I reached Kate's apartment and found her in the kitchen, cutting up the vegetables for tonight's supper. My mood was a thousand times better than when I first arrived in Columbus; I couldn't help but wear a massive smile on my face." Hey Katie Bug!"
Kate turned around from the counter long enough to greet me with a smile. "Tati! I thought I heard you come in. Dinner will be ready real soon!" She turned back around, busying herself plating the tomatoes.
I walked over to the kitchen island and set the bag of apples down." Would you care if I baked an apple pie?"
Kate washed the knife she was using and put it in the drainer by the sink. "Of course not! Help yourself to the kitchen. The ingredients you should need are all in the cabinet closest to the stove, butter is in the fridge, and my pots and pans are under the sink."
My smile reached my eyes." Thanks, Kate!" I walked over to the cabinet to take out the ingredients needed to make the pie and set them on the counter. Kate finished putting the chopped veggies in the fridge and left the kitchen. I walked over to the sink and bent down to look underneath it for a pie pan and mixing bowls.
Mentally, I went through the list of ingredients one last time before cutting and peeling the apples. I sat them aside and melted the butter in the microwave. Once the butter melted, I mixed it with cinnamon, sugar, and brown sugar.
I saved making the pie crust for last; unlike Mama, I couldn't make a thin flaky pie crust to save my life. By the time im done, my clothes have a coat of flour. Wearing a smile on my face and a sense of achievement, I put the pie in the oven and set the timer to bake.
I walk out of the kitchen to get cleaned up, and as I pass the front door, I hear someone knock.
Kate called out, "Tati can you get the door?"
I opened the door, not thinking much about it. Most likely, it would be Kate's parents. Instead of seeing Mr. and Mrs. Hall, I was caught entirely off guard. There Axon stood, holding the same dozen roses I helped him pick out. Instead of his eyes meeting mine, he was looking down at his feet.
My mouth hung wide open for a moment, not exactly knowing what to say or do." Axon, what a lovely surprise. What are you doing here?" I probably sounded rude, I tried keeping my smile, but it was fading fast. My nerves had gotten the best of me.
His eyes trailed from the floor to mine, parting his lips slightly, he smiled a crooked smile. "Tatianna?"
Kate walked over to the door a gleam in her eye."Oh great! You guys have met."
I looked at Kate in confusion, slightly arching my eyebrow. Is Kate Axon's blind date?
He turned from me and grinned."You look well, Kate!"
Kate nudged me towards him and grinned like a Cheshire cat."Axon, this is Tati, the girl I told you about."
He smiled, his cheeks a rosy red. "It's lovely to see you again, and you must be my blind date?"
I'm going to kill Kate! She knew that I'm in no shape to date. Hell, I haven't even officially broken it off with Jackson. I will when I've calmed down enough not to kill him or cut off his unmentionables.
Kate smiled before she said, "Well, I better be going now."
My eyes looked anywhere, but near Axon, I said to Kate, "Wait! You didn't tell me you were going out?"
" I'm sorry, Tati, it completely slipped my mind. Enjoy your date!" She quickly exited the front door, not giving a second glance back or time for an argument.
Well, at least she made tacos. "Will you excuse me, Axon? I need to freshen up. Just make yourself at home."
He walked through the door in a daze and took a seat on the couch.
Quickly, I ran off to the guest bedroom to change my clothes. I looked at my appearance in the vast stand-up mirror, Just as I thought I'm wearing a coat of flour from my head to my toes. Great, just great; I didn't have time for a bath or a shower, so I shook the flour out of my hair and undressed. I slipped on a fuzzy red sweater dress and black leggings. Along with a pair of grey fuzzy sweater boots. I quickly looked at myself in the mirror, teasing my straight, long, black hair." Good enough!"
I walked down the hall and into the living room. Axon stood up and handed me the roses. "These are for you."
I smiled and took the roses. "Thank you! I better get these into some water. I'll be right back!"
I walked into the kitchen and searched for a vase. Finally, I found one underneath the sink. I cut the bottom of the roses and set them in the vase filling them with water. I carried them into the dining room that joins the living room and put them on the table.
At a brisk pace, I walked back over to the couch and sat beside him.
"What smells so heavenly?" He asked as he sniffed the air.
My smile reached my eyes, and my cheeks flushed at the compliment."' I'm making a homemade apple pie."
"You bake?" His eyes grew large as if he was surprised by that.
I took my bottom lip in between my teeth and lightly chewed, looking down at my fidgeting hands; I said, "I used to, but I don't ever get the chance anymore."
