Chapter 21

A few hours passed in what seemed like an instant, until the plates of food had been long cleared away and they were sipping at yet another round of drinks.  By Nick’s count, Billie was on her sixth cocktail, yet the alcohol didn’t seem to have touched her.  At least, not so much as his own intake seemed to be blurring his mind, filling his thoughts with images of her in far less clothing than she currently wore.

 

They’d talked about Jay, about themselves - though Nick obviously skirted the subject of his wife - and about the usual topics of music and movies.  Though she still seemed mostly sober, Nick was taking heart from the fact that Billie made no protest when he laid his arm around her shoulders, and subtle shifts of his weight on the banquette seat had them pressed closely together.

 

Of course Billie was aware of his movements, and while she certainly had no intention of sleeping with him on this first date, she wasn’t unduly perturbed by his obvious interest.  Perturbed?  Hell, she was flattered.  He had to be almost ten years her junior, he was handsome - if not so magnetically attractive as the last man she’d loved - yet it was completely clear that he wanted her.  What woman wouldn’t be flattered?  So, when Nick finally moved in, making his intentions clear, Billie accepted his light kiss, the soft brush of his lips on hers as he tested the water.

 

Drawing back, Nick looked at her face, seeing the soft smile, and he felt the leap of excitement in his chest, sure he had her where he wanted her.  As Billie smiled again, he moved closer, cupping his hand around her face to draw her to him, his kiss more forceful this time, pressing her lips apart so he could taste her.

 

Billie allowed the kiss for a brief moment, then drew back. 

 

“Not here.”  She whispered by way of explanation.  And it was partly true.  Okay, so his sudden move from a light kiss to tongue-halfway-down-her-throat wasn’t entirely acceptable, but what definitely wasn’t in her plans was making out with him here in a restaurant.

 

“Where, then?”  He grinned just a little drunkenly.  “Upstairs?”

 

“What?”  Billie was shocked at his easy assumption.  “Nick - we only just met.  I’m sorry - I don’t know quite what you were expecting, but I do not ‘go upstairs’ with a guy on a first date!”

 

Nick was sober enough to take the less than subtle hint.  But, dammit, her refusal just made her even more attractive to him.  She actually said ‘no’?  To him?  Well, hell, now he really wanted to fuck her.  But obviously not tonight.

 

“Sorry, Billie.”  He gave her a little-boy grin.  The grin that usually won over his wife.  “Blame it on……..well I was gonna say blame it on the booze, but I haven’t had that much.  Blame it on finding you irresistible?”

 

“Nice save.”  She had to smile.  “I do like you, Nick.  Really I do.  It’s just……”

 

“I get it.”  Nick assured her, though his thoughts were more on how he planned to ‘get it’.  “So, may I walk you to the elevator?”

 

“Yes.”  She laughed, and he nodded, rising to his feet.

 

The restaurant bill had been settled already, and Nick extended his hand to Billie, lifting her from the seat then crooking his arm so she laughingly slipped her hand into his arm.  Acting the perfect gentleman, he led her to the elevator and pressed the call button before turning to her again.

 

“When can I see you again?”  He asked.  “Are you busy tomorrow night?”  He knew he was free - tomorrow was his wife’s yoga night.

 

“No, I’m not busy.”  Billie smiled.  “And thank you - for not being pissed I mean.”

 

“What kinda gentleman would that make me?”  Nick smiled, lifting her hand to his lips as the elevator arrived.  “Eight o’clock again?”

 

“Sure.  G’night, Nick.”

 

“G’night Billie.”

 

He stood patiently until the elevator doors closed, then the grin vanished as he turned toward the doors.  Looked like he’d need to step up his game tomorrow.

 

 

When she reached her room, Billie locked the door and headed for the coffee machine, flicking it on.  She showered and got ready for bed, taking a mug of coffee across with her, grabbing her bag on the way.

 

Digging into the bag as she sat on the bed, she pulled out an identical copy of the photograph Jon had admired, of her and Jay together.  Caught on the back of it was an envelope, and she tugged it free curiously, propping the framed picture on the bedside table.  She didn’t remember putting that in her bag.

 

Opening the flap of the envelope, she peered inside, then shook out another photograph, biting on her lip as she looked at it.  It was the photograph Jay had ‘borrowed’ to have Jon sign it for her - a far younger Jon and Billie pressed close together.  She had to smile as she remembered that day.  Remembered how their playtime up in the secluded clearing had been interrupted by her rifle-bearing neighbor, who mistakenly thought she was being attacked as she screamed beneath Jon. 

 

The photograph was a little different from the last time she’d looked at it, though, since Jon’s familiar signature was now scrawled across the bottom, with just the words ‘To Billie’ above his name.  She wondered just how hard it had been for him to do that.  To splash his signature across a photograph that must have rocked him to his core with the sudden realisation of just who the boy in front of him had to be.  Running a fingertip along Jon’s jawline, so similar to Jay’s, she slowly laid the photograph on the bedside beneath the framed one of her and Jay.

 

 

Next morning, Billie took a cab back across to Jay’s apartment, belatedly thinking to call him before she arrived, just in case he had company.  He was alone, so she just told him to get the coffee going, because she’d be there in a few minutes, and he grunted an affirmative before hanging up.

 

When she reached the apartment, Billie found Jay in the kitchen, distracted and distant as he poured coffee.

 

“What’s wrong?”  She asked as he handed her a mug.

 

“Huh?  Nothing.”

 

“Liar.”  Billie had a fairly accurate idea what was bugging him.  “Did you have fun last night?”

 

“Yeah!”  At the mention of that, his face brightened.  “We had a great time.”

 

“So what’s wrong?”

 

“Nothing.”  He said again.

 

Billie looked at him and smiled.  She was now certain she knew what it was.  He liked Kadie - a lot - and he was still a virgin.  Her guess was that the young nurse wasn’t quite so innocent as her son, but perhaps she was just the girl to teach him what he needed to know.  Either way, Jay’s face made it clear that this was not a discussion he was going to have with his mom, so she let the subject drop, moving onto how he was feeling.

 

She visited with him for a few hours, then said she’d have to go, as she had something to do that evening.  Jay looked at her curiously, but it seemed like that was all the information he was getting, so he just hugged her goodbye as she left.  Anyway, Kadie was coming over, so having his mom around wasn’t exactly ideal.

 

 

Nick was, again, punctual, but this time they headed out of the hotel, to a nearby restaurant where they had an almost carbon-copy evening of enjoying each other’s company along with good food and a fair amount of alcohol.  After his gentlemanly conduct of the previous night, Billie was feeling far more well-disposed toward Nick, and as they finished their drinks he turned to her, asking if she’d like another.

 

“How about coffee?”  She asked quietly, and Nick’s expectations soared, though he was careful to not jump ahead of himself this time.

 

“Sure, we can get coffee.”  He raised a hand for the waiter, but Billie stopped him.

 

“I have coffee back in my hotel room.”

 

“Yeah?”  Nick asked, turning to face her fully.

 

“Yep.”  Billie smiled.  “If you’d like……….?”

 

“Of course I’d like!”  He grinned, getting to his feet.  Success, he thought triumphantly.