“I don’t think alcohol had anything to do with it, do you?” I wasn’t someone who excused their mistakes with alcohol. I tried not to do anything when I was drinking that I wouldn’t do if I was sober, and I definitely would have done Dade when I was stone-cold sober.
“No, I don’t.” He shook his head slowly. “That night at the concert, when Knox showed me your picture, that day at the hospital…” It’s like all of those moments were leading up to it.”
“It?” I pursed my lips as I folded the towel neatly. “Itbeing explosive sex?”
We shared a smile before we both started laughing. “Uh yeah,” he said. “I guess you could say that.”
I loved that we could laugh together, like we’d known each other forever. I hadn’t had that in previous relationships, and my brief time with Dade reminded me how much I wanted it in my next relationship.
“You wanna watch a movie or something?” he asked, after we spent a few more minutes tidying the kitchen.
This felt weird, almost like a date, or a night-in with a long-time boyfriend. But I got the feeling he didn’t feel like being alone and I didn’t either. “Depends,” I said, testing him. “Do you like rom-coms?”
He tried to keep a straight face when he said, “Do any guys actually like rom-coms?”
I stuck my tongue out and pushed against his chest. “I’m pretty sure plenty do.”
“Whatever.” He rolled his eyes. “But since you’re the guest, I’ll let you pick the movie. Why don’t we both slip into something more comfortable and meet down in the movie room in ten?”
“The movie room.” I laughed. “You rich folks. You sure do know how to waste money.”
He chuckled. “You say that now, but wait ‘til you try out those chairs. You’ll never wanna go to a movie theater again.”
“I don’t doubt it.” I started to walk backwards toward the foyer to retrieve my suitcase. “But I can’t get too used to it. This isn’t my real life, it’s yours.” I winked. “Only a temporary assignment for me, remember?”
His expression was unreadable when he said, “The job doesn’t have to be temporary, Charli. Not unless you want it to be.”
Hmm. A permanent gig as Dade’s go-to girl would be tough to resist.
* * *
He was right about the chairs. They were deep and plush and ridiculously comfortable. So comfortable that I was having a hard time keeping my eyes open as I dipped into the small bag of popcorn I’d snagged from the vintage popcorn machine tucked away in the corner of the room. Yeah, he had a vintage soda machine, popcorn machine, even a fully stocked bar and vending machine. Talk about living large. My daddy would piss himself if he saw this set-up.
He turned his head to the side, looking at me. “Gettin’ sleepy, beautiful?”
“A little.” I stretched my short legs out on the built-in footstool, wiggling my toes.
Mama didn’t pack for comfort, she packed for appeal. Meaning I’d be sleeping in my Lulu capris and tank tonight and not the tiny tap shorts and crop top that she thought passed as pajamas suitable for a house guest.
“Not into the movie?” he asked, raising an eyebrow.
It wasn’t bad. The typical good girl/bad boy story. She was trying to reform him, he was fighting it, and she eventually decided to give up. We were just waiting for him to come around so we could get our HEA.
“I can’t remember the last time I saw the end of a movie…” I reached for my soft drink, taking a long pull through the straw. “That I watched with a guy.” I giggled. “How ‘bout you? You and your dates ever make it to the end?”
“Honestly? Going to a movie theater isn’t really an option for me and I never make time for shit like this at home.” He gestured to the huge screen dominating one wall. “It’s crazy, right? With a set-up like this you’d think I’d be a movie buff.”
“So, why’d you do this then?” I asked, munching on my popcorn. “Trip out this room?”
His eyes shifted before he said, “This might sound silly, but I was imagining kids using this space. You know, birthday parties, sleepovers, stuff like that. I thought animated movies would be pretty cool on a screen like that.”
He slayed me when he said shit like that. This guy deserved his happy ending, and I hated the bitches who’d stolen that from him because they’d been too greedy and selfish to look past his bank account. Or maybe they weren’t entirely to blame? Maybe he hadn’t been willing to let them in.
“What about your ex?” I asked, hoping to gain some insight into his previous relationships. “Why didn’t you ever hang out down here with her?”
He was silent so long I was sure I’d crossed a line, until he said, “Honestly? We had a hard time being in the same room together without fighting.”
“Oh.” I didn’t wanna be like my mama, even though I’d already stomped all over boundaries and asked plenty of inappropriate questions tonight. I figured if he wanted to tell me more he would, without being prodded.
