Chapter 18 #2
“I think they’re making a comeback. They are the perfect representations of our childhood. Rides. Yummy fattening food like elephant ears. Cotton candy. And lemonade.” I envisioned a moment from my past, the memory very sad. “Did you ever go to one?”
“I will admit my parents had no interest in amusement parks.”
“That’s a shame. Even playing the goofy games is fun. My father used to insist on winning me the largest stuffed animal. He was good at every game too. I had a room full of cheap stuffed animals. I loved them. Giving them away felt as if I was stripping away a part of my heart.”
He didn’t say anything, but I knew he was watching my reactions, which felt very personal and almost too much to bear.
“Anyway, they contain good memories. You missed out as a child and now since it’s done for the season.”
“There’s always next year.”
With the wine poured, the waitress walked away, leaving us all alone. I eased onto the couch, even more curious about the man. He was truly unlike what I’d expected, even if he was richer than sin as my mother used to say.
He nodded toward the wine, waiting until I picked up my glass before doing so with his, lifting so we would toast.
“What are we toasting to?” I asked. With such a commanding presence, I kept thinking I should feel nervous, but I didn’t. I was quite comfortable around him.
“The future.”
“Which is?”
“Anything we want it to be.”
I wasn’t certain what he was insinuating, but I enjoyed the spark in his eyes. We toasted and the first sip was incredible. “An excellent choice.”
“Wine is a passion.”
“Why is it I suspect you have several of them as compelling as your painting?”
“You are fascinated by the fact I paint.”
“I am and would love to see more of your work.”
He laughed. “Perhaps we can arrange that. Why don’t you tell me more about yourself and your interests? I assure you mine are not that entertaining.”
“I beg to differ, but alright.”
Other than to my good friends, I’d never found it easy to talk about myself.
I certainly preferred keeping much of my past private, certain events more troubling than others.
I’d been determined to push myself from the sorrow, finally able to find some sense of balance at least until recently.
“I’m a simple girl with typical needs. I love my house, my friends.
I enjoy a wicked slice of pizza from Giuseppe’s every now and then. See? Nothing exciting.”
“Quite the contrary. Everything about you is exciting. Why leave your job with Covington? And don’t get me wrong. Being an entrepreneur is obviously very important to me. As a kid I had one of the last paper routes.”
“You’re kidding me.”
“I am not,” he said, finally allowing the intensity of his demeanor to shift into something less formidable.
“You are a very interesting man.”
“My father required his sons to work beginning at an early age.”
“Is your father still alive?”
“He is, a gruff old man with attitude, which is what I’ll likely become.”
While we both laughed, I felt a sense of sadness as well as true despair. I missed my father with all my heart. “I didn’t quit my job. I was forced out. I’m surprised a man of your stature didn’t hire a private investigator to ensure I wasn’t after your money.”
His face held amusement. “Perhaps I wouldn’t mind. If I felt the need to ensure your truthfulness, I’d stop at nothing to discover all your secrets, but you’re nothing like any other woman I’ve ever met.”
“Is that a compliment?”
“Absolutely. Now, I’m extremely curious. Why were you forced out?” Christian immediately sat up in his seat.
“According to my boss, it was all about downsizing and I was the low man on the totem pole.” The lie rolled off my tongue easily. Was I too embarrassed or still too angry to admit the truth?
He narrowed his eyes. “If you could go back to work for them, would you consider doing so?”
The question had rolled around in my mind for weeks.
“If you’d asked me the first couple weeks after leaving, I would have told you without a doubt.
Now? I honestly don’t know. Don’t get me wrong, I loved what I did.
Contrary to what you might think, I love helping people.
I started working at the front desk and moved up to events where I became the coordinator dealing with everyone who wanted to rent one hotel.
Then I was transferred to corporate where I became involved in marketing.
Every day was different, unusual and exciting. ”
“What if you were offered a comparable job if not even more exciting?”
“Is that what this is, a job interview?” I was teasing, but I could sense he’d thought about it.
“In all honesty, I wouldn’t accept. What I’m doing now in being my own boss is wonderful.
A lot of work, but when I was a kid, I escaped with reading.
As I got older, I shifted to romance novels like millions of other women do.
We all need an escape from reality. I’ve even toyed with putting together a fantasy weekend at a hotel, a mini conference with sexy models and catering to every whim.
I might do that one day when I’m more established with sponsors. We shall see.”
He was listening to every word. “I’m sure you have your share of disgruntled people as you once did within the world of hospitality?”
I rolled my eyes. “You have no idea. I have this one guy who is driving me crazy and I don’t know why. But trolls be trolls.”
“What does he say?”
“Nothing to worry about.”
“Is he threatening you?”
“He doesn’t like when I don’t engage with him, which I’ve tried to stop doing,” I admitted.
“I tend to allow my fingers to fly. Now, as much as I love being here, I have the distinct feeling this is just the appetizer for the main event.” I had no intention of sharing the last few comments.
With a man like Christian, who knows how he’d react.
“If he’s threatening you then something should be done about it.”
“You’re a professional, Christian. What would you suggest?
That I contact the FBI and mention he’s using very creative words to tell me that I’m a hack for one thing, that my reviews and my art is garbage and that he’d like to show me what a real man is really like?
Just imagine how the poor agent will react when he learns what type of romance books I read. ”
“Why should that matter?”
Perhaps I’d found something the sexy Mr. Tempest had no knowledge of.
“Dark romance is based on some fairly sketchy concepts including kidnapping, primal hunts, and being tied and flogged, although that’s considered tame these days.
Imagine very bad men doing some very bad things both in their professional lives and in their personal ones.
Some are killers. Crime bosses and rich kids with far too much money on their hands.
Even convicts. Nothing is off the table. ”
“So you’re suggesting some men believe that type of behavior is acceptable?” He was listening very intently.
“Exactly. They are blowhards.”
“So you’re not worried this troll will act on his desires.”
My plastic smile returned. “There is no way for him to find out where I live. I’m perfectly safe. You’re avoiding the topic. Why the suspense?”
His eyes flashed another layer of darkness that I couldn’t read before turning off the emotion almost as if a faucet. “You are determined to break through my defenses.”
“I wasn’t aware a man of your stature needed any.”
Every chuckle sent a heated thrill through me. “You’d be surprised. Instead of telling you where I’m taking you, which is of no interest to me, why don’t I show you? But first, you have to do something for me.”
“And that is?”
As he pulled something from his pocket, another strange thrill of excitement tore through me when I noticed what he was holding.
A blindfold.
“Put this on.”