“That sounds like you think I’m poor.”
I made an exaggerated face that wasn’t lost on the waitress as she approached.
“Would you like a glass of wine to start?”
“That sounds great,” Griffin said. “Bring us a bottle of your house red.”
“Absolutely.”
I pursed my lips as I watched her go. She was pretty and her skirt was tight. The smile she graced Griffin with was fun and flirty even though she barely looked at me. Griffin didn’t seem to notice.
“What were we talking about again?” I asked. I was hoping he’d be willing to change the subject. I didn’t get that lucky.
“We were talking about you thinking I’m poor.”
I scowled. “Griffin, that’s not what I said,” I argued. “You seem to forget that I grew up in a family where no one paid attention to money. When I moved out on my own, my father insisted I had to pay for things myself because he wanted me to remain at Grimlock Manor with him. That was his form of punishment.
“I had a decent job before I got laid off, and I could afford things,” I continued. “This would’ve been a stretch then. I just … don’t want you to feel like you have to shower me with expensive meals or something. I’m not picky.”
“You’re the pickiest person I know,” Griffin countered, his expression unreadable. “I appreciate what you just said, but we don’t eat out at expensive restaurants very often. Jerry cooks for us half of the time and you’re perfectly happy with coney dogs and chili fries the other half. I like that about you.
“Still, I can afford a nice dinner once in a while,” he said. “Can’t you just let me splurge without making a big deal about it?”
“Okay.” I held up my hands in a placating manner. “I’m sorry.”
“Thank you.”
“I’m totally having the crab legs, though,” I warned. “They’re all you can eat.”
“Stuff your pretty mouth with whatever you want,” Griffin said. “That means you’ll be quiet because you’ll be chewing.”
I narrowed my eyes. “Excuse me?”
“Have I ever told you that you’re my favorite person in the world?” Griffin asked, smoothly switching topics. “You’re beautiful, smart and you swear like a teenaged boy when he’s away from his mother.”
I couldn’t decide if that was a compliment. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome,” Griffin said, closing his menu. “I’m getting steak and crab legs. I’m going all out, too.”
He was clearly in a good mood – and hungry. I decided against ruining the relaxing ambiance. “We should come here again in the summer,” I suggested, glancing out the dark window. Late fall in Michigan means the daylight flees early. “They have a great patio.”
“We can do that,” Griffin said, capturing my hand over the table. “I just realized that you never got a chance to tell me about your day before Aidan and Jerry showed up. What put you in such a bad mood?”
“I’m not in a bad mood.”
Griffin arched a challenging eyebrow. “You’re certainly not in a good mood.”
I sighed, resigned. “It was fine until the last job,” I said. “The woman – her name was Petunia, if you can believe that – made me send a series of nasty emails before she agreed to go. She wanted to make sure all of her enemies knew exactly what she thought of them.”
“And, what? Does that make you sad because it’s such a horrible commentary on humanity?”
“No. It makes me want to send those emails to my enemies now,” I replied, earning a headshake from Griffin. “I’m going to start composing Angelina’s when we get home tonight.”
Angelina Davenport is that arch nemesis I mentioned earlier. We battled throughout elementary school … and middle school … and high school, for that matter. I thought I got rid of her and then she decided to date my brother Cillian, ultimately cheating with other people and leaving him broken hearted. That should’ve been the end of our story, but because she still lives in the area I always managed to run into her. We’re like really hissy magnets that can’t stop pulling each other’s hair.
“I think that’s a great idea,” Griffin said, taking me by surprise. “I can’t wait to hear the message.”
“You think it’s a good idea?”
“I do.”
I didn’t believe him for a second. “You do not.”
“I do,” Griffin challenged. “I think you should put every mean thought down in words. It will make you feel better. You’ll never send it to her, though. That would lessen the drama in your life and you thrive on drama.”
That was a horrible thing to say. “I do not.”
