Never Done Something Quite Like This

[Takchawee Ominotago]

Tak had gotten used to working late nights at the diner while she attended community college part-time. Sure, it meant she had to work even later nights sometimes to get homework done, and occasionally a creepy guy would try to get too friendly with her during the quiet hours, but it was nice to have a reliable income ever since the House shut down. And she liked her co-workers, Angie and Monroe and the others.

She thought she might've gained a few pounds since she started working there though... Between being too tired to run as much as she used to and eating some of the leftover pie they'd have at the end of the day, it was starting to show a little. Ah well, a few more curves to fondle never seemed to bother anyone she got intimate with anyway. Tak was still as confident as ever in the realms of flirtation.

Speaking of flirtation...

It was a quiet evening, so Tak was wiping down a couple tables while she had the time (and had nothing else really to do, other than eat something she shouldn't anyway). She heard the tinkle of the door and glanced up, smiling as she recognized a familiar face. "Good evening, Derek," she greeted the older man, tossing the rag behind the counter and giving him her full attention. "It's good to see you again. I know I must be doing something right when I get repeated customers." She leaned against the counter and put a hand on her hip, nodding around the diner. "As you can see, we're very busy tonight. I hope I can still provide good service." There was a teasing tone to her voice and a spark in her eye that she had started to take on when the man came in these days.

[Deleted]

It’d become part of his regular routine to stop by the diner two to three times a week these days. It wasn’t just because of the delicious pie and exceptional service(and lovely view), but also because….he disliked going home early. Especially when it was more than likely that a certain fiend was going to be invading his home and putting on a foul display in the middle of his living room, as if he were waiting for the insurance adjuster to come home and happen upon it.

Derek did not approve of that relationship. He would like nothing better than for that boy to slip up, beat someone on the street, and then get incarcerated like the criminal he was. Many, many times he’d tried throwing him out, or worked up the will to do so…and then he’d see his son…happy, and healthy, and looking so full of life, far more than when the two boys were separated. And maybe Phoenix would give him a look, as if he were pleading for his life….and all of Derek’s resolve went out the window….

How that child managed to affect him so was beyond comprehension.

Therefore, the only thing he could think to do was spend a few extra hours out of the house before coming home and hope that the boy was gone by the time he got there. Sometimes it was to a bar that he’d go. Sometimes he had a nice dinner with Percie or one of the other ladies he’d met in this small town. And when he wasn’t doing either of those, he’d stop by the diner that was on the road home just outside of town. He’d grown fond of the company there, of the ladies on the staff. A bright and bubbly blonde, and then there was the short and curvy brunette. They both looked to be in their early twenties, if not younger. The blonde was cheerful, but always seemed to keep her distance when she could. It was subtle, but Derek noticed.

The brunette, however. “Hello, Tak,” he returned the greeting as he started taking off his heavy coat and hung it on the nearby coat rack. It was dusted with fresh snow. He smiled down at her, playfully confused. “Well, what makes you think I keep coming back for you?” It wasn’t untrue, however, that Derek returned because he enjoyed the conversation as much as the quiet atmosphere. He laughed at her joke. “I’ll try to keep myself scarce then. A coffee, when you get the chance, please.” Derek nodded to her like a gentleman and stepped down the aisle between the breakfast bar and tables, and sat himself at one of the booths. He immediately took out his laptop and connected to the wireless, a network his computer had long since memorized.

[Takchawee Ominotago]

Tak was unaware of who Derek was, in terms of her friends. She had heard that Phen had recently found and started living with his father, but she didn't see him or Oriel as often as she used to back when they were all going to Hammel, and she hadn't put any clues together to make her suspect that this was who it was.

It might have made her look at him differently... If she had known. As far as she was concerned, though, he was a handsome older gentleman who seemed to be unmarried and somewhat lonely. Well.... Between her ability and natural instinct, she knew these things to be fact, except for the fact that Derek wasn't unused to having a woman in his bed. Whether that made him less lonely or not was still hard for her to tell. He was... Rather hard to read in general. But then again, older people tended to be that way in general; there was more for her ability to dig through to get a sense of who they were.

