The hiss of water boiling over on the stove had Cilla pulling away from Jon and turning to check the pasta. She stirred the noodles and closed her eyes, taking a deep breath. The kiss had rocked her to the core. She couldn't remember a kiss ever affecting her that way. Certainly nothing she and Charles had shared had her stomach feeling like a thousand butterflies were fluttering around in there. She shook her head as she concentrated on the pot of penne, she was so out of her element. She hadn't been on a date in months and she hadn't slept with a man since her divorce. What am I doing?
Jon stood there as Cilla pulled away from him. He swiped his thumb across his lips, he had wanted to go back for a second taste, but she had moved all too quickly. He laid a hand on her shoulder, “Cilla?” She stopped stirring and opened her eyes, “I hope you’re ready to eat because this penne is done.”
Jon opened his mouth to say something and then decided against it. No need to spook her anymore than he already had. “Can I help?” She shook her head, “no, I think I can handle it.”
With less than steady hands she drained the pasta, added the sauce, topped it with some fresh grated cheese and set the bowl on the table. She grabbed the bread from the oven where it had been warming and then retrieved their wine glasses from the coffee table. Cilla got the salad from the refrigerator and as she turned she found herself wrapped in Jon’s embrace, both of them trying to keep their balance. Jon had refilled their wine glasses, set the bottle on the counter and turned at the same time that Cilla had turned from the refrigerator.
He took the bowl from her and set it on the counter, “are you okay?” She nodded her head, not realizing that she hadn’t let him go, “I think so. Tight space here. Sorry about that.” He smiled down at her, “I don’t mind tight spaces.”
She looked up at him, his eyes were a bright, smiling blue and his mouth was so tempting. Before she could stop herself, Cilla leaned up and pressed her mouth to his, taking him by surprise. Their lips parted and as their tongues touched, there was that jolt again. The butterflies in her belly kicked up and she let her hands slide up over his chest, her hands fisting in his shirt.
Jon let her lead the kiss this time, enjoying the feel of her lithe little body against his. His hands gripped her hips and held her close, wanting her to feel his unmistakable need for her. Pulling his mouth from hers, he nibbled across her jaw, nosing into her hair, his lips caressing the sensitive skin of her neck. She smelled of something sweet and musky. “Cilla?” he breathed as he nuzzled by her ear. “Mmmmm?” came the muted reply. God his mouth was amazing.
He worked his way back to her mouth, “I want you baby.” She tensed at his words and he lifted his head so he could look at her, “what’s the matter?” She took a deep breath and relaxed her hands, letting them drop from his shirt, “nothing. We should eat before dinner gets cold.” She was lying, he knew she was lying but he wasn’t going to force her. He was so not that guy.
Jon let her go and they sat at the table. He sipped his wine; she pushed the food around on her plate, neither spoke. When they both reached for the bread Cilla couldn’t take it, she had to say something. “I’m sorry.”
Jon raised his eyes to meet a very troubled pair of gray ones. He set his fork down, all pretense of eating gone. “Talk to me Cilla. I know you felt something, so what’s the problem?”
Cilla dropped her hands to her lap, never taking her eyes from his, “I can’t lie Jon, I did feel something. I felt something the first time we ever touched; but we’ve only been out twice. We barely know each other.”
He reached across the table, laying his hand out palm up, when she placed her hand in his he spoke. “We’re adults Cilla, we know what we feel, what we want, right? Why should it matter if we’ve known each other a few hours, a few days or a few months?”
She shook her head, “it shouldn’t, I know it shouldn’t, but it does. To me. I haven’t been on many dates since my divorce and” she felt herself blush before she could get her next words out, “I haven’t been with anyone since Charles.”
He squeezed her hand. He had a feeling he knew what she was getting at. “You wouldn’t be a one night stand Cil. I’ve had enough of those to last me a lifetime. I told you earlier that you were special. Let me show you just how special I think you are.”
Chapter 12
Chapter 11
After assuring Sid that she could manage on her own tonight, Sid agreed to close up so Cilla would have time to get herself ready. It was just going to be casual evening and she had no trouble with casual.
She rushed up to her apartment and showered quickly. She unwound her hair from its knot and found it was still damp. She ran the dryer through it and brushed it until it shone. Donning her favorite faded jeans and a pale pink t-shirt she tucked her bangs behind her ear and headed to the kitchen to pull together some sort of appetizer.
