Returning his focus to Lizette, he noticed she was no longer working alone. Several men had joined her project. From where he stood he could see she was talking and laughing with them. Funny, she wouldn’t speak to me all the way here. He didn’t know what had changed in her since last night. She was upset, but he had no idea why. If anyone should be upset, it should be him, as he was the one who’d been raffled off and was now losing valuable time when he should be working on the changes needed for the FDA. Lizette laughed again at what one of the men said. Whatever game you’re playing, Lizette, I will figure it out before the day is done. For now, he had work to do.
He made his way to the young man who seemed to be in charge of handing out assignments.
“I’m here to volunteer. Where do you want me to start?”
The young man shook his head. “You sure you’re in the right place?”
Yes, I know, I’m overdressed. “Are you in charge of the assignments or not?”
“Yes, sir, I am.” The man flipped through his clipboard several times and muttered nervously, “You could, um . . . let’s see . . . ah, well, there’s, um . . .”
“Do you have something for me to do or not?” Jon asked firmly.
The man looked at Jon, almost afraid to speak. “There is one thing, but I don’t believe it’s what you were looking for.”
“I am here to volunteer. Whatever it is will be fine.”
“Okay. All that’s left is going around and collecting trash from the other volunteers.”
“Fine. Where do I get some bags?”
The man pointed to a stash of supplies, and then again to a nearby dumpster. With a nod, he was off to start his work.
Really? Trash? This day really wasn’t going the way he’d envisioned on the way to Lizette’s home this morning. A nice dinner, maybe a walk on a beach, and some hot sweaty sex afterward. Nope, not at all.
Jon walked back to Lizette’s car, removed his tie and jacket, and rolled up his sleeves and unbuttoned the collar of his white dress shirt. There was no way he was going to be comfortable working in these clothes, but he wasn’t going to back down from the challenge that was written on her T-shirt. He was looking forward to showing her just how dirty he could get.
He needed to get past the park cleanup first so he made his way back to the park, retrieved the bags, and meandered from the jungle gym to the monkey bars, to the swing sets, slides, and merry-go-round, making several trips to the dumpster along the way. He was amazed by how much trash he collected.
He encountered a lot of stares and overheard a few comments about him, but no one talked to him directly. Then a boy in his mid-teens approached Jon, some trash in hand. He looked Jon up and down and said, “Hey, mister, you get lost on your way to a wedding or something?” Then he laughed.
“Not quite.”
“I’m done fixing the swings—you want some help with the trash?”
Why not, Jon thought. He could use the company. Not the company he’d thought he’d be enjoying today, but it would still help pass the time.
“Sure. What’s your name?”
“Bobby.”
“Nice to meet you, Bobby. I’m Jon.” The two shook hands, and Bobby started to help Jon collect the trash.
“Jon, I haven’t seen you around before. You new here?”
“Just visiting.”
“Cool.”
“You seem to know your way around. Do you help out often?”
“Yeah. There’s always something like this going on, once a month. This is my neighborhood. My five younger brothers come here all the time with my ma—well, really my grandma, but everyone calls her Ma. Last month, my youngest brother, Danny, had to have stitches ’cause his foot got cut up real bad by a broken bottle at the bottom of that slide.” He pointed to the slides and shook his head. “Man, Ma was so pissed she refuses to bring my brothers back here until the park was cleaned up and made safe again. So that’s why we’re all here today.” He looked Jon over and asked, “Why are you here, Jon? Are you someone famous? You do something illegal, drugs or alcohol, and get community service instead of jail time? Man, I see that all the time on TV.”
Wow, what a great question. But the truth was so shallow. I am here because I was raffled off last night, and the woman who won me decided to bring me here instead of the exotic place that had been planned. No. Not the time to be honest. “I didn’t do anything illegal. I’m only here to help, just like you.”
“Cool, next time get here earlier, and you won’t get stuck on trash duty. That’s the worst. Oh, and you might want to wear jeans and boots too, or everybody is going think you’re crazy.” Bobby laughed.
Next time, he thought. “I’ll keep that in mind, Bobby.”
