Page 16 of XOXO

“That man from next door bought about three hundred dollars’ worth of chocolate before leaving, you know?”

“He did what?” I asked, eyes bugging out of my head.

“Yep. He was all smiles too, and he tipped me with a hundred-dollar bill.”

“No, he did not,” I replied, completely taken aback.

Sonny and I had this weird sort of standoffish thing going ever since I opened. He didn’t come into my shop, and I avoided his bar. I wasn’t a big drinker anyway, and whiskey wasn’t my thing.

I knew we were, well, I didn’t know what we were, actually. He didn’t exactly make announcements or ask me to be his girlfriend—ohmygawd, was I like twelve or something? I rolled my eyes.

“Well, maybe he was just buying treats for his employees,” I said and shrugged.

“Mm hmm. You know, he’s not a bad looking fella,” Derry observed. “Rich, too. Might make a woman a good husband someday.”

“Ohmygawd, Derry! We’re just, I don’t know, spending time together.”

“Is that right?”

“Derry! Yes. That is all. We’re not getting married. Besides, I am not his type,” I told her, though my heart was now going a mile a minute.

“He sure looks like he’s into you. A real Prince Charming, if you ask me,” Derry added, before going back to help some customers who’d just entered.

The old-fashioned bell I hung over the door rang every time someone came in. I just liked the old timey feel of it. Anyway, Sonny a Prince Charming?

Hmm. Maybe.

What girl didn’t dream of finding a handsome man to sweep her off her feet? I snorted and wondered if Prince Charming ever told Cinderella what a pretty pussy she had? Or what a good girl she was for taking his dick so well?

My Prince Charming sure does.

My face burned at the memories of the things we’d said and done last night. Sonny was a fucking rockstar in bed. Every time we were together, he brought me higher and higher, until I thought I’d never come back down to Earth.

Maybe Derry was on to something. I never thought I would find someone I trusted or wanted enough to be with them every single day. The more I thought about it—about him—the more I realized I couldn’t picture myself without him.

Sonny Delgado was getting to be pretty important to me, and I knew it was way too soon for that kind of thinking. Once again, I pushed my inappropriate and potentially hazardous to my heart thoughts to the back of my mind, concentrating on my work instead. Work was safer.

I had an hour before I would see him again. Plenty of time to get my shit together. The next time I looked up, it was quarter to twelve, and I raced to the restroom to remove my apron and fix myself. I had cocoa powder on my cheek and sprinkles stuck on my shirt.

Good thing I had extras. Once I was dressed and refreshed, I called out to Derry that I was leaving for lunch and used the alley to walk to The Whiskey Bar.

The bartender, Bear, I remembered his name, was carrying a case of liquor at the same time I opened the door, and I almost nailed him with it.

“My bad!”

“Nah, you’re good, girl. Come in. He’s waiting for you in party room B.”

“Party room B?” I asked, confused.

“Yep, go past the stage and the second bar, and you will see four rooms with little gold plates next to them with A, B, C, and D. Go through the door for room B, and you’ll see our boy. Have fun,” he said and wagged his eyebrows.

Strange guy. I thanked him and went to find Sonny, marveling at everything I saw as I walked through. There I thought the place was just a stinky, cigar -smelling, men only place, but I was obviously mistaken. There were two actual bars inside. Both were made of natural wood with blue and gold sparkling epoxy resin and Acacia wood, beautifully crafted to create a waterfall effect that must have cost tens of thousands of dollars.

The walls were painted a matte bone color with tasteful artwork in frames every couple of feet. The ceiling was done with that industrial look, revealing beams and burnished metal accents. It was quite nice, actually. I found party room B with little trouble, but it was dark inside. I opened the door, stepping inside slowly.

“Hello? Sonny?” I called out just as the lights turned on slowly.

What I saw inside simply took my breath away. Sonny was standing, his arms spread wide as he revealed a spectacularly set table with a charcuterie board from a local deli featuring cured meats, cheeses, olives, and other goodies. There was fresh bread from the bakery down the street, some sliced fruit, and chocolate. Mountains of it. Beside each offering were tiny shot glasses filled with amber liquid in varying shades.

---