Page 11 of Love’s Decree

Aasim: You always wanna eat, man. Let’s meet at six.

Me: I can’t wait.

I put my cell down and worked for another hour. After shutting down my computer, I packed up to head home. I headed to the parking garage and hopped in my jeep. My music blared through the speakers as I maneuvered through traffic. Before I knew it, I was at the light at the corner of my block. I pulled into the parking garage and parked my car in my designated spot.

A few minutes later, I walked into the tranquility of my condo. I did a total renovation in this place before I moved in. Every time I stepped inside, I was glad I did. The sunlight that filled the room from the thirteen-foot windows sold me on this purchase. My decor was minimal, which was perfect for me. Pure white walls with cream furniture gave a clean, finished look. The shelves built into the wall gave the place some character.

I went into my bedroom to change my clothes. Chow wasn’t a fancy restaurant, so I could keep it cute and casual. I grabbed a pair of light-blue jeans, a white silk blouse, and a pair of strappy platform heels. After taking a quick shower, I got dressed. There was a knock at my door just as I jumped into my jeans. I hurried to the door to see who it was.

I smiled as I checked the peephole to see Aasim standing with his hands in his pockets. “Wow, what are you doing here?” I asked, after opening the door.

“I thought it would feel more like a date if I came to pick you up,” he replied. Aasim was good at surprising me. He always did the opposite of what I expected from him.

“What a surprise. I just need to put my shoes on, then we can go.”

Aasim stepped inside and took a seat on the couch. I walked to my bedroom, then put my shoes on. After a quick onceover in the mirror, I grabbed my bag then headed back to the living room.

Aasim stood up when he saw me. “You look amazing, sweetheart.”

He reached out his arms to pull me into an embrace. When Aasim nuzzled his nose into my neck, I almost told him to forget about the date. A slight moan escaped my lips at his touch.

“Let me stop before we don’t leave the house. I know how you get when I touch your spot,” he whispered in my ear.

I hated to tear away from him. Before I slept with him, I wanted to experience him outside of the bedroom. The more time I spent with Aasim, the more I wanted to get to know him. It was important for me not to let sex be all that we did. While I enjoyed being with him, there was still a conflict of interest for us. That was something I wasn’t quite ready to ignore.

8

AASIM

An hour later, Rory and I walked into Chow. After giving my name to the hostess, she led us to a booth. I looked over at Rory and admired her beauty as she took her time getting comfortable. The light above the table brought out the color in her deep-brown eyes. She looked back at me and smiled, then looked down at the menu.

“I thought you knew what you wanted already?” I asked.

Rory put the menu down and said, “I’m looking to see if anything else piques my interest.”

“Someone’s taking my advice, I see.”

“What advice might that be?”

“Going with the flow. You wanted crispy beef, and now you wanna see about other things. I’m rubbing off on you,” I teased.

Rory let out the cutest laugh. “Acting like you got me all figured out, huh?”

The server came over to take our order. “Welcome to Chow. I’m Cindy. What can I get you all started with this evening?”

I motioned for Rory to start.

“I’ll have the crispy beef, chicken satay, and fried rice. To drink, I’ll take a Moscow mule.”

“And for you, sir?”

“Beijing chicken and mixed vegetables. I’ll take a double shot of whiskey to drink.”

The server reconfirmed our order before walking away.

Rory’s focus seemed to have shifted to someone a few tables from us. She had a worried look on her face. I turned around to see what caught her attention.

“You good?” I asked.