by Unknown
“To answer your question, yes that’s our full last name. It wasn’t until our family moved to America and started our own businesses that our name was shortened to Evans. But on all of my legal documents I use my full Italian last name. I’m proud of that name and can’t wait to pass it on to my sons,” Shane said smiling. Satra saw the pride in his eyes.
Sons. ‘Nothing wrong with wanting your name to live on I suppose.’ Satra thought to herself.
“I like it and you should be very proud of your name and your heritage. I think it’s beautiful. I’m still gonna call you Shane Evans. You’ll be Mr. Evangascione when I’m mad at you,” Satra said, winking at him.
Shane chuckled. He would enjoy making her angry with him so he could hear her say his full name in that sexy voice of hers.
Soon they were pulling into a small parking lot in front of the cutest little diner Satra has ever seen. It wasn’t old and beat up looking like your typical diner. It was white with red trimming with red and white flowerbeds lining the entranceway. In big red neon letters the name “Mom & Pop” was lit up. The door was red and white with a bell at the top to let them know that they had visitors. When they walked in there was a counter with chairs and to the left and right were cozy booths for seating. A short, plump, older white woman with silver hair pulled back into a bun with rosy cheeks approached them with the biggest smile on her face. Satra noted her warm, friendly eyes and decided that she liked her already.
“Shane! It’s good to see you honey!” She said before hugging Shane tightly. Shane hugged her back and gave her a sound kiss on her cheek.
“Hey ma, it’s good to see you too. Sorry it’s been so long.”
“Aw honey don’t you worry about it. I know you’re a busy man.”
Ma looked at Satra and smiled warmly at her. Shane almost forgot his manners and began introducing the two ladies.
“Ma, this special lady is Satra Sinclair. Satra, this is Ma, co-owner with her wonderful husband of Mom & Pop.”
Satra smiled and shook Ma’s hand. “It’s very nice to meet you Ma.”
“It’s nice to meet you too. Satra, that’s a pretty name. I don’t believe I’ve ever heard it before.”
“Thank you,” Satra said blushing.
“And you must be mighty special because my sweet boy here has never brought anyone with him here. He’s always come by himself in all the years we’ve known him.”
Satra’s heart melted.
Shane looked at her nodding in agreement with Ma.
“She’s right,” Shane said, “This is where I come when I need to clear my head or just need a quick getaway.”
“Well let me get y’all seated. How about a back booth? That way you can have some privacy and what not.” Ma said winking at them both before leading them to the back of the small diner to the last booth. Shane chuckled to himself because he knew what Ma was doing. They’ve had many long conversations about him finding someone and her concerns about him being alone all the time. He knew she was happy to see him with someone finally.
There were a few other people in the diner having breakfast and talking amongst themselves. Shane took a quick view of everyone he could see to make sure he didn’t recognize any of them and thankfully he didn’t. He waited until Satra was seated before he sat across from her. Ma handed them their menus, told them what their specials were and told them she’d be back with coffee. Shane and Satra took a moment to look at each other, both of them smiling and both of them happy.
“I like this place, and I like Ma. She’s like everybody’s mama.” Satra said smiling.
“She’s definitely everybody’s mama,” Shane said in agreement.
“So you came here alone a lot huh?” Satra asked, wanting to know more about what brought him to this quaint little diner.
“I did. I found this place by accident years ago getting lost. I came in for directions, Ma convinced me to have something to eat before I hit the road again and I’ve been coming back ever since.”
“That’s sweet,” Satra said smiling. So what do you typically get when you come?”
“The farmer’s special which is pancakes, hash browns, eggs, bacon and sausage links.”
“Mmmm….that sounds good,” Satra said, her stomach growling in agreement.
“I think I’ll have that with a tall glass of orange juice.”
Shane liked that Satra didn’t make a fuss about calories and fat or make whiny statements about watching her figure. That was something his past girlfriends did, especially Kate. Kate was beautiful but Shane always felt she could put on a good fifteen pounds. She was obsessed with her weight and what she ate and it drove Shane crazy.
“I think I’ll have the same. Why change my tradition now?” Shane asked smiling.
Just then Ma came with the coffee carafe and poured them both some in their coffee cups.
“Are you kids ready to order?” she asked.
“Yes, we’ll both have the Farmer’s Special,” Shane said as he handed her their menus back.
“This man here is such a creature of habit. He gets the same thing every time he comes.” Ma said shaking her head. Satra laughed and said, “Yeah, he told me.”
Ma walked away and called out their order to Pop, her husband. He was too busy in the kitchen to notice that Shane was there, but when he heard the order something made him come out front just to take a peek.
Wiping his hands on his apron a tall man with blue sparkling eyes and gray hair appeared.
“Shane my boy! How the heck have you been?” Boomed pop as he walked towards their booth. Standing up Shane smiled and said, “Hey, pop, it’s good to see you. You look good.” The two men embraced and slapped each other on the back.
“This is Satra Sinclair, my beautiful breakfast date.”
Satra smiled brightly as she reached out to shake Pop’s hand.
