Page 20 of Mass Sins

“Thank you. You look very handsome yourself,” I told him.

His outfit was classy and very clean. He had a white shirt on, with the top two buttons undone. His jacket and pants were black, his sneakers white. He was a man, and he put a lot of effort into his outfit. There were enough guys who would’ve shown up with old jeans and a sweater, or even a football jersey, but the way Joska was dressed for tonight told me that he was taking this date seriously.

It was a good start to our evening, and with my heart now pounding louder in my chest, I was ready to spend the night with him.

Chapter 8

BENNIE

I couldn’t take my eyes off him as we stood there in silence, taking each other in, standing in the parking lot of my apartment building. Joska kept his hands in his pockets, but I could tell that he wanted to come closer.

I felt the urge to give him a hug, but I wanted him to make the first move. I needed him to.

As if he could read my mind, he pulled his hands out of his pockets and took a step closer. He rested a hand on my hip, leaning in before kissing my right cheek, then my left.

When he moved back to look into my eyes again, he smiled and whispered, “I’m glad you said yes to this.”

The date, he meant.

I smiled, admiring his handsome face close-up. “Would it have hurt your feelings if I said no?”

He chuckled. “Honestly, yes. It’s been a while since I’ve asked a woman on a date. You’re the first in a long time who I think is worth getting to know on a deeper level.”

Oh.

So he didn’t just want to fuck me and never see me again?

Relief washed over me, and I hadn’t even realized that I had been worrying about this deep down. My heart had justassumed that he wanted to take me out to get to know me, but my mind hadn’t.

See, I lead with my heart, and if it told me that a person was good and had good intentions, I believed it.

“Good. Because I think I want to get to know you on a deeper level too.”

His lips curled into a smirk. One I would keep seeing when I’d close my eyes at night.

“I’m glad. You already made my night, and I’ll make sure you have a great one too.”

God, he talked like a saint, but his eyes were those of a sinner.

I let him lead me to his car where he opened the passenger door and helped me inside, and after going around the back, he opened the door on the other side to get in himself.

“Where are you taking me, by the way?” I asked, looking over at him.

“ToL’Osteria. Do you know that one?”

I pursed my lips. “No, but it’s Italian.”

“That’s right. You’re half Italian, aren’t you? So I figured I’d take you somewhere you can feel some nostalgia. But also, I love pasta, and they make the best. So, I was a little selfish making that decision.”

I smiled and waved a hand. “It’s fine, I love Italian too. I’m excited. And I’m hungry.”

Joska started the car and looked at me with a smile before pulling out of the parking spot. The first few minutes of the drive were quiet, but when we stopped at the first traffic light, Joska picked up on our conversation.

“So, what do you do for a living?” he asked, looking over at me, and meeting my eyes.

“I’m a tailor. I work with my dad at his men’s fashion shop. It’s right next to Sin’s boutique,” I told him.

“Oh, really? I’ve never noticed a man’s fashion shop there. Is it new?”

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