Chapter Five
"Can we get some desserts to go?" Emma asked.
The waiter nodded as Emma rattled off a few more things she wanted them to pack up.
She had been a champ eating most of that gold-leafed burger, and she was nice enough to share some with Chase.
It was the best burger Chase ever ate, but it still didn't taste like it was worth five thousand dollars.
Emma kept going though as they rolled the dessert cart over.
Her eyes went wide and he knew neither of them could eat another bite.
He had to give her credit for finding another way to add to her spending spree tonight and listened intently as she picked the huge slab of chocolate cake, a carrot cake, and the petit fours.
"No cheesecake?" Chase asked sarcastically.
Emma crinkled her nose. "Yuck, no. I had a cheesecake incident once so no more."
She thanked the waiter without any explanation about what exactly a "cheesecake incident" meant. That was something else Chase would have to ask about later. He had a running list so far.
He was thankful that Emma had finally started to open up to him tonight.
The ice breaker was definitely the fish sticks.
Then the waiter brought Chase's crab legs out with a bit of a flourish.
But Emma? She got special treatment with the chef and the restaurant owner coming out to deliver her really expensive burger.
He could tell the chef was taking extra pride rambling off all the amazing things in the burger on a gold-leaf bun.
Emma had given Chase a shocked look as they walked away. "What have I done?"
"You're having fun." Chase leaned in a little closer. "Enjoy it, Emma."
So he couldn't blame her when she asked for dessert to go instead of eating it there. He felt the same way after those crab legs.
When the waiter came back, he placed the bag with four to-go boxes of dessert in front of Emma and the check in front of Chase.
"Would you like me to recork your wine to take home?" he asked.
"Yes, that would be great, thanks." Once the waiter had walked far enough away, Chase put his hand on top of the tray with the check on it and slid it over to Emma. "I think this is for you."
She gave him an awkward smile and looked down at the piece of paper in front of her. Then she took a deep breath and started rummaging around the mounds of tulle fabric before coming up with her phone.
Chase leaned over and looked down at the seat she was sitting on. "Where did that come from?"
"Pockets!" Emma said triumphantly. "Considering how much I paid for this dress, it was required that I at least had pockets."
Chase leaned back and looked over at her. "Do I dare ask how much the dress cost?"
"Enough," she said quietly. "At least more than this dinner, so that's something I guess."
He tried to casually glance at the paper he had slid across the table to her. Her burger was by far the most expensive item on that receipt, but he thought he did pretty well helping out with the crab legs and the expensive wine. He hoped she would enjoy the leftover desserts too.
He also thought it was endearing to watch her punch a bunch of numbers into the calculator on her phone to help her figure out the tip.
"Have you thought about leaving a big tip? Like a really big tip?" he asked. "Maybe that could be your solution to spending this money."
"I can't." She looked up and gave him a tight smile. "I asked Charles, and he said everything had to be market price. So no huge tips."
Chase leaned forward and put his elbows on the table. "So you talked to Charles?"
"Yeah, this morning. I told him I had a dinner date with you, which justified the dress and the hair and the make-up.
But he was very reluctant to approve all this.
" She gestured towards her entire body, and Chase had to pull his eyes away from her breasts so he didn't stare too long.
"I didn't tell him about what I ordered, but that's market value for a burger with truffles and Wagyu beef I guess. "
"That is true," Chase said with a little laugh. "So, do you need some help with the check?"
She shook her head and looked back down at the pen in her head. "Trusty calculator works. I just have to sign it, right?"
Her hand was shaking a little, and Chase reached across the table to steady it a bit. "Dinner tonight was a great idea, and this gets you a step closer to your inheritance, so you're doing a super job."
She gave him a sarcastic look. "Super job? You sound like my second-grade teacher."
"But I'm better looking than your second-grade teacher, right?"
"Oh, definitely," Emma said with a laugh. "Mrs. Smith did not have your body."
Chase winked at her and leaned back just as the waiter came back with their bottle of wine. Chase thanked him before turning to see Emma signing the check with a flourish and stashing her credit card from Charles back in a wallet that she then stuffed somewhere in those mountains of tulle.
"All set." She quickly pushed the check towards the waiter as if it was going to burn her hand if she held on to it for too much longer. "Thanks again. We had a lovely evening."
The waiter seemed smitten with Emma — Chase couldn't blame him — and helped her slide out of the booth before handing her the bag of dessert. Chase grabbed the bottle of wine with one hand and put his other on the small of Emma's back to steer her out.
As they walked by different tables on their way out the door, Chase noticed that heads were turning to watch them go and he was pretty sure it wasn't because of him. Emma may not be used to dressing extravagantly, but she made it look effortless.
The air was cool as they stepped out, and Chase noticed that it made Emma's nipples perk up under that silky top of her dress. No, you did not notice that. Definitely not. Nope. Chase needed to get a grip and decided to distract himself by fishing his phone out of his pocket.
"Texting a hot date for drinks after this?" Emma asked.
