“Well, the movie is a love story, but I don’t believe there’s anything smutty about it. It’s rated PG, I think,” Griffin said then turned his attention to Jess. “As for you choosing where we eat and what we see, I’ve already made those decisions.”
“Controlling? Dominating?” Mrs. Flannigan asked with a smile.
“No, ma’am, not at all,” Griff said as he shook his head. “It’s just that she asked me to make a date that wasn’t ordinary. That’s why I picked the places. That’s all. Nothing more than that. I swear it!”
“No whips and chains for you, huh boy?” her mother asked, sending him into a heat of embarrassment that Jess didn’t seem to have.
“No! I’m not into that.” He wiped his suddenly sweating brow.
“We can go now,” Jess said. “If you still want to.”
“Yes, yes, I want to. Happy to meet you, Mrs. Flannigan. I’ll have her back here before six this evening.”
“Fine,” the woman told him then added. “Dinner’s at eight if you’d care to join us. I’m making haggis.”
Griffin leaned in to whisper to Jess, “Isn’t that guts boiled in the stomach of a sheep or something like that?”
“It is,” she said with a smile. “I’d love you to join us. Griff.”
The urge to wretch was nearly overwhelming. He swallowed back the bile that had risen in his throat. “Sure, I’d love to join you all for dinner. Thank you so much for inviting me, Mrs. Flannigan.”
“See you then, Griffin,” she said with a grin that told him she was trying to get him to go away. But he wasn’t going anywhere. He’d manage to get some of the terrible food down, he hoped.
Jess led him out a back door, and they walked around the side of the house. When she saw the Lambo parked next to the curb, she stopped. “I wonder who’s that is.”
Griffin pulled the key fob out of the pocket of his jeans and pressed the button to unlock it. “That would be my rental. Would you care to drive, Jess?”
“You’re shittin’ me!” Jess bolted away from him as she couldn’t believe her eyes. It was her favorite color, canary yellow. She ran her hand over the smooth lines of the car. “I can’t drive this. I’m too afraid, Griff.”
“There’s nothing to be afraid of. Come on, jump behind the wheel, baby. You can take some of the lesser traveled roads so you can get used to how it handles before we set off to eat at the Bangkok Hill Thai Restaurant.”
Jess’ mouth dropped open. “How in the hell did you find out I love Thai food? I can’t ever get anyone to go with me!”
“You love it too?” he asked with wide eyes. “Me too!”
She pushed his chest as she shouted, “Shut up!”
“I can’t,” he said with a chuckle. “I do love it. Now climb in and let’s get out of here.”
“You’re really going to let me drive this badass car, Griff?” she asked as she put her hand on the door handle.
“I am. I’m trusting you with my life, Jess,” he said as he got into the passenger side.
She just stood there, wondering if he was really this way all the time or only stepping up his game to win the bet. Then she got into the car and told herself she didn’t care why he was being the way he was, she was going to enjoy the date and driving the car she’d only ever dreamt she would.
16
Rolling up to the house Cait had given him the address to, Phoenix got out of the Rolls Royce he’d hired for the day and went up to get his date for the afternoon. Buttoning up his black Armani jacket, he smoothed out his matching slacks and rubbed the tops of his shiny leather shoes on the backs of them to make sure they were clean.
He pressed the doorbell but didn’t hear it ringing inside the house, so he knocked on the green door. “Coming!” a woman shouted.
A gray-haired lady, wearing a light blue dress with a white apron covering it, opened the door. “Well, you’re not the Scot, so you must be Phoenix, here for Caitlyn.” She let him in as she looked him up and down. “I’m her mother.”
Phoenix saw the yellow roses and box of candy on a small table in the living room. He mentally kicked himself for not thinking to bring those things to Cait. He reached out to shake her mom’s hand and found she’d already retreated to take a seat. She wore a friendly smile on her wrinkled face, and was a bit older than he thought she’d be.
“Um, should I go up and get her myself?” he asked as he stood at the foot of the stairs, feeling the need to grab Cait up and get the hell out of there.
