“When you were in Italy, did you notice certain types of meats they offered on their menus in restaurants?” he asks with a twinkle in his eye.
“If you are referring to the meat known as horse that they serve, then yes, I stayed far, far away from eating that there,” I confirm with all seriousness.
He continues to laugh as the waiter arrives with our main entrees. The look of shock must have crossed my face, because the waiter immediately asks me if everything is okay.
“Fine, thank you,” I say in another fake, ridiculously high voice. The food is anything but fine. Not only is the portion size of my main entree smaller than my hand, but it looks like a small shrimp fetus in an embryo. There is no way in hell I am eating this. I look up at Cal, who is equaling eyeing my food with a questionable look.
“Cal, I will be more than happy to pay for my food, but I am NOT eating this. Sorry to not be able to entertain you further.”
He takes a bite of his steak, closes his eyes in happiness and just smiles while chewing with his mouth closed. Some woman might find his reaction rude, but I can’t help but smile at him.
“Tell you what, Jenna. After I finish this succulent, juicy, melt in your mouth, steak, I will take you to the pub for some french fries and ice cream.”
“Do not tease a girl with french fries, Cal. You might get hurt if you don’t deliver,” I warn, as french fries sound divine right now.
“I always make sure I deliver with the upmost satisfaction,” he says with another wicked smile. I drink the rest of my wine, trying to ignore the butterflies he gives me when he looks at me that way.
He finishes his meal, and the waiter comes to clear our plates. We decline dessert and Cal refuses to let me pay. We get up to leave and I immediately feel those stares on us as we walk through the restaurant. Cal grabs my elbow to guide me out of the restaurant that I do not plan on ever going to again. At some point, Randall returns during our walk to ask if we need assistance getting anywhere. He escorts us to the pub and talks to the hostess. The pub is packed with people watching soccer and rugby. She escorts us to a booth that is surrounded with TV’s, much to Cal’s delight.
“Rugby and Guinness, Jenna! This is my kind of place.” He rubs his hands together like an adorable little boy does when seeing birthday presents.
“This place seems like a lot of fun,” I agree, excited to have some bar food, and happy to hear that he prefers this type of atmosphere over fancy restaurants. We order some drinks and food and settle into our booth. Cal asks me if I know about rugby and I admit I don’t. He proceeds to explain the rules to me, but I am too distracted by him to retain anything he tells me. A few minutes later, the waiter comes back with our order ,and I dive right into my cider and french fries. So happy am I that I let out a small moan of sheer bliss.
“If I would have known earlier that cider and fries were going to make you this happy, we would have come here first,” he says, as he plops a french fry in his mouth.
“We didn’t know our experience with the French restaurant was going to be so interesting.” I shrug as if it was no big deal that I didn’t like any of the food.
“My dinner was quite delicious.”
“Glad to hear someone’s was.” I take a sip of my drink while he laughs. The crowd in the bar starts booing at one of the TVs and I immediately ask Cal what happened.
“There’s an infringement,” Cal says while looking at the TV.
“What’s an infringement?” I ask, confused as I take another bite of a fry.
“Didn’t you pay any attention to me when I was explaining the rules?”
“Nope. Your good looks were distracting me,” I boldly tell him, realizing that I am getting tipsy if I just said that out loud.
“Ah, well, thank you. Happy to hear that you think so.” The look he’s giving me makes me shift in my seat. I take another sip of my drink. No more drinks, Jenna, or you might be saying and doing things you don’t need to be doing.
Two more drinks later, and I am almost to the point of being drunk. We finally decide to leave the pub after Cal’s favorite team wins. Randall magically appears again to escort us through the hotel. The hotel seems to be even busier than earlier. Cal offers me his arm to hold, as we weave our way through the crowd.
“The night is still young. Should we go for that ice cream I promised you earlier?”
“I can’t eat or drink anything else.” I place my hand on my protruding stomach, noting that I must work out tomorrow since I ate almost two baskets of fries by myself.
“What about we go back to my place and watch a movie?” he asks.