By 6:45 Cilla had her table set, fresh salsa and toasted pita chips were on a platter waiting patiently on the coffee table, a pot of water was on the stove and a sauce of italian sausage, black olives, garlic, olive oil and fresh diced tomatoes was simmering. She had even brought a plate of desserts up from the shop. As she was selecting some music, the knock she was expecting came.
Opening the door she found herself nearly stuttering. He looked just as amazing tonight in jeans faded nearly as bad as hers and a pale blue t-shirt as he had last night in his white dress shirt and black pants. He had a bottle of wine in one hand and an enormous bouquet of spring flowers in the other. "Hi there." She stepped aside, "hi yourself. Come on in."
She shut the door behind them and turned to find Jon standing in the middle of the room, his back to her. God he has an amazing ass. She shook her head, come on Cil, don't blow it. "Are those for me?" He turned to find her gesturing to the flowers. "Oh yeah, here." He handed them to her "I didn't know what kind were your favorite, but I thought those looked nice." She smiled, "I don't really have a favorite. No one's ever given me flowers before."
He watched as she rummaged for a vase to put the flowers in, damn she looks good in those jeans. He scanned her up and down, the glint of sliver at her pretty bare feet stopped him. A toe ring, damn. He found body jewelry to be especially sexy. She moved to the sink with a glass pitcher and arranged the flowers. "Anything I can do to help?" He felt slightly useless just standing there watching.
She looked over at him, he looked out of place here in her little apartment. "You could open the wine. Corkscrew is in the drawer to your left." He rummaged in the drawer and opened the wine. She got out two goblets and they went and sat on the couch.
Cilla jumped up almost as soon as she sat down. Jon grabbed her glass before it fell to the floor. "Where's the fire?" She gave an embarrassed smile, "I forgot the music. I had just loaded the player when you knocked." She moved over to the well-loved CD player and pushed play. The tinkling sounds of the piano filled the room as she sat back down next to him. He crunched on a chip as she settled herself, "this is delicious." She sipped her wine, "thanks, I wasn't sure what you liked, but this always seems to go over well." He rested his hand on her leg just above her knee, "I eat pretty much anything."
The heat from his hand seeped right through the worn denim of her jeans and settled in a place she didn't want to think too hard about. "Glad to hear that." He smiled, "Cilla you need to relax. I'm just a regular guy." She sipped her wine, "I know, but it's still hard to believe that you're here in my apartment and interested in me."
Jon thought about that for a minute, "what did he do to you?" Cilla jerked her eyes to his, "who? What are you talking about?" He took her glass and set it on the table before taking her hands in his, "there has to be an ex somewhere in your past that made you doubt yourself. The other day in the Park you said you were nobody special. Cilla, everybody is special in their own way. So, what happened? Why are you so afraid?"
She pulled her hands from his and stood, pacing to the kitchen and back before looking at him. No one had ever questioned her about this before. How could he be so perceptive? "My ex-husband. We divorced several years ago. He had issues." She turned back to the kitchen and turned the pot of water on. Jon came up behind her, "issues, what kind of issues?"
He turned her to face him, "did he hit you?" Cilla looked down at the floor, not wanting to answer the question, but wanting to be honest with him. She looked back up at him, "just once, but he loved to use his words to beat me down."
She walked over and picked up her wine glass, taking a deep drink. "Sid took me in after Charles hit me but I ended up going back. He swore up and down that he was sorry and we were good for a while, but then he changed. He'd yell at me about stupid stuff like the toilet paper going the wrong way on the roll or that the pillows on the weren't on the bed the right way or that my shirt was the wrong color. It all depended on his mood on that particular day. When I served him with divorce papers he went ballistic. He actually thought I was leaving him for Sid. Somewhere along the way Charles got it in his head that Sid and I were sleeping together."
Jon nearly laughed at that but the look on Cilla's face stopped him. "I'm sorry Cilla, at least you had Sid to help you through. A lot of people don't have someone as loyal as he is."
Cilla moved to the stove and stirred the pasta, "I know." She turned to look at Jon, "Sid is my Richie. He's always there when I need him; just like I am for him. I'd lay down my life for him. He'd do the same for me. Nearly has more than once because of Charles." She waved her hand wanting to end this particular conversation "now you know all about poor Cilla Preston. Sorry you asked?"
