Blush for Me

by Kristen Proby

  “I don’t know if that’s a good thing.” I lie next to her and hook a piece of her hair behind her ear.

  “Well, this isn’t a good thing,” she says, her eyes closed now. “Except to say that I won’t be drinking like I did last night much more in my lifetime. It’s not worth the punishment the next day.”

  “I can imagine.”

  “Hey, why aren’t you hungover?”

  “Because I didn’t drink much. I was driving you home.”

  She smiles and kisses my arm, hugging it to her. “I love how responsible you are.”

  “I think we’re both pretty responsible.”

  “Usually, but not last night. I let loose. It was the shots that did me in.”

  “It was a lot of shots.”

  “Did you count?”

  “You did nine shots, Red. That’s a lot of liquor for a little thing like you.”

  She smirks. “Little thing like me.”

  “You’re short.”

  “There’s no need to name-call,” she replies, and snuggles closer to me. “Can we stay like this all day?”

  “No.”

  She frowns and opens one eye so she can glare at me.

  “I don’t like that answer from you.”

  “Well, that’s the answer you’re getting today.” I kiss her forehead, and then her nose. “But I promise it’ll be worth getting out of bed.”

  “What is it?”

  “Well, it’s your birthday, sweetheart.”

  “Oh yeah. I guess I should call my parents.”

  I frown. “They won’t call you?”

  “They might, but they usually forget.”

  My arms tighten around her. “I’m sorry.”

  “It’s okay, it’s just who they are. They don’t mean it to be hurtful.” She leans back to look up at me. “We celebrated my birthday yesterday.”

  “With the others, yes, but not just you and me.”

  A slow smile spreads across her messy, gorgeous face. “Oh.”

  “So I’m going to give you an hour to nap, and then pull yourself together so we can celebrate properly.”

  “Have I mentioned that I love your bossy side?”

  “Once or twice.” I kiss her once more and then slap her ass through the covers before slipping from the bed. “Get up.”

  “Are we going to the beach?”

  “Just get off the damn bed, Kat.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  Chapter Seventeen

  ~Kat~

  There’s no way that I can nap. A man can’t tell me that he has presents for me and then expect me to sleep. That’s not how any of this works.

  Silly man.

  So instead I spend about fifteen minutes in the shower, shaving and scrubbing and doing my best to feel human again. Ugh, I don’t plan to get that drunk ever again. I should warn my customers what this feels like, in case they don’t remember, so when they’re close to the point of no return, I can remind them how they’ll feel the next morning and save them from this.

  Of course, that’s not a good way to sell drinks.

  I step out of the shower and twist my hair up in a towel. After I’ve applied an ample amount of lotion to soothe my dehydrated skin, I get to work on my makeup. It’s my birthday. I need to look pretty.

  Also, I have no idea what Mac has planned today, so I have to be prepared for anything.

  Satisfied with my face, I get to work on my hair, twisting it up in loose curls around my face, 1950s style.

  I complete the look with a white rockabilly dress with black polka dots and a red belt, finishing it off with my favorite red heels.

  I throw my wallet, lipstick, phone, and a few odds and ends in a yellow patent-leather handbag and walk out to find Mac.

  “One hour on the dot,” he says with a grin from his perch at the breakfast bar.

  “I’m punctual,” I reply with a laugh. “Now what?”

  “Now I tell you that you’re absolutely stunning.” He licks his lips and pulls me close to him. “This dress is ridiculous.”

  “Ridiculous good or ridiculous bad?” I whisper as he drags his knuckles down my cheek and neck.

  “It hugs your figure perfectly, and I’m dying to see what you’re wearing under it.”

  “Ridiculous good, then,” I reply with a smile. “If you’re nice to me, you’ll get to find out what’s under it later.”

  His eyes narrow, but his lips twitch in humor. “I like a challenge.”

  “I know.” I lean in to kiss him, then pull away. “Where are we going?”

