With a sigh, she stacked the remaining papers to grade in front of her laptop. She had learned long ago not to take work home because she never graded it. The papers merely received a field trip - into her bag, into her car, sometimes even into her house, but inevitably they never left her bag again until she brought them back to school the next day. No, these could wait for tomorrow. She would just have to focus during her planning time to get them graded.
Gwen grabbed her coat and keys and made her way to the parking lot. Menacing grey clouds filled the sky, and she wondered if the first snow might come early this year. The temperature certainly had dropped enough. She’d even had to scrape ice off her window this morning, something she didn’t usually have to do until after Thanksgiving.
Unlocking the car, she slid in and inserted the key. She was anxious to get the heater on. The heated seats of her car were the one upgrade she had purchased when she bought the used vehicle. Carrie had them in her Range Rover, and Gwen had fallen in love with them. There was something comforting about the warmth against her back and legs.
As they heat seeped through her layers, Gwen pointed the car toward her house. She would have just enough time to duck inside and change into something a little nicer before meeting Drew. She didn’t know if she needed to dress up, but it felt enough like a job interview that she wasn’t comfortable going in her slacks and cotton shirt.
After a quick stop to change and freshen up, Gwen pulled into the parking lot of the Kingston. She had never been inside this hotel though she thought it was older than the Devonshire. Not that it mattered; Gwen had neither the money nor the reason to stay at a hotel.
An older gentleman with graying hair but kind eyes opened the door as she approached. “Welcome to the Kingston, Miss,” he said with just a hint of a British accent.
“Thank you. Do you know where I can find Mr. Devonshire?” Gwen was sure he had an office somewhere, but she didn’t want to wander the hotel looking for it.
“Are you Miss Rodgers?”
Gwen blinked at the man. His knowledge of her name caught her off guard. “I am.”
The man’s lips pulled into a soft smile. He looked like what Gwen had always imagined a grandfather would look like. She barely remembered her own. Her mother’s mother had died when she was four and her mother’s father when she was ten. She had never met her father’s parents as they had passed on before she was born.
“I am to take you to his office if that’s agreeable with you.” He offered his arm, clad in a blue jacket. White gloves covered his hands.
Gwen hesitated only a moment. Was she becoming more trusting or did he just not radiate a dangerous vibe? With her hand on his arm, he led the way to the back of the hotel. “Your guest, Mr. Devonshire,” the doorman said as they entered Drew’s office.
Drew looked up and smiled. “Ah, thank you, Fletcher. Come on in, Gwen.”
Fletcher patted her hand once before turning and walking back down the hallway. Gwen stepped farther into the room and stood awkwardly behind one of the chairs. Should she sit? Was there paperwork?
“Sit, sit,” he said as if reading her mind. “I am required to have you fill out some paperwork for legal, and then I’ll show you where you can work.”
Gwen walked to the front of the chair and sat down. Her heart hammered in her chest, and she wasn’t sure if she was nervous about the job or about being near Drew again. Probably, it was a combination of both.
“Let’s see.” He shuffled through the papers on his desk. His mind must work in a similar way to hers because he looked a little like organized chaos as well. The corners of her lips pulled up as she watched him.
“Ah, here we go.” He pulled out a few sheets and slid them across the large desk to her. “Basic application plus a background check. Did you bring your ID?”
It was weird being in the room with him like this. She still felt an attraction to him, but his tone was all business. However, the flowers had suggested he wanted more. Her stomach knotted in confusion and she dropped her face to cover the pink she knew covered it. “Yeah, sure, just a second.”
She pulled her wallet out and slipped the ID from its holder. Gwen grimaced at the picture as she handed it across to him. She never took pictures well and IDs were the worst, but she looked like a deer in the headlights in this picture. Her eyes were too wide, and instead of a smile, her lips had formed a slight “oh” shape.
