No Ordinary Romance (20 page)

“Can I help you?”

Connie turned around and was standing face to
face with Thomas. Thomas grabbed her around the waist and pulled
her close to his body for a kiss. She punched him in the arm for
scaring her. “Thomas you scared the bejesus out of me. What are you
doing here?"

"Well this is my mother's house, and I do
visit her from time to time. I take it that you're here for the
luncheon; it's still a little early for attendees."

"I'm looking for your mom; I made cookies for
the luncheon.”

Thomas gave her a little smirk, shaking his
head as if he were a little disappointed in her. “So this was the
big project that kept you out of my bed last night. You didn't have
to kick me out of your house; I've been told that I can be handy. I
know that we've been taking it slow, but we can't hide our
relationship forever and especially not from my nosey mother."

Sometimes Thomas could be so exasperating.
"I'm not trying to hide our relationship Thomas; I just don't like
everybody in my business."

Thomas loved it when she got all flustered,
it soothed his male ego. "Listen babe, we're both public figures;
we attend a lot of social functions and we will be attending them
together. I don't mind sleeping over your house every once in a
while, but eventually were going to have to come to terms with our
living arrangements as well."

"Living arrangements!" Connie was feeling
claustrophobic, Thomas was moving way too fast for her.

Thomas could kick his own ass for causing
anxiety in Constantina. "Calm down, we don't have to make any
decisions today. Mom’s in the kitchen talking to the caterer. Do
you want me to help you with the cookies?”

“Yes, I need help I have three trays of
cookies. I really didn't expect to see you here today at the
League's luncheon of all places."

He came to help his mother put up tables; he
decided to stay because his mother told him that Constantina made
cookies for the luncheon. He wondered why Constantina hid this
tidbit of information. She wasn't like any other woman; she didn't
view him as a conquest. "I'm in touch with my feminine side."

Connie didn't believe him for one minute, the
air of innocence he was displaying didn't quite mesh with the man
she'd come to know. "Uhmm, as for kicking you out last night, I
didn't tell you that you couldn't come back."

Thomas laughed. “Now you tell me, I kind of
take it as a compliment. You knew that you wouldn't be able to
function let alone make cookies if I stayed. Be careful my mom is
on the war path, every time she hosts one of these luncheons I try
to make myself scarce."

"I'm shocked! A big masculine man like you is
afraid of his mother."

"Not exactly afraid, but I don't spend too
much time with my mom. Whenever she sees you, she's starts talking
about me. She's been known to spread some pretty vicious
rumors.”

Connie smiled in return; Joanie didn’t have a
vicious bone in her body. “Are you afraid she’ll expose some of
your secrets?”

Thomas got serious, “Connie I’ll tell you
anything you want to know if you'll smiled for me again. If you
kiss me, I'll be your slave for life.”

Connie felt a flush rise from her breasts to
her face. “I've been warned. Maybe I’ll see you later.”

Thomas watched her walk away. Today she had
on a blue flower print dress, with some type of gauzy white jacket,
and open toed sandals. Her toenails were painted a vivid bright
red. “I will definitely see you later Ms. Jacobs.”

Connie ignored Thomas’s last statement;
they've been practically living in each other's pockets since they
got back together. She planned to drop off the cookies and be on
her way. She found Joanie in the kitchen harassing the poor
caterer. “Hello Joanie, I got the cookies I promised. Where do you
want me to put them?”

Joanie’s face lit up, Connie was so lovely,
and she could see the faces of her grandchildren. “Connie dear it’s
good to see you; you’ve come at just the right time. Could you help
me put the place cards out?”

Before Connie could answer, Joanie had thrust
the table assignments and name tents in her hands. “Sure Joanie,
you didn’t tell me where you’d like the cookies to go. I have three
trays; Thomas is getting them out of the car.”

“Oh don’t worry about that dear. I'll tell
Thomas where to put them.”

Connie set out the name tents as Joanie
requested, heck there had to be at least 150 people attending this
luncheon. She flipped through the placards, and she couldn’t
believe that Joanie had her sitting next to Thomas. There was no
way that was going to happen. Thomas couldn't keep his hands to
himself. I his mother didn't know they were an item she would know
by the end of the day. Connie quickly made changes that would put
her several tables away from him.

