Chapter Twelve
Audrey
I love to be a person on the go... and I also love lazy days of lounging in the house with nothing but my pajamas on. If I get a little of both each week, I’m a very happy woman. Right now, I’m lying in Wolf’s arms on my couch, and we’ve just finished Snakes on a Plane . It’s an old movie I’ve never seen, but it has me thinking twice about flying anywhere. I smile.
“You know the chances of that actually happening are slim to none,” Wolf says.
“But not impossible,” I tell him. He laughs.
“It’s just a silly movie with an incredible actor,” he assures me.
“Gotta admit, Samuel Jackson is one of my favorites. Not quite as good as Morgan Freeman, though. I don’t need to read the description when I see him starring in a movie.”
“Yes, Freeman’s one of my all-time favorites. He and Sean Connery.”
“We’re on the same page.” The scary thing is, we seem to be on the same page for most issues. I can’t think of anything, at this point, that we disagree on.
Before he can respond, my doorbell rings. I look up in confusion. I never have people randomly stop by. There’s no need for that anymore with text messages. Everyone will send a quick message asking if I’m available. I don’t think I have any packages being delivered either. Then again, I do a lot of midnight phone shopping so it’s not inconceivable. Before I do anything else, I hear my door open.
That’s when horror fills me. There’s only one person I know besides myself who has the key to my condo. I look at Wolf who seems to be wondering if he needs to be in fight mode or not. There’s no flight with this man unless he’s in the sky.
“I’m so sorry,” I tell him. Understandably, he’s confused.
We barely manage to sit up, our hair a mess, me in pajamas, Wolf in nothing but a pair of sweats, when my parents step into the room. There’s no way not to know what we’ve been up to. Even though I’m a grown adult, I feel like a child who’s just been caught with her hand in the cookie jar. But instead of cookies, my hands have been all over a half-dressed man. Much better... unless my parents are making a surprise visit.
My father, Reginald Beach, and my mother, Lillian, are impeccably dressed, as always. Their greetings fall away as my dad’s eyes narrow, zeroing in on Wolf, and my mom gets a twinkle in her eyes. My dad isn’t happy. My mother is highly amused. I’m mortified.
“Audrey, my dear,” my mom sings as she moves over and kisses me on the cheek. “We decided to surprise you.” She pauses for a moment as she looks at Wolf before her gaze comes back to me. “Surprise!”
“You’ve certainly done that,” I tell them as I rise from the couch and hug my mom before moving over to my dad and hugging his stiff body. This is the first time he’s ever walked into a room to find me in the arms of a man. I’m sure he’s thinking he could’ve lived a lifetime without the image in his head.
My dad still hasn’t spoken. He seems frozen, his eyes locked on Wolf, who’s now standing with a smile on his lips and a coffee mug in one hand... and still shirtless. He looks every bit the rogue he is.
“Who are you?” Dad finally asks Wolf.
Wolf steps forward, unbothered and entirely too charming. “Wolf Young, sir. Pleasure to meet you.”
There’s a moment of frozen silence before my dad’s brows rise. “Wolf?”
“Yep, like the animal,” Wolf replies. “Though I’m less inclined to howl at the moon. I prefer flying close to it. I’m a pilot.”
My mother, ever the social butterfly, claps her hands. “Ooh, a pilot. How delightful. Audrey’s always enjoyed traveling. Do you remember that time she climbed the drapes at Aunt Laura’s because she wanted to be closer to the stars?”
“I was five, Mother,” I reply.
“Yes, and you were wearing a tiara. You always have been quite the royal rebel,” Mom says. I cringe. Good thing this is something a lot of mothers say, calling their daughters princesses. There’s no way I want Wolf finding out that little family secret.
“What do you fly?” my father asks, unimpressed. Then again, I don’t think there’s a man alive who’d impress my dad when it comes to me. We’ve always been close, and he takes daddy’s girl to a whole new level. If he could’ve kept me home forever, it would’ve made him a happy man. He thinks danger’s behind every corner. Then again, in his world, there might be.
Wolf smiles before taking a sip of coffee. “I mostly fly 737s, but there isn’t a plane I’ve piloted that I haven’t been able to master. I love crop dusters. They’re a blast.”
“You fly commercial, then.” He says these words dismissively. He sounds so snobby. Yes, we have money, a lot of money, but my father’s not normally so judgy. It’s just that Wolf’s first meeting with him happens to be in a very compromised position. Dang it.