"Looks like it's snowing out there again," she commented, peeking out the window. "I hope you're keeping warm." At least it was nice and toasty in the diner. However, it was a subtle hint at another kind of warmth. One that she suggested in the small tilt of her smirk. However, she feigned fake hurt as he retorted at her, bringing her hand to her chest (which was showing a decent amount of her rather generous cleavage in the low-cut waitress blouse). "Oh, Derek, and here I thought we were friends," he sighed, shaking her head. "It must be Angie, then. I knew it - her and her pies, I swear she spikes them with something that makes people always come back for more." Tak chuckled a moment later and nodded at his request, going behind the counter to pour a cup of the simmering liquid. She slid the mug over to him and leaned forward against the counter, chin perched on her hands.

"Working overtime?" she asked, seeing his laptop. "You're going to work yourself to an early grave if that's all you ever do. Seems to me you could use a break or two." Her eyes were still sparkling.

[Deleted]

‘Keeping warm’, was it? Derek had kept himself busy over the holidays. Kept himself scarce from home. So he’d be lying to say he wasn’t. But a little extra warmth never hurt anybody. Derek liked keeping his options open, and his options knew what they were getting into when they first met him. “I’m doing my best,” he said, picking up the slight hint in her tone. “But it’s always difficult doing so during a season as brutal as this.” It had been particularly cold this winter.

He chuckled in amusement at her little play, smiling at her obvious movements. This woman had a habit of showing herself off in a completely “innocent” fashion. Derek knew better. He’d met her type before. And he wasn’t at all off-put by her behavior at all. If she was showing, then he was looking. “Don’t worry. It’s not just the pies that I come back here for.” There were too many reasons for him to be out at all, but the few of them, Tak being included in them, were why he decided to come here specifically when he was out. He gave her a quick look up and down, quick and unnoticeable to anyone not watching for it, but he was certain the Tak would see. She was one of those perceptive metas, after all. “The scenery is worth it as well.”

Once seated and set up, Derek scanned over the screen listing the actuaries of one of his clients. It was an adjustment he had to have ready for them by the next business day. Derek found that he was often taking his work laptop home recently in order to do extra work. Perhaps she was right? “Oh, I don’t know,” he said, smiling as he put the coffee to his lips. “I have quite a few more years left in me yet. I’m feel as vigorous as I did when I was in college.” He would have said high school, but that would have been an outright lie. Even that statement wasn’t entirely true. While he still had a great deal of stamina for his age, Derek was still starting to feel it, in his bones, his muscles. Slowly, but surely, Derek was getting older. It didn’t stop him from having fun when he wanted, though. “I think it’s all about taking the right kind of break. The right kind, after all, could easily get me through a long bout of stress.” His eyes glinted up at her as he took another sip of his black coffee.

[Takchawee Ominotago]

Unfortunately, Tak wasn’t keeping quite so ‘warm’ lately. Anthony had been fun, a sort of experiment on her part, but it was often more of a teaching lesson than anything else. She didn’t have him anymore, though, and she had to admit she missed him to some degree. She found a few willing participants at college that didn’t completely turn her stomach, but they were all so… Bland. Just interested in their own pleasure. She was tired of bedding boys. “I know what you mean,” she said sympathetically. “I hope it gets better for you soon.”

Maybe that was why she was showing interest in a man probably at least twice her age, she thought. For the experience. Maybe he could be someone that wouldn’t just finish and leave her hanging if she didn’t get her release too, forced to work on herself quietly afterwards. Should she be ashamed? Perhaps. Was she? …. No. “I’m so glad to hear that,” Tak replied with dramatic relief. She was still smiling mischievously. It grew even wider at the glance she caught, along with the comment that came with it. “Well, the scenery is free,” she told him, chuckling as she shifted against the counter. “You don’t have to buy anything to enjoy that much.”

She was having too much fun with this.

