The Impostor, A Love Story by Tiffany Carmouche Page A

his cheek brushed against mine. I unconsciously placed my
hands on his biceps—so firm, so hard—and lost my breath. I licked
my lips. If I leave with him I may . . . I swallowed. It had
been so long since I had been with a man. I gently pushed at his
body, but he didn’t move. I was trapped against the car, but I
secretly enjoyed being captured.
    “Dylan,” I bit my lip again and tried to
regain my composure. “It’s really complicated. I’m just getting
over a really bad relationship.”
    Dylan gazed into my eyes and gently touched
the outline of my face, trying to get me to abandon my
uncertainty.
    I hesitated.
    “I . . . I . . .” I shook myself out of my
trance and took in a deep breath. “Listen Dylan, I really don’t
want to waste your time. I’m going to be honest with you.”
    He just stared into my eyes as I spoke.
    “I’m not the kind of girl you go out with.
I’ve seen the girls you date, and I’m not like that.”
    “Look, Nicole.” He grabbed my hands again,
stroking them with his thumbs. “Ever since we met last month, I
have been watching you with people, not stalker-crazy-like, well
maybe a little, but you’re not like other girls. That’s what I
like. You’re always smiling and always treat everyone so well—like
giving that little girl your coat. Brad said I have no hope, but I
had to at least try. I want to spend some time with you.”
    He was good. I could see why girls fell for
him so easily. I wanted to believe everything he was saying, but I
knew I’d end up getting hurt.
    “I can’t. I have to work tonight. A few girls
didn’t show up for work, and I told Brad I’d stay and help
out.”
    “All right, fine.” He adjusted his stance as
if it would help him win the negotiation and again pulled me close
to almost whisper to me. “Tonight you can go back in there, but
tomorrow….tomorrow you are mine. All mine.” He brought my hand to
his lips and gently kissed it. “You take off work and spend the day
with me tomorrow. Brad will let you. I’ll talk to him. We’re not
playing tomorrow, so it will be perfect.”
    “What about Emily? I never go anywhere
without her.”
    “We can bring her. That’s fine.”
    “I’m not going to sleep with you, Dylan.”
    “Did I ask you to?” He stared into my eyes
again.
    Sex had to mean more than a night of passion.
Ronald and I had used protection, and still, Jessica was born. I
didn’t want to make love to someone unless I knew the man would be
a good father—in case something happened. It was more than just a
night of passion, because I knew it could alter the rest of my
life.
    “Just one date, Nicole. I won’t bite. Give me
a chance. I won’t pressure you to do anything you don’t want to
do.”
    Anything I don’t want to do . . . that was
the problem.
    I tried to hold a smile back, but it took
over my face. “Okay, Dylan, one date.”
    “That wasn’t so hard now, was it?” He grabbed
my hand and led me back inside. Right before we walked through the
doors, he brought me close and pressed his forehead against
mine.
    “I know I’ll have to behave myself with you,
Nicole. I will. I promise.”

Chapter Twelve
     
    Dylan pressed his finger over my mouth as if
to say,
    “ Shh, I just want to be with you.
    If you’re not ready then I will wait.”
    ~The Impostor
     
    Later that evening in the bar, I set beers on
a table in front of me. “A Corona, Yuengling, and
a Blue Moon.” As the customers paid me, Carl handed me an
anonymous red rose.
    “You got an admirer,” one of the customers
concluded. He had seen Carl approach me with at least twelve or
more. I blushed more with each rose.
    “Carl, did Dylan put you up to this?”
    “Young lady, he’s the one that’s been sending
you stuff all month.”
    “What? Why didn’t you tell me?”
    “He told me not to.”
    “He sent me the little chipmunk?”
    “I told him you liked stuffed animals.”
    “And the fox and the big bunny, that was
him?”
    “He loved