I immediately took my cloth napkin from my lap and placed it on the table. “Certainly Sir.” I let Charles pull me up and followed him into the living room in front of the fireplace. He took the remote from the mantel piece and turned up the music.
At that moment Charles lifted my hand to his lips and kissed the back of my hand. He pulled my arms around his neck and then wrapped his arms around my waist. He pulled me close as we moved slowly to the music.
As the one Miles Davis song slipped into John Coltrane’s “After the Rain” and then “The Very Thought of You” by Red Garland we kept dancing…holding each other tight. I have no idea how long we danced. It could have been days…I wouldn’t have noticed and certainly would not have cared.
“I don’t know what you are doing to me Simone”, Charles whispered in my ear, “but I can do this all night.”
“That’s funny,” I said whispering in his ear. “I was thinking the same thing.”
With that Charles lifted my chin and parted my lips with his tongue. We had a deep and passionate kiss. I felt warm all over.
Just as I was really getting into it Charles suddenly stopped the kiss and pushed me back a bit. I was so disappointed. Had I done something wrong? Was I being too aggressive? Too easy?
“It’s getting late”, he said in a low voice. I looked around and saw that the fire had gone out as well as the candles near the couch.
“Yea, I guess it is.” Suddenly feeling cold and self-conscious, “If you’d show me the guest room I’ll turn in.”
“Let me show you around a bit first.”
Grabbing my hand, he led me upstairs to the second floor of the apartment where he showed me his office. Not a piece of paper out of place. I can’t believe it. I actually met someone more anal then me. The cherry wood desk held a top of the line computer in front of a high back leather chair. On the wall behind the desk was a beautiful black and white picture of Dizzy Gillespie blowing his horn. Off to the side, sat a leather couch and a glass coffee table. On the wall over the couch hung a painting of what looked to be a Mardi Gras parade in New Orleans. With all the black and white in the office the painting was a burst of color.
Next, he showed me the guest room with an adjoining bathroom. It was tastefully done. But where was my overnight bag?
He then led me into the master bedroom. I loved it! There was a sitting area in front of a picture glass window with a wonderful view of the city, a king-sized four-poster bed and an electric fireplace. The en suite bathroom, with its Italian marble double vanities had a shower/steam room with multiple jets including a rain showerhead. In front of another picture glass window with a view of the city, sat a clawed foot tub built for two with a chandelier overhead. Wait. Did he get in my head somehow? This was my dream master en suite. The only thing missing was the wine frig.
As I walked back into the bedroom I couldn’t resist walking over to the picture glass window near the bed to check out the view. The city lights were breathtaking, just as good as the views from the living room. I could already visualize the sunrise through the window. As I turned back to the bed wondering how it would look from that angle, I saw my overnight bag on the carpeted floor. I looked down at the bag and up at Charles. There was no denying the passion I saw filling his eyes.
I walked over to him, slid my arms around his neck, and gave him a kiss filled with the passion I saw in him. Charles pulled me closer. I heard myself gasp. As our tongues met I felt like we were melting into each other. I began to pull away. Charles reluctantly loosened his grip and looked into my eyes.
“Do you think it’s cool enough for a fire?” I said letting Charles know the fireplace wouldn’t be the only