Sweet Rendezvous
Page 11
Another small knock on the door sent Elaine into a near rage. If this was how Mick was going to spend his time tonight, she’d bail on this whole thing.
“I told you already, Mick, to go downstairs,” she said as she pulled the door open to find Davis standing there, a perfectly fitted tuxedo on and a single red rose in his hand.
“Davis,” she choked out, a hand flying up to her heart. “What are you doing here? How did you—?”
“I’m glad to hear you’re sending men away from your hotel room door, but I hope to break the trend.” His smile was wide but nervous.
“Come in,” she said, yanking his sleeve. “Get in here.”
“I thought of something to say,” he offered, still standing stiffly by the door, but at least inside the room now. “I thought of about a thousand things to say actually, but I know you don’t have that kind of time.”
“I’ll make time,” she smiled, her eyes dampening. “I have things I need to say too. But you first.”
“OK.” He drew in a deep breath and closed his eyes for an extra beat. “I’m not sure where to start, but I just want you to know that I see things clearly now. You asked me to see this for what it is, and I can. I realize what is happening tonight. You aren’t going on a date with your ex. You are walking into a lion’s den to help someone who, on all accounts, wasn’t worthy of your help. You’re walking into a room full of people who laughed at you, or yelled at you, or intentionally tried to hurt you. Or, worse than that, a room full of people who pity you. I don’t know that I could do what you’re doing. It doesn’t make you weak, it makes you intensely strong. The reasons you’re here tonight are the reasons you were so easy to fall in love with.”
She felt the tears that had welled in her eyes spill over as he handed her the rose and touched her cheek gently. “Davis, I’m not even sure I can walk in there tonight,” she admitted. “I thought I could. But I have no idea what people are going to say, how they’ll react. I’m second-guessing myself.”
He took her hand and pulled her in close. “Whatever you want, I’ve got your back. You want me to stay out of it, then forget I rented this tux and go in there on your own. If you want me by your side, I’ll be your shadow all night. Or if you want to run out of here right now and go eat hot dogs off a street cart in these fancy clothes, we can do that too. Whatever you want.”
“Option B,” she smiled, raising up on her tiptoes to kiss him. “I don’t want to go down there and put on a show, pretend I’m happy. So the best thing I can do is show up with someone who actually makes me happy.”
“Does that ruin Mick’s plan?” Davis asked, looking only mildly concerned with that idea.
“He gets what he wants. Nothing can show them how little effect he had on me more than what a profound effect you have on me. I know if we walk in there together, I can do this.” She paused and stared him straight in the eyes, longing for something important. “You need to promise not to hit anyone.”
“Because it’s a fancy affair?” Davis asked, taking a step back and straightening his bow tie with sarcastic haughtiness.
“No, because the people around here have million dollar lawyers, and I’d prefer if you and I were heading back to Indigo Bay in the morning and not to your court hearing. I’m being serious. No matter what happens down there, don’t hit anyone.”
“I promise,” Davis assured her. “I won’t make things more complicated for you just because I want to bash a jerk’s face in.”
“And that means a lot to me,” she joked, slipping her arm in his and leaning on him. “Now don’t let me go until it’s time to leave there tonight.”
“How about I don’t let you go ever,” he asked, tightening his bicep and looking down at her lovingly.
“Deal.”
Chapter 22
It was about exactly as stuffy an event as Davis had imagined. The appetizers were small and the tablecloths were long. Perfume and cologne mingled together in a cloud he couldn’t seem to avoid, no matter where he stepped. Elaine started out tense, shaking as she pressed against him, but now seemed better.
Their arms weren’t locked together anymore because so many familiar faces wanted to offer her hugs and handshakes. It was all kind words and condolences that Elaine met with dismissal and laughter. “I don’t rattle easily,” she lied and waved their pity off. “I’m actually thrilled to be starting a new chapter of my life. Sometime you need something to bump you out of an old rut.”
Her attitude and smile were widely accepted and turned quickly to relief on the faces of her old coworkers and clients. Every chance she had, Davis was introduced as her boyfriend and the man who’d swept her away to a beach town and convinced her to stay.
“So you aren’t coming back to the industry? I know a CEO interested in meeting with you. I had hoped to work with you again.” The offers and disappointments all blurred together, there were so many.
“I’ll be in Indigo Bay,” she replied. “My toes in the sand and the sun on my face. I’ve got everything I need. I’m done with this wild pace. Life is too short.”
Everything seemed to be going her way as the hours ticked by and the event began to draw to a close.
