Page 36 of Sweet Dreams
20
Ivan stayedat my house the next few days as we settled into a normal routine. More of his things started showing up in my room and in my bathroom. I wasn't so sure about sharing my precious closet space, but I loved seeing his clothes in my room, or his shaving cream in my bathroom. I even pilfered one of his soft t-shirts to sleep in at night, which he seemed to like once he realized the easy access without the pajama pants blocking him. I just liked to have his scent around me, even when he wasn'tthere.
I was smitten. Hey, if Ivan could say 'tousled', I could use 'smitten'.
On Saturday, I interviewed a couple people for positions at the shop. I hired two of them on the spot and handed them over to Jaz for training. I got all the details from Mitch's assistant about the company meeting coming up where I'd be catering. Business had already picked up after the Instagram love from Shea Smith and the articles in our local newspaper. Our shop was the new, cool place to get a cup of hot chocolate and then take a selfie in front of our signage. I loved the traffic, but I wanted to make sure we still put out a quality cup of hot chocolate, and didn't make you wait in line forever,either.
Mid-afternoon I left the shop to go home and spend copious amounts of time getting ready for my special date with Ivan that night. I wanted to look good. We'd been through some crazy shit the first few weeks of dating, and now that all of that was behind us, I wanted to focus on us. I had a hot, sexy man to woo. Yes, he was the one to originally chase me, but now that I'd let him in, I figured I needed to step up my game. I believed in equal opportunitywooing.
After a long bath with my latest Lush bath bomb, I washed and blow dried my hair. Painted my nails and toe nails. Shaved seventy-five percent of my body. Applied thirty different make-up products so I would look naturally made-up. Curled my long hair in big, bouncy curls. Lotioned every square inch of skin. Sprayed perfume in all the rightplaces.
And then came the naughty part: the new lingerie Bailey and I had bought earlier thisweek.
It was all one piece, a lace-trimmed tulle body suit that snapped together in the crotch area. It was cut high on the leg with a waist cut-out on each side and underwire cups to barely harness in the girls. Even though the tulle had a slight fishnet looking design to it, you could still see my skin below, giving more than a little peek of my nipples. I'd never worn anything like it. I may have spent a little too much time doing a dozen poses in the mirror checking myself out. I did manage to refrain from any selfies, however, so there'sthat.
Next came the new dress Bailey and I found. It was a deep blue color that fell to just above my knee. The top part had two swaths of fabric that came down from my shoulders to meet and tuck into the high-waisted sash, leaving quite a bit of cleavage on display. And my favorite part? The slightly poofy skirt had pockets! I have no idea what I'd even use them for, but man, the thought of the convenience of pockets in my dress was cooler than cool, it was icecold.
Note to self: I really had to stop listening to hip hop from my high schooldays.
I slipped on my spiky, silver platform heels and went downstairs. Ivan's truck was just pulling into my driveway so I went to open the front door for him. I was standing in the doorway when he rounded the truck and rushed up to me with a huge bouquet of red roses. He brought me in for a soft kiss and eased me back just enough to look me up anddown.
"You look beyond gorgeous, Esa. I'm not sure I even want to go out to dinner anymore. It'll be two hours I can't have my hands all over you," he whispered while running his hand over my waist, my hips, and then my ass. Then he cleared his throat, stepped back, and handed me the roses. "These are for you,baby."
"You sure know how to greet a girl," I answered. I was turned on and feeling naughty after being felt up, but my heart was squealing at being presented with red roses from a handsome boy. "And you haven't even seen what's under this dressyet!"
Ivan's head dropped forward, and he released a low groan. Then he took a big breath, lifted his head, and said, "I told myself that I'd spend tonight trying to be the perfect gentleman you deserve. I want tonight to be extra special, so you know how much I appreciate you and what we have together. No ex-boyfriends stalking you, no ex-girlfriends haunting me. Just you and me,Esa."
His eyes were a bright blue and I couldn't seem to look away from them. They held all kinds of emotion; lust, respect, appreciation, kindness, and affection. Here was this wonderful man wanting to make me feel special and be a gentleman. I was just wanting him to ravish me. But I think I liked his plan better. I think I'd really like to be wine and dined before we made it back to the bedroom. Let the wooingbegin!
