Page 84 of His Surrender

“The hotel is booked for five nights,” he said, pressing his palm closer to mine. “We can mark off as many places as we can.”

He’s really trying.It wasn’t just words. Jay was showing me with actions.

“Sounds good,” I said, smiling.

Chapter 19

Jay

The last-minute trip to New Orleans had worked out better than I could’ve ever imagined. Part of me had been afraid Remi would take one look at me and send me packing. Instead, he’d been forgiving and patient—two things I didn’t exactly deserve. He remained hesitant, which I couldn’t blame him for, but I felt like things were moving along nicely. It would take time to build trust again.

Snug Harbor had a certain charm to it. I guided Remi over to one of the small candlelit tables in the center of the room, and we sat facing the stage where a big-band jazz group were performing. Remi bobbed his head to the rhythm, and I caught myself watching him more than the musicians.

I wasn’t sure if I loved him, but my feelings were strong. Damn strong.

We ordered burgers and enjoyed the music as we ate. When the band took a break, I leaned over and whispered in his ear, “Are you having fun?”

“Yes.” He turned his head, bringing his lips so close to mine. “Thank you for this. You’ve made this experience incredible. Much better than if I would’ve been alone.”

The band returned for a few more songs, and Remi smiled at an older couple who stood up and started to dance together to the jazz tune. The man slowly spun the woman before drawing her back to him and placing a kiss on her wedding ring.

Did Remi want marriage? Kids? A white picket fence and a dog?

I ridded myself of the thought. I could only handle so much at one time. Baby steps.

Directly across the street from Snug Harbor was another jazz club called The Spotted Cat. Hand in hand, we jogged over and joined the crowd of older folks having a smoke outside the entrance before we ducked inside. The bar was a lot more crowded than the last one, and we had to weave our way through the sea of people to find a place to sit.

Remi slid into a chair at a high-top table and I took the one beside him before ordering a beer for me and a water for him. He smiled at me.

“What?”

“Nothing,” he answered.

“It’s something.”

“I just appreciate you. That’s all.” He averted his eyes to the band on the small stage across the room. “You don’t pressure me to drink.”

“I’d never pressure you to do anything.”

He looked at me. “I know.”

Unlike the last place, The Spotted Cat had a more laid-back feel. The storefront windows gave us a view of Frenchmen Street. More people danced around us, ranging in age from young to old. The style of music, while although still jazz, had a different feel to it as well. I mentioned that to Remi.

“Jazz is always changing,” he responded. “Just like other genres of music. There’s traditional jazz like what we heard at Snug Harbor, then there’s acid jazz, or club jazz. It’s still full of soul, but it has a funky vibe too.”

I failed at suppressing my laugh. Being around Remi allowed me to let my guard down. “Did you just say the word funky?”

“Yeah? So what?”

“Okay, you cool cat.”

“Don’t mock me, you asshole.” Remi laughed as he reached across the small table and pushed against my shoulder. “Did you tell me to wear my hat because of our night out on the town?”

“Guilty as charged.” I put my hands up. “Plus, like I said before, I like when you wear it.”

I liked even more how bashful he got when I complimented him.

As the night drew to an end and we returned to the hotel, my palms began to feel clammy as we rode up on the elevator. What would happen once we got to the room? Remi and I’d had sex many times, so I wasn’t nervous about that. Whatdidmake me nervous, though, was the unknown. If we did have sex, what would it mean afterward?