As he got distracted by his screen, Tak sidled down on one of the bar stools, flipping her long braid over her shoulder and wiping some light perspiration from her brow. She was glad it was quiet, otherwise she wouldn’t be able to enjoy this. “You sure don’t look as old as I’m inclined to believe you are,” she replied, grinning. She wasn’t so rude to ask him his age directly, of course. “And… I can’t say that’s saying much, because I’m in college and I don’t feel quite so vigorous these days.” She was tired most of the time. Tak slid over her own mug of tea and sipped from it; it had gone cold a while back. She gazed at the older man, eyebrow rising as he spoke. “Are you stressed right now?” she asked lightly. “Maybe tonight would be a good night for such a break.” Nothing got past her. And she was more than willing. Tak glanced at the clock; she got off in a half hour. Perfect.

[Deleted]

Derek smiled slightly. “I don’t think it’ll be that much longer. I…sense a heat wave on the horizon.” He was enjoying this subtle little play on words. Metaphors. Idalia would probably have found them amusing, but he hadn’t seen her in quite a while, so it was unlikely he’d be able to share that kind of talk with her. Derek looked over his ‘heat wave’. The signals were all there. They had been there, but seemed to be especially prominent tonight. Or was it just his imagination?

She was a young one, that much was obvious. Not too long out of high school, he gathered. A college student, he’d overheard. He had to admire anyone who tried to work and go to college full time at the same time. It wasn’t easy, and wasn’t something he himself was able to do well when he was that age. So his opinion of her so far was…responsible…but very loose. Knew how to have fun. Given how practiced she seemed in enticement, Derek presumed she was used to and welcomed male affection.

Perhaps he was a misogynist for thinking so, but he liked that kind of woman. They didn’t get attached easily. He could have them out of his bed just as easily as he could get them in, no strings attached. “I’m glad for that,” he said. “It’d be a sin to have to pay to see something so naturally beautiful.” Yes, he thought her curves were very attractive. “People will put a price on anything these days.”

Her presence next to him made him hyper aware of that side. He had to admit, it was distracting him from his work. It was her luck that it wasn’t an unpleasant distraction. “And how old do you happen to think I am?” he asked, not looking away from his work. He was multi-tasking. “That can be due to a lot of things. Such as your general health. Age is…you know it when you feel it.” It was a different kind of tired, in his experience.

She really was going in for the kill, wasn’t she? That somehow made him very pleased. Because Derek hardly had to lift a finger to get this one interested. It stroked his ego just a bit. “I wasn’t looking for it tonight, however…” He straightened in his seat finally and turned to her. “I think it might do me some good to do so after all.” Derek didn’t think he had to explain much further for her to get the message. “I still need to finish this, however, so the break is going to have to wait until then. It shouldn’t take me much longer though.” An hour at the most. He turned back to his computer, but kept up the conversation. “I see you working so hard here. I imagine you don’t get very many breaks yourself. Am I correct?”

[Takchawee Ominotago]

Tak was enjoying this immensely. College boys were so dull to flirt with. They thought they were so smooth with their cheesy pick-up lines and back-handed compliments. Children. This was much more of a turn on. “I think I might too,” she agreed with a coy tilt of her head. She had no reason for not pursuing this more before, other than that most of the other nights there were at least a couple other people in the diner. She couldn’t slack on her job completely in order to chase down a potential hookup.

Tak hadn’t told him about her daughter yet. She was afraid of how he might respond. And besides, they really didn’t know each other that well… It was a conversation for another day. As long as she kept him interested, she figured, she should keep playing the cards that she already had been and keep the other ones hidden. And Derek was right in his thinking – Tak had never been one to settle down with anyone. She was too free-spirited. That didn’t mean his flattery didn’t make her blush, though, and it showed. “I can’t say the view is all that bad from where I’m standing either,” she replied softly. Her eyes trailed down and up him much like he had done to her earlier.

She crossed her legs and studied him even more at the question, taking it as an opportunity to gaze at him openly. “I wouldn’t guess any older than thirty-five,” she finally replied, purposefully guessing lower than her ability told her. “Am I close?” Tak took another sip of her water, listening as he spoke. “Mm… I’ll take your word for that much,” she replied. She was fairly certain her weariness was just from general lack of sleep.

