Filed to story: Submitting to My Bestie’s Daddy Read Online >>???
“I’m the same,” she giggled. “I’m actually from America, but I’m studying abroad this semester. We were just doing a bit of last-minute sightseeing before school started.”
“Oh? Where in America are you from?” I asked with a grin. “Let me guess. California?”
“New York City.” She laughed.
“Darn, I was so close.” I said, grinning when I got another giggle out of her. “What about your family? They from New York City as well?”
Her smile dimmed a bit as she answered, “No, I don’t… really have any family.”
“Oh, I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to–”
“It’s okay,” she reassured me with a smile. “It was a long time ago. I’m more focused on the future than the past.”
As we rounded the corner, I spotted the bar we had just frequented and the bartender was outside with a cab. He shut the door, no doubt with Vinny inside.
“Are they closed?” Natalia asked with a small frown.
“Of course not,” I lied, turning my gaze to the dark bar room.
The light had just been turned off by the looks of it, with still a faint glow from the neon. As he spotted us coming, he paled.
“I’m sorry, sir, are you closed?” Natalia asked politely to the man, who glanced at me.
I sent him my fiercest glare, just out of her vision, and shook my head slowly. He swallowed, uncomfortably.
“No, the light is just broken.” He sighed, looking on the verge of tears.
He led us into the deserted bar, the room spotless from when I’d last been here, and I had to give him props for that. He stepped behind the counter with a desolate look on his face. “What can I get you?”
“Hmm, I’ll have a shot of vodka, please,” Natalia said with that innocent face of hers.
Both the bartender and I turned to look at her with an incredulous look.
“Really?” I laughed, pleasantly surprised, “Don’t women normally order fruity drinks?”
“And don’t guys usually order something boring just to sound cool?” she smirked back. “Let me guess. Whiskey on the rocks?”
I glanced at her with wide eyes. That had been exactly what I had ordered before. I’d never thought of myself as predictable.
I took my seat next to her, giving her a mischievous grin as I said, “No.” Turning to the bartender, I said, “I’ll have a strawberry daiquiri.”
She laughed, and I noticed with increasing joy that she had a dimple on the right side of her cheek. I had to stop myself from touching it.
Our drinks came and just as I’d imagined, Natalia was amazing. She was funny and bright and sweet, but she gave just as much as she got, falling into a comfortable routine. But as fun as it was, everything had to end eventually.
I doubled the tip for the bartender, which he looked incredibly exasperated about regardless, and I walked Natalia back to the hotel, constantly talking. She was fascinating on every level, like she was tailor-made for me, and I couldn’t stop myself from being drawn deeper into her.
I was a string and she was wrapping me around her fingers faster than I could blink. When we reached the hotel, Natalia gave me a slip of paper, biting her bottom lip with a shy look before she dashed off to her room.
I glanced at the piece of paper, a number written there in loopy handwriting, almost too perfect to be real. Underneath it was, ‘Call me–Natalia.’
I headed back to my room in a daze, clutching the paper in my hand like it was a holy grail. By the time I walked back into the room, Vinny was still up.
He glanced at me as I passed through the room, completely and utterly dumbstruck.
“What’s wrong with you?” Vinny asked, raising an eyebrow, surprisingly sober considering how he had been acting earlier.
“I just met the most beautiful, amazing woman,” I gushed, a stupid grin on my face. I told him everything, spilling every detail about the fateful encounter as I got ready to crash for the night.
Vinny stared at me with a weird look once I was done ranting.
“Isn’t she just amazing?” I sighed, leaning back on my bed.
“I guess,” Vinny said, but then he added, “I don’t want to be the bad guy, but be careful, Tallon. You never know where enemies are lurking, and I don’t know, this all seems really coincidental.”
I sobered very quickly, thinking about it. He was right in a way. It was odd how things had just unfolded so quickly, but I didn’t think she was an enemy.
“I hope not,” I said quietly, “because I really like her already. And maybe it’s not a coincidence. Maybe it was just meant to be.”
“Like fate?” Vinny asked, raising his eyebrow.
“Like fate,” I grinned, nodding as the idea cemented itself into my mind. Right. It wasn’t a coincidence but an act of fate that had brought us together.
I held onto the rope I called ‘fate’ as I dangled over the pit called ‘love,’ I couldn’t see the bottom.
I could only hear her sweet voice calling my name as I fell into a deep slumber.
*Tallon*
I leaned over my desk looking at floor plans, but I couldn’t focus on them at all. The only thing I seemed to be able to think about these days was Natalia’s striking blue eyes and the way her silky brown hair perfectly framed them.
I sighed and rubbed my forehead, feeling like an idiot. She probably didn’t even remember me. We had exchanged numbers but I hadn’t heard from her in over a week. Although I wanted nothing more than to call her and ask her on a date, I also wanted her to take the lead.
It was clear from our conversation that she was impressively independent, and the last thing I wanted was to stifle that. But as the days drew on and I found myself unable to tear my mind away from thoughts of her, I decided it was time to contact her.
I pulled out my phone and called her before I could chicken out. The line rang three times, then went to her voicemail. Damn, had she ignored me? I couldn’t afford to let myself spiral, so I turned back to the floor plans in front of me. I had to get this shit done.
Two weeks passed and I had almost managed to get Natalia out of my mind. I was walking downtown trying to decide where to stop for lunch when I glimpsed a familiar head of dark hair. I stared hard, trying to figure out if the woman walking right in front of me was Natalia or if I was just starting to go crazy.
Just as I was sure that I was finally losing my grip on reality, she looked up from her phone and grinned at me. I would have recognized those blue eyes anywhere. I grinned back and waved at her before jogging over. I didn’t care if I looked like a lost puppy dog.
She was worth it.
“Natalia!” I said, relishing the feel of her name on my lips. “How are you? I never heard from you.”
“Hm, I could say the same about you,” she responded quietly, a coy smile playing at the corner of her mouth.
“I called you, but you never picked up,” I said, vaguely aware that I sounded slightly pathetic.
“You didn’t leave a message. I’m sure I would have remembered.” Her smooth voice was heaven to my ears. I would do anything to keep her talking.
“Well, I was just going to get lunch. Do you want to join me?” I asked, hoping and praying that she was available.
“Oh, I would love to, but I just ate. Maybe another time, okay? Call me, and leave a message this time!” She chuckled as she walked away without a second glance.
