Ready to Love Again (Sweet Romance #2) (19 page)

Chapter

Twenty-Seven

Chase

It has been too long since I spent any time alone with Alyssa. I want more than anything to show her that we can be so good together, that’s why I’ve asked her to come on a date with me tonight. Amazingly, she agreed. I’m not going to be pushy, I refuse to be the kind of man that I’m not. She will come to me in her own time, of her own volition, or she won’t. That’s entirely up to her. All I can do is show her that I’m here waiting for her and show her that I’m a good man, with only good intentions towards her. I won’t hurt her. I won’t lie to her. I won’t do anything to jeopardise what we could have. Gradually, I will let her know that I am in love with her and that I’m not going anywhere.

I have to work today and I just know that the day is going to drag by too slowly, that’s what happens when you’re looking forward to something. I have the tickets for tonight ready and the backstage passes too. I have even picked out what to wear. It sounds girly, I know, but I have planned everything down to the finer details because I want everything to be right. I managed to get the tickets from a friend of a friend at the very last minute. He had them on hold for me in the hope that Alyssa would say yes, but he would have had to give them to someone else if not. I’m so glad she said yes. Not just because I’m looking forward to spending time alone with her, but also because I know without a doubt that she will love what lies in wait for her.

I arrive at work and see Alyssa’s car just pulling into the parking lot. I can’t help but smile as I sit and watch her get out of the car, looking every inch the businesswoman but also looking sexy in a pair of black stilettos.

Getting out of my car, I look up as I hear her voice.

“Good morning,” she calls across the space between us.

“Good morning,” I respond as I lock the car and make my way over to her.

“Busy day ahead?”

“As per usual. I have tons to get through.”

“I meant to ask, am I meeting you at yours tonight?” she asked as I opened the door and held it for her.

“No. I’ll pick you up. Seven o’clock.”

“Okay. I’m looking forward to it,” she replied as we got in the elevator.

I look at her and am consumed by the thought of kissing her. I remember the last time we did that in this very elevator. The sight of her as she licks her dry lips makes her all the more tempting. I want nothing more than to make her mine. I hope she’ll enjoy tonight, I know I will, but for very different reasons. Yes, tonight’s plans are fun, and I’m sure to enjoy it, but there’s no doubt that most of my enjoyment will come from seeing Alyssa’s reaction to my plans.

“Are you still not telling me what we’re doing?” she asks, pulling me from my thoughts.

“It’s a surprise. A surprise is in its very definition something that is unexpected.” I can’t wait to see her face when she sees what I have in store for her. This evening has several different stages, all thought out by me.

“I have a love/hate relationship with surprises,” she says and smiles at me. She really is stunning when she smiles. She’s stunning all the time, but when a smile touches her eyes, they twinkle like stars.

“Oh really? Well, I’m afraid that it will remain a surprise right up until we get where we’re going.”

I know for a fact that she will enjoy tonight. How much is still in question, but I know there’s no way she will hate this surprise.

We get out of the elevator at our floor. I watch her as she walks a little ahead of me. Her ass is pert and sexy. The way she walks in those heels…I find myself drawn to her leg
s—
they look long and slende
r—
I wouldn’t mind having them wrapped around me right now.

“So, I’ll see you tonight,” Alyssa says as we get to her office.

“You sure will. Dress in something casual.” I smile as I leave her at her door.

My day has been started off with a breath-taking smile from the woman I love. I head to make a coffee and realise that the thought that just crossed my mind wasn’t that I’m ‘falling’ in love with her, it’s that I’ve already fallen. 

Chapter

Twenty-Eight

Alyssa

I was so excited about my first real date with Chase. Normally you’d date someone before sleeping with them, but we’d already done that, more than once. So we were doing things a little back to front, but I guess that’s okay. Well, it has to be okay because what’s done can’t be undone.

I spent all day at work wondering where we’d be going, what we’d be doing. What makes for a good first date? He’d said to dress casually and I had been mentally running through my wardrobe for what I could possibly wear. I hadn’t been on a date since Ethan and I were young, and everything about the dating scene has changed since then.

Work took a backseat all morning, but I tried to push thoughts of the night ahead aside so I could actually get on with some work. I got my Kindle out and downloaded a book submitted by an indie author that I remembered from my days at Peterson’s Press. Kaylee Darting was a great author. She had a few books that were published by Peterson’s and a few she had published herself. I had got in contact with her recently and asked what she had in the works. She had just finished writing her new stand-alone novel and was happy to submit it to Emerging Butterfly. It was an NA Contemporary Romance—a favourite genre of mine, along with YA Paranormal and Dystopian—called
Love Is…
I began to read and found myself absolutely drawn in. The world building was stunning and the characters were very realistic, almost tangible. I hoped that we could sign her with us and publish her brilliant new novel.