Sure, Tak was making this easy. Why not? She would play around and have her fun, but at the end of the night, she did have a goal in mind. She might as well make that clear. When he seemed to almost turn her down, Tak felt a drop of disappointment, but he soon changed his tone, and the young woman smiled once again. “I agree,” she replied, almost smugly. When he mentioned he needed a little bit longer, Tak glanced at the clock once again, and nodded. “Oh… I get breaks often enough,” she replied with a shrug. “Not very… Long or interesting ones, though. But I’m done in a half-hour, so besides you, I don’t think I’ll be seeing much action for the rest of the evening.” Hehe…. Damn, Tak hadn’t been this excited in a while. “I’ll leave you to your work, though, so you can get to your break as soon as you can.” He smiled at him and slid off of the stool, busying herself with menial work to pass the slowly ticking time until they were both free.

[Deleted]

Derek had what they called experience. And that experience made him leagues above any stuttering teen who risked popping in their pants just from trying to ask out someone of the female species. The kind who were so fearful of being turned down that they didn’t even bother trying. Or the kind who were so insecure that they would boast out false confidence at any woman they found the slightest bit pleasing, under the thought that at least one of them had to say yes.

The older man knew these tricks well. He knew them because he’d used them before himself when he was that age. High school and college had been all about satisfying the pleasures of the flesh in addition to the pleasures of the mind. Derek was a weak person back then. He’d learned to be far better and far more under control in his middle-age. He had the confidence to ask a woman straight up, the cleverness to do it with tact, and the grace to accept a refusal without complaint.

Though, Derek prided himself on rarely being turned down. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have kept a list of ladies he could call up for a casual affair when he required one. “I’m glad to hear we share the same tastes,” he said back with a shallow nod. It never hurt to add one more, especially one who was so obviously interested.

But, as always, work came first. And when Derek focused on work, he focused well. Still, he kept a small amount of his attention available to keep some small, casual conversation with the lady. “I will be turning 43 this year.” In April, in fact. He panned a look over to the girl, glancing briefly over her aura. He’d seen it before, of course, but it was habit to look when thinking about a person’s meta ability. She was a type of psychic, like himself. The specifics behind it were unclear, but he figured that she probably knew more about him than she let on. A smile was brought to his lips. Derek found the game amusing.

Derek’s bluntness may have been the truth, but it may also have been said that way as a slight tease, to see just how eager her desire was. He’d pretend not to notice, of course, continuing on with his work. “That is fortunate,” he replied. So she would be getting off word sooner than he anticipated finishing this work? He wondered if she had transportation of her own. This diner was a bit out of the ways from the town, so it was likely. “Thank you,” he said with a small smile. That was all he said for a long time as he immediately returned to his work. A half-hour soon passed and Derek was scowling, starting to think it might take him longer than the promised hour. He raised his head when Tak came close again. “Excuse me, Miss Tak? It seems I will be here a mite longer than I expected. May I please get another coffee, and then you can bring me the check before you finish up.” He’d no intention of letting her leave without accepting a ‘tip’.

[Takchawee Ominotago]

Tak’s list of people to call up had dwindled over the years. It had been easy at Hammel – hell, she could go right next door and find a bed to lay in on any day of the week. Of course, her pregnancy had ruined her relationship with a good number of those people, but she knew that had to be expected. She had just never imagined it to happen to her… And she was much, much more careful now (not that she hadn’t been pretty careful before).

That didn’t mean she didn’t love her dear Tacicala, though. It just saddened Tak that she wasn’t in a place now where she felt she could take care of the little girl.

But back to the present. Tak shook her head from the memories and focused back on Derek, fiddling with some strings on her short apron. “43!?” she replied, not as surprised as she made herself sound. “Goodness… Please tell me what sort of regimen you have for your skin, because I would love to look that good when I’m your age,” she said lightly with a laugh. She noticed him studying her, wondering if he was guessing how old she was. “I’ll be twenty this year,” she offered. So, legal, if he had been concerned, which he didn’t seem to be.

Unfortunately, Tak didn’t drive yet, so she had to take the bus wherever she went. But, fortunately, she happened to know the route to the nearest hotel, which she had an inkling might be useful to know tonight. “Of course,” she replied to his thanks. “Just let me know if there’s anything else I can get for you… While you’re here.” Tak gave him a flirtatious wink. She went about her business, occasionally going into the back to clean up some dishes or something else. The time passed slowly, but eventually the clock signaled the end of her shift and the Native girl stepped out to check on her customer one more time. “Oh, that’s too bad,” she sighed, hoping this wouldn’t mess up their ‘plans’. “Of course.” Tak nodded and quickly poured another mug, printed the check, and handed both to the older man. She made sure her fingers barely brushed his as she did.