  “Somewhere,” he replies, and shuts his laptop.

  “Can you at least tell me if I’m dressed appropriately for whatever you have planned for today?”

  “Absolutely.” He’s wearing khaki pants and a green button-down. His sleeves are rolled to his elbows. His shoulders and arms fill it out perfectly, making my mouth water.

  “What are you thinking?” he asks as he guides me down the hall to the elevator.

  “That I must be feeling better because I’ve just eye-fucked you twice in this hallway.”

  He cocks a brow as he presses the button for the elevator.

  “Is that right?”

  I nod.

  “Well, if you’re nice to me, I’ll fuck you brainless later.”

  “Hmm. I like a challenge.” I offer him a sweet smile, then laugh with him and walk out to his car.

  A few moments later, we’re on the freeway heading north and Mac is fiddling with the stereo, pulling up music on his phone.

  “Oh, Adele! Let’s listen to this. Her new album is awesome.”

  “My pleasure,” he says with a smile, and holds my hand as we drive. Finally, ten minutes later, I can’t stand it anymore.

  “Where are we going?”

  “Just over the bridge to Vancouver,” he replies calmly. “I thought we could have lunch on the waterfront.”

  “I’m actually really hungry,” I reply, laying a hand on my belly. “I think my stomach is empty.”

  “I’m sure it is, after you threw up when we got home.”

  “Oh God.” I hang my head in my hands in pure embarrassment. “I’m sorry you had to see that. I haven’t behaved like that in years.”

  “It was your birthday,” he replies with a shrug. “You were actually pretty funny.”

  “Oh God,” I say again.

  “The video on YouTube already has half a million views.”

  “WHAT?” I pivot in my seat, staring at him in horror, and he begins to laugh his ass off.

  “Kidding.”

  “Jerk.”

  “I’ll keep the video all to myself.”

  “There is no video,” I reply, and punch him in the shoulder, hurting my hand all over again. “Ow!”

  “Aww, poor baby.” He takes my hand and kisses the knuckles. “I had no idea you were so violent. I’ve learned a lot about you in the past two days.”

  “I’m not usually violent,” I reply. “Now that I know we’re going to get food, I’m starving.”

  “Good.” He kisses my hand once more, then takes the first exit off the freeway when we get over the bridge into Vancouver. He guides the car through a little neighborhood of condos and shops, and pulls into the parking lot of the restaurant with the best views of the Columbia River that I’ve ever seen.

  “I can’t believe I’ve never been here,” I say as I get out of the car and follow Mac to the door. “There’s a path along the river.”

  “Yep. We can go for a walk after lunch, if you want, but you’re not really wearing the right shoes for it.”

  “We’ll see. I can always go barefoot.”

  Mac shocks me when he tells the hostess, “We’re meeting two others for lunch.”

  “They’re already here,” the young woman replies with a smile. “I’ll show you to their table.”

  “Who are we meeting?” I ask with a frown. I thought today was just for us. But when we arrive at the table, I’m struck dumb. “Oh my gosh.
”

  “Hello, dear,” my dad says as he stands and leans in to kiss my cheek. “Happy birthday.”

  “Happy birthday, sweet girl,” Mom says with a smile as I sit in the booth across from them. Mac joins me and pats my thigh under the table.

  “How did you do this?” I ask him.

  “I asked Mia for your parents’ number and called them,” he replies, as if it’s the easiest thing in the world.

  “It’s good to see you, Katrina,” Mom says, and reaches across the table to squeeze my hand. “How are you?”

  “I’m great.”

  “Business is good?” Dad asks as he reads over the menu.

  “It’s great.”

  Dad glances up at me. “Are you okay?”

  “I’m shocked. I don’t remember the last time I saw you guys on my birthday. Oh, and I need to introduce you to Mac.”

  “We spoke on the phone,” Mac says with a smile, and nods at each of my parents. “It’s nice to meet you in person.”

