She was referring to all the guys who’d asked me out since Shaun died. A few had asked more than once, but most walked away after being shot down.
“You’re really blowing this whole thing out of proportion,” I said, closing my eyes as I inhaled the scent of my drink. I loved coffee and could hardly wait until I had enough money to indulge in the good stuff. “He likes me. I like him. But it’ll never amount to more than that. Trust me. You just need to let it go.”
“Fine, but you’re making a big mistake!”
It’s my mistake to make, I thought as Daphne slammed her bedroom door.
Chapter Five
Darius
I was having lunch with Damon, discussing my plans to buy the comedy club, when he asked, “Did you get anywhere with that hot little comedienne?”
I thought about the kiss we’d shared last night. It may have been the most innocent first kiss I’d ever experienced, but it had done something to me. It made me feel things I’d never felt, like maybe, just maybe, this woman could be someone special. “We spent some time together last night, but she’s not really looking for a relationship right now.”
Damon laughed as he reached for a piece of bread from the basket in the middle of the table. “Mia said the same thing when we first met, and look at us now. Married with a beautiful baby.”
I couldn’t deny I felt pangs of envy when I saw my cousins with their wives and babies. I’d never actively sought a woman to spend my life with, but now that all of the people around me were paired off, I couldn’t help but wonder if it was time for me to think about settling down. It would make my parents happy, not that that was a major consideration for me. I loved them, but they’d learned a long time ago that I was calling my own shots.
“Yeah, but you and Mia were meant to be together. Anyone can see that.” After a few bites of my sandwich, I asked, “How’d you know for sure she was the one?”
“Something shifted in me the first time I saw her. I knew I had to meet her. When I did, something told me she was different. I’d never met anyone quite like her.” Damon smiled at the memory. “Sure, she was gorgeous, but so were a lot of the girls I’d dated. There was more to Mia than that. She’s smart and tough. She has a killer sense of humor. We laughed all the time. Before I knew it, that girl was my best friend, and I knew I couldn’t live without her.”
I thought of the connection I had with Chelsea. We’d laughed a lot last night, and she got this look in her eye right before she roasted me for some stupid comment I made. By the end of the night, my abs actually hurt from laughing, and I couldn’t remember the last time I’d had more fun with a woman.
“What are you thinking?” Damon asked.
That was when I realized I’d let my mind wander. “So how’d you handle it when Mia said she didn’t want a relationship? What did you do to convince her?”
“You can’t try to do that. It just has to happen. Spend more time with the girl. Prove to her that being with you is more fun than not being with you.”
I could do that. “I don’t think she’d be into all this,” I said, gesturing around the restaurant I’d helped build, the one that bore my family name. “She’s had a hard life. I think she’s more of a straight-from-the-bottle, blue-jeans kind of girl, ya know what I mean?”
Damon laughed. “Then she’s perfect for you. I’ve never met a billionaire who’s as rough around the edges as you are, man.”
I took that as a compliment. I was real. I didn’t need expensive cars and suits to make me feel like more of a man. I liked myself as I was, and people who didn’t share that sentiment could hit the road. “For the record, I’m not the billionaire. My old man is. Some people may not make the distinction, but I do.”
“I know, I know,” Damon said, shaking his head. “So tell me more about this club. You really think you’re gonna buy it?”
I’d had no desire to own a club before I met Chelsea, but the idea was definitely growing on me as more of the pieces fell into place. “The consultant’s flying in from Chicago tonight. He’ll do some market research and tell me what we need to change to make the place more profitable. I have an idea of the kind of reno I want to do. I’m taking Chase to the club with me tonight. He said he could work it into his schedule for me.”
“Sounds like things are really coming together.”
“Yeah, you think I’m crazy for doing this?” I needed someone whose opinion I trusted to assure me I wasn’t getting in over my head. “I mean, business is great in the Hamptons. I’m even thinking about building my own place out there. I’ve got more than enough work to keep me busy. This club might be more of a headache than it’s worth, huh?”
