Light and Sweet: Sacred Hearts Coven Read online

  “But how does he look?” Bethany had an endless supply of questions.

  “She said he is six foot, four inches tall, handsome with dark hair and dark eyes. She made him sound like a dream come true. I hope this goes well. What if he doesn’t like me? Maybe I will be too short for him.”

  “Will you stop? You always sell yourself short. No pun intended.” Bethany started to laugh. “You’re great. I wouldn’t be friends with you if you weren’t fabulous.”

  “I am your only friend. It’s a good thing you think I am so fabulous, otherwise you wouldn’t have any friends.”

  “Ha ha. Where are you guys going? He better be taking you out to a nice restaurant and not to one of the drug dens you used to go to with what’s his name.” Bethany had no filter.

  “At least I was having fun going to those drug dens while you are worried about wrinkles in your sheets. I never heard of anyone ironing bed sheets. You guys are nuts. You don’t have to bring him up every time I have a date. That is in the past, I’m over it so you should be too.”

  “Fair enough, what are you wearing?”

  Lilly finished up her make-up with two coats of mascara. She looked down and wondered herself what she was going to wear. She couldn’t very well go on a date in her panties, although she was sure that Alan would be pleased if she did.

  “I’m thinking of keeping it simple; a pair of jeans with a black top and a pair of heels. It’s almost five, I better let you go. This guy will be here in an hour to pick me up.” Lilly needed to get off the phone so she could get dressed.

  “You have him picking you up at your apartment? You really should be smarter than that.”

  “Normally I would meet someone out, but I figured Meg knows Alan well enough. I will let Laura know where I’m going. She is usually out there messing around with the plants on her patio. I’ll be fine. I’ll text you when I get home.”

  “Ok, you better. I hope you have fun. I will want all the details tomorrow.”

  Lilly hung up the phone and riffled through her closet looking for the perfect outfit that would both make her look and feel sexy, but at the same time be neutral enough that she wouldn’t force herself into a stereotype of any kind.

  It was the beginning of summer so it was warm enough that she could wear anything. She opted for a white camisole under a sheer yellow blouse. She paired it with a pair of dark straight-legged jeans that were a little bit long on her. The length worked out just fine with a pair of platform strappy heals. She finished off her outfit with a funky belt buckle that had an image of a blonde haired pin up girl with tattoos on her arms.

  Although Lilly did not have tattoos on her arms, she had enough on the rest of her body. Her wild friend Ali bought it for her for Christmas the year before. Ali said it reminded her of Lilly.

  Lilly grabbed a bedazzled clutch out of her closet and tossed some lip gloss and her I.D. in the bag. She was about to drop her cell in, but she wasn’t sure if Alan would call before he got there or if he would just show up at 6:30 sharp.

  She had not decided if the swirling in her stomach was from nerves or excitement. She was sick of being single and dating. Even though she didn’t get all the restrictions that her friend Bethany lived within her marriage, Lilly envied the stability Bethany had knowing at the end of the day she went to bed next to someone who loved her and cared for her.

  Watching Bethany’s belly swell over the past few months with what would be her first child, only made Lilly yearn for a permanent companion to share her life with. Her last boyfriend was handsome and a lot of fun to be with, but he was way too content living in his parent’s basement playing video games online. What made it worse is he would often choose playing with perfect strangers over doing something with Lilly.

  Lilly made many attempts to encourage him to take his passion for gaming and turn it toward a career goal. Unfortunately most jobs and the community college did not offer an option that included a bong for his weed habit. Lilly didn’t think smoking pot was that big of a deal in the beginning, but at the end of their relationship she started to find out that he was using a variety of other illegal substances that she wanted no part of.

  The idea of a man and not a boy that looked like a man had her fantasizing about the life she could have with Alan. Maybe she could use her resume writing and editing skills to help him take his business to the next level. She loved the idea of having a family business to pass on a legacy and a sustainable income for her children.

