As always, thank you so much for reading and to those who review (constructively), I appreciate it so much. I'm glad you are looking forward to their night out, I loved writing it, it was lots of fun!
Wound Up
Carlos' hand rested on my leg as we drove toward the restaurant and drew soft circles on my thigh through the silky material of my dress. It was gentle but still arousing, and I shot him a soft smile. He didn't look at me, but I saw his answering smile.
Lester had explained to me that Versailles Restaurant was famous and possibly the oldest Cuban restaurant in Miami. It was popular and busy, and apparently attracted all kinds of people, including celebrities, for their famed cuisine and ambience. As we walked in, I admired the panelled ceiling and soft chandelier lighting. We were seated immediately, joining Tank, Lester, and Marco who were already there. Lester introduced us to his date, a Latina beauty named Luz, and as we sat, Silvio and his fiancé walked in and were seated as well. Silvio's fiancé was named Ana and she looked to be of mixed heritage, and she had an open, friendly smile, and bright hazel eyes. We chatted, getting to know each other, and it was only a few more minutes before we were joined by four other couples as the remainder of the managers joined us. The HR manager, Andreas Mitchell, had unfortunately been unable to join us, as his daughter was competing in a junior state gymnastics championship in Tampa. She was a talented athlete, and Andreas had boasted happily that she might go the Olympics in a few years.
The other managers introduced their dates and wives, and I was happy to see that most of the women were very friendly and looked happy to be there with the group. Though, a busty blonde named Bianca, who was there with Simon Hart, the Finance Manager, was looking covetously at Carlos and Lester. Simon was an average-looking man, with sandy blonde hair and unremarkable features. He was under six feet, and although fit and well-built, his body was fairly average as well. He was a nice man, very polite during our training, intelligent and honest, though he seemed a bit strait-laced and introverted. Bianca had obviously decided she wanted to upgrade her date. Several times she tried to flirt with Carlos across the table, flashing her cleavage and shaking her long blonde hair back, but I felt unthreatened. I knew I was looking my best tonight, and I trusted Carlos. I doubted that Luz would feel threatened either; Lester was looking at her like he wanted to eat her for dinner, and she was a stunner with deep brown curls to her waist, big, dark eyes, and a curvy Latina figure displayed to perfection in a red minidress.
After a few less than subtle attempts to grab Carlos' attention, I could see Simon start to look annoyed, and I turned from where I had been chatting with Ana and Silvio, to smile sexily at Carlos and offer him a sip of my guava Margarita. His attention riveted onto me as he took a tiny sip of my drink and leaned in to kiss my lips lightly. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Bianca lean back, looking disgruntled, until she noticed Simon's expression, and then turned back to her date to try and placate him. I doubted that Simon would be asking her on another date unless she pulled herself together.
We were all distracted as platters of appetisers were brought to the table. There were several types of empanadas, assorted croquettes, sweet plantains, tasty morsels of pork and beef, and rice and beans. The food was scrumptious, and I couldn't help a couple of soft moans as I tasted the flavours. Carlos grinned at me a little and pressed his leg against mine. The conversation was relaxed and fun, as the men shared stories of antics in the military or police, and funny anecdotes of FTAs. Ana turned out to be a travel agent and shared some amusing anecdotes of her own travels and strange requests from clients. Luz was the surprise to me; she was a police officer, and was apparently finishing a degree in criminal justice, hoping to become a detective. She may look like a sexy bombshell, but she was obviously intelligent and ambitious. I was pleasantly buzzed from the conversation and the Margarita. I leaned my head against Carlos' shoulder, and he turned to press a brief kiss against my hair. It made me smile at the tenderness and affection.
The appetisers were cleared, and we were served our entrees. I had chosen pork ribs with a guava barbeque sauce. They were divine and I felt my eyes practically roll back in head at the flavours. Carlos fed me a couple of bites of his entrée, which was various seafoods sauteed in a tomato sauce. It was beautifully cooked, the seafood was tender and fresh, and completely delicious.
Over the dinner course, Lester mentioned the elevator incident. Luz and Ana had not heard about how Carlos and I had met, and I spent a couple of minutes recounting the episode, shivering as I remembered the tension and fear of that day. I could see Bianca listening too, and I went on to mention how I had been working with Carlos to establish the Trenton branch of Rangeman, and how we are about to purchase the building to renovate for the company. I saw a flicker of disappointment cross Bianca's face as she realised I was deeply embedded in Carlos' life and her chances of stealing him seemed slimmer than ever. I realised Carlos had been listening to our conversation, as he chimed in to add some information about the building and the plans for the expansion, praising my skills and talents in creating the business plan and the research for the business. I blushed lightly at his praise and Luz grinned at me and winked.
