Chapter 41
HANNAH
I’d be lying if I say that having your date drive you to the airport and swoop you into a private jet isn’t hot. However, I’m also not a fan of guys who show off what they have. It’s just plain lazy, and a way to say, I have money, adore me.
Maybe I’m wrong and I’m just jaded. Alex refuses to tell me where he’s taking me, and it’s driving me crazy.
Last night, we stargazed. Wine, a picnic basket, and the open space in Napa. We dined on top of an old pickup truck. His first car. I can’t believe he still has it. He bought it with his first paycheck. It was mind-blowingly romantic. I never expected something so incredible coming from him.
It was hard to say goodnight. The best part was when he knocked on the wall of my bedroom and said, “Goodnight, unicorn.”
I pressed my hand against the wall until I fell asleep.
This stupid game I’m playing with Alex Spearman is challenging. I’m liking who he is more than I should. If I’m not careful, I could fall for him.
“Kidnapping can’t be part of this exercise,” I complain.
“Or so you say,” he answers. He’s been trying to stay focused on me even when he’s working on a production issue.
“Where are you taking me?”
He takes my hand and gently caresses the back with his thumb. I shiver and sigh, wanting to hug him. I’m avoiding physical contact as much as I can. If not, I’ll end up jumping him. Sex with him is great. Not just great, heavenly. It also reminds me why I should hate him, so it’s off the table.
“This is a terrible real date,” I groan, claiming back my hand. “Normal people don’t just jump on a private plane to...where are we going?”
“Alaska,” he answers, checking his watch. “If we hurry, we can fish for crabs. You can cook them.”
“Ha, ha. He thinks he’s funny.”
“You told your readers that I’m funny,” he reminds me, with his arrogant smile gracing his face. “And hot.”
“The imaginary guy I’m dating,” I correct him.
“Well, trust the imaginary guy,” he repeats for the fourth time.
“I’m trying, but we’ve been in this metal trap for two hours, and I have no idea how long—”
“Ladies and gentlemen, please make sure to fasten your seat belts, we’re about to land at Centennial Airport. The weather in Englewood is fifty-three degrees. I hope you enjoyed your flight.”
“Hiring a charter for a date is not something everyone can do,” I continue.
“What if the guy owns the jet?”
I don’t answer. But when we descend the stairs, I’m expecting many things…none of them being a hot ride.
“You’re just showing off,” I complain. “If this was a real date, I’d dump your ass right about now.”
He laughs, and when he sobers up, he says. “I guarantee you’re going to love this date.”
“I already hate it,” I insist. “Dinner in some expensive restaurant hours away from home where you’ll show how crazy rich you are, and you think after that I’ll fall right at your feet.”
I cross my arms and say, “No, thank you, I’m heading back home.”
“Give me twenty minutes.” He winks at me. “Get in the car. Trust me, you’re going to love this more than anything in the world.”
I growl and shake my head.
“If you hate it, I’ll do anything you want,” he proposes.
“Anything?”
He nods. “But if you love it,” he pauses, while steering me toward the passenger door, “as much as I know you would, you’ll trust me on setting up all the dates from this day forward.”
Glaring at him, I wonder what he’s up to.
“After today, I’m in charge.”
Huffing, I agree because this guy doesn’t know me one bit. “Fine.”
Alex’s arrogant smile is annoying and breathtaking. It’s hard to ignore it—him. But I know I have to. He’s him. Alex Spearman could never be my forever person.
“Why are we here?” I ask, as we pull out of the airport. “Where is here?”
There’re at least two or three states that have a city named Englewood—that I know of.
He smiles and doesn’t say a word. “We should be there in twenty minutes.”
“There?”
The problem with this country is that most of the interstates look so much alike, I confuse them. I’m surprised when he exits just a few minutes later. I spot a couple of fancy restaurants.
“Those are chains, Spearman. Couldn’t get something fancy and original?”
He laughs and speeds up leaving the restaurants behind, and entering into a residential area. A fancy one for that matter. I frown because where is he taking me?
“Did I mention kidnapping is illegal?”
“At least twice, I should ask for a hefty ransom. I’m kidnapping music royalty,” he jokes.