Thomas didn’t give her keys back after
carrying in the cookies; she had a feeling that was a deliberate
move on his part. They have been kind of low key with their
relationship, she wouldn't put it past him to stand up and make an
announcement in front of the whole Women's League just to embarrass
her.

By the time Connie finished with the name
tents, attendees began showing up for the luncheon. She decided not
to make a big issue about staying. She really liked Joanie, and she
didn't want to disappoint her by skipping out. Connie walked to the
buffet to fix herself a plate, everything looked so good. She
filled her plate with macaroni salad, chicken wings, meatballs, and
tuna casserole. When she got back to the table, several women sat
there chatting.

She knew a couple of them as casual
acquaintances. Connie didn’t like one woman in particular. She was
always rude and abrasive. If she knew her name, she certainly
wouldn’t have put her place card on the table. Connie was so
focused on attendees at the table that she didn’t realize that
Thomas sat down beside her until he spoke to her.

“I see you really like macaroni salad; I’ll
have to remember that.”

Connie hissed at him, “I believe your name
tent is at another table.”

Thomas smiled at her, he liked getting a rise
out of Connie, and it was much more fun getting to the real woman.
“Yeah I noticed that, I saw Mom’s original seating arrangements and
as I recall you were seated next to me. I couldn’t disappoint my
mother now could I?”

When Thomas smiled at her, she lost her train
of thought, damn his smile should be outlawed. She’d been thinking
of sex non-stop since the day she met him. She decided to ignore
Thomas and focus on eating, everything tasted so good, and she
needed some more macaroni salad.

“I love watching you eat; I can tell that
you’re really enjoying your food. Would you like to try my barbecue
ribs? Lick your fingers afterwards. I love watching your tongue in
action."

“Leave me in peace. You probably crashed this
party just for the sole purpose of bothering me.” Connie was
feeling flustered, a feeling she didn’t feel too often. All of the
women at the table seemed to notice their actions. It was like
living in a fish bowl, a place she clearly didn’t like being.

Thomas picked up her hand and kissed her
knuckles. He stared into her eyes as he licked her skin. He felt
her hand twitch before she snatched it out of his grasp. “I promise
to behave if you go to dinner with me tonight. I know this great
place by the Mormon Bridge that serves excellent steaks.”

“Why didn't you just say dinner at your house
you nut? Stop acting like you’ve never seen a woman before.”

Thomas smiled at Connie and winked.
“Sweetheart, I’ve never met a woman like you. Are you going to
spend the weekend with me?”

Connie furrowed her brow and twitched her
lips. "Would you please lower your voice." She whispered in a
hushed tone. If you promise to behave, I'm sure that could be
arranged."

"I'm not ashamed of our relationship, matter
of fact I've been thinking of taking out an article in the
newspaper. Thomas Galvin is sexing up Constantina Jacobs every
chance he gets."

“Cut it out you two, decent women are trying
to eat."

"I'll behave Rachel I wouldn't want decent
women to lose their appetite. My mother would never forgive
me."

"Thomas, Connie isn’t the only woman at the
table, you wouldn’t know it the way you're acting. A man like in
your position should watch the company you keep. You do know that
Connie owns The Purple Feather. She sells intimate items and sex
toys, totally inappropriate for a man in your position.” Rachel
Creswell was satisfied that she put that low rent bitch in her
place she wasn’t like the rest of them. She was nothing more than
white trash raised in North Omaha by a black mammy.

Connie looked at the woman’s name tent. Uhmm,
she wondered how many Creswell’s lived in the greater Omaha area
and what are the odds that Kimmie is related to this viper.
“Creswell, do you have a daughter named Kimmie?”

“Yes, Kimmie is my daughter. Where could you
have possibly met her; she doesn’t exactly hang around in your
circle?”

Thomas was leery of the expression of the
expression on Connie’s face. Her eyes changed from violet blue to a
startling royal blue in a matter of seconds. Oh hell, some shit was
about to hit the fan. “Why don’t we…”

“Yes I’m very familiar with Kimmie Creswell.
She visits The Purple Feather four to five times a month. I could
stay in business on her purchases alone. I guess Kimmie doesn’t
tell mommy everything, huh!” Take that you stuck up bitch Connie
thought to herself. She went back to her lunch and smiled across
the table at Rachel Creswell. Rachel gasped and quickly got up from
the table, several of the women laughed at Rachel’s departure.