  Money, Lilly thought to herself. She almost forgot to bring some cash with her. She never went out with anyone without enough money to take a cab home. There had been more than one occasion that her ride home had consumed more alcohol than she had. She opened her pants drawer and grabbed two twenty-dollar bills.

  She looked over at the clock and saw that it was already a quarter past six. She still needed to go down and talk to Laura. She also wanted to be outside and ready to go. There was no way she wanted to have any kind of awkward moment where she needed to invite Alan in to the house.

  They had spoken on the phone a few times, but she knew not to be fooled by a sexy voice. When Lilly was a teenager she invested quite a bit of time getting to know a guy over the phone thinking he was super hot. When he showed up with his friend to take her and Bethany out they were two chubby guys dressed up like thugs. Needless to say, Bethany was pissed and suddenly came down with a stomach bug so they had to cut their night short.

  Lilly was happy that summer had finally arrived, even though it was getting later in the day the sun was still shining. Her apartment was on the second floor and her little deck was nice and private from the overgrown trees out front, but that didn’t let much light in on her deck. She tried a few times to have some potted plants, but they never did very well.

  Laura on the other hand had a patio on the opposite side of the building and she had plants everywhere. Lilly knew she would have just gotten home from work. Every day when she got home she watered her plants. Sure enough when Lilly rounded the corner Laura was out there with a pair of pruners in her hands hard at work.

  “Hi, Laura.” Lilly normally would have just walked over to her through the grass, but she was afraid that one of her heels might get stuck in the ground. She took the longer way down the steps and across the short walkway that led up to Laura’s patio and front door. “Your plants look better every year.”

  “Thanks, Lilly. Where are you off to all dressed up?”

  “I have a blind date.” Lilly felt a little stupid about saying it now that she heard it coming out of her mouth.

  “How exciting. Who set you up?” Laura asked as she snipped a few dead flowers off of one of her hanging baskets.

  “One of the other gals that works at the resume place. She said the guy is very handsome and successful. How could I turn that down?”

  “That’s for sure, maybe he has a twin.” Laura laughed. “Where are you meeting him?”

  “He is actually coming here to pick me up. I thought I would just let you know where I was going. Although I think he is ok, since Meg knows him, I thought it would be good if he knows that someone sees me leave with him.” Lilly may not always make the best choices, but she wasn’t stupid either. “I figured I would hang out here with you until he gets here, if that’s ok?”

  “Of course. Well, you never can be too safe. I can always use the company. Now that my daughter is away at college it is so quiet here.” Laura smiled, but Lilly could see the sadness in her eyes.

  “How is Kelly doing, she isn’t coming home for the summer?” Lilly asked. She knew college got out a few weeks ago. This was her slow season for editing college papers and when her resume writing started to pick up.

  “She actually got an apartment with another girl and they got a professional internship for the summer. She will be back for a week in August.” Laura looked up and put her hand over her brow to block the sun. “It looks like your date might be here. Do you know what kind of vehicle he drives?”r />
  “A white Tahoe I think.” Lilly looked out to the parking lot and sure enough there was a big white truck idling in the guest parking spot. “Oh, boy, here we go. I guess that’s him. Wish me luck.”

  “Good luck, love, have fun.” Laura went back to pruning her plants and Lilly started to walk toward the parking lot. Her stomach was full of flutters in anticipation of meeting Alan. From the angle she was at all she could see was his sunglasses through the front windshield.

  Lilly worked hard to make sure that every step she took was precisely spaced out so that she had a smooth, sexy saunter without trying too hard. Even though she was giving it her all.

  Lilly watched the door of the truck swing open. A very tall man with dark hair closed the door. As he walked up onto the side walk in her direction he took off his sunglasses and Lilly’s wind stopped blowing her sails.

  Alan cautiously approached her. “Hi, I am Alan, are you Lilly?”

  Lilly wanted to say no and keep walking by. She looked back at Laura for a split second hoping she would somehow save her from a night with a man she by no means found attractive.