The woman wore a sweet smile as she said with the most pleasing tone to her voice, “You go up those stairs, boy and you’ll be met with a baseball bat to the head.”
“Oh,” he said as he stood where he was. “Um, then how will Cait know I’m here, Mrs. Flannigan?”
“These walls are paper thin,” she said. “I can assure you that she’s aware of your arrival, fancy pants.”
His brows arched with her words. He ran his hand over his expensive suit jacket. “I don’t usually dress so formally. I have kind of a special day planned for us, and I wanted to look my best for your daughter, Mrs. Flannigan.”
“Did ya, now?” she asked as the squeaking sound of a door came from behind him down a darkened hallway.
Phoenix watched a man wearing a white T-shirt and black, loose-fitting slacks walk toward him as he wiped his hands on his pant legs. “And you are?” the man asked, gruffly.
“I’m Phoenix Nelson, sir,” Phoenix held out his hand. “You must be Caitlyn’s father. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
Her father shook his hand then shouted up the staircase, “Cait, get your arse down here. Your fella’s here.”
“Coming,” she shouted back.
Her father made his way to take a seat in an old recliner. “Are you gonna tell Cait’s mother and me why you really want to take our daughter out? Unlike the man who picked up our Jessica.”
Phoenix shuffled back and forth, wishing like hell Cait would hurry up so they could leave. “I like your daughter. She’s great. That’s why I asked her out.”
“But you didn’t ask her out,” her mother said with a smile. “The girls told you, fellas, to take them out.”
“Oh, yeah.” Phoenix wasn’t aware of how much the women had told their parents. Apparently, everything! “Well, I mean, I was going to ask her out anyway. Even before she told me to. And I do like her. I like her a lot.”
“And how much did you like, Julia Loveless?” Mr. Flannigan asked him, making him nearly drop to the floor with surprise.
“Huh?” Phoenix asked as he was in shock.
“The Loveless girl?” Mr. Flannigan asked. “What was she to you?”
“Um, how do you know about her?” he asked as he shook his head to clear it.
“The other boy,” Mrs. Flannigan answered. “So, how did you know the woman you went to the funeral for?”
“She and I were friends,” he finally said as he looked up the stairs, praying Cait would be at the top of them. She wasn’t, and he looked back to find her parents looking him over.
“Friends with benefits?” her father asked.
“Um, uh,” he had no idea what to say. “Not really.”
“What exactly kind of an answer is that?” her mom asked him as she picked up a couple of sharp knitting needles and some yarn from a basket next to where she was sitting.
Thankfully, Cait appeared at the top of the stairs, wearing a deep green dress and black heels. A row of pearls hit her right at her collar bone.
“Oh, God, Cait!” Phoenix could think of nothing else as he looked at her. Her auburn hair was pulled back with a headband made out of glittery beads, the rest of her hair spilled in loose waves over her shoulders as she walked down to him. He took her hand, placing a kiss on top of it. “You’re gorgeous.”
“I love your suit, Phoenix,” she said then pulled the lapel a bit and whistled. “Armani. Nice.”
The sweet moment was interrupted by her father, “And where will our daughter be?
”
“Oh,” Phoenix said as he looked at the man who was frowning at him. “It’s a park. I’ve got a picnic planned.”
Her mother laughed as she shook her head. “Dressed like a couple of movie stars to eat on the ground. Have fun with that.”
“Mom,” Cait warned her mother. “Can you please be a bit nicer to this man?”
“I can,” her mother said. “As a matter of fact, I’d like to invite your young man to dinner tonight. It’ll be served at eight.”
Cait looked at Phoenix as she asked, “Would you like to come?”
He took her hand and gave it a squeeze. “Nothing would make me happier. I’d love to join your family for dinner this evening.”
“Great, I’ll set another place for you, boy,” Mrs. Flannigan said as she smiled like the cat who ate the canary.
“See you this evening then,” Phoenix said as he led Cait out the front door.
