A Beauteous Flower Ch. 08

Chapter 8 - The Payoff, the Pizza, the Palace and the Naked Truth

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Madison was up at 6 AM on Friday. Actually, she had been unable to sleep the whole of Thursday night, but she managed to confine herself to her bed until 6 AM. From there she went into the bathroom to primp and polish and paint and perfume. That process began with some touch up application of wax to remove some unwanted hairs from key locations on her body, then a long hot shower to ensure a clean canvas to work on. She was careful not to get her hair wet as it wasn't hair day, and she wanted extra body in her hair for this date.

By the time 10 AM rolled around Madison had completed her arduous preparations and obtained Deva's critical approval. Then she began to wait for Daniel and that was the hard part. Madison tried to sit, but then excitement caused her to pop out of her seat and go to the window. Maybe he would be early? But each hopeful peek out of the window led to disappointment that he was not yet in the parking lot. Madison sighed impatiently. She never had to wait for a man before.

"Settle down," Deva chided her. "Prince Charming will be here soon. In the meantime, you shouldn't look so anxious. Remember. You're a boss bitch."

Madison wrung her hands. Fortunately, Deva didn't tease or chide Madison for the fact that her silly romantic side ran roughshod over her boss bitch side when it came to Daniel. The other roommates would have chastised her for her loss of focus, but Deva seemed to understand, or at least was polite enough not to say anything. Madison sent up a prayer of thanks for her best friend, Deva.

"I can't help it," she conceded. "I'm just so excited. Wait. What if he blows me off?"

"Has he ever stood you up before?"

"Well, no..."

"And doesn't he always send you cute messages all the time?"

"Yes, but..."

Deva cut off Madison's protest with a chop of her right hand.

"No "buts". He'll be here."

Madison checked herself in the mirror again with a twirl. Her cleavage was ample, and a her butt cheeks showed at the bottom of her shorts. She was as ready as she could be. Where the devil was Daniel? She peeked out the window again.

"It's only 10:30," Deva reminded. Madison stuck her tongue out at Deva and primped her hair for the thousandth time.

"Whoa, are you a nervous wreck," Deva clucked disapprovingly. "If he doesn't fuck you today, you'll implode."

Madison blushed and nodded in agreement. Whatever it took, the goal for today was sexual satisfaction. She checked the mirror again. Optimally she would have garnished this outfit with a pair of wedges, but since Daniel had told her that there was a walk involved, she opted for a pair of cute ankle socks and low-cut sneakers with powder blue laces. She hoped he liked what he saw. She glanced out the window again.

"10:31," teased Deva.

"Grrrrrr!"

"Oh, calm down. He'll be here soon and then you can have sex with him, and I'll get my roommate back."

Madison peeked out the window again.

"10:32!"

"Damn it!"

Finally, 11:00 AM arrived and suddenly Madison was scared to look out the window. What if he wasn't there? If he stood her up after this much build up for this date, she'd have to track him down and murder him in cold blood. However, she just had to look, so she peeked out warily.

And there Daniel stood in the parking lot. He looked up at her with a cheerful wave and that sexy smirk that made Madison's heart flutter. He wore a T-shirt, a pair of gym shorts and a baseball cap and he looked so good that Madison couldn't wait to get her hands on him.

"He's here!" she announced as she grabbed up her bag and made haste for the door. "I'll see you later, Deva!"

Deva paused in the middle of her trail mix and watched Madison scramble to the door.

"Gee, I wonder if he'll be pissed that you made him wait so long?"

Madison could only return an enthusiastic giggle before she literally skipped out the door and to the elevator. Daniel was there and nothing else matter.

She reached the ground floor and the doors slid open. Daniel stood outside with a bouquet of daisies and Madison couldn't contain herself. She bounded into his arms like a happy puppy and flung her arms around his neck. After a searching kiss, she leaned back and looked deeply into his dark eyes.

"Hey you!"

"Hello, my dearest heart," Daniel replied through his smirk and Madison flushed as his voice oozed into her ears. She kissed him again just for good measure. After a polite interval, Daniel disengaged, and Madison ruefully noted he was just a little too tall for her to kiss if he didn't bend down to her.

"Are you ready for our excursion, My Lady?"