"I'm one hundred percent up for that," I said with a big smile. Then my smile got sweet and my voice dropped to almost a whisper as I looked up at him through my lashes. "But what you don't understand is that you've always made me feel special and you've always been a perfect gentleman. Not one moment since we've met have you made me feel anything but the center of your attention." I leaned forward and kissed him sweetly, then grabbed his hand to pull him into the house. I had roses from my boyfriend that needed a vase. What I missed was the intense, heated look on his face as he followed me into thehouse.
Dinner was at Duke's, with a table overlooking the beach and the pier. We were seated just in time to watch the orange ball of sun set into the water. I could see the beach sunset every day for the rest of my life and it would never get old, never lose itsreverence.
Duke's was the kind of place you went to celebrate something so it didn't surprise me when Ivan ordered champagne and calamari to start off the meal. The Hawaiian decor reminded me of an older, dark wood paneled restaurant that said class, but also made you feel comfortable. Plus, they had warm, fluffy sourdough dinner rolls. You can always tell an excellent restaurant from a mediocre one by their dinner rolls. Hey, I was in the food industry; I knew thesethings.
When our glasses were filled, Ivan lifted his glass, indicating he was going to make a toast. For a girl who sells hot chocolate for a living, you'd think I'd be more romantic, but even my stubbornly practical heart was gushing at the sight of Ivan staring at me with what looked suspiciously like love in hiseyes.
I swallowed my nerves, lifted my glass, and smiled at him tobegin.
"To the most beautiful girl I've ever had the privilege to know. I was taken by you the moment I touched your foot that day on the beach when you tangled with the jellyfish. What I learned in the days and weeks after was that you were not only gorgeous, but you were strong. You can almost out lift me at the gym, you handled your stalker situation with ease, you left an abusive relationship, and you handled the death of your parents, something no one should have to go through soyoung."
Without missing a beat, he continued on. "Second, I learned you were smart. You started your own business straight out of college, all on your own, becoming an instant hit. And you know, you had the good sense to go out on a date withme."
We both laughed, and I assumed he was done, but he kept going before I could say anything. "Third, I learned you are sweet. You take good care of your friends and employees, and your laugh makes everyone smile around you. I see your regulars coming into your shop, not just for your fabulous hot chocolate, but just to seeyou. You have a positive energy about you that makes everyone want to be around you. So, here's to you,Esa."
He clinked his glass with mine and we both took a sip. I couldn't turn down the wattage of my smile and I was at a loss for words. What could I possibly say in response to that? Turned out, I didn't need a response since Ivan kept talking after we set our glassesdown.
"What I'm trying to say, Esa, is that even though it's only been a few weeks, I can, without a doubt, say...that...I'm in love with you," Ivan admitted while staring intently at me. My mouth dropped open at the sincerity in his voice and his soft face. He really, truly was in love with me and wasn't afraid to say it. God damn, my wooing skills must be top-notch.
Then my eyes filled with tears and I couldn't help but feel the warm, familiar glow take over my body like it always did when he was around. He loved me. Holy shit, I loved him back. How did I go from being scared to go on a date to being in love with him in only a matter of a few weeks? However it happened, it was true. I lovedhim!
At this point, I realized Ivan was still looking at me waiting for my reaction. His sweet smile was fading away and his skin looked a little pale beneath his tan. My shocked silence was probably sending the wrong signal. I'd better put him out of hismisery.
I stood up, abruptly pushed my chair back, and threw my napkin on my plate. I skirted around the table and came right up to him as he leaned back in his chair to look up at me. I swiveled my hips, plopped down on his lap, and threw my arms around hisneck.
Looking in his eyes, our foreheads almost touching, I whispered, "I love you too, Ivan." Then I laid a big one on him, not caring who was watching from the tables surrounding us. His hands gripped my waist tight while my hands messed up his nicely styled hair. We came up for air way sooner than either of us wanted, but remembering we were in public, we rested our foreheads on each other and just breathed each otherin.
"Christ. I was getting worried there..." Ivan muttered. I giggled and gave him one last kiss before returning to mychair.
