by Gina LaManna
I cinched the cardigan tighter. “Thank you,” I said finally. “That’s really nice of you to say.”
“I’d ask you out on a date if I could.”
My pulse raced toward heart-attack range again. Maybe I needed to do some more laps in the pool because surely this wasn’t good for my cardio system. “Excuse me?”
“My butler encourages social interaction, or “dates,” as you call them. She tells me to find a woman who is exciting, who is beautiful to me, who I’d like to spend time with.” Mr. Clark paused, his expression full of concentration. “You are very beautiful, and you are... well, you’re unpredictable and exciting. I enjoy the time we spend together.”
I leaned against the counter, my fingers finding the edges of my dress, playing with the light fabric while I waited for a genius response to hit me. I wasn’t struck by lightning, so I stuck with a simple, “Thanks, I suppose.”
Mr. Clark seemed out of words too, so we fell into a silence. I was just getting used to these sort of awkward silences; they’d almost become comfortable.
“What do you mean you can’t?” I said finally. “Are you dating someone else?”
“Of course not. But you are,” Mr. Clark said. “You’re taken by your handyman.”
“I wouldn’t say that exactly. It’s a first date.”
“You’re my employee,” Mr. Clark said. “My butler tells me there are enough fish in the world to not eat where I...” he trailed off. “She uses quite a vulgar term to finish the sentence. She also tells me not to curse in front of a lady.”
I laughed. “Don’t mix business and pleasure?”
“Exactly.”
“Those are the only two reasons?”
“Well, of course not. There’s one more reason.”
I stepped closer, and so did he. We were less than a foot apart, our eye contact held steady across the space.
“What is it?” I asked, my fingers fidgeting with my sweater. “Your last reason.”
“Because you don’t like me.”
“That’s not true!”
“I’m different than most men—than most people, really.” He said this with a sense of pride, but underneath it, there was a note of uncertainty. “I’ve discovered most of the women who approach me do so because of my money. Frankly, you don’t care much about my money. At least, nothing beyond what you need to fix this place.” He gestured toward the cozy attic that was my bedroom, the high-raftered ceiling flickering under the candlelight from my desk. “So I can’t imagine why on earth you’d date me if not for the money.”
“Oh, Dane,” I said. “You are so much more than your money. You have so much to offer, and those girls who come to you because you’re rich are—”
I didn’t get to tell him what I thought of the women who used him for things because at that moment, the stairs creaked. They really creaked, signaling the weight of a heavy individual. Or maybe an elephant. For one very real second, I panicked that the entire second floor might collapse.
“Excuse me, sir?” Semi appeared at the top of the stairs. He was a large man, his skin the color of night, his clothes black and military looking in style. “We should be going. Our target is on the move.”
“Target?” I asked. My eyes flicked from Semi to Mr. Clark. “What target? And why is your guard here?”
“We discussed this,” Mr. Clark said. “If you’d read the contract, you’d understand.”
I rolled my eyes to the ceiling. “Oh, no.”
“Semi, meet Lola. Lola, Semi.” Mr. Clark simplified the introductions. “He’ll be watching over you tonight, as per the clause that states I’ll send a unit of protection with you at all times.”
“No, sorry,” I said, caught with a sudden wave of memory from Monday’s breakfast. He’d definitely told me. I just hadn’t listened. “That doesn’t work for me.”
“It’s non-negotiable.”
“I’m going out to eat with Luke. I’m not diffusing bombs or breaking into places. We’re on the Sunshine Shore. The last time there was a crime here it was when Frannie Mayplant threw eggs at Randy Yelnak from the top of the Ferris wheel. And frankly, he deserved it for what he said to her.”
“What’d he say to her?” Mr. Clark asked.
“That’s not important! What’s important is that I don’t need a security guard following me around. It’ll make Luke nervous. Don’t tell me you’re calling Luke the target?”
“Luke is the target,” Semi said. Then he gave a succinct head nod. “Pleasure to meet you, Miss Pink. I’d shake your hand but I’m afraid I can’t fit into this room without knocking myself unconscious.”
