Entangled

/ ROSE / As he filled my water glass for the second time, the waiter glanced at the empty seat across from me at my table. I groaned and placed my hands in my lap, straightening the fork on the linen napkin in front of me. The restaurant was full, and there were  people waiting at the front tables. I felt slightly uneasy sitting there without ordering anything, but I wasn't sure what was going on. Before the waiter left my table, I asked for a glass of chardonnay so that I wouldn't be sitting there empty-handed. I was going to meet my best friend Tina to discuss wedding plans. Tina has been my best friend since I could recall. We had grown up together and lived in the same city, Los Angeles, California. We were LA girls, and that was never going to change. Tina met her fiancé Jordan Smith at a happy hour event at the same restaurant, and the rest is history. I really liked Jordan, and the two of them were a fantastic match. It made me envious at times, but then I realized what type of asshole those men could be. Tina, on the other hand, was supposed to be there to talk about her approaching wedding. I was the Maid of Honor, and the wedding was only a month away, with a million things to accomplish. I adored her, but she seemed to believe that ignoring these issues would magically solve them. The wedding planning had begun with a boom following her engagement, but the closer we got, the more fatigued I could see her becoming. We were all getting to the point where we simply wanted the wedding to happen. I reached into my bag and took out my phone, which was ringing nonstop. "Where are you?"  I muttered, annoyed. "I'm very sorry, Rose," she apologized. "I'm in the middle of a picture shoot, and I thought it would be over soon, but it's taking far too long." I don't think I'll be able to make dinner today. We'll reschedule as soon as possible." Tina was one of those females who had the perfect figure, the perfect complexion, and all the correct curves. She wasn't just a potential model, but a real one. She had a lavish lifestyle, and seeing her in various advertisements around town always made me giggle. She was hilarious in real life but very serious when it came to her job. I sighed and drank a sip of my wine. "It's fine," I said. "Please call me when you're done, and we'll reschedule." "I appreciate it, thank you" she added gently. "I love you to pieces. I gotta go. "The photographer is coming back." I hung up the phone, and my smile disappeared fast. I tried to be understanding, but I was annoyed. I had been sitting alone for over twenty minutes. I looked around, feeling my tummy grumble, and decided to eat there. I had already taken a seat. I signaled the waiter and whispered to him. "My guest isn't coming," I said. "I'll stay, but I'll relocate to the bar to make room for someone else at this table." "Very nice, ma'am," he said, smiling and nodding. "I'll get your check transferred over." "I'm very sorry," I murmured as I stood up and grabbed my clutch off the table. "It's really no problem," he said sweetly as he led me to the bar. "It happens all the time." As he turned and walked into the back, I smiled and stepped to the side. I shook my head, slightly ashamed that I had to cancel a reservation, but the last thing I wanted to do was sit alone at a table and eat. I grinned as I strolled up to the bar, draping my bag over the back of the chair and rising up to take a seat. I set my handbag on the bar and looked down, doing a second take at the extremely handsome man sitting two chairs down. I blushed when he smiled at me. The bartender gave me a menu. I could see the handsome guy moving over beside me as I scanned the menu and placed my order. "Do you mind if I take a seat?" " he said. "Not at all," I replied, sensing an instant attraction between the two of us. "My name is Alfred," he introduced himself, extending out his hand. "Rose," I replied, smiling. "What brings you here today, Rose, all alone?" "I was supposed to meet my best friend, but she was busy due to work," I said. "Her loss, my gain," he said, with a lovely smile on his face. "What about you?" "I'm drinking my problems away," he laughed. "I'm just kidding. I just wanted to get away from the crowds,I guess." "I can understand that," I said, laughing. We sat, ate, drank, and talked the entire evening. He was really charming, and he happened to own his own tech company, though I wasn't sure which one. I had a feeling he didn't do too badly for himself based on the Rolex on his wrist and the Louis Vuitton outfit he was wearing. I didn't mind that the cocktails were starting to get to my head. But I was  enjoying this unexpected meeting. "I had to talk her out of using floral print for the bridesmaids," I laughed. "It's been a nightmare." "It sounds like it," he chuckled as he finished his drink and looked around the nearly deserted restaurant. "It looks like we may have overstayed our welcome." "Oh, my God," I said as I glanced at the clock. "Would you like to take me to my house for another drink?"  "I thought you'd never ask," he muttered as he flagged the bartender. "I'll take both of our checks." "You don't have  to do that," I said, shaking my head. "Please, it would make me feel like a gentleman," he said, smiling. I giggled and grabbed my stuff while he paid the bill. When we got outside, he waved to a black sedan parked down the block. The car drove forward and stopped in front of us, with the driver getting out and opening the door. "Shall we?" he asked. "Sure," I replied, impressed. When we arrived at my place, Alfred told the driver he would call when he was ready. I unlocked the front door and walked inside with him trailing behind. I went to the kitchen, where I kept the liquor, and grabbed the whiskey on the top shelf. I froze, however, when Alfred's hands were wrapped around my waist and his crotch brushed up against my ass. As he ran his kisses over my neck  before turning me around to face him, I closed my eyes. He quickly held my face in his palm and pressed his lips passionately to mine. We both understood why I'd invited him back to my place, and I knew I wanted to get him out of those clothes and run my hands through his dark hair.