Hanging on (Jessica Brodie Diaries #2) (8 page)

A throat cleared. “Would you like some wine, Jessica?”

I blinked slowly, the haze around us clearing. William had a slow smile and soft eyes, just as awestruck as I. It moved something deep within me. A part of me that I didn’t let out to get air. It was a part stirring often of late. Things he would say, ways he would look at me, how he held me, how he made love to me. It was always something more than lust, but now it was more than mutual respect and adoration. Basically, it was starting to be more than
like.

It thrilled me, excited me, but also terrified me. It was a part that, once broken, would be extremely hard to heal. I had courage, but I had also yet to win over his mother. It was too soon for feelings this deep. There were still too many barriers. Too much unpredictability.

Which didn’t matter right now. Right now, it was our first date, and I wanted it to be the best date of my life!

“Hello, Jessica. You look beautiful tonight.” Not wanting to tear his eyes away, he reached down to his feet and came back with a large bouquet of flowers. The arrangement was exquisite. And thoughtful. They even already came in a vase—I’d told him I hated cutting flowers and rearranging them in a vase. He’d remembered!

My joy came from my toes. I beamed as I accepted them, taking a big whiff. His eyes went starry and his lips curled. His body leaned, like he couldn’t stand the distance between us. A flick of his eyes at Gladis, though, had him sitting back down slowly.

“So, a long time in the making, huh?” Gladis said amicably. “The date?”

William leaned forward to put his elbows on his knees. “That’s my fault. I should’ve asked her out the first night I saw her.”

“That would’ve been awful!” I laughed. “I still had dog food in my hair and a stinky mouth.”

“I like ‘em trashy,” William smirked.

“Willie,” Gladis warned.

William straightened up, trying to uphold her expectations, but wanting to be alone with me. Wanting to let down his guard and say anything that came to his mind. He didn’t want to have to try so hard.

“Sorry, ma’am.”

“Oh alright, get going, you two. It’s obvious you want some time alone,” Gladis acceded, leaning back.

We were like two kids told it was the last day of school. I could barely feel my feet as he escorted me out of the door.

We walked hand-in-hand through the subdued evening, enjoying the last rays of the sun and the smell of fresh cut grass.

“I didn’t expect her to be so formal,” William said in a quiet voice as he pulled me off the path toward a weeping willow. There was a cute bench surrounded by blooming flowers, emitting a beautiful scent nowhere near as delicious as that coming from him.

“Sit for a moment?” he asked, pulling me closer. His lips got within inches of mine and stopped. “You’re going to let me kiss you?”

“Weird question. Yes, but I am not going to
wait
for you to kiss me.”

A smile soaked up his face as his lips connected with mine. Sparks of electricity jumped from him to me, frying my logic, making me cling onto his large frame, nearly trying to climb up.

“Okay, okay. I need to stop. We have a reservation,” William said, backing off, his mouth still nearly touching mine.

I took my tongue back.

“I wanted to give you something.” He reached into his pocket.

“Why wouldn’t I let you kiss me?”

“Oh, that’s just what I usually hear. It ruins lipstick.”

“I’d be more worried about your own face if I was you. You now look like a clown. Good thing I chose a nude color.”

William kissed me again, his delicious bulge pushing up against my stomach.

“Quickie?” I asked with a husky voice.

“The death of me,” he said softly, chuckling.

He took out a square, black velvet box and brought it to the side of us, there not being enough room between our bodies.

“I got this for you. I’d be honored if you’d wear it.”

The velvet was so soft. I opened the case slowly, seeing the sparkle before I even saw what was in it.

“William, no!” I breathed. “Too much.”

It was a diamond and ruby tennis bracelet.

He leaned his face into my neck and ran his lips up my skin. “Nothing is too much for you.”

Well, he had that wrong.

“It matches the necklace Ami gave me.” My hands were shaking as I allowed him to fasten the bracelet around my wrist.

“Exactly.”

“How’d you know I’d be wearing it?”

“Because you said you were dressing up. And you have shockingly few nice pieces. For now.”

