Nice Girl (21 page)

“What is a matter of time?”

“Here’s your drink, Grace!”  India interrupts.  She had flagged down a waitress or waiter, I’m not sure, and ordered me a beer.

“Oh thanks, India.  I’ll buy you one next.”

“No, Grace.  My treat.  I wanted to congratulate you on finishing your first semester.  I know what Ivy goes through.  I’m sure you’re ready to suck a few down.”

She was not kidding.  By looking at Jamie and Luke, I had a lot of catching up to do.

Considering how freaked out I was initially with the choice of venue, I found myself having a great time.  I was on my third beer and I still hadn’t reached in my wallet.  Jamie and Luke bought me the second one.  Then, their shirtless friend bought me a third when he found out I was in graduate school.  His name was Kobe.  He had just finished his masters of art with an emphasis in sculpting. 

“Grace, you have beautiful features.  I would love to sculpt your face.” 

I think my face turned bright red.

Jamie put his arm around me.  “Grace is one of those people that don’t know how pretty they are.”

“You’re biased.”  I said.

“Well I’m not.”  Said Kobe.  “I just met you and I’m not attracted to women.  So believe me when I tell you, I find the soft characteristics of your face a total turn on to sculpt.”

“You should think about it, Grace.”  India added.  “Kobe is very talented.”

Just then, the waiter, or was he a waitress, came by with another round of drinks.  This was courtesy of one of Jamie and Luke’s friends who found out it was their anniversary.  Thank goodness for the change in direction of the sculpting- my- face conversation. 

Jamie’s cell phone started buzzing.  He looked at the screen. “Uh oh.  It’s Vinnie.  Please tell me that nothing is going wrong with the equipment…..  Hey Vinnie.”

My pulse quickened just a bit when I heard him talking to Vinnie.  I hated what a love struck teenager I still became when I thought of him. 

Jamie started giving directions on how to troubleshoot one of the computers in the surveillance van.  I reached over to grab my fourth beer and almost spilled it.

“Damn Grace.”  Jamie stood up “How about drinking it before I wear it.”  He winked at me.  Then his face completely changed. 

“Wait……Yes, she’s here………….calm down Vinnie………..nothing is going to happen…….what kind of place do you think this is?...............SHE’S FINE!”  Then Jamie hung up his phone.  He looked at me with sympathy.  “Vinnie is coming to get you.”

“What?” 

“He feels that Luke and I are in no condition to watch out for you.”

“What am I five years old?”

“No, that boy is crazy about you.”  Luke answers.

“That’s ridiculous.  No, somehow he has decided that he needs to be my protector.  Poor innocent naïve Grace in the big city.  It’s annoying.”  I huffed like it bothered me so much.  When in fact I was feeling tight hot pressure all through my body.

“Grace, you had to have heard him on the phone.  I think it’s more than this big brother/little sister cover you have going.”

“Do I have time to finish this beer?”  I had a feeling I was going to need it.

The problem was now I was too nervous to drink it.  I kind of nursed it while the conversation was going on around me.  Thinking of Vinnie coming here specifically to get me had my head in a tizzy. 

Just then a slow song came on.  We heard the DJ call out, “This special request is for Luke and Jamie.  Congratulations on your five year anniversary.”

“Oh baby, it’s our song.  Did you do this?”  Luke cooed at Jamie.

“Come on lover.”  And Jamie took his hand to lead him out to the dance floor.

It was a beautiful tender moment and I just had to watch.   I stood at the end of the dance floor.  On instinct, I took out my cell phone and snapped a picture of Jamie and Luke dancing together.  I thought immediately about framing the picture to give as a gift to them. 

As I contemplated whether I would try to snap a few different picture shots, I hadn’t noticed a man standing so close to me.  I looked up to see him staring at me. 

He was average looking and definitely not dressed in the bizarre attire I was seeing on most of the men here.  

“Sorry.” He said as he bent to my ear to talk over the music.  “I didn’t mean to freak you out by staring.  It’s just nice to see another straight person here.”

I laughed.  After all, it was funny that I stuck out so obviously.  I guess he took that as an opportunity.

“My name’s Adam.  Would you like to dance?”

“Sorry, Adam but I’m…”  I glanced at the door.

“Oh I see.  You’re holding out for someone else?” 