“What do you think will happen to it if you don’t buy it?” Damon asked, spearing a piece of lobster with his fork. “I kind of got the impression they’re running on borrowed time.”
“Yeah, me too.” I couldn’t stand the thought of Chelsea losing her job and possibly her apartment. She didn’t deserve that. But I couldn’t make a business decision to please a woman I’d just met, no matter how much I liked her. Damon had built a successful business by trusting his instincts, and I really needed to know what he thought about the deal. “Does your gut tell you this place has a shot?”
Damon nodded. “Yeah, it does. If you hadn’t decided you wanted it, I probably would have bought it from him.”
That made me feel better. “Billy thinks Chelsea would be a great manager, and she could really use the money. She’s trying to save for this comedy school she wants to go to.”
Damon smiled. “She sounds like a great girl. Seriously, I think you should pursue this thing. See where it could go.”
“But how do I bring her into my world?” I said, glancing around the five-star steakhouse. “Without making her feel uncomfortable, I mean?” That was the last thing I wanted to do.
“The thing I admire most about you,” Damon said, “is that you really don’t live the life.”
I knew what he meant. The guys on the construction crew treated me like one of their own because I drove a dusty pick-up and wore torn, faded jeans to the job site. I didn’t look down on anyone. As far as I was concerned, I was no better than they were. I’d just been given better opportunities and allowed to write my own ticket.
“So be real with her, Darius. Do the things you like to do. Have a few drinks at the bar, shoot some pool, order pizza and eat it at your place.” Damon shrugged. “Take her to a Yankees game, or spend some time at the beach. That’s who you are, and something tells me those are the kinds of things she’d love doing too.”
“You’re probably right.” In fact, I knew he was right.
“You say she hasn’t had an easy life. That means she probably hasn’t had a lot of time for fun. She’s been too busy working, surviving. Just focus on showing her a good time, and trust me, you won’t have any problem getting her to fall for you.”
I hoped my cousin was right because after listening to him paint that picture, I realized I wanted to do all of those things and more with her.
***
Chase and I were having a beer at a table near the stage when Chelsea walked in. Our eyes locked right away, and she smiled and waved before walking over to us.
“You’re becoming a regular here, aren’t you?” she asked, giving me a hug when I stood.
Chase stood to shake Chelsea’s hand when I introduced them. “I’ve caught your act in here a couple of times,” Chase said, grinning at Chelsea. “You’re awesome. I especially loved that bit about mama’s boys who live in their parents’ basements. My buddies and I were howling.”
Chelsea smiled. “Thank you. That one’s fun, mainly because everyone can picture the guy.”
I felt a little uncomfortable watching their easy rapport. Chase was a good-looking, successful guy who, not that long ago, had had a thing for my sister. I didn’t know if he was over her, but I sure as hell didn’t want him to think Chelsea could be his rebound girl.
“Ch
ase came to have a look at the place,” I explained once we were seated. I pointed at the vacant chair, but Chelsea shook her head, opting to stand. “If the deal goes through, his team will be handling the renovation.”
She smiled. “That’s great. I know I’m biased, but I think this place is pretty great the way it is. But I understand why Darius would want to give it a facelift. It’s getting a little dated.”
It was worn and tired. It looked as if it had been decades since anyone had done any major improvements. “Chels, would you mind if I took a look at your apartment later?”
Her quick glance at Chase told me she was ashamed of the place. “Um, sure, I don’t see why not.”
“Chase has to head out soon, but I can wait around until after your set. Think you can show it to me then?”
I could tell she was relieved. “Sure, no problem. Well, I should get ready for my set. It was nice meeting you, Chase.”
“Yeah, you too.” He watched her walk away. “My buddy and I couldn’t take our eyes off her when we were here, man. One of them asked her out, but she shot him down.”
