“My grandmother died long before I was born. Cancer. I didn’t see my grandfather much growing up. He’d come around every Christmas to hand me a few overpriced gifts, and that was about it. He barely said a word to my dad, and he didn’t even acknowledge my mother. He died when I was ten, and we were shocked to find that he’d listed me as his sole beneficiary. He had no other family aside from me and my father, so he chose to leave me every penny in hopes I’d make something out of myself, unlike my dad. That’s how he probably saw it, anyhow. I think his will was kind of a ‘fuck you’ to my father, to be perfectly honest. He even left me his estate on twenty acres of land.”
“How did your parents take it?” Eva asked, captivated by his story.
“They were actually happy that he left everything to me. My parents made next to nothing, so it‘s not like they could exactly save for my future,” Devon replied as he picked away at his meal between sentences. “Mom and dad loved each other so much. Storybook couple, only… no money. I know they wanted me to do better than them.”
“They must be proud of you now,” Eva commented with a warm smile. Devon’s face sank, and she instantly realized she’d spoken too soon.
“I’d like to think so, wherever they are.” He stopped and took a long look at his cup, fiddling with the straw as a sadness washed over him. “They died in a car accident when I was only fourteen. Some drunk guy swerved into their lane, and…” He paused in thought, obviously reliving the memory, and his lower lip began to quiver as he fought back tears. “I remember getting the news. Two police officers showed up at my apartment and I knew something bad had happened. Anyhow, yeah, that messed me up pretty bad. It’s also the reason I don’t drive, which probably sounds stupid. Ever since their accident I’ve had this insane phobia of driving. I get behind a steering wheel and just panic.”
“Ah, so that’s why you have a driver take you everywhere,” Eva pointed towards the town car waiting just outside. Despite the tragedy of his story, she was relieved to learn that his private chauffer served a deeper purpose than simple vanity.
“Bingo. I wound up being placed into foster care and bounced from home to home until I finally hit eighteen, which is also when my grandfather’s inheritance was released to me.” He shoved a few fries into his mouth while avoiding Eva’s eyes.
“I’m so sorry about your parents,” Eva said compassionately. “That’s awful. You wound up using the money to put yourself through college though, right?”
“Nah,” Devon replied with a dismissive wave of his hand. “It just wasn’t for me. High school was hard enough, so I figured I’d skip the humiliation of failing out of college. How about you? You seem like a bright girl. Any college under your belt?”
“No, but I’m hoping I can start taking some classes soon,” she answered. “I was an avid reader in high school and always got good grades.” She finished her burger and picked at her fries while mulling over Devon’s incredible life. “I’m surprised to hear you didn’t go to college. You come across as such a smart guy.”
“Me? Ha. I did lousy in high school. Well, not lousy, but I certainly wasn’t an honor student,” he admitted with a degree of embarrassment and hastily clarified, “It’s not because I’m an idiot. It was just hard bouncing from school to school, you know?”
“Understandable,” Eva agreed as she sucked down the rest of her drink.
“I’ve always been somewhat of an autodidact. Meaning, I prefer to teach myself. I’d shut myself in my room after school and just read for hours. Anything I could get my hands on, really. It was my escapism,” he explained.
“So, how did you get started with the real estate thing, then?” she asked.
“I’ve always loved the idea of buying property and fixing it up,” he smiled. “Growing up in such a poor neighborhood, I used to dream about making the whole area better. Turning those run-down houses into places people could be proud to live in. When my grandfather’s money transferred over to me on my eighteenth birthday, that’s when I realized I could make my fantasy into a reality. My first few investments were a nightmare, to say the least. I had no idea what I was doing and wound up losing a ton of money. Maybe I should have gone to college after all,” he laughed.
“Obviously you got the hang of it, though,” Eva joked while gesturing towards his suit.
“Eventually, yes. I own over eighty properties now but they only started turning a profit two years ago. Better late then never, right?” he grinned. “How about we get out of here?” he asked with a nod towards the exit. “Unless you’re still hungry? No rush.”