Jon shook his head and moved closer to her, "not at all. Makes me want to find out more about you actually. You're a strong woman Cilla, and more special than you give yourself credit for." She nearly snorted, "I'm just plain old Cilla Preston Jon, you're the special one, not me." He wrapped his arms around her, holding her close. Cupping her face with one hand he tilted her chin up so he could look at her, "I'm not going to argue with you about this. I'm just going to have to show you just how special I think you are." He lowered his head and pressed his lips to hers.
Cilla's eyes slid shut as his mouth met hers. He nibbled along her bottom lip, tracing it with his tongue, waiting for her to catch up. She parted her lips and he delved inside, tasting her fully for the first time.
Chapter 10
Cilla was humming softly when Sid swept into the shop in the morning. He tied his apron and kissed her cheek. "Someone's in a good mood today." Cilla smiled, "as a matter of fact I am." Together they took cookies, brownies, cinnamon buns and tarts to the front to load the cases. "Don't make me pry it out of you Cil, come on, you're killing me here." Sid leaned on the case and waited for Cilla to finish.
She stacked the empty trays and started toward the back before answering him. "We had a nice time last night Sid. What else can I tell you?" He dropped the trays in the sink, "details honey, I want the details." She looked up at the ceiling and rolled her eyes, "of course you do. Where would you like me to start? With where we went, what we had to eat or when he kissed me?"
Sid's eyes nearly bugged out of his head with that last tidbit. "He kissed you?! She nodded, "yep, should I start there?" Sid shook his head yes but his mouth said no. "Start at the beginning. Where did he take you and how did he look?"
Cilla told him everything from how amazing Jon looked in his white dress shirt and exquisitely tailored black pants to the dinner he arranged on his roof top to the dance that led to the sweetest kiss she could remember receiving.
"God Cil, that is just so romantic. I can't believe he did all that." Cilla smiled, "he did go to a lot of trouble just for dinner, but he said something about not wanting to be bothered by photographers." He laid a hand on her shoulder, "it must be hard having your picture taken every time you venture outside. I'm glad for you that he took that into consideration. Now, the kiss, were his lips as soft as I like to think?"
Cilla blushed, "they were Sid. It was just barely a kiss but, yeah, his lips were very soft." He winked at her, "I just knew it. He has an amazing mouth, him and that Richie Sambora, very full kissable lips." Cilla laughed, "God Sid does Mark know how you lust after these other guys?" Sid stepped toward the door, smile on his face, "of course he does, but I only look, so he's okay with it." Cilla shoved him, "you're lucky. Now get to work!"
While Cilla was working Jon was sipping his coffee on the terrace. His thoughts were of the night before. After he took Cilla home he sat right here with the wine wondering about her and here he was again, Cilla still on his mind. He wanted to see her again. He wanted to kiss her again, taste her fully, hell he wanted her in his bed if he was being honest. She was so unlike any of the women he had dated since he and Dot split and he wanted to know more about her. Taking a last swig of his coffee he headed inside. He was going to go for a run.
"Cookie, tart or brownie" Sid called out as the bell over the door jangled. Jon laughed, "you always answer the bell like that?" Sid turned from the kitchen door and nearly swallowed his tongue. There in front of him was one very hot, sweaty Jon. He smiled, "sure, keeps the customers on their toes. What can I get for you today Jon?" Taking his sunglasses off Jon studied the cases, "just an oatmeal cookie I guess. Is she in the back again today?" Sid grabbed a glove and reached for the cookie, "yeah. Do you want to go back there?" Jon thought about how he found her yesterday, "maybe you should just send her out here."
He had just put the last bit of cookie in his mouth when Cilla appeared. "Hi Jon, what brings you by today?" He walked over to her and kissed her cheek, "I was hungry after my run." Cilla wasn't buying it. "You ran and then you came for something sweet, kinda defeats the purpose don't you think?" He laughed, "yeah, I guess. Are you busy later?" Before she could answer the bell over the door jangled. As the customers came in Jon tugged her over to the far corner, "so, are you busy later?"
She shook her head, "no, I'm not. Why?" He crumpled the square of wax paper his cookie had been wrapped in, "I'd like to see you again." Cilla didn't hesitate, "I'd like that Jon, but instead of going out, how about if you come to my place?" He agreed, "okay, how about seven again?" She nodded, "that's fine." More people came in and she had to help Sid, "I have to get back to work Jon, but I'll see you later." He kissed her cheek before he left, "see you tonight."
