Josh literally moaned when Trevor introduced Jessica, the teacher who’d be taking Casey’s place. Trevor said something about a torn ligament, but he didn’t sound very convincing. In fact, the husky coach wasn’t exactly his dynamic self tonight.
“I’m not staying,” Josh snapped. He eyed his father with defiance, expecting an argument.
But Drew just said, “Neither am I.” And the two of them slipped out.
Chapter 10
Casey ran downstairs when her front door buzzer rang at 8:15. She knew it couldn’t be Trevor since the fitness class didn’t end until 8:30. She figured Parker must have forgotten something. He’d just left after eating the lentil soup she’d made especially for him. He didn’t even complain about how bad it was with goopy clumps and way too much cumin. Her pitiful thanks for the agonizing hours he’d spent with her this week driving all over to look at possible rentals in the area. Or his promise to advance her the down payment she’d need.
“Drew?” The sight of him nearly took her breath away. He stood with a sexy slouch, his head tilted to one side, a flop of sandy hair falling across his forehead. Hands in the pockets of his running pants, his naked arms sculpted to perfection. “I thought you signed up for the Family Fitness classes.”
“Our favorite teacher didn’t show. So we left.”
“But what about Josh? He did so well last week.”
“It was his decision to leave. I just happened to agree with him.”
Casey couldn’t help smiling at being missed. He returned her grin with one so gorgeous it gave her goose bumps.
“I need to talk to you,” he said. “May I come in for a minute?”
Against her better judgment, she opened the door wide. As Drew brushed past her, Casey inhaled his sandalwood scent mixed with the intoxicating male smell of him.
Her arms tingled with the urge to touch him. Get a grip, girl.
When he turned, she expected him to start talking, but he couldn’t seem to take his eyes off her bare legs. Her turquoise print sundress had shrunk last time she’d washed it, and now it was a bit too tight and definitely too short.
To break the awkward moment, she said, “I just made coffee. Would you like some?”
“Yeah, that would be great, thanks.”
Realizing too late that this meant taking him upstairs into her private space, Casey fidgeted with a ring on her finger. “Or we could go out for coffee, or maybe a drink—”
“Nah, I like the first offer.”
“Well, um, it’s up here.” She turned for the stairs, and he followed behind her. A little too close.
They stepped into her three-room home. Unfortunately, there were no doors on the rooms and her bed was completely on view from the living room. She considered asking him to sit in the kitchen, but it was too cramped and hot for a comfortable visit.
“This is really cozy,” he said, looking around. “Was it always an apartment? How long have you been here?”
“Three years.” Casey walked to the kitchen and pulled two mugs from the cabinet while he stood watching her from the living room. “This building was a firehouse that got turned into a hardware store. Both had an office up here with a bathroom and kitchen, so at least the plumbing and gas were in place. But my brother, Parker, renovated it for me. Parker Richardson. Ever heard of him?”
“No. He in the construction business?”
“He’s a gardener. In fact, he’s your gardener.”
Drew turned red. At least he had the courtesy to be embarrassed. “I’ve got so many people working for me, I sometimes, well, it’s, um…”
Casey wasn’t about to come to his rescue on this one. After he stammered long enough, she said, “Want milk or sugar in your coffee?”
“Just black, thanks.”
She’d had a feeling he was a man who drank it black. She set the mugs on her coffee table that was actually an old army trunk that had belonged to her dad.
Her green floral print loveseat in much need of upholstering looked even worse when she saw it under Drew’s eye. It was small, which meant they sat closer than was comfy for her right now. But it was also the only piece of furniture to sit on besides her rocker, which was always occupied by the chubby feline, Miss Daisy. “I hope you’re not allergic to cats.”
“No. I have a Siamese at home. And a black Lab.”
It pleased Casey to hear he liked pets. Why it mattered, she wasn’t sure. “Well, Miss Daisy here is one of my three cats. Buster likes to hang downstairs and Sugar Boy’s preferred territory is the bedroom.”
A corner of his mouth twitched. “Mine, too.” The words came out as a soft murmur that she pretended not to hear.
Casey also pretended not to be affected by the fact that he was maybe three inches away when they sat. Too bad she kept picturing him pulling her into his lap. She cleared her throat. “So, what did you need to talk to me about?”
Drew put his cup on the trunk and looked directly at her, his expression serious. “I want to apologize. First for taking Josh out of dance classes.”
A total surprise. “Then he’ll be coming back?”
Drew nodded. “He really likes you and trusts you. And that’s major for a difficult and reticent kid like Josh. I thought the boot camp might be a compromise, where he could still have you as a teacher but skip the dance stuff. But even if you hadn’t left, I’m sure a rebellion was coming. He was really pissed at me over taking him out of your academy.”
“I really like him, too. And I believe the exceptional talent he has should be nurtured. Even if he never becomes a professional, it’s a valuable growing experience.” Her spirits lifted, then plummeted when she remembered what shaky ground her school was now situated on. She had no idea how many months it would be before Vonrelis sold the building. Or if she could manage to set up elsewhere.
