Page 39 of Interview with a Sadist
“Yeah, I’m definitely free for dinner tonight,” I say, and Octavia raises her hands in silent celebration like we’re in the middle of a sermon.
“Good. Just tell me where to pick you up,” Nolan says.
We exchange cell phone numbers and I give him my address.
“Okay, so I’ll see you tonight?” I say, just as Octavia puts a hand on my shoulder, waiting for the call to end so she can exclaim.
“Absolutely,” Nolan says. “I’ll see you soon. Bye, Bree.”
“Bye, Nolan,” I say, and the second I hang up, Octavia shrieks, squeezing my shoulder.
“Oh, my god, you’re living a fucking rom-com!” she says. “A dirty, kinky rom-com. It’s so cute and hot.”
All I can do is smile as nervousness and giddiness combine to form an unnamed chemical that makes my heart hammer. Nolan wants to see me again, and he sounded intent on taking our budding relationship a bit further.A lotfurther, in his words. My desire to feel pain explodes to life like a nuke in my chest, and I can barely contain myself.
“Well,” Octavia says, trying to calm herself but failing. “Here’s your chance to ask him how to finish the story.”
“Oh. Yeah, I guess so,” I say, suddenly bombarded by how annoying reality is.
As much as I want to, and as thrilled as I am about having dinner with him, I can’t just focus on what I want with Nolan. Not yet. There’s still work to do. I still have a story to write. So, I try to suppress the swelling of eagerness in my stomach and the tingle between my legs. I have to focus because the work isn’t done yet. After tonight, I’ll know for sure what’s next.
ChapterTwenty-Three
My nerves are fire beneath my skin as I look out the window of my apartment, waiting for Nolan to pull up. I don’t know what kind of car he’ll be driving, but I watch with a held breath as vehicles drive past my street. When a black Lexus pulls up to the front of my complex, I turn to stone waiting for the door to open. My barely-blinking eyes widen when the driver finally steps out wearing black pants, brown shoes, a cream sweater, and a long plaid jacket that incorporates all of the colors of his outfit. His brown skin ties everything together, and as he leans against the car door with his phone in hand, he draws the attention of multiple women walking on the street. They stare, but he doesn’t acknowledge them at all. He keeps his head down, his eyes glued to the phone. I watch him in awe, and only the sound of my text notification breaks the spell.
Nolan:Hey. I’m here.
A smile forces its way onto my lips as I read the message, because while women were checking Nolan out, I was the one he was texting. I fight the excitement away and look in the mirror at my outfit. With him down there looking so good, my attire has to be on point, too.
I do a full inspection from the front, nodding my approval at the black knit tee paired with a black and white Bodycon skirt that stops in the middle of my thighs, before spinning around and making sure everything still looks good from the back. I’m tempted to swap out my necklace and earrings, but I fight the urge since Nolan is already waiting, and I step into black heels. After a final check, I let out a deep breath and head down.
Nolan turns to the sound of the door opening, and the second he sees me, his smile reaches his eyes as he looks me up and down. I watch as he takes in my entire outfit from bottom to top, shaking his head in obvious disbelief.
“What?” I question, descending the stairs and reaching him as he steps onto the curb.
“You never miss, do you?” he asks, still looking at me like he’s taking inventory of everything I have on.
“What do you mean?”
“You look incredible, Bree,” he says. “Beyondincredible. If you keep this up, you’re going to make a few enemies on this block. People don’t like being embarrassed like this, but here you are—killing them all.”
My heart somersaults behind my ribs, making my knees weak and sending flutters to both my stomach and pussy. I have to focus and clear my throat just to keep it from showing.
“Thank you,” I reply. “Youlook amazing. I love this color on you.”
“I did my best,” he says. “You ready to go?”
“Absolutely.”
“Good. How does Ocean Prime sound?”
My eyebrows raise. “Ocean Prime? That place is expensive.”
Nolan chuckles and shrugs. “So? Let’s go.”
He spins around and opens the door to the Lexus before extending his hand for me to take. Nolan gently guides me into the seat, closes the door, and walks around to the driver’s seat looking like a million dollars personified. Once he’s in the car, the engine roars to life and we’re off to start the night.
The drive to South Fifteenth Street isn’t long, and when we pull up to the restaurant, we’re greeted by a valet who takes the keys to the Lexus with a smile, while a hostess escorts Nolan and I to our seats in the massive dining room. The entire place is accented by gold features, including golden tiles on the ceiling and lights behind the expansive bar. We weave through the traffic of seated guests until we reach our table, which is adorned with crystal wine glasses filled with water and empty gilded flutes awaiting champagne. The hostess is replaced by the server—a blonde woman with a skinny face and radiant smile—and our flutes are filled with a champagne I can’t pronounce while we look over the menu. It’s all quite the spectacle, and while I’m impressed with the elegance of it all, it’s Nolan who steals my attention.