The two of them continued to chat throughout the afternoon. The last bag of trash had been thrown in the dumpster, and they were about to part ways when Lizette approached them.
“Hey, Miss Lizette, Ma said don’t forget to come by for dinner,” Bobby told her.
“Sorry, Bobby, I won’t be able to make it. I already have dinner plans tonight.”
“Ah, Miss Lizette, you always come to dinner every Saturday. Can’t you blow off the other plans?”
Jon knew he was the plans she had referred to. “Bobby, Lizette already has plans with me for dinner.”
Bobby looked from Jon to Lizette and then back to Jon. “Cool. You both can come. I’ll let Ma know.” Not bothering to wait for a reply, Bobby took off running back toward the group.
Jon thought Bobby was a good kid, but he really did not want to share his one evening with Lizette with Bobby and his family, no matter how nice they were. He was hoping to continue what they had started last night. But first he needed to figure out why he was getting the cold-as-ice treatment from her today.
“So what do you think? Dinner with Bobby’s family or alone with me?” he asked.
Jon saw her cheeks flush, but to his disappointment she answered, “It’s a tradition. Bobby’s family.”
Damn, should have known, he thought as they walked back to her car. It was only dinner—how long could that last? There also was something appealing in the thought of seeing how she spent her Saturday nights. They would have the rest of the night alone.
Chapter Five
Jon had surprised her several times today. She tried to ignore him as she painted the seesaw, but her eyes kept wandering in his direction. When he had left from getting his assignment and walked back to the car, she was positive he was going to wait for her there or even call a cab and leave, but when she saw him collecting trash and then later heard his deep husky voice chatting with Bobby, she was dumbfounded. She wasn’t usually attracted to men dressed to impress; she couldn’t help but watch his every movement. The way his half-open shirt pressed against his chest and pulsing biceps only added to the heat of the day. If only he wasn’t a liar, she thought as they drove to Ma’s house.
She pulled into the driveway, where they were met by Bobby and his five brothers, shouts of, “Hi, Miss Lizette!” echoing through the bunch.
Bobby’s grandma was standing on the porch. As always, her salt-and-pepper hair was pulled back in bobby pins, and her famous apron bearing the words All Welcome was tied around her waist. She called for the children to go wash their hands, and without hesitation they all ran back into the house. How, at sixty-four, she was able to handle six boys the way she did always amazed Lizette. It was obvious that she offered them her unconditional love.
“Are you going to sit in that car all night, Lizette, or are you going to bring that handsome friend of yours in here for dinner before it gets cold?” Ma called from the porch.
Lizette turned to Jon and said, “One thing I know is, if we don’t get in there in the next two minutes, she will withhold dessert—which, by the way, is the best apple pie in the state of Rhode Island, and I’m not willing to miss out on it.”
Without hesitation they quickly made their way to the porch and were instantly engulfed with the
wonderful aroma of home cooking. They stopped for a moment to take it in. Then, opening the front door, Lizette turned to Jon and said with a smile, “I’d know that smell anywhere; Jon, you are in for a treat tonight.” She didn’t wait for a response as she headed for the kitchen, with Jon following close behind.
Lizette received a quick hug from Ma, who asked, “So, are you going to introduce me to your friend, or are you planning on keeping him all to yourself?” She gave Lizette a friendly jab with her elbow and scolded her for the delay.
“Of course. Mrs. Medeiros, this is Mr. Jonathan Vinchi, of Vinchi Medical Engineering. Mr. Vinchi, this is Mrs. Medeiros.”
Ma gave Lizette a look over her shoulder and then said to Jon, “You call me Mrs. Medeiros and you won’t be getting any dessert, young man. Any friend of Lizette’s is a friend of mine, and my friends call me Ma.”
“We’re not exactly friends, Ma.”
“Really? Now that is music to my old ears. It’s about time, Lizette. I was getting worried I was going to have to play matchmaker for you, but it looks like I can cross you off my list.” She winked at Lizette and said, “You can fill me in on all the little romantic details later.”
“That’s not what I meant, Ma.”
