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Good Evening - Marcus

"What was her name?"

"Celeste."

The waiter appeared with the wine. He poured a little into the crystal wine glass and waited for Marcus to approve it. He whirled the wine around in his glass, took a sip, and nodded his approval. The waiter poured more of the dark red liquid into his glass before filling Hannah's.

"Are you ready to order, sir?"

"We'll start off with the oysters rockefeller and garden salads. After that we'll take the filet mignon special with the standard sides." He looked over at Hannah for the only input he needed. "How do you like your steak?"

"Medium-well."

"I'll have mine rare."

The waiter nodded and disappeared again.

"It appears you come here often," Hannah mentioned as she took a sip of her wine.

Marcus couldn't help but watch as her lips parted to take the glass and liquid. He felt his own breathing increase slightly. With a slight shake of his head, he brought his eyes back up to her own.

"Yes, I do. I discovered this place a few years back when a...an associate of mine brought me here. I came every week after that."

He thought back on that first visit and how he stood out like a sore thumb with his gruff gangster style dress and demeanor. He was determined after that to be one man who only stood out in the opposite direction. The others would look upon him with respect. They would defer to him and let him take their tables. It wasn't easy, but he managed to get there.

Now when he walked in, the staff rushed to meet his demands. The patrons nodded with respect as he passed by. He had earned it. Plus they knew the consequences which he was known for putting into motion in the blink of an eye, typically before the offending party left the restaurant.

Along with that, he had studied how the rich and powerful acted. He learned how to talk, which cutlery to use when, and how to order anything on the menu with grace. Marcus Critton might have been born in a back alley to a prostitute and raised in a gang, but he came out on top as one of the most powerful men in the country with even politicians bowing to him. Yes, he had come a long way.

"Tell me more about what you do."

Marcus pulled his thoughts away from the past and focused on the woman in front of him who gave him a relatively dangerous request. Asking a man such as him what he did usually brought forth carefully spun answers. He found himself not wanting to lie, yet he didn't feel comfortable telling her the entire truth either. Trusting anyone was something he was reluctant to do.

"An official term could be procurement. I help companies and individuals get things they need from trucks to move their products to the right people to work for them." He watched her take another sip and shifted in his chair.

"Any particular niche?"

He watched how her eyes focused on him and not on anything else in the room. "Not really. I don't like to pigeonhole myself so I procure a variety of things."

Her hands as she sat the glass down were graceful. "Bet that keeps it interesting."

"Well, I rarely do the same thing more than a few times. That is for sure."

How would the hands feel on his skin? "What is the most unusual thing you have had to procure?"

He hesitated. There was the time he had to get a woman smuggled out of a country. She had been won in a bet and wasn't too willing to complete the deal. There were the broken computers that housed more than old hard drives. He also had procured young girls who had been trained in the arts that would never be seen in a gallery.

"Snake eyes."

She gave a laugh as she tried to speak. "What? Someone asked for snake eyes? Whatever for?"

"Medicinal purposes the old man told me. I think he had a shop that specialized in exotic and unusual treatments and cures. Very unique character."

"I bet you meet a lot of those."

"That would be an understatement. Anytime you deal with the public, you will find unique people."

The waiter appeared with their appetizer. They continued chatting about characters and the different people they had met in their lives. Marcus found himself able to tell Hannah of some of the more notorious ones without giving them away too much.

As the main meal ended, his phone rang. He ignored it. For the first time, he was not tempted to see who was calling. HIs entire focus was on the angel in front of him.

And she was an angel. Everything she did was perfect. He loved how she ate well and not like a bird that many women did when they went out to eat. Granted, he knew they ate like a pig when the men weren't around, but this woman...She ate enough and enjoyed it.

Her conversation was intelligent and not above him. While he didn't have an Ivy league education, he wasn't stupid either. He had taught himself many subjects. With Hannah, he didn't have to show how smart he was or prove himself. It flowed naturally. He was amazed at how the woman affected him.

A tap on his shoulder drew his attention. He looked up to Steve, his main bodyguard, next to him. No words were exchanged. Marcus knew it was a sign to check his phone. the call he had ignored was something important enough to pull him away from Hannah.

He trusted Steve with his life in more ways than one. If he was telling Marcus to answer his phone, it was that important.

Pulling his phone out of his jacket pocket, he noted the number. It was his lawyer. Even if he had seen the number, he wouldn't have answered it. Nothing the man said could be that important. At the moment, Marcus wasn't on bail or being investigated. Yet he had to admit he was curious.

"Excuse me, Hannah. I have to take this call unfortunately," he said as he touched the screen to call the man back.

"I understand." She picked up her wineglass and took another sip.

Marcus didn't say a word as his lawyer began talking as soon as he answered. His ears were on him, but his eyes were on her. Though a modest neckline, he could a see a slight swelling hinting at what lay beneath.

"Marcus, where are you? I've been trying to reach you for over an hour."

He strained to see more. "I am at dinner."

"Did you know the feds are at your house?"

His appraisal stopped as all attention moved to the voice in his ear. "For what?"

"I'm trying to ascertain that from them now. I'm here, preventing them from doing a search until the warrant arrives. Idiots almost had your housekeeper convinced that they had the legal right to come in. Wait. Just a moment."

Marcus could hear the attorney as he talked to the authorities. "So, have you found out what you are looking for and why? Where's the warrant?"

The response was muffled.

"What? Do you have proof?...Just a second." The voice was talking to Marcus again. "Do you know a Raymond Cresco?"

Marcus sat silent for a minute. "Name might be familiar."

"I didn't quite get that. Repeat it."

"Tell them the name might be familiar through Senator Hansen. They might want to go that route."

"Understood. Call me when you get done."

Marcus didn't reply as he ended the call. His mind rushed in several directions at once though no one looking at him, like Hannah was, would have guessed that a small part of him was panicking.

Did he bring anything home that would indicate he knew Raymond Cresco? Would the search reveal anything they could use at trial? As his mind searched for answers, he raised his wine glass to his lips.

"Are you up for dessert?"

Hannah smiled. He could see the curiosity in her eyes, but she was wise enough not to ask what the call was about. She put her hands on her stomach.

"I think I've had more than enough. I'm stuffed."

Marcus motioned for the check to be brought to him. He had hoped to end the night enjoying the delights of her body, but the phone call changed his plans. With the feds sniffing around, he didn't want their first night to be interrupted with a raid which had happened once before. He also wanted to be able to focus entirely on her. His mind was torn between her body and Raymond Cresco. Not the ideal condition to seduce a woman in.

The ride to her home was continued with conversation. They touched on the latest news. She didn't disappoint him in having an open and quick mind. This was a woman he could enjoy the company of beyond the body.

At her door, he leaned down and gently touched her lips. It took all his willpower not to take more, but he had business to attend to.

"Good night." He waited until the door closed and he heard the lock click into place. Turning away, his mind pushed the memory of her lips away. He had more important matters to focus on for the moment.

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