Chapter 13
Pearl hasn”t stopped clutching my arm since I picked her up this morning, with a cappuccino and a sleek black garment bag in hand. Even now, as we sit side-by-side in the helicopter, she acts as if she will blow away if she lets go of me.
I can”t keep the smile off my face as I watch her. She is staring out the window as we draw closer and closer to the Atlanta skyline. She’s glued to the window in the most uncomfortable position I can imagine.
”Jesus.” Pearl turns around to me, her eyes wide. ”I can”t believe you”re actually flying me into an Atlanta Kings game.”
I grin at her awe. It”s been a while since I brought a date to an event like this. I forgot how they react.
Pearl wasn”t born into this family and the kind of wealth afforded to us all from the time my mother married Sam. I”ve grown accustomed to it, but it”s refreshing to hear Pearl”s awe.
”It”s pretty nice,” I agree. ”I usually don”t fly to games. But this is a special occasion. My family’s rented out the Kingdom sky box as another stop in Cole’s month-long engagement party. And I figured you hadn”t been taken anywhere in quite this way before.”
Unable to tear herself away from the view for long, Pearl bites her lip and looks through the glass again.
”You got that right.” She leans so close that her breath fogs the window. ”Am I dreaming? I”m in a chopper, on the way to a private box at Kings Stadium, in a designer dress...” She tugs at the hem of her long, white babydoll dress. ”You didn”t have to do all this, you know.”
I run my hand down her arm, enjoying her little shiver. ”I wanted to. You’re so damn beautiful. And you work so hard. You deserve to be a little spoiled.”
Pearl tosses a shy smile over her shoulder. ”You”re going to ruin dates for me. Nothing will be able to live up to this.”
”I”ll see about that.”
She”s extremely cute right now, her long hair in twin French braids, her strappy, glorified sundress pale against the burnt umber of her skin. As the helicopter begins its descent toward the stadium, I settle back in my seat. Sure, Pearl may not be the real deal. But our chemistry is so natural that spending time with her is very pleasurable. My gaze skates down to her hips and snags there.
I won”t lie. It”s very hard not to pin Pearl against the seat and strip off her fancy dress. I”m extremely horny and she looks so damn good.
I swear that I”m going to go insane if I don”t taste her soon.
The chopper lands. The door opens and I climb out, helping Pearl down. She looks around at the rooftop, her jaw dropping. We”re in the middle of downtown Atlanta, in the midst of the perpetual rush hour. Everywhere I look below us, there are SUVs and cars honking their horns. The helipad is actually a perfect vantage point to take it all in, but we can”t just hang out here.
”Come on.” I coax Pearl to hurry toward the waiting elevator. She huddles against me to avoid the cold spring wind that”s whipped up by the helicopter”s blades.
We are escorted down a series of large concrete hallways. The Atlanta Kings’ logo is proudly placed in every conceivable spot, and I start seeing fans wearing Atlanta Kings jerseys as soon as we get into the hallway that leads to all the skyboxes. Pearl looks around with a curious gaze.
”You”ve never been to the boxes before, huh?” I ask.
Pearl swipes her tongue over her lips. ”I”ve never actually been to a baseball game here before. The closest I got was the baseball diamond at King Taylor high school.”
”Seriously?” I slide my arm around her waist and hug her closer. ”Then today”s really going to be a treat for you.”
We are ushered into the huge box. The large picture window on the wall straight ahead shows the quickly filling stadium seats just beyond it. Below us lies the court.
To our right is the classy bar, with a bartender fulfilling orders. Next to that are tables laden with pre-game snacks, and Atlanta Kings themed desserts. Near the window, there are a few rows of stadium seats. Most of my family is already here, talking excitedly amongst themselves. There are a few older couples that are probably my parents’ friends seated with them.
As soon as my mom sees me, she squeals with delight. She’s dressed in head-to-toe Atlanta Kings merch and makes a beeline straight to us. ”River! And you brought Pearl!” She hugs my fake fiancée, hard. It goes on for a second too long. I have to put an arm around mom and gently wrest her away.
”Someone”s in good spirits,” I say, once I separate the two women.
My mom is a little flushed. I can tell she”s been drinking, and she doesn”t have much of a tolerance. I”m sure that we”ll see her napping before the game is over.
”I”m so pleased that you are both here. Really.” My mom gestures to the bar and the food. ”Can I offer you anything? They have these cupcakes that have Rex”s face on them.”
”Thanks, but I am not really thirsty or hungry just now,” Pearl says. She beams at my mom. ”It”s so nice to see you again, though.”
