by E. L. Todd
He didn’t seem surprised. It was like he already knew that. “Is she still seeing that guy?”
“Cameron? They broke up at the end of the semester. They’re still friends.”
He nodded and gripped the handle of his beer.
“She’s been scouting a place to open her bakery and just landed a spot. Tomorrow she’s going to sign the papers for the lease but the renovations are going to cost a fortune. She asked me to co-sign the loan. Her business model looks great but I’m still thinking about it. Without me she has no one else so I’ll probably do it regardless, but it’s still a little frightening. If her place goes under I’ll be in debt for a long time.” Francesca succeeded at anything she put her mind to so there was a good chance the bakery would thrive. But there was always that possibility that it wouldn’t.
Hawke’s eyes narrowed on my face. “You have to co-sign?”
“Yeah. I guess her credit hasn’t been built up enough.”
He crossed his arms over his chest, his thoughts closed off.
“I’m sure it’ll be fine but…you never know.”
“Her business will flourish. Anything Francesca touches comes to life. I don’t have a single doubt that it will succeed.”
I wish I had that kind of faith.
He opened his satchel and pulled out a checkbook. “I want you to do something for me.”
I eyed the checkbook with a raised eyebrow. “I’m not sure where this is going but I don’t like it.”
“I’ve made a lot of money this year—not to brag about it. And I want to help her.”
“Please tell me this is a joke.”
He clicked his pen and held it to the paper. “It’s not. How much is it?”
“Hawke, you could lose everything.”
“I won’t. I know she’ll do great.”
“But you can’t know that.”
“I just do, man. We’ve got to make this happen for her. This is what she’s meant to do.”
I rubbed the back of my neck. “Even if I accepted your money how would this work? I can’t tell her where I got the money from and she knows I don’t have huge lumps of cash laying around.”
“This is what we’re going to do. You’re going to tell her you got a personal loan from the bank. She doesn’t need to know it’s from me. And since it’s under your name, she needs to give you the money to pay it back. Then you give the money to me every month. If her business goes under, which it won’t, she won’t lose anything and neither will you. I’ll take the hit.”
Was he crazy? “We aren’t doing this.”
“We are.”
“Even if her business is successful, it could take her twenty years to fully pay you back.”
“And that’s fine.”
“It’s a terrible investment on your part.”
“I’m not investing for capital gain. I’m investing in her.”
This was making even less sense. “Let me get this straight. You’re willing to give Francesca hundreds of thousands of dollars to start her business even though she could fail and lose all your money, but you still don’t want to be with her? Am I the only one who thinks that’s the craziest shit I’ve ever heard?”
“Axel, drop it.”
“No. I seriously don’t get it.”
“Then stop trying.” He ripped the check out of the folder and slid it across the table. “Make it happen.”
I stared at the check sitting on the table. “Once I hand this over I can never get it back. Do you understand that?”
“I do.”
“If you ever need the money for an emergency, it’s gone.”
“I understand that as well. I would much rather see her use it than let it sit in my bank account.”
I shook my head before I grabbed the check. “This is crazy…”
He shrugged. “I don’t think it’s that crazy.”
“Because you are crazy.”
***
I knocked on the door and came face-to-face with Francesca.
“You’re still in the city?” She wore her pajamas with her hair in a messy bun.
“Yeah, I was meeting with a banker I know. I figured out a way to get you a loan without having to cosign it. The interest is a lot lower too.”
“That’s great,” she said. “I guess I should have asked you to do that to begin with.”
“But the loan has to be under my name. You’ll give me the payment every month and I’ll take care of it.” This was the tricky part. Francesca may not go for it.
“But then you would totally be responsible if something bad happened…”
“I’m not worried about it. I know your business will succeed, and I’m making good money at my new job. It’s not a big deal.”
“Axel, it’s not fair for you to take any kind of risk if you aren’t making anything out of it.”
“I wouldn’t offer unless I was okay with this. So, please accept the offer.”
She crossed her arms over her chest.
“Frankie, come on. It’s the best interest rate and there’s no co-sign nonsense. I really think this is the best way to go.”
She still wasn’t on board. She sucked her inner cheek.
“Well, I’ve already filed for the loan so it’s done. You may as well just accept it.”
“Axel…”
“It’s not a big deal. I know your bakery is going to be awesome. Honestly, I’m not risking anything.” These were Hawke’s words, not mine. But I had to say them otherwise my actions wouldn’t make any sense.
“Axel…that’s so sweet. I don’t even know what to say.”
“You don’t need to say anything. Let’s just get that leased signed tomorrow so we can transform that place into the coolest bakery in all of Manhattan.”
Her eyes flooded with tears and she fanned them to dissipate the moisture.
“Please don’t cry.” I rolled my eyes. “I really don’t want to listen to it.”
“Then let me hug you.” She walked into my chest and hugged me tightly. “Thank you so much, Axel. No matter what happens I always feel you looking out for me.”
