Little White Lies
Page 22
Everyone laughed and Madalyn turned to Mark. “Keep that in mind when you decide what movies to allow Madison to watch!”
Mrs. Spencer clasped her hands and smiled at Madalyn. “I love it! Madalyn was in love with Grease and Royce was in love with Saturday Night Fever. What is it about John Travolta movies?”
“I don’t know,” Royce chuckled. “But I’m in the mood for a little Grease action tonight. How about we open up the piano for a little singing? ”
• • •
Royce escorted Madalyn to her car and took the keys, insisting on driving them home to her condo. Madalyn sank back into the seat and reviewed the events of the evening in her head; it had been a complete success on all fronts.
Royce had sat by her side at the piano while she played everyone’s requests—one per person as was her family’s tradition. Craig’s request for “Movin’ on Up” from The Jeffersons was particularly entertaining. It was one of her father’s favorites and was an ingenious inference to the bakery’s pending success with the lunch menu. Royce had wisely heeded her advice and chose the theme song from Friends, “I’ll be There For You”. How her mother had beamed at his choice.
Even Mark had behaved after the dinner incident, and taken a real liking to the game, remarking that his daughter would have loved it if she had been able to join them, which of course led to another invitation for dinner in the near future on a weekend when Madison would be visiting with her father.
“We need to buy a piano for our apartment,” Royce said with his eyes trained on the road. “You play so well and it warms my heart listening to the feeling you impart on every note. We’ll need to carry on the tradition.”
Madalyn reached over and rubbed his thigh with her hand, smiling at his reference to a future with children. “You’re so sweet, baby. I would love a piano, but it’s a big investment. I’ve been saving up for a while so I can get exactly what I want.”
“Money’s not an issue,” he said emphatically. “Let’s go pick it out over the weekend.” He glanced at her for a second and smiled at her shocked face. “What? You’re forgetting I’m the CEO of a large corporation. There are definitely benefits that come along with that role, salary ranking near the top of the list!”
Madalyn laughed and shook her head. She wasn’t poor by any stretch of the imagination, but Royce lived in a different world, and it would take a little getting used to. He grabbed her hand off his thigh and pulled it to his lips for a kiss.
“Anything for you, baby,” he said.
Madalyn felt emboldened by his reference to children. She chewed on her lip for a second and then decided to go for it. If they were going to be married, then wasn’t it important to talk about their expectations?
“How many children do you want, Royce?”
A smile spread across his face but he kept his eyes on the road. “That depends.”
“On what?”
A low chuckle escaped. “On how long it takes to have one of each sex!”
“Well,” she said. “In that case, we better not wait too long to get started. You’re getting old!”
Royce braced his arms against the wheel and put the pedal to the metal. “Guess we need to get back to your place and try out that bed.”
Chapter Eighteen – The Proposal
Madalyn turned off her computer and slumped back in her chair. She couldn’t stand to look at the business risks section of the registration statement anymore. Besides, it was almost time to meet Royce in the lobby. He was taking her to Benvenuto Café for traditional Italian cuisine. When was the last time she had been there? She couldn’t recall. She packed up her bag, turned off her office light and walked down to Jerry’s office to say goodnight.
“Hey,” she said, pausing at his office door. “I just sent you the most recent edits on the business risks. I’m heading out now. Can we go over them in the morning?”
“I’d rather do it now,” he said, looking up from his work.
Madalyn chewed on her lower lip trying to decide how to phrase her next words.
“What?” he said with an irritated look.
Madalyn’s gaze shifted to the picture hanging on his wall. “Royce Spencer is on his way over to pick me up for dinner.”
“Things seems like they’re getting pretty serious between you two,” Jerry said, sitting back in his chair and giving her his full attention. “I’ve never seen a CEO as engaged in the process as Royce. I’m glad this IPO is progressing well. Go on. We’ll go over it in the morning.”
“Thanks,” she smiled and turned to leave. “Have a good evening.”
“And don’t screw it up,” Jerry yelled after her.
Madalyn smiled as she walked away. If Jerry only knew the true extent of their relationship! What was he going to say when she finally announced their engagement? She stepped into an elevator full of people wearing their Tigers gear and chatting excitedly. There must be another evening game. She had spent the Tuesday evening game together with Royce and his niece. Madison’s mother had graciously allowed Royce to pick Madison up during the week. She had been so excited to sit in the Tigers’ Den behind home plate, perfectly happy to eat hot dogs and popcorn all evening. She was a sweet girl.
The elevator jerked to a stop on the main floor, startling Madalyn from her daydream. When she reached the entrance of the Penobscot Building, she looked out onto the street for Royce’s silver Jaguar. Maybe she would get up the nerve to ask him to drive it. She was his secret fiancée after all. A black limousine waited at the curb and Royce stepped out the minute she appeared, walking over to meet her at the door.
“Hello, beautiful!” He leaned down to give her a chaste kiss. “Love the dress.”
“Thank you!” she said and smoothed the flared skirt of the gray dress. She loved the wide-open neckline, tight bodice and thin black belt that accentuated her waist. It transitioned well from day wear to evening wear with a quick change of shoes and make-up.
