Chapter 2

Bass sits in the cherry red booth at the back of the diner, as his fingers strum gently against the laminated counter, the only indication that he's nervous.

It had took him almost two days to convince her to meet him in person and even after her hesitant agreement he still wasn't completely convinced that she would show. She had chosen this diner for their first meetup and his lips quirked into a grin when he took it in. Generally the woman he took out on dates preferred something a little… classier. This diner was in the bad part of Chicago, gangs and drug deals accompanied by shootings on occasion and the diner showed its wear, the outside starting to turn a dingy yellow and the flickering neon sign starting to lose its blinding color. He loved it.

He ordered coffee and hesitantly took a sip from the mug and was immediately impressed at its flavor, scolding himself for judging so quickly. He studied the menu and set it aside, refusing to order without Charlie –if she did show that is.

His job usually had him in dress shirts and slacks but he had grasped at the chance to dress down and relax in something comfortable, the worn grey t-shirt and jeans a testament to that.

The bell rings above the diner door and he glances up in the moment she walks through the door. God she was something. Dark blue denim clung to her legs like a second skin and a black muscle tee cut a few inches above the waist of her low rise jeans so every time she moves he caught a glimpse of her pierced belly button. She was a walking piece of heaven and hell combined. She spots him and instead of walking towards him she instead tilts her head and sizes him up, her gaze running hot up and down him for a moment before she makes some kind of decision because she makes her way towards him, the heel of her ankle boots clicking in time with her steps.

She drops gracefully into the seat across from him, her legs immediately crossing as she props her chin in her right hand and looks at him with those shockingly blue eyes. Bass shifts under her stare but doesn't break eye contact and he sees something that comes close to approval from her.

One of the waitresses comes over and its clear Charlie knows her by the way her face lights up.

"Coffee honey?" the waitress has got to be close to sixty and he watches Charlie's face morph into one of warmth when the term of endearment slips from the waitresses lips.

"Please Nancy." Bass watches the waitress give him the once over unsubtly and then shoot Charlie a look to which Charlie responds to with a half-smile and raise of her eyebrow. They seem to communicate in their own language and he finds it amusing.

The waitress walks away after she's filled his cup too and he takes a moment to watch her as she opens three sugar packets, pouring them into her coffee before stirring.

"You're staring."

He didn't realize she noticed but he just shrugs, matching her cool façade.

"It's hard not to."

Her mouth quirks up into a half smile and when she locks eyes with him again they're slightly warmer than before.

"So you're Bass."

He lets out a laugh, "Well even if I wasn't I don't think I'd be able to bring myself to say no."

Her smile is instantaneous and it lights up her entire face, the blues of her eyes sparking to life. She's momentarily speechless and then shrugs, collecting her thoughts.

"Interesting taste in food you have Charlie." Bass says, letting her avoid answering him and she arches an eyebrow at him in what he supposes is supposed to be intimidating.

"Who says we're going to be eating?"

Images flood his brain, ones of him bending her over the bathroom sink, her on her knees on the bathroom floor with his cock in her mouth as those blue eyes stare up at him, his mouth tasting her as she screams. Fuck.

Charlie clears her throat and he realizes that she's caught him daydreaming and he shakes his head to rid himself of the images, her smirk making him know that she knows exactly what he was thinking about. The more uncomfortable he becomes the more her smirk widens and his pants tightens. He shifts subtly to get more comfortable and hopes she doesn't notice. She notices.

Finally she lets out a laugh and fixes him with those blue eyes filled with fire and steel. "Relax Bass –can I call you Bass? Or do you prefer Sebastian? I'm sure no one calls you Sebastian except for special occasions."

The various special occasions he had been thinking about before making him smirk at her, a lazy one that he knows woman love. "I like Bass on all occasions. Would you like me to call you Charlie on all occasion too?"

"I prefer Charlie on all occasions." She says, stealing his earlier words and he can't help but be fascinated by her and a whole lot of turned on. He shifts again, adjusting himself.

"Relax Bass, I'm just teasing you." The way she says teasing implies she knows exactly what she's doing and he loves it.

She tilts her head slightly to the side and studies him, her gaze becoming more intense than playful and he wonders what she's thinking.

"How old are you?"

The question is unexpected and he wonders how old she thinks he is.

"37." His answer is short and sweet and studies her expression that doesn't change as she nods.

"How old are you." Suddenly he worries that he's going to be corrupting something good.

"23."

Not that young, not that old either. He feels ancient compared to her. He's lost in thought when her voice breaks through.

"Bass, if the age difference bothers you, you can walk away. No hard feelings."

He studies her and finds her expression clear and calm and breathes out slowly

"Doesn't it bother you?"

She shrugs, "Nope."

One simple word and she says it so easily though he can see she's thought about it. She's a riddle and a mystery and he wants to figure her out.

She looks at him for a long moment and then reaches for the menu on the table.

"You in or out Bass?"

Her eyes are focused on the menu and he takes a moment, wondering if this was worth staying for, not because of her, but because of him. He was ancient compared to her and though he wasn't ready to settle down, he didn't think he could never see her again, even if he did sleep with her. This was dangerous. He never thought like this because there never was a woman to make him think like this.

He clears his throat and waits till her eyes find his over her menu. "What is this?"

Her expression becomes guarded and for a moment he wishes he hadn't asked but her soft answer changes his mind.

"Something. It's something Bass."