He wanted to tell her he was already with a hot date, that she was his hot date, but he thought better of it. "No, I just need to check with my car service."
He started texting on his phone with the mostly full bottle of pinot noir cradled in his arm.
Sorry, it's going to be another hour, his driver texted back. Lakers just got out
"Dammit," he muttered.
"Problem?"
"Yeah, LeBron James."
"You have a problem with LeBron James?"
He turned to see the amused look on her face, and had to once again remind himself that this was a business transaction or whatever.
"I ordered a car service for tonight, and don't worry, my assistant made sure to get a receipt so you can turn it in to Charles."
"Thank you."
"But there's a Lakers game tonight, and my driver is there now, so I have to wait at least an hour." He gave her a reassuring smile. "That's my problem though. I'll just hang out at the bar here or something."
Emma bit her lower lip and looked apprehensive about what she was going to say next. "I mean, I could drive you home."
"You don't have to do that."
"It's fine. I only had a few sips of my wine so I could finish that burger," she replied. "Are you nearby maybe?"
"Just twenty minutes away. But you don't have to do it if it's out of your way. Where are you headed?"
Wait, did he spend an entire dinner talking to her about all kinds of random small talk and never asked where she was living or where she worked or anything like that? That was kind of rude of him.
"Oh, here's me."
Still no answer but maybe he could save those questions for next time. After all, they would be spending a lot of time together in the next month if they had to spend all this money.
A black modern-looking car pulled up, and one of the valet drivers got out. Chase assumed that it was Emma's car and started walking towards it before a well-dressed older couple gave him the stink eye.
"Chase, over here."
Emma gave him a small wave next to a gold Toyota Corolla that looked like it was at least fifteen years old.
He tried to brush off his mistake as if he hadn't seen her or something.
And he was trying not to judge, but this car was definitely not what he was expecting.
OK, sure, he didn't know what to expect, but it was something a little more modern than this.
If anything, it made him happy that he could help Emma get this money from her grandmother and hopefully buy a new car.
She tipped the valet with some cash and watched as his eyes lit up when he saw how much she had put in his hand. Chase suspected it was more than market value, but he wasn't going to call her out on it.
He slipped into the passenger seat and carefully closed the door while making sure not to spill the wine in his hand.
"Do you think this will fit in the cup holder?"
"Probably not," she said. "I hope you can manage."
He watched as she reached back and put the bag of desserts in her backseat, or at least in a little free open space in her backseat. There were a few duffel bags stuffed back there along with some other personal items. It worried him.
"What's up with the stuff in the backseat?"
Emma gave him a sad smile and put her Corolla into drive. "I've been staying at a hotel near my job and just putting it on my personal credit card. I figured I could do that and then pay it off when I get my inheritance."
"Wait, so you don't have an apartment or something?"
"I lived with Nana, and she gave my house away to my dad," she replied. "Which way do I turn?"
Chase started looking around trying to figure out to the streets. "Turn right and then make a left at the light."
She did as he told her, turning left on Sunset Boulevard away from the water and then winding her way down the road.
"I don't think I understand. Turn left there." Emma turned on her blinker and pulled into the left turn lane on Sunset. "You were living in your grandmother's house with your grandmother?"
"Yep."
"And your dad was the one on the call who said he was going to put your house on the market. But he did that already?"
There was a green arrow and Emma put her foot on the gas and started winding up the road that led to Chase's neighborhood.
"My dad wants to get it sold as soon as he can, and I just couldn't stand being there anymore anyway. It's been weird without Nana. So I guess it worked out."
"But your dad wanted to sell it while you still lived there?" Chase asked incredulously.
Emma just shrugged. "My parents don't approve of some of the decisions I've made, and this is their way of telling me I need to fend for myself and stop taking advantage of my grandmother."
"Your grandmother never said she thought you were taking advantage of her. Were you?"
"No, it wasn't like that," Emma said earnestly. "I liked living with her and she said she liked having me around. So we were able to get close when I was there. But it's not my house anymore so it was time to go."
Chase turned to look out the window. "I don't think I like your parents."
"Well, that makes two of us."
"So, uh." He paused, worried about what he was going to ask next, but it would help him decide how to approach this challenge. "What do your parents think about all the money you're going to inherit?"
He watched her hands grip the steering wheel tighter. "Well, there's a reason Nana made sure that part of her will was read after my dad got off the phone. They don't know I have any of that coming my way, and I would prefer if we kept it that way."
Her tone had changed, and there was a seriousness in her voice that hadn't been there before.
"Yeah, of course. I mean, I doubt I'll ever meet them, but I won't say anything."
"Thanks." Emma turned and gave him a small smile. "Stay on this road?"
"Uh, yeah. Make a right in two more lights."
They drove along in silence, and Chase watched the stores pass by before Emma turned into his neighborhood. This whole situation was much more complicated than he thought, but he was determined that he was going to make sure to do everything he could to help Emma get what belonged to her.