Andy laughed. “I better get going. It was nice to see you again, Rome.”
“And you, Miss Evergreen.”
“If we’re going on a date, call me Andy, please.”
“Will do, Andy.”
He heard her laugh as she got to her feet. With her back turned, he couldn’t help but fist-pump the air.
If his brothers saw him now, they’d berate him for giving the Hard name a bad one. When it came to women, they were both experts, while he’d been floundering all his adult life.
He smiled to himself.
Andy had said yes.
He was finally going on a date with the woman he’d been wanting all his life.
Just as he was about to get up, he saw James, his oldest brother, enter the coffee shop.
After getting to his feet, he walked up to his brother. “I’ve got a date tonight. With Miss Evergreen, I mean Andy.”
“Glad to hear it. You just got Caleb a hundred bucks,” James said.
“What? How?”
“He said you’d ask your teacher out.”
“You’ve got bets against me?”
“Please, the whole town has got a bet against you, for you, with you, whichever way you want to look at it. You’re the last Hard boy, Rome. Make it count.”
****
This was a mistake.
Andy turned left and right as she looked at herself in the sixth dress she’d tried on. All of them screamed woman wanting to fuck, at least to her, they did.
This was going to be a very conservative date.
Lilly had told her about Rome’s crush. She’d expected Rome to ask her on a date at Lilly and Caleb’s wedding. He never did. In fact, it had taken him a couple of months to ask her.
She hadn’t lied to Rome. As a student, she never saw them as anything other than people she needed to help. Not in a sterile kind of way, but in a loving, nurturing one. She was helping the next generation of people to be the best they could be. She wasn’t looking to break or bend the rules.
Rome wasn’t the same boy he’d been back then.
The nerdy glasses were still there, but they were no longer chunky frames, but sleek ones that accentuated his face. Sometimes he even wore contacts, which again only enhanced how handsome he’d become.
Of all the Hard boys, Rome had been a late developer. Not one for sports throughout high school. He’d been tall, slender. The kind of kid that to look at him, you’d think a good wind would carry him away.
He’d filled out, stopped growing, and was very much a hard, muscular man, following in his brothers’ footsteps. With Rome, it was different though.
There was a sweetness within his gaze, but also a darkness, perhaps a possible hunger.
He never scared her. In fact, he intrigued her and had been doing so for months now, but she never said anything to anyone. Nibbling on her lip, she peeled off the black dress and instead replaced it with the blue one.
She needed to get a haircut but hadn’t gotten around to it.
Sliding a few pins into her locks, to pull it away from her face, she grabbed a cardigan to help ward off the cold. She should probably have gotten jeans or something like that, but she loved being in dresses. Loved the feel of them against her body.
Before moving to this small town, she lived with her mother, who had sadly passed away before the journey but had spent her whole life putting her down. According to her mother, men were only interested in women with slender figures, not fuller curves. She remembered so clearly all the times she was forced into a lingerie shop and ordered to pick a smaller bra in an effort to contain her breasts.
It had been humiliating, but rather than feeling like her body was ugly, Andy had rebelled against it. She had learned to love her curves, and it also helped to have been exploring her sexuality with an artist. They’d both gone to the same college, where he studied art and was now a budding artist within the community. He’d helped her to see herself, to love herself, to accept herself for who she was.
Since then, Andy never allowed any cruel comment to put her down. She was beautiful, sexy, and grateful for the life and body she had.
Her doorbell rang, and she looked away from the mirror to head downstairs. Her hands felt slightly clammy with nerves.
Opening the door though, her nerves all faded as she caught sight of Rome in a suit.
“I thought I overdressed,” she said.
“You look stunning.”
“Well, thank you.” She chuckled and gave him a curtsy. “Do you know where you’ll be taking us tonight?”
“Yes. Are you ready?”
“A man of mystery?” she asked. “You’re not going to tell me?”
“I was thinking a walk first.” He winced. “But, shit, I didn’t bring my car, and I’m so sorry for cussing with you. It’s too cold.”
She swiped at her jacket. “You will be surprised how warm this dress is. I would love a walk.”
Andy had no problem with the cold. She liked it. She loved the fall and winter months much more than the summer. Spring was okay, but she loved to snuggle up and stay at home.
After locking her front door, she put her hand in Rome’s, and they walked together. Her house was near the town, so they didn’t have far to walk until they were surrounded by people. As usual, close to Christmas, the town was still humming with activity. The cold and dark nights did not deter shoppers, and seeing as there were many artisanal shops, they wanted all the customers they could get.
This was why she preferred the town to the city. The locals were more of a family than anyone else. She loved it here.
They were both stopped a few times. She smiled as there appeared to be a little buzz in the fact he was holding her hand. Andy had no doubt they were going to be the big topic of discussion by the end of the night.
“How about a walk in the park?” he asked.
“I’d love to.”
The park was gently lit, and they took the path.
“I’m sorry about everyone,” Rome said.
“Don’t worry about it. I figured people would want to know who you decided to hang out with.” She smiled. “I don’t mind.”
He opened his mouth about to speak, but they heard a gasp, followed by a guttural moan.
“Yeah, fuck, that feels good.”
Andy glanced at Rome, who looked toward the foliage.
“It’s probably nothing,” she said.
“Yeah.”
They walked a few more feet, and Rome grabbed her hand, tugging her against a tree and taking her off the beaten path. His body pressed against hers.
“What is it?” she asked.
“Up ahead.” He licked his lips. “It’s a couple.”
“It is?”
“You want to see?” he asked.
She heard another moan, and her curiosity was just going to get the better of her. “Yes.”
Rome stepped back and she looked around the tree, surprised by what she saw. The couple was up ahead. She didn’t recognize them, but clearly, they were thrill seekers or darers, or simply so deeply in love they didn’t care if they got caught.
The park was pretty much abandoned.
It was just her, Rome, and the couple fucking. Only, they weren’t fucking yet.
They were not far from the couple.
Andy couldn’t believe what she saw. The woman wore a skirt and a long jacket, and she was crouched between the man’s legs. His cock was out between the fly of his pants, head thrown back.