He took the ID from her and perused it. Flames of embarrassment licked up her neck. “Doesn’t look much like you,” he said. His eyes twinkled, and she knew he was teasing, but it didn’t ease her self-consciousness. “But I guess not many people take good ID photos,” he continued as if sensing her unease. “Let me go make a copy and I’ll return shortly.”
Gwen nodded and turned her attention back to the form. It appeared to be a standard application. Name, address, social, job history. She put the pen to the paper and began the tedious task.
“Drew, I forgot to ask you….” A female voice filled the room behind Gwen, and she turned her head to see the woman from the other night behind her. She had assumed when she first glimpsed the woman at the table with Drew that she was a girlfriend, but then he had asked her out when he followed her into the hallway. However, the woman appearing now in Drew’s office suggested she knew him well.
“Oh, I’m sorry,” the woman said as her eyes roamed over Gwen. “I was looking for Drew. Do you know when he might be back?”
Gwen opened her mouth to answer, but never got the chance.
“He’s back now,” Drew said, appearing behind the woman. “What can I do for you, Avery?”
Gwen was pleased to hear confusion in his voice. It appeared he had not planned for the woman’s arrival.
Avery smiled, revealing perfectly white teeth. “Well, I was going to ask you if you found a solution to the little problem you were telling me about earlier, but perhaps this is it?” She finished the statement like a question, her voice lilting up just slightly at the end, and her raised eyebrow and glance at Gwen emphasizing it.
Drew pushed past her, his face tight as if clenching his jaw. “Avery, I’d like you to meet Gwen Rodgers. I’ve just hired her to manage donations for the Devonshire hotel.” His voice carried a pinched quality, and Gwen wondered why he didn’t seem to want Avery to know about his hiring her. Was he ashamed of her? Were they together?
Avery glided across the room like a graceful ballerina. “Gwen, it is so nice to meet you. Any friend of Drew’s is a friend of mine.” On the outside, her words were friendly as was her gesture to shake hands, but Gwen somehow doubted they would ever be friends.
“Thanks for stopping by, Avery,” Drew said, “but I need to finish up with Gwen here and give her the information to get started.”
Avery blinked, a sign that she wasn’t used to Drew addressing her in such a manner, but she said nothing about it. Instead, her lips stretched into an even wider grin. “Of course, I’ll leave you two alone. I’m sure I’ll be seeing a lot more of you, Gwen.” She held Gwen’s gaze a moment, but Gwen wasn’t entirely certain if her words were a promise or a threat.
“My apologies,” Drew said when Avery had left the room. “I had no idea she would show up here.”
“Oh, it’s fine. I mean your girlfriend is none of my business.”
Drew’s brow arched. “Girlfriend? No, no. Avery and I dated once years ago, but we’re too alike in too many areas to make it work.”
“Oh.” Gwen hated the thrill of excitement that raced through her at those words. It didn’t matter if Avery wasn’t his girlfriend. She wasn’t either, and while he and Avery might be too similar, she and Drew were too different to make it work.
“Besides, I thought I made it clear with those flowers that I was interested in pursuing you.”
There was no way to stop the heat that consumed her face this time. His gaze was frank and honest as his eyes sought hers.
“Drew, I already told you-”
“And I
think you’re wrong,” he said interrupting her. “Look, just let me take you to dinner. If it doesn’t work out, at least we can say we tried.”
Gwen ran through her options. She wanted to see him again. He was asking. It was just dinner. “All right. Dinner, but only if I can pick the place.”
“Fine, you pick the place. How about tomorrow night?”
Gwen bit her lip but nodded. “Tomorrow night is fine. Let’s meet at Charlie’s at seven. Are you familiar with it?”
His brow furrowed as if he was exerting energy running down a mental list. “I’m not, but I’m sure my driver is.”
Of course, he wasn’t familiar with it. Charlie’s was a dive, but it served great food. Gwen wondered what his reaction would be. “That will work then.”
Drew returned the smile. “Good. Now that that’s taken care of, shall I show you your workspace?”
“Lead the way.”
