It took a full day before Jacky even looked at the post-it note again. It was Friday morning and she sat in her small office pondering whether she should bother to send a message. She figured that she needed to at least keep things nice, but wasn't sure how she could politely reject him. She had to send something though.
"Hi, Jacky Fredrick here, and I am flattered but don't think it is a good idea for us to go out." Her text was simple and meant to convey a polite rejection to him.
"Thought you forgot about me. Are you taken?" The Deputy's response was simply and obviously he wasn't one to just take the rejection easily.
"Not really, but I don't really date." She messaged quickly and then buried herself back in her research. She just had to get one more thing done and maybe she could even cut out early for the afternoon.
"If you go eat lunch at the same restaurant as me, then we can call it whatever you'd like. I'm Brad Vargus by the way."
"Well, Brad, I suppose I'll be eating at the pizza place on 10th Street at 1 pm on Saturday if you should happen by, and I can explain my no dating rule in person."
"I might just see you there at that time because I seem to have plans to eat there as well." God, he even sounded cute over text, what was she thinking. Her heat had been re-ignited by Eric and now here she was courting someone else.
A simple flirtation in court should have been left at that. She had flirted with others casually throughout the past few months, but of course never had any intention behind it. Then, Eric came along and suddenly she had an emotionally scarred friend to turn to. Now, it seemed that she was again emitting her pheromones that seemed to attract these men. Was it something she had said? Or perhaps a way she looked at him? This mysterious brad who was her coy little deputy had chosen to make a move for some reason. If nothing else, lunch would tell her what that reason was.
*******************************
Saturday found her at the pizza place and ordering bread sticks before she knew it. She had arrived about 10 minutes early in the hopes of looking non-chalant when young Brad came in. Jacky had told Eric where she was going and that she was meeting a friend. He had simply told her to be safe and nothing more. Perhaps he was going to come through with no problems.
Not surprisingly, Deputy Vargus was punctual. He had on loose fitting jeans and a polo shirt that hung on his obviously developed pecs easily as he walked in. When their eyes met, he smiled and walked straight to her.
"Fancy seeing you here Ms. Fredrick. Mind if I join?" His voice was flirty instantly.
"Deputy Vargus, have a seat." She was suddenly glad she wore a sleeveless shirt as she felt her body temperature rise in his presence.
"Here are your breadsticks; did you want something to drink sir?" The waitress broke the instant awkwardness and essentially made it a date as she sat down the hot plate covered in breadsticks and cheese. The sauce container placed nearby allowed their eye contact to break as the young officer looked up.
"I'll have a pint of beer, I think I saw a Hefeweisen on tap."
"So, the same as the lady?" Brad looked at Jacky his smile obvious.
"Sure. She has good taste it seems." When she left, he looked back to Jacky smiling.
"So, I don't date, but do you want to order a pizza together when she comes back? We can at least eat while we chat." Jacky was starving to be honest and wanted something once the breadsticks were gone.
"Yes, absolutely. How about one of their all meat ones? Those are fantastic trust me. Have you been here before?"
"I have, but I usually get the Hawaiian with bacon. It's a guilty pleasure."
"You'll like the all meat then. Now, let's get to these breadsticks."
He dove in burying a breadstick in his mouth as she slid one to her plate to cut up with a knife and fork. He had no uncomfortableness in his being. That was a nice change from her last few encounters like this. Jacky wasn't sure where to start anyways. When the waitress came back they placed their order and finished the last two breadsticks off.
"So, here's to a non-date then." He raised his glass a little and she clinked in a courteous fashion.
"You are an interesting fellow, and quite forward you know. You asked an attorney out in open court." She smiled blinking her eyes coyly.
"Ah, I thought you asked me first at the courthouse entrance. You know when I found your Wonderbra and all." He laughed and smiled a huge grin. God, he had great lips. And the nice tan that ran down his neck continuing all the way into his unbuttoned shirt. Jacky caught herself suddenly and instantly moved her eyes back to his.
"I was joking, and honestly I don't date. I've had some bad luck in the past."
"Come on dating is fun, and you are too beautiful to not date." Oh, he was good, laying it on thick. She wasn't going to be able to get rid of him easily. Then again, would she want to before she was able to see the rest of the tattoo that peeked out from under his short sleeve? Oh goodness - tattoos - her weakness.
"Well, my last boyfriend was shot by a cop, so I especially don't date cops." The words came out of her mouth without thinking. Perhaps she was just trying to turn him off once and for all, but it was stupid of her to think this was the way to do it.
"Damn, that's an ice breaker. Well, we aren't all the same you know? Was he a local cop?"
"None of your business on that one, and I know you aren't all the same. After all, my boyfriend was also a cop. Let's talk about something else shall we? Tell me why you would even ask out an older woman let alone a defense attorney?"
"Ah, well that's simple, you're gorgeous and my last girlfriend sucked so I haven't dated in about a year. I thought you seemed the opposite since you were outgoing and obviously successful."
The pizza came then allowing them some respite and a second round of drinks.
"Hey, let's eat. And, by the way, I am not a nice girl so you know." She put a piece of pizza on her plate to cut up.
"I never said you were nice, and I like not nice. I just don't like needy, jealous and not nice. How do you mean not nice though?"
"Oh, that's another conversation. I'm definitely not jealous or needy, but I can be a real bitch sometimes."
"Are you a bitch in the bedroom too? Because, that makes being a bitch outside just fine." He laughed, and she paused wondering if he knew just how closely he had hit that nail on the head.
He seemed playful and the pizza was enough to have them joking and talk about their work as a more pedestrian topic in no time. In no time, they were both 4 beers in and laughing together at various jokes.
"So, tell me, what's so bad about this? It's sort of a date like thing and yet not too painful or anything. I probably won't even make a move on you."
"It's not that at all. I don't date, I use men for sex and I already have one." The easy way it fell from her mouth caught her instantly. Her face fell and she froze. Had she just said that? Oh shit, this was bad. She searched her foggy brain for a way to explain it.
"Damn, you know how to shut a guy up huh? So, you have one, but he's not a boyfriend?"
"Oh fuck, I didn't mean to just...shit...this is why I don't date, because I say shit without thinking. I don't have a boyfriend, he's a friend and I fuck him. But, I don't date like that. I'm not a nice girl. Maybe we should go after this. I live down the street, but would you need a cab?" Her face flushed, she hadn't meant to let this man into her world at all and somehow she ended up in this spot.
"Hey, if he's not a boyfriend, then do you have room for another buddy?"
"A buddy? You don't understand. Fine, look, does this stay between me and you?" Jacky asked him, she was angry with herself and wanted to just end this and run away. It had gone too far. She wanted to flirt, hell to be honest she wanted to fuck this young man, but she shouldn't do that. It would lead her back there. Eric had given her the permission and now she was heading right back to that dark world.
"I'd say you can trust me I'm a cop, but well... Just be honest, because I can't stop staring at you and wanting to kiss you right now." He was totally straight with her in that moment, no bantering, nothing, just honesty.
"Look, I like control, I'm a domme. I can't stop thinking about forcing you to do all kinds of dirty things for me right now. I don't date because I end up pinning little boys like you against walls and taking what I want. It becomes awkward to look at someone the next day when you sat on his face as he was tied up and blindfolded. That's it, that's all. It's a rabbit hole that ended badly for me once before because one of my boy toys went crazy and killed the other then I had to kill him in my kitchen. I just don't think it's a good idea to get involved with a woman like me for a sweet guy like you."