Thomas looked at Connie and smiled. His felt
his jeans tighten around the crotch, he was so hard right now that
he could hit someone and do damage. Connie smiled back at him, and
he thought he would come at the lunch table. Shit! His woman had
too much damn control over his emotions. “Remind me never attack
you.”

“I’ve put up with crap from snotty bitches
like her for most of my life. If someone attacks me, I don’t get
mad, but I undoubtedly get even. I’m just sorry it happened at
Joanie’s luncheon. Why don’t you try some of my cookies? You
certainly have enough of them on your second plate.”

“Are you insinuating that I’m a pig?”

Now that, the poisonous bitch left the table,
the other women at the table went back to their own conversations.
“If the shoe fit’s wear it. Now let’s get back to the dinner
invitation you mentioned earlier. What's on the menu? She picked a
rib off his plate and made sure to lick her fingers.”

Thomas cleared his throat. “I was thinking of
putting some steaks on the grill, stuffed bake potatoes, and corn
on the cob. If we leave now, we can relieve all this sexual
tension, have a nap, and be ready for dinner around six.”

“That sounds good, but I have to help the
staff with the final inventory at the store today. I promised the
new owner that I'd have it done this weekend. If you're real good
I'll bring you back some toys.”

Thomas rested he’s chin in his hand, he
noticed that Connie’s eyes were back to being violet blue. “Did you
know your eyes are like a mood ring? When we make love, they turn
royal blue, just like when you ripped Rachel a new ass. It must be
the intense emotion, I think that color is my favorite shade.”

Thomas was a smug bastard, he knew he was hot
property and had been overwhelming her senses since she arrived.
“I’ve been told they change to a royal blue or turquoise in the
midst of sex." Connie’s smiled got wider as the smirk left Thomas’s
lips.

Thomas hated the fact the other men have
knowledge of her body, but he swore to himself that he would be the
last one. “You may have been with other men, but I know for a fact
that I'm the only one who gave you an orgasm. Thomas put his
fingers on her lips to stop any retort Connie may have.

“I expect to see you for dinner at six.” He
dug her car keys out of his pocket and placed them on the table
next to her plate. Then he kissed her before he got up from the
table and dumped his trash. Thomas was happy with himself; he knew
that Constantina wanted to keep their relationship on the down low.
Judging by the surprised looks on everybody's face, the cat was out
of the bag, and Constantina had to deal with it.

Joanie was watching the byplay between her
son and Connie for the last few minutes. She would love to know
what that snake Rachel Creswell said to Connie. She knew good and
damn well that her seating arrangement didn’t put Rachel at their
table. Connie probably rearranged the table tents trying to deflect
her boy. Joanie laughed to herself. Thomas was a man on a mission,
and he had his sights on Connie. She planned to give him all of her
support.

***

It was close to six by the time Connie pulled
into Thomas's driveway. The inventory was done, and so was her
involvement with The Purple Feather. The new owner takes over
Monday, and she promised to keep the current staff. She breathed a
sigh of relief as she let herself into Thomas's house. The only
thing she wanted to do is be with her man. "Thomas"

"I'm back here on the deck babe."

Connie put her purchases from The Purple
Feather in one of the chairs as she made her way to the back deck.
She could smell the steaks and grilled corn. One thing she loves
about Thomas was his abilities in the kitchen. She came out on the
deck and dinner was served. The table was set with romance in mind,
there were even candles on the table. She even heard jazz playing
in the background. "Mr. Galvin I didn't know you were such a
romantic."

Thomas took off his cooking apron and pulled
out her chair. He fixed her plate as if serving her was the only
thing on his mind. "Romance is all about motivation. When I saw you
earlier, today I would have loved nothing better than to pull you
behind the shed. However, sitting at the luncheon with you, I saw
the puffiness in your eyes which let me know that you didn't have
enough sleep. You stayed up all night baking cookies for my mother.
Then you went and worked most of the day so you could finish your
commitment to the new owner of The Purple Feather. I wanted tonight
to be all about you."