Smirking faintly to herself, she went to the back once more to take off her apron and untie her hair, which had been braided and rolled against the back of her head to keep it out of the way. It hung long and loose in dark, wavy tresses as she stepped back into the dining area and took his payment (along with the ‘tip’ he would surely provide). Her lips curled into a smile; it was as she had expected. “Thank you for the generous tip, Derek,” she said softly, practically purring. “Perhaps I’ll see you again soon.” With that, she headed outside to the bus stop, already knowing she needed to watch for an earlier stop on the way back into town.

[Deleted]

It was interesting how much these two were alike despite the large age difference. Derek would have said too that he enjoyed Hammel for the ease of finding a bed partner, especially when his studies didn’t always allow him the time to go out and hunt for a candidate and then woo her enough so that she’d slip into his bed. Arguably, it was this ease that also influenced Derek’s opinion of the instituted disciplinary standards. If he was able to get away with such things back then, and they allowed his son to become involved in such an unsavory situation(that is being lured into a destructive, dependent relationship with a homosexual predator), then there was undeniably something wrong with the school officials, to think that any of that was okay. Sure, they dabbled their hands into the situation with his son, but from where Derek was standing, it was the bare minimum, just enough to keep up the appearances of attempting to be somewhat respectable.

If Derek knew about this young woman’s situation with her daughter, he would once again place the blame on the school who allowed it to happen, instead of on the child who clearly didn’t know any better and wasn’t taught to behave any different.

Many things had changed since he last was in Pilot Ridge, but there were still so many things that regrettably stayed the same from his generation into this one. Tak was a part of that, he decided. She seemed to be not much older than his son, and after revealing his age, she courteously offered her’s as well. “I don’t do anything special, however I do engage in swimming and a couple other sports on a regular basis.” Such as canoeing, hiking, and hunting. ‘Manly’ sports, as Idalia had once mentioned. “You seem really put together compared to others your age,” he offered. “It’s rare and quite admirable.” Derek sipped his coffee again.

Derek nodded to the waitress as she took her leave to go continue her other duties. Time passed. Derek was getting frustrated with how long this assignment was taking. A nice ‘break’ at the end of the night was looking more and more attractive. The fact that his intended ‘break’ was quite attractive herself certainly made it more so. Especially with how professional she was being over the news. “Thank you, very much,” he said as he received the check.

Rather than paying with a card, Derek would use cash. And slipped in between those bills was a small, unmarked keycard, along with a business card which included his name, professional title, and his cell and work numbers. On the back in messy handwriting was ‘The Rochester Inn’ with a room number printed beneath. “I will see you next time, Tak,” he bid to her. Tak was a smart girl. She’d be able to figure out what to do from there.

Once she left, Derek went back to his work, a small smile on his lips.

[Takchawee Ominotago]

“Is that so?” Tak replied, tilting her head curiously. “Well… Perhaps I’ll have to start swimming again. I used to do it quite often, but I haven’t had as much free time lately, unfortunately.” It might encourage her to shave a few pounds too, but then again, she didn’t care too much how she looked; she was still sexy and she knew it. “Why thank you,” she replied with a bright, genuine smile. “I suppose I had to grow up pretty fast recently. You just have to adjust to what life throws at you, you know?”

Tak took the money with a slightly raised brow; hardly anyone paid with cash these days. She realized why when she discovered what it was, exactly, that he’d slipped between the bills. She smiled to herself as she left; this guy knew what he was doing. Did it bother her that he likely did this with other women on a regular basis? No. Should it? Maybe. But it wasn’t like she was looking for commitment.

The drive wasn’t long to get to the stop by the hotel, and soon Tak was getting off, looking at the number on the business card so she knew where she was going. She went inside and went straight to the right floor, walking down the hall until she came to the right door. A quick swipe of the keycard and she was inside. He said he would take a while, so I have some time, she determined. She set aside her belongings and went into the bathroom. Tak turned on the shower and, after it warmed up, stepped inside, humming pleasantly at the sensation. It was always a relief to wash off after a long night at work. She didn’t think the greasy food smell would be that much of a turn-on, anyway.

