“What do you do for a living?”
“I’m a commercial real estate broker.”
I could picture that. “Where do you work?”
“Graham and Company. Would you like references?”
His tone was teasing, but I thought it was a good idea. “Yes.”
“Are you serious?”
“Very.”
“You may have thought about that before you gave me your address.”
“True, but you have my references, so it’s only fair. We are going to be parents together.”
“Moving a little fast there, are we? You American women.”
My face turned every shade of red. “I meant … I’m not that kind of woman. I was talking about our dogs.”
He laughed at me. “Ah, yes. How many references do you want?”
“Three.”
“Anything else, love?”
I had a list of things I would like from him. “That will do for now.”
“Brilliant. They’ll be in your inbox within the hour.”
I felt like I had already taught my class by the time I got off the phone with him. He was a good cardio workout. I knew I shouldn’t, but I liked flirting with him. It could, and would, never go beyond that, but it was good for the soul.
I was practically giddy while I taught my class, which for kick-boxing really didn’t work. Punching and kicking really requires more of a serious attitude. I even lost track of my routine a time or two. Thankfully, I could do the routines in my sleep and I got right back on track. I was anxious to get his email. Total girl, I know, but really he was something to behold . . . and his voice. Smooth as silk and as sinful as butter.
Jillian called as soon as class was over so I couldn’t check my email right away.
“I can’t believe you asked him to send you references.”
“How do you know that?”
“His friend, who’s my patient, was in for his appointment when he received a call from your guy. He asked him to write up a character reference for him. My patient was laughing so hard. I can’t believe you. What brought this on?”
“First of all, he isn’t my guy.”
“Uh-huh.”
I ignored her. “And you won’t believe this, but Toby totally knocked up his dog.”
“What?” she spat through her laughter.
“It’s not funny. Do you know how much it costs for a dog to have puppies?”
“Oh, honey. Does he want you to pay for it?”
“He’s being really decent about it. He’s letting me watch his dog while he goes home to London for the holidays.”
“That’s nice of him. So why do you need his references?”
“Because he asked me to a hockey game and dinner to discuss his dog, Sasha.”
“Please tell me you said yes.”
“I can’t. I have to work. I still don’t know how I’m going to pay for Noah’s Christmas gift yet.”
“I’ll loan you the money.”
“That’s sweet of you, but no. I don’t want to go down that road.”
“Call, it’s okay to take help, you know?”
I had to hold back the tears. “I know, but my life wasn’t supposed to turn out this way. I didn’t think money was ever going to be an issue. But I can do this.”
“Let me know if you change your mind. I still don’t understand why you need his references.”
“I suggested that he take Noah instead.”
“And he agreed?”
“Yep.”
“Wow. He must really want to make an impression on you.”
“I don’t think so.”
“Wake up, girl. The man is talking to his friends about you and jumping through some pretty strange hoops.”
“Well, he’s a virtual stranger. I didn’t want to send my brother off with a criminal.”
She laughed. “All I know is my patient seems to think he is pretty taken with you. And you have to admit, he’s really going all out.”
“Jilly, guys like him don’t end up with women like me.”
“Don’t sell yourself short, Call.”
I was trying to keep my expectations realistic, and my heart safe. I couldn’t handle another Phil. I had thought he might be the one and then, poof, all of a sudden I wasn’t good enough for him or his CEO lifestyle. Mr. Beckett would be the same way. Sure, he was all warm and fuzzy now, but our first meeting proved he wanted a woman with credentials, not a former songstress turned personal trainer who bartended.
Chapter Seven
I rushed home from the gym to change. I wanted Mr. Beckett to see that I owned something besides cutoffs and workout clothes. I figured I could try to impress him since his coworkers and boss had done their best to win me over on his behalf. I was still laughing about the references.
Dear Ms. E. Call,
I have been associated with Mr. Charles Beckett for no less than ten years. In which time we spent two years at Duke as roommates. Please don’t hold our choice of university against us. Some of us must attend those kind of schools to make up for other character defects. Not that the aforementioned has any. He might have left his underwear on the floor from time to time, but the good news is that he never wore dirty underwear.
Upon graduation, we joined Graham and Company, where not only has he been a model employee, but a world class friend and adored godfather to my daughter. He’s loyal, trustworthy, and punctual. You probably guessed the last one.
If you would like more information, please feel free to contact me.
Sincerely,
Christopher McKay
The other two were similar. They didn’t talk about his underwear, but they all made me laugh. He must have really good friends and business associates. It put my mind at ease and, unfortunately, made me want to get to know him more.
I changed into a collared, tie-up shirt and some tight blue jeans. I wore my signature leopard print shoes and a black choker necklace to tie it all together. I could see the excitement in my azure eyes when I applied mascara to my long eyelashes. He was going to be my undoing.
I hollered at Noah to put something decent on and brush his teeth. He hated those reminders, but I wanted him to put his best foot forward tonight. He was a little weirded out about going with a stranger, but I could tell he was looking forward to it. We hadn’t been able to do many of those types of things over the last few years. Medical bills sucked all of Momma’s savings and Daddy’s life insurance dry. We sold Momma’s car to pay for the funeral. At least the house was paid off, and in my name. There were still plenty of expenses that came with home ownership. I tried not to think about it. At least for a few minutes.