“I’m a captain,” Wolf replies, not offended by my dad’s tone at all. “I love the view from thirty-five thousand feet. Can’t beat it.” He looks over at me and winks. I don’t know if there’s anything that can ruffle this man’s feathers. He’s unshakeable.
“How long have you two... known each other?” my mother asks, her eyes still twinkling.
Wolf turns to me with a big smile. “About two months now?” he questions.
“About that long,” I say. My poor father looks like he’s about to have a heart attack. Why, oh why, did they have to surprise me right now? I don’t even know what Wolf and I are to each other at this point. I wasn’t planning on saying anything to my parents yet.
“We were hoping to have an early dinner,” my mother says as she looks back and forth between the two of us.
“Dinner would be great. I need a shower,” I tell my mom. We’ve been lounging all day, and I might get ready faster than most, but not in a few minutes. I look at Wolf. “Do you have plans?”
“Are you inviting me to dinner?” he asks with that cocky smile that stirs my stomach. With my parents here, I don’t need to be feeling anything sexual. Gross!
“Yes, I am,” I tell him. I don’t look at my dad, who most likely has smoke coming from his ears. But they know about Wolf now, so we might as well jump into the fire with both feet.
“Then I’d better get dressed,” he says. I laugh. He nods at my parents before disappearing. I reluctantly turn back to my visitors.
My mother looks incredibly pleased, like Christmas came early. My dad looks like he’d rather toss Wolf over the balcony than have dinner with him. This is going to be a very entertaining evening.
“Where are we heading?” I ask.
“Le Ceil Bleu,” my dad says with a smirk, finally losing his frown. He doesn’t think Wolf can handle it. To be honest, I’m not so sure he can either, but I guess we’ll find out.
“Sounds good,” I say. I’d much rather go to the Melting Pot, but I think Dad wants to show me that Wolf’s unsuitable. He’s going to be wrong. I don’t care if Wolf doesn’t fit into the snobby crowd. No, scratch that, I love that he doesn’t. I don’t care for fake people at all. Sure, I’m surrounded by money, and people with money, but I choose to spend my time with those who don’t feel the need to show that money off.
Wolf comes out a few minutes later in a pair of jeans and a polo shirt. As much as I love looking at his chest, this is far more appropriate with my parents in the house. I hate to leave him alone with them, but I need my own shower. We wouldn’t have saved time taking one together. It would’ve been a lot of fun, though. Wolf’s phone buzzes, and he looks at it and frowns.
“Something wrong?” I ask.
“There’s been a scheduling mix-up, and it looks like I need to go sign some papers,” he tells me. “It shouldn’t take more than an hour, two at most. Can I meet you for dinner?”
“That will be fine. We won’t get out of here for at least an hour, maybe longer,” I assure him. I look at his clothes. “We’re going to Le Ceil Bleu.” I’m not sure if he even knows the place.
He doesn’t look fazed. “Sounds good. I’ll call you when the meeting’s over and see where you are.” He leans down and gives me a quick kiss on the lips, then says goodbye to my parents before he walks from the room. I do love the view of him walking away.
As soon as he exits the room, I flee. I know my parents are going to have a ton of questions, but I need a shower. That will give me time to compose myself. I firmly shut my bedroom door, then take my time showering and getting ready.
By the time I come out we have to leave. I message Wolf that we’re heading out, and he says it’s perfect timing. He’ll meet us there.
Le Ciel Bleu is one of Seattle’s crown jewels with crystal chandeliers, hushed voices, and servers who speak in multiple languages and judge hard. As much as I’d love not to care what others think, I do to a certain extent.
I’m wearing an elegant black dress, expensive heels, subtle diamond jewelry, and have my hair pulled up in a twist I rarely bother with. I scan the entrance for Wolf as soon as we walk inside. No sign of him yet.
We’re quickly seated, and I let the host know we have one more joining us. The waiter approaches fast. With the price tag of this restaurant, patrons are expected to be served with respect and efficiency.
I look out the window while my father orders wine. We’re seated at a table with views of the harbor. A string quartet is playing near the fountain. I might not like coming to fancy places too often, but I have to admit, the atmosphere is quite lovely.