Chapter 9
Jon and Cilla walked, her hand in the crook of his arm, for a couple of blocks, stopping in front of his building. "Jon?" The question in her voice was unmistakable. Jon turned to face her, "just trust me, please?" She frowned, fully intending to say no, but changed her mind. "Okay." He led her into the building, greeting the doorman on the way past, "hiya Sam." He smiled at the couple, "evening Mr. Bongiovi." He tipped his hat at Cilla, "miss." He remembered her from the other day, when she delivered the cake.
They took the elevator to his floor, neither saying a word to the other. He took her hand and led her to his apartment, not stopping until they were through the sliding glass doors and on the roof top terrace. Jon let her hand go as he turned back to shut the door and Cilla wandered to the ledge taking in the view and then turned to find Jon standing near a small table set for two. He had removed his jacket and was at the table, his back to her as he opened a bottle of wine.
She let herself drink him in, the way his black dress pants hugged his ass and thighs, the way the white dress shirt was impeccably tucked in at the waist and fit him to perfection. It was almost too much for her. He turned and she had to look away. "Cilla?" She took a breath and turned back to him, "for a minute I thought you had a restaurant hidden away up here." He handed her a glass of Pinot Grigio, "I never mentioned a restaurant. I just said someplace quiet and out of the way."
She took a sip god that was good. "So you brought me to your apartment to what, show me your etchings?" Jon laughed, "no, but that's not a bad idea." He stepped closer to her, taking her hand, "I had a very nice time yesterday and I didn't want to chance being dogged by photographers on our first real date. I hope you don't mind." She looked up into his face and the sincerity there had all doubts fleeing. "I don't mind." She tore her eyes from him and glanced around, "it's beautiful up here."
He waited until her eyes were back on him, "I'm certainly enjoying the view. Did I mention that you look spectacular tonight Cilla?" He watched the flush creep up her face, "you did Jon, thank you. I have to be honest I had help tonight." Jon smiled, "let me guess, Sid, right?" She nodded as she sipped her wine, "how did you know?" Jon took her hand and led her to the table, "he's gay, right?" Cilla nodded again "yes, and?"
Jon pulled out her chair as she sat, "and he's your friend and he wanted you to look nice for your date, right?" Cilla laughed, "you seem to know him all too well. Have you met him before?" Jon laughed, "no, but I have a few gay friends myself. They all seem to be the same when it comes to clothes and shoes."
Laughter accented their meal as they crunched their way through fresh bruschetta and garlicky caesar salad. Jon refilled their wine before excusing himself and disappearing inside only to return minutes later with two covered dishes. He set one in front of her and one at his place before removing the warming lids. Cilla looked across the table at Jon as he sat down, "did you cook this?" His lip twisted in a wry smile, "if I say yes, will you still eat it?" Cilla laughed, "probably, just to be polite." Jon laughed, "in that case, no I didn't. My cook/housekeeper took care of the meal tonight."
Cilla smiled, "thank goodness. I've heard tales of your cooking abilities and I'm fairly certain chicken french isn't one of your specialties." Jon tried not to smile and look hurt, but it didn't work. "You're right. My cooking skills go as far as scrambled eggs, toast, grilled cheese and, on a good day, macaroni and cheese from a box." Cilla tried hard not to laugh but couldn't quite contain herself. "Oh Jon, that's just sad, but at least you won't ever starve."
Jon couldn't remember the last time he laughed so much in the company of a woman. Normally when he was out on a date the woman either wouldn't say more than 'boo' or she talked so much Jon couldn't get a word in edgewise. There was never a happy medium, until tonight. She was so refreshing. She even ate, seeming to enjoy every bite she put in her mouth instead of worrying that it might show up on her hips or thighs or wherever the next day.
As they sat talking and eating, the early evening light gave way to the impending darkness of night and, as if on cue, what seemed to be a million tiny white lights illuminated the terrace. Cilla sipped the last of her wine as she took it all in. He reached to refill her glass and she stopped him. "I really shouldn't. I have an early day tomorrow."
He set the bottle down, "how about dessert then?" She nearly groaned, "I don't think I could eat another bite right now." He stood and reached for her hand, "well then, how about a dance?" Cilla stood, "there's no music." He stepped toward the door and reached around and suddenly there was music. Jon stepped back in front of her, taking her hand in his and wrapping his arm around her as Frank Sinatra crooned.