  “Likewise,” Dad says. “So tell us what’s been going on with you. Did you know that the Egyptian exhibit of King Tut is coming through Portland next month, Kat? I know that ancient Egypt is a favorite subject of yours.”

  “No, I hadn’t heard,” I reply. “I’ll have to make sure I see it when it’s here. How long have you been in town?”

  “We flew in this morning,” Mom replies with a smile. “We’re just here for the weekend.”

  “Really? What else are you doing while you’re here?”

  “Nothing,” Dad says. “We came to Portland because it’s our daughter’s birthday.”

  I’m dumbfounded. My parents have never made a special trip up for my birthday. Then again, I’ve never asked them to.

  “So what is it that you do, Mac?” Mom asks after we’ve placed our orders and our drinks are delivered.

  “I own a wine-touring company,” Mac replies. “My brother and I started it about a year ago, after we’d sold another business.”

  “How many siblings do you have?” Mom asks.

  “Just Chase.”

  “I’m one of eight,” Dad says with a smile. “And Sue is one of seven. We both knew early on that we wanted to concentrate all of our efforts on just one child. And Kat was always a joy, but there are moments when I wish we’d given her a sibling.”

  “Really?” I ask with a frown. “I didn’t know that.”

  “Well, it wasn’t often,” Mom says. “You were rather efficient at keeping yourself occupied.”

  “I wasn’t bored,” I reply with a nod.

  We spend the rest of our lunch talking about politics, current affairs, and what my parents have been absorbed in for the past three years in the lab in L.A.

  “I’m so happy you came,” I say, meaning every word of it. “I forget how much I miss you until I get to see you.”

  “You should come to L.A., Kat,” Mom says. “You’re always welcome to come for a visit. I know we’re in and out of the lab at crazy hours, but I think you’d get a kick out of coming by. Some of the same staff from when you were a child are still there.”

  “That would be fun,” I reply softly. “Thank you for the invitation. I just don’t plan to ever get back on a plane.”

  “I don’t understand where this phobia came from,” Dad says with a frown.

  “Kat told me that you drove on all of your trips when she was growing up,” Mac says.

  “We did,” Dad replies. “It’s a great way to see the country.”

  “And it was less expensive,” Mom says with a smile. “I enjoyed those road trips.”

  “But it wasn’t because either of you has a phobia about flying?” Mac asks.

  “Not at all,” Dad says.

  “There was a plane wreck,” I say quietly.

  “When?” Mac asks.

  “We were driving from Portland up to Alaska for the northern lights stuff,” I reply, and twist my napkin in my hands. “It was a really long drive, but it was pretty.”

  “I think we decided after that trip that we wouldn’t drive that far again. It was too long,” Mom says, shaking her head.

  “And we joined a group of people one night to go out on this lake in a boat so we had a better view of the lights.”

  “I remember,” Dad says softly.

  “There was a plane that was flying overhead, and I think it was supposed to land on the lake.”

  “It was a seaplane,” Dad confirms.

  “It missed the water and ended up crashing into the mountain,” Mom adds. “Is that why you’ve been so afraid to fly all of these years?”

  “Well, yeah,” I reply as Mac rubs circles over my back. “A plane crashed right in front of me. Of course that would make me scared.”

  “I’m sorry, darling,” Dad says. “The probability of a plane crashing is minute.”

  “I know, Landon has given me all the statistics, but it scares me, and honestly, I’m not good at it. I took a flight not long ago, and that’s where I met Mac, actually.”

  “I was sitting next to her on the plane,” he adds with a smile. “She was a wreck. No pun intended.”

  “I was a crazy person,” I say, and shake my head. “I’m shocked that he didn’t run screaming in the other direction after that.”

  “You were scared,” Mac replies, and kisses my cheek.

  Mom is watching us with a wide smile while Dad watches with a thoughtful look on his handsome face.

  “Well,” Dad says at last, “there are still freeways down to L.A.”