My mom takes Pearl”s elbow and points to Savannah. ”Let me introduce you to my daughter-in-law.”
”Savannah and I are old friends,” Pearl says. Her eyes are wide, I imagine because she hasn’t told Savannah that we have supposedly been secretly dating. Whoops. Pearl continues, ”We went to Agnes Glen College together.”
My mom is completely electrified by her response. ”You went to Agnes Glen?”
Pearl gives her a funny look. ”I was Lucy”s college big sister.”
My mom gapes at her. ”You know Lucy? How have we not socialized before now?” She turns to me. ”You should have brought Pearl to meet me right away.”
I raise my hands. ”Guilty.”
Mom gently tugs on Pearl”s elbow. ”Let”s go talk to Savannah.”
Pearl shoots me a look over my mom”s head, but I can”t quite read what it is supposed to mean. I head over to find Sam, Brooks, and several of Sam”s golf buddies standing together.
”And I said, ‘that”s not investing the way I do it!’” Sam howls. The whole circle around him breaks into laughter.
Brooks is the first of the group to spot me and he raises his pint of beer in celebration. ”Look who”s here?”
I slide into the circle, saying hi to everyone. Sam looks around and sees my mom with Pearl. His expression tightens.
He”s so suspicious of me. He”s always been that way. Granted, this time I”m actually trying to pull the wool over his eyes.
But what about all the other times he hasn”t trusted me?
Scenes flash through my head at lightning speed. Sam accusing me of stealing a candy bar from a gas station. The time a whole bunch of students in my high school biology class got caught cheating on a test and Sam just automatically grounded me with ever hearing my side. My senior year, Sam once thought I smoked pot because I avoided the living room full of my family members. But I actually just had a stomach ache and didn’t want to tell everyone my business. Several times in college and right after, I went to Sam with a hot tip about what the stock market would do. He ignored every single one, where he could have made millions if he’d just listened.
I could go on and on.
”You brought Pearl,” Sam says. ”I was wondering if you’d drop her or if she’d make another appearance.”
I give him a tight smile. ”She”s still here. Not going anywhere.”
Sam”s blue eyes burn into my face. ”Mhm.”
”Let”s grab a beer,” Brooks jumps in, throwing me a life preserver. ”The game is about to start.”
He”s right. When we make our way over to the bar and order pints, the organ’s opening chords play. One of the game”s announcers says that some new country songstress will sing the national anthem.
Brooks leans over to me during the warbly singing and whispers, ”You brought the waitress from the diner?”
I look at him coolly over the rim of my pint. ”Yes. Is there some rule that says I can only date women who don”t wait tables for a living?” I can”t help it. My tone is downright ornery.
The national anthem finishes and the crowd goes wild. Brooks shakes his head. ”I didn”t mean it that way. I”m just surprised. Mom said that you”ve been dating Pearl in secret for two years? I have a hard time wrapping my head around that. Whenever anybody even mentions marriage around you, you usually have a lot to say about it. It doesn”t jibe with you having a SERIOUS GIRLFRIEND.”
I can hear the all caps in his voice.
”Well...” I scan the room, looking for a way out of this conversation. Brooks and I have been close our whole lives. I don”t want to lie to his face, but he”s not making it easy.
I spot Cole and Charlie entering the box. Cole is carrying an armful of Kings toys and merch. Charlie waves a plastic light up sword with the Atlanta Kings’ logo on it. He runs over to Savannah, eager to show off his new treasure.
Cole puts all the swag down on a table and heads over to us. ”Hey! You made it.”
”Yep.” I jerk my chin to Pearl, who is listening while Charlie tells Mom and Savannah about going down to the merch booth. ”I brought Pearl.”
”I can see that.” Cole shoves his hand through his hair. ”Before you know it, you”ll be old and married. Then you can make Atlanta Kings’ merchandise runs with your kids.”
I roll my eyes. ”One step at a time.”
Brooks nudges me with his elbow. ”Twenty bucks says that Mom is already planning your wedding. No, wait. A hundred.”
Cole snorts. ”There is not a doubt in my mind that Sarah has binders for each of us, full of wedding plans. She pulled out mine as soon as Sav and I announced our engagement. And it is detailed.” He shakes his head, horrified. ”Gotta put all that energy somewhere, I guess.”
Rex”s name is announced over the loud speakers and a cheer goes up, not just in our box, but the whole stadium. Mom takes Charlie up to look out over the field. I shoo my brothers toward the front. ”Let”s go stand near our significant others.” I slide Brooks an arched brow. ”You can come too.”