We all agreed to forego dessert as the time approached ten o'clock, and we were all feeling full from the incredible food. Carlos went up to pay the check, as I stood to go to the bathroom before we headed to the club, needing to freshen up and renew my lipstick. Luz and Ana joined me, and I saw Bianca and the other women stand as well, so we waited politely, and we all went to the bathrooms. We freshened up, fixed our makeup, and returned to the table. The men stood as we returned to the table, and we all made our way to the doors. Several of the couples had travelled together, and Carlos offered Silvio and Ana a lift to the club, as they had caught a taxi, so they didn't have to worry about parking or having a drink. We drove out to the point of Miami Beach spit, and I was captivated by the lights on the water and the sparkling Miami nightlife over the ocean.
The club looked vibrant and lively, and I could hear a salsa beat pulsing out across the night. We walked up to the doors, seeing Louisa waiting at the entrance with a handsome, Latino man holding her waist. Louisa greeted me with a kiss to my cheek, while her husband, Raul, shook hands with Carlos, Marco, and Lester. They had not come to dinner, as they had wanted to settle their kids in bed before leaving them with the babysitter. Introductions were made all around and Lester led us confidently up to the door, bypassing the long line of patrons waiting at the security rope. Many of the waiting people looked disgruntled as Lester shared a complicated handshake with the security guard and Carlos also shook his hand, before he stood aside and let our large party enter. I knew I should probably feel guilty for the preferred treatment, but I could only feel glad not to have to stand and wait to go in to dance.
I was blown away by the inside of the club, it was thumping with noise and vibrant colour, and crowded with dancers and revellers. Lester led us to private area upstairs with a balcony overlooking the dance floor. We all looked around in awe at the luxurious fittings. We sat in comfortable armchairs and sofas and a waitress in a skimpy dress approached us to take drink orders. It took several minutes for everyone to order their drinks and Carlos also asked for several bottles of sparkling water to be brought with glasses. It was loud, and difficult to talk, and several couples moved immediately back down to begin dancing to the salsa, as I was mesmerised looking around. Carlos' hand slid around my waist, and I turned to him. He leaned in and spoke into my ear, asking if I wanted to dance or wait for our drinks. I indicated I wanted to dance, and Carlos stood, drawing me up with him. Louisa and Raul and Lester and Luz followed us. Tank and Silvio said they would wait for our drinks; Ana was talking with another couple.
Carlos drew me into him as we hit the dance floor, and I was focused on his beautiful eyes as we began to salsa. I was not a Latin dance expert, but Carlos was easy to follow, and he made it look effortless and sexy as hell. My whole body melted against him as he twirled me out and tugged me back against his hard body. I followed him as he held my hand out to step back and up to me. He rested my hand on his shoulder and put his hand on my hip to continue the dance; I wiggled my hips and swirled my skirt as I grinned at him, and he smiled sexily back at me. We continued to dance for two songs before he raised an eyebrow at me, and I nodded as he led me back up to the VIP balcony. Louisa and Raul also followed us, and we fell laughing lightly into our seats. I gulped thirstily at the iced, sparkling water, then sipped at the lime and tequila tall drink I had ordered. We enthused over the atmosphere and the dancing; there were several couples on the floor we observed that could be professionals, and they were exciting to watch as they did lifts and spins and moved flawlessly to the music.
We sat for several minutes as we cooled off, joined soon by Lester and Luz, Silvio and Ana, and Simon and Bianca. Bianca looked a bit bored and depressed; I guessed Simon was not a great dancer, he moved a bit stiffly and did not seem the type. I decided not to concern myself with her mood, I doubted the couple was going to last much longer. Everyone was thirsty and brushed back damp hair as they chatted as best they could over the loud music. Lester leaned over and asked me if I would like to dance. I glanced at Luz who smiled at me, and I nudged Carlos to let him know I was headed back to the dance floor. He smiled at me and stood, leading Luz as well. Lester flirted outrageously but harmlessly with me as he strutted on the dance floor. But I noticed his hands were always placed respectfully and he never crossed any lines. I could see Carlos and Luz dancing nearby, Carlos shaking his head at Lester's antics. After two songs, we swapped our partners, and I danced against Carlos as the music moved into a rhumba.
