Into The Fire (5 page)

“A goodie goodie. Someone well mannered and
educated. Something boring.”

“Okay,” I said. “How about I say I attended
NYU for literature and then started running a flower shop in
Brooklyn? Where do your parents live?”

“Connecticut.”

“So, they probably don’t know all the flower
shops in New York?”

“Doubtful. That works. You look like you’d
work in a flower shop anyway.”

“Thanks…or are you calling me boring?”

“No.” He gave me a smile. “Actually, that’d
be really cute. I’d totally make a pass at you if I saw you priming
roses in the window of a shop.”

My cheeks felt warm again. “Thanks…I guess
I’ll have to research different flowers and what not.”

“My parents aren’t going to interrogate you
that much.”

“I’d rather be prepared,” I said. “It’s what
you’re paying me for.”

“I feel like all my money was spent on your
beauty.” He said it with a straight face. “Are you a model and just
do this on the side for money?”

It was the biggest compliment I’d ever
gotten. “Uh, no. This is my only job.”

“Really?” he asked in surprise. “You fooled
me.”

“It’s good money and I have control over my
hours.”

“Do what you like and don’t give a shit what
anyone else says,” he said bluntly. “I’m just surprised you don’t
get tired of men gawking at you all the time.”

“They don’t,” I said. “Some do but not
all.”

“Maybe I should get into this business.” He
winked at me.

“You would get fired so fast.”

“Why?” he asked defensively.

“Because you’d sleep with all the
clients.”

“So?” he asked. “What’s wrong with that?”

I rolled my eyes. “The second you sleep with
them, you’re breaking the law.”

“How so?” He was totally clueless.

“Because it’s prostitution.”

“Oh…” His eyebrows furrowed. “I didn’t think
about it that way.”

“So, you’d never be able to work here.”

“That’s a shame,” he said. “I’d bring you a
lot of business.”

“We bought the company from a group of guys a
few years ago. Now we’re just a group of women running it.”

“This seems like a good gig. Why give it
up?”

“They settled down. They didn’t want to
moonlight as other people’s boyfriends anymore.”

“I guess that would be a conflict. If I ever
had a wife, I wouldn’t let anyone touch her.”

“You think about getting married?” Earlier he
said he didn’t do the girlfriend thing so I was a little
confused.

“No. That’s why I said
if
and not
when
. Relationships aren’t for me. I get what I need and
then move on. And I’m happy that way.”

“Sounds lonely to me.”

He gave me a dark look. “I didn’t ask for
your opinion and you have no right to judge me.”

“I wasn’t judging you.”

“It seemed like it.”

“I would just feel empty going from person to
person forever. It would be nice for a while but one day I’d want a
single person to share my life with. I’d want kids and stuff…”

“I don’t want kids.” He said it bluntly. “I’m
not meant to be a father.”

“Why do you say that?”

“You haven’t figured it out in the hour
you’ve been talking to me?” he asked incredulously. “I’m an
ex-military tattoo artist that can’t even open his own shop. I’m
not exactly a role model.”

“I don’t see what the problem is with any of
those things. All a parent needs to do is love their child
unconditionally. It doesn’t matter what you do for a living.”

He stared at me with his lips pressed tightly
together.

I looked down at my notes because his stare
was becoming too intense. “Is there anything else I should know?
Like an ex-girlfriend or something?”

“You’re the only one.”

Even though he meant that in a specific
context, I felt my heart skip a beat. “Well, it looks like I have
everything I need…”

“Good. I’ve got to get to Guitar Center.
There’s this beauty…in the window. I must have her.”

I tried not to laugh. “I hope you get
her.”

He stood up and looked down at me. “You know
what I’m going to name her?”

“Hmm?”

“Alessandra.”

CHAPTER FOUR

Alessandra

“Yo, Mom. It’s me.” I held the phone to my
ear.

“Hello, Ash.” The disapproval in her voice
told me she wasn’t a fan of how I greeted her.

“You want to go out to dinner on
Saturday?”

“Me?” Surprise was in her voice.

“Well, I thought about what you said and I
was getting coffee the other day when I saw this smoking hot
brunette in the corner. I decided to ask her out, and after a few
dates, I realized she was pretty damn cool. I want you to meet
her.”