How strange then was my response.  It came out before I could think.

“I’m holding out for a hero.”

…….and then there he was.

Chapter 22

I knew he was there before I saw him. 

I watched the heads of all the males turning towards the door.  I heard a few whistles, hisses and an intact of breath.  It had to be Vinnie to cause such a reaction.  I immediately saw why.

As I had to squeeze through bodies to make my way around the dance floor, those same bodies parted and made way for him.  I’m not sure if it was because of the dominance oozing off of him or the fact that he had such a large form that any man had better have enough sense to get out of his way.

Every time I saw him, my heart raced and my pulse quickened.  At this moment, though, it was even more intense.  I felt paralyzed….. with desire.  He looked so fucking hot.

He was dressed all in black which I knew was typical when the A and V team were doing surveillance at night.  He shouldn’t be allowed out in public dressed like that.  He looked like the ultimate bad boy.   His black t-shirt showed off every line of his muscles.  It was so tight, his entire body radiated masculinity.   The sleeves stretched around his massive biceps and powerful arms.  His t-shirt was tucked into black jeans that encased muscular firm thighs with a lean waist.  My mouth quickly watered.  God, he was perfect.

On his face was his normal scowl which stopped being intimidating to me a long time ago.  Like the scar on his face which probably caused many people to recoil, I didn’t notice that anymore either.  He was a real life Adonis to me.

When his eyes met mine, his scowl lessened.  He kept his intense gaze as he walked towards me.  I had to remember to breathe. 

Whatever nonsensical thought was going through his head that he had to rescue me, I wasn’t going to let him ruin Jamie’s night.  He needed to be disarmed and I needed him. 

When he reached me, I grabbed both his arms.

“Dance with me.”  I’m surprised I even got that out as I pulled him to the dance floor.

“Grace, I don’t have time.  I have to get back.” He complained but let me lead him.  I knew then he wanted that closeness too.  No one would be able to move Vinnie if he didn’t want to move.     

“Just for a minute, Vinnie.  Please.”  I looked at him with my best doe eyed expression.  I led his arms around my waist and he complied immediately.  I put my hand around his neck and leaned into his chest.  He felt so good.   I wanted to bask in all of his body heat.

At that moment, I couldn’t look at him.  I didn’t want him to see on my face all the emotions I was feeling.  We just held each other as our bodies slowly rocked to the music.

Why did I say to that stranger I was holding out for a hero?

All the times before when I had thought about Vinnie, it was usually about sex.  Hot, heavy, passionate, lust filled my dreams.  I never even imagined the whole boyfriend/girlfriend thing.   I internalized his gorgeous body engulfing me and filling a need which to this point had never been met.  That need was purely sexual.  Or so I thought.

      The times I was able to think clearly about him, without obsessing of his body, were then about his fragile past. The stories Jamie had told me about his growing up with his drug addicted prostitute mother broke my heart.  I wanted to be the one woman who could comfort him. 

Where did hero speak come in?  Is that what I‘ve been craving?   It didn’t seem to fit.  I wanted to be a strong confident
independent
woman.  I wanted a man to fill my needs sexually and possibly be a partner one day.  I didn’t think the latter was even that important.  I was still gunning for that first goal.  When did I feel the need to be rescued?

I felt Vinnie’s hands stroking my back.   Electricity followed his every movement.  It amazed me that such a tough hardened man could be so tender.

Way too quickly the song ended.

I looked up at him.  “Please don’t be mad at Jamie.”

“I’m not mad anymore, Grace.  But I do need to go.  And…..”  He paused “I don’t want you here.”

“Okay.”  I had no problem leaving with him right now.  I was feeling so soothed by his arms holding me that I would have left anywhere to be with him alone.

My eyes met Jamie and Luke as they were exiting the dance floor.  Jamie wisely stayed away.  He nodded when he saw Vinnie so he knew I was leaving. 

Vinnie grabbed my hand and led me out of the bar.  I saw men trying to meet his gaze as we walked out.  I had a silly sense of pride right then.  I wanted to shout out.  “Yes, he’s mine.  He came here for me.   So you boys can just keep wishing.”