Before I knew it, it was four-thirty and time to go home. Suddenly, the idea of the date hit me. What was I thinking? Having not dated anyone since Ethan made me scared. What if I totally messed up? Technically, we knew each other quite well because of working together, so conversation should be easy, but for some reason there was a nervous energy in the pit of my stomach.

Arriving home, I saw a bouquet of the most beautiful orchids on my doorstep. I reached for them and saw a card attached, it read;

Alyssa, I saw these and thought of you. Can’t wait for tonight.

Chase xxx

I smiled to myself as I let myself into the house and found a vase. I hadn’t been sent flowers in a long time, except the ones from Justine, but that was different because she’s my best friend and also a girl. I turned on the radio and found myself singing along to “Blank Space” by Taylor Swift. I’m not normally a lover of her music, but I had to admit this one was pretty catchy. I filled the vase with water, arranged my flowers, and went upstairs for a shower.

As I stood under the spray of hot water, I thought of the possible plans for the night ahead. I have always found it hard when it comes to surprises because I am a bit OCD and like to plan meticulously for things. The night could turn out to be amazing, or it could turn out to be a disaster. I was hoping for the former. I washed my hair and body quickly, hoping that I’d have time to relax and calm my growing nerves.

I turned off the water and wrapped a towel around myself as I went to my walk-in closet. How wonderful it was to have such a thing compared to living in that shithole of a bedsit. I looked around for something to wear, having no real idea about whether I would be better off wearing a dress or jeans, high heels or flat shoes. Scanning the selection of jeans I had, I picked a comfortable pair that had that ‘vintage’ look to them—Justine always told me I had a great ass in them—and then I pulled down one of my favourite t-shirts that read
‘life isn’t about finding yourself, it’s about creating yourself.’
I looked around the closet for my pair of purple Converse to complete the look.

Looking at myself in the mirror on my dresser, I saw a flicker of hope on my face. Could this be the start of something? Did I want it to be? It was a possibility, I couldn’t deny that.

I got dressed and sat at my mirror to do my makeup. I turned my iPod dock on and set about getting ready. The nervous ball of energy in my stomach turned to flutters of excitement and I hummed along to the music. As I finished getting ready, I stood and looked at myself in the full-length mirror. I looked casual but I wasn’t sure I shouldn’t be wearing something a little smarter, that’s one of the problems with not knowing where you were going and it being a first date too, I wanted to dress to impress. I decided to add my black leather jacket to compliment my outfit choice.

Walking downstairs, I decided to have a small glass of wine and chill out in the lounge until Chase turned up. I poured myself a little more than I had meant to but figured it wouldn’t matter as Chase was driving. I put the television on and flicked until I found something worth watching, repeats of
Two Broke Girls
.

The doorbell rang and I smiled to myself as I put my empty glass down and went to let Chase in. Opening the door, I saw the most gorgeous smile I had seen in what felt like forever, the dimple in his cheek making my tummy flutter even more.

“Wow, check you out,” he said, followed by a wolf whistle.

“Thanks, are you sure this isn’t too casual?” I asked as I reached for my leather jacket that hung on the bannister at the bottom of the stairs.

“You look great,” he said, smiling as he reached for my hand.

I grabbed my purse and closed the door behind me, slipping my hand into his as we walked to his car.

Chase opened the car door like a gentleman and closed it behind me as I got in. Where we were going was still a mystery and I had butterflies in my tummy in anticipation.

We drove for a while, then we pulled up outside a small arena where they have local bands play. I had no clue who was playing, but I was excited that our first date seemed to be a gig. Chase switched off the engine and looked at me. My face broke into a huge grin at the sight of that sexy dimple. I looked into his beautiful eyes and was captivated by the look in them. There was something about his eyes that always drew me in—it’s one of the reasons I had trouble staying away from him—they were so soulful and deep, they told me what kind of man he was. Sounds mad, I know, but it’s true.

As we entered the building, I could hear music being played, but had no idea who the band was. I looked at the walls around us, hoping they’d have a poster up that would tell me who it was we had come to see. Chase took my hand and we walked to the ticket office. He handed over our tickets and the guy behind the counter wished us a pleasant evening. I didn’t see the tickets, so I was still clueless. Before I had a chance to ask him who we’d come to see, Chase walked towards the bar for a drink.