Chapter 9
Drew stared into his closet the next night. He hadn’t dressed casually since college, but his search of this restaurant informed him casual would blend in better. The problem was business suits dominated his wardrobe now. Had the trends changed since college? If he wore jeans and a polo would he blend in or stand out?
“Is there a problem, sir?” Pierre asked from behind him.
“I’m not sure how to dress for this date,” Drew said. “I’m meeting a woman who is not wealthy, at a bar downtown, and the website said to dress casual.”
Pierre’s eyebrow rose only slightly. He had been trained not to react, no matter what he saw or heard. “I see. Well, I believe this blue shirt is still very much in style,” - he grabbed it off the rack - “and, though I never wear them myself, I have heard Manuel say jeans never go out of style.” Pierre handed the jeans and shirt to Drew who nodded and slipped them on.
“You still look very debonair if I may say so, sir.”
Drew thought he would feel more uncomfortable but slipping into the jeans felt like rekindling an old friendship. One he hadn’t had since college. “Thank you, Pierre. It’s different but not altogether bad.”
Pierre nodded, and Drew grabbed his wallet and slipped it in his back pocket. With a final glance in the mirror, Drew headed downstairs. Manuel was waiting outside the front door with the limo.
“I almost didn’t recognize you, sir,” Manuel said as he straightened when Drew approached.
Drew chuckled as he responded, “Good. Maybe no one else will either.” He slid into the backseat surprised to feel his heart beating faster than normal. Was that because he would see Gwen or because he was a little nervous about walking into an unfamiliar restaurant? “You know what, Manuel? Can you drop me off at the end of the block?”
“Sir?” Drew always preferred being dropped off at the door, but this time, he didn’t want to show off his money. He wanted to pretend to be a little normal.
“This isn’t my usual venue, Manuel. I’d prefer not to draw so much attention.”
“Understood, sir.”
Half an hour later, the car slowed to a stop. Drew glanced out the window. The restaurant appeared to be half a block ahead on the right if the garish neon light was any indication.
“Here we are, sir.”
“Thank you, Manuel. I’ll get the door.” Drew knew it probably made Manuel uncomfortable, but he stayed in the driver’s seat and allowed Drew to open the back door himself. “I’ll text when I’m ready,” Drew said before shutting the door. He waited for the limo to drive off, then smoothed his shirt, took a deep breath, and continued up the sidewalk to the eating establishment.
* * *
Gwen sat at a booth in the corner where she could see the entrance. She had arrived ten minutes early hoping to see Drew when he entered. She wanted to gauge his reaction. This was one of her favorite places to grab a burger and if he couldn’t fit in, she would take it as a sign this was not meant to be.
Her eyes flew to the entrance every time the door opened, but she still almost missed Drew when he entered. Gone was the Armani suit. Instead, he wore a blue button-down shirt and jeans. He still held the air of someone with money, but he didn’t stand out from the rest of the clientele. She raised her hand as his eyes scanned the room. When he noticed her hand, he smiled and started her direction.
“You found it,” she said as he slid in across from her.
“I did, or my driver did.”
“Does he drive you everywhere?” Gwen couldn’t imagine not driving herself places. On one hand, it would be nice to curl up with a book while getting to the destination but letting someone else drive meant having to trust them. There just weren’t many people she trusted that much, especially after a drunk driver killed her parents.
“He does. At least since I returned from college.” He rolled his eyes. “My mother’s stipulation. If you have money, you need to use the advantages it offers.”
“So, you drove yourself in college?”
“Yes, I had to have a friend teach me. My parents never allowed me to get my license. They said I would never use it, but when I went to college, I wanted to live like everyone else, and that meant driving myself. Thankfully, I met someone who didn’t mind teaching me. I bought an old car and managed to only hit a few things.”
His lips pulled into a smile, and something tugged on Gwen’s heart. He had a gorgeous smile with perfectly white teeth - not that she expected any less - but it was the dimple in his left cheek that she most enjoyed. Somehow it softened his chiseled features and made him even more handsome.