I can’t help but laugh out loud at his question. “Sorry pal, but I am NOT having sex with someone I just met!” I say so loudly that Randall looks over at me with a smirk, the most emotion I have seen out of him all evening.
Cal chuckles and even his chuckle is sexy. “I had zero expectations of that tonight. I was being serious as I have a movie room in my suite.”
Zero expectations? Does that mean he isn’t attracted to me to even want sex?
“I am extremely attracted to you, Jenna. I just don’t assume that every beautiful woman is going to have sex with me,” he laughs at my horrified expression that I said what I was thinking out loud.
“Well, maybe just a short movie as I want to get up early and go to the Grand Canyon tomorrow.” I ignore the warning bells going off in my head that I should not be going to his suite at all.
“You’re going to the Grand Canyon tomorrow? I have been wanting to go as well,” he says, as we walk further away from the main casino, past the public movie theater. I don’t answer him as I am trying to figure out where Randall is taking us. We come to a private door where he slides his key card in, and we proceed to walk through beautiful long marble hallways. We walk up to a wrought iron guarded gate, where Randall greets the guard, slides his key card and opens the door for us. The sound of water falling greets us and I gasp as I take in the beauty of the main courtyard of what looks like a huge Tuscan style mansion, with balconies facing the center water fountain in the courtyard. Lush green trees and vivid flowers are everywhere, giving you the deception of feeling like you are in Italy. I glance up to see the stars, only to see the illusion of being outdoors is just that, and that we are actually in an atrium. I never even knew a place like this existed on the property which, as I glance at Cal, now makes complete sense as this is a place for people of his caliber. We enter another decadent looking hallway where Randall stops in front of a beautifully intricate wood door.
“Welcome back to your villa, sir.” He bows to Cal and turns to me. “Miss, when you are ready to go back to your room, please let the butler know and he will get you a car to take you to the main entrance of the hotel.” We say thank you and Cal hands him a tip by way of a handshake. He puts his key card in and opens the door. We are immediately greeted by the butler.
“Good evening sir, ma’am. My name is Steven, and I will be taking care of you this evening. Would you like a late-night snack and cocktail?” I vaguely hear Cal talk to him about watching a movie as I move past them in complete awe of this place. This Tuscan styled “villa” has twenty-five foot arched ceilings with sparkling chandeliers, gorgeous drapery, and terra cotta lined floors covered with beautiful rugs.
“Would you like a tour?” Cal asks me with a smile. I nod my head, and he proceeds to show me the living room that contains a baby grand piano, the dining room with a large circular table that can seat eight, the fully stocked bar, the kitchen, the workout room, two large bedrooms, and then the master bedroom that is bigger than my apartment back home. Lastly, we arrive at the movie room.
“Wow, this place…” I shake my head as I take a seat on one of the reclining chairs.
“It is beautiful,” he agrees, as he hands me some water to drink.
“Thank you.” Taking a sip, I look around at the surroundings of the room, suddenly feeling awkward at being alone with him.
“What ty
pe of genre do you like to watch in movies?” He picks up an iPad and starts to scroll through movie titles.
“I like everything except scary movies.” I sincerely hope that my revelation doesn’t give him any ideas to torture me by watching one.
“Define scary in your opinion?” That mischievous smile is back, and I know he is up to no good.
“People or alien objects killing the good guys with lots of goriness. I don’t want to see any of that.” I shiver in pure disgust as I get horrible nightmares from those type of movies. I understand that those movies are far from real, but my brain just can’t handle the morbidness.
“I will be a gentleman tonight, and not put anything on that will distress you,” he says with some mockery. “How about suspense?”
“Sounds good.” I take off my shoes and proceed to move back into the chair. I debate whether or not I should recline the chair. If I recline, then the chances of me falling asleep are high. I purposely do not reveal to Cal that my friends make fun of me for always being the first person to fall asleep when we watch a movie at home.
“I am going to go change. Get comfortable and I will be right back.” While he leaves, I grab a blanket and stare at my surroundings.