Her eyes fell upon the elegant car with the driver who was waiting at the back door for them. “You hired a car?” she asked.
“I did,” Phoenix said as they walked down the cement path. “Do you like it?”
“Afternoon, madam,” the driver greeted her. He was dressed in a chauffer’s uniform and tipped his hat at her as he opened the door.
“Good afternoon,” she said with a grin. “This is like a dream.” She slid into the back seat of the car. The rich color of the leather had her running her hand over it. “So soft. It smells so nice in here.”
Phoenix moved in next to her as the driver closed the door behind him. He leaned in and kissed her neck, taking in a deep breath. “You smell better, Caity-cat.”
With a giggle, Cait looked down at her hands as she had them folded in her lap. She hoped she could keep her wits about her with the man who was pushing all the right buttons.
17
The clip-clop of horses’ hooves beat the pavement then stopped in front of Kellie Flannigan’s family’s home. Ethan noted the nice trees in the yard and the way the grass was kept neat and the hedges were trimmed.
Climbing out of the carriage he’d rented for the day, Ethan called out to the driver of the two horses that pulled the pristine white carriage, “I’ll get her and be right back. No need to get down.”
“Yes, sir,” the driver said.
Ethan was dressed in a tan linen suit. He’d instructed Kel to wear something romantically comfortable. Curious to see what she’d come up with, he rapped on the door, then waited for someone to answer it.
A man opened the door. “And you’re the Scot.”
“Ethan Southern, sir. You must me Master Flannigan.” Ethan saw a woman behind the man who peered over his shoulder. “And you must be the mistress of the manor.” Neither greeted him with a smile of any kind.
The door was opened and behind them stood Kel. She was glowing in a flowing pale pink dress made of cotton and lace. Made in two tiered levels, the cotton portion covered her to just above the knees, and the lace went to the ground. Tan sandals let her pretty pink toenails show. She’d straightened her blonde hair and looked radiant.
“I like your romantic, comfortable style choice,” Ethan said as Kel walked to the door.
“And I like yours,” she said as she stepped out the door and saw the carriage. “I saw that from my bedroom window. I must admit I’m impressed, Ethan.”
She took his arm, and he led her down the walkway. Her mother called out to them, “Dinner’s at eight, Ethan. I hope you decide to join us.”
He stopped and asked Kel, “Would you like that, my love?” She nodded and he looked back at her mother. “I’d like that, Mrs. Flannigan. Thank you.”
Kel was in a dream-like state with the romantic gesture Ethan was making. She knew it was all an act to get into her pants but she was still impressed.
Ethan opened the carriage door, allowing Kel to get inside of it. White leather covered the comfortable seats that ran along each side. He took the side opposite from hers. “You’re not going to sit next to me?” she asked.
“I want to take in the lovely scenery that is you, love.” He reached out to take her hands in his as the horses moved the carriage forward. “Today is only about you.”
With a nod, Kel looked out the window and tried hard to remind herself the whole thing was fake. All of it was planned to get her into bed. Her heart ached as she tried not to cry.
“The weather’s lovely today, don’t you agree?” Ethan asked as he trailed his fingers along the top of her hand.
“I have to agree with you. Would you like to tell me what we’ll be doing today?” She watched his fingers as they moved over her skin. As hard as she tried to ignore the heat it caused her, she couldn’t.
“Tell, me, love,” he said as they pulled to a stop at the edge of a park. “Do you like plays?”
“Um, I’m not sure. I mean, I was in one in my high school days, and it was fun. But I’ve never been to a real play,” Kel answered.
Ethan got out of the carriage and turned to help her out. “Who’s your favorite actor?”
“Leo DeCaprio. I just loved him in that Titanic movie. He and Kate Winslet are my favorite on-screen couple,” Kel said as she let Ethan take her hand and lead her down a path nearly obscured by large bushes.
“Oh, and your favorite comedic actor?” Ethan asked as he lifted her hand and kissed it then tucked it back into his.