“No, I’m good, thank you,” she answered politely as she scooted out of the both. He emptied their tray into the nearest trash bin and waved a small thank you to the cashier while mouthing the two words. Eva took note of his kindness towards the working class and felt a sudden surge of excitement shoot through her body. She’d expected the worst from this man, yet with every passing minute she found him growing more attractive. He held the restaurant’s door open for her in his typical chivalrous fashion and lead her back to the waiting town car.
“Thank you again for coming here with me,” he said as he settled into the back seat next to her. “It really meant the world to me.”
“Thank you for taking me,” she replied as she admired his handsome face. There was a happiness in his blue eyes that she hadn’t yet seen since meeting the man. For the first time, he looked truly content and she couldn’t take her gaze off of him as the car’s engine started.
“Can I take you one other place?” he asked while shifting towards her slightly. “We don’t have to stay long. It’s somewhere else that means a lot to me, and I think you’ll like it, too.”
“Of course,” Eva answered affectionately. She could no longer deny that she was smitten by this tall, powerful, yet gentle man whose character she’d so greatly misjudged. His upbringing had been rougher and far more tragic than hers, and she couldn’t help but feel ashamed for having stereotyped a person with such a big heart.
Devon whispered something Eva couldn’t distinguish into his driver’s ear, and the car began its slow roll away from Burger World. As they rode towards their new destination, they made small talk while watching the streets pass them by. The conversation between them was far less awkward now than it had been at the beginning of the night, but she could sense he was still nervous.
“I have an idea,” she blurted suddenly.
“Oh?” he replied with a raised brow.
“Sir, can you stop at that store?” she leaned in to ask the driver while pointing to a small market just ahead. He nodded and flipped his right blinker on while slowing down to turn into the convenience store’s parking lot.
“What are you doing?” Devon asked in confused amusement.
“I’ll be right back,” she said, flashing him a big smile. “Don’t you go anywhere.”
She bolted out of the car and hurried into the twenty-four hour market, returning less than three minutes later carrying a brown paper bag.
“What’s this?” Devon wondered with a chuckle.
“These,” she began as she reached into the bag, “are for you.” She pulled out two ten-dollar bottles of wine and Devon erupted in laughter at the sight of them.
“Awesome!” he exclaimed as she passed the bottles to him. “Have I ever told you that I love the way you think?”
“You looked like you could use a drink,” she giggled as she fished into the bag for the cheap corkscrew she’d also purchased.
“That obvious, huh?” he asked, unable to shake the smile from his face. “And you’ve officially spent more on this date than I have now, damn you,” he quipped.
“Yeah, well, it came out of that three hundred you gave me so it’s kind of like you bought yourself those drinks,” she smirked. Devon began laughing uncontrollably, his deep cackling contagious, and Eva couldn’t help herself from joining him until her face hurt and a tear streamed down her cheek. Wiping it from her eye and ta
king a deep breath, she glanced at the driver and was surprised to find him chuckling as well.
“Do you mind?” Devon asked as he held up one of the wine bottles.
“Hey, you’re not driving so go right ahead,” Eva replied and watched as Devon used the corkscrew in conjunction with his strong hands to easily open the bottle. Tilting his head back, he placed the bottle to his lips and gulped down a quarter of it within seconds.
“God, that’s so good,” he whispered to himself while reading the bottle’s label and shaking his head in approval. Realizing Eva was watching him, he looked at how much wine he’d just chugged and blushed in nervous concern. “Don’t worry, I’m not a drunk. I just needed something to—”
“It’s okay,” Eva interrupted as she took the bottle from his hand. In one quick movement she threw her head back and poured the tart liquid down her throat until the bottle was half empty. “Damn, that is good,” she agreed as the two shared yet another laugh.