“What’s it with you and limousines?” she asked.
He shrugged his shoulders and grinned. “Can’t a guy try to impress his woman?”
“You don’t need a limousine to be impressive, baby,” she said raking her eyes appreciatively over him. His dark suit hung smartly on his broad shoulders and then tapered down to his narrow waist. She spread her hands across his chest to feel the contours of his muscles underneath and then leaned in for sensuous kiss. “You’ve got that nailed.”
He wrapped his arm around her and escorted her to the limo. They sat snuggled in the back seat as the driver pulled out into the heavy traffic, made worse by the evening baseball game.
“How was your day?” he asked, holding her hand and rubbing it with his thumb.
“Mentally draining,” she said. “I’ll be glad when the IPO is over. Jerry isn’t going to have any nails left if it continues this way too much longer. He keeps waiting for the gauntlet to drop, worrying you’ll dump me before we’ve been paid.” She gave him a broad smile.
His chest rumbled with his laugh. “I’ll be happy when it’s over too,” he said. “But for entirely different reasons.”
“Oh, and what reason would that be?”
“Well,” Royce said, bringing her hand to his lips. “I was hoping we could start planning our wedding as soon as the IPO is completed. What would you say to a small gathering of friends and family at Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas?”
Madalyn giggled and snuggled her head on his shoulder, breathing in his scandalous scent. Every time she smelled it, she was reminded of the first evening he wore it on the cruise.
“Sounds great to me, if you can convince my parents to close shop for a couple of days. I’d want them there but they rarely leave town because of the bakery.”
“Of course, baby,” he said. “I can be very persuasive when I want to be.” He leaned down and brushed his lips softly against hers.
“Don’t I know it?”
It was a short drive from her office to the Eastern Market distri
ct. They entered the restaurant and were greeted warmly by an older gentleman with black hair, lightly streaked with gray.
“Royce,” he said, “it’s always good to see you. Please, allow me to take you to your table.”
“Antonio,” he said, shaking his hand and turning to Madalyn. “This is my fiancée, Madalyn.” She blushed at the introduction and reached up to feel the ring still hidden on the chain under her dress.
Antonio gave her a warm smile. “It’s a pleasure to meet you. Welcome and please enjoy your meal. Let me know if there is anything I can do for you,” he said, gesturing for her to follow him into the restaurant. He led them to a secluded corner with an intimate table set for two. “Salvatore will take care of you this evening.” Their waiter arrived promptly with a basket of crusty Italian bread, and waited patiently for Royce to select a bottle of wine from the list.
“We’ll take the Chianti Barmosia,” Royce said.
“Very good, sir,” Salvatore replied and gave a curt bow.
Madalyn took her time studying the menu. It had been a long time since she had eaten at Benvenuto Café.
“I thought you might enjoy the baked lasagna,” Royce said while he scanned the menu.
She caught his smirk and knew he was making reference to the wedding proposal she had concocted during their cruise. Damn it all! He had ruined it for her. She did want the lasagna, but now that would seem kitsch.
“Well, you were wrong,” she said, snapping her menu shut. “I’m going to try the Chicken Scaloppini Marsala. What are you going to have?”
His green eyes sparkled at her and he tried to temper his smile by pursing his lips. “I’m having baked lasagna. I’ll even share a bite or two with you if you’re a good girl.”
“I’m always a good girl,” she said with her eyes wide and innocent.
He leaned into the table and the sparkle in his eyes transformed into hot sparks. “I beg to differ.” His voice was hoarse with raw desire. She knew that look well. Her belly tingled as she recalled the naughty things she’d done to him just the evening before.
Salvatore returned with their wine and allowed Royce a taste to approve it before pouring it. Royce nodded his head and took the liberty of ordering dinner for both of them, including the house salad and cherry cheesecake for dessert.
“Very well,” Salvatore said and returned almost immediately with their house salads. “The rest shouldn’t be long.”
Madalyn took a bite of salad and smiled at Royce. “How did you know I love cheesecake?”
“I hold the key to your heart, baby,” he said.
She cocked her brow, “Do you now?”
“Fine, I asked your sister,” he admitted. “I wanted to make this a special dinner.”
“You’re sweet, Royce,” she said, taking his hand. “How was your day today? Tell me about it.”
“Busy,” he said. “I never get anything done on my calendar. Things pop up at the last minute all the time. I keep telling my secretary to block a few hours every day so I can get shit done, but she claims everything is urgent.”
“A day in the life of a successful CEO,” Madalyn said, smirking over at him. “I’m sure you’ll get through it all. Is there anything more related to the IPO I can do for you? I’m sure Jerry would jump at the chance to send you another large invoice.”
Royce laughed and pulled his chair around the table to be situated closer to her. “I’m sure he would. No, I’ll deal with it. But stop by tomorrow afternoon around three o’clock. We have a meeting with the FDA agent to go over the results of the latest clinical trial. I want to go celebrate afterwards.”
