An Illicit Gentleman II

                                                   Chapter Two

            AJ’s eyes slowly fluttered open as a piece of hair tickled his nose.  He brushed it away and looked to his right.  Rachel, the woman he had been out with that night laid sleeping beside him.  Slowly he slipped his hand out from under her neck and sat up on the edge of the bed.  Rubbing his eyes he wiped away the fog of just waking up and remembered what led them to the bed.  He looked back at her, her long brown hair blocking most of the tattoo’s on her shoulders and back.  With a sigh he stood up, grabbed his pants and slipped them on.  He then walked out of his room and down the stairs.  His dogs heard him up and awake and joined him in the hallway.  Letting them outside first he followed them and lit a smoke as he sat down on the patio chair.

AJ turned around and took both of her hands into his.  “I wanted everyone here to share this with us.” He told her.  “We’ve been through a lot Evie and I often wondered if we’d ever make it to this point.  When I first met you I learned how lost you were and how alone you were, I didn’t realize how lost and alone I was until I met you.  Now it’s a year later, you’ve gotten through all the bad things, I’ve gotten through the bad things, you got your diploma, your going to culinary school and god only knows what is in store for you.  I’m so proud of the person you’ve become and I’m proud of the person you helped me become.”  Reaching into his inside jacket pocket as he kneeled on one knee, AJ looked up at her as he held a small black box in front of her.  “I want to see what happens, I want to share everything with you, and I want to know, Evelyn Deiu will you marry me?” He asked as he opened the box in front of her.  Inside was a small silver ring with three stones in it, one dark red stone, a Garnet for his birthday, and one dark purple stone, Amethyst for her birthday, and a diamond sat in the middle.  Everyone’s eyes were fixated on her waiting and watching as she stared at the ring in front of her.

“I…” She paused.  AJ watched as her face began to fall into sadness.  “I can’t Alex.” Everyone around her gasped and AJ stood up quickly. “I’m sorry I can’t.”

            “Fuck!” He cursed as the red amber touched his finger and he dropped his smoke, grabbing his finger in pain.  He wiped his eyes and looked at his finger and then picked his cigarette back up.

“I’m sorry Alex I just don’t think she’s good for you, she’s too young she can’t handle what you’ve been through, she won’t really understand.” Eve said to him as he sat on the phone.  “I don’t want you to get hurt and I really don’t want you coming out here crying when it’s over.”

“Bitch.” AJ snapped as he tossed his cigarette into the coffee can he had under the table. 

Standing up AJ headed back into the house and the dogs returned to the living room.  Slowly he climbed up the stairs and walked back into his room.  The woman still sleeping he crawled in beside her and wrapped his arm around her.

“Ugh.” She mumbled as she pulled away.  “You smell like cigarettes.” She sighed as she covered herself up and fell back asleep.  AJ laid there for a moment and then rolled over onto his side.

“You weren’t complaining earlier.” He grumbled as he laid his head on his pillow.

The next morning AJ woke up and found Rachel in his kitchen.  The coffee was on so he sat down at the island and waited.  “Morning.” He said to her with a light smile.

“Morning.” She replied.  “I have to get to class but the coffee is on.” She told him and then leaned in and kissed him.  He didn’t really kiss her back but she was in to much of a rush to notice.  “I’ll call you later.”

“Ok.” AJ mumbled as he heard the door close.  When Bernie came up to him he patted the dog on the head and then walked over to the back door opening it.  He watched as the dogs ran around for a while, circling his pool.

Slowly swimming her to the closes edge he gently pressed her up against the pool wall.  He hoped he wasn’t pushing her but he wanted her to feel good again, if only for a few seconds.  She wrapped her arms around his neck as the passionately kissed.  AJ pushed his lower body against her, letting her feel him through his trunks, and as he slipped her bikini bottoms off her Eve pulled his erection from his shorts.  Wrapping her legs around him she slid down onto him, both of them moaned softly.  The water splashed around them as he thrusted into her.  He felt her arms wrap tighter around him as his pace quickened.

“Eve…” AJ sighed as he remembered how he felt at that moment and then snapped back into reality when he heard the door bell ring.  He left the back door opened for the dogs as he thought about non sexual things trying to calm his lower half after the little day dream.

“You’re home.” Kevin smiled as AJ pulled back the door.

“Yep” AJ smiled as he let Kevin in.

“No recording today?” He asked as AJ closed the door behind him.

“Later.” He told him as they walked to the kitchen.  Calling the dogs in AJ waited for them to come back and then closed the sliding door.  “So what brings you by?”

“Was on this side of town, figured I’d come by say hello.” Kevin told him as he sat down at the island.  “You look a little stressed.”

“Just in a mood.” He shrugged.

“Just a mood or that fact Nick ran into Eve?” Kevin asked and AJ’s head shot up.  His eyes rolled realizing Nick called Kevin and told him what happened.

AJ shook his head.  “Like I give a shit about her.”

“You use to.” Kevin replied.  “And that attitude right there says you still do.”

“Well news flash I don’t, if anything it’s pissing me off the way everyone’s all of a sudden in my face about her.” AJ said getting annoyed.

“Dude Nick says she’s got her own restaurant.” Kevin said as he made sure he had AJ’s attention.  “Her own restaurant, you helped her do that, helped her with her dream and you’re just gonna ignore it? Why? Because of something she said two years ago, nothing I’m sure any of us hadn’t already said.”

“If you came here to talk about Eve, just leave cause I don’t.” AJ snapped as he slammed his fist down on the table.

“Ok.” Kevin said taking the hint now.

Kevin and AJ made small talk until their coffees were gone and then Kevin headed out so AJ could get ready for the recording session.  As he got dressed his mind was a flurry.  Where did Nick get off blabbing his mouth to Kevin, Nick wasn’t him, he didn’t know how AJ felt and he sure as hell didn’t have the right to tell him what he should do.

“Go see her” AJ scoffed.  “Sure I’ll go see her and ask her for a cheque.” AJ mumbled as he slammed his front door closed.