Chapter 10
Chapter Ten
Mara
Lark shoves her phone under my nose. “You’re famous.”
I shake my wet hands out and grab her phone. The screen shows a photo of me and Graham on top of the picnic table, making out.
The sight takes me back to yesterday at the park, and my heart skitters. It was one of the best kisses of my life.
Not only is Graham not a catfish. He’s the best kisser. And he’s funny. He’s one of those guys who doesn’t have to try to be funny. He just is.
Lark grabs her phone before it slips out of my wet hands. “I need the tea. Now.”
“I’m kinda in the middle of something.” I gesture at the dog I’m currently bathing.
“Spill it.” She pockets her phone and grabs an apron. “I’ll help with Otis.”
As we wash, dry, and fluff Otis, I spill the tea on Graham.
“He’s respectful and handsome.” I know I’m gushing, but I can’t stop. My cheeks heat with the memory of his mouth all over my body. “And the sex is incredible.”
“You’ve already had sex?” Lark puts her hands on her hips. “How did I miss this?”
“It just happened.” I sigh. “But it was magical.”
Tears spring to Lark’s eyes. “I knew it!” She punches her fist in the air. “I love being right.”
A permanent smile is imprinted on my face. “I love you being right, too.”
Lark swipes at her eyes. “Just ignore the haters.”
My stomach clenches. “The haters?”
She rolls her eyes. “Forget about them. They don’t know what they’re talking about.”
The permanent smile on my face drops. “What are they saying?”
Lark arches a brow. “You sure you want to know?”
“Of course I want to know. Wouldn’t you?”
Lark pulls her phone from her pocket and swipes until she finds the post of me and Graham kissing in the park. “It’s the general troll comments. She should lay off the burgers. She dresses weird. Geez, there are over one hundred comments and a thousand likes. ”
My stomach relaxes. “That’s not that bad. So, they think I’m fat and have no style? I couldn’t care less.”
“Because you know you’re hot and you’re a fashion queen!” Lark gives me a high five.
“Maybe not right now.” My jeans, t-shirt, and sneakers aren’t the height of style, but they serve their purpose for grooming dogs. “But wait until tonight. Graham said to wear my favorite outfit tonight.”
“The mermaid set?”
“You know me too well.”
I have an outfit made from a shimmery greenish-blue material that reminds me of a mermaid tail. The color makes my eyes look stunning, and every time I wear it, I get no less than a dozen compliments. It’s a little on the sexy side, with its low-cut bodice and high slit up the skirt, but I don’t think Graham will mind.
He’s seen it all and appreciated it already.
“Where’s he taking you?” Lark continues to swipe through the comments, wincing every once in a while, as she reads.
“He didn’t say.” I reach out and grab the phone from her. “Stop reading those comments. There’s nothing that can hurt me in there.”
And then I do the unthinkable. I read one.
My throat tightens, constricting my airway. “They think I’m a gold digger?”
“What does it matter? You know it’s not true.”
Graham warned me about women who were only after him for money. It’s happened to him before.
There’s more than one comment about me being after Graham’s money and fame. Every other comment is another accusation.
I hand Lark her phone with a defeated sigh. “That sucks.”
“People suck,” Lark says brightly, as if she’s talking about the weather, not society’s flaws. “But you can’t let it get to you. You really like this guy, right?”
My head bobs. “I really do.”
“Good.” Lark slings her arm around my shoulder. “I’m covering the rest of your shift, you can pay me back when I need you to fill in for me.” She steers me toward the store’s entrance. “Go home and get fabulous.”
I check the clock. “There’s only fifteen minutes left.”
She winks. “I know.”
“I expect you’ll want me to cover an entire shift?”
She hands me my purse from under the counter and points me toward the door. “That’s what friends are for.”
Two hours later, I open my front door and see Graham decked out in a navy suit.
His gaze drops over me from head to toe, and a slow smile curves his lips. “You look amazing.”
