After Tonight

“When’s your date? Grace asked, sitting on my kitchen counter. My sisters had come over for breakfast. The bakery was closed Thursdays and Sunday mornings.
“Next Saturday. He’s taking me to dinner.” I smiled, picturing Rob’s face. We’d been seeing one another for the past four weeks, but had only made if official seven days before. All of America and beyond new it.

Sorry Ladies, Rob Pattinson Is Taken!
Edward’s New Bella!
New Romance for RPattz!

The list of headlines was endless and I couldn’t help but indulge in them, something I was sure would soon wear off. Allie and my sisters were taking up a collection. Rob was also starting to check out the “gossip rags”. The night before he called me, instructing me to Google his name and look at the first article. It was something stupid about the previous night’s date. It was a simple movie night and it was blown into some love fest where the two of us apparently “couldn’t keep our hands off of one another” during the entire flick. None of this was true, but I couldn’t help but blush at the thought of having his hands all over me.
We’d been seeing each other for four weeks but with both of our hectic schedules, we’d only been out to various places throughout the city—never anywhere we’d openly be groping each other. Hell, I hadn’t even seen past the front door of his apartment and he’d only been in mine for long enough to watch half of Back to the Future. My sisters agreed it was sad; Keith, however, told me I’d better be wearing underwear just in case the paparazzi wanted a repeat of the Britney Spears episode.
“We are going to find you a dress that will get you laid.” Grace slunk off to my closet and flung open the doors. I rolled my eyes and followed her. This was typical Grace.
“He’s barely been in my apartment, I doubt we're going to do it.” I muttered lamely. Boy was I pathetic.
“Wouldn’t it be a great way for him to get comfortable though?” she asked excitedly, tossing clothes everywhere. “Oh Abbey you have to wear this!” Grace shoved a deep purple dress at me and told me to strip down.
“Ooh.” I whispered. “I look good” The two of us stood in front of the full-length mirror in my bedroom. It was just the right shade of purple to make the snow a little bit more fun, and it hit just below my knees—I was so wearing my knee high boots.
“Don’t sound so surprised.” Grace laughed. “Now shoes…I think black would be best.”
“I have just the thing,” I replied in a daze.
Suddenly my cell rang, snapping me out of my fantasy in which Rob had me pinned against the wall and tore my dress off with ease. It was my mother; I turned pink at the thoughts going through my mind.
“Why am I the last to know that you’ve got a boyfriend?” My mother loved to meddle in her children’s personal lives.
“It was er...gonna be a sur—”
“Are you bringing this man to Thanksgiving dinner?” she asked.
“Well Mom, we haven’t really talked about it. He had planned to go see his family that week—he hardly gets to see them.” I explained, hoping she would let it go.
“Hmm, I supposed that’s alright…but we’re just dying to meet him Abbey! Can we meet you two for dinner one night?” Another dinner. We really had to move past this phase.
“I’ll talk to him.”
“He’s not bad Abbey.” Mom had a way of making people feel uncomfortable. “You look good with him.”
“’Which page was the picture on mom?” I sighed. She probably had it framed on her coffee table by now.
“People Star Watch.”
“OK mom, I’ll call you later.”
…
I lay in bed flipping through a clothing catalog. It had to be somewhere around midnight but I couldn’t get to sleep—I still had the “new crush jitters”. And of course, I loved clothes, a little too much at times--I always wanted more. When I starting looking at a catalog, I had to go through it at least five more times in one sitting. I had this bad habit of marking everything I wanted and then looking at it every day until I cracked and bought it.
My cell started ringing.
“I miss you.” Rob’s velvety voice said.
“Hey!” I cried excitedly. “Where are you?”
“Looking out of my hotel window at a beautiful California sunset wishing you could see this instead of the bloody snow.”
“How thoughtful. So how are you?” I asked, trying to level my breathing.
“Bored. It’s been dinner after dinner…how unusual for me…and everyone’s talking about the same things; which movie I’m here to audition for and who is the lovely lady I’ve got back in New York.”
“Ooh really, what did you tell them?”
“It’s with Dennis Hopper.”
“And…”
“That’s all.” I could hear him grinning. “…And that her name is Abbey and yes, she is quite lovely isn’t she?”
“Stop it you’re making me blush!” I teased.
“I always make you blush.” It suddenly went silent, as if we were both thinking the same thing.
“So you’re coming back Friday night?”
“Not soon enough love, it’s terribly boring here. Despite all the parties and the beaches and the girls in tight skirts...”
“Watch it!” I scolded jokingly.
“Alright well I’ll give you a ring tomorrow night, alright?” Rob asked, yawning slightly.
“Sounds good. Talk to you then.”
“Alright bye love
“Bye.” Oh why couldn’t Saturday come faster?
…
The big day was here; I left work to a chorus of “good lucks” and “bring protection!” from my sisters. Sometimes I hated working at the family business; if I didn’t get paid so well, I’d find a new job.