“To be honest, I miss driving sometimes,” he continued. “I mean I get work done in the back, but it’s nice to feel the wheel beneath your hands and the pedal under your foot at times.”
“I’m not sure I could let someone drive for me.” Gwen opened her mouth to say more, but then clamped it shut. She didn’t know him well enough or trust him enough to tell him about her parents. Not yet anyway.
“It takes some getting used to.” He paused as he glanced around the room. “So, this place is nice.”
“I’m sure it’s not your normal fare,” Gwen said with a smile, “but they have amazing burgers here.”
“I do enjoy a good burger.”
The waitress appeared then with two glasses of water and a plastic-coated menu. Drew’s face scrunched slightly as he took the menu. Gwen wondered when he had last held one of these menus. College probably. The restaurants he attended now more than likely had a single sheet of typed menu offerings. Two or three starters, a few main course options, and dessert. Nothing like this three-page menu filled with pictures and corny names. Drew appeared almost overwhelmed as he scanned all the choices, and then he chuckled.
“What’s so funny?” Gwen asked.
“This menu just reminded me of college. Some friends and I used to study late in a fast-food restaurant and one night some guy came in and ordered fries. He proceeded to eat almost all of them and then told the manager they were cold, and he needed another. The manager was a softie and he filled the guy’s fries again. The guy sat down, ate almost all of them, and then back to the counter he went. This went on another two times before the manager had it and kicked the guy out. A few days later, there was a story in the newspaper about this guy. Evidently, he had been trying the same scam at every Whataburger in the city and when they realized it, they banned him from all of them.”
Gwen smiled and shook her head. “I’ll never understand some people. Why take advantage of someone’s good nature?”
Before Drew could respond, the waitress appeared. “Welcome to Charlie’s. The special today is the Blazin’ Burger and our soup is a chicken tortilla. Would you care for anything else to drink?”
“Do you have any Chardonnay?” Drew asked. He was flipping the pages back and forth. Probably searching for the drink options.
The woman’s face creased in confusion. “Uh, no, we don’t serve wine, but we have beers on tap.”
“Right.” Drew’s words were slow, unsure. “Um, I
’ll just have iced tea then. You have that right?”
“Yeah, tea we have. And for you?” The waitress turned her attention to Gwen.
“I’ll take a tea as well.”
“You got it; I’ll give you a few minutes to look over the menu and be right back with those.”
Gwen smiled up at the waitress. “Thank you.” She glanced over at Drew. “Does anything look good?”
“I have no idea. Do you have a recommendation?”
“The Blazin’ Burger is actually my favorite. It has sriracha sauce and an onion ring. Just the right combination of spicy and sweet.”
He cocked his head at her. “Can I tell you how refreshing it is to eat with a woman who eats?”
“I’ll never be one of those tiny women if that’s what you’re looking for.” Gwen wanted to take back the words as soon as she said them. It was quite presumptive of her to expect he’d want to date her.
He fixed her with an intense stare. “I’m not looking for those kinds of women. I told you I found you refreshing and I meant it.”
Gwen’s face flamed. She had no idea what he saw in her, but she was flattered.
“Sorry, just a second,” he said as his phone chimed in his pocket. He swiped the screen, rolled his eyes slightly, and placed the phone back in his pocket.
“Everything okay?” Gwen asked.
“Yes, just a friend.”
Gwen wondered if the friend was Avery but asking didn’t seem to be appropriate. After all, this was technically their first date and she had just met Avery yesterday.
“You two have a chance to look over the menu?” the waitress asked as she returned with their iced teas.
Gwen looked to Drew who nodded. “I’ll have the Blazin’ Burger with onion rings,” Gwen said.
The waitress nodded and scribbled it down before looking to Drew. “Make that two,” he said as he handed back the menu.
As the waitress walked away, a long pause fell on the conversation. Then, Drew cleared his throat. “I uh hope you don’t mind, but I did some research on you in addition to the background check.”
The Billionaire's Christmas Miracle (Sweet Billionaires 3) Page 7