Why do I do, just as you say, why must I just, give you your way
Why do I sigh, why don't I try - to forget
It must have been, that something lovers call fate
Kept me saying: "I have to wait"
I saw them all, just couldn't fall - 'til we met
It had to be you, it had to be you
I wandered around, and finally found - the somebody who
Could make me be true, and could make me be blue
And even be glad, just to be sad - thinking of you
Some others I've seen, might never be mean
Might never be cross, or try to be boss, but they wouldn't do
For nobody else, gave me a thrill - with all your faults, I love you still
It had to be you, wonderful you, it had to be you
When the song ended Jon and Cilla were standing at the ledge, the city skyline behind them, tiny white lights sparkled in front of them and they were oblivious to both. Jon's hand left her waist and cupped her cheek, she looked up at him, her lips slightly parted, almost expectant. He lowered his head, never taking his eyes off of her and he gently, chastely, pressed his lips to hers.
He felt her slight intake of breath just before his lips touched hers. She wasn't someone to rush headlong into things and he wasn't going to push her. He stepped back and took her hand. "Come on Cilla, let me walk you home."
Chapter 8
Lying in bed that night Cilla kept going over the events of her day. They had finished their tour of the park at Kerbs Ice Cream and had shared a banana split. Over bits of fudge sauce and whipped cream Jon had told her "I'd like to see you again." She rolled over in her bed, why did I say yes? When am I going to have time? Sid is going to have a field day with this. She sighed and punched her pillow, every time she shut her eyes Jon's intense blue ones floated into view. She looked over at the clock and groaned may as well get up. She wasn't going to sleep anyway.
She was in the kitchen tidying up when Sid showed up. "Hey sweetie" he kissed her cheek. "How was the rest of your Sunday?" She turned to face him, "just fine no thanks to you. You and Mark just had to leave me alone with him, didn't you?" Sid tied his apron on, "you didn't scare him away did you?" She stuck her tongue out at him, "no. We went up to Central Park and walked around for a while before sharing a sundae at Kerbs." Sid raised his eyebrows, "really?" She nodded. "Yeah. He asked to see me again."
Sid's eyes lit up, he got all excited, "really? When? Where's he taking you?" He narrowed his eyes at her, "What're you going to wear?" Cilla held up her hand "Sid, stop. Just stop right now." He changed course, "okay, can you at least tell me that you said yes to seeing him again?" She sighed, "I did say yes, but I have no idea as to the where, when or what of it. Now, let's get to work."
Sid went and unlocked the front door, and nothing more was said about her potential date. They worked through the morning, making idle chit chat with customers and each other, both avoiding that subject. When the bell over the door jangled Sid called out "Welcome to Cilla's, how can we satisfy your sweet tooth today?" When he got no answer he straightened up from the case he was straightening, it was Jon.
"Well hello there big fella, what can I get for you today?" Jon forced himself not to laugh, "hi, Sid is it?" He nodded, "good memory. Can I help you with anything?" Jon looked around. "Is she here?" Sid stroked his chin as if deep in thought, "who?" This time Jon chuckled, "you know who. Cilla. Is she here?" Sid sighed, as if disappointed, "I'll go get her. Just a sec."
Cilla was up to her elbows in soapy water in the kitchen. Sid came back out from the back, "she's in the back Jon, come around here and you can go see her." Sid smirked and waited. He knew she was going to have his ass for letting Jon back there, but sometimes, as much as he loved Cilla, she needed a good shove to get her going.
Jon walked into the kitchen and stopped. Cilla was at the sink, her beautiful dark hair was wrapped up in a knot at the back of her head, the sleeves of her shirt were rolled up to her elbows and her shorts were smudged with flour. "Hey Cilla." She jumped and threw water and bubbles everywhere. Turning toward the voice she hoped was in her imagination she swore inwardly when she saw Jon standing there. I really need to kill Sid. "Hi Jon."
He walked over to her and with his index finger wiped the bubbles from her forehead, "hi there. I hope I didn't come at a bad time." She groped behind her for a towel and wiped her hands, "no, you just caught me tidying up. What can I do for you?" He smiled, "I was hoping you'd let me take you to dinner tonight."
Tonight, he wanted to take her out tonight?
She intended to say no but her mouth didn't cooperate. "I'd like that. You just need to know that I won't be able to stay out late. My days start early." He nodded his understanding, "that's okay. I'll pick you up at seven, will that work for you?" She nodded, "that'll be fine. Where are we going?"
