We both stood there, our arms folded on our chests, staring each other down. We were clearly at an impasse. Then I heard Ella’s soft voice behind me. “Let me talk to him.”
I cringed at the thought of allowing Ella anywhere near Steel. He disgusted me in nearly every way possible. I didn’t even want him setting his eyes on Ella even again. For a moment I wondered if I bought him a ticket to somewhere far away, like Europe or, even better, Asia, if he’d go and leave us alone.
Ella peeked out from behind me and looked at Steel. “Maybe you should go home.” Her suggestion was calm and her tone even.
“What the fuck, Ella,” Steel cried. “I thought lover boy would be gone by now. I gave him three dates tops. Enough time to take care of business and be on his way.”
If I wasn’t so risk adverse, and he wasn’t so huge, I would have punched the guy. Instead, I put my arm around Ella and pulled her close. “I’m not going anywhere.”
He started to laugh again. “Yeah, you say that now. I guess she hasn’t freaked out on you yet. The chick is fucked up, Man.”
When I heard a small snivel come from my side, I had the feeling Ella was trying to hold in her emotions and not cry in front of Steel.
“If you want that broken bitch, you can have her. She’s cracked beyond repair. Only good for one thing. But I guess you already figured that out.”
I was getting a lot closer to punching him: screw his size and my aversion to risk. He deserved it.
He pointed a finger in Ella’s direction. “When Joe Engineer finally decides to dumps your sorry ass, I’m not coming back.”
And with that, he turned and stomped away.
My heart felt like it broke into a million little pieces when I looked at Ella and tears were streaming down her face. What could I possibly say that would make things better? “He’s obviously angry. I’m sure he didn’t mean everything he said.”
“I know he did,” she stated, her face stoic.
“It’s not true,” I countered.
She looked up at me with forlorn eyes. “What if it is? What if I really am worthless, disposable, just like he treats me—like everyone treats me?”
My broken heart shattered even more. I took Ella by the shoulders and turned her to face me, so we were eye to eye. “You’re the most talented woman I’ve ever met. You’re filled with passion and zest for life. I treasure you, Ella.”
She bit her bottom lip like she was thinking about what I just said. Then she leaned up and placed a tender kiss on my lips.
I thought about all of the awful things Steel had said to her—to both of us. I hoped she didn’t stay with him because he validated feelings she had about herself. She obviously had no idea how wonderful she was, maybe because no one had ever told her so. “Steel is obviously an idiot,” I assured her. “I feel lucky to have you in my life.”
“Thank you,” she whispered.
“Come on,” I said as I put my arm back around her. “We should get back to bed. I’ve got to be up for work in a few hours.”
Six
Ella’s suitcase was much heavier than it looked. “No one is going to accuse you of packing light,” I joked as I placed the bag in my trunk.
“I want to look nice for our first trip together,” she replied as she threw her overnight bag into the trunk with her suitcase.
“I think you look nice naked.” I couldn’t stop a big grin from appearing on my face.
“I think that can be arranged,” she teased.
I reached into the breast pocket of my sports coat and removed a folded stack of papers. “I have here a detailed list of major hotels, restaurants and tourist attractions within a five mile radius of the museum where Cheyenne Robison’s work is being displayed.”
Ella laughed. “Do you always have to have everything planned out? You can be spontaneous sometimes, you know. You don’t have to anticipate the outcome of every move you make. It’s okay to let life unfold and enjoy the process.”
She was right. I wanted to me more free-spirited and less predictable. I wanted Ella to think I was fun. I tore up the papers and handed them to her. “I’m willing to give spontaneous a try. To let things unfold.”
She gave me a kiss on the cheek. “Have I told you how cute you are?”
“It doesn’t hurt to hear it again,” I prompted.
“You’re exceptionally cute,” she repeated.
Of course, I still had copies of all the torn documents saved on my iPhone just in case.
***
We decided to stay at a spa resort outside of Scottsdale. It wasn’t very far from the downtown Phoenix area, where the museum was located, but the desert location and the expansive mountain views were spectacular.
I thought it was worth the money to splurge a little on the accommodations. Ella and I hadn’t discussed who would pay for the trip and I just made the assumption at some point that as the man, it would be my responsibility. I knew it was probably a sexist and old-fashion attitude but I couldn’t let go of the strong urge I had to take care of Ella.
Ella, however, had other ideas.
Somehow, she had managed to book our plane tickets without my knowledge and when we got to the hotel, she reached for her credit card as quickly as I did.
When I scowled at her, she eased her card back into her wallet.
“You can’t pay for everything, Ella,” I said quietly as we got into the elevator with all of our bags.
“Lucas, my parents are extremely wealthy. I’m extremely wealthy because my parents gave me a huge trust fund. I have enough money to buy this hotel. You really don’t need to pay for anything.”
I bit my cheek thinking about what to say then looked over at her. “Maybe I want to.”
“It’s just not necessary.”
I touched her face. “I told you I want to take care of you, Ella. This is me taking care of you.”
She smiled. “Okay. I get it.”
***
Our hotel room exceeded my every expectation, from the elegant furnishing to the luxurious oversized bathroom. It was definitely worth the hefty price tag.