“I’m going to ignore that last comment, and just say,
thank you!”
I threw my arms around his neck and kissed him soundly, tasting sweet red wine and him.

“We should go,” he said quietly, giving a last meeting of lips before he led me out of the tree into the darkening night. Lights were twinkling on as we made our way along the path.

The night was quickly becoming perfect.

Until I saw our transportation.

“Is that…shut
up!”
I stopped dead, looking down at myself.

“What’s the matter?” William asked, following my gaze. “What’s wrong?”

“William, I can’t get in a freaking Aston Martin looking like I do! Everyone’s going to know I’m a fraud!”

He started laughing, loudly, pulling me toward the car. “Oh stop it. You outshine the car in jeans.”

Shaking my head, I tried to put on the breaks the whole way. I’d never been inside a car that nice. Never even
looked
inside a car that nice! How the hell was I going to pull off that I belonged when I had to aspire to
this?
Audi, okay, yeah, I can make that happen. A freaking Aston Martin?

I tried not to feel the sudden hopelessness as he opened the door and handed me in.

William got in the other side, still smiling. “If it makes you feel better, this is my dad’s car. He has a thing for collecting cars. I told him I was going on a date. With you.”

My heart stopped. “What did he say?”

“In so many words that I am a grown man and can make my own decisions. He told me that he hoped I wouldn’t spread this news to the office. I told him you said the same thing. Repeatedly. He seemed to approve after that. I told you—he likes you.”

William's dad had never been the problem. “What did your mom say?”

William hesitated. “She wasn’t so optimistic. She verified your level of employment; your income basically. She said she wanted to meet you again, but warned me that girls in your situation tried to trap guys in my situation. That was when the conversation ended.”

“Trap you? How? What, does she think I’m a woodsman or something?” I chortled.

“Get pregnant. Trap my income.”

“I think I just threw up in my mouth a little. She thinks I am going to try and get pregnant, then have to raise a kid as a single mother to get a little money? Sorry, William, but who thinks like that?”

“I am hoping this is theoretical, and you are not making the comment that if you got in trouble I would leave you to raise our child on your own…”

Shivers fluttered up my arms. This conversation had just became way too adult for a head case just out of collage that could barely get a toe hold in life, let alone anything steady. I didn’t even want to buy a car because of the commitment, for Christ sakes. This level of responsibility was so far above me right now I was half thinking of jumping from the moving car.

“Look—yes, theoretical—but I am just amazed that she would think like that. That’s just…what woman would do that to a child just for a little money?”

“It happens more often than you might think.”

I plugged my ears and shook my head. I didn’t want to talk about this anymore. I didn't want what he was saying to be true. Ignorance sometimes meant a happy life.

Judging by his smile and bobbing Adam’s apple, he was laughing, but sound couldn’t get past my humming.

So far I didn’t like Denise, William's mom, all that much, I had to say. It wasn’t a great start.

We pulled up in front of a lackadaisically bustling restaurant. There were people arriving, valet parking, walking in and out of a swank establishment with red carpet…but everyone was sort of…blasé about the whole thing. Too posh for the hubbub, maybe.

“This place has style,” I noted as William’s door was opened by a valet dressed in black.

“Looks nice, tastes better.” He winked and exited the car.

I followed suit, helped by a mid-aged man dressed in white. He saw me to the curb and William’s waiting arm before he slightly bowed and turned to the next passager.

“Road side service, huh?” I admired.

“Klutz-Proofing,” William amended, a twinkle in his eyes.

“Oh how cute, you are attempting a sense of humor.” I patted his arm. "Fail."

He made an ungentlemanly snort before he caught himself.

Walking in a measured pace to match those around us, we ascended four stares and waited while two more guys in white opened the wood double doors.

“I feel important,” I whispered.

“Good.” William patted my hand.

“No, but like these people were paid to manufacture that feeling. There is absolutely no reason these people would think I am important on any level.”

William’s step faltered. He looked down at me with an appraising glance. As we approached the hostess wearing an expressive looking black dress, he said in a hushed voice, “I’ve always thought exactly the same thing.”

