3 about him

The silence permeated the air between them growing thick and heavy on her mind.  She raised the coffee cup slowly to her lips trying not to focus on his presence there beside her.  Leisurely she took a sip, breathing in the intoxicating aroma of the delicious beverage and savoring these few moments of reprieve.  Her indecisiveness was moot.  Lowering the cup, she fortified herself and turned in her seat to better face him.  His head turned in her direction, lips kissing his own coffee cup, and she couldn't stop herself from wondering what that kiss might feel like on her own lips.

She pushed the thought quickly from her mind with a huff of a sigh.  "Tell me about yourself," she inquired in a matter of fact tone.

James slowly smiled at her over the mouth of the cup and again her thoughts turned back to how those lips might taste.  She pulled her gaze away from his mouth fearful that he might be able to read her thoughts.  "What do you want to know?"

She sighed loudly and shook her head.  "I don't know.  Anything.  Everything.  I feel like all of our encounters have involved you badgered me with questions.  All I really know about you is what I gleaned from having dinner with you and your friends.  And that really wasn't much."

His left brow turned inward and his mouth curved on the left into a intoxicating grin.  He broke into a full smile with a soundless laugh just before he opened his mouth to speak.  "Badgered?"

Jaycie could not help but return his smile.  "Yes," she began with a lightheartedness to her voice.  "Badgered.  I made it perfectly clear that I was not particularly comfortable or good at the whole small talk, getting to know you conversation. And you proceeded to ask question after question until I was fully exhausted.  So, I think badgered is a perfect term."

Silence lingered in the car as his gazed stared her down.  Then he shrugged, smiled and nodded.  "Okay, I'll give that to you."  He looked out of the front windshield and took another drink of his coffee.  Jaycie followed suit afraid of where her thoughts would take her if she continued to watch him.  "So, where to begin?"  Jaycie adjusted her position turning more toward James and schooching a little so that she could comfortable rest her head on the back of her chair while she faced him.

He smiled.  "Comfy?" She nodded her response.  "Good."  James adjusted himself slightly in his seat to match her.  "I'm 32.  Born and bread right here.  I have two brothers and one sister.  I am number three.  In high school I was an oxymoron.  A smart jock."  She hid her smile behind a sip of coffee.  "I graduated magna cum laude from NYU and was hired right out of college and spent the next six years making a name for myself on Wall Street."  He paused to take a sip of his coffee.  As he lowered the cup he inquired, "is that what you're looking for."

"It's a beginning," was her response.  "So, what happened next?  Why'd you leave Wall Street?"

The silence again seemed to grow heavy between them as he studied her face.  As his gaze lingered on her lips, she itched to skin to skin and discover what thoughts were running through his head.  He sighed and shook his head.  "I quit."