“Lainie,” Mick called, and she placed her champagne down on a passing tray. “I was hoping to catch you.” His eyes landed on Davis, and shock spread across his face. “Oh, you’re here.”
“I am,” Davis replied flatly, but cleared his throat as a small group of people seemed to gather around to watch what might happen. “I wouldn’t miss a chance to escort a woman like Elaine to such a beautiful event.”
“Escort is the key word,” a shrill and unfamiliar voice chimed in. A tall redhead, who was too much collarbone and not enough curves, elbowed her way to them.
“Elizabeth,” Mick said in a scolding tone but Elaine jumped in.
“How are you, Elizabeth?” Elaine asked, coolly.
“This guy must be an escort. Look at him. Do those pants rip away when the music starts playing? How much did he cost you to put on this show?”
“What show?” Elaine asked, twisting her face up in annoyance.
“Coming here with this guy on your arm like everything is all right. You got fired. You don’t even belong here.”
“We’re raising money for the children’s hospital, Elizabeth,” she countered. “I think we can all put petty disagreements aside and rally behind the cause.”
Nicely played. She would not sink to Elizabeth’s level, and in the process make the girl look like more of a fool than she already had herself.
“Is there a problem here?” a voice, rattling with old age, asked. A hunchbacked woman in a gold sequined dress and shawl approached, looking stern.
“Mrs. Wilmington,” Elaine sang happily as she closed the gap between them and kissed the old woman on the cheek. “How are you?”
“I’m so glad you came, dear. I’m well. I wanted to call you, but I thought maybe you would like some space. I just got word that you joined us tonight, and I was anxious to come see you. Tell me now, dear, what is happening?”
“Nothing at all, Mrs. Wilmington. Davis and I were just getting ready to leave.”
“I wish you’d rethink that,” the old woman said, holding Elaine’s forearm for support. “I would like some of your time to discuss a few matters.”
“Of course,” Elaine agreed. “Shall we sit?”
“Why would anyone want your advice?” Elizabeth cackled. “The old coot must not have the internet. Maybe she’s the only one on earth who hasn’t seen what an idiot you are. This guy is someone she hired to pretend to be her date,” Elizabeth said loudly and slow as if the old woman needed the accommodation of both.
“Why is this girl yelling at me?” Mrs. Wilmington asked no one in particular, and the crowd chuckled. “Is it that she doesn’t know who I am, or she thinks I don’t know who she is? Because I certainly do know.”
“Excuse me?” Elizabeth gasped. “I’m just trying to warn you. Elaine he
re did less than reputable things to get ahead. If you are going to ask her business questions, you might want to reconsider. I took over her job, I’d be much more suitable.”
“The only thing you’re suitable for,” Mrs. Wilmington replied so coolly it sounded like the chorus of a song, “is following my dogs around, waiting to fill some plastic bags with their messes. Outside of that, I can’t think of a single use for you.”
Elaine, and nearly everyone else, broke out into a hearty laugh as Elizabeth’s freckles faded into her fully red face. “Some old rich hag isn’t going to stand here with this loser and tell me where I belong. Do you know who my father is?”
“I do.” Mrs. Wilmington laughed. “We’ve done business together for almost forty years. I was one of the first investors in his company. We have lunch once a month. If he heard you just called me an old hag, I’d bet my summer house in the mountains you’d be cut off faster than a dead fish on the line.”
“Daddy would never cut me off,” Elizabeth scoffed. “You’re senile.”
“Elaine dear,” Mrs. Wilmington said sweetly. “Can you get my phone out of my purse? I’d like to make a call and see which one of us is right.”
“I wouldn’t waste your time, Mrs. Wilmington,” Elaine said, patting the old woman’s hand. “Elizabeth is her own worst enemy. We don’t have to knock her down a few pegs; she’ll do that on her own soon enough.”
“Ladies,” Mick cut in like he’d been timing an entry point into a jump rope competition. “I know that things between us—”
“Nope,” Elaine said sharply. “There were no things between us,” she corrected, gesturing between the three of them. “There is nothing there to discuss. I’m going to chat with Mrs. Wilmington, if you will excuse me.”
“I’m going to put in a higher bid for your guy,” Elizabeth said, inching closer to Davis. “He won’t be here when you get back.”
With that Elaine felt a lava of anger rise, volcano style, from her toes to her face. “Back off,” she asserted, handing Mrs. Wilmington’s needed support over to Davis and closing in on Elizabeth. “You don’t have any idea what you’re talking about, and I’d appreciate it if you left.”