I patted her back and stared into her apartment. Marie came into view, wearing leggings and a baggy sweater. Her hair was pulled back and her face was free of make up. Even when she was dressed down she looked beautiful. I thought about Hawke’s advice. He said I should try to win her back with everything I had. When I looked at her like this, that’s all I wanted to do.
Because I couldn’t picture my life without her for one more day.
Date Night
Marie
I just closed down my office when Hawke called me.
How did he get my number?
He never called me before.
I turned in my chair until I was facing the floor-to-ceiling window. “What do you want this time?”
He chuckled into the phone. “It’s nice to talk to you too.”
“Francesca is fine. She’s just working on her bakery. Nothing to report.”
“Actually, there’s something I want to talk about on that front. Can you meet?”
“Can’t we just keep talking on the phone?” These heels were killing me and I was desperate to get them off. They may be beautiful and expensive, but they would claim my life eventually.
“No. This needs to happen in person. Can you meet me at that Italian Place on Twelfth and Broadway?”
I’d never been there before but I knew it was fancy. “Is it really that important?”
“Trust me. You’ll want to hear what I have to say. I’ll see you in thirty minutes.” He hung up before I could get another word in.
He obviously knew Francesca had been living in the city for a while, and he knew she and I were living together. That guy had a way of keeping tabs on her without revealing his presence whatsoever. Maybe Hawke could leave the investment field and join the CIA.
***
I found his table near the window and took a seat. He was already there, wearing a suit
and tie like he just got off work.
“It’s nice to see you,” he said politely. “You look beautiful, as always.”
I sat down and placed my clutch on the surface. “You’re such a suck up.”
“I’m not the ass-kissing type. Well…I am. But in a different way.” He winked at me.
“Ew.”
“Let’s get you a drink.” He waved the waiter over and ordered a bottle of wine for the table.
“Is this a date?” I blurted, not understanding the candlelight, the wine, or the compliments.
“If you want it to be.”
I didn’t like this version of Hawke. He was strange. “What did you want to talk about?”
He glanced at the entryway then turned back to me. “First of all, how are you?”
“How am I?” I asked incredulously.
“Yeah.”
“I’ve been better. I wish I was at home taking a hot shower.” Instead of sitting here listening to you.
He nodded. “Yeah, I’ve had a hectic day myself. I started my own investment company and that’s been pretty stressful. But I enjoy it, for the most part.”
“Great, but I didn’t ask.”
Hawke hid any offense he felt. He talked me into coming here but he didn’t seem to care about my opinion about anything. It didn’t make any sense. “You still like working for Prada?”
“It’s only been the first month. I would hope so.”
He glanced at the entryway again.
“Are you waiting for someone?”
“No…just scoping the place out.”
“Can we cut the shit and get to the point?” I asked. “Is there something you need to tell me about Francesca?” Hopefully, he wanted to get back together with her. But since so much time had passed I found that unlikely.
“Yes…Francesca.” He nodded his head slowly. “There is something I want to talk about.” His eyes darted to the entrance.
Hawke was the strong and silent type. It wasn’t like him to talk so much and let his eyes wander at the same time. He was usually intense to the point of discomfort. “What are you playing at?”
Someone approached our table and stopped right next to me.
“Wow,” Hawke said. “What a coincidence.” He rose from his feet but left the chair out.
Axel stood there, looking just as confused as I was.
“Take a seat.” Hawke grabbed him by the arm and forced him in the chair. “Well, I’ve got to run. Wall Street never sleeps. But how about you guys have dinner since the tab is already running?” He gave us a thumbs up before he walked off.
He totally tricked me into that.
Axel watched him go, the irritation in his eyes. “I swear, I had nothing to do with this.” He wore a dark blue suit with a light blue tie. It looked perfect on him, fitting his broad shoulders and thin waist perfectly.
“I know.” If Axel were lying I would have figured it out. Hawke played both of us. Now we were having a dinner neither one of us wanted. “He told me he needed to talk about Francesca.”
“He told me the same thing.”
“He got us good.”
“Yeah, he did.” Axel eyed the glass of wine on the table. “Did he drink this?”
“No.” In fact, he didn’t touch anything.
He grabbed it and took a drink. “Well, at least he ordered well.”
I took a drink as well and was impressed.
Axel stared at me from across the table, his eyes moving over me in a gentle way. He used to stare at me like that all the time, like he could see all the way down into my soul.
I held his gaze until I was forced to look away. Sometimes that look reminded me of nights I tried to forget.
He grabbed his menu and took a peek. “Well, since this is an upscale place should we just order?”
I didn’t want Hawke to win but I didn’t want to be rude either. Hawke probably made reservations just to get us into this place. “Sure.”
He handed me a menu. “I’ve never eaten here before but I’ve heard good things.”
“Me too.”
