Blake arrivedat the 709 a few minutes early. Several residents and guests sat chatting in the lobby, a comfortable carpeted space with pleasant watercolor paintings on the walls, a large fish tank filled with exotic fish, and padded armchairs grouped here and there. As required, he stopped at the front desk to sign in. Another person was in front of him, an attractive female he’d seen somewhere but couldn’t place. Long legs, slender, hair twisted in a knot at the nape of her neck, she wore a dress that draped her hips and hinted at her round behind.
“Vi Preston,” she told Charlotte, the fifty-something woman behind the desk, in a no-nonsense tone, like a businesswoman with no time to waste.
The unflappable Charlotte checked her in. As Vi turned to leave and glanced at him, she arched her brows as if surprisedto find him there. Almost as if they knew each other when they didn’t. “Oh,” she said.
Whatever that meant. He noted the sudden flush on her face. Like his grandfather, he had that effect on women. He’d inherited his looks from the man. “Hi,” he returned, flashing his friendliest smile. “Have we met?”
“No, but I saw you here the one time I visited. You were with your pregnant wife.” She glanced around. “I don’t see her today.”
She’d noticed him? That explained the eyebrows. “Now I know where I saw you. You were with two other women, one around your age, the other a senior. I’m not married. That pregnant woman is my sister. She’s expecting twins. I’m Blake Wanamaker. Nice to meet you, Vi Preston.”
“How do you know my name?” Tiny lines that made her look suspicious appeared between those eyebrows.
“You didn’t exactly whisper when you announced it to Charlotte. Not that you were overly loud. You have a voice that carries.”
For the most part, women seemed to like him. Not this one. She pursed her lips in a disapproving way and raised her chin a notch. Although he had a good five inches on her, she somehow looked down her nose at him.
“You have family here, too,” he said in an effort to coax some warmth into her.
“And I don’t want to keep her waiting.”
She spun away before he could reply. Ah, well. Can’t please everyone.
Blake stepped up to the desk and smiled. “It’s good to see you, Charlotte.”
Unlike Vi Preston, she returned the smile. “You too, Blake. Your grandfather mentioned you’d be here tonight.”
Curious to find out more about Vi, even if she was ice cold, he said, “It’s always interesting to meet new people here.”
Charlotte glanced behind him at the line where other guests waited to check in. Better get going, as Grandpop was expecting him. “He’s waiting for me now. Have a great weekend.”
Eager to see the man, he forgot all about the less-than-pleasant encounter. As soon as he entered the dining room around the corner from the lobby, he spotted her again, her long legs swinging straight for Grandpop and a female about the same age with silver hair also seated at the table and in cozy conversation with him. Blake was taken aback, had assumed the dinner would be just the two of them. His grandfather hadn’t mentioned other people at the table. And now Vi was joining them? What were the two seniors up to?
She wouldn’t be happy to see him again. The prospect of enduring a meal with her didn’t sit well with him, either, but it’d give him a chance to get on her good side if only to see if he could. Whatever the reason for this dinner, it was bound to be interesting.
CHAPTER 3
Bad thing number three for Vi: dinner at the 709 with Blake Wanamaker and his grandfather. Of all the things that could happen, this was almost as bad as what’d gone down at work today. At least she’d managed to keep her job. The only ray of light, if you could call it that.
But dinner with that man? Why, oh why? He was extraordinarily handsome if you didn’t count the shaggy hair parted and styled like some movie star—not a good look—with piercing eyes that unnerved her. Like most good-looking men, his ego was the size of Mount Everest. Standing at the check-in area and attempting to charm her with a smile and friendly chit-chat was about as phony as a guy could get.
No, thank you. Surviving middle school and high school with boys who routinely made fun of her had hurt. Back then, she’d been saddled with a lot. Taking care of the house and her sister for as long as she could remember, even after Gran moved in—both she and her mom worked long hours—she’d stayed up late to do homework. The drudgery of her life had kept her from smiling much. She’d been dubbed ugly, humorless, an egghead.
She’d survived. Then in her junior year of college—But she didn’t want to think about that and pushed the past away. Beforeanyone at the table caught sight of her, she slipped into the women’s bathroom to collect herself.
The room was empty. As she washed her hands, the past flooded into her mind after all. She’d met Devin on campus at the University of Washington. Not as a student—he worked on the grounds crew that tended the campus landscaping. He was cute and buff, and to her surprise, interested in her. No guy with his looks had ever pursued her. Flattered, she’d agreed to meet for coffee. Soon, they’d started seeing a lot of each other. There were things she hadn’t liked about him—skipping work for no reason, evasive answers when he showed up late or canceled a date at the last minute—but she’d ignored all that. It hadn’t taken long before she’d fallen hard for him.
Then he’d borrowed money from her, promising to pay her back but never seeming to have the funds. She caught him cheating with another girl and confronted him. She expected him to apologize and promise not to do it again, but he’d shrugged her off and headed for the door without a single word. She’d pleaded with him to stay and talk it through. Instead, he’d walked away.
Leaving her with a smaller bank balance, a broken heart and utter humiliation for begging him not to go. What a fool she’d been.
Never again.
At least she’d learned her lesson. As an average-looking woman, she preferred the company of less handsome males who knew they weren’t God’s gift to women. Not that she had much luck with them, either.
So no, she wasn’t happy about the table for four tonight. But Gran was expecting her. She headed again for the dining room. Her plan had been to let her grandma know she wouldn’t be able to help with the down payment. Impossible without her bonus and the promotion and raise. Without the raise, helping with themonthly payments at the 709 would be a struggle. Gran couldn’t return to her former tiny one bedroom apartment, as it’d been rented to someone else.
The waiting list at other retirement homes was months long. Vi didn’t have room in her townhouse. She tried to reach Rose that afternoon, but no luck. Her sister was likely basking in the attention and pampering at the spa. Vi texted her to call but hadn’t heard back.
