The only sound in the car was the soft bumps in the road and the anxious tapping of Arin's fingers on the passenger side door. He had been fidgeting all the way to the restaurant. Anna allowed him one more tap before she spoke up, breaking him out of his thoughts.
"Would you rather turn around and go home? The world won't implode if we beg off a work dinner," she said, turning off the engine and glancing around the busy parking lot.
"No. I um...well I can't miss it. Besides, it won't take that long," he said giving her a tense smile.
"Well, you did beg me to come and insisted on buying this lovely dress. How could I say no?" She teased, reaching to fix a stray hair on his temple.
"You just like making me beg," he said with a wink.
In no time at all, Arin was standing by the driver's side door and offering her his hand. When they reached the bustling restaurant, Arin's posture immediately shifted. The softness in his eyes was replaced with a mask of seriousness. His whole body was suddenly tense. Even after all of the things they had done together, she was still surprised when this version of him resurfaced.
They had some difficulty finding a hostess in the chaos, allowing Anna time to remove her jacket and scan the room as she always liked to do in these situations. She enjoyed seeing couples in a public setting and the little unspoken conversations between them. A brush of the hand, a soft smile, every small gesture was practically dripping with emotion.
Her thoughts were interrupted by Arin's voice in her ear. He had located his friends without the need of a hostess and ushered her over to a table toward the back of the restaurant. It was a smaller group than she had anticipated, four men and two women. They were dressed as if they had just come from teaching a class and none of them had brought a date. She glanced down at the fancy red dress with plunging cleavage Arin had chosen for her and offered her brightest smile to the small group. It seemed her pet didn't need a plus one for a work dinner at all. He was showing her off to his friends like a prize.
"Sorry, we're a little late. Traffic," Arin said, taking his seat next to Anna. "This is...Anna..my girl err friend," he sputtered, making sure to leave a tiny pause between the last two words. She wondered if he was trying to be sly. Anna recognized the person across from her at the table instantly. She was the young woman he had been chatting with when the two of them had first met. The woman hid her jealousy well under a tight ball of politeness, but it was obvious she would much rather be the woman on Arin's arm.
When Anna flashed Arin a hard look before the main course was served, his face flushed. There was a small flicker of panic behind his dashing grin when she excused herself from the table. Thankfully, the restaurant had quieted down a bit, and so the bathroom was easily accessible. She waited exactly five minutes before texting him.
*************
Arin watched Anna carefully out of the corner of his eye as long as he could before she disappeared. Something in the way she had looked at him before she left the table was disquieting. Yes, he probably should have warned her about Grace being here and the whole "girlfriend" thing could have been handled a little more delicately but it was too late for that now. He nodded and chuckled at something Jamir had said, having no idea what he was agreeing to, and took a peek at his phone. When it buzzed in his hand he almost jumped. The text read:
"Meet me in the women's room. Now."
His face felt hot as he stared at the words on the screen and his mouth was dry. Surely she didn't mean inside the women's room. He discretely sent a reply asking if she meant outside the women's room, taking a big gulp from his wine glass. Several minutes drug on and it became clear she wasn't going to respond.
When he rose from the table he had to be careful not to give himself away. The women's room was visible from the table. Of course, she would have known that. If he wasn't so nervous he would have chuckled.
He knocked quietly, then looked around to make sure no one saw. Before he could knock again she was pulling him into the bathroom and shutting the door behind them. He opened his mouth to speak but was rammed against the door. His breath was heavy now and the cock that she had claimed months ago twitched in his pants. Her face gave away no clues as to what she was about to do but he had a feeling it was going to be more than a friendly chat.
"Is there anything you'd like to say to me, Arin?" she said, crossing her arms over the cleavage he couldn't help but ogle. His palms pressed back against the door to steady himself.
"Um...n-no...I don't think so. Apparently, you do though," he said, forcing an endearing smile that usually worked with her. This time it didn't.
"I'm your girlfriend?" She nodded to the dress he had picked out for her. "A cute little date to show off to the boys? Haven't we discussed this?"
"I'm sorry...it...it's not like that. It's just that they've all noticed how I'm more relaxed and they have been wanting to meet you. What we are is too complicated to explain. That seemed simpler." He drew in a deep breath before continuing. "Anna...I've never been more proud than when I entered with you in that dress holding my arm."
The scowl on her face evaporated and she dropped her arms to her side, looking at him with soft brown eyes. She inhaled deeply and seemed to be fighting a smile as she continued.
"Still...you didn't think to mention Ms. "not really my girlfriend" would be here sitting across from us at the table all night? That wasn't something I should have been told?"
He cringed at her words and nodded in acknowledgment. He hadn't thought about it beforehand but could see how that would be awkward for her. Fighting the urge to walk over to her, he bit his bottom lip and chose his words carefully.
"I didn't think I needed to. It's more like Grace is just one of the guys to me. I've seen her like that since that first night with you."
Anna searched his face carefully with narrowed eyes before finally giving him a nod. She turned toward the mirror behind her and reapplied her lipstick, not glancing in his direction at all. The argument seemed to be over as easily as that. Maybe she could sense his sincerity as intuitively as she could sense his arousal. It seemed that she had a sixth sense for his emotions and needs, even when he didn't understand them himself.
He focused on her long dark curls and the way her waist tapered as to accentuate every feminine curve. That dress showed off every detail. Everything about her made him hunger for more. When she finally spoke again, he was already dying to touch the ache in his pants.
"What we are is complicated hmm? Is that your way of saying you'd rather have something else?" She was teasing him now. He could tell by that wicked little grin on her face. His heart skipped a beat at her tone, and he couldn't help but fidget when she walked closer to him. Her eyes seemed to be looking directly into his soul. The nearness of her was intoxicating. "Ahmmm...I'm not sure I know what you mean..something else?" He knew exactly what she meant.
"Do you want to be my boyfriend, Arin? Would that make you happy?" she purred, reaching to trace his bottom lip with her thumb.
"Yes...yes it would, Anna."
"And you want me to be your little girlfriend? You want to sneak off to the bathroom to kiss and talk about our feelings for each other?" she asked, sarcasm swimming in her voice as she traced his neck.
"Yes...no...I don't know. I mean yea, I'd like that if you were like that...but you aren't. You're exciting in a way I've never known."
She laughed at him and shook her head as if he'd said something ridiculous. Then her eyes lit up as if she'd just had a devious idea. Arin had seen that look a few times now and it had always been followed by something that made him both uncomfortable and completely aroused.
"If you couldn't have both...if you HAD to choose?" She stared into his eyes, reaching to unbuckle his pants with soft fingertips. "would you want me to slip to my knees and please you with my mouth or continue with our little games?"