  “Very true,” Mac says, and smiles down at me. “A road trip may be in our future.”

  “That was so unexpected,” I say hours later when we’re driving away from the restaurant and back toward Portland. What was supposed to be a simple lunch turned into hours of conversation and laughter with my parents. “Best birthday present ever. Thank you.”

  “That’s not all,” he says with a grin. “But you’re welcome.”

  “You don’t have to give me anything else. Seriously, that was amazing. I missed them.”

  “You know,” Mac says, and switches lanes, “I had an image in my head of your parents that wasn’t great. I assumed they were self-absorbed and neglected you. But it all makes sense now. They’re like Sheldon in The Big Bang Theory. They’re just so inside their heads, consumed with the academia of their lives, that they’re spacey when it comes to everything else.”

  “That’s actually a good way to put it,” I reply. “They definitely love me, and never mean to hurt me. They’re just consumed with their jobs.”

  “You look a lot like your mom,” Mac says with a smile. “Now I know what you’ll look like in thirty years.”

  “And?”

  “Not bad at all,” he says. He turns the radio back on and another Adele song begins to play and I sing along with the words. I’ve loved this song, “Hello,” since it came out. It’s beautiful and a little sad and hopeful, all at the same time.

  “This is a great song,” I say.

  “I wonder how it sounds live?” he asks.

  “Probably very similar to this,” I reply.

  “Hmm. Maybe we should find out for ourselves.”

  For the second time today, I pivot in my seat and stare at him. “What?”

  He grins. “That’s the last part of your present. We’re going to see Adele tonight in Portland.”

  “Holy shit!” I dance in my seat, then lean over and kiss his face about a dozen times. “How did you get tickets? I heard her tour was sold out months ago.”

  “I know people,” he says, and smiles. “And I’m glad you’re excited.”

  “Holy shit, so excited. Are we going now?”

  “I think so,” he says, checking the time. “We were with your parents much longer than I expected, so we might as well head that way. I have to get our tickets from Will Call anyway.”

  “Awesome.”

  “Are you curious to know where our seats are?”

  “It doesn’t matter.
You’re taking me to a sold-out Adele concert. I’ll sit in the lobby if I have to.”

  “You’re sweet,” Mac says.

  “I have moments,” I reply with a laugh. “But thanks.”

  Before long, we’ve parked in the parking garage and are walking to the Will Call office.

  “The garage is already almost full,” I say in surprise. “And there’s still an hour before the concert starts.”

  “It’s Adele,” he replies. “You have to get here early to get parking when the show is sold out.”

  “I guess so.”

  Getting the tickets from Will Call is smooth and easy, and before I know it, we’re seated just to the right of the stage, near the floor, with an excellent view of the entire stage and the monitor above it.

  “Holy fuck, Mac, these seats are insane. They must have cost you a fortune.”

  “It doesn’t matter,” he says with a grin. “The look on your face right now is worth much more than what these tickets cost.”

  “You say the darnedest things,” I reply, and lift my face to kiss him. “How long do we have?”

  “About thirty minutes,” he replies.

  “Okay, I’m going to run to the restroom now in case there’s a line. I don’t want to miss the show. It could take me a while.”

  “I’ll be here,” he replies, and stands to let me out of the row. When I get to the bathroom, there is indeed a long line.

  I’m at an Adele concert! I can’t freaking believe it. I have to text the girls.

  I pull my phone out of my handbag, pull up our group text, and begin to rapidly type as I stand in line.

  You guys! Mac had my parents fly in for my bday. We spent the afternoon with them. And you won’t even guess where we are now! We’re at the Ad

  Suddenly two men flank me on either side and grab my arms, pulling me out of line and making me drop my phone.

  “Hey! What the—”

  “It’s okay, we just need to chat with you for a minute,” the one on my right says as they pull me around a corner and cage me in.

  “Preston?” I ask in shock when I finally get a good look at the men.

  “Hi, Kat,” he says with a smile. “How’s it going?”