My Christmas Stalker (8 page)

     “So…which ward do you attend? Do you go to a single’s ward? Or a family ward?” he asked. Whitley’s head shot up. Her eyes narrowed suspiciously.

     “How do you know…I mean, what do you know about where I go to church?” Her voice lashed out at him. David snapped his head back as if she had reached out to hit him.

      “Hey now!” He reached out and grabbed her hand. She tried to pull it a way. “Calm down! Look! On your hand! You’re wearing a CTR ring!” He waved the fingers on his right hand. There on his hand was a gold CTR ring. She stopped moving and grimaced with an apologetic attempt at a smile. She glanced at his ring again. It looked like real gold.

     “I’m sorry.” She covered her face in her hands. “I am a paranoid nut case.” she said in a muffled voice. He grasped her hands and moved them from her face as if she were playing peek-a-boo. His face was near hers.

     “You don’t have to apologize! New York can be a dangerous place. I understand.” One of his hands released her arm and gripped her chin so she would look at him. “Why do you think I wanted to walk with you?  Other than to spend more time with you, that is.” His hand felt cool on her heated face.

     “Still. I’m sorry.”

     “That’s all right, Whitley.” He slid his other hand down her arm and intertwined his fingers with hers and brought her hand to the table. He didn’t release her hand. His other hand left her cheek and tucked under the arm that held her hand.

      “So, you are LDS?” she asked with a light in her eyes.

      “Yes.” He smiled at her.

       “Where did you serve your mission?” She toyed with the crumpled straw paper with her free hand.

      “I didn’t.” Her face was like an open book and he saw her disappointment in his comment.

       “I joined the church a year ago, so I am a little too old to go.” Her eyes popped up to search his face.

     “A convert.” She smiled. “Did your parents join, too?”

      “Dad passed away right before I joined and my mother thinks it is a passing phase. It’s a mystery to her why I would join a church that forbids me from drinking and …um…being with the girls she keeps pushing at me.” He glanced down as he saw Whitley’s eyebrows arch upward.

     “Well, at twenty nine, I am sure your life had a lot of changing to do. Especially a guy as gorgeous as you and…and so well…put together.” Her face turned as red as the table cloth on the table. He chuckled at her embarrassment.

    “You find me attractive, do you?” He wiggled his eyebrows up and down and grinned from ear to ear. She glanced at him and her smile peeked out.

     “As if you don’t know it!” She held her hands over her face, trying to cool off her cheeks. “Well, I have put my foot too far in my mouth now. I won’t have room left for my food.”  When she laid her hand back down on the table, David reclaimed it with his.

      “Well, we are even then.  I think you are the most beautiful woman I have ever met.”

    “Hardly!” She scoffed at his words. Her lips went in between her teeth and he couldn’t help himself. He leaned forward and kissed the corner of her mouth.

     “I mean it, Whitley,” he said softly as he stared deep into her eyes. She stared back at him. He placed another soft kiss fully on her lips this time. “You are so beautiful,” he whispered.

     Before she could say anything, he had settled back into his seat and their waitress set their food on the table. The awkward moment passed as they dove into their food. It was all delicious, but all Whitley could think about was his arm lips pressed against her mouth!

      Whitley couldn’t believe how much she enjoyed spending time with David. He was funny, so charming and handsome. He was a gentleman. He made her feel like she was the most important person in the room. He gave her all his attention and she reveled in it. Her smile came freely and without reserve by the time their dinner was over.

    He had kissed her, twice! And she loved how he held her hand. It was as if they had held hands before. He talked with his hand and he moved her hand with his every time he tried to describe something. It made her smile and feel a part of him.

    
D
avid was a tall man, about six foot and she was short about five foot four—but he made her feel as if she were flying on air! He made her feel special. As they walked away from the bistro he had grabbed her hand and tucked it into his coat pocket with his. The conversation picked up where they had left off when David had paid the check.

    “Where are your gloves, my sweet pastry girl?” he asked her in the middle of his sentence.

     “I don’t have any. I lost them somewhere, walking home one day.”

