Because the Night

~Chapter Eight~

Mike stood slack-jawed. “She leaves an entire wardrobe at his flat? Of course, you’d have doubts! Who wouldn’t question the relationship?”

“So, I’m not just being petty?”

Marc patted my leg. “Not to us, and we’re guys. So, if we can see the unusual side of this, he should be able to understand.”

I sighed. “Good. I thought it was just me.”

Mike raised his eyebrows. “Is Melinda the owner of that phenomenal Vera Wang couture number from Thursday?”

I nodded.

Mike whistled. “Holy crap, girl! I am amazed that you consented to wear it.”

I cringed. “Do I want to know?”

“Not really.” They spoke in unison.

“Ugh.” I groaned. “Now you have to tell me.” I grabbed a bottle of water and took a sip, then promptly choked on it. “What?” My eyes jumped from brother to brother. “He sent me to work in an outfit that costs nearly three thousand dollars?”

Marc patted my knee again. “Honey, the blouse alone runs a minimum of five hundred.”

I shook my head. “No wonder everyone kept pointing at me. When I see Genevieve on Monday, I’m going to kick her backside. She could have at least said something sooner. Then I could have gone home and changed. What if I had spilled something during lunch?”

The boys both grunted a laugh. Mike spoke. “Honey, if you had dripped anything, first the man would have licked it off of you. Then he would have taken you shopping for another.”

I smacked them as we laughed.

***

While I counted myself to be calm and rational in nearly all situations, I simply could not maintain my calm regarding dinner with Lisimba and Melinda. Marc came over to keep me company while Mike was at work. The younger brother would arrive home just in time to meet the mysterious Melinda. They’d nearly threatened a phony emergency if I did not let them meet the woman with such expensive tastes.

I threw yet another outfit to join the growing pile on my bed. “That one is no good, either. The woman wears five hundred dollar blouses, Marc. How do I compete with that?” I bent over, rifling through my bottom drawer.

“Just do that.” Marc groaned. “Good lord, woman. Is it really your desire to have me erupt in flames?”

“What?” I furrowed my brow and glanced back at him.

His pained expression clued me in only seconds before he spoke. “I’m sitting in your bedroom, watching you slither in and out of all sorts of sexy outfits, and you’re bent over while wearing a very sexy, yet very skimpy lace bra and thong panties. Need I say more?”

I turned as red as a stop sign. “I’m sorry, Marc. If it helps, I’ll let you pick something from my lingerie to take home with you.”

He groaned again.

I chuckled. “Not too sure I’ll want it back.”

***

“Goodness, Melinda. You are absolutely gorgeous.”

My face flamed. I hadn’t meant for those to be the first things I said to Lisimba’s friend. Yet, as usual, my mouth over ruled my brain.

Every person in the room laughed.

Marc patted my back. “Great way to break the ice, Cici.” He extended his hand and introduced himself and his brother. “You’ll have to excuce Cici. She has ‘foot-in-mouth’ disease.”

I nearly choked when the woman slide her fingers along Marc’s jaw and uttered, “Don’t we all?” Her eyes flew from Marc to Mike and back to Marc. Then she smiled at me. “It makes you wonder if perhaps they do everything together, doesn’t it?”

Finally, I was not the only one in the room gawking.

Lisimba shook his head. He signaled toward the waiting lift. “Shall we adjourn, ladies?”

I nodded and then grabbed my handbag. “Lock up when you leave, boys. Not sure when I’ll get home.”

They followed us into the hall, watching until the elevator doors closed. I chuckled. “Melinda, I think I like you. You struck the twins speechless.”

We fell into amicable chatter during the limo ride. We covered a variety of topics, mostly centered around the twins and our relationship with each other.

Melinda smiled as Lisimba handed each of us out. “Do you think the boys would be up for an adventure?”

My mouth had fallen open so many times in the matter of an hour that I’m amazed I didn’t suffer permanently from the constant shock. I forced my mandible upwards and then made a point of sweeping my eyes over her appraisingly. I gave half a nod. “You know, Melinda, if anyone can find out, I do believe it will be you. Apparently, they like outspoken females because they’ve adopted me. You can ask them when Lisimba drops me off. They’ll be waiting, like good little boys.”

***

I savored another morsel of tender cooked beef. As the intense flavor melted on my tongue and slid down my throat, I moaned my contentment. “Lisimba, this food is amazing. I’m going to gain an ungodly amount of weight if I keep letting you feed me like this.” I glanced up to find him and Melinda simply staring at me. My skin tingled under their matched gazes. I blushed, set down my fork and dropped my gaze to their plates. “You two aren’t eating?” My voice made that more of a statement than a question.

Melinda smiled. The effect was just as devastating as Lisimba’s smile. “I confess. I ate a very large ‘snack’ before my arrival. I find that I am not desirous of the wonderful selection your beau has put before us.”

I shrugged. Why anyone would eat before visiting Lisimba, I do not know. The man had a vast knowledge of area restaurants and apparently unlimited funds at his disposal. “Then at least enjoy friendly conversation. The way you two are watching me, I feel like I am the main course instead of—whatever this delicious meal is.”

My breath caught as I watched Melinda’s eyes blazed red. It only lasted a brief moment before Lisimba started speaking what sounded like Italian. Then the color flashed back to the soothing dark chocolate.

The woman stood and nodded briefly. She inclined her head toward me. “Please excuse me. It appears my snack is not sitting well with me.”

“Of course.”

“Take your time, ma fille. Return when you are able.” Lisimba stood.

The smile on my face was becoming a permanent feature around him. It had been so many years since I’d seen anyone behave as a true gentleman.