I got changed into the magic dress and fixed my hair just a little; Rob said he liked it natural. My makeup was subtle yet sexy, or so I believed. Grace had sat me down the night before and taught me her tricks she’d learned from Glamour and what not. It wasn't like I didn’t know how to do my own makeup just fine—I hardly wore any at all—but Grace assured me this would get me laid as well. According to Grace, my biggest concern tonight was getting laid. I began to wonder how much of a slut my little sister really was. All I cared about tonight was that Rob wouldn’t come back from L.A. thinking “what the hell am I doing with a girl working in her family’s bakery?”
But all my fears subsided when I heard Rob’s low voice over the intercom.
“I’ve got a delivery …”
“And what, may I ask, is it?” I asked, playing along.
“One devilishly handsome Englishman just back from California dying to get his lips on a Miss Abbey Jones.”
“One moment please.” I buzzed him in and ran to double check everything.
I opened my door to see a grinning Rob, who couldn’t even tell me hello before pressing his lips to mine—which I didn’t mind of course. He tasted faintly of cigarettes and of cinnamon, from the gum he always chewed. I kissed him back with equal fervor, savoring his taste.
“Hi.” I said breathlessly, my hands still on the back of his neck.
“I’m glad you didn’t change your mind.” Rob played with a strand of my hair, pushing it back from my face.
“Me change my mind?”
“Yeah, er, I was actually thinking about it all week.” he admitted, moving his eyes to hide his embarrassment.
“I was thinking the same thing about you.” I laughed.
“Seriously?”
“Well yeah, don’t you think it’s a little more realistic for average person to be insecure instead of the Hollywood Sex Symbol?” I laughed, walking away from him to grab my purse. I looked back at him and he just rolled his eyes, a crooked little smile on the corner of his lips.
…
“So where are you taking me?” I asked as we walked arm in arm past the giant Christmas tree.
“You’ll see.” He winked at me.
“Mmmk. As long as I don’t ruin this dress Grace picked out for me.” I replied sarcastically.
Despite it being one of my favorite dresses, I could care less about it right now—all I could think about was how incredibly sexy Rob looked right now, his face covered in stubble and his hair windblown.
We ended up in a corner candlelit café with a perfect view of the winter festivities. Rob told me all about L.A. and how he absolutely hated the warm weather. We talked about the bakery and this couple that wanted a tower of edible gifts for their wedding, a little extreme in my opinion; but they were loaded, so whatever they wanted, they were getting. The dinner conversation flowed easily, but I couldn’t help but wonder how Rob’s hands would feel on my body, his skin on mine.
Rob grabbed my hand as we headed back to the street. It was colder tonight, which only made my lust to be entangled in sheets against his warm body stronger.
“I love this city at night.” Rob and I walked past the ice rink, which even at nine o’clock at night was filled with wannabe Olympic figure skaters.
“So about Thanksgiving,” He began. “I know you’ve got your family dinner, and really, I would love to come, but because I don’t have any projects right now I really have to go home.”
“I figured. I wasn’t going to hold you to anything.” I leaned into him for warmth against the sudden blast of wind.
“But Christmas…” he continued on. “Maybe we could split it, like I go with you for a few days and then you can come with me.”
“To England?”
“England? Why would we go there?” he asked aloofly, squeezing my hand tighter. “Of course to England. Is that alright with you…or is that too much too soon?”
“No…it’s not.” I was stunned. Were things moving too fast? We’d met at the very start of November…would it be too soon to meet parents within a month or two?
“Because if it is, I can recall my invitation.”
“Don’t you dare!” I smiled, kissing him on the cheek. We were getting closer and closer to my door; my stomach was in knots. What to do, what to do?
“I’ll be leaving Wednesday night.” Rob said, wrapping his arms around my waist. “Will I get to see you before then?”
“Mmm hopefully.” I replied, kissing him sweetly.
He kissed me again, this time he held on a little longer, with a little more passion. Was it a sign?
“Want to come up?” I asked breathlessly as he released his hold on me. His answer was another kiss, so I grabbed his hand giggling and led him to the front door, kissing him the entire way.
“Are you sure?” Rob scruff tickled my neck as he pinned me against the wall. I couldn’t even muster a reply but I nodded and he got my message.
His hand slid up my thighs, sending shivers racing, and he bunched up my dress around my waist and swiftly over my head. Well, I guess Grace had been right about the dress.
From there it was history
…
Sunlight bounced off of the mirror across from my bed, jarring me from my peaceful slumber.
“Shit, what time is it?” I shot up. Rob’s arm that was draped across my chest fell into my lap. He grumbled something, which sounded absolutely adorable in his accent and scooted closer to me.
“It’s Sunday…” he muttered, pulling me back into the bed. “The bakery’s closed until noon.” He kissed the side of my face once I was beside him. I couldn’t help but smile; last night had been, well, one of the most amazing dates I’d ever been on.
“Hi.” he whispered, trailing kisses from my ear down to my collarbone.