     “Well, that is a shame. I guess I will have to walk you to and from work so your hands won’t get cold from now on!” She laughed at him. “You don’t think I would?” he asked soberly.

      “You can’t take time out of your day to walk me everywhere to keep my hands warm. That is just not something that would be practical. You have a job. Don’t you?” She glanced at him with her eyebrows raised.

    “Sure I do, but I set my own hours and I could be here if you would let me.” He smiled at her.

     “What exactly do you do? Especially if you can set your own hours?” She looked up at him, a question in her eyes.

     David looked straight ahead. “My family owns a clothing store a few streets away.”

    “Oh, yeah? What store? I wonder if I have shopped there before!” Her faced took on a look of excitement.

     “I wouldn’t know. I….Whitley?” His voice dropped to a hushed sound. “Move to the other side of me. Quickly now!” She moved without a second thought and he put his arm around her. His voice stayed low. “I don’t like the looks of those guys up ahead.” As soon as he said it, four young men pushed off the wall and started walking towards them. Their eyes had focused on her for a moment then ran an appraising look over David.

    “Forgive me, this is for your own safety.” David moved her up against the building and started kissing her. His lips covered hers and he was intense in his action. His arms enfolded her and she wrapped her arms around his neck. His kiss deepened, and she felt a shivered race through her body as she returned his kiss with fervor.

    Her mind vaguely registered the voice of the thugs. “Come on, Julio! He’s just getting a piece of his lady! Let’s go!” One of them spoke up in agreement.

     “Yeah, man. Leave the dude alone with his woman.” There was a grunt from someone and then the group moved on.

     David continued to kiss Whitley. He told himself it was in case the trouble makers looked back, but the truth was, he didn’t want to stop kissing her! His mouth continued to claim hers. She continued to kiss him back. Her fingers were in his hair and he groaned deep in his chest from the heat of her kiss.

     Finally, he pulled back to catch a breath and Whitley laid her head on his broad shoulder, she was breathing deeply. Slowly her arms moved down from his shoulders and wedged between their bodies, pressing against his chest, her eyes were closed as she tried to recover from his kisses.

     “Whitley, I’m sorry about those lowlifes coming along, but I am not sorry I kissed you.” He whispered into her hair. She felt his lips brush her hair. “Please forgive me if you think I overstepped my boundaries, but I have wanted to kiss you since the first time I saw you.” She looked up into his eyes. Her shy smile encouraged him. “You don’t hate me for it?”

     “If you noticed, I was kissing you back.” Her hands gripped his lapels. “You are a great kisser, Mr. Ballantine.” She smiled up into his eyes and his head lowered to hers again. Her eyes closed and his lips pressed reverently against hers. He lifted his head.

    “That is what our first kiss should have been,” he said in a quiet voice. She tugged on his lapels again.

     “Well, you already gave me our first kiss at dinner. To tell the truth, I like the ones you just gave me much better.” His face broke out into a grin. He shook his head.

      “And to think my mother thought Mormon girls were prudish.” Whitley gasped and then laughed.

     “I might be a little shy, but I plan to kiss the heck out of my husband! I mean—I didn’t mean to say—what I was trying to say was…” She blushed beet red and grimaced.

      David laughed softly. “Ah, Whitley, just kiss me.” His lips found hers again, letting his feelings for her seep into the kiss without getting out of hand.  She wrapped her arms around his neck again and they kissed for a few more minutes. All of a sudden Whitley pushed away and glanced around.

    “We should go incase those hoods come back!” She grabbed David’s hand and pulled him away from the wall. They ran away laughing, holding hands as the hurried away from the area.

     
T
hey had made it back to the pastry shop and stopped. David pulled her to him and they leaned on the building.

     “Do you have a car? How will you get home?” She stopped and looked nervously around her. It was dark. “What is it?” He had notice the change in her.

     “David, I don’t have a car. I usually ride the subway, but I’ve never ridden it this late at night before.” She gripped his hand tightly.

     “Well, I would never let you. Not alone at night—ever!” He pulled his phone out of his pocket and pushed a button.