Madison giggled that she was, and he handed her the bouquet while he took her bag and led her out to the parking lot. Instead of his usual tasteful SUV, Daniel had come to pick her up in a black pickup truck that looked a little older than both of them put together. It wasn't the type of ride she was used to, but Daniel opened her door for her and despite the age of the truck the interior was clean and smelled nice. While she buckled her seat belt, Daniel climbed into the driver's side and fired up the engine.

It was a warm summer day and Daniel had the windows down to cool the cab, but after he started the truck, he rolled up the windows and turned on the air conditioner. Madison was pleased that she didn't have to ask him to roll them up so her hair wouldn't get messed and Daniel's thoughtfulness struck Madison right in the heart. He even turned off the radio when he started the truck so that there weren't any distractions while she talked. Daniel was indeed something else.

As they started their journey, Madison chatted away to Daniel, and he nodded and smirked in the appropriate places and asked her pertinent questions to help her continue her story. After a few miles of this one-sided conversation, an unbidden thought entered Madison's mind. As comfortable as Daniel made her and as badly as she wanted his body, Madison was uncomfortably aware that she wasn't exactly sure if she was in a relationship with Daniel. They had been on many dates, but she wasn't sure that it would be kosher to call Daniel her "boyfriend". Now that she thought of it, she wasn't even sure he was not with other women at the same time he dated her. Madison's jealous bone began to heat up.

Technically they had never discussed exclusivity like that, but the thought of another woman around Daniel made Madison want to break things. Intellectually she knew she had no explicit right to be that jealous, but twenty-two dates coupled with her concerted effort to have sex with him carried some implicit right to be jealous in Madison's mind. She'd definitively marked him as her "potential boyfriend" in girl code terms, but that didn't seal the deal, especially if Daniel was not on the same page. Now instead of jealousy, she harbored uncertainty.

The problem was not enough experience had passed between them to make anything a surety. She wanted a relationship with Daniel, but she didn't know what Daniel thought, and Daniel was frustratingly coy about the topic, as he was about every topic. He was so adept at redirection and avoidance when it came to his thoughts and feelings that she only now realized that she didn't know what his thoughts and feelings were on the topic girlfriends in general, and more to the point, his thoughts and feelings on Madison in that role. She wished that he would open up to her more readily and not keep her at arm's length. This uncertainty made her insecure.

Then she thought that maybe the truth was a little uglier and it wasn't all Daniel's fault. Maybe she had been so flattered that a man actually listened to her talk about herself that she had greedily hogged the attention and the conversation. Maybe she hadn't really asked him about that topic, or any other topic for that matter, because she was so busy talking about herself while he listened. Now Madison's insecurity turned to worry; worry that her endless prattle might have caused Daniel to think she was a self-absorbed black hole for attention and maybe that was why they weren't yet in a relationship. Maybe Daniel wasn't just being a gentleman. Maybe they hadn't had sex because he thought she was some kind of narcissist who just wanted to devour his attention. But that didn't make sense either because if he thought that why would he continue to date her? Madison's stomach churned and she felt a little nausea settle in.

All this thought occurred to her within the space of mile ten of their journey. She had gone from excited to jealous to insecure to worried sick all in the time it took to drive a single mile. She decided she had better put a lid on this line of overthought before she lost control of herself and vomited in his nice, clean truck and blew any chance she had at a relationship with Daniel. As for the conversation, she resolved to make a better effort to let Daniel have his share of the conversational spotlight.

It took around forty minutes to drive to the spot Daniel had selected and the conversation between them never once stalled into awkward silence. While Madison considered that a great sign, despite her best efforts, she talked for the vast majority of the time. The only time Daniel spoke was to flip the attention back on her. He was like a judo black belt when it came to his ability to avoid attention. It seemed impossible to pin him down on anything, and while Madison loved the fact he listened to her, she couldn't find a way delve into him as easily as she had with other men.

Even when she was direct with him, he would just aim his sexy little smirk at her and deftly turn her question to him into his question to her. If she hadn't been so flattered, she might have been pissed at him. Thankfully, despite Madison's uncomfortable line of thought, Daniel continued to listen to her and smile. He laughed at her jokes and could repeat what she had just said. Gradually her anxieties eased because she intuited they were on track towards something. It was just a slower track than she was used to, and she decided that was what had caused her to get anxious about Daniel after all.