The crowd rumbled its agreement, and that seemed to set Elizabeth over the edge. Not being liked by the masses clearly did not sit well with her. “Make me,” she mouthed angrily.
“I’m not going to hit you,” Elaine sneered. “We aren’t children.”
“I’m going to take everything from you. What’s the name of that stupid town you ended up in? Indigo Bay? I’ll have my father flatten it, and turn it into a shopping strip. I’ll take him. I’ll take whatever you have left.”
“Hit her,” Mrs. Wilmington bit out, and Elaine couldn’t hold back her laughter. “Don’t laugh, whack her.”
“Mrs. Wilmington, I’m not going to—” The ice cold contents of a glass splashed across Elaine’s face and cut her words short. That shrew had just tossed a drink in her face. She blinked away the droplets and licked the champagne from her lips.
“I’m the bigger person here,” Elaine ground out and was met with a roll from Elizabeth’s cloudy gray eyes. “I mean I’m literally bigger than you,” she shouted, sweeping a leg out from under Elizabeth and sending her to the ground. She landed with a thud, her emerald green dress ripping at the seam, and her high heels flying off. “Get up and I will make you wish you hadn’t.”
A hardy round of applause broke out from the small group surrounding them, and Elaine positioned Mrs. Wilmington’s shaky arm back on hers. “Davis, would you like to join us while we chat?” Elaine asked so calmly Davis could hardly believe what he’d just seen.
“Sure,” he croaked out, lending his arm to Mrs. Wilmington’s other side and smiling warmly when she took it.
“You’re a better woman than I am,” Mrs. Wilmington offered. “I’d have at least stomped on her a few times while she was down there.”
Chapter 23
The waves were calm that morning, and Elaine could hear the gulls more clearly than usual.
“Not a bad place to wake up,” Davis said, handing her a mug of hot coffee. “It never gets old.”
“There is nothing like the sea,” she said, slipping her arm around his waist and breathing in the scent of the strong coffee and his familiar skin. “There is nothing like being here with you.”
“I was thinking we could do something together today,” he began, sipping on his coffee and making her wait for more details. “The cottage, it doesn’t look right just plain old white. Maybe we could go into town and pick a color we both like and give it a fresh coat.”
“That would be nice,” she said, nuzzling against him. “Do we have time for cobbler first?”
“There is always time for cobbler,” he assured her as the sun finally broke free of the horizon. “I was thinking after we paint the cottage we could have a party.”
“Sure,” she said, shrugging as he led her back up the dunes to the house. “Dinner?”
“I was thinking an engagement party,” he said, not turning around to see her expression. But she could tell the corners of his mouth had risen nearly to his ears. “You know, only if you say yes.” He turned suddenly and knelt, the motion sending her hands flying to her mouth in shock.
“Davis, are you serious?”
“Because of you, I’m serious. And I’m silly. And I’m tired, and I’ve got all the energy in the world. I’m everything, every minute of the day because I found you. It’s like you turned the switch on in my life.”
“Yes,” she said, reluctantly dropping her shaking hand down so he could slide the diamond ring on her finger. “I’ll marry you.”
“Then we better get cooking,” he said, pulling her into his arms, lifting her high, and spinning her around. “There are two things on the menu tonight,” he said, dropping her down and kissing her cheek softly.
“Mashed potatoes and cake?” she asked, her cheeks aching from her wide smile.
“And when people ask why, we’ll tell them it’s because that’s what we ate the night I fell in love with you,” Davis explained. “Even though it’s not the same night you fell in love with me.”
“If we want to show everyone the moment I fell in love with you,” she said, running her hands through his hair and looking deeply in his eyes, “we’ll have to go back to that curb you found me on. Because the second you told me everything was going to be all right, for the first time in a long time I believed it. I knew you wouldn’t stop until it was. And I knew I loved you right then and there.”
“So mashed potatoes and cake on the curb,” he announced as he pulled her in toward the house. “But that doesn’t sound New York City kind of fancy.”
“No,” she said, rolling her eyes. “It sounds perfect.”
The End
Indigo Bay
A multi-author sweet romance series
Sweet Dreams - Stacy Claflin
Sweet Matchmaker - Jean Oram
Sweet Sunrise - Kay Correll
Sweet Illusions - Jeanette Lewis
Sweet Regrets - Jennifer Peel
Sweet Rendezvous - Danielle Stewart
Books by Danielle Stewart
Piper Anderson Series:
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Fierce Love - Sweet
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