Once she was done, she got out and grabbed her bag, shifting through her things until she found what she was looking for – her day-bag of makeup, and the lingerie she’d been bringing with her to work – just in case one of her coworkers (or a customer, as happened to be the case tonight) ever wanted to have a little fun after her shift. She quickly dolled herself up and put on the skimpy outfit, which felt a little tighter than the last time she’d worn it. Oh well.

With that, she went and draped herself on the bed, smirking as she waited for her ‘customer’ to arrive.

[Deleted]

Derek nodded. "I encourage it, for your health. You are a college student, correct?" She may have said something about that before. "Too often I see young people in college become so overwhelmed and involved in their schoolwork that they forget to take care of themselves. If you don't keep up the habit now, it'll be that much harder to do so after you leave school." He didn't say 'graduate' because that was presumptuous, however it was true that every student left for one reason or another eventually. And one of the hardest transitions in life was that between being a student and entering the workforce. During that time, one is suddenly faced with an abundance of free time and too often that free time is spent taking a much needed break from doing anything. Derek had experienced that himself at one point, after finishing his residency. He disliked it. Immensely.

"That's true," he said, thinking that she was already more mature than Derek was at her age. He should feel envious of that, however it somehow only made him more fond of the young waitress.

And made her more desirable overall.

Derek spend another good 45 minutes completing his work to his satisfaction. He'd gotten at least one more cup of coffee, from the blonde waitress who had just come on her shift. Derek sent her a nod and left her too a tip, though not quite as generous as the one he'd given Tak. He packed up his things and left the diner, a poker face that gave away nothing as to where he was going or what he was expecting to do in less than an hour. When he arrived at the Rochester Inn, Derek looked at his watch. It had already been an hour since the young waitress had left with the keycard to a room that he rented almost nightly. It was a place away from the disturbances of home where he could get some rest, focus on work, and have a little fun if needed. It was a bit of a drain on his finances, but Derek wasn't one for lavishness so he'd saved up quite a bit since he started at his job last year.

They knew him by name already here, which was fine. The bartender recognized him and almost immediately began preparing the man's usual cocktail, once confirmed that Derek was to be having one. He was purposely taking his time. It gave the woman plenty of time to prepare herself and also heightened the anticipation. Even better if she grew frustrated waiting for him. It added some flavor to the evening.

An hour and a half it took total from the time that they first separated to Derek finally going upstairs and walking through the door to the room. His tie was loosened and the top button of his maroon colored shirt was unbuttoned, the collar pulled open. His jacket was hanging over one arm as he stepped through that short hall beyond the door to see what was waiting for him inside.

Derek smiled. "I hope you weren't waiting too long," he said, looking down on the supple young creature.

[Takchawee Ominotago]

Tak had expected him to take some time, but… After an hour had passed, she was starting to get a little bit anxious. She had been reading everything correctly… Right? Of course she had, there was no way someone with her experience and ability would have misread all the signs that Derek had given her. Had he been playing her for a fool, then? No… She most certainly would have detected that too. She supposed he could have changed his mind, but… Why would he?

She eventually determined that his work was just taking him longer than he had expected. He certainly seemed like a workaholic, so that wouldn’t have surprised her. Tak spent the time thinking about schoolwork, planning out the rest of the week and reminding herself of deadlines. Not the most erotic things to think about, but they were important nonetheless.

When the door finally opened, Tak looked up expectantly. Finally. She gave Derek a thin smile. “Work kept you busy for a while, I assume?” he asked lightly, sitting up and onto the edge of the bed. Her hair had had some more time to dry, at least. She brushed some over her shoulder and leaned forward. “You must come here often,” she added, glancing around the room. “I could have sworn some staff were giving me these knowing looks.” Now that they were out of public, she wasn’t going to be so subtle. “I would guess you bring a lot of women here.” That didn’t deter her; in fact, she wasn’t even surprised. She’d picked up on his playboy ways pretty soon after meeting him. “I’m a little cold, though,” she added with a pout. “Can you come warm me up, baby?” Tak held a hand out, batting her thick lashes.