After he parked, Daniel stepped out of the cab and opened her door for her. Then he pushed the bench seat forward and removed a large picnic basket, a cooler, a big, checkered blanket, and another bag she didn't recognize. Then Daniel did the oddest, yet most endearing thing Madison had ever seen. He took his cellular phone out of his pocket and put it in the glove compartment. Madison couldn't have asked for a clearer statement that Daniel belonged to her and her alone this afternoon. Madison's worries and anxiety about their situationship fled in a rush of giddy happiness.

"Can I help carry something?" she asked to disguise her glee.

"Sure." Daniel handed her the unfamiliar bag.

Madison slung it over her shoulder.

"It's a little heavy. What is it?"

"A camera," Daniel answered.

Madison seized on the opportunity to get extra flirty and let a sly look spread on her face.

"Oh, so you wanna take some pictures of me, do ya?" Madison cooed to Daniel as she did a dirty-sweet bop for him. She placed her hand on his arm and closed in on him to press her bare thigh to his. She let the intimacy of skin-to-skin contact pass sexual energy between them and then she looked up at him with hooded eyes full of enticement.

"You gonna ask me to get naked when you take my picture," she half whispered as seductively as she could, with a little pillowy punch on the word "naked".

Daniel smirked at her.

"No, nothing like that. I like to take pictures of the girls I chase through the woods and murder."

This unexpected non-sequitur surprised Madison because it was the first time Daniel had displayed any kind of sense of humor. Madison knew Daniel possessed a dazzling intellect, it was one of his sexiest qualities in her estimation, but this was her first glimpse of his wry and off-beat sense of humor, which was so incongruent with the rest of their previous conversations, and it outflanked her a bit. Most of the guys she had known before would just heedlessly batter away at her with sexual innuendos, especially if she had been as flirty with them as she had just been with Daniel, but Daniel's witty change of frame bemused her. As a result, Madison blinked twice in surprise and Daniel's smile disappeared.

"I'm kidding! I'm kidding! That was such a bad joke and I'm sorry," he assured her. "I swear, I'd never hurt you. I'm sorry if I made you feel unsafe. That was never my intention. Just say the word and I'll take you home, or we'll change up and go someplace else where you'll feel safe."

A second solicitous surprise from Daniel in as many minutes. Madison felt a coy smile steal onto her face. His concern that she felt secure around him touched her and his assurance that she was in control comforted her. She wasn't being stalked and driven like prey. Daniel treated her like an intelligent person with thoughts and feelings and that was... refreshing. Besides, if Daniel pursued her through the woods until he captured her, well, that kind of turned Madison on. A guilty little fantasy of Daniel's strong hands on her body as he captured her and pinned her down while she panted, out of breath due to her futile attempt to escape him entered her head and it stirred Madison in a primal way. It was a deliciously sexy thought, but it was way too early to discuss kinks, so Madison glanced away so he wouldn't see that desire in her eyes.

"Are you OK?" Daniel asked.

Madison snapped out of her fantasy world and the sight of Daniel's face caused her smile to broaden involuntarily.

"Oh, yeah. I was just thinking. Hold on just a minute."

Madison took out her own cell phone and put it in the glove compartment next to Daniel's phone.

"I won't need that," she smiled.

Daniel gave some little nods of appreciation and held out his hand to her.

"OK, then," he gestured with his head. "It's about a twenty-minute walk down that way."

Madison wove her fingers into Daniel's offered hand and pulled him to her so she could kiss him on the cheek. He had reassured her, and that made her feel safe and warm in his presence. She liked that a lot.

"I can't wait!" she replied with enthusiasm. "Let's go!"

The quiet walk with Daniel was pleasant enough for Madison. The place Daniel led her to was even more pleasant. The wooded trail gave way to a small, grassy meadow dappled with yellow wildflowers. A large oak tree stood by a bend in a lazy little river where Daniel spread the blanket in the shade. At the bend, the river widened into a crystal-clear pool of water that drifted by as if it had nowhere in particular to go. A short sandy beach led gently down into the pool. In Madison's estimation Daniel could not have picked a more idyllic spot for a picnic and once again his thoughtfulness impressed her.

