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I could deal with him for an hour or two if the payoff was this letter. For the moment, I had to assume it was real. Walking out was too big a risk.
“How did you…?”
His smile grew. “My family has connections, and this was important enough that we called in a few favors. I mean, how else was I going to get to talk with you? You won’t return my calls, you ignore my flowers. Did you even play the CDs?”
I shook my head. “No,” I lied.
I’d actually played the song a dozen times, listening to the lyrics, wishing to be the girl they were sung to.
He pulled his phone out and laid it on the table. “You should listen to the words.” The song started, filling the room with the verses I knew all too well.
“Okay, already,” I said. “I did listen, but that doesn’t change anything.”
Liam stopped the song as our waiter reappeared, this time with a tray of food.
“I took the liberty of ordering for you,” Liam informed me.
Naturally my plate was the swordfish, and his was the Kona-coffee-crusted New York strip steak——the same as our first dinner.
“Let your hair down,” he said after Marvin closed the door.
I hesitated; it seemed too personal a request.
“Please,” he added.
I pulled the pins out one by one and shook out my hair.
“Now you look even more beautiful. You should wear it down all the time.”
“You’ve said that before.” A mild blush, by my standards at least, crept into my cheeks. “And you should stop telling me what to do.” At least I didn’t throw food at him.
We started our dinner as we had many evenings together at his penthouse, by rehashing our days——except tonight he wanted to be filled in on my past couple weeks.
I left out the sobbing and sleeplessness without him. I asked about his week, but he turned the questions around to ask about me again, not answering.
I have to stay strong.
Being across the table from him had become so natural, so comfortable——not at all like my evenings had been with Matt.
The thought of Matt sent a shiver through me, as I realized I was only two days from another court showdown with him——the next low point in my life after missing the last one.
“You look concerned,” Liam said, bringing me back to the present.
I took a breath. “I have a court date with Matt coming up.” I stopped the forkful of fish heading toward my mouth and put it down.
“In two days, I know. Don’t worry. Bad things have a way of catching up with bad people.”
I liked his sentiment, but Matt seemed immune to karma. I should have been surprised that Liam knew about my court date, but after everything he’d arranged tonight, nothing surprised me.
“You finished?” he asked.
“Yeah,” I admitted. “I think I’ve lost my appetite.”
He started the song again on his phone and stood.
He offered me his hand. “May I have the pleasure of this dance?”
I recoiled momentarily before giving in and taking his hand.