After about twenty minutes on the dance floor, we moved back up the balcony. The people on the balcony shifted and changed as couples left to dance and return to refresh and rest. I saw that Tank had not been dancing. He did not look bored but watched the people and smiled at the dancers. After I had rested for about fifteen minutes and slaked my thirst again, I moved to sit on the arm of his armchair. I leaned down to ask him if he would like to dance. He grinned at me and stood to take my arm. He told me as we walked down to the dance floor that he was not a very good dancer, however he moved fluidly, and we danced a couple of songs without much problem. I smiled at him and twirled around him, allowing him to look like he was leading me in some more complicated steps.
As we moved back to the stairs up to the balcony, I told him he was a better dancer than he thought, and he should go look for a hottie to dance with. He grinned at me and squeezed my arm but led me back up to the balcony. I was annoyed when I got to Carlos that Bianca had moved to sit beside him, on the sofa where I had been sitting. I could not see Simon, and I wondered if he had left in disgust. Carlos was talking to Silvio and Marco and was not really paying attention to Bianca, but she had moved close to him, and was obviously keen to flirt while I was away. I saw Tank's face darken and I saw the annoyance also reflected in Marco's eyes as he glanced at her.
I decided it was time to cut this off at the knees. I moved forward and deliberately stepped in front of Bianca, as I moved past her. I picked up my glass and refilled it from the pitcher of sparkling water and then turned deliberately to slide myself onto Carlos' lap. He opened his arms obligingly and happily settled me on his lap. I didn't bother to even look at Bianca, not wanting to give her the satisfaction of knowing she bothered me, but leaned my head against Carlos' shoulder and lightly kissed his chin. I saw the flash of devilish satisfaction and amusement cross Marco's face and knew that I had made my point with Bianca. Carlos' arm tightened around me, and I joined in their conversation. I told them that Tank needed a hottie because he had great moves on the dance floor. If Tank's dark skin could have blushed, I think his face would have gone bright red, and Marco and Silvio took the opportunity to tease him, but he bore it stoically.
Simon reappeared, apparently coming back from the bar, as he was carrying two drinks, and his face tightened noticeably when he saw that Bianca had moved to sit beside Carlos. I would have agreed with him; Bianca was being rude, obvious, and disrespectful to both Simon and me. Simon apparently did not want to make a scene, but if she crossed any more lines, I would not hesitate to bitch-slap her. Simon set the drinks down on the table where they had been sitting, deliberately not passing the second drink to Bianca where she was now sitting, and he turned to talk to Leonard Sloane and his wife Maddie. Leonard and Maddie had not been dancing much; Maddie was six months pregnant and tired quickly. I saw out of my periphery that Bianca had sat sulking for several minutes, before standing and moving back to sit beside Simon, picking up the drink to sip. She did not say anything to Simon, and he continued to talk to Leonard and Maddie, mostly ignoring the rude girl.
Carlos and I returned again to the VIP area about half an hour later. I had gone down with Marco to dance, and Carlos had come down to cut in after a couple of dances. As we moved up the stairs, I saw Marco was now dancing with a woman in a pale blue jumpsuit with a plunging neckline, while Tank was dancing with a curvaceous black woman, who was shaking her booty for all she was worth in her tight, sequinned dress. I grinned that they were obviously having a good time. We sat down beside a flushed-looking Louisa and Raul. They too had been tearing up the floor, both competent dancers. Lester and Luz were just coming back as well, having spent the majority of the night locked together on the dance floor. As they too sat back down to fresh jugs of iced water, Leonard, Maddie, and Simon all stood to announce that they were going to head out. I saw it was well after midnight, and Maddie was looking tired, so we bid them a cheerful goodbye. Bianca was looking mutinous and upset; she obviously did not want to leave. But Simon was her ride home, so she stood with clear reluctance to also say her farewells. Greetings to her were a little cooler, but still gracious, as we watched them go.
I could not help a small huff of relief that the source of tension was finally gone. I had not felt threatened by Bianca, or even allowed her to spoil my night, but I was happy to be able to relax with the fun crowd around me without any stress or dissent.