  “Hi, yes, I am Lilly. It is nice to meet you.” She held out her hand to shake his. Attracted to him or not, one thing she was not was rude.

  Perhaps she and Meg had much different taste in men, and as much as she knew this date would go nowhere, she knew she had to make the best of it. Her friend went out of her way to set them up.

  “Are you all set to go?” he asked.

  “Yeah, I was just saying hi to my neighbor,” Lilly told him and followed him to his truck.

  Alan walked in front of Lilly to the passenger side and opened the door for her. Lilly was glad that he was a gentleman, at least so far.

  She watched him walk around the front of the vehicle. He was dressed in a blue button down that was un-tucked and a pair of jeans. The first thing Lilly noticed was his shoes. She guessed they matched, but she knew they were not something she would ever pick out, they were kind of frumpy.

  Alan got into the truck and smiled at Lilly. His teeth were straight and white, but his smile seemed to be a tad short for the size of his head. His brow was overly strong and reminded Lilly of the way cave men were often depicted. She felt bad thinking it, but it was the imagery that came to her mind.

  “I made us dinner reservations at MoHo’s down town. Does that work for you?” he asked as he backed out of the parking space.

  “That sounds good, I haven’t been there yet. Me and my girlfriend Ali were talking about trying MoHo’s this month.”

  “It’s good. I have been there a few times.” Alan seemed like a nice guy.

  CHAPTER THREE

  Date

  Lilly and Alan arrived at the restaurant, but their table wasn’t ready. The hostess offered them a seat at a cocktail table while they waited. They accepted, the restaurant was very busy and there was nowhere else to sit in the entry way, the place was filled with guests on the waiting list for a table.

  “Do you want to order a bottle of wine or would you rather a cocktail?” Alan asked as they sat down at the high bistro table.

  “Either is fine with me. I most likely will only have one drink. I’m not a big drinker,” Lilly said. She had no problem throwing back a few drinks, but she didn’t need her judgment impaired or any reason for the night to go on longer than it needed to.

  “Ok, is white good for you? The menu has a lot of fish and light pastas for the summer.” Alan looked at the wine list that the hostess handed him. When the barmaid came over he was ready to order.

  “Can we see the menu while we are waiting?” Lilly asked her before she left to get the wine.

  “Of course, you can eat here if you want to. I will be right back with your wine and some menus.” The barmaid walked back around behind the bar.

  “I don’t mind eating here if you want to. I’m not fussy like that,” she told Alan.

  “Ok. I’m cool with that,” Alan said.

  They sat in silence examining the menu while the barmaid opened the wine and poured it into their glasses. Lilly wanted her to pull up a chair and stay. There was an awkward tension starting to build. Perhaps she was creating it by knowing that she just wasn’t into it or him. They ordered an appetizer to share and their entrees.

  After the Barmaid walked away, Lilly lifted her wine glass, “Cheers.” They clinked glasses and Lilly sipped on her wine looking into the glass watching the pale yellow liquid rise up toward her lips. She took a slow, but small sip.

  “So how long have you known Meg?” Alan asked trying to slice through the giant slab of frozen ice.

  “I don’t know, maybe about six months or so. I don’t see her a lot though because I freelance with the company.”

  “What do you do exactly?”

  “I write resumes and edit slash revise college term papers. I only go in to the office once a week for an office meeting and to touch base with everyone. I work from home or wherever else I might feel like working for the day. They just email me my assignments and I email them back,” Lilly started to explain.

  “Do you enjoy it?” he asked.

  “It’s ok, it pays the bills, but I have been looking for an editorial position at some of the major magazines in the city.” Lilly sipped on her wine looking around the restaurant in hopes that the food would arrive.

  “It sounds like you know what you want. Good luck with your job search.” Alan took a swig of his wine.

