Chapter 5: Kiss Me Then I'll Kiss You Back
I got the strange feeling that someone's watching me. You know that feeling where the hairs on your neck start to stand up, well that's the way I feel. Without turning around to confirm my suspicions, I slowly eased my hand in my purse and grabbed my can of pepper spray. Just then a hand touched my shoulder.
"Not tonight asshole." I quickly turned around to spray my assailant. To my surprise it was my boss standing there in a black leather jacket that he looked amazing in.
Taylor held my wrist keeping the can away from his face. He caught me a millisecond before I squeezed the trigger on the spray. "Hey! Whoa, wait a minute it's just me."
"Dammit Taylor! Are you crazy? You don't sneak up on women in the dark. You almost gave me a heart attack" I snatched my hand from him and put the spray away.
"Yeah well, you almost blinded me so we're even."
"What are you doing here? Didn't you leave two hours ago?" I asked slowly pulling myself together.
"I was in the neighborhood and saw you locking up" His facial expression changed giving me a serious look, "speaking of which you shouldn't be doing that by yourself it's not safe."
"Don't worry, I'm a big girl."
"Come on I'm giving you a ride home."
Taylor started walking expecting me to follow behind him. "Thanks, but no thanks. I don't know you well enough to just get in your car."
"Good 'cause I don't have a car." He pointed to a black scary looking Dodge ram van.
"There is no way I'm getting in there."
"What? Is my van not good enough for you?" He asked sounding a tad offended.
"I didn't say that. You already tried to molest me on a dance floor filled with people, how do I know you won't try something with me alone in your van? Fool me once shame on you, fool me twice shame on me." I gave him a pat on the arm and started to make my way down the street.
"Seriously Gia, it was kiss, and don't tell me that you didn't like it." I heard his voice shout to me but I kept on walking
"Goodnight Taylor." I yelled back. Looking over my shoulder I couldn't see any traces of him standing on the sidewalk so I continued on. I was half way down the block when I saw headlights slowly cruising up the street. It made me nervous for a second because the vehicle was moving really slow.
I glanced over when it pulled up beside me, I let go a sigh of relief when I saw it was only Taylor 'once again!' "What are you doing?"
"Making sure you get home safely. You don't want to get in so I'm just going to follow you." He said out of the passenger window.
I rolled my eyes and kept moving. "Stalk is more like it."
"Stop being stubborn and get in, it's cold out there." The man just wouldn't give up.
"I like the cold, besides I only live a few blocks away I doubt anything will happen."
"I'll sleep better knowing you made it to your door." Taylor split his focus between the rode and me still driving at the same pace I was walking.
"Isn't that what the leggy blonde was for? To help you sleep better." That was a petty low blow, but I just couldn't help myself.
"Jealous?" There it was, that same smug smile from the dance floor.
"Not in the least." So I lied, sue me. "I just assumed you'd have better taste."
He shrugged his shoulders, "you know what they say when you assume."
'Smartass!' I decided to make a last minute pit stop at the twenty-four hour Walgreen's down the street from me. He double-parked on the street as I went through the turnstile door. There was nothing I need from here I figured if I fooled around long enough he'd leave. Taking my own sweet time I strolled up and down the isles picking over things as if I was actually shopping. The most random things became interesting; I counted the tiles on the floor, read the ingredient labels on the boxes of cereal and played with an Elvis singing teddy bear until the batteries ran out. Thirty minutes went by, I casually walked by the entrance holding a magazine up to my face to see if he was still there and just as my luck would have it that big black van still sat there. I dropped my hands letting out a loud huff storming back into the isles not caring that the employees were looking at me like I was crazy.
I occupied the magazine rack a bit longer reading up on the latest gossip and crazy antics of celebrities that didn't know what to do with their money. After checking my blood pressure and heart rate over at the pharmacy I went back over to the door, and what did I see? Taylor Reese leaning up against his van smoking a cigarette. For some reason it brought a smile to my face, he was persistence, I give him that much. I spent enough time in here. I think the employees think I'm trying to steal, the manager keeps peeping at me through the isles.
Not wanting to leave empty handed I went to the checkout line and looked over the candy bars. "Hmm a snickers sounds good." I picked up the king sized and put it on the counter.
"Will that be everything?" The cashier asked me.
I thought for a second, 'Ah what the hell,' I reached down and grabbed one for Taylor too. It's the least I can do for making him wait so long. I took my little plastic bag and made my way to the exit.
When Taylor saw me come through the revolving door he flicked his smoke away and walked towards me. "What the hell took you so long?"
"You know you can die from those things right?" I watched the light from the cigarette flicker.
"I can die getting the newspaper. What took so long?"
"It was crowded in there." Taylor's eyes darted pass me looking at the empty store. "I didn't ask you to wait."
The look in his eyes softened when he answered me. "I told you I'm making sure you get to your door."
"I thought you said you weren't nice?" I said remembering his previous words to me.
He didn't reply. His fingers reached for my bag opening it taking a peek inside. "It took you an hour to get a fuckin candy bar?"
I reached in the bag and pulled one out. "I got one for you too."
He took it and smiled. For the first time I saw an actual smile on him, not some cocky smug grin like before. "Thanks." Maybe he wasn't such a jerk after all.
So I continued my walk and he continued to follow me. Four blocks later I was at my stoop. Taylor got out of his van and walked me to my front door, and there it was, that awkward silence.
"Thank you walking me home, or whatever you want to call it."
His hands were stuffed into his jean pockets. "No problem, maybe next time you won't be so stubborn and let me give you a ride."
"Maybe."
"Well you should get some sleep." He turned to start down the steps.
"Taylor wait." 'Did I just say that?' "I'm sorry if I came off bitchy tonight."
Stopping in the middle of the steps he turned to face me. "It's okay, it's not like you weren't provoked. Besides Scarpa likes the bitchy types."
"Oh yeah? What are exactly are you trying to say?" I stood there actually curious to what he was getting at.
"Nothing, it's just you two seemed really chummy." Suddenly before I knew it he was back at my front door.
"Jealous?" A smile played across my lips when I asked him.
"Not in the least sweetheart."
"Good, because he's not my type anyway."
"Really? So what is your type?" The space between us was getting smaller and smaller.
"I'll leave you to wonder."
Taylor's hand found its way to my lower back pressing my body against his. His scent took me away once again. I knew what was coming next yet I did nothing to stop it. A feeling of warmth washed over me as his lips met mine. This felt so good it had to be wrong. My traitorous body let out a moan parting my mouth to allow him entry. With a pivot of his feet he had my back pressed against the door and his hands on my hips holding me in place.
Tired screeched and a loud horned sounded bringing us to a halt. We turned our eyes to the street to see what happened, a little Volkswagen Beetle almost ran into a F-150 and that would have caused some major damage. Once both cars was out of sight Taylor dipped his head back down to kiss me again, this time I turned away from him. He got the message and took a step back.
"Look Taylor I'm not gonna lie, I enjoyed that kiss just as much as I enjoyed the first one." There was that smile again, right on que. "But it can't happen again. You're my boss for Christ sake."
"I know you want me just as much as I want you Gia so don't deny it." Taylor once again to kiss me, but regretfully I pushed him away. "So that's it huh?"
"That's it." I opened my door leaving him on the front step. I stepped inside my apartment and threw my keys on a nearby table. 'Damn!' I thought to myself. Forget a bath, I was going to need a cold shower.