The heated look in his brown eyes has my pulse skipping a beat. I take his hand, and he pulls me into his arms. His mouth is on mine, a possessive claim of a kiss that reminds me how passionate he is in bed.
“Maybe we should skip dinner.” I tug him over the threshold.
He pulls me back into his arms. “We need to eat.” His mouth lowers to mine one more time before he releases me. “There’s plenty of time later.”
The promise of all night with Graham makes me ravenous. “I’ll need to keep my strength up if I want to keep up with you.”
He laughs and leads the way down the sidewalk. “Not bad for an old man.”
His fans’ comments about our age gap ring in my ears. “Don’t call yourself old. You’re not old.”
“You’re just young.”
My shoulders stiffen. “I can’t help my age.”
He opens the passenger door to a black BMW parked at the curb. “I was joking.”
“Not funny.” I smile to soften my words.
“No?”
He shrugs. “This is why I write thrillers, not comedy.”
As Graham walks around the car and slides into the driver’s seat, I take a moment to give myself a little pep talk.
Who cares what those internet people say?
I know I’m not after Graham’s money, and so does he. Nothing else matters.
I lean across the console, giving Graham my undivided attention. “Where are you taking me tonight?”
“Sky Valley Resort. Have you been there?”
I try not to gape. Sky Valley is the nicest place in town. The resort has a vineyard and hotel that attracts celebrities and nobles from around the globe.
“I’ve never been there.” I couldn’t afford an appetizer at the restaurant, much less an entire meal. Once again, the online bullies’ comments echo in my head. I shove them aside as best I can and try to remain optimistic for our date.
The car ride goes smoothly. Graham is easy to talk to, and before I know it, we are pulling up to the resort hotel. I’ve never visited the resort before, and I’m floored at the rustic beauty.
The hotel is a castle-like structure built in the early twentieth century. The stone exterior stands on acres of manicured landscaping with a view of the winery in the backdrop.
A valet hurries over and takes care of parking the car, then Graham leads me inside. I feel like a princess, floating on air.
“This place is amazing.” I crane my neck to take in the bouquets of flowers and priceless art. “I wonder what it would be like in the rooms?”
Graham takes my hand. “Are you asking me to spend the night?”
My cheeks redden. “I didn’t mean it like that. I don’t expect you to get us a room.”
“Why not?” He lifts my arm and kisses the inside of my wrist. “We could make a night of it.”
I glance around at the lavish lobby, wondering how much a room costs. Probably more than my rent. “Let’s just start with dinner.”
Graham lets it drop. “Wait until you try the food.”
We settle in a private booth lit by a dim candelabra. Smooth jazz plays over the speakers at a low volume, and the scent of Italian spices fills the air.
Graham fills me in on the menu’s best selections. “I wish we could eat the entire menu. Everything is delicious.”
“I’m hungry enough to eat it all.” I scan the menu, delighted at the options, but intimidated by the prices. This meal is going to cost a fortune.
We order wine, appetizers, and meals we can share. Over dinner, Graham confesses his fear of public speaking and how the book tour is going to be pure torture.
“I’ve been dreading it for months.” He takes a long sip of wine. “This week might kill me.”
I raise my glass to him. “It better not kill you before you get your award next weekend.”
He lifts a brow in contemplation. “Death might make me more popular.”
“Not funny.”
He points at his chest. “Thriller author. Not comedy.”
“I used to do some acting.” I sample a mushroom stuffed with crabmeat, and sigh as the flavors burst on my tongue. “I have some tips I can share about public speaking.”
He leans his elbows on the table between us. “Share, please. And not the naked audience trick. That doesn’t work.”
“No. Not that. The trick is to pick one person in the audience and speak directly to them.”
His brows rise. “That works?”
“Not really, but if you picture them naked…”
When Graham laughs, it warms my heart. I’m hooked on that laugh. I love that laugh.
My heart flutters. I might love him .
I drop my fork with a clink so loud Graham’s head snaps up.
