Page 111 of Coerced Kiss
“It’s divine,” I say around a mouthful.
“I got the only salad with a tomato dressing the deli had.”
“You did well.” I take another bite. “Do I get to know where you’re taking me now?”
He motions at the container on my lap. “Finish your food. I’ll drive carefully.”
I can’t help but smile. It makes me think of those considerate guys who drive slowly so their girlfriends can put their make-up on in the car.
As always, the traffic is hectic. He doesn’t have a choice but to advance at a snail’s pace. Before we’re on Tenth Avenue, the container is empty. I’m grateful for the bottle of water he left in the console between the seats.
In Manhattan, he parks in the underground parking lot of a skyscraper. We ride the elevator to the eleventh floor and exit into a lobby that’s arranged like a cozy coffee shop where small groups are seated on sofas and armchairs.
A circular refreshment area takes up the center of the floor. A young woman with a pretty smile mixes drinks for the customers waiting at the counter. A wide variety of fruit and vegetable smoothies as well as herbal teas are listed on a framed menu that’s posed on an easel next to the bar.
The décor is colorful with red, yellow, and green scatter cushions and landscape photos on the walls.
“What are we doing here?” I ask under my breath as Saverio takes my elbow and ushers me inside.
“Here,” he says, leading me to an empty sofa next to the window.
I take a seat and look around. All the groups are made up of pairs, some male and female and others women only.
“Couple counseling?” I tease as Saverio sits next to me.
He takes my hand and places it on his thigh. “Prenatal classes.”
“What?” I exclaim.
“Isn’t that part of the birth preparation?”
I did consider classes, but I haven’t had time to look into it yet. I was more thinking of doing the free classes at the community center. That he brought me here catches me by surprise. It’s the last thing I expected. The place is fancy, like one of those establishments with a waiting list of a couple of years. In other words, I can’t afford it, which means Saverio is paying.
I glance at him. He sits with his legs stretched out in front of him and one arm draped around my shoulders while still holding my hand. He appears relaxed, but I don’t miss the way he takes stock of the room and the people, no doubt on the lookout for potential risks. I also didn’t miss the men who got out of the car when he parked and followed a couple of paces behind us. I recognized their faces from the house. They’re Saverio’s guards.
“Why are you doing this?” I ask. “You don’t have to go this far to keep up the show.”
“Do you think I’d let my girlfriend do this alone? If that’s your take on the kind of man I am, you’ve got me figured out wrong.”
“Hi,” an attractive woman with short blond hair says, shoving her hand in my face. “You’re newbies, right? I’m Tersia.”
I take in her stylish sleeveless black dress and the diamond tennis bracelet on her wrist. She looks to be in her late twenties or early thirties. Her smile is warm, and there’s a mischievous glint in her striking blue-green eyes.
Accepting her handshake, I say, “I’m Anya.”
She nudges the man who stands tall beside her. “This is my husband, Richard.” Cupping her belly, she continues, “I’m thirteen weeks. How far along are you?”
“Fourteen,” I say.
She turns her gaze on Saverio and raises a brow. A beat of silence follows before I catch on.
“Oh, this is Saverio.” I clear my throat. “My boyfriend.”
He stands and shakes their hands. “Happy to meet you.”
“First time?” Richard asks.
With the natural highlights in his curly brown hair and a darkly tanned skin, he looks like someone who spends plenty of time outdoors. The fine lines in the corners of his eyes suggest he also smiles often. I judge him to be close to forty.