Griffin didn’t immediately reply as he leaned back in the booth and locked gazes with me. It was as if he was daring me to continue the argument. Because I’d never met an argument I was willing to lose, I was happy to oblige.
“I don’t like drama,” I said. “It simply seems to find me.”
“Oh, whatever,” Griffin scoffed, snickering. “You love drama. That entire goodbye scene with Jerry tonight was filled with drama.”
“Hey, I’m going to miss him.”
“You’re going to see him just as much when we move,” Griffin argued. “You two are codependent and joined at the hip. Nothing will keep you apart.”
He said that as though it was a bad thing. “I just … for a long time, he was the one person who was always there for me,” I explained. “I was fighting with my dad and when my mom died … .”
Griffin’s expression softened. “It’s okay, baby,” he said, tightening his grip on my hand. “I’m sorry. That was unfair. I think the living conditions are wearing on me, too. We have a lot going on and a very small roof. It’s going to be so much better once we’re in our townhouse full time.”
“I know,” I said, smiling. “I’m just being difficult because … well … that’s what I do.”
“I know,” Griffin said, wrinkling his nose as he leaned over to give me a quick kiss. “Other than the mean woman with the emails, did anything else go wrong?”
His cop instincts were kicking in. I could feel it. He sensed I wasn’t telling him the complete story about my day. I was purposely leaving out a very important part because I knew it would make him nervous. I didn’t want to lie, but I also didn’t want to ruin our fancy dinner. “Can we wait to talk about that until later?”
Griffin ran his thumb over his lip as he regarded me. “I’m not going to like it, am I?”
“Probably not.”
“Okay, we’ll enjoy our dinner first,” Griffin said. “You’re going to tell me what happened once it’s just the two of us, though. I knew you were hiding something.”
“I wasn’t hiding anything,” I argued. “I was merely … picking my moment.”
“Oh, that’s cute,” Griffin said. “I’m going to pick my moment to put my boot in your behind if you’re not careful.”
I offered him an exaggerated eye roll. “You get more and more like my father every day. You know that, right?”
“I’m fine with that,” Griffin said, smiling as the waitress approached. “Eat up, baby. I have a feeling you’re going to need a lot of strength to get through the rest of the night.”
Sadly, that could be both a good and bad thing depending on how well he took my news.
“UGH. You’re going to have to roll me home. If I don’t unbutton these pants, I’m going to explode.”
I’ve never considered myself a prim and proper girl, but the look on Griffin’s face when I groaned and leaned back against the booth seat told me I’d probably stepped over some “proper girlfriend” line.
Instead of admonishing me, though, he burst out laughing.
“What?”
“I just love you,” Griffin said, taking me by surprise with his fortitude. “You say whatever comes to your mind, you don’t care what other people think and there are times when I legitimately worry you might be homicidal.”
“Um … thank
“You’re also cute, fun, sweet and loyal,” Griffin added. “Together that makes a mighty appealing package.”
I couldn’t help but wonder if he’d been drinking more wine than I realized. “Are you drunk? Do I need to drive us home?”
Griffin’s smile slipped. “I’m not drunk,” he said. “I was trying to be romantic and have a moment.”
“Oh, well, you don’t usually do that,” I pointed out. “I wasn’t expecting it and didn’t recognize the gesture. I’m sorry. If you want to try again, I’m willing to listen.”
“Oh, no,” Griffin said, shaking his head. “I’m done being romantic tonight. When we get home I’m going to demand you get naked and service me. Your window for romance is over.”
I pursed my lips to keep from laughing. “Now that’s a sentiment I recognize.”
“You’re such a pain,” Griffin muttered, although he didn’t look particularly upset as he surveyed our empty plates. We both ate nearly our weight in crab legs, steak and potatoes. “I hate to say it, but I kind of want to unbutton my pants, too.”
I giggled as I rubbed my cheek. “Yeah. We were kind of piggish, huh?”