She didn’t scold me for cussing because she
seemed so excited. “That’s lovely, honey. What’s her name?”

Every time I said her name it excited me.
“Alessandra.”

“Wow, that’s beautiful. Of course your father
and I would love to meet her.” She paused for a second. “She
doesn’t have any tattoos or any of that nonsense, right?”

“No.” I rolled my eyes.

“Then we’re so excited. Should we eat in the
city?”

“Sure.” I didn’t give a damn. Let’s just get
this ball rolling so I can get my cash.

“I’ll talk to your father. We’ll see you
then.”

“Okay, Mom. See ya.”

“Bye.”

I hung up then tossed the phone into the air.
It’d been three weeks since I met Alessandra and I was finally
getting this stupid plan underway. Hopefully, in a few months, I’d
have the money to open that shop.

***

I used the number Alessandra gave me. “Yo,
sweetheart. It’s me.”

“Uh…who is this?” It wasn’t Alessandra. It
was some other woman.

“I’m looking for Alessandra. Is this the
wrong number?”

“This is Beautiful Entourage. It’s
Shelly.”

“Oh, hey.” Maybe I called the wrong number?
“Is she there?”

“Yeah, hold on.” I was put on hold until
Alessandra answered the phone.

“Ash?”

“Hey, I meant to call your cell but I called
your office on accident.”

“No, that’s the number I gave you.”

I raised an eyebrow. “Why wouldn’t you just
give me your cell?”

“I don’t share personal information with
clients.”

“Oh…why?”
Was I missing something?

“Just to protect my privacy.”

“Sometimes I wonder if you’re really a spy
with all your secrecy.”

“Maybe I am,” she said playfully. “So, what’s
up?”

“I need you for date night with my parents.
It’s Saturday. Are you free?”

“I am,” she said. “You think three weeks is
long enough?”

“Yeah, Mom totally bought it. We’re
good.”

“Glad to hear that.”

“So, I’ll pick you up? Or what?”

“You can either pick me up at the office or I
can swing by your apartment.”

“What?” I blurted. “You won’t even tell me
where you live? You think I’m a crazy stalker or something?”

“No. But I like to be safe.”

I guess that was the smart thing to do. “Want
to swing by my place? That way you’ll know where it’s at just in
case it comes up.”

“That’s fine with me.”

“Cool. 6:30?” It was weird to be picked up by
a chick. The only time a girl came to my apartment was when she
wanted me to stick it to her good.

“I’ll be there.”

“Alright, see you then.”

“Bye, Ash.”

“Wait.”

“What?” she asked.

“I’m excited for you to see my
guitar—Alessandra.”

She chuckled into the phone. “She better be
as beautiful as you say.”

“Not nearly as beautiful as you. But nothing
is.”

***

She arrived at my door wearing sultry eye
shadow and red lipstick. Her skin was fairer than a porcelain doll,
and the tight dress she wore highlighted every beautiful curve she
possessed. The heels on her feet just made her look even
sexier.

I looked her up and down and whistled.
“Day-um.”

Her cheeks reddened instantly and she tried
to cover it up with a smile.

“You clean up good.” She didn’t look bad
before, completely to the contrary, but she didn’t dress up and
make herself look like a supermodel either. “You’re lucky that
contract is in place otherwise you’d be another one of my
victims.”

“I doubt that.” She entered my apartment and
took a look around. “It’s nice…”

The place was pretty messy but I didn’t have
time to clean up. “It’s usually worse than this so be
thankful.”

“Lucky me.”

“Come here.” I walked further into the living
room then grabbed the guitar. “This is her…and I love her.” I
extended the guitar to her. “Want to hold her?”

“You really trust me?” she asked
sarcastically.

“Just don’t drop her. Otherwise, I’m going to
break one of your heels so we’ll be even.”

“You wouldn’t dare.” She took it from my arms
then pulled the strap over her neck. She lightly strummed one
chord.

“Wow…you look hot.”

“Thanks. I could be a rock star.”

“Looking like that you could. You want to
learn how to play? I could teach you.”

She chuckled and took the guitar off. “I
don’t have time to learn an instrument.”

