He froze when he felt a second bare foot duck under his left pant leg to run up the back of his calf. Marion. Both women were enjoying a feel. Likely oblivious to the other’s flirting. His legs were trapped between theirs and he was feeling tingles running up and down his spine.
The third time was the charm for the waitress as she arrived to take their orders. Kyle chose a filet of sole over a bed of rice. He wasn’t that hungry for some reason. The leg massage continued. He nced at the two women and saw their subtle smiles.
Suddenly the foot rubbing his calf pulled away as Fiona’s foot paused. The blond cast a suspicious look across the table to the redhead who was looking down and across the table towards Charlize.
Fiona pulled her foot back and reached out to touch his hand. He took hers in his and rubbed his thumb over the back of it soothingly. She rxed and smiled at him.
Kyle leaned back and just listened to Fiona interacting with her friends and smiled. These were the people she felt most at ease with, aside from Marion, but there was always one in the group with a conflicting agenda.
His attention was pulled back to the present as he heard a question directed to him from Phoebe who had been quiet up to this point. He’d noticed she was drinking sparkling water. Keeping her body pure.
“What happened to your fiancé?”
“Gwen? She, uh, she showed up near the end of the tour and tried to reconcile, but for me it was toote. She was too controlling and I needed to live my own life.” He looked at Fiona who was smiling and nodding to him. “I should bring you up to speed on this too. Gwen was on my flight home and assaulted me while I was sleeping. I stopped her and told her it was over between us. Then she went after a flight attendant and assaulted an Air Marshal. I saw her once more in court. She finally understood that no meant no. She’s finally out of my life.”
Fiona gasped. “She assaulted you on the ne?” She reached up to turn his chin so she could look for injuries.
He gently took her hand from his chin and nced down the table. “Uh yes. Sexually.”
Eyes widened thenughter burst out.
“I’ve never heard of a man iming sexual assault,” Gloria guffawed.
Kyle frowned at her. “So a man can’t say no but a woman can?”
Gloria’sughter petered out. “Ah, I didn’t say that. It’s just so rare it sounds ridiculous!”
“Being rare doesn’t make it less repugnant. I woke up with… an intimate part of me in the mouth of a woman I was trying to escape from. Don’t you think I’d find that upsetting?” He was beginning to get cross.
“Yes, I can see you’re still upset. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean anything,” Gloria said backpedalling.
Kyle took a breath to settle his nerves. It was true. He was still a little sensitive about Gwen’s interference in his life. He sighed and gave himself a little shake. “I’m sorry if I overreacted. She had a rather severe impact on my life and I’m still trying to get a handle on it.”
“No, it’s fine. You were put through something unwanted. I get it,” Gloria acknowledged. Then her crooked smile returned. “Of course, for me, waking up to find a mouth on my intimate part would be heaven on earth! Roger’s never done that for me and none of the boyfriends I had before him even thought to ask!”
Her friends made sympathetic noises then burst into giggles.
“Yeah yeah, fuck you too,” Gloria said with a grin.
Once the chuckles died down Marion touched Kyle’s arm to get his attention. “What do you do for work, Kyle?”
He noticed her hand was still on his arm but he pulled his mind back from that distraction. “I was an Investment Manager but I just quit as it wasn’t personally fulfilling.”
“Were you good at it?” she asked, subtly scratching the back of his wrist with long nails the same shade of deep red as her hair. More sparks shot through his body.
“Yes, I uh, I made good money at it. But being good at something and enjoying it can be two distinct things. The job didn’t make me happy. I’m looking for what makes me happy now,” he exined, moving his arm to break their link and reset his napkin over hisp as it was beginning to tent.
Marion shared a smile with Fiona. “Your quest for happiness begins in Santa Barbara?”
“It seemed like a good ce to start,” he said ncing at Fiona with a smile as well.
“He found a little happiness in the journey itself. He rode the motorcycle he inherited from his father down the Pacific Coast Highway. The motorcycle is gorgeous!” she gushed.
Kyle endured more appreciative stares.
“Oh, now we all want Kyle to give us a ride!” Gloria purred then heard her own words. “Oh!” She burst into loudughter.N?velDrama.Org owns ? this.
Monique snorted into her drink and began coughing. Once she recovered she joined theughter over Gloria’s double entendre.
“When’s the food going to get here?” Kyle asked which just increased the giggling.
“Seriously, what do you ride?” Charlize asked.
He saw she was interested so he answered. “It’s a 1988 Harley Davidson Heritage Softail ssic.”
She nodded. “A cruiser. Nice. I just got myself a Yamaha YZF?R1 Supersport.”
“Get any tickets yet?” Kyle asked and she grinned but shook her head. “Not exactly afortable ride for passengers on your bike,” he suggested.
“Wait, you can take a second rider on that rocket of yours?” Monique said, turning to her friend in surprise.
Charlize shook her head. “While there is a seat up on the rear fender and foot pegs, as Kyle mentioned, it’s not afortable position to be in. I won’t ride with a passenger as I’m barelyrge enough to manage the heavy bike without having to deal with the extra weight one of youdies would add.” She was looking at Gloria when she finished.
“Hey!” therger woman barked.
“No offense,” Charlize said with a grin and Gloria snorted at her.
Monique looked to Fiona. “Aside from the obvious, what activities do you have nned for Kyle on his visit.” She looked to Kyle quickly. “How long are you going to stay?”
“I don’t have a fixed calendar, aside from leaving the States in six months’ time,” he said.
“But what are you doing for money?” Marion blurted in surprise.
Gloria snorted in amusement.
“Hush you! Dirty mind!” Marion scolded then looked curiously back at Kyle.