Searching within herself, these past few days, she realized she had to stop trying to sabotage her relationship with Billy. She was always afraid of getting hurt. Billy owed her an explanation, and this time she wanted to hear it all. She didn’t want him to hold back. What could he possibly be mixed up with that he didn’t want her to get involved in?
Alexandra didn’t want to give up on Billy. Tomorrow, if Billy called, she would meet with him. She wanted to iron out the problems in their relationship. But it would be the last time she’d give him this chance. She would make it a point to tell him, no more secrets, hoping he would answer all her questions.
Chapter Nine
Alexandra sat at her kitchen table, with a mug of coffee with both her landline and cell phone next to her. The night before she hardly slept. Words kept floating through her mind. When she spoke to Billy, she had to have all her thoughts and emotions flowing in the same direction. She hadn’t given Billy a chance to explain what she had heard.
Glancing down on the piece of paper towel she had folded in half and written on, she looked over the questions she wanted to ask him. She made certain her favorite red pen sat on top of the paper. This was the last time she wanted to go through this.
At eight that morning, her phone rang. Billy’s number flashed on her screen . She answered and instead of asking him the questions over the phone, she asked him to stop by for hot chocolate. After she said it, she felt like an idiot. Why didn’t she just say don’t forget the marshmallows too?
Billy arrived, with a bag of marshmallows and apricot scones. He kissed her hello and walked directly into the kitchen.
“I’ll be with you in a few,” he called from the kitchen. “I just want to make the hot chocolate and put the scones on a dish. They’re still warm. Sit down and I’ll be right with you.”
Alexandra sat and took her paper towel and slipped it under her cell phone, making certain that the questions she had written on it the night before were still in eyes view for her. She didn’t want to forget to ask him anything. This would be the only chance she had. She couldn’t keep dwelling on his forgetting to tell her things that were important. Damn, they were about to open a café, which meant they would be spending most of their day together.
“Here you go.” Billy placed the black and white oversized mug of hot chocolate in front of her with a half dozen mini-marshmallows floating on the top.
“Thank you.”
“I hope you like the scones. I thought apricot might be a good seller, since people love the filling in seven layer cookies.” Billy cut the scone in half, and placed it on her dish.
The scent of the scone overpowered the vanilla candle she had lit when she first came down in the morning. She lifted the scone and took a bite. Her eyebrows rose in amazement and she licked her lips. Billy stood peering down on her waiting for her reaction.
Looking up, she nodded her head. “Go ahead.”
“You’re right on the money.” Billy touched her shoulder. “I thought it could be one of the scones on our menu.”
“We should start with the scone of the day. Try different flavors to see what sells, what the customers like,” Alexandra said.
“That’s a fantastic idea.”
“Yes it is. But first, we need to discuss a couple of things.”
Alexandra took the last bite of her scone and pushed her dish to the side. Leaning her left elbow on the table she motioned for Billy to sit down. He sat next to her, keeping eye contact.
Before getting lost in his eyes, Alexandra dropped her gaze and took a moment to collect her thoughts before beginning. “I want us,” she pointed from him to herself, “to work. I love you Billy and I don’t want us to have secrets.”
“I …”
“Before you say anything, I realize what happened before we were together shouldn’t matter. But the foundation of our relationship is trust. I’m not going to ask about your past girlfriends, I just want to know what the secrets are all about.”
Billy stood and paced the living room before playing with the wood in the fireplace. Alexandra wanted to tell him to leave it alone, that she already had the fire going, but decided to give him this time to collect his thoughts.
“I know you have a lot of questions, and I’m prepared to talk.” He took her hand and led her to the couch. “Sit down and get comfortable. I’ll be right back.”
Billy disappeared into the kitchen, and returned within a few minutes and sat sideways on the couch to face her. “About fifteen years ago I got myself into a bit of trouble. I could barely pay my bills and needed money quick. So I turned to an acquaintance.”
Alexandra’s voice rose. “Acquaintance? Do you mean a loan shark?”
“No. He’s a friend of the family.”
“You owe him money?”
Billy shook his head. “No. He gave me what I wanted, in exchange, he had me do some illegal things.”
“Are you kidding me?” Alexandra sat back on the couch. Billy seemed to be uncomfortable talking about it.
He leaned on the sole of his right foot, and started shaking his leg. Alexandra kept her focus on him and waited for him to finish the rest of his story. She wanted to know everything. She wanted things back to the way they use to be.
“The reason why you heard me arguing with Ralphie is because he still feels I owe him for bailing me out.”
“But that was a long time ago.”
Billy played with the thin red straw in his mug. “Baby, he wants a piece of the café.”
“No way. And how did he find out?”
Billy stood and paced. “I went to my bank for a business loan. I had no idea his daughter worked there until she came out from her office to wait on me.”
“His daughter? Don’t even tell me you didn’t know it was her.”
“Babe, I haven’t seen his daughter since we were kids. Besides, her married name is on the nameplate. I still can’t believe she recognized me.” Billy stood, and folded his arms. “Ralphie is playing games. I just wanted to protect you. I don’t want you involved in the mistakes I made.”