“Come on, I’m an awesome teacher.”

“Who have you taught?”

I shrugged. “Myself.”

“And that’s the only reference you have?”

“Hey, I’m awesome. You should hear me
play.”

She eyed the time on the TV. “We should
probably go so we aren’t late.”

“Ugh, I’d rather stay here and watch you hold
my guitar.”

“Maybe later.”

I set it down on the stand then grabbed my
wallet. “If it comes up, we met in a coffee shop, I wooed you, and
now you’re totally smitten with me.”

“Got it.”

We walked out of my apartment then headed up
the sidewalk.

“Where are we going?”

“Some Italian place my parents like. I want
them to be in a good mood so I let them pick whatever they wanted.”
I kept my hands in my pockets as I walked beside her. Even in tall
heels, she was much shorter than me. It was surprising since her
legs looked so long.

“How’ve your three weeks been?”

“Okay,” I said. “Just been working and
playing my guitar. What about you?”

“Just been working.”

“See, you do have time to learn an
instrument.”

She shook her head. “I don’t have the
patience.”

“You have the patience to put up with
me.”

“True,” she said with a chuckle.

We arrived at the restaurant and I took a
deep breath. “Try not to punch them in the face.”

“When have I ever given you the impression I
was violent?”

“All girls are crazy. They just show their
true colors at different times.” My parents were already there.
They had a table near the window, and their glasses of wine were
already in front of them. “Let’s get this shit over with.”

“Aren’t you going to put your arm around my
waist or something?”

“Why?”

“So it looks like we’re together.” She rolled
her eyes. “You really weren’t kidding about the girlfriend
thing.”

I put my arm around her waist. “Okay. Does it
look like we’re in love?”

“Whatever. This is the best we can do.”

We approached the table where my parents sat.
“Yo, what’s up?”

Mom ignored my greeting. Usually she had
something smart ass to say about my choice of words but tonight she
didn’t. “Hey, honey. Did you not have time to change after work?”
She eyed my t-shirt.

“No, I did.”
What was wrong with what I
was wearing?

“Oh…this is a nice place, Ash.” Mom lowered
her voice to a whisper.

She didn’t waste any time, did she
?
“Mom, meet my girlfriend, Alessandra.”

Mom took her in, and judging the smile on her
lips and the way her eyes shined like the sun, she loved her. “Oh
my goodness, you’re so beautiful.”

“I know how to pick em’, huh?” I said with a
grin.

Mom shook her hand. “It’s lovely to meet
you.”

“You too,” Alessandra said. “Thank you for
inviting me to dinner.”

“Oh, you’re so polite.” Mom hugged her like
she’d known her for years.

I guess my mom was expecting me to bring
Marilyn Manson.

I gave Dad a quick hug. “Hey, old man. What’s
up?”

His eyes were glued to Alessandra. “Nice job,
Son.”

“Yeah, I know,” I said with a shrug.
“Supermodels have always been my thing.” I walked around the table
then pulled out a chair for Alessandra. I was never a gentleman
like this but the night was going well and I was in a good
mood.

Alessandra gave me a quick smile before she
sat down.

I took the place beside her. “Do you want
wine or anything?”

“I’ll have whatever you’re having,” she
said.

I flipped the menu over. “Do they have
beer?”

“No,” Mom said in an annoyed voice. “This is
an Italian place.”

“Do Italians not drink beer?” I blurted.

Alessandra leaned toward me and looked at the
wine list. Her smell came into my nose, and her soft hair slightly
tickled my forearm. “Let’s do the merlot. It’s bitter, but not too
bitter.”

“I don’t drink wine.”

“I know,” she said. “I think you’ll like
it.”

“Whatever you say, sweetheart.” I set the
wine menu down. I remembered that I was supposed to be affectionate
with Alessandra. I wasn’t totally clueless when it came to women,
but I was only touchy behind closed doors. I never went out to
dinner or took a stroll around the park. I put my arm over the back
of her chair and tried to act natural.

Mom looked thrilled. “So, you two met in a
coffee shop?”

“Yep,” I said. “I saw her across the room and
knew I had to have her. The rest is history.”

“He was very charming,” Alessandra said. “He
knows how to make me laugh.”