“It’s very nice to meet you. I love your place, it’s so cozy and your wife is so friendly. It makes me feel like I’m at home.”
“Thank you. That’s what we aim for. Everybody should feel at home when they visit Mom and Pop’s. We adopted Shane here a long time ago. He’s our adopted son.” Pop said beaming from ear to ear.
“Well I don’t want to interrupt. I just wanted to say hello to my boy.” Pop said smiling.
“I’ll come see you before we leave, pop,” Shane said before Pop walked away.
“How cute are they?” Satra asked smiling.
“I know. They’re like my adopted grandparents.” Shane said smiling while he watched pop hobble back to the kitchen. His hobble concerned him because he wasn’t walking like that the last time he visited with them a few months ago. He made a mental note to ask pop what happened before he left.
“So tell me about your business that you’ve started.”
Shane couldn’t help but get caught up in Satra’s excitement. Her eyes were sparkling with curiosity and excitement and she had a huge smile on her face that showed both of her deep dimples as she leaned over the table as if she was about to hear the juiciest secret ever.
Smiling back at her Shane leaned over as well and began telling her.
“Well I’ll be doing consulting work. I have a good list of clients lined up, people I’ve made contact with over the years. I’ll provide advice not only on business acquisitions but also on how to grow, expand and market your business. I would like my firm to have a small legal staff that can give legal advice as well. I have so many ideas, so many other things I want to get into but for now this is the game plan.”
“That sounds wonderful and exciting. I can’t tell you how happy I am for you. You’re going to be great.”
Shane could see how proud she was of him in her eyes and her smile and it warmed his heart.
“Working with Di Amato showed me the ugly side of business acquisitions. I don’t want to be that ruthless, cold-hearted businessman. I want to help people make sound business choices and go about things the right way. I also want to help people st
art businesses, especially in the inner cities. I want to help and give back, not take jobs away from people.”
Satra’s heart swelled with pride for Shane. She tries not to assume anything about people, but she was guilty of thinking that some rich people were selfish and only looked to get richer. She thanked God that Shane is the complete opposite.
“I think what you’re doing and what you plan on doing is wonderful Shane. For one you don’t have to. You could easily do other things with your time and money, and you could’ve continued in your current career. But you have a big beautiful heart that cares about others, and for someone in your position that’s very rare to see.”
Shane was speechless. Those were the kindest words he’s heard in a long time, especially when it came to him pursuing his dreams. Sure his parents supported him but Satra was the first person to truly understand where he was coming from and not encourage him to make more money and continue to buy out companies to build an empire of his own.
Satra searched his eyes and studied his face as she waited for his response. She could tell that he was touched by the way his eyes softened towards her. Then he looked away and shifted in his seat, but not before Satra noticed his blush and his apparent discomfort. She smiled to herself but still waited patiently for his response.
“That was very kind of you to say, and it means a lot to hear that from you. I value your opinion more than you know Satra. I don’t have many friends or people that I trust, but I trust you and consider you a good friend.”
Now it was Satra’s turn to be rendered speechless. Her heart melted and the butterflies in her stomach were going crazy. She felt honored that Shane trusted her because she knew it wasn’t easy for him. She could only imagine how many people throughout his life have tried to get close to him simply because of who his family is. It’s a wonder he’s not cold and bitter, especially to women.
“Trust means everything to me, and I value your trust as well. Last night when you told me that you’ve been honest with me from day one and you wanted the same from me…I already knew that about you. I guess because you’ve done nothing but show me since the first time we met that I could trust you. Let’s make a pact right here, right now, to always be open and honest with each other no matter what. Deal?” Satra asked as she looked seriously in Shane’s eyes.
Smiling Shane said, “Deal.”
“We have to pinky swear on this,” Satra said as she put her pinky finger out to him. Shane chuckled and shook his head at this beautiful, quirky woman before him.
He put out his much bigger pinky finger and locked it with hers and they shook on their pact. He held on to her pinky when he spoke again.
“I’d love for you to see my office space. It’s an old warehouse converted into a loft and now an office. It’s really cool. I wanted to get away from the super corporate feel and bring a more relaxed vibe. I’ve been told that I’m so uptight and serious all the time, and I can admit that I am, but I want to change that. I want to show people and show my clients that there is another side to me. I’m not like Di Amato.”
Satra completely understood what Shane was saying. He was right; he was very serious and intense. She’d never forget the first time they met. Even though he offered small sexy smiles here and there, his face and his eyes were so serious and intense. She could tell he was a thinker, a brooder. He studied everything, including her. During dinner he seemed to relax a bit more as he asked questions about her personal life, something that seemed very forward considering they had just met. Shane was never afraid to say what was on his mind, and she loved that about him.
“I’d love to see your new space, and I think I think it’s a great idea to have a more relaxed atmosphere. It’ll help you and your employees to relax more, even smile more. You can be very intense at times Shane. It doesn’t hurt to relax a little.” Satra offered gently.
“I know, and part of it is just how I am. I’m always thinking, studying, trying to figure things and people out, and then the line of work I’m in made that part of my personality worse. It was like a double edged sword because it helped make me the successful business man that I am now, but it also alienated people from me.”
