Sweep Me Off My Feet

“This has been really great. I hardly think I have enough room for dessert,” she said as he looked at her.

“I’m sure Umberto will not mind packing up some sweets for you and the little man at home,” Michael pointed out. “What’s his name?”

“Brandon,” she said, smiling. Michael nodded.

“Good strong name.”

“Yeah, I guess. I needed him to grow up strong, and a perfect gentleman.”

“That’s really admirable,” Michael said in a soft voice. “I would like you to take a trip with me.”

She raised an eyebrow over the other.

“Wait, what?” she asked, surprised. “How did we go from my son to taking a trip with you?”

“I find you intriguing, Angela Carter, and I would be honored to see more of you.”

“This is happening too fast, Michael. I mean, you are my boss… and…” She shrugged. “This feels like a dream and I don’t want to lose myself in it.”

“Why not?” he asked. “If this is a dream and it feels this good, at least for me, then shouldn’t we just allow ourselves to get lost in it?”

“You know, I was always taught that if the deal is too good, you should think twice and I cannot help but wonder if there is a catch I should know of.”

He shook his head.

“No catch here. Just a man looking to know an intriguing woman, that’s all,” he said. “So, what do you say?”

Angela wanted to answer him, but she was tongue tied. The only thing she was able to say was ask for the bathroom.

“Down the hall. Last door on the left,” Michael said as he stood up. She got up and walked out of the dining room, fully aware that his eyes were on her perfect curves as she walked away. She could not help but notice the perfection of his penthouse. His house was just as elegant as he was. The high ceilings coupled with the bright art lined walls made her wonder how a perfect piece of real estate like that existed barely an hour away from her crappy apartment. She leaned against the door when she got to the bathroom and closed her eyes. She did not know what she was going to say to him when she walked back to the table. She had half a mind to make up some silly excuse and just go home. Why would he want to take her on a trip?

“What the hell is happening?” she wondered in a whisper. “Am I in the Twilight Zone or something of the sort?”

She could not understand for the life of her, why a man like Michael, a man who could throw a rock and get any woman he wanted, want her of all people? She was just a glorified saleswoman. But the way he was treating her, it was as if she was the embodiment of a goddess. And as if that was not enough, he did not run for the hills when she told him about Brandon. Normally, men ran almost as soon as they found out that or even suspected that there was a child involved.

“Why do I feel like there is a catch here?” she asked no one in particular as she paced up and down. She could not help but feel that there was something very, very wrong with the universe. All she had to do was wait for the other shoe to drop.

It took a while before she finally walked back to the table. Michael had a concerned look on his face at the table.

“Is everything… you okay?” he asked, and she nodded.

“Yeah… you know, this has been a lovely evening, but I was thinking that you probably had a great idea earlier about Chef…” Her voice trailed off when she realized that she had forgotten the name of the chef which was weird since he had been her favorite celebrity chef on Chopped.

“Umberto,” Michael said, and she nodded.

“Yes, him.”

Michael frowned.

“Are you sure you’re okay?” he asked, and she nodded.

“Yeah, I just really need to go home. I should probably get home to my son.”

He nodded.

“I’ll let him know.” He got up and walked to the kitchen leaving an obviously nervous Angela back at the table. Angela clenched her fists hard and exhaled deeply as she waited for him to come back. It was just a few minutes before he walked back to the table but it seemed longer. Actually, it seemed more like ten minutes before he came back. “I also got a car to take you home and I would hate to just leave you this way.”

She shook her head.

“I will not take no for an answer, Angie,” he said, and she nodded in defeat. She hated that the awkwardness they had tried so hard to get over was somehow creeping back in. The ride back home was awkwardly quiet. When they got to her apartment building, he got out of the car and walked around to her side to open the door for her. He took her hand as she stepped out of his town car, but he did not release her hand. He was looking into her eyes, almost like he wanted to say something or hear something. “I am sorry about the trip. I should not have brought this up so soon.”

“No, it is fine… I would love to go on a trip with you,” she said in a soft voice, and Michael’s eyes lit up.

“Really?”

She nodded. He pulled her into his arms for a quick hug making her almost drop her packed dessert.

“You have no idea how happy you have made me.” He pulled away and once again, looked into her eyes. He was standing even closer to her, so close that she could feel his breath on her cheek. She felt her heart skip a beat when he leaned in and brushed his lips against hers. It was a soft kiss. An ever so light brush that should have made her blush, but she felt absolutely nothing.

“I’ll call you tomorrow, okay?” he said, and she nodded before he got back in his car.

She waited until he drove off before he walked into her building wondering why after all the chemistry she thought existed between them, she had not felt anything in his kiss. She exhaled loudly as she approached her door. She could not wait to be out of those heels. They were cute but probably the most uncomfortable things she had ever had to wear.

“I want to hear everything,” Candy said when she walked in.

“What are you doing up? It is late,” Angela said as she took off the heels.

“Are you forgetting the industry I work in? I only get to sleep like at four in the morning and that is if I am lucky,” Candy said.

“How is Brandon?” Angela asked as she tiptoed to the bedroom door and poked her head in.

“He was great as usual. We played some Jenga, had dinner and a movie before I put him to bed,” Candy said as Angela tossed her purse aside before walking up to the couch.

“So, how was dinner?” Candy asked as Angela sat down next to her.

“Delicious. I couldn’t get through to dessert.” Angela placed the packed dessert on the table.

“I will dig into that as soon as you tell me how it went.” Candy tapped her excitedly.

“Well, I think this guy likes me a little too much because he just asked to take a trip with me.”