Semi hovered at the top of the stairs while I glared at Mr. Clark. Dane looked between the two of us, mystified.
“Why are you so upset?” Mr. Clark asked.
“Because it’s strange! And I’m on a date—dates are hard enough without someone watching over you. It’ll freak me out and Luke too.”
“Semi will hide,” Mr. Clark suggested. “That solves the problem.”
Semi nodded. “I’m good at hiding.”
“He’s as big as a car and looks like The Terminator! He can’t hide.”
“Nobody will know I’m there,” Semi said, his voice a low rumble that both calmed and threatened all at once. “I am good at my job.”
“Please,” Mr. Clark said finally. “The safety of my employees is important. It’s one evening. When you find the blueprints and are released from the contract, you’ll be able to continue the rest of your dates with Luke alone.”
The thought of not seeing Mr. Clark gave me a strange sensation, almost an unsettled sadness. I pushed it away, and distractedly agreed.
“Good,” Mr. Clark said. “Then I shall be going.”
“Oh, you didn’t want to double-date?” I asked, raising my eyebrows with sarcasm. “Everyone else is coming to my date tonight.”
“I have business to attend to at the castle,” he said, the sarcasm sailing right over his head. “And I have no date. Maybe another time.”
“He’s here,” Semi said. “The target is arriving.”
“I’ll be leaving,” Mr. Clark said. “But there’s one more thing.”
“Oh, goody.”
To my surprise, however, he stepped forward. From within his pocket, he pulled out a tiny parcel, a light pink box wrapped in a ribbon.
“This is for you.”
I couldn’t seem to make my mouth work, so I accepted the box with a muted thank you.
“Open it.”
“You didn’t have to do this,” I said. “For me?”
“My butler says that I should bring something for all of my dates.”
“But you’re...”
“I’m not your date,” he clarified. “But in case Luke forgets, I didn’t want you to go without. I know it’s an important date for you, and I would like for it to go well. I hope you’ll be happy tonight.”
I opened the box, a tiny silver chain glinting up at me. The most exquisite diamond was in the middle, hardly larger than a drop of dew. “This is...” I swallowed, then looked up at him. “This is beautiful.”
“It’s not expensive. I hope it’s all right,” he said. Suddenly, his voice quieted. “I noticed that you had a diamond this very size on your sunglasses the day you arrived at the castle. I hoped it would match.”
I hadn’t planned to wear sunglasses tonight since the sun had already set, but since I was too disoriented to respond, I fished in my purse and pulled them out. The chunky pink ones which, sure enough, had itsy bitsy diamonds along the edge. I slipped them over my eyes and fastened the necklace under my hair.
“Thank you, Dane,” I said. “Really. That’s the sweetest thing any non-date has ever done for me.”
“Then, I believe I’m supposed to do this.” Mr. Clark leaned in, resting his hand on the small of my back, and he planted the lightest, airiest kiss on my cheek. “Goodbye, Lola. Be safe.”
As he stepped away from me, Semi took co
ntrol, warning his boss to use the backdoor. A smart move, since Luke might not be thrilled about meeting another man at the front.
I found myself nodding along as Mr. Clark left. Once his footsteps disappeared, I turned to the mirror, examining the most gorgeous piece of jewelry I now owned. It wasn’t expensive, but that wasn’t the point. It was perfect.
“I’m going to disappear now, Miss Pink,” Semi said. “I’ll be with you all evening. If you need anything, wave. Or call my name, and I’ll be there in a jiffy.”
Any other time I would’ve laughed at the fact that a man of Semi’s size was using a word like jiffy. Not tonight. “Thank you,” I mumbled as the doorbell rang.
I grabbed my purse, shook off my speechlessness, and focused on my date. With Luke.
Pulling the door open, I smiled. “Hello, Luke.”
“Wow, Lola...” He stepped back. “You look gorgeous. Are you ready to go?”
“Yes, absolutely.” My fingers found my necklace, toyed with the chain. Then I stepped through the door, locked it behind me, and sensed Semi’s presence somewhere in the darkness. “What did you have planned?”
