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“This isn’t too bad,” Eden said looking around at the exclusive speakeasy type bar.
Peridot was in the back of a local strip mall where a garden center had turned the walkways and center of the circular area into a blooming wonderland. You wouldn’t expect to see the flowers and the water features when you parked at the front of the buildings. In fact, Eden looked at the area thinking it was a little bit sketchy when they took the three steps down between a shoe store and an international food market. Then it opened up to the beauty of the garden gracing the outside of a brick structure that looked like an old warehouse.
Lisa, of course had a VIP member card. A black sleek piece of plastic she swiped at the door to let them inside. Then they both walked down a cool, lighted tunnel. Finally, a heavy door was opened up and they were inside. In a place where leather, red and mahogany was the décor. It was so polished and posh. The music was light and of course, suited to the prohibition era. Knowing Lisa, Eden was expecting some pulsing beat where she couldn’t hear herself think and the base could drown out your own heartbeat.
Lisa smiled wide, her long hair in a slick ponytail which suited her fine bone structure and wide brown eyes. She wore a black bodycon dress that molded to her every curve and wide gold hoop earrings.
Eden wore black skin-tight jeans and her black strappy heels. The black spaghetti strap top had sliver running through the fabric and Eden wore her hair down, going with a silver necklace and earrings combo to accent her look.
“Stick with me kid and I’ll show you the world,” Lisa teased before taking a sip of her drink.
Eden shook her head in amusement. “That would be us somewhere in Cancun at the drop of a hat.”
“What’s wrong with that?” Lisa laughed. “It’s called an adventure.”
“Hmmm, I’ll fit that in between two jobs, work and school,” Eden answered ruefully.
“Hey, you wanted to be the big shot lawyer,” Lisa responded.
Eden nudged her friend with her shoulder. “To get you out of trouble, you’ll probably be my only client.”
This sent them laughing as they shared various finger foods between drinks. Pot stickers with caramelized onions, seared scallops with capers over arugula, and chicken bites with a sweet and spicy sauce. All the while, they laughed and talked, Peridot got busier until it was standing room only, but their little corner table was perfect for people watching.
Lisa noticed the foursome before Eden did, all wearing casual jackets over t-shirts and jeans that went from faded blue to black. Lisa was always looking for her next love.
To Eden, her best friend was in love with being in love. Her radar was always in tune for the next conquest. Eden knew she herself was the introvert and if it weren’t for Lisa dragging her out sometimes, she would go from home to work and vice versa. She was happy in her space and in her skin. She wasn’t the tallest or prettiest girl out there, but she was beautiful in her own right and very selective in who she dated. So much so, it had been two years since Eden’s last relationship and that lasted six months.
“My, my, my, they look very interesting,” Lisa murmured.
“Who are we looking at?” Eden asked looking around.
“Head on slow swivel,” Lisa said urgently. “They are coming down the second bar on the left.”
“Ah okay,” Eden saw who she meant and took a sip of her drink. “They’re okay.”
“I think I like the thick one, he looks like he has great thighs,” Lisa assessed.
Eden almost choked on her drink. “How could you possible tell that under denim?”
“Just a feeling,” Lisa said around her straw. “I think you are getting checked out.”
“By whom?” Eden wanted to look around, but she knew as per Lisa to keep it cool.
“The one that’s all cool and sexy in his leather jacket,” Lisa said. “He’s glanced over here more than once.”
“Probably at you,” Eden answered.
“Girl, I know when attention is on me and that is not it,” her friend answered. “He flicked a glance at me and then homed in on you like a magnet.”
“Stop it.” Eden smiled. “They all look like they stepped out of GQ and I have contacts lubricating solution in my purse.”
“Bet you he wants to get something all lubed up.” Lisa grinned wickedly.
Eden couldn’t help the bubbling laugh that escaped her, and it caused people to look around, including the four men who came in.
One of the wait staff, dressed in the period style clothes came to their table with drinks and an appetizer of chargrilled oysters and the toasted Italian bread points. “From the gentlemen at the bar, they said enjoy and you are both beautiful,” the young woman passed the message on with a smile as she placed the food and drinks on the table before leaving.
“What do we do now?” Eden asked.
“Invite them over to share these,” Lisa answered. “Girl, they sent two dozen of these bad boys, that means ‘I-know-you-can’t-eat-that-all- by-yourself and invite us over.’ ”
“All four of them?” Eden asked skeptically. “That sounds like an orgy in the making.”
Lisa laughed. “Only you would think that, trust me the two that are interested will come over and the other two wingmen will find their own interests.”
“The whole dating and mating ritual of men and women should be studied from anthropological standpoint,” Eden said. “I cannot believe we are doing this.”
Lisa waved her hand to call them over. “Then we haven’t been best friends long enough,” she said wickedly as she lifted her drink to her lips.