     “Hey, man! Sorry to interrupt your night with your woman, but I am out on the town without wheels over on 112
^th
.” David turned his body away as he talked. “No, I would rather not call him at this time, you know?” There was silence as someone else talked. “Over at ‘Patty’s Pastries’. Yes, I’m with Whitley, so there will be two of us needing a ride. Thanks a lot, man. I owe you!”

      David hung up and pulled Whitley close to him He tucked her into his coat and wrapped her in his arms. They snuggled while they waited.

      “So, you called a friend to come get us?” she asked breaking the silence.

      “Yeah, he is the one that introduced me to the church. He is head of security for my family’s store. You’ll like him, he’s a good guy.” She shifted her head against his chest. She heard him clear his throat.

    “Whitley?”

     “Yes?” she answered quietly.

     “The Christmas Ball is coming up soon. It’s an YSA activity. Are you familiar with it?” She pulled back to look him in the face.

     “Yes, I know about it.” If he could have seen her face he would have seen the sadness that traded places with the happy gleam in her eyes. She knew what he was about to ask.

     “Would you attend the Ball with me?” He looked down trying to see her face in the shadows of the night. They were standing at the wrong angle, the street lights made shadows over her face.

      She pulled back and he felt the answer. Of course, he already knew her answer! “Oh, David. I would love to be able to say yes.” She took a deep breath. “I already have a date for the dance.” She shifted in his arms. “Someone asked me a couple weeks ago.”

     “You couldn’t tell him you are… involved with someone else now?” He felt her head tilt upward, trying to see into his face.

     “Is this your way of saying…I mean…we just barely met, David.” He moved his arms from around her and stepped away from the wall.

     “So, are you saying you kiss all the guys you date like you just kissed me back against that wall?” She heard the hurt tone in his voice.

    “No!” She quickly denied his words. “In fact, I haven’t….kissed…anyone…in quite a while.” He turned back to her.

     “I’m sorry. That probably sounded like a jealous school boy.” He took her hand in his. “Will you at least save me a few dances?”

     “I would love to dance with you, David.” Her smile was in her voice. He took her in his arms in a waltz position.

      “Dance with me now.” He whirled her around the sidewalk in a waltz step then twirled her under his arm. He dipped her and brought her up close to his cheek. She could hear him humming a song she didn’t know.

     “You are a divine dancer,” she whispered into his ear.

     “So are you, Darling.” She sighed against his cheek. He stopped dancing.

     “Can I see you again tomorrow?” He had stopped under a street light so they could see each other’s faces again. Whitley smiled up at him.

     “Bright and early, 8:00 a.m. for your pastry order, yes sir!” He laughed at her. Then his face sober.

     “Let me pick you up for work in my car. I don’t want you riding that subway anymore. That makes me nervous for you.” She brought her hand up to touch his face, then let her hand fall to his shoulder.

     “It used to make me very nervous, but I finally got over it. My roommate and I ride together to work, but I used to make her ride with me even on her day off. I just barely stopped needing her as my security blanket and now you want me to stop riding the subway?” She crunched her nose up. “Would that be healthy for me? What if you can’t pick me up or we stopped…seeing each other and then I would have to get over my fear all over again.”

     David bowed his head and their eyes connected. “Please, do this for me.” There was a warmth in his eyes that touched her heart. His next words touched her even more. “I don’t think we will stop seeing each other for a very—long—time.” His arms went around her again. “I think you and I….this is not going to end…if I have my say.” His kiss started soft and slow and was picking up in fervency as she kissed him back. She got lost in the feel of his kiss until a car horn startled them from their embrace. Whitley buried her face in his shoulder as he glanced towards the sound.

    “There’s my buddy.” He kissed her quickly one last time. “What time should I pick you up?” he asked her. She let out a deep breath.

     “I…6:30 should be early enough. I have to be at work at 7:00 a.m.” David took her by the hand and led her to the older, green Subaru that had pulled to the curb. She could see the outline of two people through the fogged windows of the car. David opened the back door and motioned for her to get in first.

      She ducked her head and slid to the farthest side. She picked her head up to look into the shocked eyes of Nora!