He caught me staring. “Do you truly find me so entertaining, ma petit amour?” He slid his chair closer to mine.

I reached over, taking his hand in mine, entwining our fingers. “Not so much entertaining as a rare treasure. I like that side of you.”

My date leaned over, closing the distance between us. I should have been accustomed to the arcing electricity we created. Yet when his lips touched mine, the wave after wave of shocks and aftershocks which traversed every neuron in my body drew a gasp. I inhaled his scent, admitting to myself that it was becoming a drug to me. My addiction to him grew with every kiss, every caress.

When the kiss ended, Lisimba plucked a piece of beef from my plate and held it out to me. I leaned forward and closed my lips over the succulent morsel. Then I drew his fingers into my mouth, sucking the juices clean. My tongue danced around his fingertips much like his had danced throughout my mouth only moments earlier.

He growled his approval.

When I allowed him to withdraw, he swept his hand behind my neck, drawing me close once more. We shared the tender beef just as we had the strawberry and other foods at lunch. I worried briefly about someone seeing us until his fingers skimmed my waist. Then I struggled to think anything.

“At last, I understand the attraction of dining.”

I tried to jump apart, but Lisimba held me firm, only allowing our lips to separate. He leaned close and almost whispered, “She like to watch nearly as much as she likes being watched.”

Melinda swatted his arm. “You naughty boy.” She grinned wickedly. “Being watched is much more exhilarating.”

It was a very good thing Lisimba had taken most of the food from my mouth during the kiss. Otherwise, I likely would have choked.

***

Melinda appeared much calmer when she returned, though I could still see a fringe of red in her eyes. Whatever had caused the burst still simmered beneath the surface, but she had tighter reigns. She and Lisimba began reminiscing of the early days. I listened intently, enjoying their voices and laughter.

“I will never forget,” Melinda began another story, “the look on Nathaniel’s face when you finally accompanied him on the fox hunt. He was certain his dogs were the best hunters around.” She laughed. “When you fired off three shots, felling a fox with each one, and his dogs never barked, I thought the poor boy would die of embarrassment. Did he ever understand how you could hunt without dogs?”

Lisimba shook his head. “No. He had them put down that same day. It was a waste of extremely good hunting dogs. After all, they did very well fetching that hide from the river when it jumped in.”

Melinda nodded. “Not that you really cared, right? You could have swam much faster.” She turned to me. “Have you seen Lisimba swim yet? The man has amazing speed on land, but that is nothing compared to under water.”

“This is only our third date, Lin. You cannot expect her to know all of my secrets.”

She winked at me. “Then you do not yet know that he swims nude?”

The images were instantaneous. I may not have seen him naked yet. Still, it was very easy to picture him standing in the ocean; glistening wet; shaking the sea water from his head; the sun reflecting off every single drop as it slid down his chiseled torso to rejoin the waves lapping at his waist. Excepting the reflection, I could stare at that image all day. Still something did not seem right about that setting.”

Lisimba leaned closed and mumbled, “I swim at night.”

My mind quickly changed from the sun reflecting to the moon reflecting. My heart rate tripled. I wasn’t sure if it was because of his words, his voice, or simply because most of our time together fell during the dark hours. However, he was well-suited to the night. He seemed to exist in daylight, but he came alive when the sun went down.

Their conversations continued, though I don’t recall hearing much of what was said. What I did catch here and there, I didn’t understand. I recognized at least four different languages in the course of the evening and heard mention of England, Scotland, Belgium, France, Tokyo, Hong Kong, Peru, Artgentina, Germany, Australia, and Egypt. When they switched to what sounded like Aramaic, I cocked my eyebrow over the top of my glass.

“Just how many languages do you speak?”

“We are fluent in at least nine or ten and merely passable in another three or four. We felt it rude to live for any length of time in a country and not speak their tongue. Unlike these ridiculous immigrants you deal with in this country.”

“Melinda!” Lisimba’s harsh tone would have stopped me in my tracks.

Melinda only shrugged. “It is true, Lisimba. How many of them could avoid the immigration inspections if they chose to learn the language?”

Lisimba switched to French. “Alors où chasserez-vous?”

***

Two and a half bottles of wine later, the three of us were laughing nearly non-stop. Our plates had long since been cleared away. Dessert had come and gone. I was well on my way past intoxicated.

Melinda poured the rest of the remaining bottle into my glass.

I shook my head. “No, no, no. Lin, I shouldn’t have anymore. Really.”

She smiled. “Let your hair down, Cici. You are too uptight.” She raised her glass. “A toast! To earning nicknames!”

I giggled. I couldn’t help it. I really was a silly thing to toast.

She swatted me playfully on the arm. “You can do better? Prove it.”

From the numerous stories I’d heard throughout the evening, I drew my idea. Then I drew my courage from the alcohol. I raised my glass. “To absolutely lecherous and lascivious thoughts about the twins.”

Her eyes flared red again, but this time it did not frighten me. Perhaps I was too drunk to care, or perhaps this time, I recognized the emotion for what it was—pure, undiluted lust. Melinda’s throaty laughter rang through the room. “I digress. You win. Now bottom’s up.” She reached over and helped tip the flute until I’d drained every drop.

Lisimba appeared to my left. “Come, ladies. The restaurant would like to close for the night. Let us move our debauchery to a more suitable venue.”

Melinda’s carefree attitude was apparently contagious. I let him help me stand and then asked, “Do I get to see you dance again?”

Before he could respond, Melinda thrust her cell phone in my hands. “Call those gorgeous boys and tell them to meet us in front of the building.”

***