Five minutes later, the first bottle of wine was gone and they’d reached their destination. The sun had set, but stepping out of the car Eva instantly recognized the city’s famous Windsor Bridge. Named after the philanthropist that made it possible, the impressive bridge stretched for over a quarter of a mile and connected the city’s larger east side from its smaller west side. They were standing in a small park area by the riverbed below the bridge, and it occurred to her that she’d never seen it, or the city, from this perspective. Lights from the high-rises that jutted up from across the calm river bounced off the water, and Eva could hear the faint sound of cars whizzing back and forth across the bridge overhead.
“Wow,” Eva gasped as the two took a seat on a small bench overlooking the river. “I’ve driven over that bridge more times than I can count and I never realized this place was here,” she said as she looked around the small park.
“I come here to think sometimes,” he mused with a far-off look. His eyes were fixed on the river, but she could tell his mind was elsewhere. “It helps clear my mind,” he added solemnly. Eva wondered if he might be thinking about his parents.
“I can see that,” she agreed as she took in the silhouette of the city’s skyline. “It’s so peaceful here.”
“Indeed it is,” he said, and took a quick look around before opened the remaining bottle of wine they’d brought along with them.
“So, tell me,” Eva began slowly. “Are you really single? I have to ask because it just seems so hard to believe.”
“I was with a girl for a long time,” he answered, his eyes growing somber and distant. “But it didn’t work out.”
“What happened?” Eva asked softly.
“Oh, you know.” He paused to take a swig from the bottle with a sadness on his face, the reason for which Eva couldn‘t quite ascertain. “Nothing worth talking about,” he added before turning the question around on her. “What about you? There has to be some lucky man in your life.”
“Nope,” she laughed as she reached for the bottle and took a sip. “I’m pretty terrible at the whole dating thing.”
“Why’s that?” he questioned as she passed the bottle back to him.
“Eh. I don’t know, really. I’m too defensive, I guess. Maybe it’s because my dad walked out on me when I was young. Okay, well, he didn’t exactly walk out. He was thrown in prison for trying to rob a store with his idiot friends. Still, I think that might be the reason I have a hard time letting people in. Maybe not,” she sighed.
“That makes sense,” Devon replied understandingly. “And I know firsthand just how defensive you are,” he laughed.
“Sorry,” she said with a nervous smile.
“Don’t be,” he was quick to comfort. “You’ve had it rough, too. We’re cut from the same cloth in a lot of ways.”
“Only your cloth is a lot more expensive now,” she joked, pointing at his suit. “What is that, Armani?”
“This?” he questioned while pulling on the right lapel of his jacket. “I honestly have no idea. I walked into a Men’s Wearhouse and basically said, ‘I need a suit.’ This is what I walked out with.” They shared a laugh as they continued passing the bottle back and forth.
“I have to confess… I really misread you.” Eva opened up thanks to the alcohol. “I figured you were some rich snob, but instead I was the snob for having judged you so harshly. I feel kind of dumb.”
“Don’t,” he reassured her. “Most people with money are snobs. At least the ones I’ve encountered, anyway.” Glancing down at his suit he added, “I’m not even comfortable in this thing. I wear it to keep up appearances, that’s about it. I’m more of a jeans and a t-shirt kind of guy.”
They sat on the bench absorbing the beauty of the city and sharing the wine until the bottle was empty. Eva could tell the alcohol had calmed his nerves, and climbing back into the town car they both found themselves giggling drunkenly.
“Oh, man, I never drink this much,” he said as he ditched his tie and unbuttoned his shirt halfway, revealing the light green t-shirt he’d been concealing underneath it. Even in the low light, Eva could easily distinguish the logo sprawled across the chest.
“Are you wearing a Goonies shirt?” she asked in disbelief.
“Yeah,” he answered in embarrassment. “Pretty lame, huh?”
“Are you kidding me? That’s one of my favorite movies!” Eva exclaimed in excitement.
“No way,” he replied incredulously. “You?” he asked with a raised eyebrow.