Royce explained how their new drug worked to counteract delusional disorder and why it was superior to the other drugs currently offered on the market. His passion for discovering a cure to the illness, which had ultimately led to his father’s tragic death, was evident in his body language and tone of voice. Madalyn marveled at his confidence in all things and gave his hand an encouraging squeeze. She was fascinated by the clinical drug trial process and shocked at the cost to bring a single drug to market. It was no wonder why patents were issued for a long period of time.
“That’s fascinating,” she said. “Of course I’ll be there.”
When Salvatore returned with their meals, Madalyn gazed at the mound of lasagna with envy. Royce chuckled at her squeal of delight when the waiter placed it in front of her while Royce accepted the Marsala dish instead. They ate their meals and talked about the Tigers’ chances of winning the World Series. Madison was going to flip out when she learned Royce had season tickets.
“Are you ready for that dessert?” Royce asked as he pushed away his dinner plate.
Madalyn sat back in her chair and placed her hand on her stomach. “Getting dessert was a bad idea. You’re going to have to cut me out of this dress.”
Royce smiled wickedly at her. “I can get on board with that, but it’s too late. I already ordered, so you’re just going to have to make some room.”
“Can’t we just get it in a box to go?” Madalyn asked.
“No,” he said. “You may be full, but I still have some room.”
Royce gazed over her shoulder and a brilliant smile spread across his face. She turned to see Antonio approaching their table with dessert. The plate in his hand contained a single slice of cheesecake with cherry sauce drizzled over the top and artfully along the side of the plate for dipping.
Royce turned to Madalyn, “I hope you like it, baby.”
Madalyn watched as Antonio set the dessert plate directly in front of Royce then stepped aside. Hey, what happened to ladies first? Salvatore appeared from behind Antonio and placed a plate down in front of her. Tears pooled in her eyes and she threw her hand over her mouth to catch her gasp.
“How?”
It was the only word she could manage. She stared at a beautifully crafted cake—an exact replica of the design she had described on their cruise as part of the marriage proposal—only better than she had imagined it. The small square cake was cut thin to mimic a pasture with tall green grass and patches of miniature wild flowers in pink and lavender. A darling creek ran across a corner of the cake. In the center stood a wishing well made of fondant; the round base of the well resembled large gray stones stacked five layers deep with two square wooden pillars on either side supporting a grass thatched roof. A tiny wooden bucket hung from the center of the well, and in it was her engagement ring. She already knew what the black script on the outside of the well would say. How could this be? Pulling the necklace out from under her dress, she looked to Royce in confusion.
He reached into the bucket and knelt before her with the exquisite Marquise diamond in hand. “Madalyn, I don’t know why fortune smiled down on me and sent you in my path, but I’m eternally grateful. Say you’ll make all my wishes come true and marry me?”
Tears streamed freely down her face. The restaurant was oddly quiet, waiting in tense anticipation for her response. She could only nod and throw her arms around his neck, burying her face into his chest. He stood up and took her with him, swinging her around while everyone cheered.
“I love you!” she cried out, lifting her eyes to his. “How in the world did you arrange this?”
“I had an accomplice,” he smiled and gestured behind her.
Madalyn leaned back in his arms with an arched brow. Royce set her down and turned her around by the shoulders. There at a nearby table stood her mother, father and sister, all grinning from ear to ear. Madalyn burst out laughing, wiping the streaks of tears from her face. Of course! A life of growing up in a bakery had inspired her proposal story. It was only fitting that her family should be the ones who brought her creation to life.
Royce smiled gently down at her. “Was the proposal romantic enough this time?”
“It rocked my world!” she said. “However did you come up with such a sweet proposal?” She grabbed his hand and walked towards her family. “Let’s go say hello to the accomplices.”
“With a lot of love, honey,” he said with sparkling eyes. “It was the most creatively satisfying cake we’ve ever made. We wanted it to be perfect! You may not have inherited the baking gene, but you have the artist’s gene. Your design is magnificent.”
“And the flavor of the cake?” she asked her mother, giving her a hug and kissing her cheek.
“You don’t need to ask, do you? It’s your favorite. Red velvet.”
“Jeanine,” Madalyn said. “I would recognize your fondant work anywhere. The wishing well is adorable and so much better than I had envisioned it myself. But how did you get the ring?”
Jeanine laughed and lifted their mother’s left hand. “I swapped your ring for Mom’s early this morning in your bathroom. Thank goodness you don’t sleep with your jewelry on. I was betting on the fact that you wouldn’t look at the ring.”
“You got lucky!” Madalyn said, poking her sister in the arm and taking her necklace off to return her mother’s ring. “I look at my ring constantly. But I was running late this morning. My alarm clock was set to the wrong time so I was in a rush.”
Jeanine raised her brow and smiled.
“You orchestrated that too?” Madalyn asked wide-eyed.
“Guilty as charged!”
“Well thank you for being such a sneak! Tonight will go down as one of the best nights of my life. I only wish Katie could have been here,” Madalyn said.
Royce wrapped his arms around her from behind and leaned in to kiss her head. “That’s why I arranged to have the wait staff video tape it.”
Madalyn turned her head to capture his lips for a soft, lingering kiss. “Are you always so efficient?”