“This place is spectacular,” I commented as I moved over to the drawn shade and opened it. I’m not much of a whistler but I actually let out a slow one as I took in the spectacular view of the big sky and mountains.
Ella linked her arm in mine and leaned her head on my shoulder. We took in the magnificent view together. I never got tired of having Ella close to me, of feeling the warmth of her body next to mine.
It wasn’t long before my stomach gurgled then growled and we both laughed.
“That thing is like clockwork,” Ella stated as she patted my belly. “It even accounted for the time change.”
I glanced at my watch. Dinner time. “What do you feel like eating?”
She raised a seductive eyebrow.
“What you’re thinking about is dessert. Scottsdale is supposed to have some of the finest restaurants in world. Let’s get dressed up and see what we can score without reservations.”
Ella knocked on the bathroom door while I was in the middle of shaving.
“Let me in,” she cried.
“I’ll be done in just a minute.” I tried to hurry the procedure but I didn’t want to cut myself. That’s all I needed to add to the geek factor, to be walking around posh Scottsdale with tissue paper stuck to my chin.
She continued to bang on the door until I relented and let her in. Before I could say anything, she hurried to the toilet, whipped down her panties and started peeing.
“What are you doing?” I asked uncomfortably.
She laughed. “Isn’t it obvious?”
“Do you want me to leave?” I suggested although I’m not sure why I just didn’t go.
“Aren’t you used to seeing me peeing yet?”
I scrunched my nose. “Not really.”
“It’s not a big deal. Whenever I use the bathroom, you have my permission to come in and pee anytime you want.”
&nbs
p; I tried to imagine walking in on Ella while she was putting on makeup or doing her hair and taking a leak. It didn’t seem as far-fetched as I initially imagined. Even though Ella and I had only known each other a short time, in some ways we felt like an old married couple.
As we were getting dressed, I noticed Ella was wearing a fabulous white sundress with spaghetti straps. I knew the present I had for her would be the perfect accessory.
During my lunch hour on Thursday, I actually left the building, which may have been a first, and scoured the area around our building for every jewelry store within a fifteen mile radius. I meticulously examined every possible option until I happened upon the perfect necklace for Ella. I knew it the moment I saw it.
Of course, Moe, Larry and Curly teased me incessantly about taking time off for my excursion out of the office.
“I bet he went to stock up on condoms,” Ron teased and the other guys chuckled.
“I bet he’s going to do her all weekend long,” Rick added.
I knew the teasing was partially jealously because the guys didn’t have girlfriends and very few prospects. I think they also liked to live vicariously through me.
I removed the small velvet box from my overnight bag and turned to face Ella with it. I cleared my throat to get her attention.
I never saw Ella wear any jewelry at all, not even a watch, so I was a little hesitant to pick something out. But I thought it was perfect and I hoped she thought so, too.
She tilted her head and stared at the box in my hand as if she was trying to figure out what it was. “It’s a present, Ella. Take it.” I practically had to shove it in her hands.
Then I held my breath because she just stared at the closed box for a long time.
“Open it,” I prodded.
She carefully opened the box and took in a breath when she saw the rose gold butterfly heart pendant necklace. “I don’t know what to say.”
Now I was really nervous. All kinds of thoughts raced through my head. Didn’t she like it? Was it too extravagant? Not extravagant enough? She came from a wealthy family, maybe they gave her jewelry all the time and she didn’t think much of my comparatively modest gift. “Do you like it?” I could hear the hesitancy in my voice as the words came out.
When she looked back up at me, her eyes were wet and a tear streamed down her face. “No one has ever given me jewelry before.”
“No one?” I repeated, in surprise.
She shook her head.
“Not even your mom and dad?”
She continued shaking her head.
I got close to her and pointed to the small butterfly with wings made of pink-sapphires. “You’re like a butterfly, bold and beautiful, yet fragile. Then I pointed to the diamond-encrusted heart that surrounded the butterfly. “And this is my heart. Whenever you look at this, I want you to remember that you’re always in my heart.”
She carefully placed her index finger on the heart and traced its outline. Then she looked up at me. “It’s beautiful, Lucas. I love it.”
I finally exhaled in relief. “Would you like me to put it on you?”
She nodded and I carefully removed the necklace from the box and placed it around her neck. We both stared at it in the mirror for a few moments.
“I’m never going to take it off,” she said as she held the pendent in her hand.
I placed a light kiss on her cheek. When she turned to face me, she placed a soft kiss on my lips that quickly ignited. I grabbed Ella and pulled her body next to mine and we deepened the kiss. I could feel an erection spring to life and I knew if we didn’t slow down, we’d be skipping dinner and getting right to dessert.
Then, as if on cue, my stomach let out a massive growl.
“We’d better feed the beast,” I joked and we both laughed.
***
Downtown Scottsdale was so different than anything I had ever seen before. I grew up on the East Coast and lived there all of my life. I even stayed fairly close to home for college. My parents weren’t wealthy so our yearly vacations usually consisted of trips to one of the various resorts that lined the New England shore. The furthest south we had ever driven was Washington, DC, the summer before high school. My parents thought it was important for me and my sister to see the seat of American government and have the experience of viewing these important sites before we started high school.