“She’s off-limits, buddy.” I had no right to warn Chase off, but I didn’t want my friend to become the competition. “We’re kind of seeing each other.” I didn’t think Chelsea would object to me describing our arrangement that way.
“No worries.” He reached for his beer. “I’m not really in the market right now, anyhow. Just focusing on my girls. Being a full-time dad isn’t easy.”
Maybe not, but I knew how hard he’d worked to get sole custody of his daughters, and I’d never seen him happier than when the judge had ruled in his favor. “Your daughters the only reason you’re not dating now, or is there some other reason?”
His hand curled into a fist on the tabletop. “Darius, I don’t want to talk about your sister.”
I knew they’d slept together last year, then Catia left town shortly after. “You sure about that? You’re not even curious how she’s doing? Whether she’s dating anyone?”
His head snapped up. “Is she… dating anyone?”
“No one special.” Every time we talked, she managed to work Chase into the conversation. She wanted to know how he was, how he was adjusting to life as a single dad, and whether he ever asked about her.
“Hmmm. Doesn’t mean she’s not going out though, right? I know Cat’s not much of a homebody. She doesn’t like the quiet life.” He sounded almost resentful.
“No, she doesn’t, but I kind of get the feeling she’s just killing time. You should call her—”
He stood, tossing a bill on the table. “I have to go pick the girls up from their dance lessons.” He shook my hand. “If you decide to make an offer on this place, let me know. I’ll squeeze you into the schedule as soon as I can.”
“I appreciate that, man. Thanks.” He was as stubborn as my sister.
I missed most of Chelsea’s set because I had to step outside to take a business call. She was stepping off the stage to rousing applause when I walked back in.
“I take it that went well?” I asked, seizing her hand to help her down the steps.
She always seemed to wear five-inch heels, which made me fear for her safety. Just once, I wanted to see her in running shoes, or better yet, no shoes. I knew I had it bad when I was getting turned on thinking about a girl’s bare feet. What the hell was wrong with me?
“You missed it?” she said, pouting at me.
Damn. I was hooked. Gone. Long past of the point of no return when she looked at me like that.
“Sorry, I had to take a call.” I hooked a thumb over my shoulder. “I didn’t want to be rude. I thought your adoring audience would appreciate it if I stepped outside.”
“That was actually very thoughtful,” she said, settling her hand into mine. “Jerks who try to talk through my set usually find themselves a part of the show, and let me tell you, they’re not too happy about it.”
I loved that she wasn’t afraid to call people out on their bad behavior. She was tough, she could take care of herself, and I liked that about her. My only concern was that she might be a little too independent. I wanted my girlfriend to need me as much as I needed her. Not that Chelsea was my girlfriend. Yet.
“You want to head upstairs and see the apartment now?” she asked. “It’s Daphne’s night off, but she had a date, so she won’t be home.”
“Sure, let’s go.”
She led me outside, around to the back of the building, and up a metal staircase that looked like a fire escape. I didn’t miss the fact that she had to walk through an alley to get to her apartment. What the hell kind of setup was this?
“Uh, Chels, you’ve got to be kidding me, right? There has to be another way for you to access your unit.”
“Nope, this is it.”
“How the hell did this even pass inspection?” I muttered, following her up the narrow stairs. “You said your neighbor is elderly. How does she manage to get down these steps, especially in the winter?”
“Like I said, Daphne and I kind of take care of her, get her the stuff she needs from the store.”
“Because she can’t get out of her apartment? That’s crazy!”
She turned to face me, her expression solemn. “Darius, I know what this must look like to you, and obviously if you do decide to buy the building, you can do whatever you want with it, but this is home to the three of us. It may not be perfect, but it’s all we have. Please don’t take it away.”
Oh God. I felt as if I were knee-deep in quicksand and sinking fast. Her big blue eyes were bright and round with fear in the moonlight, and all I wanted was to make all of her problems go away. I didn’t want her or the people she cared about to have to live this way, but someone with as much pride as Chelsea had wouldn’t take charity.