His eyes narrow with concern. “Everything okay?”
I slide out of the booth, my heels slipping on the hardwood floor. “I just need the restroom.”
Graham rises in one fluid motion. “Are you sure you’re okay?”
I force a smile. “Be right back.”
I walk toward the front of the restaurant, my head spinning. It’s too late for me to contemplate falling for Graham.
It’s already happened.
There’s no one at the hostess stand to ask for directions to the bathroom, so I wander into the lobby. I don’t need the facilities. I only need a minute to gather my wits.
I pace back and forth along the plush carpet, contemplating my predicament.
Somehow, I managed to fall in love with Graham. I’m not the kind of person who falls in love. Every sensation pouring over me is new and exciting.
But also, insanely scary.
So, I do what any insanely scared and overwhelmed woman would do. I call my best friend.
Lark answers on the second ring. “Aren’t you supposed to be on a date?”
I duck behind a potted plant in the corner of the lobby. “I am on a date. I went to the bathroom.”
“Oh no! Did you eat something bad?”
“No.” I stare at the fancy wallpaper on the wall, my mind filled with images of Graham. “I think I’m in love.”
Lark’s squeal hurts my ears. “Oh! Em! Gee! That’s amazing. I love love for you.” She pauses, realizing I haven’t responded. “What’s wrong? Why are you calling me?”
I take a deep breath, wishing I had more room to pace than the corner hide-away offered. “I just needed a minute. I don’t know how to handle this.”
“Mara, there’s nothing to handle. It’s love, not a hot frying pan.”
I squeeze my eyes shut. “What about all those gold digger comments? Everyone is going to say I’m using him.” My breath comes fast. “And Graham is going to believe it.”
Lark scoffs. “If he believes it, he’s not worthy of my fabulous best friend.”
Her indignation makes me laugh, and the laugh releases something stuck inside me. I can’t let other’s opinions ruin my life.
“I never cared what people thought before. Why is this different.”
“Because, honey. It’s love.”
My heart swells to nearly bursting. If this is what love feels like, I’ve never felt it before.
“Now, go back and finish the date. Where are you anyway?”
“I’m at Sky Valley Resort.”
“Whoa! Prince Harry stayed there. Before Meghan.”
I end the call and leave my hiding spot. My breathing is almost back to normal when I reach the hostess stand.
I can do this. I can fall in love and not die doing it.
My confidence soars as I stride into the restaurant. Back to Graham.
“Excuse me.” The hostess stops me. “Do you have a reservation?”
In a hurry to get back to Graham, I snap at her, “I’m already seated.”
Her eyes narrow to tiny slits as she looks me over. “I don’t think so.”
“Excuse me?”
“I don’t know what you’ve heard.” She steps closer. “But we are cracking down on you people.”
“You people?” Heat rises to my cheeks. “What kind of people is that?”
She lowers her voice to a whisper, “Hookers trying to pick up men at the bar.”
A harsh laugh barks from my throat. “I’m not a hooker.” It comes out louder than I’d intended, but I can’t help my volume under such circumstances. “My date is sitting right over there.”
She doesn’t even look where I’m pointing. Her eyes are glued on me. “Keep your voice down, and I won’t have you arrested.”
Anger flames in my chest. “Go ask my date.”
She reaches for the phone on the stand. “I’m calling security.”
I try to brush past her, thinking all this would be solved if I could get Graham’s attention, but she blocks my way.
“Graham!” I call his name.
The hostess’s eyes bug out of her head. “Quiet,” she hisses.
“Graham!” I say it louder, and every head in the restaurant swivels to check out the commotion. “See! There he is.” I point at Graham, whose head and shoulders pop out from behind the tall, wooden booth. “There’s my date.”
The hostess looks doubtful. She’s still not letting me pass.
I wave at Graham. “They won’t let me in. They think I’m a hooker.”
Graham looks confused, then mortified as people turn to stare. He gets up from the table and strides toward me. His face closed and as dark as a thundercloud.