The wine, the food, the ambiance—five star selections. Luke Anderson knew how to make a good first impression. He’d chosen a restaurant just outside the city limits. Close enough so it wasn’t a hassle, just far enough away for privacy. In a town the size of ours, it was hard to get your mail without someone noticing, let alone enjoy a private evening out.
“Are you having a good time?” Luke smiled. He looked relaxed, his face tan from the outdoor construction work. “If you don’t like the food, we can go somewhere else. I saw a hotdog stand on the corner.”
I laughed, then apologized. “The food is wonderful. If I’m a little quiet it’s just this new job I accepted. It’s been on my mind. Sorry, I’m done thinking about work for the rest of the night, I promise.”
“Really, it’s fine. I understand. What’s the gig?”
I glanced down at my plate, surprised to find most of my lasagna untouched. I didn’t feel particularly hungry, but I took a bite anyway. “This is delicious, by the way. Thank you.”
“I should have said right off the bat that if you’d prefer, we could reschedule dinner. Believe me, I get the stress of a new job. If this is a bad time—”
“It’s not,” I said quickly. “I’m really happy to be here. Honestly. As for the job, well, I took a position as a personal assistant to Mr. Clark.”
“The king of Castlewood?”
I nodded.
“I was wondering what he was doing the other day at your place. He hasn’t stepped foot on the Sunshine Shore for years, if the rumors are to be believed.”
“Something like that.” I winced, the interaction between Dane and Luke still fresh. “About earlier, I’m sorry you two met like that. For what it’s worth, I thought it was adorable that you’d break a pipe for me.”
He laughed, a flush creeping onto his cheeks. “Nah, it was stupid. Apparently my flirting techniques haven’t evolved from kindergarten.”
“Hey, I would’ve let you pull my pigtails on the playground any day.”
We both smiled, and finally, I stopped thinking of Dane’s touch against my neck, the way his words sounded against my ears. Luke was perfectly handsome. Perfectly mannered. Perfectly interested in me. There was no reason I should be thinking about anything work related at all, including my boss.
“Personal assistant? How is that going?”
“It’s great,” I said. “There’s always something new to do. Then again, I’ve only been there two days, so everything’s new.”
“He’s lucky to have you.”
“Now you’re just sucking up,” I teased. “Tell me more about you.”
“What else do you want to know? I moved here three years back. My family lives on the opposite side of the country in an equally small town. I was ready for a change and got the opportunity to work for a year at Wilson’s Construction. Then he retired, and I branched out on my own. Now I run Anderson’s Construction. It’s a small company, but we do lots of local work, and I enjoy it. I’m happy here, and I plan to stay.”
“Do you miss your family?”
He nodded. “I do, but I go back to visit often enough. And I’m hoping that once the rush of summer projects ends, I can set to work building my own house. I’ll build an apartment over the garage for my family to come visit and stay for as long as they want.”
“Sounds like the best of both worlds,” I said. “I’m really happy for you.”
“I’m boring, that’s probably enough about me. What about you? I have to ask…how is working for the infamous Mr. Clark?”
“Oh, well—”
“I’ve heard he’s strange.” Luke looked down at his food, a wry smile on his face. “Then again, you’ve lived here much longer than I have, so you’d know better than me.”
“He’s a good boss,” I said, maybe a little too firmly. “And a nice man.”
“I’m glad to hear it.”
We awkwardly ate in silence for a few minutes, and I wondered when I’d lost all of my ability to function as a normal human being. Since when had simple conversation with a nice guy turned so difficult?
“Tell me about your hopes for Shades of Pink,” Luke said, thankfully changing the subject. “You want a total revamp?”
I smiled, Dotty’s memory flickering through my mind. It was impossible to separate her warmth, her legacy from my dreams with the store. “Not necessarily; I want to keep it exactly the same as it is—just updated. With a few more modern appliances and, you know, a second floor that isn’t about to collapse with the smallest of earthquakes.”
