she’d meant it.
At the end of the day, Beth helped her pack her purchases in the trunk of her car. “So, are you going to have the nerve to wear that tonight?”
“Well, I either go on my date with Declan tonight practically naked or I admit to your sister that I chickened out and didn’t wear the clothes that she picked out. Hmmm, I’ll pick the naked thing every time. It’s less scary than admitting failure to Suzy.”
Before she could answer, Beth squealed in surprise as Nick walked up behind her and pulled her back against him. “Hey, princess.”
“Geez, Nick, you don’t do that to someone who’s pregnant!”
Ella felt herself swoon as a sexy laugh rumbled out of Nick. “Sorry, babe. I couldn’t resist. Hey, Ella, do you mind if I steal Beth away for dinner?”
Beth swatted his arm and said, “Hey buddy, we haven’t finished our girl talk yet.”
“Yeah, no doubt. I’ll be doing Declan a favor by dragging you off right now.”
“Ha-ha, very funny. Declan’s a big boy and I’m sure he can take care of himself,” Beth smirked.
“No man can hold out against all of you women when you are plotting. Come on, Princess, you can save the world tomorrow.”
Ella watched them playfully bicker back and forth and felt a stab of envy. Nick and Beth were so perfect for each other. They got along with the ease of a couple that had been together for years instead of months. Would she ever have that with Declan? She was comfortable with him and they never lacked for conversation, but there always seemed to be something he wasn’t saying and, at times, she could practically see the thoughts racing through his head. Could she be the one to finally get through all of his walls to the man underneath?
Another upcoming date, another cold shower. He hadn’t showered or jerked off this much since he hit puberty. Ella was coming on stronger and stronger and he was getting weaker and weaker. One more slide of her tongue against his or one more slip of her hand across his ass and he was done for. They were well past the three-date rule and if he made it to the end of the weekend he would be surprised. Tonight he was taking Ella to see the new James Bond movie. Apparently there wasn’t an action franchise out there that she wasn’t a fan of. When his sweet little Ella sat beside him on the couch and started quoting lines from movies, it was about the hottest thing he had ever heard. The girl knew almost every line Bruce Willis and Mel Gibson had ever uttered on film. Somewhere along the way, her uptight parents had lost control whether they knew it or not.
These last few weeks with Ella had been some of the best times he could remember. For someone who claimed he wasn’t dating material, he had adapted to the role with unsettling ease. Even if they did nothing else, they almost always had dinner together. He was no longer content to sit in his apartment alone and let the walls close in on him night after night. Now he craved hearing Ella’s voice and seeing her smile. He had even gotten used to her frequent accidents, dropping something on him or herself. When she had lost the battle with her plate of spaghetti a few nights back and had a huge red stain on the front of her white dress, she had just laughed and continued. That would have been the end of the evening for most women he knew.
It was starting to scare him that he had become so attached to her so fast. Hell, it would either get worse when they finally had sex or it would restore his sanity.
When Ella opened the door to him a few moments later he had his answer.
“Do you want to come in for a minute before we leave?” she asked.
Terrified of that prospect, he blurted out, “Oh, hell no!” She was plainly startled at his abrupt answer so he took a deep breath and said in a gentler voice, “I mean, no, we will be late. Do you, um . . . have a jacket, like a long jacket?” He was profoundly grateful when she brought out a knee-length trench coat. He grabbed it from her hands and tried not to stare at the amount of cleavage on display as he buttoned it completely before tying the belt for added security. He knew she was looking at him, clearly puzzled by his odd behavior. As they shut her door, he saw the dangerously high heels she was wearing and settled her securely under his arm as they made their way slowly down the stairs.
What the hell was going on? Instead of his sweet Ella, it was like picking up Suzy for a date. The short dress that she was wearing was formfitting and showed far too much of the swells of her creamy breasts. Men always gave her a second look, but tonight, they were probably going to drop to their knees, and it freaked him out to think of that happening. He wanted to march her back in her apartment and demand that she change.
When he opened the door to his car, Ella paused for a minute before getting in. “Is everything okay?”
Ella saw Declan’s knuckles turning white from his tight grip on the steering wheel. What was wrong with him tonight? She had expected some kind of reaction out of her new dress, but this wasn’t exactly going how she’d hoped. He had looked like he was going to pass out when she opened the door earlier and things hadn’t improved much since then. Was he sick? She had caught him staring at her chest a few times before they left her apartment. That was the only outward indication that he had noticed anything different. Maybe different wasn’t always better because he had buttoned her coat up to the very last button. She had to shift around to keep her airflow going. Well, right or wrong, she had gone to this much effort and she was seeing it through. The jacket was coming off at dinner and if Declan was turned off by seeing more of her body, then she needed to know about it before they slept together.
With that vow in mind, she quickly handed the hostess at the restaurant her jacket despite Declan’s attempts to convince her that she might get chilly. He was still throwing reasons out for her to keep her coat, even as the hostess walked away with it.
“Declan, I’m not cold, I promise. I will let you know if that changes.”
Their waiter was very funny and friendly and Ella smiled as he insisted on bringing extra bread and wine to their table. Declan continued sitting across from her in sullen silence.
Finally she had had enough. “Alright, what’s going on with you tonight? Are you not feeling well?”
“I’m fine, Ellie; I’m just tired of watching that jackass look down your dress while he drools all over you.”
Shocked, Ella gasped, “What?”
“Oh come on, Ellie, look at our table and look at everyone else’s. We have enough food in front of us to feed an army. I have never been so well waited on in my life.”
Looking around them, she had to admit that things seemed a little different from where they were sitting as opposed to those around them. “Maybe he just likes us?”
“Oh yeah, he likes one of us for sure and it’s not me.”
She didn’t know what came over her at that particular moment, it was the equivalent of laughing at a funeral, but suddenly the whole situation just seemed funny. She threw her head back and started laughing. She laughed until there were tears coming down her face and Declan handed her his napkin while he stared at her as if she had lost her mind. “I’m . . . sorry,” she choked out, “the irony of it all just got the best of me.”
“Are you going to share the joke or leave me hanging here?”
Ella settled back in her chair and decided to throw it all out there. After this disaster of a meal, what did she have to lose? “It just seems funny that the waiter was apparently the one that I impressed tonight, which was not what I intended.” When Declan started to open his mouth, she held her hand up for him to let her continue. “Suzy helped me pick this outfit out because I wanted to look sexy for you. I want to make love with you, Declan, and I can’t seem to get that across to you. I don’t know if you just don’t want that from me, despite the way that you kiss, or if you think I don’t want it from you, but I do. I dressed tonight to get your attention. I feel about as uncomfortable as I’ve ever felt in my life, and that’s saying something. I did all of this for you . . . but you didn’t even notice it.”
“Oh fuck me, Ellie, I noticed it. I’ve been out of my damn mind since I picked you up earlier, hadn’t you