“Well, I’ll tell you one thing,” Alexandra stood, walked over to Billy and took his hands in hers, “I’m not letting this Ralphie character get involved in our plans. This is our business and he isn’t getting a single cent from us.”
“How are we going to do that? He’ll come to the café everyday to harass us.”
“Not if I take out the loan.”
“No,” he shook his head. “I can’t let you take the whole financial burden on yourself. We need to do this together.”
“But we will be. The loan is just going to be in my name.”
“We’re not doing this. The time has come for me to stand up to Ralphie. I don’t owe him anything. I have paid for the loan he gave me time and time again.” Billy let go of her hands and rested them on her waist. “I have to be completely honest with you.”
“That’s all I ask.”
“I got involved with Ralphie because I needed money to hire an attorney to bail me out of jail.” Billy backed away from her, walked across the room and sunk into the couch, rubbing his forehead with the palm of his hand. “I messed up. I got myself involved with the wrong people and got arrested for possession of prescription drugs. That’s the real reason why I go under an alias.”
“I’m sorry, Billy. But truth be told, all that happened a long time ago.”
“Yes, but he has threatened to reveal the truth.”
“What’s the difference?” Alexandra sat down and ran her fingertips along the stubble on his cheeks. “Let him tell. Because all he’s going to do is incriminate himself too.”
“You’re not upset with me?” he asked, tilting his head to the side.
“No. The only thing I’m upset about is that you didn’t trust me enough to tell me sooner. Do you have other secrets?” she challenged him.
“Of course. And I’m sure you do too. But before we talk, there’s something I wanted to do since
I got here.”
“And what might that be?” she challenged.
Billy didn’t answer. Instead he took her into his arms and kissed her lips.
Chapter Ten
Billy turned off the oven and plopped into his brown overstuffed chair across from the television. Today he made the biggest decision of his life. Thank God, Alexandra gave him a chance to explain.
He hadn’t planned on exposing the trouble he had gotten himself into over the years. It was a thing of the past, and that’s where he wanted to keep it. But when Ralphie came knocking on his door, his past had come back to haunt him once again.
With all the banks in New York City, it would figure he picked the one that Ralphie’s daughter worked at. This time, she was married. He remembered when he first borrowed the money, Ralphie wanted him to date his daughter. If he had done that, Ralphie would have seen the loan as an investment into his daughter’s future. The trouble was, Billy never liked her.
Reaching into his pocket, he took out a small red velvet box. With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, he wanted to make sure he had the perfect gift for Alexandra, even if he decided not to give it to her. Losing her would never happen again. Telling her the truth about Ralphie saved their relationship. But was it enough? Ralphie threatened to tell Alexandra about Billy’s arrest and the time he spent in jail. Now that he told her himself, there really was no reason to worry about Ralphie.
Billy stood and put the box in a drawer in his bedroom before going into the kitchen. He had promised Alexandra earlier he was going to make her a dinner of samplers that he’d like to have at the café.
Secretly, Billy had started to compose a menu when they first started discussing it. The menu was most important aspect of the restaurant. Any building could be spruced up, but the food, it had to be perfect. People wanted quality, yet they want to watch their fat and calorie intake. He would make certain everything remained tasty and healthy without turning it into a health food place.
Checking the clock, he had to work fast. He had told Alexandra to come for dinner at seven. He opened the oven and took out the homemade whole wheat and semolina loafs, one of his specialties. A blueberry tart, along with raspberry and blueberry scones sat under a navy blue napkin in a wicker basket on the counter.
The whole evening was planned. He had purchased a set of navy blue square dishes earlier, ones that he wanted to use at the café, along with a beige tablecloth and matching napkins.
Billy prepared a quick salad with baby arugula, spinach and romaine lettuce, then added tomatoes, sliced black olives, fresh mushrooms and red onions and his special seasoning mixture. Putting the salad into the refrigerator, he sliced fresh mozzarella and tomato and placed it on a navy blue rectangular dish. He also made mini-veggie burgers, broccoli rabe and farfalle macaroni with a light garlic and oil. The last thing he made was mini stuffed artichokes.
Everything was ready when Alexandra arrived. A bottle of pinot noir was chilled in a crystal ice bucket. Alexandra loved her wine chilled, not liking ice cubes diluting it. Billy placed a small matching bowl on the table with seasoned oil, complemented by his very own variety of spices to give the oil just the right taste to dip the bread in.
Just as Billy placed the ice bucket on the table, Alexandra arrived. To his surprise, she held a serving platter with a large bowl sitting on top wrapped in cellophane, matching the set of dishes he had bought.
Alexandra handed him the dishes and greeted him with a kiss.
“How did you know?” he pointed to the platter.
“I stopped in the store earlier and your neighbor Cathy waited on me. She told me you were in earlier to pick up a place setting for four, so I thought I would complement it with the accessories.”
“You shouldn’t have.” Billy placed them down on the cocktail table.
“My mom taught me when you’re invited to someone’s house for dinner you should always bring wine and cake. I knew you already had both, so this is the next best thing.”