"Right, you must be a very busy woman. Kate tells me you're in the process of starting your own business. I can give you some pointers if you'd like. I'm the owner and CEO of Blaze Enterprises. They specialize in technology upgrades, but enough about me. Tell me about yourself, like how do you know Kate?"
"Let's see." I touched my jaw and began to ponder. I can't very well tell him the truth, can I? "Kate has been my best friend for seven years now. We met during a.." Can I tell him how we met? Kate hasn't told him I'm a famous model, and I'm pretty thankful for that. He doesn't know who I am. Isn't this what I always wanted, someone who likes me for me?
"You met at a?" He says, nudging me to finish my sentence.
"At a business convention, and we've been best friends ever since." I lowered my head, so I didn't have to look him in the eyes. My stomach did flips, and I'm starting to feel guilty. I just met him, and I'm already lying. Maybe I've been around Jackson too long?
"So what kind of business do you plan on starting?"
I lift my head high and proud. Finally, a question, I'm sure of."I plan to start my clothing line collection. I've been drawing and designing for years; I've just never had the time to start up until recently."
"That sounds very interesting. What brings you to Ohio?" He says with a grin.
I'm not about to tell him the truth, so I'll let him know the partial truth. Answer the question with a question. Why not it works with the media?"What brings anyone here? Im Just having a mini-vacation while visiting my best friend, Kate. California can get quite tiring."
His hands start to get antsy; his smile is reaching his eyes."Kate never mentioned where you live. What part of Cali do you live in?"
"Los Angeles." I caught myself frowning.
"It's hard to believe you're my blind date.”He laughs a nervous laugh.
"My friend tends not to tell me things. Especially that she's set me up on a blind date." I smile, but I'm secretly planning how to get Kate back. Revenge sweet revenge.
He grins."Typical Kate!"
He acts as if he knows her; now I'm curious to know their story."How do you know Kate?"
"She's dating my best friend, Aiden."
My eyes grow large; I'm surprised, to say the least."Really? She never mentioned having a boyfriend." I have a feeling she hasn't mentioned him because of my breakup. Typical, Kate is always trying to make everyone else happy.
"They've only been dating a few months. I just found out myself. Aiden doesn't talk about his love life."
I let out a small sigh." Neither does Kate. Will you excuse me?” I head into the kitchen to get the pie out of the oven. “Why don't you have a seat at the table, and I'll bring the food."
He stands up to follow me. "How about I come and help you instead?"
"Okay, right this way!" I feel his eyes linger on me as we walk into the kitchen.
I pick up the oven mitts and take the pie out to cool, turning off the oven in the process. Axon carries out the pot of meat on the stove as I gather the fridge's remaining ingredients. I walk into the dining room to find him waiting at the table. This date is going better than I expected.
We sat down to make our plates. We were picking up the conversation from the living room. I found myself laughing and smiling—something I hadn't done in a while. I got the feeling Axon was perfect for me, it was too bad I just got out of a breakup, but we could still be friends, couldn't we?When the night was over, and I had walked him to the door, I found myself wishing for just five more minutes. I didn't want the night to end.He shuffled his feet at the door and ran his fingers through his short blonde hair."Well, it was lovely meeting you, Tatianna. Do you, maybe think, that I could take you out sometime?" You could tell he was nervous about asking the question.I smiled to reassure him and, maybe with a little too much enthusiasm, said, "Sure" Reaching out to him, I placed a peck on his cheek. Wishing I could turn it into more, but instead, I just said, "good night!" As I closed the door.Bracing my body against the door in a swoon-worthy pos
Axons POV I'm glad I agreed to go on a blind date with Tatianna. Aiden was right; she's just what I needed to get my mind off of Becca. She must have thought I was a desperate fool. How was I supposed to know she was my blind date? I had felt bad that I knocked her down, and I needed a woman's perspective.It's been a long time since I've been on the prowl. Becca made sure of that. She was breathtaking, from her beautiful blonde hair to her sexy long legs. Some days I miss her, I miss us, but a part of me knew we wouldn't last. I gave her my best, but my best wasn't good enough. I know I shouldn't be thinking about her; a year is plenty enough time to get over her, but I can't. I don't understand how my love for her wasn't enough to keep her clean.She had her choice, and I've made mine. It's time I move on and stop living in the past. I miss her laugh, and I miss her smile. I miss her morning kisses, and the de
Well, that may have been a dud. My first blind date and hopefully my last. I thought we hit it off. I even agreed to a second date. Yet Axon didn't call me. I guess there's a first for everything.The days are passing by rather quickly, and soon I'll be back in LA. As of now, I'm in Honolulu doing a bikini shoot. Not my favorite thing to model, but let's be honest, all women have their insecurities. At least after this photo session, I get to meet up with Kia. I haven't seen him in forever!We met in Hawaii, he was a stand-in model, and we've been inseparable ever since. He's like a total girlfriend. It just sucks he lives so far away. I've been begging him to move to LA for over a year, but he always shoots me down."Focus, Tati baby, the sooner we get this shoot done, the sooner we can all go home." The photographer calls out to me, interrupting my thoughts."Now show me beach vibes." He orders.I sit on this rock looking out at the
The sun is beating down through the window of my little bungalow. Kia has me wrapped snuggly in his arms. He truly is my rock. After I left the club, he saw my emotional state, I may entirely be over Jackson, but my heart is not.We came home and overate on ice cream. Let me tell you, Ice cream and alcohol do not mix. I'm thankful for Kia.He begins to stir. "God who turned on the light, Tati, turn it off." He's never been a morning person, especially after a night of drinking."Kia, I can't turn off the sun. Get your lazy butt up, and let's go to the beach." I say while unwrapping myself from his death grip.He yawns and pulls a pillow over his face. "In a minute, Tati, I need my beauty sleep.""If you get anymore, I'll look like the beast next to you," I say jokingly."Fine, just know I hate you, now go get ready while I try to torture my eyes to open." His voice muffled from the pillow.I get up off the bed and walk to my dresser.
