Thursday, November 2, 2017

Thursday's Third Scene - Seducing the Chef #MFRWauthor #Contemporary romance #Romeo and Juliet

Allie tied her sneakers and walked to the sliding doors leading to the apartment’s balcony. She’d arrived in the Hudson River village late last evening and settled in. Before Steve left he’d made her reservations at Five Cuisines for her under the name she used when scouting restaurants. The reservations were for the six PM seatings for five nights each dinner in one of the rooms.
She drew a deep breath of air not redolent with city odors. She walked to the railing. A warm early June breeze caressed her skin. Cloud puffs scudded across the blue sky. Several sailboats glided past. She watched until they neared the Tappan Zee Bridge.
A sound caught her attention and she looked down. If this was the neighbor Steve had mentioned he had been right. The man was definitely her type. He wore black work-out silk pants and flowed from one Yoga position to another. His tanned sculpted body was glorious. Her blood stirred.
She sucked in a breath. A man who looked as fabulous surely had been claimed years ago. Her last relationship had died four months ago and no one had appeared. The constant jetting about the country wasn’t conducive to long term relationships.
Face it. None of the men she’d dated in the past had made her want to remain earth-bound.
Though she had planned to walk to town for coffee, to browse in the shops and see what the local restaurants might offer for lunch she couldn’t move. She leaned on the railing and drooled. Her gaze focused on his broad shoulders, tight rear and muscular legs. His dark hair touched his shoulders. Was his face as striking as his body?
He turned. A long sigh escaped. Definitely easy on the eyes. Too bad she couldn’t see his hands to search for a ring. If he’d been hers she would have banded him with a broad one.
If you lean over the railing one more inch you’ll end up in flight. Though falling into his arms seemed a novel way to meet there was no guarantee he would catch her without one of them breaking bones.
At that moment he looked up. Their gazes met. She felt the impact to her toes. Yes, yes. Those words formed a mantra in her head. Her breath caught in her throat.
“Hello. Though my neighbor was off on a trip.”
She grasped the metal railing. “He’s off to Alaska. He offered me a place to stay while I’m in town doing research.” Surely the man’s eyes were as dark as the midnight sky.
“Are you a writer?”
“You could say that.” After all, she wrote all the feature stories.
“Need help with your research?”
She released her grip on the railing. His voice sizzled along her skin. She’d better move away before she propositioned him. A foolish move. “At the moment no but I’ll let you know if I do. Right now I’m off to explore the town.”
“See you around.”
“I’m sure you will.” Allie backed into the sliding doors. She rubbed her rear. Boy was she rattled. She laughed at the foolish ideas circling in her thoughts. She ducked inside. From his approach, chances were he was single. Did she want a short-term involvement with a stranger? The way her body pulsed and the direction of her thoughts all pointed to yes.
Slow down.
She slid her small bag over her shoulder, tucked the apartment key inside and left. On the ground floor she glanced at the number of the hot guy’s apartment. Maybe she could learn his name from the mailboxes. As she reached the lobby she made a face. The boxes were in a locked room. She didn’t have the key.
Just my luck.
She waved to the doorman and strode up the hill to Main Street. As she strolled toward town the aroma of coffee drew her to a storefront where several tables stood on the wide sidewalk. She read the name on the door and chuckled. The Coffee Mug.
When she entered the scent of freshly baked bread blended with the rich aroma of coffee drew her to the counter. Trays of rolls, a variety of breads and assorted cookies lined the showcase shelves. She ordered a coffee to go and promised herself she would stop on the way back to the apartment for a loaf of rye bread, some rolls and a small bag of ground coffee.
As she continued her exploration she sipped the amazing brew. The variety of small shops selling books, antiques, chocolates, dollhouses and jewelry. Restaurants were interspersed with the stores. At each eatery she paused to read the menus. Some tempted. Lunches became a matter of choice. Maybe Five Cuisines wasn’t the only game in town.
A window display made her gasp with joy. The Peekaboo Boutique. She dropped the coffee cup in a trash container at the edge of the sidewalk and pressed her nose against the window. Mentally she flipped a two-headed coin and won. Lingerie was her downfall and many of the items on display were unique and sexy. The bras and bikini bottoms seemed to have been painted by hand with flowers and butterflies. As she opened the door a bell tingled.
A middle-aged woman pushed through a beaded curtain with clacking and bell tones. “Hello, Welcome to Peekaboo. I’m Peggy Lou. New in town?”
“Just visiting but I’m fascinated with everything I see.”
“What would you like a closer view of?”
Allie laughed. “Everything. Let’s start with those lace up thigh high stockings and a matching teddy.”
Peggy Lou arched a brow. “You have great taste and the perfect body to wear them.”
“And I have the right dress.”
Before long a half dozen sets of unique lingerie sets sat beside the stockings and teddy. Allie chuckled. “I’d better stop before I max my card. Don’t worry. I’ll be back.”
“And I look forward to seeing you again.”


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