“Meh. That’s why you only splurge once in a while,” Griffin said, digging into his back pocket for his wallet. “I’ll pay and then we can get out of here.”
“So you can romance me at home?”
“I’m going to romance the crap out of you,” Griffin said.
“Oh, that’s the sweetest thing you’ve ever said to me,” I cooed, grinning. “I’m going to run to the bathroom while you’re paying. I’ll meet you in the lobby.”
Griffin nodded. “I’m looking forward to it … especially if you can’t get your pants buttoned again when you’re done.”
“And I was worried you would think I was a pig.”
After finishing my business and washing my hands, I shuffled to the lobby to find Griffin. I had no idea if he was still at the table or in the men’s room, so I leaned against a wall to wait. I was lost in thought – Griffin’s promise of romance warring with the increasingly uncomfortable feeling of my pants cutting off circulation to my midriff – when a man opened the bathroom door and strode past me.
I didn’t bother looking at his face. The sight of his expensive black suit told me he wasn’t Griffin. When he stopped in his tracks and swiveled around, though, I could almost feel his gaze on me even as I purposely avoided eye contact. I couldn’t help but wonder if he sensed my pants were going to lose the battle, too.
“Aisling Grimlock?”
I jerked my head in his direction, my forehead creasing as I studied his handsome features. He looked to be about my age, dark brown hair touching the back of his suit collar and expressive green eyes searching my face. I didn’t recognize him, yet there was something familiar about him. “I … do I know you?”
“I should hope so,” the man said, stepping closer. “It’s me.”
“You’re going to have to be more specific. I know a lot of mes.”
“Nathan Waldorf,” the man prodded, pressing his lips together as he waited for my crab-besotted mind to work properly. “We went to high school together.”
That’s when things clicked into place. “Nate?”
“I go by Nathan now, but yeah,” Nathan said, holding his arms open to give me a hug. “I can’t believe you’re here … and how hot you look.”
I eyed him a moment before reluctantly surrendering to the hug. I wasn’t much of a hugger, even when I didn’t feel as if my pants were going to rip. Now it was just plain uncomfortable. Still, he seemed to expect it. “You look good, too,” I offered. “How long has it been?”
“I don’t think I’ve seen you since the senior party,” Nathan said. “What have you been up to? Do you still live with your father?”
Well, that was rather insulting. “I live in Royal Oak,” I replied. “I do work for my father, though. I joined the family business.”
“And what was that again?” Nathan furrowed his brow. “Antiques, right?”
“Antiques, antiquities, a little of this and that,” I answered. No one in high school had understood the real nature of my family and how we made a living, and I wanted to keep it that way. “What have you been up to?”
“I’m a real estate developer,” Nathan explained. “I moved to California for a few years, but I’m back full time now. I’m looking for a house in the old neighborhood but am renting until I can find a place.”
The old neighborhood was where we both grew up. That meant he had money, and for some reason it felt as if he wanted me to know it. “Well, that’s great,” I said. “Maybe I’ll see you around when I’m visiting my dad. I’m there at least once a week for dinner.”
“Wait … where are you going?” Nathan looked surprised by my overt lack of interest in hearing about his house hunt. “I thought we could have dinner together and catch up. I’m supposed to be having a business meeting here, but I can take care of things in five minutes flat.”
“Oh, that’s nice,” I said. “I already ate, though. I’m just waiting for my boyfriend.”
Nathan stilled. “Your boyfriend? I see.” He glanced around. “Is he in the restroom?”
For a second, I couldn’t help but wonder if he thought I was making up a relationship to dodge him. I couldn’t be sure, though, and I often think the worst of people because … well … most of them are asshats. “I’m not sure,” I answered honestly. “He was paying while I went to the restroom and now I’m waiting for him.”
“Oh, well, I’ll wait with you.”
“That’s not really necessary.”
“I insist.”