While Noah got ready, I tried to calm myself. I sat at the piano in the living room and practiced one of the numbers I would be playing tonight, “Let it Be” by The Beatles. So, maybe my new friend had inspired me. In the middle of the third, and last, verse, the doorbell rang. I let Noah answer it. I had to finish the song. I was so close and I hated leaving things undone.
I was surprised our guest made his way back by himself. I made the mistake of looking up at him from the piano when I was playing. The way he leaned against the wall, in jeans that showed off the best body I had ever seen, was my undoing. I barely got the last line out. It was breathy at best.
He didn’t smile, but he cocked his head. “It figures you play the piano.”
“What does that mean?”
“It means history is destined to repeat itself.”
“I’m not following you.”
He grinned. “I’m sure you are not.”
I pushed back and stood up.
“You’re good. Brilliant, in fact.” His smile said he was telling the truth.
“Thanks. That wasn’t my best.” Did that sound conceited?
He arched his eyebrow while perusing me. His eyes gleamed.
Did he like what he saw?
“I’m sorry you can’t join us tonight.”
“Thank you for ta
king Noah, and for the references. And I guess for wearing clean underwear.”
He walked my way and laughed. “I will have to thank Christopher for that later.”
“You have good friends.” My pulse began to quicken the closer he got.
He landed right in front of me. He pulled on one of my curls. “Have you decided what I will go by yet?”
I bit my lip. “Um, I’m still working on it, Mr. Beckett.”
“That’s a bit too formal, considering we will be co-parents.”
“I’m pretty sure in every British regency novel I’ve ever read the mother calls the father Mr. So-and-So.”
“Please don’t tell me you fancy a Mr. Darcy for yourself.”
“Not at all, Mr. Beckett. I’m more of a Captain Wentworth fan.”
“You like a navy man, do you?”
“I do like a man in uniform, but mostly I like a man that can pen a good love letter.”
“Is that so?”
I nodded and realized the time. I sighed regretfully. “I better get going or I’ll be late. And I would hate for you to think poorly of me.”
He flashed his dazzling smile at me. “I should have your brother home by eleven.”
“Great. I don’t get home until one.”
“In the morning?”
“I’m lucky this place closes at midnight on the weekdays. Most bars stay open until two, no matter the day.” Bangers was a little more “family” friendly and focused more on the music.
“What time does your other job start?”
“Seven.”
“When do you sleep?”
“What’s that?” I teased, sort of.
His expression was pensive.
“Don’t worry. I’ll make sure Sasha is well taken care of. I’m good at juggling.”
“I’m sure you are. Can I give you a ring tomorrow?”
I raised my eyebrow. “If you mean call me on the phone, then yes.”
He had the sexiest smile ever. “How about I call you to see what time we can meet for lunch?”
I paused and stared into his beautiful eyes.
“I would like to discuss Sasha’s schedule with you and what her veterinarian has said. I can meet you at your place of employment.”
That shook me out of my stupor. I was his dog’s babysitter, that was all. “Um, sure. I have a break at noon.”
“Brilliant. I’ll ring you tomorrow about what I should bring to eat.”
“That’s okay. I usually make my lunch.”
“Not tomorrow.”
I ran my fingers through my hair and smiled. “You win. I really need to go.”
“You look cracking, by the way.”
“Cracking?” That sounded terrible.
“I forget you American’s don’t speak properly. It means stunning.”
“I wish I had time to argue with you.”
“Me, as well.”
I ran out of there as fast as I could, only yelling my goodbyes and instructions for Noah to text me when he got home. If I didn’t leave then, I was going to do something I regretted, like kissing his face off, whether he wanted me to or not. He needed to quit talking to me like he liked me, or maybe he could ditch the accent. It wasn’t fair.
I did pause to snap a picture of his license plate on his fancy sports car with my phone. I felt like nothing was amiss with him, but it never hurt to be cautious. And maybe I couldn’t resist arguing with him. I shot him a quick text.
Did you know that the American accent is the original English accent? So, technically, it’s you who doesn’t speak properly.
I drove off as soon as I hit send. Let him chew on that.
I heard my phone ding a couple of times on my drive over. I had never been so tempted to text and drive, but since I valued my life, I decided against it. I couldn’t wait to see what Mr. Beckett had to say. All the way to work, he ran through my mind. Never had any man enveloped my senses like him. I had never bought into animal magnetism, but he was making me a believer. I wanted to run my fingers through his thick dark hair and across his bearded face. Even more, I wanted to kiss his lips and breathe in his citrus scent. I wouldn’t, though, and he wouldn’t want to be a willing participant, anyway. You aren’t supposed to make contact with your fantasies; they ruin you. And Mr. Beckett had destruction written all over his pretty face, body, accent, lips . . . you get the picture.
I pulled into the almost empty parking lot of Bangers with a few moments to spare. I grabbed my phone before I even turned off the truck. So I was a little anxious—or a lot. I had two texts from Mr. I’ll-ruin-you-for-all-men. That was the perfect name for him.