He tucked a stray lock of hair back away from her face "some place quiet and out of the way. Is that all right?" She nodded, "do you want to know where I live?" He chuckled, "that would be helpful." They walked toward the door together, "right over the shop. Just come around the back and up the stairs." He took her hand and brought it to his lips, kissing it gently "see you at seven." He left the door swinging gently as he disappeared out front.
Cilla finished the dishes before going to talk to Sid. He was just finishing up with a customer and Cilla locked the door behind him as he left. He looked up, startled when he heard the click of the lock. "Closing early today?" She took his arm and led him to the back, "what was the big idea letting Jon come back here?" He just shrugged his shoulders, "he wanted to see you. I didn't think you would mind."
Cilla paced back and forth before turning to Sid, "he's taking me to dinner tonight. This is all your fault." His eyes widened, "my fault, how is Jon taking you to dinner my fault?" Cilla threw her hands up, "if you hadn't made me to deliver that damn cake all by myself, none of this would be happening."
Sid took hold of Cilla's arms, keeping her in front of him, "look Cil, why is this a bad thing? He seems like a nice guy and he's certainly good to look at. Hell, I'd go out with him if he asked." Cilla laughed at that thought. He would. Sid went on, "you spent the day with him yesterday and he wants to take you to dinner. Let him. You haven't been on a date in months. You need to get out and enjoy yourself a little." He leaned in so they were nearly nose to nose, "he's not Charles." Cilla's eyes widened, "I know he's not." Sid eased back, "then what's the problem? Jon is a fine specimen of a man. I don't see an issue here."
"Look at me." Cilla was determined to get Sid to understand. "Why would that 'fine specimen' of a man want to go out with me? I'm certainly not the 'fine specimen' of a woman worthy enough to go out with him." Sid dragged her to the bathroom and stood her in front of the mirror. "Cil, you're beautiful and more than worthy enough for any man, including him. He's no better than anyone else, well maybe a little, but that's just because he is who he is. You just need to put forth a little effort."
She looked at herself in the mirror, "I don't know Sid. It's been so long." She met his eye in the mirror and sighed, "will you help me?" He smiled, "you go up and shower and after I close up, I'll meet you at your closet."
Half an hour later Sid found Cilla in her room in her thrift store silk robe, hair wrapped in a towel. "Where is he taking you?" Sid was flipping through her clothes, frowning. "He didn't say. He just said it's quiet and out of the way." Sid kept flipping, "he probably wants to avoid photographers." He paused at a dress that still had the tags on it, "how about this?" He pulled it out and held it up in front of her. She looked down at the front of herself, "I don't think so."
He waived her off, "nonsense, try it on. Let's see how it looks." He turned back to the closet, leaving Cilla no choice. She dropped the robe on her bed, found a pair of panties and slipped the dress on. It fit beautifully. The slim halter straps tied behind her neck, leaving her shoulders bare. The silvery blue made her eyes seem that much more blue and the light, airy material swirled around her, stopping just above her knees.
Sid popped up from the closet floor in time to see her do a slow spin. "Fantastic. You should wear these with it, but honestly, we need to take you shoe shopping, you need serious help here." He handed a pair of silver strappy sandals with a three inch heel. "I can't wear those. I'll break my neck." She handed them back to him, "give me my flat ones." He shook his head, "no way. You're wearing the heels, even if I have to put them on you myself." Cilla rolled her eyes, "fine. I'm going to go dry my hair now." She turned, took the dress off and put her robe back on before heading to the bathroom.
Sid poked his head in the door as she straightened and flipped her hair back, "I'm going to go. Do you think you can manage now?" She shut the dryer off and kissed him, "I'll be fine. Thanks. You're the best Sid." He preened, "I know. I'll send you the bill for my services." He pulled her in for a hug, "have a good time and try to enjoy yourself sweetie. You deserve this."
She pushed him out of the bathroom, "thank you now go. I have to finish. He's going to be here soon." Sid walked through the living room pausing at the door, "wear the shoes!" Cilla made a face, sticking her tongue out at him, "I will now get out!" His laughter rang through the apartment as the door clicked shut behind him.