“You know us black people watch the same movies as you white people, right?” she replied in jest.
“I mean because you’re a few years younger than me,” he clarified. “It’s my favorite movie and I wear this shirt when I want to feel more secure, as idiotic as that sounds.”
“That’s insanely cute,” she said with a big grin. At that moment she knew this strong yet gentle man had managed to steal a piece of her heart. As the car made its way across town back to her apartment building, the two recounted, along with reenacted, the film’s most iconic scenes while cracking each other up in the process. The evening had begun with her having no real desire to see this Devon Cross again, yet as the night wound to an end she was surprised to find herself looking forward to another date.
The town car pulled alongside her building and Devon politely helped her out, both of them still feeling the effects of the alcohol. He walked her up the stoop and they stood there together, both searching for the right words to express their goodbyes.
“Can I see you again?” he blurted, his nerves once again revealing themselves despite the wine coursing through his body.
“I’d like that,” she replied with a smile.
“When?” he asked excitedly. “Is tomorrow too soon?”
She could tell by the look on his face that he immediately regretting adding the second part and was silently chastising himself for appearing too eager.
“Tomorrow’s fine, silly,” she answered soothingly while placing a comforting hand on his cheek. “Perfect, really. I have the whole day off so I’ll be free anytime.”
“Nice!” he fired back while thrusting his hands towards the sky in victory.
“Calm down, mister,” she laughed as she stared into his captivating blue eyes. “What did you have in mind?”
“I’d like to have you over for dinner. I want to cook for you. Then I say we make some popcorn and watch a movie. Good?” he asked with a hopeful look.
“Good,” she chuckled, watching the worry vanish from his face.
“I’ll text you so you have my number. Let’s do eight o’clock tomorrow, if that’s not too late for you.”
“I’m not an old woman,” she joked. “Eight works for me.”
“Do you know why eight hates seven?” he asked suddenly. Eva looked at him with a puzzled look on her face.
“What?” she said in confusion.
“Because seven eight nine! Get it? Seven ate nine?” he explained, laughing at his own stupid joke.
&n
bsp; “You’re so dumb!” she giggled uncontrollably while playfully batting at his shoulder.
“Seriously, thank you for tonight,” he said when their laughter faded. “I had an amazing time.”
He leaned in as if to kiss her, but wrapped his strong arms around her in a warm embrace instead. She returned the hug, feeling his powerful body press into hers, and her pulse raised as she squeezed him.
“Thank you,” she whispered softly into his ear. “Thank you so much.”
He glided down the front steps and turned to flash her a half-drunken smile along with a cheesy thumbs-up before climbing into the town car’s back seat. She watched the car speed away and hurried upstairs, still lightheaded from the drinks, to tell Burley all about her evening. She desperately wanted to call Destiny to give her a play-by-play of her date, but was worried she’d wake her friend by calling at such a late hour. That call would have to wait until tomorrow, and with her head spinning she walked Burley to let him do his business, headed back upstairs, and collapsed in bed. Tired from the wine, she drifted off to sleep while reliving the unexpectedly good time she’d had with the sweet man she’d so greatly mischaracterized.
Chapter Five
The following day she awoke with a mild hangover to find a text message from Devon Cross thanking her once again for a wonderful time. He’d sent it a half an hour after dropping her off the night before, but she’d been sound asleep by then. She hastily replied, and he returned the text within minutes. They spent the day casually texting each other as she straightened up her apartment in between playing with Burley to pass the time. Knowing Destiny was working, she shot her a text as well and asked her to call whenever she took her next break. At three in the afternoon, her phone finally phone rang and she relayed the events of her odd yet exciting date while Destiny listened attentively to every word and, as always, offered her support. For years she’d been pushing Eva to venture outside of her comfort zone and date a man who could offer her the finer things in life, and she was thrilled to hear her friend had finally done just that.
Misjudging the Billionaire - (Contemporary BWWM Romance) Page 6