Right as the waiter is finishing the drink and appetizer order, Wolf strolls in, looking utterly at ease and confident. He’s upgraded his outfit to a nice pair of slacks, a crisp white shirt, and a fitted blazer. He looks absolutely delicious.
“Hello, Antonio,” Wolf says.
“Good to see you, Captain,” the waiter replies before he rushes off.
“I apologize for being late. We got it all worked out,” Wolf says before he sits beside me. My father looks at Wolf, his thinking cap on. He’s realizing there’s more to Wolf than meets the eye. My dad hasn’t gotten to where he is in life by being stupid, and it’s clear his jacket isn’t from a rack. Who is Wolf? I don’t really know, but I do know I love my time with him, and am nowhere close to ready for it to end.
“You know the staff here?” my dad asks.
“I know a few people,” Wolf says, not giving anything about himself away. I realize he’s shared with me about the loss of his parents, and told me how close he is with his brothers, but I don’t know a ton about him. I don’t know if he owns a home, if he’s made future plans. I don’t know a heck of a lot more than that the man loves adventure and makes me scream in pleasure.
The wine arrives, and soon after, our appetizers. The mood is a bit lighter, though I can see my dad really studying Wolf. The man’s become a mystery to my dad, and he wants to solve it fast. If Wolf’s dating me, though, Dad will want to know everything about him. He’ll probably have his entire history before the night’s over. This is why I don’t bring men home, not that I’ve ever gone on as many dates with any other man than I have with Wolf. They usually bore me by now.
Conversation flows as Wolf has my mother laughing at a story about getting locked in a cockpit during a prank war with a co-pilot named Skeeter. My dad shakes his head, but even his lips are twitching.
“Did you have to stay in there all night?” my mother asks in horror.
“Yep, fell asleep with my face pressed against the controls. I lost that war. It doesn’t happen often, but I guess victory only tastes as sweet as it does because we’ve all felt the sting of loss once or twice.”
My mother beams at me. “I like this one,” she says in what she thinks is a hushed tone, but isn’t.
The conversation continues, then my dad sits up as his gaze intensifies. Something has clicked in his brain. “Young,” he says, drawing out Wolf’s last name.
“Yep, great name and philosophy. I refuse to grow old,” Wolf says.
“You grew up in California?”
“Yep, still visit there a lot,” he says. I didn’t know this about him either. I’m learning a lot with my parents here.
“Did you know a Gregory Young?” Dad asks. Wolf’s smile grows.
“That was my dad.”
My dad leans back, a grin on his lips. I don’t know what’s happening. “I’ll be damned,” he says. He’s truly looking at Wolf in a whole new light, and I’m utterly lost.
“What’s happening, Dad?” I ask.
“I knew Gregory well. We worked together a few times. He was a hard man in business and sharp as hell. He was also loyal. We struck a deal on a resort in Long Beach years ago.”
Wolf has a sad smile on his lips. “That must’ve been the Emerald Coast Project. He was working on that just before...” He trails off, and I have no doubt this must’ve been the time his parents died.
My dad gives a nod. “Yes, he had real vision. It was a pleasure working with him.”
I look back and forth between my dad and Wolf. Is that respect I see in my dad’s gaze? What is happening? Who is Wolf? Is he not the carefree man I’ve known for the past couple of months? I want answers.
“How very interesting. This world is much smaller than most of us believe.”
I’m still confused. Wolf grins at my dad. “Especially from thirty thousand feet,” Wolf says, making a joke.
I gaze at this man, wondering how I know so little about him when I feel so much. The man is charming, maddening, and carefree. Is he more than all of this? He’s just managed to do the impossible, or what I thought was the impossible — he’s impressed my father. He did it without changing a single thing about himself.
We finish our meal, walk outside, then say goodbye to my parents. I go with Wolf as they head to their hotel. I always invite them to stay with me, but they own the hotel here and love to stay at it to make sure it’s being run the way they insist on it being run. They don’t tolerate less than the best for their guests. Old staffers know they aren’t to alert the new staff to who they are. They want to make sure they’re being treated right as normal patrons, not because they’re the owners.
I’m at a loss for words as Wolf drives me home. We need to have a conversation, but I’m not sure I’m ready to have it yet. If I start asking questions, I’m opening the door to him doing the same. If we walk through that door together, the bandage will be forever ripped away, and then I’ll have to admit this might be leading to something more than just a fling. I’m not quite ready for that yet.