“There has to be some way to install an elevator.” I gestured toward the alley. “And that right there is not okay with me. The thought of you coming home late at night and having to walk through an alley all by yourself kind of makes me feel sick.”
From now on, I’d ask her to text me as soon as she walked in the door, no matter the time.
She rested her hands on either side of my face. “You are too good to be true, Darius Starkis. Guys like you just don’t happen to girls like me.”
A lump rose in my throat when her eyes held mine. No one had ever looked at me as though they thought I was special. I was used to women who were excited to be with me so they could brag to their friends about bagging a billionaire, but Chelsea didn’t give a damn about my family’s money. That made me feel things for her that I couldn’t even begin to describe.
“You got it all wrong, baby. Girls like you don’t happen to guys like me,” I whispered, leaning in to kiss her. Our kiss was tender and slow, exactly what I knew she needed. I was being cautious, following her lead. For me, this was moving slow, but it probably felt like breakneck speed to her. “I get girls who want me to buy them things and take them to fancy parties. I never get sweet, genuine girls who are as beautiful on the inside as they are on the outside.”
She reached up on her toes and wrapped her arms around my neck, sighing contentedly. I gripped her tight around her tiny waist, inhaling the fresh scent of her strawberry shampoo, thinking I wanted to wake up to that scent on my pillow.
“Shall we go inside?” she whispered, finally releasing me.
“Sure.”
We walked down a dark, narrow hallway with burnt-out bulbs and stained-and-torn green carpet that looked as though it had been there since the sixties. When I finally spoke to the building owner with an offer, he was going to get a piece of my mind. He had no right to collect rent money while making his tenants live in these deplorable conditions.
I noticed her hand shaking as she fit the key into the lock. Before she could turn the knob, I reached for her hand. “Hey, don’t think for a second I’m going to judge you. Where you live doesn’t define you, Chels. You know that, right?”
Her chin quivered as h
er eyes slowly met mine. “I just…” She swallowed, squaring her shoulders. “I can only imagine the way you must live, and well…” She gestured toward the door. “This is nothing. I mean, it’s something. It’s the best we can afford right now. We’re both saving money, and when I get a better paying job, we hope to be able to find a better apartment but—”
I held my index finger over her plump lips. “You don’t have to justify anything to me.”
Knowing that she’d grown up all alone and was as together as she seemed to be impressed the hell out of me. My snobby Ivy League friends would never have survived the hell she’d been through.
She took a deep breath and nodded before turning the knob. When we stepped into the tiny foyer, which was really only a few square feet of worn tile, she flicked a switch to bathe the adjoining living room in dim light. Their furniture consisted of an old beige couch and matching chair with a scarred wood coffee table and two mismatched tables and lamps. There was a small flat screen TV on a round table in the corner, and the brown curtains, which looked threadbare, were drawn. I peeked into the kitchen, which consisted of a small blue countertop, a few white cupboards, and white apartment-sized appliances. There was a tiny microwave but no dishwasher.
“Do you spend a lot of time here?” I didn’t know how anyone could hang out here without getting depressed. I’d only been here a few minutes and couldn’t wait to leave.
“I work as much as I can,” she said, shrugging. “It’s a place to eat and crash.”
I hesitated about taking off my shoes. The worn brown carpet looked as though it had been vacuumed recently, but it was still kind of sketchy.
“Don’t bother,” she said. “We never do.”
As I followed her down a half hall, I asked, “Um, how much do you pay for rent, if you don’t mind me asking?” I’d know soon enough anyhow.
“Fifteen hundred.”
Only in New York. I peeked into the bathroom, noting a plain white shower curtain covered the tub, probably for a reason. The sink and toilet looked as though they were original to the sixty-year-old building. No doubt about it, the place definitely needed an overhaul.
Darius (Starkis Family #5) Page 5