“Morning.” I rolled to face him, entwining my legs with his underneath the crisp cotton sheets.
“I don’t want to go in to work today.”
“Don’t.” he dared me, his hands wrapping around my waist. “Tell them you’ve gone and caught a horribly bad cold and you just couldn’t bear to pass it on.” I laughed and shoved him lightly, which only made him draw me in closer for another scorching kiss. “Stay.”
I reached for the phone and dialed Jo’s number. As it rang, I held a finger to my lips so Robert wouldn’t mess it up for me. He “zipped” his lips, making me laugh.
“Hey, Jo…” I sniffed, blowing my nose on a tissue. “I think I’ve got something. Would you mind if I stayed home today?” I added a weak cough for effect.
“Is Rob there?” she asked, seeming somewhat amused.
“No, really. I think I’ve got a cold. And I couldn’t bake with a cold…how…gross!”
“Do whatever you want, but I know you wore that purple dress last night.” she said crossly before chuckling. “You owe me girl. When I meet a beautiful foreigner, you’ve got to let me blow off work to spend the entire day in his arms. Deal?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” I replied pointedly, a smiling spreading on my lips.
“Sure. I’ll see you tomorrow—don’t be late!”
“Alright. Love you.” I giggled; Rob had broken the rules and was currently kissing my neck.
“Yeah yeah, love you too.” Jo laughed and hung up.
“You almost blew my cover!” I scolded, taking his head in my hands as he rested it on my chest.
“What are you going to’ do about it, love?” he asked, a sly smile on his lips.
“Nothing.” I sat up and folded my arms. Rob raised his eyebrows.
And then his hands found my waist and he started to tickle me—one of my weaknesses. I used to get tickled until I get my pants…but that was twenty years ago mind you. I screeched with laughter as he pulled me onto his lap so that I straddled him. I wrapped my hands around his neck and scooted closer to him, his hands on my hips.
“Can we stay here all day?” I asked, pressing kisses into his chest until I got to his lips. He murmured a faint yes and kissed me back. “I’ve never spent a whole day in bed with a really great guy before.”
“Me neither.” Rob said as-a-matter-of-factly. I laughed and flopped back down beside him. “Seriously.” He chuckled.
…
We spent the entire day in my bed, which as I had flat out told him, I had never done before. And we didn’t even do, ya' know, that…OK, maybe a few times. But we talked about everything; which I’d never done with a guy before either. It was amazing and a hundred other adjectives—I couldn’t begin to describe it.
I propped myself up on one elbow facing Rob, he did the same, staring into my eyes. Just looking into his blue eyes gave me tidal wave of feelings. I traced shapes across his chest and arms as we just talked. The conversation never died.
Around seven, I finally heard my stomach rumble. Rob laughed and looked at me, pulling me against him.
“We should get dinner.”
“I might have some stuff in the fridge.” I tangled my fingers in his hair, a touch that I’d found made him close his eyes and breathe heavier. “What do you want?”
“I would say you, but that would be quite lame wouldn’t it?” He grinned. “Let’s go see what there is.”
I pulled whatever item of clothing my fingers hit first off of the floor; it was Rob’s shirt. I slid it over my head and crawled reluctantly out of bed. After a quick look in the mirror, I strolled into the kitchen to find Rob going through the fridge. Sitting on the counter across from him, I picked through the drawer that contained all my take-out menus.
“Should we order something?” I asked as he turned away from the fridge empty handed; I hadn’t been to the market in some time.
“I think that would be a good idea.” He came over to me, sliding in between my legs, and we looked through the menus. “Chinese?”
…
Thirty minutes later we sat across from each other on the couch, digging into our take-out boxes; mine, chicken-fried rice and his, orange chicken.
“I can’t believe it’s already eight o’clock!” I growled, unhappy that this would most likely never happen again. Rob looked at me apologetically, sliding a hand up my leg. “Do you mind?” I laughed. “I’m trying to eat.”
“I apologize.” he smiled. Five minutes later, he did it again. I couldn’t help laugh—it sort of tickled. “Bloody hell, you’re the most ticklish woman I’ve ever met.”
…
Back in my bedroom, I began to tidy up; the place was a mess, but at least I’d washed my sheets two days before. I picked up the magic dress and draped it across a chair.
“Grace was right about the dress.” I muttered to myself, smiling a little at my sister’s choice of words once I’d slipped it on.
“Right about the dress?” Rob asked, stepping into the room. He took me from behind, pushed aside the neck of the t-shirt and pressed a kiss to my shoulder.
“She said I would get laid if I wore this dress.” I replied, enjoying the feel of his lips against my bare skin.
“You don’t need the dress to get laid love. Though you did look ravishing in it…but I like you better out
of it.” He winked and interlaced his fingers with mine.
“You pig.” I elbowed him slightly, laughing.
“Come back to bed with me.” Rob whispered in my ear. “You have to get up early.”
“I never go to sleep this early.
“Well that’s not exactly what I had in mind…”