Phoenix was definitely my first trip west and Scottsdale didn’t disappoint. The place obviously catered to high end clientele. All of the retail establishments looked clean and new—also quite elegant and clearly expensive.
In a word, the city was upscale.
“See anything that captures your attention and says eat here?” I asked as Ella and I walked hand-in-hand down the main thoroughfare. It was still fairly early for a Friday evening but the pace around the bars and restaurants was definitely picking up.
Ella glanced around at the myriad of choices, her eyes wide. There were so many interesting places to choose from, it felt overwhelming.
“What about Mexican?” Ella offered. “We are in the southwest.”
“Did you know that almost thirty percent of Arizona’s population is of Mexican ancestry? That’s probably due to the fact that Arizona was once part of Mexico. Arizona didn’t become a U.S. state until February 14, 1912. It was the 48th state admitted to the union and the last of the contiguous states to be admitted.”
Ella stopped and looked at me. “Has anyone ever told you that you’re too smart?”
How about all the time, I thought. Instead I replied, “Has anyone ever told you that you’re too beautiful?”
She frowned. “No, never.”
“I find that hard to believe.”
Ella started walking again and pulled me along with her. “You know how I can hear colors? I think you see beauty in ordinary things.”
I laughed. “Ella, you are a lot of things but ordinary is definitely not one of them. I can assure you that you’re extraordinary in every way.”
“What about this place?” she motioned to a small Mexican place that didn’t yet have the crowd that some of the other larger restaurants were starting to amass.
“It looks quaint,” I replied.
She tilted her head. “Is that a yes or a no?”
“Let’s give it a try,” I offered as I grabbed her hand and pulled her with me through the entrance.
We were immediately greeted by a smiling Latino. “Two for dinner?” he asked as he reached for a couple of menus.
“That would be wonderful,” I replied.
“Follow me.”
He led us to a quiet table near the back of the dining area. As we sat down and he handed us our menus, he remarked, “Are the two of you on your honeymoon?”
I think both of us went wide-eyed at the same time.
“Oh, no,” I stated quickly. Ella was already shaking her head.
“Oh, my mistake,” the man said. “The two of you just look so happy and in love.”
We are, I thought, although I could only speak for myself. I assumed Ella felt the same way but I couldn’t be completely sure. She hadn’t yet told me she loved me.
“Enjoy,” the man commented as he headed back over to the host area.
Ella already had her menu open by the time I looked back over at her. “You must be hungry.”
She looked over her menu at me. “It’s already past dinner on the East Coast.”
“I’m surprised you haven’t passed out,” I teased.
She actually stuck her tongue out at me. There were a number of places I wanted to feel that tongue later tonight, I thought.
“I’m surprised your stomach hasn’t already started a mutiny.”
“If they bring us some chips and salsa, I’m sure it will calm the rebellion.”
“What are you getting?” Ella asked.
Now I was looking over my menu at her. “Why? Do you want to share each other’s dishes?”
She laughed. “You read my mind. How do
you always manage to do that?”
“The same way you manage to read mine.”
We both dropped our menus and stared at each other.
“This is going to sound crazy,” she said. “But do you ever feel like we’re two pieces of a broken heart that have been finally reunited?”
“That wasn’t the metaphor that struck me but it does seem apt. I thought we were like two socks that finally found their match.”
Ella grinned. “I like that one, too.”
I snapped my fingers. “I know. We’re like two lone chopsticks that are finally part of a set.”
She frowned. “Except we’re at a Mexican restaurant.”
“It’s still a good metaphor,” I argued.
“Yeah, it is pretty good,” she agreed. “Two pieces of a puzzle that fit perfectly together?”
I nodded. “How about two sides of the same coin?”
We were having so much fun that neither of us noticed that a waitress had appeared and was ready to take our order.
We stuffed ourselves on spinach enchiladas and chili rellenos. I liked that we shared both meals, so we got to experience both dishes. We were both so carefree and easy with each other. I felt like we brought out the best in each other.
“I can’t possibly eat another bite,” Ella exclaimed as she dropped her fork to her plate. “It was too good. I’m stuffed.”
“Me, too,” I agreed. “There’s not much left though.” There were just a few bites left of each meal.
Ella grabbed my hand and looked into my eyes. “I want to thank you. For coming with me on this trip. For the amazing necklace. For being with me.”
“There’s no place else I’d rather be,” I said as I rubbed her hands with my thumbs.
“I’m really excited about the exhibit tomorrow and meeting Cheyenne Robison. His work is amazing!”
I had to admit a twinge of jealously surged through me when she talked about the artist in such glowing terms. I knew it was ridiculous but the feelings were still there. Then I wondered what the guy looked like. The only basis I had for comparison was her friend Steel. Did all artists who worked with metal look like him and his friends? I knew I had to stop ruminating about it. Ella was here with me and that’s what mattered. Right? I might have felt a little less insecure if she had told me that she loved me and that I was the guy she wanted to be with. That I wasn’t just Number 59.
Final Play (Matchplay Series) Page 10
