I couldn’t complain or demand he cough up the cash to go towards bills or groceries when Isa had been so emotional lately. I still felt like I wasn’t getting the appropriate vibe from her, though.
“What’s wrong?”
“Noth--.”
“Don’t say it’s nothing. Do you know who you’re talking to right now?”
Her smile felt a bit warmer this time.
“It’s Troy.”
“Okay, what did he do?”
She set the straightener on the edge of the sink and turned to face me. “I think he’s going to propose.”
“With what--?” I caught myself before I put my foot in my mouth. “Isn’t that what he should do?”
“This is the modern century; Del. Women don’t have to be married to have babies and live happily. It wouldn’t be right anyway. He’s not, never mind.” She turned away, glancing back over with an impish grin. “Shouldn’t you be walking out the door? Don’t be late on your first date.”
“It’s not a date.”
“So, the notorious Draven Alistair just wants to take you out as a friend?”
“Technically he isn’t taking me anywhere.” I held up my keys to emphasize my point.
“Go on, get out of here and keep me updated.” She waved me off and went back to styling her hair.
I hadn’t recognized the address Draven sent for me to put into the GPS, but as my arrival time diminished, I began to realize where I was going—Hawthorne Bay.
It was a popular hotspot for the Cottonwood residents and tourists that could afford to spend money at the small shops and cute little eateries that lined the boardwalk.
During this time of year, it was much more serene and quiet. Pulling through the vast parking lot, the place looked almost abandoned. Strands of softly glowing lights illuminated the area and the beautiful lake beyond.
With only a few vehicles here it was easy to find the blacked-out Infiniti Draven mentioned he’d be driving. I pulled into the spot beside it and shut my GPS off before it could finish announcing that I’d arrived at my destination.
I was three minutes ahead of our meet-up time. I removed my keys from the ignition and looked around for any sign of him. My cell began to ring, his name popping up on the screen. I answered quickly.
“Hey, I’m here.”
“I see you. Get out and come to the docks.”
I dropped my keys into my purse and got out of the car. The windchill seemed harsher here because of the water and the complete lack of sunlight. I ignored it the best I could and hurried across the parking lot keeping Draven on the line.
“How can you see me? I don’t see you at all.”
“You look beautiful,” he replied smoothly.
I didn’t bother thanking him. As I drew closer to the ramp that would give me access to the main dock, I saw him standing near the top.
I had felt relatively normal, albeit excited about meeting up until this very moment. Now all of our conversations and subtle flirtations seemed much more real. Seeing him standing there looking far too good twisted my stomach into tighter knots.
He was dressed in a fitted quarter-sleeved button-down, sans tie, one hand resting casually in the pockets of his slacks and the other holding his phone. I was surprised to see a tattoo of some kind peeking out from beneath the right sleeve.
I ended the call and dropped my cell in my purse, offering a smile as I walked up the ramp.
“Hi,” I greeted shyly.
He slipped his phone into his pocket and grinned. “Did you have any trouble finding your way here? I know you don’t come this direction often.”
“No, the GPS did what it was supposed to do.
I wondered how he knew I rarely came to the Bay. I chalked it up to a normal assumption. Most everyone in town would know that this wasn’t my typical domain.
“Good.” He reached out and gently touched the side of my face. “You look beautiful.”
So do you. Thankfully I didn’t say that out loud. I wasn’t sure I’d survive the embarrassment.
“You already said that.”
“Doesn’t make it any less true.”
I smiled with my teeth, unable to help myself. I was never a cheesy, swoon over a man romance kinda girl. If anything, the male species irritated me to the core, until now. I’d seen attractive boys in high school and had even been approached by a few but during that time of my life, I had no choice but to keep my head down and focus on my education.
Eventually, they disappeared altogether which was for the best. Since I was far from a brainiac and had to study non-stop my grades were more important to me than dick or dating. A lot of good that diploma was doing me now, hanging on a wall collecting dust.
All of that made whatever this thing was all the more exciting. I never could have imagined Draven of all people would be the first man I went out with. All he needed to do was smile and I melted.
“Come on, let me show you, Baal.” He wrapped an arm around my shoulders and tucked me against his side.
God, he smelled divine.
“Baal?” I asked to keep my mind focused. “I feel like I’ve heard that somewhere before.”
He walked me down the main dock, passed all the boats tethered on either side until we got about halfway down.
“Here she is.”
He motioned to a pearl white luxury yacht that had been prepped for this exact occasion. The gleaming metal railing that ran around the perimeter of the boat had tiny lights weaved around it.
From where we were standing, I could see the table on board was pre-set with deep colored linens and tea candles. The smell of something mouthwatering permeated the air.
“What do you think?” Draven asked.
“I think the confidence in your tone makes that a rhetorical question.”
He laughed softly and guided me forward, helping me on board as a true gentleman. The floor was like solid oak of some kind, polished to the point it didn’t look as if anyone had ever walked on it before. Everything appeared to be brand new.
“How long have you had her—the boat?”
“Going on two years. I had another and traded up.”
That wasn’t a concept I could ever relate to, but it didn’t make me feel any kind of way. I was well aware of his wealth, and I assumed he knew about my background as well. It still brought us here to this moment and I intended to enjoy it.
We approached the round table and he pulled out a chair for me to sit. I thanked him and settled into the cushy seat as he took the one directly across from me. I surveyed everything already placed expertly on top, finding the delicious aroma was coming from beneath the covered dishes.
“The chef just left so everything is still fresh and hot.”
“Chef?” I teased. “You mean you didn’t make all the food yourself?”
“Next time.” He winked playfully and began lifting the metal lids obscuring our meal from view, setting them off to the side.
“Wow,” I mumbled to myself.
“Is it okay?”
“Well, it looks and smells amazing, but I have no idea what most of this is.”
“That’s alright, I didn’t expect you to. Consider it a new experience.”
I loved that he so effortlessly moved beyond my lack of knowledge without making it a big deal. He grabbed a butter knife and began pointing to the items on my on each platter, naming them for my benefit.