He punches my bicep and I grin. Cole leads the way to where Pearl and Savannah are standing, looking out the big picture window. I look down onto the field. Rex and his teammates file out of the dugout and run onto the field.
”This is so cool!” Pearl says. “I rode in my first helicopter. Then I get to sit in the nicest box in the whole stadium? Jeez Louise.”
”I know. It”s a little surreal,” Savannah replies. She looks at Pearl for a long second. “Much like finding out you’re dating Cole’s brother. I though we knew everything about each other.”
Pearl looks embarrassed. “I’m sorry. River and I made a promise to each other… and then it kind of spiraled out of control. Before I knew it, it had been too long to come clean to anyone without someone getting offended.”
Savannah narrows her eyes at Pearl as if she doesn’t quite believe her. She gives her a strained smile. “We can talk about it in private. Now isn’t the time or place.”
I sidle up behind Pearl and slip my arms around her waist. ”So, you’re in the best suite in the whole stadium. Is it as good as you hoped?”
Pearl throws her head back and belly laughs, which makes me feel good. ”It”s something, all right.”
I can feel Cole and Brooks staring at us. So I move to kiss the column of her neck, just above her shoulder. Her fine baby hairs get in the way. I smooth them back and she shivers, clenching her hands over mine. It”s not a natural gesture but I think Pearl”s bright laugh afterward sells it.
”You”re so bad,” she says, grinning.
”You don”t even know the half of it.”
I press against the small of her back, half aroused. Her lovely peach and vanilla scent teases my nose. She half-turns, her eyes flashing, and schools her expression. ”Behave yourself.”
I know that she”s just pretending. But it’s a hell of a performance. I am almost fooled. I wink and enjoy her cheeks coloring. ”Not a chance in hell.”
Cole slides an arm around Savannah”s shoulders and studies us. He purses his lips. ”How”s your resort project going?”
For a second, I freeze. I swing my gaze to him, shooing him the tiniest glare. ”Fine.”
Pearl glances back at me, as if trying to discern why my body language just changed. Her brown eyes scan my face.
Cole squints at me. ”Have you found a new site yet?”
I force myself to smile and relax. ”No, not yet. I”m looking at a number of properties.”
He raises a brow. ”No leads you”re willing to talk about?”
”What, are you looking for another big project? I would think that you have plenty on your plate as it is.” To Pearl, I say, ”He”s working on building the new training camp that”s going in north of the Cape.”
”And we”re renovating downtown South Shore,” Savannah adds. She smiles at Pearl. ”You probably know this already, but the project is how Cole and I met last year.”
”Right, of course. That makes more sense,” Pearl says. ”Are you in real estate law too?”
The group falls silent. Everyone exchanges glances. I realize that Pearl just messed up my job title a little. While I am technically a real estate lawyer, I am actually the CEO of our family real estate group.
”Pearl just likes calling me a lawyer,” I cut in. I squeeze her waist. ”Because she never hears the end of any argument. Sorry, darlin’.”
Pearl”s smile is forced. ”It”s true! He is always snapping back, just when I think I”ve won. It”s infuriating.”
”You love it,” I add.
Pearl blushes. ”I guess I do.”
”River, don”t you think that”s a big liability in a relationship? I would hate to be part of one of those couples that always nitpick at each other.” Cole looks a little too smug as he kisses the top of his fiancée’s head. ”That”s why I know that Sav and I are meant to be. It”s always very harmonious around our house.”
Pearl”s expression hardens and she gives Cole a look.
”No offense to either of you. But Sav is your second fiancée, Cole. I think River is doing just fine without your advice.”
Sav”s face goes red and Cole grimaces.
”Sorry,” he grits out. ”I think I”m going to go check on Charlie. Sav, you want to come with?”
Sav nods and hurries after him. Brooks looks at Pearl with a chuckle. ”Damn, Pearl. You didn”t need to absolutely wreck him like that.”
Pearl swallows and looks at me, seeking my validation. ”Was that bad? I was just trying to get him to back off.”
”You did fine, darlin’. I promise. Sometimes you gotta show the world that you have fangs. I bet Cole will think twice before crossing you again.”
She presses her hand to her heart. ”I hope he”s not offended.”
”Cole”s easy to offend. But equally easy to forgive and forget. I wouldn”t worry about it.”
She pulls a face. ”I will definitely wake up in the middle of the night, worried that Cole hates me.”
