11. Ryan
CHAPTER 11
Ryan
F or the last hour, I stood outside, off to the side from everything that was going on in front of the entrance for the ball. I don’t care how cold it is. All I care about is seeing her again and feeling that spark. I want her near me. And I want to learn more about her.
As more cars begin arriving, more photographers appear and hound the guests. As the ball entered its fifth year, more photographers figured out that the crowd was likely made up of the same high society elite that they follow around for their ridiculous articles.
My phone buzzes in my pocket. With a glance, I see my oldest friend, Daniel, is calling. He doesn't even know that I created the ball or that I am actively looking for that special someone. It's not that I don't trust him, I don’t trust anyone.
For the last five years, people have been coming out of the woodwork, trying to endear themselves to me and become a part of my life. Most of those people had bad intentions, and I recognized that right away. But there are always those who slip through the cracks.
Unsure of who I could trust, I decided to create the plan for the ball and meet people anonymously. All of this hiding, though, has also made me paranoid.
My spark is a perfect example of that. Even though she seems genuine and kind, I can't help but wonder why she’s here and where she came from. She’s almost too good to be true.
Those thoughts are running through my head when I see the car from Schwartz Luxury Auto pull up to the curb.
I watch from a distance as the older man Mel described gets out of the driver's seat and walks around to open Carina’s door. He helps her out of the car as any proper butler or chauffeur would, but then I notice him take her hand, lean in closer, and whisper in her ear.
That doesn’t make any sense coming from a chauffeur. There’s a closeness there that shouldn't be. I continue to watch as he drives away, and she takes a step toward the building’s entrance.
The flash of a camera seems to catch her off guard. I can tell from her shoulders and the way her face turns down to look towards the pavement that she doesn't like this at all.
I move closer, instinctually wanting to save her.
Her hands wrap around her arms, and she begins to pet the furry jacket she's wearing over her gown. I don't know her very well, but I can tell she's in distress. I pick up the pace as I push through the crowd and come up behind her.
"I knew you'd come back for more," I say, leaning close enough to smell the vanilla accents in her perfume.
Her body straightens for a moment as her breath catches. She lets out a breath as she turns around, and immediately, our eyes meet.
Spark!
Her face lights up and I hold my hand out to her.
"Let's get out of here," I say.
She takes my hand, and in one swift movement, I shift to her side so that my one hand is protectively at her waist, guiding her, while my other hand continues to lead her out of the chaos while holding her hand.
She presses her body close to mine, possibly for warmth or security. It doesn't matter to me why she's doing it; I'm happy to be both for her.
I need to get her somewhere she will feel safe—somewhere without all of these cameras and all of these other people, somewhere we can talk and get to know each other better.
I lead her out of the crowd, back the way I came. Once we’re away from the pulsating music, the din of people speaking over each other, and the flashes of the cameras, I stop and turn to her.
"I've spent the past month trying to find you," I say.
She smiles, then shyly looks away. ”Well, here I am. But shouldn't we go inside?"
"Only if you want to. I’ve already found what I came here for."
She turns and looks back at the crowd and the flashing lights. Her arms go up and wrap around herself, and she begins to pet her jacket again.
"It really is a lot," she says. "It seems like a lot more than last time."
"I agree. How about we go someplace quiet?”
She nods. “That sounds great.”
“Have you eaten? Because I haven't. I could go for a good burger. How's that sound?"
Her face lights up.
"That sounds great. I just need to be back here by midnight.”
“For your fairy godfather?”
She tilts her head, looking confused, then laughs.
“I can’t believe you remember that.”
“When it comes to you, I’ll remember everything.”
She smiles and then looks away again. I lift her chin and look directly into her eyes.
“I mean it.”
“Okay,” she whispers.
“I can get you back here before midnight. I have the perfect place in mind."
I help her into my car, careful not to catch her dress in the door. Then I drive to a diner in the other part of town, one where no one will notice Ryan Stirling, the billionaire.
The old diner is one of those small chrome buildings that resemble an old train car. When I was a kid, my family would go to it for after-school events. It hasn't changed in all these years.
We park in the empty parking lot and then walk up to the dimly lit door. A bell chimes as I hold the door open for her.
Rocky, the owner and chef, bursts out of the kitchen. He’s built like a tiny tank and moves like a bull in a china shop. He’s wearing a dingy apron that’s probably as old as the diner. The only hair on his head is that of a white goatee. He wipes his hands on a white towel he hangs from the apron strings wrapped around his waist.
Without looking up at us, he grabs a couple of menus and walks out from behind the counter. I remove my mask and slip it into my suit jacket pocket.
"Sit wherever ya want,” he mumbles.
I clear my throat, and Rocky shoots an annoyed look in my direction. Slowly, his eyes widen, and his jaw drops.
"Ryan! My boy, I can't believe you're here. How long has it been?"
His eyes shift over to Carina, and he bows clumsily before her.
"I had no idea I was having royalty as guests tonight."
Carina giggles.
“Rocky, this is Carina Cameron. Carina, meet Rocky.”
“It’s a pleasure,” he says as he takes her hand and kisses it with another bow.
Rocky motions for us to go into a booth, but I have other plans.
"No, Rocky, I thought we would do this like the good old days." I turned to Carina. "Do you mind sitting at the counter?"