I was intimidated when I first walked in by myself.  Trying to maneuver through a crowd that I couldn’t see over was not only frustrating but a little scary.  It was a strange place with bizarre people doing scandalous things with each other.  With Vinnie holding my hand, I felt protected.  Secure.

When we got outside, I saw the pink giant bouncer waiting by Vinnie’s car that was at the curb.   Vinnie reached into his wallet, pulled out a twenty dollar bill and handed it to the bouncer.

“Thanks man.”  Vinnie said to the bouncer and he opened his car door for me.

“No problem.”  Said Pink Man.  “As soon as you described her, I knew who you meant.  She looked a little lost.”  Then he walked back into the bar twenty dollars richer.

“I wasn’t lost.”  I said indignantly.

“Grace, I don’t want to argue with you.  I know you’re not familiar with the city.  Take my word for it when I say that wasn’t the place for you.”

I didn’t want to argue either especially while he was navigating Friday night traffic.  I did appreciate that he came for me whether it was a little overprotective or not.  I also wouldn’t give up that two minute dance for anything. 

“I’m sorry you had to blow twenty dollars just to get that guy to watch your car.”

“That wasn’t a big deal.”

“Twenty dollars is a lot of money.”

He glanced over at me and smiled.  “You are too cute.”

“Why is that cute?  Just because I don’t believe in throwing money away?”

“I didn’t look at it like that.”  Then he glanced at me again.  “I think you’re worth it.”

“Oh please.”  I rolled my eyes.  I was suddenly uncomfortable so I went for sarcasm.  “It was always my goal to be worth at least twenty dollars.”

“That’s good baby.”  He patted my knee.  “I have a lot of twenty dollar bills.”

Oh shit!  Now he was flirting.  Time to change the subject.

“Is Anthony mad that you left?”

“Do you think I give a fuck?”

“Well then, I guess that answers my question.  Let’s try a different one.  How is the surveillance going?”

It turned out that the tip that the estranged father was going to be there might have been a waste of time.  He talked about some of the details of the night.  Before I knew it, he had pulled up to my dorm. 

“Thanks for coming to get me even though it was a little unnecessary.”  I started to bolt. 

He quickly grabbed my hand away from the door which meant he had to reach over me.  I felt a surge of energy as his body touched mine.

“Not so fast, Grace.  You don’t get to leave on that note.  What do you mean by unnecessary?”

“It was just a bar, Vinnie.  I know I’m not from the city but I also am not a little girl that you need to protect like you’re my big brother.”  There I finally got it out.

His reaction shocked me.  He growled as he pulled me into his lap.  The angle caused my chest to push up.  I could feel that part of my black bra was showing.  I was afraid to move.  I was hoping and not hoping that something more was going to happen. 

He definitely noticed my breasts so close to his face.  “Oh I don’t think so.”  He said staring at my chest that was now breathing heavily.  “What I’m looking at is not a little girl.”

His raspy voice penetrated right between my thighs.  I quickly clenched my legs together and squeezed them shut.  Like a cat that saw a mouse, his eyes darted right to that exact area where I was trying to control a situation.  He was making me wet just by looking at me.  I now know what Southern Belle Annie meant when she talked of her lover’s smoldering eyes.  The way he was looking at me, I was about to lose all self restraint. 

Then his cell phone rang.  He closed his eyes as he whipped his head back on the seat and shouted “Fuck!”

I giggled and started to move back to my seat.

His arm circled my waist tighter.  “You’re not going anywhere.”  He grumbled as he reached for his cell phone.  “What?”  He barked into it.

“Is Grace home safe?”  It was Anthony’s voice.  I could hear him clearly since my face was so close to Vinnie’s.

“Yeah.”  Vinnie answered curtly.

“Then get the fuck back here right now you asshole!  We’re not finished and if something goes down, I want you covering my back!”  Anthony sounded furious.

Vinnie’s arms loosened.  I knew now the flirting was over and he had to get back. 

“Calm down.  I’m on my way.”  Vinnie sounded resigned. 

I went back to my seat and started for the door.  “Sorry Vinnie.”

“Nothing to be sorry about.”  He still had that look of desire.  All of a sudden I missed his lap. I missed his strong arms holding me.  I missed how he liked to protect me.  

“Good night and ……thanks again for the ride.”

I walked back into my dorm wondering for the first time if it was a hero I was looking for all along.