We stayed until about two am, although many of the other couples had already left, leaving only Lester, Luz, Silvio, Ana, Carlos, and me. Tank had left just after Simon and Leonard, saying he had to be on shift at seven. Louisa and Raul had left soon after; they had to work tomorrow as well. Marco had left just after one, with the jumpsuit woman on his arm. I grinned to Carlos that he had apparently scored, but Carlos just smiled at me. Eventually, we all agreed that we needed to get some sleep and left via taxis and cars. I was happily buzzed, as I had had an excellent night, but I knew I would probably crash once I slowed down. Carlos held my hand as he drove us back to Rangeman. I appreciated that the Rangeman building was so centrally located in Miami. It was a large, bustling city and traffic could mean long trips in other circumstances.
I awoke the next morning, tangled in sheets and warm Cuban goodness. I was a little shocked that he was still there; when I looked at the clock, it was after nine o'clock. He grinned at me lazily, "I took the day off, Babe."
I must have looked even more shocked at that because he chuckled. I teased, "But didn't you have to get up at dawn to run or something?"
He raised one eyebrow at me and drawled, "I got plenty of exercise last night, Babe." I blushed at that; after we had arrived back at Rangeman, our cardio workout had continued in the penthouse.
But I decided to misunderstand him deliberately, "Oh, yeah. We danced up a storm!" I said innocently. His eyes twinkled.
"Mmm," he murmured, "dancing in the sheets is my favourite exercise." I blushed even deeper at that. I couldn't win, he was too good at word games.
I stretched languidly, "So what's the plan for our day off, Carlos?"
His eyes devoured the skin I had revealed with the stretch, "We could just stay here," he said huskily. At that moment, my stomach growled loudly, and Carlos lay back on the pillows, chuckling as I blushed again. "I guess not," he smirked. He stood, taking my hand to draw me up with him. "How about we shower and dress, Babe, and I'll take you to Miami Beach for brunch. We can spend the morning on the beach, and the afternoon exploring Little Havana?"
I nearly bounced with excitement, "Oh, that would be fantastic, Carlos!" I exclaimed. He grinned at me.
He led me into the bathroom, where we showered together, touching, and washing each other sensually. Carlos went into the dressing room, while I stayed in the bathroom to dry my hair and braid it loosely over one shoulder. I applied some light makeup, just some tinted sunscreen, mascara, and lip gloss, and moved into the dressing room. Carlos had already dressed and gone out to make some coffee. I dressed in a pale aqua bikini I had brought with me; in case I got a chance to visit the beach. Over this, I pulled a light sundress, with spaghetti straps, in a muted tropical print of palm leaves and water. I added some strappy sandals and gathered up some of the lingerie I had bought yesterday, a light jacket, and some flip-flops, into a canvas tote bag that someone (Carlos!) had thoughtfully left out for me. I went into the bathroom to add sunscreen, lip gloss, mascara, and some moisturising lotion. Finally, back in the bedroom, I gathered up the clutch from last night and tucked it into the tote as well.
I walked out to find Carlos sipping coffee and reading a newspaper. In the kitchen, I found the coffee he had doctored up for me already, and walked out to sit beside him, inhaling the aroma appreciatively. We finished out coffees, and Carlos picked up another canvas tote with some towels and a change of clothes for him. He was wearing black board shorts with a loose, white top; open at the neck and rolled up at the sleeves, along with black Converse shoes. He looked casual and delicious, and I leaned in to kiss the exposed skin of his neck as he paused to lock the apartment door. He growled at me and took my hand to lead me to the elevator.
We drove to the beach, and he found a park near a beachside café, looking out over the Atlantic Ocean. I ordered a breakfast pizza with ham, mushrooms, and eggs, and Carlos ordered a focaccia sandwich of roasted vegetables. Carlos ordered us both some more coffees, mine a divine caramel flavour. We chatted desultorily about our previous evening while we ate, mentioning Luz, who Carlos had also not met previously. He said he was surprised; Luz was not Lester's normal type, preferring more of a bimbo, while Luz was more genuine and serious, which made him joke that Lester's heart may be at risk. I nodded and agreed; I had really liked Luz and hoped Lester would continue to date her.
Neither of us had mentioned Bianca, and to be honest I had not thought about her since she left last night, but Carlos suddenly leaned forward and said, "I prefer the genuine girl too, the one with beauty inside and out, Babe. Blonde bimbos don't do anything for me." I felt tears fill my eyes at his sweet reassurances, although they were not really necessary, and leaned forward over the table to kiss him lightly on his lips. He tasted of coffee and sweet, sexy man.
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