Page 31 of Irresistible

"Yeah, but I didn't always feel that way. I held a grudge against her for what I thought was her role in my dad leaving. It turned out that he was just kind of scumbag, but it's difficult to get a young man to understand that about his father. We always identify with our dads, at least until we're provided with enough evidence to realize he's wrong. In those days, I thought her part in that whole thing was the reason we were poor. I blamed her for more than she ever deserved, and there are still irrational pangs of that deep inside me. I'm honestly ashamed about it, but it is what it is."

Scarlet sat transfixed. He was spilling his soul, and she was on the edge of her seat. There were virtually no men in her life that would open themselves up and reveal their deepest vulnerabilities like this. It was a wholly foreign experience to her.

"That's understandable, though, right? You were just a kid. Kids always blow things out of proportion. I wouldn't beat yourself up about it."

"Yeah, but she just worked so hard. Even now, she has the beginnings of emphysema because smoking was her only escape from everything. She had no husband, no time for hobbies, and no help. Her only release was smoking. Every time I harped on about my dad or about how she wasn't doing enough, she would put me in my place and then go have a cigarette. It's truly disgusting."

Scarlet reached across the table and took Richard's firm hand in hers. It felt warm and he instantly returned her grasp. She could feel the connection flowing between them, and it calmed them both instantly.

"I've never really told anyone about these things before. Well, I've told my therapist. It's funny, actually. The last time I called her was when I first got to Mainsport. Talking to you has taken the place of those frantic, anxious phone calls. I used to call her at least once a day, if not more. She's probably worried about me."

"I can call her if you want," Scarlet laughed.

"Haha. I don't think that'll be necessary."

The two maintained their grip until their drinks arrived. Scarlet ordered a regular cola and Richard ordered a seltzer.

"I know you're right that I shouldn't beat myself up so much about my previous behavior. But it's hard because my mom is such a special woman. You mentioned that you get along with your mom pretty well. Has that always been the case?" Richard asked between sips of his drink.

"Yeah. We've always been kind of the same person. She feels the same way that I do about my dad. But she's always been sort of trapped in a way that I haven't. I got to leave home eventually. I got to go out and look for the type of person who could give me the sort of emotional fulfillment I need. But she's married to him. I would never say she's 'stuck'. But she may never find that kind of intimacy. They're old-school, so they would never get divorced, and honestly they shouldn't. They very clearly love each other. It's just this one thing. They have way more than most people will ever have."

Richard took Scarlet's hand once more and tightened his grip. Scarlet had not felt this supported in quite some time.

"Things are always more complicated than they seem, aren't they?" he said calmly.

"They really are."

"I hope that hasn't put you off the prospect of relationships as a whole. I was jaded for a long time because of the way things turned out between my mom and my dad. I did a complete one-eighty. I went from adoring my dad when I was a really young kid to despising him and wanting to become the exact opposite of him by the time I graduated from high school. It warped my expectations of romantic relationships, which is probably why I pursued vague and meaningless flings."

"I'm certainly not put off by the idea of a relationship. I just want to make sure I'm getting into a relationship with someone who can really understand me. I hope you don't think this is a creepy thing. I'm not one of those girls who tries to find someone to overcome some sort of daddy issue. But I do know what I want now. I know that my ideal partner will be someone that I can talk to about anything," Scarlet explained.

"I'm really loving this. I can't remember the last time I had so much fun, especially while discussing less than pleasant topics," Richard laughed.

The two continued to hold hands across the table until their food arrived. Richard was right. The food was incredible. They both agreed that it was the best bacon cheeseburger that either of them had ever had. The beef was cooked perfectly, medium rare, and the bacon was perfectly crunchy without being burnt. A few onion straws sat directly under the bun, adding the last bit of savory flavor to each bite.

"That was delicious," Richard said, leaning back in his seat once he finished his meal.

"Absolutely. I should really start taking your lead. I would never have had such a delicious burger if you didn't have such a sense of adventure. We could all learn a lesson."

"Someone dragged me to a dive bar once, and it all went from there. It's almost like something you can't do unless someone takes you with them the first time."

"Where did we leave off?" Scarlet asked, realizing that they had hardly spoken while eating their burgers.

"We were talking about relationships, and then..."

Richard couldn't finish his sentence. Scarlet leaned across the table and kissed him directly on the lips. She couldn't help herself. This was one of the best evenings she had ever had in her life. She had never felt a connection with someone like what she felt with Richard. The twinge of hesitation hit her again, but it was nothing compared to the flood of attraction she was experiencing.

"Should I not have done that?" Scarlet asked, leaning back into her seat.

"No. I'm really, really glad you did that. If you hadn't I would have wanted to for the rest of the night. Honestly, I've been wanting to do that since we first had lunch."

"I've just never felt this way about anyone. I honestly can't describe it,' Scarlet gushed.

"I feel the same way. You really give me so much that no one else has ever given me before."

"How do we handle this?" Scarlet said playfully, with a tinge of uncertainty.

"We could go back to my hotel."

He didn't have to tell Scarlet twice. Before he could get another word out, she put two twenty dollar bills on the table and dragged Richard out of the restaurant to her sedan. She broke the speed limit the entire way back to the hotel. When they first got back to the car, she considered just starting things right there. But her intellect took hold one more time, keeping her from starting their relationship in an even more salacious way. Things were going exactly how she wanted them to go, and she didn't want to change the trajectory of the evening with sketchy car sex.

They traipsed into the hotel after Scarlet parked in the first spot available. There was no hand-holding or flirtatious whispering. The hotel staff knew that Richard was staying there, and they knew what he was there for. He had told them earlier in the day that Scarlet was coming by and that she was working as his assistant. They had to act as though they came back to the hotel to work. As they walked through the lobby, Scarlet wondered why she hadn't proposed that they go back to her place instead. But it was too late now. She couldn't wait any longer. She just decided to take the risk and go with it. Sometimes you have to throw caution to the wind.