Madison took off her sneakers and enjoyed the touch of warm, soft grass on her bare feet. Meanwhile Daniel unpacked a lunch of grilled chicken on a Mediterranean salad. Madison took a moment while Daniel was distracted to ensure her breath was fresh and that her new pedicure was on point. Then, with a contented sigh, she settled down on the blanket Indian style while Daniel produced a bottle of champagne from the cooler. Madison had watched people open bottles of champagne and, as a precaution, she shifted a little to avoid the cork or the resultant spray, but Daniel surprised her yet again. He held the cork steady and patiently turned the bottle until the champagne opened with only a small pop and not a drop of spillage.

"Impressive," she remarked.

Daniel nodded.

"I learned how to do it in France."

Madison became more alert. Daniel had stepped out of character and volunteered information about himself. She sensed a small, but seismic shift in their situationship.

"You've been to France?"

Daniel suddenly looked sheepish, like he was embarrassed that he had slipped and let his guard down. Madison tried to encourage him with a look, but Daniel only bobbled of his head as it were no big deal.

"Yeah. I did an exhibition in Paris a year ago."

Madison determined to follow up and keep him talking.

"Wow! That's so cool. Have you traveled anywhere else?"

"Yes," Daniel nodded shyly. "There isn't much to tell."

Daniel handed Madison a plastic champagne flute with a skittish glance. Madison took it with a deep look in his eyes and for the first time she could remember, Daniel turned his eyes from her and avoided eye contact for a second. Then, just as quickly, his sexy smirk reasserted itself and Daniel looked back directly into her eyes. Madison felt a flutter in her stomach, but Daniel seemed unmoved, so it was Daniel who broke the silence.

"What should we drink to?" he asked as he held up his glass.

Madison searched Daniel's face for that slightly nervous look that had so impressed her, but she only found his placid, dark gaze. Calm and collected, he waited with his glass poised to toast. Madison felt adrift. For a moment Daniel had seemed vulnerable and allowed her to connect with him, but now he was so poised and controlled it seemed that moment had not happened. Had Madison imagined it? Her confusion left her tongue tied and Daniel graciously bailed her out with a toast of his own.

"To my Dear Heart."

Madison hesitated as she wondered if he was done.

"That's kind of pedestrian," he conceded. "How about this; The Tempest Act 3 Scene 1."

Daniel dark eyes penetrated down into Madison's heart and her glass trembled a bit in her hand.

"I would not wish any companion in the world but you."

Madison felt her face spread into a grin and she flushed a bit. With a shy nod of agreement, she touched her glass to his and they both drank. Daniel smirked for her and served out the salad, which they ate in a warm silence. Madison noted that Daniel did not gobble his food like most guys. Instead, he chewed like he did everything else; discreetly and thoughtfully. After a couple of glasses of champagne, Madison felt a little tipsy and then her body reminded her that she was on a mission. It was time to throw out the bait and see if Daniel was bit. Madison leaned over and put her hand on Daniel's hand.

"So, you want to take my picture?"

Daniel smirked.

"OK," he said with genuine enthusiasm.

Madison hadn't expected Daniel to be as sanguine as he appeared when she mentioned photography. It was easy to see he enjoyed it and that was an unusual crack in his otherwise impenetrable armor. Quickly Daniel opened the camera bag and pulled out his camera, affixed a lens and a hooded flash, then he stood up and looked around.

"Over here," he said as he pointed to a large log in the meadow. Madison moved over to the log and made sure to sway her hips with an extra gusto. She threw a sultry glance over her shoulder, but Daniel was distracted as he hunted around the meadow. Soon came back with several of the yellow wildflowers.

"Here, hold these," Daniel told her as he handed the flowers to Madison.

Once he handed Madison the flowers, Daniel moved about ten feet away from her and sat down with the camera in his lap. Madison felt a touch self-conscious, but she had her picture taken professionally before and she was confident in her ability to pose. However, those other photographers had directed her and told her what they wanted her to do. Daniel just sat with his camera in his lap and waited.

Uncertain, she did what the photographer who took pictures of the dance team told her to do. She vamped into one of the sexy poses they used for the dance team calendar shoot. She posed sideways to the camera and only her palms and butt touched the ground. Once situated she arched her back, bent her knees, pointed her toes and smiled at Daniel over a bared shoulder. Madison had seen the shot that resulted from this pose, considered it very sexy, and that was exactly what she wanted in this moment. However, Daniel did not start to shoot pictures. He simply gazed at her in silence and waited.