Lisa seemed to be correct, the ones that moved towards the table was brown haired Caucasian who Lisa deemed had thick thighs and Mr. Sexy in the leather jacket. He was of Asian descent, not knowing much of the culture she didn’t know from which region. He wasn’t as tall as his friend, but when he slipped his coat off, it revealed broad shoulders and a muscled biceps. On his arm was a tattoo that depicted the sun rising over water with symbols of a language she couldn’t understand.
“Thank you for the, drinks and oysters,” Lisa said with a flirty smile. “Does that mean you’re going to sit with us and share?”
“That sounds perfect,” the first guy held out his hand to Lisa. “Jordan Martin and this is my friend, Jacob Sato.”
Jacob extended his hand out to Eden. “It is a pleasure to meet you.”
“Eden Kinsley.” She slipped her hand into his firm grasp.
“May we sit?” Jacob asked.
“Please,” she answered.
They found extra chairs to join them at the table and the conversation stayed mild.
“I have to ask what Asian heritage you are,” Eden said to the man who definitely set his chair closer to her than she’d expected.
“My parents are Japanese, I was born here in the United States,” Jacob answered.
“I’ve always wanted to visit Japan,” Eden said with a smile. “My dad was based in Okinawa before my parents had me.”
“You were born here in Texas?” Jacob took a sip of the beer the waitress delivered to the table for the men.
“No that was Lawton Oklahoma where my dad was stationed,” she answered. “I grew up in Arizona and moved here like five years ago.”
“Why does one move from one hot state to another hot one?” Jacob teased.
His eyes looked kind and a little devilish, Eden liked that. “Came for a job, stayed for the steaks.” She laughed. “I’m a paralegal and I’m studying to be a lawyer. What about you?”
“The four of us, we had a start-up that took off, now we work with companies like Google and various apps using our analytics programs,” Jacob replied. “We also built a database for law enforcement that can use facial recognition along with CCTC.”
“Wow, that’s amazing,” Eden said thoroughly impressed. “I’m sure your parents are super proud of you.”
“Hmm, maybe so, I tend to do my own thing,” Jacob answered.
There was a story there but not wanting to pry, Eden kept the conversation light, liking the man who sat next to her more than she really should. It seemed him and his friend could buy and sell the place they were in, while she worked for a small law firm and lived in a small one bedroom.
Between the conversation Eden and Jacob shared, they also talked with Lisa and his friend. The other two men came over and were introduced as David and Wes. It was a fun night, talking and laughing until the speakeasy began to empty.
They walked out into the warm Texas air. Then while their friends waited, Jordan and Jacob escorted them to the car.
While Lisa and Jordan walked away to talk, Eden was very much aware of the man next to her.
“I’d like to make you dinner on Saturday,” Jacob said with an inviting smile. There was no question in there, just a statement and it was a turn on.
“I would like that,” Eden said with a smile. “I have to ask though, why you’d want to see me again?”
“I heard your laugh,” he admitted. “And I looked across the room and thought you were exquisite.”
“Oh...” Eden didn’t know what else to say and the silence stretched for a minute.
“We should exchange numbers, so I can reach you,” Jacob said after a moment.
“Oh, yeah,” Eden said in embarrassment and repeated the number of her cell phone.
It dinged in her purse and he smiled. “That’s me. I’ll text you my address.”
“What time should I be there?” she asked.
“Say around seven?” Jacob asked.
“I don’t make it a habit of having dinner at strange men’s house,” Eden teased.
“Hopefully, I won’t be a stranger for much longer.” A slow smile spread across his face.
His sexy, smooth face, damn it, I’m attracted, Eden thought.
“Ready to go?” Lisa came back over with her companion.
“Yep,” Eden said a bit too quickly. She didn’t want to get too infatuated with Jacob Sato. She needed the drive home with the night air to come back to reality. Men like him didn’t fall for women like her.
“See you Saturday,” Jacob said before kissing her hand. “I am looking forward to it.”
“Me too,” Eden heard the breathlessness in her voice and wanted to grimace. Her heart was already aflutter from feeling his lips on the skin of her knuckles.
The men made sure they were in their car and safely back in the area she parked before they walked away with a wave.
“Look who has a date!” Lisa teased. “You, saucy wench!”
“Ha, ha,” Eden said but her smile was there. “What about you and Jordan huh? Mr. Thick Thighs.”
“We are definitely going out, but you ma’am are going straight to dinner at the man’s house,” Lisa pointed out. “Such a bold move.”
“Do you think he’ll expect more?” Eden balked at the thought. “I should have said let’s go to a movie or dinner or something.”
“Woman, go to dinner and let the night go where it may,” her friend said. “Live a little.”
“Ugh, this dating thing is stressful,” Eden said with a sigh.
“But the rewards are so delicious.” Lisa laughed. Her friend took the bull by the horns so very easily, maybe that was something Texans were born with.
Still, Eden felt an excited flutter in her stomach about seeing Jacob again. Maybe she’d channel Lisa for a while. Just put aside work and school for the coming weekend and just live.