm.  She wasn’t sure he intended to actually make contact with her – all the alcohol he’d consumed could have just been affecting his coordination.  Even so, the light touch sent a shockwave through Kimberly’s body.

“Put it away,” he said, his tone authoritative.  “I’ve got this.”

“I can’t let you pay,” Kimberly protested.

“Yes you can.  I enjoyed the company.”

She averted her eyes.  “So did I,” she said softly.

Garrett
through a wad of bills down beside his empty glass and stood.  “Where are you headed?” he asked, his breath smelling strongly of alcohol.

“Ash Street.”

“Perfect,” he declared, walking toward the exit.  “You can catch a ride with me.”

Kimberly had to marvel at the authority with which Garrett hailed a cab.  Taxis were notoriously difficult to stop in this district, yet he was able to get one almost immediately.  She suspected it was the air of confidence he exuded from every pore that did the trick.  His body language said “don’t mess with me” and people seemed to take note of that.  Kimberly certainly did.

Once they were in the cab headed toward Kimberly’s place, her cell phone started to vibrate.  She
pulled it out of her purse.

“Is that Not-Husband?”
Garrett asked teasingly.

She blushed.  “Yes.”

Before she could so much as blink, Garrett snatched the phone from her much like he’d grabbed the menu from her earlier.  Maybe it was rude of him, but it was evident he was just playing around and meant no harm.

“Hey!” Kimberly protested, trying to get the phone back.  He merely snickered and held it out of her reach.  Kimberly could see the cab driver watching them in the rear view mirror with an amused grin on his face.

“It says ‘I’ve never vomited so much in my life,’” Garrett announced, squinting to read the screen.  “Wow, Not-Husband sure knows how to keep the romance alive,” he joked. 

Despite herself, Kimberly couldn’t help but smile.  Her smile quickly faded, however, when she realized that
Garrett was texting Felix back.

“What are you doing?” she demanded, grabbing for the phone again.  This time
Garrett didn’t put up a fight.  He handed the phone back to her and to her horror, she realized the message had already been sent.

Kimberly blinked.  “Are you…sexting my boyfriend?” 

Garrett burst out laughing.  “Well when you put it like that it sounds pretty kinky.  I guess I was sexting him,” he admitted, “but I was doing it as you.  No matter how dreamy he is, I’m just not into dudes, Kimmy.”

She joined in his laughter.  Once she’d regained her composure somewhat, she asked, “but
why
are you sexting my boyfriend?”

Garrett
shrugged and stifled a yawn.  “Clearly he’s not so adept at seducing you via text,” he observed, alluding to the vomit message.  “I guess that means the ball is in your court, but you seem far too proper to sext, so I’m just helping you out.  You’re welcome!”

After a moment of contemplation, Kimberly asked, “Too proper…really?”  For some reason she was mildly offended by the remark. 

Garrett shrugged again.  “You seem pretty reserved and, well…classy,” he said.  “But who am I to say?  Maybe you have a hidden kinky side – I think a lot of the time it’s the quiet Nice Girls who do,” he predicted with a suggestive raise of his eyebrow. 

Before Kimberly could think of a response, the cab stopped. 

“I guess this is you,” Garrett said.

“I guess it is.”  She opened the door of the cab and got out with great reluctance.

“Until next time, Kimmy,” Garrett said with a small wave.  Then the cab pulled away from the curb and, just like that, he was gone.

Kimberly’s initial experience in the city was a good one.  She lived a modest life in a tiny but comfortable apartment.  She learned to use the public transit system and bought groceries every Saturday morning from a local farmer’s market in the middle of a bustling cosmopolitan center.  Her night classes were fascinating and her new job was rewarding.  She quickly settled into a new routine, immersing herself in her new life.

It was
fortunate that Kimberly was so busy.  It kept her from missing Felix too badly, although she still found herself lonely at night.  Most nights, she fell asleep with the phone on the pillow beside her, listening to Felix’s breathing as he slept hundreds of miles away.

She wished they could be together, but their long distance relationship was workable.

She counted down the days until Felix’s first visit. 

When she first laid eyes on Felix at the airport, excitement overwhelmed Kimberly.  She’d looked forward to his arrival for so long!  She rushed toward him and kissed him, not caring that they were in a public place.

It was strange having Felix stay at her new apartment in the city.  It was smaller than her previous place and, as much as Kimberly liked having him there, it felt like there wasn’t enough space for the both of them. 

What made the situation extra challenging was the silence.  It wasn’t a comfortable silence.  It was deafening.  It screamed “we have nothing to say to each other” and made Kimberly feel terribly awkward.  Maybe, she thought to herself, she and Felix should have spent a bit less time talking on the phone.  It seemed that now they were all talked out.  She hated it.

Felix was keen to see the city, but unfortunately his visit coincided with the end of her semester.  She had papers due and classes to attend in addition to her day job.  Part of her was tempted to skip them and spend her time with Felix but another part of her was secretly relieved to escape the awkward silence.

~~~

Unfortunately, Felix’s visit had distracted Kimberly from her school obligations.  She’d completely forgotten about one particular deadline: a term paper that was due bright and early Saturday morning.

And it was now Friday evening.

When her professor mentioned it at the beginning of her 6 p.m. night class, Kimberly’s heart sank and a feeling of dread overtook her.  As discreetly as she could, she packed up her books and quietly slipped out the door.

“Hey.”

Kimberly was so preoccupied that she barely noticed the man standing across the hall until he spoke.  She looked up and her jaw dropped.  It was Garrett Strong.

“What are you doing here?”
she asked, stunned to see the handsome, arrogant record producer leaning against the brick wall outside of her forensics classroom. 

“Looking for you,”
Garrett replied matter-of-factly.

“But…why?  How…?” 

“I’m supposed to be checking out a band at the campus bar tonight,” Garrett informed her, “but let’s be honest: I’m sure they’re shit.  I figured why make my ears bleed when I could have coffee with you instead?  I had a hell of a time finding the forensics classroom in this joint, but here I am.  Oh,” he added as an afterthought, “I brought you coffee.”