I let that comment go, happy that at least he thought we were on the same level, even if we weren’t.

The hostess looked up from her podium with her perfect face and long neck. “Mr. Davies, so nice to see you.” She flashed him a scorching smile.

“Hi, Karen. Table for two, please.” William pulled me closer until my side was firmly pressed against his.

“Of course,” her eyes glanced at me for the briefest of moments, utter professional despite her curiosity. “It’ll be ready in just a few minutes. Care to have a drink at the bar?”

“Thanks.” William smiled and turned me away. Two steps toward a distant hubbub of alcohol in and we heard, “
Willie!”

William went completely rigid. His whole body was taught. The hand holding me flinched, crushing me closer in a brief second before letting off again. His exhale was noisy. As he turned, however, his face was utterly composed.

Oh no!

Coming through the door was none other than William’s mom, Denise, dressed to impress. She was the reason for the need of manufactured importance. To her, it was necessary. Or maybe just common place.

Next to her was almost her opposite. A woman in a plain black dress with costume jewelry and a fun-loving smile. Her hair was cut well, but going gray. She wasn't pristine and didn't seem to care. She was out for a good time, and it showed.

Strange.

“Hi mom. Trudy.” William kissed his mother on the cheek, than hugged the woman next to her.

“Little Willie!” Trudy exclaimed. “Oh my word! You’re huge! What’ve they been feeding you?”

When someone had asked that very question about William’s bulls, he’d replied that he fed them babies to keep ‘em mean. It was a joke. Judging by his polite smile to Trudy, he was not planning on joking now.

This was very bad news.

Tom, William's dad, came through the door a second later with another gentleman with red hair.

“Well, what a surprise!” Tom said in such a way that said it wasn’t a surprise at all.

William’s jaw clenched.

“Lovely to see you again, Jessica,” Tom said, stepping forward and hugging me. It was a genuine hug. But then, Tom had always been a nice guy.

His wife, however…

“I thought y’all were going to the jazz club for dinner?” William asked stiffly.

“Honey, you are being rude. Aren’t you going to introduce your…date?” Denise asked levelly. I didn’t miss her pause.

War had been declared.

“Of course.” William turned to me. “Jessica, this is Trudy. She owns a spa in town that has continually gotten great reviews.”

“Hi, Trudy.” I smiled.

“Hello! It’s about time Willie brought a date around! And my, but aren’t you pretty!” She laughed in an easy, good-natured kind of way.

“And her husband, Dennis.” The red haired man nodded. “He manufactures video game consoles. His firm is now nation-wide.”

I smiled and nodded, saying nothing since I didn’t really know what that meant.

“You know my mother, of course.”

I nodded, holding my smile so I didn’t lose it. I’d met her in the hospital when they were visiting Gladis. At that point she hadn’t been a road blocking snake. Things had changed.

As William turned to his dad, Tom cut into the introductions. “And me. Boring ol’ Tom.” He laughed, shoo’ing everyone further into the restaurant.

“And why don’t you tell everyone what you do,” Denise said before William could properly introduce me.

William's arm convulsed around me, crushing me to his side protectively. Before he said something stupid, or felt bad he was dating the hired help, I answered, “I was recently promoted to Senior Accountant.” Trudy and Dennis both smiled and nodded. “I work for the Davies. Indirectly.”

“Oh!” Trudy smiling bigger. “How great.”

“Tell me, Jessica,” Dennis said, leaning toward me and lowering his voice. “Do they still treat their employees horribly?”

Dennis backed up and started laughing, Tom mockingly shaking a fist at him. I felt like a pawn, somehow. Like I was used for show but really intruding on their time.

“Well, our table is almost ready.” William slid his hand along my waist and gently nudged me away.

It took everything I had not to hurriedly dash toward the bar.

“Well, why don’t we all get a table?” Denise asked, eyes trained on me. Her smile was as fake as her nails.

“Oh yes! That would be fun.” Trudy agreed, not realizing that deeper forces were at work.

Tom and William both wore matching grimaces they were trying to hide within smiles.