Satra could hear the regret and sadness in his voice and it made her want to get up and give him a big hug.
Shane looked deeply into Satra’s eyes. He not only wanted to change for himself, but for her. But he knew one thing wouldn’t change – how intense his feelings were for her. He didn’t know how much longer he could go without claiming her lips. He didn’t know how much longer he could keep his hands to himself when he ached to touch and caress her whenever he was around her. He didn’t know how many more nights he could endure not having her in his arms.
Clearing his throat Shane continued.
“Anyway, I’m in the process of decorating and picking out furniture. I’d love to have your input. I need a woman’s touch and opinion. I’ve already let my mom and sister have a hand in decorating certain parts of my house, and they have similar taste. I want something different for my office space, something more my style.”
“I hear you.” Satra tried to get a mental picture of Shane’s office space and how to inject his sense of style and personality into it. If there was one thing Satra was sure of it was the fact that Shane Evans was a man with a lot of style and impeccable taste. She never considered herself to be Suzie Homemaker but she had an eye for style and fashion. She was getting excited and Shane could see it in her eyes and he smiled at her.
“Just tell me when and where and I’m there. I think I have some things in mind already,” Satra said confidently.
“Great, I’ll call you later in the week to see what your schedule is like and then we can go check it out and you can share your ideas with me.”
“Sounds good,” Satra said smiling.
“I was going to wait till later to bring this up, but since we’re being open and honest we might as well get this over with now…” Shane stated warily.
Satra’s face frowned up in confusion, as she had no clue as to what he was talking about. Nervousness began to take over as her mind raced about what he could possibly be talking about.
Reaching into his suit jacket he took out a paper that was folded and opened it up before handing it to her. It was his copy of the Manhattan Social Elite paper. When he saw it earlier that morning he couldn’t take his eyes off of Satra and how beautiful she looked, and how honored he felt to have her on his arm. He was not, however, expecting them to make it on the front page of the damn paper. Then as he read the article he quickly realized why. He’s still considered one of the most eligible and richest bachelors in New York, so to be seen with someone new and someone that he was clearly interested in was news. But front-page news? Shane felt there were more important things going on besides a person’s personal life.
Satra gasped and covered her mouth as she looked at the paper. Her eyes were big from shock as she looked at Shane. All he could do was shrug his shoulders and smile.
“We made the front page? Are you kidding me?? I thought we’d just be inside of the paper somewhere in a collage of pictures, not on the front page!!”
She quickly found the article about the ball and saw the article about Shane being the richest available bachelor in New York, followed by 2 more big color pictures of them. Of course the sexiest, most intimate poses the photographer took were the ones the paper selected.
“Wow…”
“That’s the same thing I said,” Shane said in agreement. “But it was more for how beautiful you looked.”
Satra looked up at him at his sweet words and smiled.
“Thank you,” she said softly.
“And of course inquiring minds want to know who the mystery woman is on the most eligible bachelor’s arm. Now the fun really begins.” Satra moaned.
Frowning at her words Shane said, “I’ll make sure your privacy is protected Satra. They can probe into my background all they want – I’m used to it, but yo
u’re off limits. Trust me.”
Shane’s stern voice and the matter of fact way in which he spoke left no doubt in Satra’s mind that he meant what he said about protecting her, and it gave her warm goose bumps all over her body.
“I trust you, and I didn’t mean to sound like I was ashamed to be seen or photographed with you. I loved it. I just wasn’t expecting this,” she said as she pointed to the front page and handed him back the paper.
“I know Bella. Hopefully it’ll all blow over soon, and if it doesn’t I’ll make sure it does.”
“It must be hard, having your life probed and looked into with a microscope constantly,” Satra said softly. She was thinking the words to herself before she realized she said them out loud. Her eyes met Shane’s and she was about to apologize when he began to speak. He smiled and held his hand up letting her know that her question was okay.
“At times it can be hard, especially when lies are being written about you and your family, and there’s more lies written than truth. But like I said, I’m used to it and I know how to handle it now. When I was younger I was a hot head and was ready to fight about every lie written about my family.”
“Well that’s understandable. No one wants their family slandered, especially so publicly in a newspaper. So, most eligible bachelor huh?” Satra smirked with an eyebrow raised.
“Here we go,” Shane said as he ran a nervous hand through his hair.
“I’m just going by what the paper says.” Satra said in mock defense.
Just then Ma was back with their breakfast. The food was piping hot and smelled heavenly.
“Saved by the food,” Shane said smiling his million-watt smile.
Satra chuckled and shook her head. She had a smart comment but soon forgot it at the sight and smell of their breakfast.
“Everything looks and smells so good.”
Shane nodded in agreement. “Wait till you taste it and you’ll see why I get the same thing every time I come here.”
Shane took her hand into his and bowed his head and said a quick prayer over their food so they could eat. The man never ceased to amaze her. After they said, “Amen” Satra looked at him and smiled and said, “Thank you for praying for us.”