AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Right this way, Mrs. Callahan. Would you like some champagne?” the smiley woman in black asked, as she placed her bony hand on my arm.
I felt my eyebrow twitch at her touch. “I prefer red wine.”
“Mr. Callahan said you would,” another woman added, as she handed me a glass. I glared at the section Liam had disappeared into as the women led me into the dressing room and offered me a seat.
Do not make a scene. Do not kill.
“We’re going to pull out some dresses, just let us know if anything catches your eye; nothing is off limits,” bony hands said with a grin so wide that her face looked as though it was about to crack.
I wonder how much she’s making on commission.
“How can I pick a dress if I have no idea where I’m wearing it to?” I asked them as I sipped my drink. The moment I did, I paused; it was my favorite wine.
How the hell did he plan all of this?
We had ten billion things to do, and he had me shopping.
“Don’t worry, Mrs. Callahan, your husband told us everything and all the choices will work perfectly for the night.”
“He told you everything? Good. Where are we going?”
She giggled, not at all realizing how serious I was. “We can’t tell you and you might as well stop asking because you won’t get anything from us.”
So you think.
Off the top of my head, I could think of at least six different ways to get her talking, four of which involved dismemberment of some sort.
My phone buzzed and I grabbed it to find a text from Liam.
“Be nice. Or have you lost your touch? The woman I married could fool angels into believing she was one of them.”
He was taunting me, knowing full well that I would prove to him that nothing had changed. He’d been able to play me like a violin. Since when did he get to know me so well?
With a sigh I sat back and gave them a brilliant smile. “Fine. You win. Dazzle me.”
“Great!” They clapped. “The first dress I have for you is a black and gold Dolce and Gabbana piece.”
I look it over and frowned; “It’s pretty, but I don’t have the figure for it.”
“Oh, Mrs. Callahan, you’re beautiful!” They gushed as I rolled my eyes.
There was nothing a woman liked more than making another woman feel better after she’d put herself down.
LIAM
I stepped out, and pulled on my sleeves as Mel came in wearing a tight, black dress. Her hair was down and curled, her make-up was done naturally, and her eyes shone. She was stunningly beautiful.
“You clean up nicely,” she said to me as she walked forward.
I pulled her to me, and kissed her as hard as possible. In response, she wrapped her arms around my neck, and moaned.
“We have to go or you’re going to make us late,” I whispered, as I broke away from her hold.
“It’s hard for me to keep track of time if I don’t know where we’re going.”
“Patience is a virtue.”
She leaned into me and kissed my lips. “Who ever said I was virtuous?”
With a groan, I once more forced myself to pull away before I took her hand and walked out of the store. There, both Kain and Monte stood, dressed in suits before the new black car.
Mel turned to me, mouth slightly open before she turned to address them.
“Tell her nothing,” I said quickly before they caved under her orders.
She stayed quiet, and entered the car. I knew she was getting frustrated and it amused me. She hated this type of attention, simply because she wasn’t in control. God forbid anyone ever surprised her. But thankfully, it was a short ride to the where we were going.
For the last few days, we had been getting our hands dirty, it was only right that today of all days we enjoyed the brief time we had together.
I pulled out the box and waited as she all but pressed her face against the window and stared at the building ahead.
“The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts? Liam, what—” she turned to me, then stopped short as she stared at the box in my hand. With a sigh, she stared into my eyes. “When I said go crazy, I did not truly mean to go insane, Liam,” she whispered.
“You can’t take it back, now open it.”
She didn’t, so I opened it for her.
She stared at the diamond bracelet for a moment before turning her furious gaze to me.
“You cheated on me, didn’t you?”
I coughed while the men up front both snickered. Glaring at them both, they caught my furious gaze in the rearview mirror and immediately silenced themselves. Turning back to her I smirked. “Really, that’s the best you can think of?”
She frowned. “Thank you for the bracelet, the dress, the shoes, the wine, and I’m guessing that this is an opera?”
“Yes. Bianca e Falliero by Felice Romani. But before that, the symphony will play a piece written solely for you.” I smiled as her eyes widen slightly.
“You had a symphony composed for me? As in symphony orchestra?” she asked slowly. “I may not be used to this dating thing, but don’t most guys just write a song?”
I wonder where she got that idea from.
“Would you have married me if I were most guys?”
The look on her face right now…
“Liam, for a simple date, you’re going above and beyond. How did you even know that Bianca e Falliero was my favorite?”
“Jinx.” I frowned at the thought. “And it’s not a simple date.”
“I knew it. What’s going on, is there someone in there that we need to get rid of? I don’t remember any—”
Taking her hand in my own, I pulled her to me, and pressed my lips against hers hard and fast. I could taste her, and at this point she wouldn’t have any lipstick left before we started our date.
“This isn’t a hit, it’s a date, our date. After all, it is our anniversary,” I whispered only inches from her lips.
Her mouth dropped open and it looked as though she was going over every moment we had ever shared together. She glanced at the dress and then at the bracelet that still lay nestled in the velvet box in her hand.
“Now I feel like a bitch.”
“You are, but it’s a part of your charm.” I smiled as I took the box out of her hands and snapped the heavy jewelry around her wrist.
She brushed her hand through my hair. “I forgot, I’ve been so worried about Avian.”
“I know,” I whispered. “We will get him. I swear. But he can’t take over our entire life. All work and no play is not healthy for us Irish, and it’s considered a sin for you Italians.”
Kain opened the door for us and stood waiting as we climbed out. Stepping past me, Mel turned and shot me a wicked grin. “The faster we get through this, the quicker I can give you my gift,” she said before she disappeared into the crowd that stood in front of the center.
Playing with her was my favorite pasttime.
SEVENTEEN
“I thought we were celebrating being richer and cleverer than everyone else!”
—Scott Lynch
LIAM
Before the opera started I took my beautiful wife to listen to her symphony, simply titled A Symphony for Melody. We sat alone in our private box, since the opera house had been closed off to everyone else. The piece started off strong, then it melted into a soft, almost broken tune, and returned with an even stronger closing…just like stages of our life together.