This is not a good idea, Jenna! You are going to fall asleep and be helpless. You don’t know this guy! It doesn’t matter that he is a Hollywood actor. Even famous people can do bad things.
“Sorry for the delay.” He comes back five minutes later, wearing a white tee shirt and sweat pants, which does not diminish his sexiness whatsoever. He dims the lights to a lower setting and starts the movie. I lean my head back to get more comfortable. “You know you can recline your seat, right?”
“Yes, but I’m really afraid that if I recline this seat, you’ll have an overnight guest and I really do not want that to happen.”
“It’s fine if you fall asleep here. I promise I won’t compromise your virtue while you’re sleeping.” He wiggles his eyebrows up and down that prompts me to laugh.
“Good to know my virtue is safe with you,” I laugh and we turn our attention to the movie.
“I think I left my phone in the other room. Keep the movie running and I will be right back.” He gets up and leaves.
And that is the last time I remember seeing him as I drift off to sleep.
6
A delicious aroma permeates the air and awakens my senses. A smile forms on my face as I inhale the smell of coffee being brewed and food being cooked. I open my eyes, and realize I am still in Cal’s movie room, a blanket protecting me from the coldness of the air conditioning. I quickly peek inside the blanket, and breathe a sigh of relief to see all of my clothes are still on. Last thing I remember from last night was Cal going to get his phone and that was it. How I didn’t hear him come back in or put a blanket on me shows what a deep sleep I was in. I pull off the blanket, stand up, and fold it to put back on the couch.
“Good morning!”
“Ah!” I gasp, and turn around, startled to see him standing in the doorway. He is leaning on the door frame, wearing his pajamas from the previous night with a big grin on his face at my reaction. “You scared me!”
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to,” he laughs, pushing off the door frame and coming towards me. I take a step back and fall onto the couch as he approaches me.
“Thanks for letting me crash here last night. I’m so sorry that I fell asleep.” I stand up, feeling awkward that I fell asleep before we could even watch the movie.
“It wasn’t a problem. You’re quite entertaining asleep as well as awake.”
I narrow my eyes at his devilish grin. “What does that mean?” I ask, as embarrassment starts to creep in. Moaning, farting, snoring…the list is endless of things my ex-husband has told me occur in my nightly unconsciousness and I’ll be horrified if I did any of those in front of Cal.
“Did you know you talk in your sleep?”
“I have been told that,” I confirm. He remains silent with a childish grin still on his face.
“So are you going to tell me what I said?”
“Hmm, I think not. Maybe I’ll give you clues throughout the day. By the way, breakfast is ready, I hope you’re hungry.” He heads back toward the door.
My stomach rumbles as if answering him. “Where’s the restroom?” I ask. He points toward its location, and I head briskly in that direction, my bladder screaming at me for release. I relieve my bladder and stifle a scream at my raccoon eyes in the mirror while washing my hands. No wonder he was laughing at me this morning. Why can’t I wake up with my make-up still looking perfect from the night before? While wiping away my mascara, I notice the toiletries on the sink include mouthwash. I take a quick swig, spit it out, and wipe my mouth. I make my way toward the dining room, where I am greeted by the butler, who asks me what I would like to drink.
“Coffee and water would be lovely,” I say, as I look around at all the food options available. Eggs, waffles, fruit, bagels, and danishes are all lined up, ready to be devoured.
“I didn’t know what you like to eat or if you even eat breakfast, so I ordered multiple items. Please dig in.” Cal hands me a plate and proceeds to pile food on his plate.
“I love breakfast, but I actually was going to just grab something light and quick as I need to get on the road if I don’t want to be at the Grand Canyon past dark.” I look at my watch to see it is already 7:30 in the morning. I wanted to be on the road already.
“We can go right after we eat.” Cal shovels a mouthful of eggs into his mouth.
“We?” I raise my eyebrows at him in surprise. I recall him saying he has always wanted to go to the Grand Canyon, but we never discussed him accompanying me.