“Are you planning to try your hand at reading the future?”
“Never!” I shook my head, laughing. “I can’t tell you what my schedule is tomorrow, let alone what might happen in the future. But I do like the vibe Dotty cultivated—cozy, warm, a place people want to call home. When Dotty ran the Psychic in Pink, everyone was welcome. That’s what I want.”
“Except with sunglasses.”
I touched the glasses on my head, the tiny diamonds lining the edges. “I just happen to love sunglasses. The coffee bar is more for me than anyone else. I want a place where people can come in, browse shades, have something to drink and... I don’t know. Relax. Have a friend to listen. Lounge on vacation, that sort of thing.”
“You miss her, don’t you?”
“My grandmother?” I hesitated, a rush of emotion suddenly blocking my throat. “Yes. A lot.”
“I promise you we’ll keep the feel of the shop—” Luke stopped speaking and gave a strangled sort of cough. “Well, shit—that sounded like a sales pitch. That’s not what I meant at all. You don’t have to hire me; that wasn’t the point of the evening at all, I promise you—”
“Luke, you’re the only construction company in town now that Wilson’s gone,” I said with a grin. “Of course you’re hired. I’m just waiting on the money to roll into my bank account. Then we’ll get started.”
“If I can help, please let me know...” He trailed off. “I know Dotty left you a money pit and not enough cash to deal with it. What I’m trying to say is that I trust you. If you want to get started before the funds are ready, we can work out a plan.”
“No, Luke, I won’t take a loan from you.”
“It’s not charity. You can still pay me back. No interest, just a deal between friends.”
“No, really, it’s fine. I have some money in savings,” I lied. “It won’t take me long to find enough to pay all of your fees.”
“Well, if you change your mind, just let me know.”
“I will,” I agreed, suddenly distracted by a movement out the window behind Luke’s shoulder.
“Lola?” Luke glanced over his shoulder, but there was nothing except darkness outside the window. “Is everything okay?”
“Oh, yeah. I just…I need to use the restroom.”
I disappeared before Luke co
uld ask if I was feeling okay, winding my way between tables and chairs until I reached the bathrooms. My heart raced and my skin tingled.
Something was wrong. I couldn’t quite say what, but I sensed it.
I’d barely pushed open the bathroom door before a hand clasped over my eyes and strong arms dragged me down the hallway toward the emergency exit. My voice stalled in my throat, but my body reacted in fight mode—arms flailing, legs kicking against the bigger, stronger figure leading me to the set of doors at the end of the hallway.
“Quiet,” Semi murmured against my struggles.
I didn’t stop wriggling away from him until we reached the outdoors, the fresh air settling on my heated skin, the air between us thick with tension.
“What are you thinking?” I hissed. “You practically kidnapped me!”
“We need to go,” Semi said. “Now.”
“What happened? Is Dane okay?”
Semi’s eyebrows flicked upward, surprise registering at my choice of name. “Mr. Clark is fine, but the castle is on lockdown. We need to get back.”
“Why?”
“Get in the car.”
“I need to say goodbye to my date. I can’t let him think I just left.”
“We don’t have time.”
“We do have time, or I will bite you. Don’t think I won’t,” I said, my eyes on his. “And I’ll scream bloody murder. I learned self-defense in grade school.”
“Biting is not self-defense.”
“It is if it distracts you,” I said, pushing past him. “I’ll be right back.”
“Thirty seconds, or I’ll walk in there after you,” Semi called, obviously deciding this wasn’t a battle he wanted to fight. “Trust me when I say that you don’t want me to walk in there, Miss Pink.”
I nodded, breathlessly yanking at the auto-locked emergency exit doors until a nice man stumbling toward the toilet let me inside. “Thanks,” I mumbled, barreling past him as he stared outside, confused.
“When a lady’s gotta go, she’s gotta go,” Semi explained to him. “Forget about it, man.”
I ignored the scene behind me, rounding the corner to find Luke peering calmly at the dessert menu. Meanwhile, I probably looked like I’d been picked up by a tornado in the bathroom.