I take out my phone and unlock it. “I’m sending everyone I know my coordinates. If I don’t text them within an hour—”
“You’re so dramatic,” he complains, but in fact, there’s humor in his voice. “You’re just going to spoil the surprise. Give me five more minutes.”
“If anything, this is the craziest date in the history of the world,” I say, staring at a circle driveway where he pulls over. “Well, this is fancy.”
He turns to look at me. “It’s okay at best, wait for me,” he orders before leaving the car.
I try to open the door, but he’s already doing it for me. “I said wait.”
“You’re not the boss of me.”
“I’m in charge, remember?”
“Still not impressed,” I say with disdain in my voice when, in truth, I’m intrigued.
Where are we?
His smile is different when we reach the main door. It’s the face of a guy who just pulled the best surprise ever. He taps his phone and rings the doorbell.
A few seconds later, it swings open. “Seriously, seven adults and I have to open the door.” I hear a female voice complaining, and when I see who it is, I screech.
June swings her arms around me. “It’s you!”
“It’s me,” I confirm, crying, because we haven’t seen each other in more than a year.
Suddenly, we’re both crying and mumbling about how much we missed each other, and how proud we are of each other.
“Come on in, you have to meet your nieces and nephew,” June says, pulling me into the house, stopping to look at Alex. “Thank you.”
He nods and shrugs at his sister, as if it’s nothing.
Then, he looks at me. I’m tempted to hug him. This is the best surprise anyone has given me in a long time. Neither his gaze nor his face has that arrogant look that says, I won. The way he looks at me makes my heart skip a few beats. Maybe even swoon.
I hate so much that he’s doing all these wonderful things for me. It’s like he’s either trying to ruin me for other men or...I refuse to think of any other reason why he’s doing all this. June doesn’t allow me to say much. She drags me through the foyer, and shows me the powder room.
“Sorry, I became one of those mothers,” she says, laughing. “Wash your hands.”
“Totally understandable,” I assure her, washing my hands. “Where are they?”
“The nursery,” she says, “we’re getting them ready for dinner. Alex said he was coming, so we’re trying to get this ready for his birthday, in case he skips it.”
I blink. “Dude, I feel like I’m barging into a family reunion. He shouldn’t have done that.”
She shrugs. “I don’t think that’s his plan. He called us a couple of hours ago announcing he’d be visiting and wanted to have dinner with us. We’re just getting ahead of the game because lately, he’s been...off.”
“Off?” I ask and frown because this is familiar and yet weird.
Usually, June tells me everything about her brothers and sister. I know almost everything about them. Anything June had to deal with, she’d share it with me. I’m her person. This, her telling me how Alex is off should, be a normal conversation.
It’s not.
Honestly, I don’t want to know if he’s been dating for the past year or how many women he’s been sleeping with for the last couple of weeks. I just came back, and I finally realize that things are weird between June and me.
“As in he’s not hooking up. He’s working like he’s responsible and handling his own life,” she concludes. “I told you he fired me.”
Alex confirmed. He does that twice a week, but she doesn’t take the hint.
“You’re bored?”
She shakes her head. “Not really, but I miss him a little. It’s like there’s a part of him only I had access to, and he shut it down.”
“Sorry,” I say, knowing she’s closer to him than to the other two. “Hey, at least you’re close to your family.”
She rolls her eyes. “It’s not the same. If you find out anything, can you tell me what’s happening with him?”
“Me?” I give her a severe glare.
“Well, he lives next door to you. If he’s bringing a woman over and having sex, you’ll know. Just like I knew every time you brought a guy,” she explains.
I don’t tell her it was only one guy. That the guy was her brother.
“Please,” she begs. “You’re my only hope.”
“Okay, if I see him with some chick, you’ll be my first call,” I promise, hoping I don’t witness such a thing.
When we reach the staircase, I stop and smile because Alex is coming downstairs, holding a couple of girls who are chatting his ears off. I recognize them, Caroline and Marianne. Behind him is his mother.
“Hannah, dear, what a surprise,” his mom says, climbing down the stairs with a baby in her arms. “How was your trip?”
“Hi, Mrs. Spearman,” I greet her, not knowing if she is referring to the yearlong trip I took or the two-hour flight from San Francisco to here.
“Ari,” she corrects me and hands me one of the babies. “This is Violet. Sterling and James will be down with Vaughn and Vanessa. Now, tell me all about your trip.”