“What else did Cathy tell you?”
“That you have a surprise dinner in store for me tonight.” Alexandra placed her handbag on the table and unbuttoned her jacket.
“I want everything to be perfect.” He brushed strands of hair off her face. “And you’ve already made it that.”
“Next time I’ll bring more platters.” Alexandra wrapped her arms around his neck. “If I knew that dishes were the key, I would’ve bought them for you a long time ago.”
They shared a tender kiss before Billy led her into the dining room. He also worked just as hard on preparing the room as he did the food. Earlier, he had bought red roses and white lilies, which sat in a spiral vase in the center of the table.
“Everything smells great. What can I do to help you?” Alexandra released her arms from around his neck and took a step back.
“Nothing. Tonight you are my guest.” Billy gazed at her, his eyes gleaming. “I want you to sit and relax. Chef Billy is at your service. I’ll be back with your first course.”
“Billy…”
Billy walked into the kitchen, placed his tall chef hat on and prepared their salad dishes. Before bringing them into the dining room, he sprinkled chopped pecans and fresh cranberries to add the final flavor.
With a dish in each hand he returned into the dining room. Alexandra had removed her coat and looked absolutely stunning sitting at the table dressed in a black lace dress.
“Wow. When did you get the dress?” His eyes scanned her from head to toe as she stood up. He wasn’t use to her being all dressed up.
Alexandra twirled in her stiletto black boots. “I bought it after I got the dishes. “ Pointing at him, “I love the hat. It’s kind of a turn-on,” she said, her voice low and seductive.
Billy reached his hands out and Alexandra slipped hers into his.
“How hungry are you?” he asked, pulling her body snuggly against his.
“As hungry as you.”
Billy and Alexandra remained in each other’s arms under his Egyptian cotton black sheets. The smell of their lovemaking remained evident in the room. Alexandra wanted to lay there all night with him. The warmth of Billy’s body felt good against hers. But the sound of Billy’s stomach growling caused him to stir.
Kissing the top of her head he said, “I’m starving.”
“I must admit, me too. I hope dinner isn’t ruined.”
“Not at all.”
Billy slid out of bed and pulled on his jeans. “I’ll be in the kitchen warming everything up. Take your time.”
Alexandra freshened up. The only thing she hadn’t brought was her black eyeliner. Most of her makeup had been wiped away during their lovemaking. For tonight, the natural look would be in.
This time, she paid attention to the small details, which made the night so special. Earlier, she hadn’t noticed the centerpiece of fresh flowers and the lace tablecloth and napkins.
“There’s my girl.” Billy pulled out Alexandra’s chair. “I can’t wait for you to try all my specialties.”
“Neither can I. How many things have you prepared?” Alexandra asked, placing her napkin on her lap.
“To be honest,” he placed a dish of salad in front of her along with an espresso colored wicker basket filled with bread on a matching cloth napkin. “I have an ulterior motive behind you coming here for dinner tonight.”
Raising her eyes to meet his gaze she asked, “You mean there’s more to tonight than cooking and making love to me?” Alexandra dropped her eyes to the salad and bit her bottom lip not wanting him to see her smirking. She loved kidding around with him.
Billy chuckled. “Yeah there is.” He handed her a fork. “Go ahead, try it. Let me know what you think,” he said, sitting down across from her.
Alexandra took a forkful and rolled her head from side to side. “Dear God, Billy. This is awesome. The dressing is unique. I taste a hint of fennel and red pepper.”
“You’re good. I crushed them both and added a
pinch of each.”
“I love it.”
“I was thinking of putting it on our menu. What do you think?”
Alexandra paused for a bit. It took her a few minutes to comprehend what Billy was up to. This was no ordinary meal. This meal consisted of items he wanted to place on the menu. And the dishes too.
Billy looked at her with a serious expression on his face. Alexandra knew that he wasn’t sure how to react. After letting silence fill the room for a few moments, Alexandra went hysterical. “I knew what you were up to the minute I walked in. What gave it away were the different smells that lingered flawlessly together. I imagined walking into our café. The scents so light yet distinguishable.”
“Wow. You never cease to amaze me.”
“There is more to the café than food.” Alexandra picked up her dish. “I love these. I think they would be perfect for the table.”
“I thought the same thing. But they are overpriced and we need a lot of them.”
Alexandra rested her hand on Billy’s. “I think we should go with the food, the dishes and silverware, down to the linens. I love everything you have picked out.”
“How did you know?” his eyes glistened.
“I see it in your eyes and I feel your excitement.”
“But I want you to love it too.”
“I do.” Alexandra continued to eat her salad, took a piece of bread and dipped it into the oil. “Please sit down, eat with me.”
“I will. I just have to bring in the rest of the food.”
Sliding her chair back, Alexandra stood up.
“No.” Billy stood, waiting behind her chair for her to sit back down.”
“I want to help.”
“Nope. Just like you tell me. Sit there and relax. I’ll be right back.”
Whispers of Winter: A Limited Edition Collection of Winter Romances Page 136