I fought the urge to roll my eyes as I stared at the hardwood floor in front of the hostess stand. I didn’t know Nathan all that well when we went to high school and I certainly didn’t care about getting to know him now. We clearly didn’t run in the same circles.
“So, um, do you see anyone from high school?” Nathan asked, breaking the uncomfortable silence.
“I live with Jerry, but only for a couple more days,” I answered.
“Oh, are you moving out here?” Nathan looked hopeful.
“I’m moving into the townhouse next door with my boyfriend,” I answered. “Aidan is moving in with Jerry. They’re a couple now.”
“Oh, wow. That’s …neat.”
I could tell Nathan thought the exact opposite. “It works out nicely,” I said, blowing out a sigh. This forced interaction was becoming more and more uncomfortable. “You don’t have to wait with me. Griffin will be here any second.”
“Oh, I can’t leave you alone in a restaurant,” Nathan said. “It’s not gentlemanly.”
“Whatever,” I muttered, relieved when the bathroom door opened and Griffin ambled out. “There you are. I was starting to worry.” I hurried over to his side as he fixed me with an odd look. “Are you ready?”
“What’s your hurry?” Griffin asked. “I thought you could barely move because of all the food you ate.”
I made a face and glanced at Nathan. “I’m just ready to go home.”
“You must be the boyfriend,” Nathan said, approaching Griffin with an outstretched hand. “I’m Nathan Waldorf. I went to high school with Aisling.”
“Griffin Taylor.” The two men shook hands and sized up one another. “So you knew Aisling back when she was a teenager, huh? Was she cute?”
“She had her moments,” Nathan replied, smiling. “She was always threatening to kill another girl we went to school with. I always thought it was funny.”
“Angelina?”
“How did you know?”
Griffin shrugged. “Some things never change,” he said. “It was nice to meet you, though. We should probably be going.”
“Okay.” Nathan bobbed his head. He seemed amiable and yet there was something about the way he eyed Griffin that I didn’t like. “I hope to see you around, Aisling.”
I grabbed Griffin’s hand and tugged him toward the door. “Yeah, that would be great,” I said. “I’m sure that will be a banner day in the neighborhood.”
4
Four
“So, do you want to tell me about your friend?”
Griffin stripped out of his shirt and pants and discarded them next to the mattress on the floor. We’d been busy painting the townhouse and getting ready for the big move, but there was very little furniture inside. Still, it was cozy, and the idea of a fun campout on the floor held appeal.
I shrugged as I pulled my top over my head and kicked off my shoes. When I unbuttoned my pants, I actually groaned because it was such a relief. “Holy crap! Why did you let me eat so much?”
“Oh, please,” Griffin scoffed. “No one could’ve gotten between you and those crab legs. You barely took the time to douse them in butter before inhaling them. I thought there was a legitimate danger of you choking.”
He had a point. “It was good,” I said, flopping on the mattress next to him and linking my fingers with his. I knew he was feeling romantic, but I wasn’t quite there yet. “Thank you.”
“You don’t have to thank me for buying you dinner,” Griffin said. “You just have to tell me what your deal is with the guy in the lobby.”
That was better than telling him about seeing my mother, so I gladly acquiesced. “We went to high school together. There isn’t much to tell. He insisted on waiting in the lobby with me, and I’m pretty sure he thought I was making you up.”
Griffin snorted. “Why would you do that?”
“Because I wasn’t known for having a lot of boyfriends in high school thanks to my brothers,” I replied. “I really only hung out with Aidan and Jerry. People found me … standoffish.”
“Oh, I can’t believe that,” Griffin said, moving our joined hands up so he could rest them on his chest. “He seemed … odd, though. You acted as if you couldn’t wait to get away from him.”
“He was making me a little uncomfortable.”
“Why?”
“I don’t know if I can explain it, but … all of the guys I went to high school with were royal douches,” I said. “I grew up in an affluent area and all people cared about was what kind of car you drove and how expensive your shoes were.
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