“Sarah. You cannot go on a date in a business suit.” Katy went through my closet and pulled out a dress. “What about this?”
“Uh, no way.” I immediately grabbed it from her. “This is a casual get together, Katy. I can’t go looking like I’m off to the prom.”
“It’s not that fancy.”
“It’s still too much.” I sighed. I walked over to my closet and pulled out a pair of jeans and a black top. “This’ll do.”
“That top is not sexy, Sarah.” Katy frowned.
“I don’t want to look too sexy.”
“There is no such thing as too sexy, Sarah.” She grinned at me and held the top up. “Let’s make a compromise then, no bra.”
“No bra?” I screeched. “Are you joking?”
“Sarah, this is New York. And this top is too low-cut to look good with a bra.”
“I don’t wanna be popping out, Katy,” I pleaded with her. “It’s not like I am flat chested.”
“It’ll be fine, Sarah.” She laughed. “Change now and I’ll do your hair and makeup.”
I groaned and changed quickly. I looked at myself in the mirror and flushed. My boobs looked huge in the top and the cut made it look like they could pop out at any time. Normally, I enjoyed looking sexy and getting a lot of attention from men, but I felt self-conscious looking too sexy in front of Bradley. I didn’t want him thinking I’d come for a booty call, even though I was pretty sure that was what he wanted.
“Sexy.” She grinned at me. “Plus, you know he’ll eat it up. You’ll drive him crazy with desire and have him begging you for another date.”
“Ha.” I laughed, but something in me clicked. It would be nice to have Bradley wanting me. That would teach him to be so arrogant. He was so cocky and full of himself. I’d have some fun with him tonight, I’d tease him and make him think he would get some and then go home. That would show him. I laughed again, this time with a lot more joy. “Okay, make me up, Katy.”
She squealed with delight and ran to get her flatiron and makeup bag. By the time she finished with me, I looked like a sleek blonde bombshell. “You look amazing, Sarah.” She grinned. “He is going to be eating out of your hands.”
“Yeah.” I frowned and looked at my phone. “But he hasn’t called me yet. Maybe he changed his mind?” Disappointment flooded through me. Maybe he’d met someone else to go for drinks with.
Katy shook her head. “He’ll call.” And then, as if on cue, my phone rang.
“Hello,” I answered the phone sounding bored, though my heart was beating with a strange excitement. I tried to ignore the feeling.
“Sarah?”
“Bradley?”
“Yes.” He chuckled. “It’s Bradley.” His voice was husky and deep and I could feel my skin warming at the sound.
“Can I help you?” I spoke in a prim voice and Katy looked at me oddly.
“Meet me in the Village at Bucks Bar.” He didn’t ask so much as order me and I could feel myself growing agitated. He really was full of himself.
“Okay.” I had no idea where it was, but I figured I could look it up on Yelp.
“When can you be there?”
“In an hour.” I figured that is how long the trains would take to get me out of Brooklyn and into Manhattan.
“Okay. I’ll see you there.” And he hung up. I took the phone away from my ear, annoyed at his tone. I couldn’t stand it when guys were abrupt with me. Who did he think he was? I was even more determined to be a big tease and then leave him.
“Are you guys still going out?” Katy questioned me.
“Yeah. I’m meeting him in the city. Help me look up the place.” We went over to my laptop and pulled up the address on Yelp.
“Wow, swanky,” Katy commented as we looked at the photos and reviews. “That’s a nice place for a first date. I don’t know many guys that would take me there.” She sighed wistfully.
“Yeah, me either.” I didn’t bother adding on that most guys we dated were too young to even consider going for a drink at someplace that didn’t have dollar beers. “Anyway, I better go. I’ll see you later.” I gave her a quick hug and rushed out of the door.
I arrived at Bucks Bar an hour and a half later. The A train had been delayed and I hadn’t known how else to get there. I ran from the subway to Bucks and arrived extremely out of breath. I looked around when I walked in and saw Bradley sitting in a booth with a hot blonde. She looked like a model, and I studied her jealously. I knew I was cute, but I would never be a model. She started laughing at something Bradley said and reached her hand over to touch his arm. Surprisingly, he removed her hand from his arm and shifted away from her slightly. I would have thought he would have been all over the lady. I studied him from where I stood, he was wearing jeans and a white shirt and in the dark light, he looked younger than I remembered. He looked up, his eyes met mine, and he called me over. I walked slowly; blown away by the warm smile he had given me when he saw me.
He stood up and looked me up and down before giving me a hug. “You look good enough to eat,” he whispered in my ear as he held me close to him. I felt my breasts pushed against the hardness of his chest and I enjoyed the warmth of his body next to mine.
“You look like you were well occupied.” I gave him a tight smile as I withdrew from him reluctantly and looked at the hot blonde.
“Sarah, meet Alexandria. Alexandria, meet Sarah.” He introduced me to the model and I stared at the lady who just looked me up and down dismissively and then stood up. She reached over and kissed Bradley on the cheek. “Call me,” she said to him and then walked away. I watched her go, happy to be alone with Bradley.
“What would you like to drink, Sarah?” Bradley called over a waiter and ordered himself a scotch on the rocks.
“Um, Malibu Sprite, please.” I ordered a drink, even though I had told myself that I wasn’t going to drink anything alcoholic that evening.
“So, Sarah, are you going to tell me what you do at Green & Hall’s?” He whispered at me softly and adjusted his position in the seat so that his thigh was resting against mine.
“No.” I smiled at him sweetly and attempted to move away from him.
“Okay.” He smiled. “So what shall we talk about?” He moved closer to me once again and I felt him running his fingers up and down my thigh.
“You decide. You invited me.” I put my hand down on his to stop him from trailing it up and down my leg. I was enjoying the feel of it too much and I didn’t want to let him think he could get with whatever he wanted from me.
“Tell me about yourself,” he whispered in my ear. I jumped when I felt his tongue slide in and out of my ear canal.
“Um, what are you doing?” I looked at him in shock, though I was starting to feel turned on. I couldn’t believe he was being so blatantly sexual with me. This man wasn’t playing around.
“I just wanted to see if your ear was as sweet as your mouth.” He grinned at me, and I felt butterflies shooting through my stomach.
“That’s not really appropriate, is it?” I looked at him sternly.