After an exhausting day that seemed to drag on, I rush home to prepare for my evening out. My personal shopper has left me a black Tom Ford suit, with a crisp white button-down shirt to wear underneath.
Upon dressing, I decide to go without a tie, hoping to look more casual than I do at the office. Ava seems to have a laid back kind of style, and she seems intimidated by me. While I enjoy her bashfulness, I want her to relax on our date.
My red LaFerrari Coupe seemed like the best fit for a first date, so I had the valet bring it up from the garage. Driving to West Hollywood to pick her up is a bit nerve wrecking. Of course, I’d been out with plenty of women before, but it was something different about Ava and the way everything had come about.
I am chasing her, and it’s the first time I’ve experienced that since junior high. Women throw themselves at me, and I only catch the ones who interest me, letting the others fall aside without a second thought.
This is much different than that, and I am still trying to erase the fog in my mind to truly understand what was happening. I’ve never wanted a woman the way I want Ava. I crave her, and have since my party.
While I tried to busy myself with other women, I’ve avoided taking any of them home, which was a drastic change in my normal routine. There weren’t many nights I spent alone, but from the night I’d met Ava, no one seemed capable of holding my attention long enough to put her far from the front of my mind.
Ava’s neighborhood is quiet. She lives on a one-way narrow street, lined with palm trees. As my GPS announces I’ve arrived at my destination, an older woman walks past with a perfectly groomed brown poodle.
Stepping out of the LaFerrari, my attention is so focused on the dog I don’t even notice Ava until she’s heading down the front steps.
My pace quickens as a grin spreads across my face. My God, she is beautiful. Wearing a simple black dress that hugs her slim body at all the right places, she runs her fingers through her long brown hair when she notices me staring.
“I would’ve come to your door,” I greet her with a hug, quickly kissing her cheek as I inhale her sweet aroma — a blend of rose and lavender.
“Oh, I didn’t want you to have to do all of that,” she says with a blush, taking a step back and looking me up and down. “You look very nice,” she compliments me and I feel like a complete asshole.
“You look amazing,” I say. “I’m sorry. That should have been the first thing I said, it’s definitely the first thing I thought.”
“It’s okay. Thank you anyway. So where are we eating?” She asks, biting her bottom lip in a way that awakens my manhood.
“Come on,” I ignore her question, leading her with my hand on the small of her back as I lift the passenger door for her.
“Oh wow. This is a sexy car,” she says as she sits down, and I’m forced to ignore her again. She turns me on without even trying. It drives me seriously crazy, but in the best way possible.
“So where are we going?” She asks, looking over to me with those big hazel eyes as I pull down her street.
“Somewhere nice,” I smirk, peeking away from the road to catch a glimpse of her smile.
I have to sit up straight and take three deep breaths while focusing on mundane things around me to ease my erection before we arrive at Chateau Rouge, my favorite restaurant in the city.
“Oh, I love this place,” Ava taps her fingertips together as I pull into the valet.
This is usually a place I bring girls to impress them. I wasn’t anticipating her already experiencing it, but now it makes me think she must deal with men in my circle, because this restaurant is top of the line.
“So you’ve been here?” I remark as we follow the hostess to our table. Ava takes her time answering, remaining silent until I’ve pushed in her seat and settled into my own.
“Only once, for the opening. But my roommate knows one of the line cooks, so he always brings her meals. I think they went to high school together,” she scrunches her narrow nose, trying to recall the memory and I feel myself relax, knowing she’s not used to this type of dining.
“Well, I think this will be a little different. Do you mind if I order?” I propose, and she holds up her hands as if to say it’s fine with her.
“We should get some wine. Do you drink?” she asks, looking over the drinks menu.
She must not know me. Drinking is one of my favorite pastimes, but I’d planned on having a sober evening so I could be on my best behavior. She must know I’m loaded, because I’m sure she wouldn’t just go about ordering wine at a restaurant this nice if she was on her own.
“Hello, Mr. Draper, and good evening, Miss…” the waiter looks at Ava.
“You can just call me Ava,” she smiles at him, and I watch as his shoulders relax. She’s able to make people comfortable, a skill I’ve yet to master. Not that it keeps me up at night.
“Well, good evening, Ava,” he greets her with a slight bow.
“Good evening… Dan,” she reads his nametag and he is flattered by her effort.
“I was wondering if you could show me to the ladies’ room,” she inquires before turning to me, “excuse me, Logan.”
The waiter quickly leads her away, and I’m a bit shocked by her change in demeanor. I can still feel the attraction, and