When the knock came twenty minutes later, Cilla was just slicking on a bit of lipstick. She surveyed herself in the full length mirror in her room. The dress really did look nice, it was cut a little lower than she was normally comfortable with but she had her wrap she could cover up with if she needed to. Sid had been right about the shoes damn him and she hadn't fallen over yet so she figured she was all right. Her hair was a flowing mass of waves down her back and her eyes she had enhanced with just a bit of shadow. She was as ready as she could be.
Jon waited on the other side of the door. He was about to knock again when the door opened and his hand fell to his side. "Wow." His gaze roamed over her from head to toe. "You look amazing Cilla." She gave him a shy smile, "thank you. I just need to grab my wrap and my purse. Come on in for a minute." He stepped through the door and looked around. "Nice place." She picked up her things from the kitchen table, "thank you. She opened the door, "shall we?" He took her arm and they headed down the stairs together.
Chapter 7
Cilla stirred the remnants of the ice cubes in her glass with her straw. Jon looked at her, the sun drawing out the deep red tones in her hair, her eyes; gray with just that speck of blue tugged at him. He felt her start to pull her hand away and he let his fingertips graze the back her hand as she did. Cilla had all she could do not to yank her hand back from under his. When he touched her it was as if her nerve endings were on fire. She cleared her throat, “so Jon, how was the party? Did your daughter enjoy the cake?”
Jon fiddled with his own glass, what was it about this woman that had him all out of sorts? “Steph loved the cake and it was a huge hit with her friends. Don’t be surprised if you get a bunch of calls for more cakes. I passed out your number to all of her friends yesterday.” Cilla smiled, “my business thanks you. Speaking of the cake, you paid me too much.” He waved her off, “if you had seen my daughter’s face, you wouldn’t think so. Believe me; it was worth so much more than what was in that envelope.”
Cilla ducked her head, accepting a compliment was never easy for her. She looked back up to find his eyes trained on her. “Thank you.” The waitress came over to them “can I get you folks anything else?” Jon looked at Cilla, “no, I think we’re all set.” She left them and Cilla stood, “I should be going. It was nice to see you again Jon.” She grabbed her purse and made to leave when his hand on her arm stopped her, “do you have any plans for the rest of the afternoon?”
She looked at the hand on her arm and let her gaze travel up his arm to his face, his eyes, there was something there in the summer sky depths, something she wasn’t sure she could name. “No” she heard herself say “I don’t. I was just going to wander and enjoy the nice day.” Jon smiled, “would you mind some company? I really don’t want to go back to my empty apartment just yet.” She sighed softly, she had really wanted to wander back to her apartment and chill out for the afternoon or maybe get a head start on tomorrow, but how could she say no to him?
“Okay, what would you like to do?”
With his hand on her lower back he urged her away from the café, “why don’t we grab a cab to the Park and wander around there for a bit?” Cilla nodded her assent and he hailed a cab. They entered the park at the south end, 59th Street and walked toward Wollman Rink. They stood and watched people on their inline skates for a while when Cilla turned to him, “isn’t this where you got arrested?”
Jon chuckled and shook his head, “of all things to remember, you had to remember that?” She smiled at him, “could’ve been worse. I could have mentioned the hair. Or the spandex.” Jon laughed, “I swear I will never, ever live the 80s down.” He nudged her, “come on, let’s walk some more.” They moved on, up toward the Shakespearean Gardens.
They found a bench and sat, “it’s so pretty here.” Cilla was looking at the flowers and foliage. Jon looked around and then back at her, “it sure is.” She turned to look at him, “what are we doing Jon?” He rubbed his hands on his thighs, “sitting on a bench in Central Park.” She rolled her eyes, “you know what I mean.”
He leaned back against the bench and sighed, “I don’t really kn...” he stopped and then started again, “no, that’s not true. I was out walking today trying to get you out of my head when I saw you at the café. I haven’t been able to stop thinking about you since you walked out of my apartment yesterday.” Cilla was surprised by his confession. “You haven’t been able to stop thinking about me? I think you ate too much cake yesterday.” She stood and walked closer to the flowers, this couldn’t be happening.
Jon stood and touched her shoulder, “why wouldn’t I think about you?” They walked as they talked, heading toward the reservoir. Cilla shrugged her shoulders, “I’m nobody special Jon.” As they neared the path around the water she was nearly knocked over by a jogger. “Sorry” the man called out as he kept going. Jon steadied her, taking her hand in his. She felt the jolt up her arm when their hands met. So did he.