[Deleted]

Riding the elevator up to the room, Derek’s mind drifted to an old Japanese historical tale that he felt appropriately described the situation. The samurai Musashi had a grating habit of showing up late to his duels, sometimes by days. By the time he got there, his opponent would be so frustrated that they couldn’t focus properly and would end up losing said duel.

These two…they weren’t in a duel, per se, but being the one who was calm and in control certainly gave him an advantage. With any luck, Tak hadn’t gotten so frustrated waiting for him that she left entirely.

Derek was pleased to find out that Tak hadn’t, in fact, left in a huff of impatience. Though her smile hinted that she’d become annoyed from waiting so long. Though Derek had to appreciate how smoothly she set that aside and jumped right into casual conversation without missing a beat. Derek nodded, draping his jacket over the back end of a chair, then moving to remove his tie so he could do the same with it. “It’s unfortunate, but my work often tricks me into thinking it can be done quickly.” And even more often, it never does. But that didn’t matter anymore. Derek was here. Tak was here. That was the only important thing now. “I wouldn’t be able to tell you if they were or not, but the staff here also knows to stay out of my business.” So long as he paid them for the room, what he did inside it was none of their concern. Though she was right. Derek had used this same room many times before. Percie had the pleasure of sharing a night with him here as well.

Derek chuckled. Apparently his plan to keep her disrupted had fallen through. Tak seemed as together and composed as she did back at the cafe. His smile spread as he stepped closer to the much shorter woman, reaching out his hand to take her offered one. “Of course, I apologize for leaving you for too long.” The moment their fingers touched, Derek pulled her into his broad chest, and his other hand secured her there, spread across the small of her back. He looked down on her, then lifted a strap of her lingerie with a single finger. “Tell me…do you always carry such attire with you to your workplace, or did you have to go out and get this little number from someplace?” What did that say about her, that she was always prepared for a sexy encounter? “I do like it, though,” he said, releasing the strap and brushing a long lock of her hair behind her shoulder. “It suits you.”

[Takchawee Ominotago]

Tak was too experienced and too collected to let herself get too impatient. She figured if he ended up not showing up, she would just spend the night and help herself to the continental breakfast. At least she’d get a free meal out of it if nothing else… Hehe.

But fortunately, she needn’t worry, because he was here now, and she was in her environment. Tak watched his movements carefully, watched him take off his jacket and tie, and a small thrill shivered through her. This was the first time she had tried something so… Bold and probably frowned upon by many. And it just made her all the more excited. “That’s too bad,” she sympathized, pouting slightly. “I hope they pay you well, at least.” Not that she was doing this for money, which she belatedly realized he might take that as a hint about. No, she was doing this from pure attraction and interest. She chuckled at the answers to her questions. Or rather, didn’t so much answer as evade. “I see,” she purred, lounging to the side like a cat. “That is… Fortunate. It seems you really know what you’re doing.”

Her hand tingled as he took it, and Tak’s smile widened. Before she knew it, she was being pulled up and against him, his broad, firm chest pressed against her own. It took all of her concentration to keep her breath from hitching. “It’s quite alright, hun,” she told him, gazing up at his face before letting her eyes drop. She fiddled with one of the buttons on his shirt. “I understand.” She shivered slightly when he began toying with her top, and Tak smiled coyly. “You never know who you might meet at a diner,” she said casually. “I’d rather be prepared than not.” She bit her lip, then added, “Although admittedly, this is the first time I have actually needed it.” When he complimented her, Tak looked up again, and her eyes sparkled mischievously. “Do you?” she asked, a little breathless. “I’m glad.” Her smile widened into a grin as she smoothed her hand down his shirt, then began slowly unbuttoning it from the top down. “I think, however, you would look better with this off,” Tak told him matter-of-factly. Her heart began to beat a little faster. She was sort of nervous, which rarely happened in this sort of situation anymore. She wanted to impress Derek, and her ability reached out automatically, trying to get a better grasp of who he was and what he liked. “Something tells me… You’re going to make me feel very naughty,” she whispered in his ear. “Am I right?”