In the background, the band began to play “Iris” by The Goo Goo Dolls. It sparked a memory of watching
City of Angels
with Ethan, but instead of getting choked up, I smiled at the memory and sang along softly to the song.

“This is just the support band,” Chase said after the song ended.

“Who is it we’re here to see?”

“Well, you once told me that you liked DragonQuest, so I got us tickets.” His smile was contagious.

“Really?” I could feel the smile reach the corners of my eyes. I loved DragonQuest, a local indie band. I had been to see them a couple of times when they had been over my way in Portsmouth. They had some great songs they had written themselves, but they also covered some brilliant songs from The Cure to The Smiths, Depeche Mode to New Order, as well as The Calling, Plain White Tees, Aerosmith, all sorts of bands. That was what made them so appealing, they weren’t pigeon-holed into one genre.

“Really!” Chase smiled back at me, “I take it that’s okay by you?”

“Okay? It’s brilliant! I haven’t seen them in about four years.”

I heard the opening bars to “Blue Dress” by Depeche Mode, then felt Chase take my hand. He led me into the main hall where I could see DragonQuest on stage. We were so close to them and I just knew that tonight would be a good night. What an unusual first date. Or at least it was to me. But not in a bad way, in a great way. Music is my second passion, with reading obviously being my first. I couldn’t believe he’d gone to the effort to get tickets to see them, moreover, I couldn’t believe he remembered that I had mentioned them once in conversation.

“This song sort of reminds me of you.” That Brazilian accent sent goose bumps over my flesh and made the little hairs on the back of my neck stand on end. It was more noticeable when he spoke seductively in my ear. He wrapped an arm around me and I rested the back of my head against his chest.

“Why?” I couldn’t think why this song in particular reminded him of me.

“The night of my promotion party, you wore an off-shoulder blue dress and I couldn’t take my eyes off you,” he whispered across my skin, causing me to shiver. I could barely believe he remembered that.

“Oh.”

Chase began to dance and swayed me in his arms. I surrendered to him as he moved us in time to the music.

“Thank you, ladies and gents. That song was for a special lady here in the audience tonight. Give a round of applause for Alyssa Young,” the lead singer, Jet, said into the microphone.

The arena broke out into applause and I felt a blush creep across my cheeks. I wasn’t sure what on Earth was going on, but I knew Chase had to have something to do with it.

“Jet and I grew up together, back when his name was Mark,” Chase said as he took in the look on my face, “I asked him for a favour tonight.”

“Wow.” I was speechless. No-one had done anything like that for me before.

“It gets better,” Chase whispered cryptically in my ear as the band began to play their next song.

***

The gig had been great. Chase and I had danced and sang along to some of our favourite tunes. He had a gorgeous singing voice, his accent making everything sound more sensual. After the band left the stage, Chase took my hand and led me to a door at the side. He knocked twice and waited. A large burly guy with a shaved head and tattoos opened the door and looked us over. Chase retrieved something from his pocket and handed it to me. I couldn’t believe my eyes, it was a backstage pass. I put the lanyard around my neck and he did the same.

The burly security guard stepped to one side and let us in. I looked around the room and saw most of the band members were sat on a couch drinking water and chatting. Jet looked up at the sound of our entrance. He came towards us and opened his arms to give Chase a hug.

“Hey dude, long time no see!” Jet said as he stepped back and looked at the two of us. “And who is this beautiful lady?”

“This is my girl…this is Alyssa,” he said, saving himself at the last moment. I wasn’t his girlfriend, but the way he spoke told me he wanted me to be.

“Hey, Alyssa, I’m Jet,” he introduced himself before pulling me in for a hug.

“Hi, Jet, great gig tonight.”

“Thanks, wanna come and meet the rest of the band?” he asked, leading the way over to the guys.

Chase didn’t let go of my hand like I thought he would after his slip up, instead his grip became tighter. I tried to hide the smile that played across my lips.

“Guys, this is my friend Chase and his girlfriend Alyssa,” Jet said to the guys on the couch.

A chorus of greetings ensued, followed by handshakes and fist bumps. I still couldn’t believe I was actually backstage with the band, I felt like I was dreaming and would wake up disappointed any moment. Okay they were only a local indie band, it’s not like they were huge, but I thought they were awesome and they had quite a large following. The fact that Chase had organised Jet singing that song for me and the backstage passes, the fact that he had thought to bring me to a DragonQuest gig at all, was pretty fucking awesome. As first dates go, I would say this one was pretty amazing. I didn’t want the night to end.