  Lilly felt bad that she wasn’t completely engaged in the conversation. She was terrified that if she seemed too friendly that he would get the impression that she was interested in him. She actually found it hard to make eye contact with him. She didn’t find him attractive, but the fact that she was so hyped up about the date only made him seem less attractive.

  She looked up to him and forced herself to look into his small beady eyes. They were so small she couldn’t determine what color they were, not that it really mattered.

  “Meg said you own your own business, she didn’t specify what you do.”

  “I have two stores. I sell men’s clothing for big and tall men. I am actually short compared to most of the men that shop in my stores.”

  The appetizer came to the table. Alan ordered some kind of goat cheese and beet dish for them to share. Lilly felt a little bit funny sharing food with him, but took a small portion and put it on the small dish in front of her.

  “So how did you get into selling clothing?” Lilly asked as she smeared the cheese on a piece of crostini.

  “I shot up at a really young age. I remember my mom needing to take me to men’s stores and order pants that were available in custom lengths. I think I was only thirteen when I broke the six foot mark. I always had to work hard to find clothes that fit me properly. In college I started to research the industry and started to compile companies that I could buy from. Before I knew it I was building a business plan and things just kind of happened.”

  “How old are you, Alan?” Lilly got the feeling he was a good bit older than her.

  “Oh I am thirty-eight. How old are you? Or is that rude to ask a lady?” Alan shoveled the rest of his appetizer in his mouth as the entrees arrived at the table.

  Lilly handed her appetizer plate to the server in exchange for her plate of grilled fish. “I’m twenty-eight. My mom is actually dating a guy that is thirty-eight right now.” She made a face like a fire ant just bit her. “That’s kind of crazy, right?”

  Lilly officially made dinner as uncomfortable as it could get without actually saying something offensive. Not that she was interested in dating him, but with that comment about her mom she made it pretty clear that the thought of dating someone the same age as her mother’s boyfriend was unappealing.

  Alan shifted in his seat and chugged the rest of his wine. “That is crazy.” The poor guy, what else could he say to that?

  Lilly really wasn’t that hungry, but she tried to eat as much and as quickly as she could. She did not want to be rud
e, but was counting down the minutes until the date was over.

  “I am going to use the ladies room, would you excuse me for a minute please?” Lilly got up and placed her napkin on top of her plate so that if the wait staff came back to the table they could clear her plate.

  Lilly got to the bathroom and just stood in front of the mirror. She had gone the extra mile and made sure that her eyeliner perfectly swooped up on either side of her dark amber eyes. She spent all day working on her hair, first with a repair treatment, then a detailed blow out sectioning off small bits of hair, and then putting them in hot rollers. Guys don’t know how much of a workout that is for someone with such long hair.

  Her long blonde curls were still holding strong, she felt that she looked too good to waste it on a pint of ice-cream when she got home. She decided to text her friend Ali to see what she was up to. It was still on the early side, but she was bound to be out at a bar or club.

  Lilly - Hey girl. You out tonight?

  Ali - I’m on my way to Magic Bar wanna come?

  Lilly - Yes, but I am on a brutal blind date.

  Ali - Ugh. Why do you do it to yourself? Where are you? I’m coming to rescue you.

  Lilly - MoHo. Just finishing up dinner. You can be my dessert ;)

  Ali - Have no fear Ali will be there.

  Lilly put her phone back in her glitzy clutch. She didn’t bother putting her lip gloss back on. If Ali showed up she could touch up her make-up before they went out. She finished up in the ladies room and went back to the bar to finish up her date.

  When she got to the table she was glad to see that their dinners had been cleared. The bottle of wine was emptied into the two glasses on the table and there was a dessert menu at her seat.

  “I wasn’t sure if you wanted to have dessert or not,” Alan said gesturing toward the menu.

  Oh heavens no, she didn’t want to extend this meal any longer. What she wanted even less was to deal with having him have to drive her home and have the awkward good bye. She was hoping that Ali would show up so she could leave with her.