He took a drink of coffee and continued. “I’m also sorry for last night. First I bring Riley into the picture to screw things up, then instead of being the noble rescuer I go and shoot the moves on you. That’s the real reason you quit your Family Fitness job, right? I don’t see you limping or anything.”
Oops. “Well, actually, I’m just supposed to limit my activity for a while, and teaching academy classes is my first priority.”
“Yeah, right.”
Okay, so he didn’t buy it. But she wasn’t about to admit her cowardice to him. They sat in tense silence for so long Casey was relieved when her phone rang. Seeing it was her landlord, she said, “Excuse me. I need to take this call.”
She stepped into the bedroom. “Mr. Vonrelis?” she said softly, wishing there was a door to close.
“Miss Richardson, I’ve sold the property to Mr. Rozella.”
“Sold? But I—” Her throat tightened.
“You never made me an offer. And frankly, I doubt you could’ve outbid this one.”
Casey tried to control the tremor in her voice. “When will I have to leave?”
“You’ll have to vacate the premises by the end of August. Completely. Understand?”
“Y-yes.” At least she could finish out her summer session.
“You’ll receive written notification, but I decided you should know right away so you can start making arrangements. Goodnight.”
Casey sank onto her bed. Barely able to breathe, wild thoughts going crazy in her head, she couldn’t stop herself from bursting into tears.
Drew rushed in. He sat next to her and pulled her into his arms. “What happened, Casey? Who was that?”
“My landlord. He sold this building. I have to be out by the end of next month.”
His warm strength enveloped her. She let herself cry.
He cradled her head against his chest. “There are other buildings around. You’ll find something.”
“I’ve looked,” she moaned, sniffing and choking on her tears. “Even if they weren’t all in horrible locations, they need work. You can’t dance on cement or warped, splintered wood. And parents won’t send their kids to
a place with peeling walls and leaky plumbing. I made sure to get a long lease here, but I should’ve hired a lawyer to examine the small print before I sank every penny of my savings into this school. I am such a loser.”
“That’s just not true, Casey. You’re an amazing teacher. Look what we were just saying about my son.” Drew reached for the box of tissues on her night table and handed her a few.
“I thought I might’ve finally gotten something right with my dance academy. But I’m even letting Josh down. I am a total screw-up.”
Sobs wracked her body. Drew stroked her back and kissed the top of her head. Casey could hardly believe the tenderness he showed her.
“Let’s see. How much space are we talking about?” He bit his lips together. “My guess is about two thousand square feet or so of actual dance floor. Add on the second studio, plus room enough for the reception area. Of course finding commercial real estate where you can have an upstairs apartment might be tricky…”
“I’m sorry, Drew. I didn’t mean to get you involved in hashing out my mess.” She wiped her face with a tissue.
He shrugged. “I like dealing with property. I already own my share of buildings in the city, but they’re all jointly owned with my father. Recently I’ve been thinking about investing in real estate that’s all mine. Here in the North Fork.”
Casey stood. “Wait a minute. If you’re thinking…”
“What’s the big deal? I buy some property. Improve it with renovations. The school stays alive. It’s a win-win.”
She crossed her arms, stared down at the floor and shook her head. “It’s all very heroic of you, but I can’t let you do it.”
“Don’t be a stubborn fool. Like I said, I’ve been pondering the idea for a while.”
Although her heart wanted to leap at his suggested solution, a part of Casey cringed at how desperate she must look to him. And how unfair it was to expect him to jump into the fray for her. “Actually I’m thinking a dance school isn’t such a good business move anyway. I made practically nothing on it.”
Drew rose and stepped close to her. “Aside from the fact that you’re a lousy liar, you seem to have forgotten you told me how much this school meant to you. How you wanted to work at something you found meaningful, something you love.”
“I love animals, too. And I have a friend in San Francisco who needs someone to manage her pet shop. I’ve been thinking about—”
“Quit it, will you? A ballerina toting heavy bags of litter?” He snorted. “Can’t have that.”
Casey bit her lower lip. “But, Drew, we barely know each other. Why would you do this?”
Those blue eyes stayed on hers. “First of all, it’ll make my son happy. Second, I told you I was thinking of buying real estate around here. So, you just got me in the mood to stop putting things off. And third, you can’t quit doing this. You’re too good a teacher to go to waste.”
Hearing his last reason, Casey beamed, more grateful than Drew could know. Suddenly giddy, she threw her arms around his rock-solid torso. “My hero.”
“Hero? No way.” Drew gave her a quick squeeze and let go. “But you’ve got to admit I came up with an excuse for you to go out with me. What say we discuss terms over dinner? You like jazz?”
She nodded.
“I know just the place. Serves great food, too.”
Casey turned toward her closet. “Let me flip on a new dress.” She glanced back at Drew and saw him studying her shelf of unicorns.
“What do these mean?” he asked.
Baffled and slightly embarrassed by his personal question, Casey started giving him a standard folklore explanation.
But Drew interrupted her. “I can read a book to learn that. I want to know why you collect these. What do they mean to Casey Richardson?” He touched the frosted crystal blue unicorn with a fairy riding on it. “Especially this one. Bet it’s your favorite.”
How did he know? How could he see into her so clearly?