Love, I think you have lost the plot with this one.
Rubbish is all I can say.
I smiled to myself as I read both of his messages. He needed to quit calling me love. I get that it meant nothing, but he had no idea how much it turned me on. But no matter, I still needed to deflate his ego.
Google rhotic pronunciation. You will see that it’s your people that got lazy and dropped their R’s well after my people colonized America.
Maybe I wasn’t college educated, but I knew a thing or two. Or I had been obsessed once with an American show about a British soldier from the 1700’s and there was a huge controversy over his accent and I had read several linguists’ posts about it.
Please don’t text and drive with my brother in the car. Or ever.
I had to throw that in there. Maybe I should have waited to text him. Or hopefully they were already at the restaurant. I blew out a big disappointed breath. If only I could have gone tonight. It was probably a good thing I couldn’t. I wasn’t completely sure I could control myself around him. He was mind numbingly handsome.
Worried about me? He texted back.
No. Yes. I mean, I would hate to think of his pretty face being mangled up from a car accident, and my brother’s safety was my top priority, of course.
That’s disappointing, but don’t worry, I follow all rules of traffic. I will also be speaking to my linguist mate over the holidays about your ridiculous claim.
I bit my lip and smiled to myself. He was disappointed I wasn’t worried about him. Huh. It meant nothing. Besides, he had linguist friends. Who personally knows a linguist? People that go to Oxford and Duke, that’s who.
I can’t wait to prove you wrong. Have fun tonight. And thanks again for taking Noah. I texted back.
You are most welcome. I look forward to your retraction.
He spoke so elegantly, even in text. I could hear his luscious voice in my head. I threw my phone in my bag and tried my best to not think about him. It was a futile exercise. Mr. Beckett had consumed me.
Chapter Eight
I felt like I was going to vomit, but the good way. Maybe not so good, since we were meeting for lunch. He was bringing my favorite—Pablo’s. He had asked his friend Christopher, who was Jillian’s patient, to ask Jillian what I liked. I was flattered, but perplexed why he was going to all the trouble. Maybe he really loved his dog, or maybe, just maybe, he . . . I couldn’t entertain the thought. Though I had danced around it in my head. Who was I kidding? I was throwing a fiesta in my brain hoping it was true, then yelling at myself to shut the party down. I would not fall victim to another Phil.
He didn’t seem like Phil, though. Noah was raving about him before he left for school. It was the most animated I had ever seen him. First off, he took Noah to his favorite burger place and let him order two chocolate milkshakes, and he bought him a Predator’s jersey at the game. Noah was proudly sporting it this morning. I wasn’t sure how to feel about it other than uncomfortable, but Noah was so happy, I didn’t tell him he shouldn’t have accepted the gift.
Don’t even get me going about how giddy Jillian was. She was like rainbow-chip-frosting happy, or Cole Pendleton delirious. I knew she wouldn’t own her desire for the country superstar, but whatever happened on that plane with him over the summer affected her beyond what she was letting on. But as for Mr. Beckett
and me, she was already picking out the outfit I would wear on our first date. The date that was obviously never happening. I wondered how he was going to take my sweaty, hot-mess look when he met me for lunch.
I wished I would have more time to freshen up beyond throwing on another layer of deodorant and wiping off as much sweat as possible after my Zumba class. But what did it matter? I was going to watch his dog. The dog that got me into this mess in the first place. Darn her and Toby. I was praying that she would have a normal delivery and one puppy. I knew the one puppy thing was unrealistic, but who was going to want the mixed breed puppies? And I certainly couldn’t afford another dog. I had looked up how much veterinarian bills could be when they had to deliver the puppies. I needed a paper bag to hyperventilate into. Toby’s one-night stand could force me into selling our home if this didn’t go well.
Jillian texted me while I was connecting my iPhone to the sound system so I could run my playlist.
Call me as soon as he leaves. I want all the details.
I smiled and shook my head. There won’t be any details, my dear Jillian.
Liar.
I didn’t respond. I would burst her bubble later.
Several ladies starting filing in. I was beginning to recognize some of them, and I inwardly grinned. I was starting to get regulars. That was a positive sign. Now if only I could get more of those as personal training clients.
I cranked up the music and did my best not to think of the sexy Englishman, but the thing about Zumba music is it is meant to be sensual, and let’s just say my mind wandered a time or two, or maybe a dozen times. I would normally give myself props for such an amazing imagination, but it wasn’t helping my situation. I think I was more heated from my thoughts than the high energy workout. I could only imagine that his real life kisses would set me on fire. You could just tell by looking at someone that they’d be a great kisser, and he had world class written all over his pretty face.
We were in the middle of our cooldown when the intercom system went off. “Call, you have a visitor at the front desk.”
Ugh. He was early. I should have guessed—Mr. Promptness. I told him I would come out and meet him. He didn’t need to ask for me. Now everyone was going to ask me about him. I bet the women at the front desk were drooling at that very moment. I was practically salivating just thinking about him.
Beck and Call (Pianos and Promises #2) Page 4