Page 14 of Bella and Her Beast
“Sure, how about tonight? There’s a poetry reading over in the Quarter. One of the delivery guys invited Joy and I.”
“Tonight is perfect. I’ll meet you there. Say around six?”
“Maybe six-thirty. I have to do something with my hair.”
“I like it the way you had it the other day, curly”.
“Okay, well, in that case, six o’clock it is. I’ll be wearing a rose in my hair,”I reply picking up one of the flowers from its bundle and placing it to my nose, inhaling the scent.
“Okay. Till then, bye.”
“Bye.”
We disconnect and I feel like I’m in another stratosphere.
Joy and I look at each other and let out a big girly scream.
“Oh, my god. My bff has a date, and she’s actually happy about it.”
“I know. I can’t believe it myself. How long has it been?”
“One year, seven months, three weeks, and two days. But hey, I could be wrong.”
I toss one of my throw pillows at her, and she falls to the ground in dramatic fashion.
“Now, let’s get back to this dancing. Who knows, your knees may need the workout to prepare for that beast of a man.”
“Shut up, girl.”
We laugh as she starts the music again and we watch and copy the dance moves. All the while my heart is racing at the excitement of seeing him soon.
* * *
Greyson
The excitementof that one call keeps me running around my house like a teenager who just got his first kiss.
Kiss?The inner thought strikes me in the most awkward moment, leaving me feeling weird. I know I’m miles away from something like that, but if this turns into something, that would definitely be on my agenda. I felt the pressure to kiss her the other day in the garden, but I think I moved too fast, and it spooked her away. I won’t make that mistake again. I search through my closet looking for something to wear. Casual but not at home on your couch, comfy. The venue is very relaxed, so no need to get all gussied up. I find black jeans and pair it with a short-sleeved polo shirt and a pair of white sneakers. I go to my vast collection of men’s fragrance and look for something light yet masculine. Something that if she snuggles under my neck, she won’t get choked on the overpowering smell.
“Greyson, which car will you be taking tonight?” Russell asks.
Okay, so I have the spoils of a person with money, but I never flaunt it, nor do I want to. I like to keep a low profile. I also don’t want her to see the car I usually take when I go to the library.
“I guess I can take the Range Rover. She advised her friend will be there, too. In case I need to take her home, I should be prepared.”
“Yes, sir. I’ll have it readied.”
I look, and it is one hour before our designated meet up time. My palms sweat as nerves take the best of me. My wolf awakens and is equally apprehensive. I make a quick note of the moon phase and we have two weeks till the next celestial phenomenon when things get hairy. Especially for me.
Two weeks, I think to myself. That’s all the time I have to make her mine and fall in love with me. Easier said than done. To get my mind off this line of thinking, I proceed with the rest of my regimen; teeth cleansing, face washing, and manscaping. I’m confident we won’t get there, but you never know. After I do all of that, I spray on my chosen fragrance for the evening, put on my boxer-briefs, and fitted under shirt before adding my selected ensemble. I don’t want to overpower her with my affections or even more flowers, but I need something to give to her. A quick jaunt to my library, I find a first edition ofA Tale of Two Citiesto give to her. I know she would not only take care of it, but she would be head over heels pleased. I locate a gift box to place it in and put a small ribbon on it to keep it closed.
Checking for my wallet, and knowing my car is out front waiting, I grab the thank you present and go climb into my vehicle; heading for the quarter to meet my one.
CHAPTER FIVE
ISABELLA
Ipace outside the entrance to the Starwood Lounge. Joy has already found that Sam reserved our table for us. It is front and center near the stage. I guess he wants to make sure Joy sees him. I can’t lie, I’m interested in how this evening will turn out myself.