They say absence makes the heart fonder, but that couldn't be true in this case. I walk in the home Jackson and I shared for a year, for the last time. The walls are white, and everywhere I look, I see him. This place was once my home, sweet home. But I can't take it here anymore. I walk through the hall into the bedroom; nothing here has changed. His dirty clothes still lay in a pile on the floor.I've been gone for almost a month, and it doesn't look like he's changed a thing. I grab all the suitcases I own and pack the rest of my belongings. I know since it's the morning, he won't be here. It's better this way. He's not ready to let me go, but I'm damn sure prepared to let him go.Before coming back to LA, I had my real-estate agent find and furnish a penthouse. That's where my best friend Kia and I will be staying. The best part is it's on the other side of the city, away from him. I finish packing and hear voices in the hall; it sounds like Jackson and a woman's v
Axons POVI sit in my home office and stare at the phone like it's about to burst in my hand. I know I need to suck it up and call her, but it's easier said than done.LA has been a new start. I'm getting into a routine. Becca's memory is further away, but I won't lie; I still think of her from time to time. Today I'm thinking of Tatianna. Aiden informed me that she's back in LA and I'd like to see her. The problem is, I'm not sure how to begin to ask her out.Don't get me wrong, I'm a strong, confident man when it comes to business, but it is a whole other subject when it comes to Tatianna.I dial her number before I can think to change my mind. Three rings and her sweet, soft melodic voice, sings through the phone."Hello!""Hi, Tatianna!" I say sheepishly."Axon, how are you?" Tatianna asks with a sense of glee in her voice. My confidence is coming back. Is she happy to be talking to me?“ Listen, Tatianna; I was
"OUCH!" My hand hit his face in one swift move; I don't know why I smacked him. I felt terrible; he was out of line, though. The guilt gnawed at me, so I kissed him and all of his pain away. I'm a complete mess. I know this for a fact, but Axon makes me have feelings I shouldn't have." Damn Tatianna, I'm sorry, I just." Before he could finish, I kiss him again and this time with more passion."Shhhh, don't say a thing. We can finish this conversation in the morning." Shutting the door, I began kissing him fearsomely.His hands in my hair, yanking me closer to him. My body is responding to his touch; my skin is burning like it's a thousand degrees. I feel my heart kick up fifty notches higher. I'm aching, to my core. It's been so long since a man has touched me in this way, and I've enjoyed it.He kisses and sucks my sweet spots along my neck. How does he know? It's like he can read me. My hands are scratching into his back. I wouldn't object to him takin
I wake up from a great night of sleep to find my bed empty. Could I have been asleep that long? Tatianna must have snuck out in the middle of the night. I look at the clock on the wall; the clock reads a little past noon. Crap! I never sleep this long.My mind instantly replays last night's event. Tatianna took me by surprise. The way she smacked me and kissed me, I've never been so confused in my life. I can still feel her soft lips lingering on mine.I hadn't been with a woman in so long; Becca was my last. At first, my nerves took over, but after Tattianna attacked me, it brought out my primal side. I can still picture Tatianna wrapped around me, our moans mixing, drowning each other out. I wish she would have stuck around for us to go another round.My cock is pulsing and hard as a rock, just thinking of last night's events. I slip my hand around my cock and release the tension, picturing its Tatiannas lips wrapped around my shaft. It doesn't take long befor