"No, not at all."
I love that she's so easy-going. Tonight is going to be fun.
"The good old days, eh? Whatcha thinking?” Rocky asks.
“I’m going to make us a couple of burgers and fries."
“Oh yeah? The Stirling Special? You sure you still got it in you?” Rocky turns to Carina. “Has he told you about his adventures in cooking?"
Carina shakes her head.
"I really don't know much about him at all,” she says.
"I intend to change that,” I say.
While I’m in the kitchen cooking the cheeseburgers and fries, Rocky keeps Carina company. I can hear them exchanging war stories from working in restaurants.
As I step out of the kitchen, carrying the two plates of food, I notice Carina sipping a milkshake; her mask is on the counter.
Her eyes are almond-shaped, something I couldn't appreciate before with the mask on. Her nose is delicate. Even with the makeup on, I can see she has a natural peaches and cream complexion. She’s even more beautiful than I imagined.
I set the plates down and sit down beside her as Rocky disappears back into the kitchen.
We eat in silence for a moment, but I can tell something is troubling her.
“What’s wrong?” I ask.
“Umm, it’s Ryan, right?”
My eyes widen as I realize we never exchanged names. Usually, people recognize me right away, but so far, she doesn’t seem to. I had been dreading telling her my name because of that. Everything so far had been so fantastic; what if she’s just another gold digger after my inheritance?
“I’m so sorry. Everything moved so quickly that I forgot to introduce myself properly. I’m Ryan Stirling.”
I wait for recognition to spread across her face, but nothing changes in her expression. Slowly, I notice her jaw begins to tighten, and her brow knits together as her eyes narrow.
“How do you know my name?” she asks, her voice bordering on anger. “I didn’t give it to you.”
“No, you didn’t. And I know how this sounds, but like I said, I have been trying to find you since the last ball. I saw the car you got into last time was a rental, the same as tonight’s car, so I tracked that down.”
I stop my story to see what kind of reaction she’s going to give me. She places her hand on my arm and smiles.
“That doesn’t sound bad. It’s sweet. Honestly? I was wondering if I would ever see you again. I didn’t think I would ever get to go to the ball again.”
“And yet you did,” I say. “You didn’t answer me before, but is that your fairy godfather?”
She stares at me blankly for a minute, then starts to nod her head.
“Rocky told me you’re a plumber. He said it’s a family thing.”
“He’s right. We started as Stirling Plumbing, and that kept evolving.”
I’m still waiting to see if she recognizes me or my name, but either she doesn’t, or she’s a really good liar.
“Do you like being a plumber?”
It’s my turn to stare blankly at her. Is she for real?
I realize this is my chance to keep the mask on for longer. It’s my chance to get to know her without having to worry about the baggage of who I am.
If she doesn’t know who I am, then I don’t need to be Ryan Stirling, billionaire bachelor. I can be Ryan Stirling, licensed plumber.
“It’s great,” I say. “But to be honest, it’s not something I ever saw for myself. My dad was adamant about my joining the family business, but before I gave in, I wanted to go to culinary school. That’s how I ended up here.”
“I worked for Rocky after school. Classes would end, and I’d come here to cook for the dinner shift. Eventually, my dad pushed for me to make a decision, and that led to my getting my plumber’s license.” It surprises me how easy it is to leave out important pieces of my story. “How about you? You’re still young, but are you doing what you always wanted to do?”
“I’m between jobs right now,” she says. “So I’m taking my time to figure out what my next steps are. But my job really isn’t that important to me.”
“Then what is?” I ask.
“My grandmother. She raised me. I never really knew my parents. Grandma and I still live together, but unfortunately, she’s been sick lately. So it’s good that I’m home right now and not at some job. There’s plenty of time for that later.”
I raise my milkshake glass and hold it towards her. She raises her glass, too, as she grins at me.
“To family,” I say before we clink our milkshake glasses together.
Time flies by, and the next thing I know, we’re in my car, heading back towards the ball.
“This was really nice,” I say. “When can I see you again? Are you busy tomorrow?”
She laughs. “You’ll get tired of me. Don’t you want any space? Maybe do the three-day no-reach-out thing that men do?”
“If that’s what you want, but that’s not what I want. I don’t think I could ever get tired of you, but we’ll need to spend more time together to find that out.”
“So you want to see how long it takes until you find me annoying?”
She grins, and I laugh.
I pull up alongside the rented limo and try to get a better look at the man driving her home. I can’t get a clear view, but he doesn’t look familiar.
As I put the car in park, I turn to her.
“Thank you,” I say.
“For what?”
“For coming back to the ball. For spending the evening with me. For being you.”
I lean in to kiss her, and she leans towards me but then turns away.
“I’m sorry,” she says before taking a big breath. “Things moved too fast last time. I don’t know what I was thinking, but that’s not me.”
“I can do that. I can slow down. I’ll leave it all up to you. I know I was aggressive last time. I couldn’t help myself.”
“I couldn’t either,” she whispers as she smiles sheepishly. “Thank you for the burger and everything.”
She gets out of the car and right into the limo. As they drive away, I see her smiling at me with her hand on the window.
Out of curiosity, I follow them. Soon after, I pull into traffic and keep myself several cars back. They take the exit for the Hamptons, but I continue forward, letting them get away.