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“Then who was it?” I demand. “It definitely wasn’t me that ordered the ‘Scene of Seduction’ off the menu.”
“I think you’re overreacting here. I went to change my clothes as they were setting up. I had no idea the concierge had ordered this. I’ll just call them and have them remove it all.”
“You didn’t ask them to set up a candlelit dinner?”
“No, absolutely not.”
He appears to be as surprised by the setup as I am. As he heads for the phone, I realize Jake is probably right. I overreacted and probably didn’t have a right to accuse him. I’m not sure why my temper flared soquickly over such a small thing. I would feel terrible if any of the hotel employees were to get into trouble over this.
“No, it’s okay.” I put my hand on his arm to stop him as he passes me. “It looks nice. Let’s just enjoy our dinner. It smells wonderful.”
He looks down at my hand and reluctantly nods in agreement. As we sit down at the table to eat, I begin to feel remorse at starting off our dinner this way.
“So, what should we talk about?” Jake asks. “The weather, sports, work? About how I will remember to never, ever, ever take you to a candlelit, romantic dinner?” He says that last bit with warm amusement. He’s trying to lighten the mood.
His voice sends shivers up my spine, and I find myself mesmerized by the sound and by the gorgeous smile that accompanies it.
“Hey, hey, I like candlelit romance as much as the next girl.”
“Ah, I got it. It’s just me you object to,” he says, a thoughtful look on his face.
“Maybe so!” I say jokingly.
“I’ve been firmly put into my place.”
I laugh at his chagrined look. The thought that anyone could put Jake in his place is crazy. He would never allow that to happen. He’s too used to being in charge.
“Tell me more about your family.”
If Jake notices my change in subject, he thankfully doesn’t comment on it.
“Well, I told you a little about my brothers. Dax, the middle brother, has been pretty busy the last couple of weeks. He has a law degree and handles most of the company’s legal business. I always thought he’d go into business for himself, but he is doing his family duty by staying withthe company. My other brother, Ethan, is a different story. Ethan is the baby, and he’s always gotten his way. He was spoiled as a child and had never really had much responsibility, at least compared to me and Dax. Now that he has gotten older, my father is trying to force him to be more involved in the business, but he is fighting against it. Ethan is a good guy, but he is struggling between wanting to do what my father wants versus doing what he wants.”
“I think it would be difficult to live up to expectations like that, but you seem to be managing it well. From what I’ve learned, the business has grown since you took over from your dad.”
Jake shrugs. “It’s my responsibility to make sure that the company succeeds and that our employees are taken care of.” He pauses and focuses his sharp eyes expectantly on me. “Now, your turn. You haven’t told me much about yourself.”
And for a good reason. I shouldn’t have brought up the topic of family. It’s the one subject that I prefer to avoid.
“Well, my best friend is Jess. She and I have lived together for about four years, since I broke up with an ex, actually. But we’ve known each other much longer than that. She’s a crazy whirlwind that keeps me on my toes but is always there for me. I consider her family.”
“But what about actual family? Do you really have no relatives?” he persists.
I find myself in dangerous territory and am not sure how to get out. After all, I started this line of conversation and only have myself to blame. I rarely ever share my past with anyone. In fact, only Dominic and Jess know anything at all about my childhood. It’s not that I hold any big secrets. It’s just that it’s hard for me to talk about the past. Even yearslater, it affects me. I think carefully before answering his question. I take a deep, bracing breath and hesitate before answering.
“I am not sure where to start, honestly. It’s not a story that I usually share. I already told you that I don’t have any siblings and that my parents passed away when I was younger. When I was ten, they were in a car accident and didn’t survive the wreck. I wasn’t with them when it happened. Without any relatives to take me in, I went into foster care. No one wants to adopt a ten-year-old, unfortunately, so I remained in foster care until age fifteen. The death of my parents at a young age caused a sensation of loss that I felt could never truly be filled.”
Jake doesn’t say anything for several long seconds. When I finally raise my eyes to his, he is looking at me intently, respect showing in his eyes. It is unnerving, not knowing what he is thinking, not knowing how he will respond.
“I can’t begin to understand how that must have been for you as a child. But, looking at the woman you are today, I can see that your past has shaped you into a wonderful person. I hear so many disturbing stories about foster care. That couldn’t have been easy. Did you at least have a nice family to stay with?”
“I was in and out of homes until I was fifteen. That last home I lived in was great at first. They made me feel like I was a part of their family, and it was the first time since my parents died that I felt cared for. However, it was short-lived. When my foster dad lost his job, things went downhill. He started staying out late, drinking, and becoming abusive towards his wife… and then me.”
I pause to look at Jake. His attention is fully immersed in my words. Even though telling him my story is emotional and difficult, I trudge through.
“I did my best to protect the younger kids, and most times, I bore the brunt of his anger. One day, he came home particularly drunk. He was in a scary mood because he had gotten fired from another temporary job. This was the worst I’d ever seen him in the year I’d lived at their home. All of the younger kids were at school, but I had been sent home sick with a stomach bug. When he found out that I was home, he accused me of skipping school and went into a rage. Scared for my life, I ran out of the house. He was too drunk to follow, so I was able to get away.”
Jake leans forward, his emotions unreadable. “What happened then?” he asks calmly.
