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“Yes but only very recently. Ms. Winters, I was hoping you’d consider meeting me for dinner. There is much I’d like to explain. While I was married to your mother, it was not a love match as you probably think it was. I’d prefer if we met in person to discuss everything instead of over the phone.”
“That sounds fair. Where would you like to meet?”
“Have you been to the Belladonna Restaurant?” he asked as I gasped in surprise. The Belladonna Restaurant was the only restaurant in town with a Michelin star.
“I haven’t, but I’ve heard wonderful things about the food there. Doesn’t it have a waiting list spanning weeks, though?”
“Months actually but they always have a table reserved for the owners.”
“The owners? Wait, you’re one of the mysterious owners of the Belladonna? The most recent rumor I heard was that not even the FBI could figure out ownership, of course, that’s probably just fiction.”
“I wouldn’t know if they do or not but it’s a special place for all of us so we like to keep things on the down low. I can pick you up at seven if that sounds good to you?”
“You don’t need to pick me up. I can meet you there.”
“I’ll pick you up at seven. A lady should never drive herself.”
Despite the circumstances, I found myself smiling. “Alright,” I told him my address as I found myself wondering if I’d landed in one of my stories. Alastair appeared to be the perfect male hero. From the photos I’d seen he was tall, with model-worthy good looks and an accent that I could listen to all day.
“Great, I’m looking forward to finally meeting you in person.”
I hung up the phone in a state of shock. I immediately ran to my guest room where Cassy was just waking up. “Cassy. I-I think I need your help,” I told her as I plopped down on the bed, blinking furiously.
She immediately sat up and looked at me “You called him. Oh, tell me everything.”
“He was nice and polite with a sexy accent. He said it wasn’t a love match with Mother but that there was a lot he’d like to talk to me about. He asked me to dinner. He’s picking me up at seven and taking me to the Belladonna Restaurant. He said he was one of the owners.” I turned and looked at Cassy, a look of desperation on my face as I squeaked, “Help.”
*****
Thanks to Cassy, I felt somewhat ready for dinner tonight. My dark blue dress was fitting but not as depressing as a black dress. While I mourned my mother, I mourned more what could have been and less the woman herself.
Growing up, it was obvious Candace Winters never wanted to be a mother. Her ego wouldn't allow her to give me to someone who might want me, she saw that as failing. So as she built up her father’s dying publishing house, she pretended to be a good mother. If she didn’t agree with something she was verbally abusive until she got her way. That was with everyone but most especially her own daughter.
At eighteen I’d finally had enough. I moved out and left her behind, cutting off all communication with her. Over the last year, I’d attempted to reconnect with her but with no success. As I thought about everything, including the business, I decided the only thing I wanted was any photos that she kept. Mr. Heney was welcome to everything else.
I was sure that was the main purpose of this dinner. All of the articles on Alastair Heney and Authors Plus pointed out that he needed a publishing house to round out his Authors Plus portfolio. He was welcome to it. I wanted no part of it.
At seven exactly there was a knock on the door. Taking a deep breath I steeled myself for meeting my… date? No, that sounded weird. If anything this was just a business dinner. It didn’t matter if I already had a bit of a crush on the man or not. He was married to my mother and that was just on the weird side. “Only for a week,” the devil on my shoulder pointed out.
With a firm shake of my head, I quickly headed over to the door. Alastair Heney was ten times better looking in person than in any of the photos I’d seen online. He was tall with dark hair and stormy gray eyes that hid his secrets well. Between his height and the muscles his immaculate suit couldn’t hide, he made me feel tiny. I never felt tiny. While I was short at just over five feet, I was quite curvy much to my mother’s ire. She had always been thin, proudly wearing a size two.
I realized that my mind had gone wandering again as I was staring at the man standing at my door. As I quickly looked down, I discreetly checked that I hadn’t been drooling. “Mr. Heney, I presume,” I greeted with a plastered-on smile.
“Ms. Winters, you’re even lovelier than your photo.” His smile should have been considered a dangerous weapon. I felt my heart skip a beat when I saw it.
“Please, call me Perie. Ms. Winters seems so cold and we are, were, family, kind of. Okay, I’m just going to say it. This is extremely awkward for me. For the time being, can we just say you and my mother were in business together?”
“I would like that, but only if you call me Alastair. Shall we go to dinner?”
I nod as I grab my purse and lock the front door. As he led us out I said a bit shyly, “Thank you for helping me the other day when I called Authors Plus. I was able to get everything done rather quickly after all of that drama.”
“You’re most welcome but I bet you’re wondering what I was doing playing customer service.”
I couldn’t stop the smile that escaped. This man had me feeling like a teenage girl with a crush. “I admit it, I’m curious.”
“I try to regularly work at all levels of my company. It makes me aware of things that others think are best to keep from me. Did you know it took two hours to figure out who handled the hold music? Turns out it was shoved under customer relations and they weren’t even aware of it. They know now and new, less tinny music should be playing by the end of the week.”
“I wondered who handled stuff like that. Now I know. So, um, I have to ask. Do you always share your direct extension?” I knew I was blushing. I shouldn’t have even asked but I couldn’t help it.