He opened his menu and browsed the selections. With his gaze averted, I looked at the nice features of his face. He just shaved so his jaw was clean. He had thin lips but they felt so full whenever I kissed him. His blue eyes reminded me of the ocean of a shallow cove. They were brighter than most blue eyes, unique in their brightness.
Before he looked up, I looked away.
The waiter arrived and took our order. Once he was gone, we had nothing else to do but look at each other. Being this close to him in a romantic setting was uncomfortable. It made me think of all the dates we went on, and what we did at the end of those dates. I missed the way his sweaty chest would rub against mine when we had great sex. And I missed the cuddling even more.
He seemed to be thinking the same thing but didn’t feel any embarrassment for doing it. His arms rested on the armrests and he stared at me openly, like he’d be content if we didn’t say a word to each other for the entire evening.
“How’s work?” I wanted to change the tone of the evening. I’d already decided we weren’t getting back together and I wasn’t going to change my mind. Axel probably only wanted me because he couldn’t have me.
“Good. I like it.”
“Do they make you feel at home?”
“For the most part. I pretty much do my own thing with my own clients. There isn’t a lot of interaction.”
“Do you like that? Or dislike it?”
“I like it,” he answered. “I talk to my clients enough. I don’t need more conversation.”
“What do you do?”
“The same thing as before. I make portfolios for clients and determine how we’re going to invest their money. Worldwide is different though, considering it’s a much larger company with a greater reputation. The clients invest money on a massive scale, so my returns and losses are much greater, and that can either help me or ruin me.”
“Then it’s more stressful.”
“Yeah, I guess.”
“How does the pay work? Is it commission based?”
“Yes and no. I have a base pay I receive no matter what my profits are. But I keep whatever I make on top of that.”
Now that I picked his brain clean about his job I had nothing else to say. I wanted to keep this dinner as platonic as possible but I was running out of safe things to say. “I just wrote an article about the fashion show here in New York. That was a fun piece.”
“Yeah, I read it. It was great.”
He read it? “Oh…”
“I’ve read all of your articles. You’re a magnificent writer.”
Just when I thought that subject was safe it backfired. “Thanks…”
He continued to stare at me, looking deep into my eyes like there was nothing else he’d rather be doing.
I felt myself slip away and fall back into the hole I spent so much time crawling out of. When he told me he loved me I said it back, which was a huge error. But now I was putting myself in a bad situation all over again. “What you did for Francesca was really sweet.”
“That wasn’t a big deal.” He brushed it off like his actions were anything less than heroic.
“What are you talking about? You completely took all the risk.”
“But she’s going to make it. So there’s no risk at all.”
“And it’s so sweet that you believe in her so much.”
Axel rubbed the back of his neck, what he usually did when he was uncomfortable. “We’re family. Families always stick together.”
The fact he was being so humble about it made him more attractive. I always knew Axel had a big heart. He teased his sister a lot but he was always there when she needed him. “Well, I think what you did was incredible.”
He grabbed his glass and took a deep drink.
I crossed my arms over my chest and hoped the waiter would return with our food soon. I wasn’t hungry but I was eager for this dinner to end. It wasn’t a
good idea for Axel and I to sit this close together—ever.
Finally, the waiter brought our food and poured more wine into our glasses. I was relieved I had something to do other than stare at him and see him stare back. Axel made me comfortable on a dangerous level. If I let my guard down too far something would take a wrong turn.
He took a few bites of his food then looked at my plate. “How’s your food?”
“Delicious. Yours?”
“Good. I’d eat this again.” He ate with perfect manners, something he only did when he was in a public restaurant. Whenever it was just he and I he would leave his elbows on the table and even eat with his fingers.
I ate slowly and waited for the waiter to drop off the check. I had enough cash that I could slip it inside and we could go our separate ways. It was possible Axel asked Hawke to arrange this, but I had a feeling he didn’t. “Hawke always sticks his nose where it doesn’t belong…” He came all the way to Myrtle Beach just to get us back together. His attempt would have worked if that skank didn’t answer the door and call Axel her boyfriend.
“What do you mean?”
Since Axel didn’t know Hawke did that, and he didn’t know about Hawke’s other visits I realized my mistake in bringing it up. “I just find it strange that he did this…”
Axel shrugged. “He just wants me to be happy.” He finished his food before I did. His plate was wiped clean because he ate every single bite.
“And being with me will make you happy?”
His gaze turned serious, his eyes and mouth falling in unison. “You and nothing else.”
I quickly looked down at my plate so I didn’t have to meet his gaze any longer. The muscles of my body were tightening all over the place. My heart was beating at a higher capacity than it could handle, and the unwanted heat flushed across my entire body.
The check arrived.
I quickly reached for it so I could slip the cash inside.
Axel got there first. “Nice try.” He inserted the cash and set it at the opposite end of the table where I couldn’t reach.
I wanted to object. If he paid, it made it seem like a date. But if I fought him for it we would be on this date even longer. It was best to leave now before I did something stupid. “I’m ready to go.” I set my cloth napkin down then stood up.