Being home also reminds me of my mom. She's probably somewhere high in the sky, snuggled up with her new family in one of her penthouses she bought from my dad's alimony. It makes me sick to think about it, but she’s the one who turned me on to ballpark franks. If it weren’t for her, I'd never know such a good thing.
“What can I get for you, young lady?”
An older gentleman working a hotdog stand in the park greets me with the most generous smile. He's missing a few teeth, but I'm sure that won’t stop the dogs from being just as good as they ever are.
“I’ll take two franks. One with chili, the other with ketchup, mustard, and sauerkraut.”
“And you’re gonna eat all of that?” he chuckles. “That’s a mighty big appetite for a young lady as fine as you.”
“Yeah well, a girl’s gotta eat.”
I smile and wait while he grills my dogs, extra crispy, the way I like them. The char on the skin is the best part. If anyone says different, they haven’t had a good hotdog and should probably reevaluate what they consider to be good.
Behind me in line are two guys who are the epitome of New Yorker’s. They're loud and boisterous, arrogant and all over the place. One of them has even tried getting my attention a couple of times, but I ignore him. I'm not interested in being friendly with any guys right now.
“Oh, she’s one of those,” he says, leaning in closer to my ear. “The stuck-up type who thinks she’s too good for the city.”
“Over here, they all are,” his friend says. “Until it’s time to party. That's when their true colors come out.”
He gets so close to me while I'm trying to grab napkins and a fork, he nearly knocks my food out of my hands. I quickly turn around to tell him to cut the shit, but before I can say anything, a familiar face grabs the guy by the collar and hems him up.
“Show some respect, you little prick.” Marc’s large hand holds on to the guy’s shirt like he’s a ragdoll. “When a woman doesn’t show any interest in your conversation, you leave her alone. Got it?”
It's been a long time since I've seen Marc Josephs, but wow, does he look good for being the same age as my dad. He's toned and fit, tall, with large arms and hands almost bigger than my head. Next to the two knuckleheads causing trouble, he looks like a giant.
“Yeah, man. Just relax. We're just having some fun.”
“Does she look like she’s having fun?”
All three of them look at me, the dark-haired damsel being saved by this sexy superhero of a man.
“Get out of here,” Marc says. “And don’t let me catch you bothering her again.”
The guys run off without even getting their food and I'm left standing in front of Marc with hard nipples and a throbbing vagina.
“Thanks for that,” I say. “Those guys were real assholes.”
“Long time no-see,” he smiles. “It’s been what, five years?”
“Yeah,” I blush. “Five long years.”
I nearly drool watching him load up his dogs with toppings. He moves so gracefully over the condiment stand. I wish I was the table he’s hovering over. When he mentions the position at his company my dad talked about, I almost jump at the opportunity with a desperation I never knew I had inside. But, to hold tight to my dignity, I play it cool.
“Yeah, my dad told me about it,” I say. “I’m interested in hearing more, whenever you're free.”
“Well, I'm free later this evening. Maybe we can all get together for dinner and talk more there? Consider it a welcome back to the city. I'll let your dad know where to meet.”
"Ok. I nod at his charming face. "Sounds good."
Chapter Four - Marc
I didn’t expect to feel a jolt of hormonal electricity shoot through my groin when I saw Felicia earlier on my lunch break. I didn’t expect to see a tall, slender but curvy, dark-haired green-eyed woman with full breasts and even fuller lips. Felicia has grown a lot since I last saw her. Before she left, she looked like a teenager. Now, she’s a phenomenal woman with the assets of a goddess.
“Hey Siri, call Jep.”
I want to invite him and Felicia to dinner tonight. I’m telling myself it’s to talk about the position, but deep down inside, it’s because I want to see more of Felicia. I feel like a sleaze for lusting after my best friend's daughter, but man! She's smoking hot.
“Marc, what’s going on brother?” he answers.