The server returned and both ordered hamburgers. Jeremy asked for an additional order of chicken wings for them to share. He was definitely boyfriend material.
“I’ve dated Cassandra on and off for a couple years. Earlier this year, we parted ways. We’re still friends.”
“With benefits?”
He let out a sigh. “What about your family? Any siblings?”
So yes, he and the woman hooked up at times. Interesting. He was good at answering a question by not answering. Gabriela smiled to let him know she got the message. “I have a brother. He’s a great guy. Older than me. He’s a thirty-something year old man-child who spends his free time golfing, sailing, hiking, anything that’s outdoorsy.”
“Sounds like someone I’d like to hang out with,” Jeremy replied.
They continued talking and asking each other questions. Gabriela had to admit, this was her best first date ever. Once the food arrived, neither bothered to play coy and dug in with gusto.
“Well this is interesting?” Cassandra had appeared at the table without either of them noticing she’d walked in. With one hand on her imaginary hip, she glared at Jeremy. “It would have been nice to be informed that my boyfriend is out to dinner and, oh, I don’t know perhaps invited along.”
“Could you give us a minute?” The woman finally looked to Gabriela.
Gabriela wanted to laugh and covered it up with a cough. She pulled the napkin up to hide her smile. This was way too dramatic to miss. “Nope, I am not about to let my food get cold.” She emphasized her comment by taking a fry and popping it into her mouth.
Jeremy on the other hand got to his feet. “What are you doing? I am not your boyfriend.”
“And what was that between us last week?”
“I was out of town last week,” Jeremy said, his jaw tense and eyes turning flat. Definitely the pissed off cop look.
“Whatever, the week before that,” Cassandra spat.
“I was out of town that week too. Convention in California for three weeks.”
Cassandra seemed to lose steam. Gabriela assumed picturing a calendar while being pissed was hard. “I tell you what. Keep this up and we’re over.” She poked her index finger into the center of his chest. “I am not about to make a scene this time.” She turned dramatically, flinging her ponytail in Jeremy’s face, and marched to the front door.
“I apologize.” Jeremy sat down and stared at his food. “I’m not sure what that was about.”
Gabriela swallowed the bite of hamburger. “She’s letting me know you two have a thing. Obviously, she can’t break up with you because y’all are already broken up, so instead she threatens to withdraw from hooking up. Oh, and the server that seated us called her.”
Jeremy stared at the ceiling. “This is embarrassing.”
“You must be good in bed,” Gabriela replied.
At this he turned into a total man and grinned. “Want to find out?”
“Yes, but no. I live at your parents’ place and it would be very, very awkward.”
“I have an apartment here in town.”
The man was a genius. Why had she not remembered that he has his own place?
The evening was quickly becoming more and more interesting. She could sneak to her cabin and no one would know any better. Her lips curved. Yes indeed, this was getting to be an amazing experience.
To say dessert was heavenly would be an insult to Jeremy. He was not only built like a Roman god, but knew his way around a woman’s body like no other lover she’d ever had. By the time he collapsed on top of her, Gabriela had lost her mind. Her soul had left her body and returned at least five, times starting at the sight of Jeremy fully nude and the rock hard situation between his legs.
“You okay?” he asked nuzzling her neck. “I’ll move as soon as I can.”
She slid her hand down his back. “I am way more than okay.”
“Gabriela. Wake up.” This was the first time a dream was so vivid. Gabriela dug her face deeper into the pillow and groaned. Ever so slowly she was waking up and that was not good. The longer she slept, the more she could stay in the make believe world where she and Jeremy had…
“Oh shit!” She sat straight up and looked around the room. “What time is it?” Gabriela jumped from the bed, sprinted through the room gathering up her clothes and dashed to the bathroom. “Don’t tell me it’s past the crack ass of dawn when your family gets up.”
Jeremy was on the opposite side of the door. “It’s only five. Plenty of time to get you past my parent’s and to the cabin without anyone seeing us. Take your time.”
“Five o’clock,” she mumbled. Once again she wondered if Montana people ever slept in. “You could have just rolled me up in the blankets and dumped me in my bed. I didn’t plan to get up before nine.”
When she walked out attempting to control her curls, Jeremy was fully dressed and damn if he didn’t look like a succulent morsel for it being five in the morning. “How can you look so good?” Gabriela said accepting a kiss from him while keeping her lips closed. “I’m sure I have morning breath,” she explained.
“I want to write a series of articles leading up the festival,” Gabriela said speaking to her coworkers back in San Diego. The faces all turned to where she assumed her boss was seated.
Genevieve’s face moved closer to the screen. “I hear you. Sounds like you have fodder for an entire novel, but will it be interesting to our readers?”
“Our readers love adventures, I can spin it to be city versus country living.”
There were murmurs as people discussed. “I can’t hear you.” Gabriela had to raise her voice.
“I think it’s an amazing idea,” Mila said with a wide smile. “I for one want to know