“I don’t have anything going on today, and figured it would be okay to tag along with you. Do you mind?” He sips his coffee while waiting for my response.
“No, of course I don’t mind,” I say, annoyed with how quickly my pulse starts racing at the thought of another day spent with him.
“I was hoping you’d say that. Why don’t you sit down to eat, and then a car can take you back to the main entrance so you can get ready?” He nods to Steven, who nods in agreement and leaves to go make arrangements for my transportation.
“Thanks,” I softly say and put some eggs and fruit on my plate. I sit down and stare at my plate while I eat, the feeling of confusion overwhelming me. It has been a long time since someone has taken care of details for me. It’s almost unnerving. Why does he want to go with me? He must not like being alone. I take a quick peek at him, and notice he’s just sitting there, reading a newspaper, looking like a supermodel. As if sensing being watched, he looks up and smiles at me.
“Anything interesting going on in the world today?” I motion toward his newspaper.
“Nope, looks like we are all doomed.” He puts it down and smiles.
I chuckle and put my napkin down. “Well, then I better get ready to go to the Grand Canyon with a stranger who can push me off the cliff and no one will know,” I joke, standing up to get ready to leave.
He laughs and escorts me to do the door. “Is an hour enough time for you to get ready?” I nod and Steven greets us at the door.
“Steven will escort you to the car. I’ll pick you up at the main entrance where you’re being dropped off. See you soon.” He hugs me tight, kisses my forehead and goes back into his room. I follow Steven to the car in a dazed state. He just kissed me on the forehead!
The car brings me to the front entrance of the hotel and I briskly walk to the elevators. Once I get into my suite, I shower, lotion up, blow dry my hair, put on some jeans, a cute top, and sneakers. I keep my make-up light since we might be walking around and sweating. The thought of not knowing what we are doing makes me pause. I have never not had anything planned out and not having a car rented or an itinerary to the Grand Canyon makes me nervous. With five minutes left to spare, I spritz on some perfume, stuff two granola bars, and some water into my purse and head for the elevat
ors. I immediately see the same driver as I had before and walk towards him. He opens the door for me, and inside is Cal, hair still wet, smelling divine and looking incredible. He is in dark blue jeans, a black v neck t-shirt that tightens against his chest and aviator sunglasses. There’s probably nothing that this man does not look good in.
“Are you ready for our grand adventure today?” he asks with excitement.
“I’m ready!” I enthusiastically answer back. “But...where are we going?” I ask, wondering if he has made any arrangements in the hour that I was gone.
“To the Grand Canyon.” Cal looks at me as if I’m crazy.
I roll my eyes at his smart-ass response. “Duh, but how are we getting there? Is this car driving us all the way there?”
“Oh no, that would take too long. We’re taking a helicopter there, where a tour guide will show us around.”
I can't help but just stare and blink at him "A helicopter?” My palms start to feel itchy and wet at the thought of being in any transportation that requires being in the air. "How do we know this is a reputable company? Did you read reviews on them? Check to see how many crashes they’ve had?"
He presses his lips together to suppress his smile. "No, I personally didn't look up any reviews on this company, but I trusted that since the hotel books them for their clients on a regular basis, that they would come highly recommended."
I nod and bite my lip, not wanting to sound even more ridiculous than I already do. I hate to show my fear of flying, but it’s an emotion that I’ve been trying to overcome with no success. Let it go, Jenna. This is a once in a lifetime experience. Just trust that everything will be okay.
"What is the name of the company? I will just quickly look them up online." I open Safari on my phone to search for reviews, clearly not able to let go of my fear.
"Jenna," he covers my phone with his hand, "even if I knew the name of the company, I wouldn't tell you. We’re not going to crash. Positive thoughts, everything will be fine. We’re going to have an amazing time!" His reassurance makes me feel only slightly better. I look out the window, and am thankful to see clear skies. Before I can think of any more excuses, we have arrived at the terminal for the helicopter.
Heartbreak Warfare (Let Me In Book 1) Page 5