Pulling her close, I drop a kiss on the crown of her head. ”You do you.”
The next few hours fly by. With Savannah stationed at her side, Pearl seems to relax just a bit. My mom and Charlie pull the girls into their little circle. For the most part, I just keep an eye on her from across the skybox. By the time we reach the sixth inning, she’s laughing and comfortable.
Good timing for what I have planned.
I slide over to Pearl and touch her waist. ”Want to go down and see the field? We can while the teams have their seventh inning stretch.”
Pearl arches a brow. ”We won”t be chased off?”
”The Bennett-Taylors do it almost every game.” I turn to Mom. ”Hey! Are you guys going down to see Rex?”
”I think we are staying put this time. But definitely take Pearl down and give her the red carpet treatment. It”s nice to know people.” She winks.
Brooks coughs into his hand and mumbles, ”It”s even nicer to be part of a family of billionaires.”
I grin. ”Let her believe whatever she wants.”
Taking Pearl by the hand, I lead her out of the skybox and down the long, concrete hallway. Once we make a turn, we enter the throngs of fans queueing in the lines for food. Pearl lets out a big gust of breath, giving her body a shake.
”Ahh!” she says. ”That was longer than I thought I”d have to act like your fiancée. It”s kind of tough to be so friendly while I”m lying through my teeth.”
”You were a rock star in there,” I praise her. ”Seriously. Such good work.”
She gives me a little smile. ”Thanks. It”s actually harder than I thought it would be.”
”You”re still in, though. Right?”
She wrinkles her nose at me. ”I”m still in.”
”Good. Because I want you to prepare yourself for the next step.”
Pearl smirks at me. ”The part where you announce that we are secretly engaged?”
We head down some stairs, Pearl”s high heels clicking with every step. ”Something like that.”
I usher her through a security checkpoint and down another long concrete hallway. When we get to the end, a suited man greets me. ”Hello, Mr. Taylor. Nice to see you.”
”This is my girlfriend, Pearl,” I say by way of introduction. ”Pearl, this is Dave Fourtier. He”s going to show us onto the field as soon as the players clear off for their break.”
”Nice to meet you,” she says. She grabs my hand, taking me by surprise. I give her a quiet smile.
”The teams are clearing off now,” Dave says, looking out at the field. ”Let”s give them one more minute before we head out.”
Pearl squints at him, frowning. She can sense that something is off. She just doesn”t know what.
”Okay. Now you can go out to the pitcher”s mound for a photo if you”d like to,” Dave offers.
I raise my brows at Pearl, tugging her hand. ”Maybe we”ll just head out to the dugout for our photo op? I don”t want you to trip and die in those heels.”
She laughs and nods. ”I would appreciate that.”
Making sure that she has a good grip on my arm, I walk Pearl out onto the field. There are a few other people on the field too: two maintenance workers groom the grass, a group of Japanese tourists looks at the whole stadium with wide eyes, and an elderly couple are escorted by a young player from the opposing team.
I walk Pearl to the home plate and then stand back, looking up at the sea of fans. It”s pretty overwhelming if I spend too much time thinking about it.
Dave follows dutifully, holding a large camera. He snaps a few candid pictures and then calls to us. ”Are you ready?”
A lump forms in my throat. I grab Pearl”s hand, stand back, and sink down on one knee.
She looks at me, as still as petrified wood.
”Pearl. Will you do me the honor of being my wife?”
Every ounce of blood floods into her face. She locks eyes with me, her expression hard and terrified. ”Y-yes?” she squeaks.
I slide the ring from my pocket, put it on her finger, and then stand up. I raise her hand, showing it to the stadium. A cheer rises and the speakers blare the first few notes of the wedding march. ”Ladies and gentlemen, she said yes!”
I pull her into my grasp and then kiss her passionately.
When I pull back, she is staring daggers at me.
“What the hell was that!” she demands in a rough whisper.
Putting her hand on my arm and waving to the crowd like a politician, I say, “That was putting on a show. Trust me, my parents definitely saw.”
Pearl digs her fingers into my arms and forces a bright smile to her lips.
“So did everybody else. That includes my family.” She leans her head down to my shoulder, hugging me, and whispers, “You should have told me about your plan!”
My heart skips a beat. Is Pearl actually mad? I didn’t really consider her when I put this plan in motion. “Can we talk about this when we’re alone?” I hiss.
“Oh, you bet your ass we will.” She looks up at me, smiling brightly but with eyes like daggers. “Count on it.”