Cilla looked down at their hands and then up to his face, if he was being honest, so could she. “I thought about you too.”
Chapter 6
Cilla coughed and sputtered, iced tea dribbled down her chin. Oh my God. She looked over at Sid, he looked smug and full of himself. Still coughing, she turned her attention back to Jon, "Hi." He smiled, not the one he flashed at the cameras, it was more intimate, meant solely for her, "I thought that was you. Are you all right?" She nodded her head, mopping her face with a napkin, "yep, it's me. I'm fine. You?"
Sid nudged her under the table. She cut her glance from Jon to Sid, "what?" He smiled, "invite him to sit down." She rolled her eyes and looked back at Jon, "my friend here" she jabbed her thumb toward Sid, "wants to know if you'd care to join us." Sid kicked her under the table again. She tore her gaze from Jon and hissed, "kick me again and I'm out of here."
Jon laughed and shook his head at the interchange between the two, "I'd like that, thanks." He walked around and sat in the only free seat, next to Cilla. As Jon sat down Sid looked over at Cilla, he had a dreamy expression on his face as he mouthed the word fab u lous at her. She just shook her head in disbelief.
Cilla struggled to find something to talk about with this man. She had been a fan for so many years but she didn't want to come across as the scary, fawn-all-over-the-man type. She didn't have to worry. Sid hardly waited for Jon's butt to hit the seat of the chair when he started.
"How fun is this?" He looked at Mark, "we have an actual celebrity right here at our table." He looked over at Cilla, "just how long have you been a fan sweetie?" Cilla felt herself blush to the roots of her hair, she was going to kill Sid. She looked at Jon, "don't pay him any mind, he's been out in the sun too long obviously." Jon was curious, "you're really a fan?" She nodded her head, "yeah, I have been since the 80's."
Jon was intrigued, she hadn't fawned over him or Richie the day before, matter of fact when she introduced herself to Richie she hadn't seem to know his name. "You knew who Richie and I were yesterday then, didn't you?" She hung her head, "yeah, I did." He rested his arm on the table next to hers, close enough that the hairs on his tickled along the length of hers. "I never would have guessed. You were very professional yesterday. I can't tell you how much I appreciated that."
Taking offense, she turned her head then, looking directly at him, God, Sid's right, he is fabulous. I'm always professional when I'm on the job." Jon immediately realized how what he had said sounded. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to offend you. It's just that not everyone is like that Cilla, on the job or not."
She considered this, trying to see things from his perspective, understanding only then what it must be like for someone like him. "It's okay, I should have realized that some people can be other than what they seem. I can't imagine what it must be like for you." Jon just shrugged his shoulders, "you learn who you can count on and whom you shouldn’t bother with."
Sid and Mark had been quiet, just watching the interaction between Cilla and Jon. Normally Sid would have gushed all over Jon, but seeing how they were quietly enjoying each other, he decided to let Cilla alone and maybe, just maybe, something would come of this. She deserved a good man.
He nudged Mark, "I feel like talking a walk, how about you?" Mark looked across the table and then back at Sid, understanding what he was doing, "there is a little antique shop down the block I'd like to pop into. Let's go." Sid cleared his throat, Cilla and Jon were deep in conversation, not paying any attention. "Excuse me."
Cilla looked up to find Sid and Mark on their feet, "where are you two going?" She didn't want to be left alone with Jon. She was sure she would make a total fool of herself given the opportunity. Sid took Mark's hand, "we're talking a walk. There's a shop that Mark wants to check out and then, I'm not sure what. We'll just see what the afternoon brings." His words weren't lost on Cilla, he wanted her to sit here with this amazing paragon of rock and roll and try to enjoy herself, even perhaps keep him interested in her. Sid was absolutely insane.
She stood to say goodbye and whispered furiously in Sid's ear, "I'm so going to kill you. I swear to God if I make an ass of myself, my new deal of the day tomorrow is going to be chocolate Sid pie!" She turned to Mark, "it's always good to see you Mark. Enjoy your afternoon."
Jon stood and bid them both goodbye and sat back down, this time across from Cilla. "I'm not intruding on any plans you have today, am I?"
Cilla sipped the last of her iced tea, "no, you're not. Feel free to continue your walk. I'm sure you have much more interesting things to do than sit here with me." He reached across the table and placed his hand over hers, "I can't think of anything I'd rather do right now than sit here with you."