“My father gave that one to me when I was fifteen.” Casey stopped, not sure she could say any more without ending up in tears yet again.
“That’s who you were to him.”
It wasn’t a question. The sincerity in his tone made Casey take a closer look at Drew Byrne.
And made her continue. “It was a horrible time. My father’s cancer had gotten the best of him, and he didn’t have much longer to live. I used to write stories for him about magical places where everything was happy and beautiful. In some ways that’s what dance became to me later as I grew up. A magical place that’s separate from all of life’s troubles. And a woman named Amanda had convinced me it was true.”
“So the unicorns are about your dreams and wishes.”
“Funny you should say that. My mom used to get on my case for being a dreamer, a rainbow chaser. But Dad loved me for it. He’d always tell me, ‘Listen to the dreams in your heart.’”
Suddenly embarrassed for spilling her soul, Casey turned to the closet and pulled out a belted, blue V-neck with a straight skirt that covered most of her thigh. Somehow it felt safer to show less skin around Drew. This newly formed connection with him still had her nervous. “I’ll be fast about it,” she said, walking to her bathroom.
“Take your time.”
“But it’s a weeknight. Most places stop serving early.”
“Not where we’re going.”
“Oh? Where’s that?”
“The Garage.”
“Don’t know that one.”
“It’s on Seventh and Grove.”
“In Manhattan?”
“Yeah.”
“But that’s at least a two-hour drive from here.”
“Not if you’re going by helicopter.”
***
“Will you relax, Casey? I’m not trying to be your sugar daddy. That’s just not me.” They sat together on a red leather bench, their balcony table overlooking the cavernous restaurant. The red brick walls and the shiny copper hood over the bar glowed with warmth in the soft light, faces of customers blending into the shadows.
“Sorry to sound so paranoid. But I have this tendency to get enthusiastic about things and jump in, only to realize later that I missed some important details.”
Drew reached his hand across the table and placed it over hers. “There’s nothing to miss here. No secret plot. Whatever does or doesn’t happen between us will have no bearing on our business arrangements. My only stipulation is that we don’t let Josh know. That could muddy things up.”
“Agreed.” Still, warning bells went off in her head. Not about having Drew as a landlord, but about the temptation to get romantically involved with him. Flying to Manhattan in a private helicopter brought back memories of Jeff and the cruel lesson she’d learned about the way rich guys like him really saw women like her.
But with Drew’s charm and intelligence and the way he flirted and joked with her, Casey found herself letting down her guard. And now his warm hand covering hers sent her pulse racing. Dangerous thing to allow around this wealthy, heavy-hitting player and former prize contestant of Dating Mr. Mega-Bucks.
She slipped her hand out from under his, took a therapeutic gulp of her margarita and listened to the smooth jazz quartet. “I love the way Manhattan doesn’t shut down at night. When I lived here I often shopped at an all-night grocer, and I’d actually run into my neighbor buying carrots at three in the morning.”
“You’re a night person? So am I. Bet we like a lot of the same things.”
“Think so?”
He handed Casey a piece of coconut shrimp and nibbled one himself. “We both like to work out.”
“True.”
“We like the sea, or we wouldn’t live where we do.”
“Right again.”
“Hmm.” He drummed his fingers on the table.
“Want some help?”
“Sure.”
Casey licked the margarita salt from her lips. She pretended not to notice Drew’s eyes riveted on her
mouth. “I like the color blue. Maybe it’s the sea talking and one reason I’m an environmentalist.”
“Ditto for me on both counts. Plus I’m an animal lover.”
“Well, you know I’m going to meet you there.”
Drew leaned closer. “How about we meet on one other topic we’ll both enjoy?”
Her heart took an extra beat. Here it comes. She arched a brow.
“Wine. I love a bottle of good pinot noir with my dinner. What do you say?”
“Sounds good.”
As Drew checked the wine list and placed his request with a waiter, Casey told herself she wasn’t disappointed that his proposition was about sharing wine with her rather than sharing a bed. And when she thought about it, he kept a gentlemanly distance from her even though they were seated together on this banquette-for-two where he could easily slide nearer to her.
Was it because she’d revealed her mistrust? Or had he decided he wasn’t all that attracted to her after all?
“I chose a wine from a North Fork vineyard to celebrate our new venture,” he said. “Never tried it before.”
“What’s the name of it?”
“Chateau TR.”
A tall waiter with a tattoo of Chinese script on the side of his neck returned with the wine along with Drew’s grilled filet and Casey’s lobster ravioli.
As they sampled the wine, Drew looked at the label. It had the owner’s signature scrawled across it in gold. “Taz Ravage? The lead singer with Jet Streak?”
Small world, Casey thought.
“That’s right,” the waiter said. “He bought himself a vineyard out on Long Island. Lot of celebs seem to be into that these days.”
Too small. She’d been a lead dancer in a Taz Ravage music video. Casey decided not to mention it, since Drew would probably ask about him. She didn’t feel like lying, and she certainly wasn’t going to tell him about the post wrap party when Taz had practically forced himself on her. The bad boy rock star was not used to hearing a female say no.
Spring Into Love Page 154