“Rebel Wilson can make me laugh even when I don’t want to,” Kel told him as they walked along the pathway. They came to a small clearing where a red and white checkered blanket was neatly placed on the green carpet grass. A giant oak tree sprawled over it. “Is this us?”
Ethen gave her a nod and helped her take a seat on the blanket. A basket was sitting at one corner. He sat down and pulled it over to him, taking out a bottle of Champagne along with a couple of flutes. “Bubbly?”
Kel had to smile at him. “Please.”
The bottle had been opened already, letting Kel know someone was helping the man who was trying his best to impress her. He filled the glasses then pulled out a covered silver tray. When he pulled the top off, she found the silver platter covered in little delights.
“Fancy a nibble?” he asked her as he picked up a bite-sized strawberry that’d been dipped in white chocolate. There were crackers with caviar on them, some truffles, and red grapes.
Kel let Ethan place the fruit in her mouth and had to admit to herself that he was quite adept at the romance thing. When someone cleared their throat, she looked up to find a man standing at the edge of their blanket.
A man she recognized but he couldn’t be who she was thinking. A couple of women came out from behind a large bush and Kel nearly choked on the strawberry. “No!”
“Hi, Kel, allow me to introduce myself,” the man said.
“Leo DeCaprio!” she said in a whisper. Kel’s eyes moved to the woman who stood on the right of him. “And you’re Kate Winslet!” The woman on the other side of him bowed. “And you’re Rebel…”
“Wilson, at your service, madam,” the woman finished Kel’s sentence.
“I hired these three to perform a play for you, my love,” Ethan said as he took her in his arms then leaned back against the large tree’s trunk.
“Ethan!” Kel gasped.
“We’ll be performing an F. Scott Fitzgerald play for you today, Kel,” Leo said. “Porcelain and Pink.”
All Kel could do was nod. Her throat was swollen shut. Her brain had gone numb. She gripped Ethan’s arms as he pulled her back to lean against him. “Thank you all for this, guys,” Ethan said. “I think she’s ready to watch you all work your magic.”
All three bowed then stepped away to ready the area for the play. Kel turned her head as Ethan leaned up and kissed her cheek. “How?” is all she could get out.
“Never mind that, love. Just enjoy the play.” He held her tight as he rested his chin on her shoulder.
Although she knew Ethan was doing it all just for a roll in the hay, Kel had to ad
mit the man was beyond anything she’d ever imagined. “Thank you, Ethan.”
“This is just a taste of what you and I can have,” he whispered. “Just a bit of icing, on a monstrous cake.”
Kel was inclined to believe him. He was blowing her away.
18
Jess thought Griffin was most likely lying about liking Thai food, so when he ate more than she did of the spicy stuff, she was pleasantly surprised that he was telling her the truth.
She let him drive when they left the restaurant to go to the movies. “Are you sure, Jess? I don’t mind letting you drive.”
“I’m stuffed. You drive,” she said as she went to the passenger side of the Lamborghini.
Griff was quick to step up and open the door for her. He took her by the waist and gave her a quick kiss. “I’m glad to have someone to eat Thai with.”
Jess ran her hands over his broad shoulders and wished like hell he wanted more than a quick screw. “You talk like you’ll be sticking around, Griff. That’s not really fair of you.”
“You talk like I have to leave, which I don’t.” He closed the door and went around the car to get in.
Jess watched him and wondered why he’d say such a thing. When he got into the car, she asked him, “Have you ever been in a serious relationship?”
He started the car then smiled at her. “Not really.”
“You’re kind of old not to have had one. That tells me you’re a player,” she said as she turned to look out the window. “So, I’d like to remind you that I haven’t had much experience and you should really be careful what you say to me. I might take some of it to heart. If you know what I mean.”
“I hope you do take the things I tell you to heart, baby.” He pulled out of the parking lot and headed up the road as Jess sat there wondering why a man who was interested in her, merely to win a bet, would tell someone so much bullshit.
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