Lizette saw a smile cross Jon’s face as Ma reached out and gave him the same hug she had received earlier. Ma gave Jon’s biceps a playful squeeze and then said over her shoulder, “Don’t know where you found him, Lizette, but maybe he has an uncle for me.” She laughed.
“My friends call me Jon and sorry, but no available uncles at the moment.”
She watched as Ma soaked up every bit of Jon’s charm. It was going to be a long night, she thought.
“Lizette, why don’t you show Jon where the two of you can freshen up after all that hard work, while me and the boys get everything set on the table.”
There was no arguing with Ma. “Follow me,” Lizette said as she brushed passed him and led the way to the bathroom on the first floor.
Lizette had been coming here since she was a child. She had no siblings, so when she’d come here she’d followed Ma’s teenage daughter around like she was her big sister. It was a home away from home. Good times, she thought.
Opening the linen closet, she pulled out fresh towels and almost threw them at Jon. “Your towels, Mr. Vinchi. Is there anything else you need?”
“There is something I need,” he answered in his deep husky voice.
“And what is that?”
Jon leaned in close to her and said, “I need you to stop calling me Mr. Vinchi. My name is Jon. Or have you forgotten since last night?” She glared at him. “You had no issue with my name then. What changed? Why the cold shoulder today, Lizette?”
What changed? Everything. Lizette stepped back. Well, almost everything, she thought as her body betrayed her. Even though she was angry with him, despised him, she could feel the rush of heat, standing so close to him. It was no longer as simple as not trusting him. That she could have dealt with. Now she had to face the fact that she could no longer trust herself around him. She had to break away before she gave in to desire and leaned in and kissed him. She said, “Fine . . . Jon it is.” Then she turned and ran up the stairs to the safe haven of the upstairs bathroom and closed the door.
The splash of cool water on her face was refreshing and provided her time to pull herself together. Looking in the mirror, she inwardly groaned. Get over it, Lizette, you can’t stand the man, remember? That was easier said than done. She could not explain how or why, but deep inside she knew it was true; she was happy he was here with her. That knowledge was going to make tonight much harder to get through.
***
Jon was grateful for the chance to clean up after the day’s trash detail. He would have preferred a long hot shower and clean clothes, but a quick freshening up would have to do for now. Oh, how Lizette seemed to be enjoying this game. Let her enjoy it now, because the night was young, and her words were not matching what he read in her eyes. Yes, today was proving to be interesting.
As he approached the kitchen, he heard Lizette talking to Ma.
“Don’t worry, Ma, there is nothing wrong with my eyes,” Lizette was saying. “I can see he’s a handsome man.”
“Handsome? If that man doesn’t make your blood run hot, I’d better check your pulse, Lizette. If only I were forty years younger . . .” Ma responded. Then he could only hear laughter.
He entered the kitchen and met Lizette’s eyes; the sparkle he remembered from last night was back. Jon smiled and said, “Ladies, I hope I’m not interrupting?”
Blushing, Lizette turned away and pretended to adjust the silverware on the table. “Not at all. We were just talking about the weather.”
Ma gave Jon a wink, indicating she knew very well he had overheard their conversation. Then she called the boys to the table. The kitchen filled with the six boys, who quickly took their seats and sat quietly. Ma nodded to the youngest.
He smiled from ear to ear, looked at everyone around the table, folded his hands, and said, “Thank you for this food, thank you for my brothers, thank you for Ma, thank you for Miss Lizette, and thank you for finding her a husband. Amen.”
Jon, Lizette, and Ma all looked at each other in stunned silence. Thankfully, Ma broke the tension by saying, “What are you all waiting for? Dig in, let’s eat.”
Immediately, dishes were being passed from one set of hands to another. The food seemed to be endless. There were homemade biscuits, like Jon’s mother made when he was young, several types of vegetables—some his mother had had to force him to eat but now he found delicious—and the best fried chicken he had ever tasted. Lizette was right, Ma could really cook.
Jon could not help but think it had been too long since he and his mother had a chance to just sit and enjoy a home-cooked meal. Maybe not since he graduated from college. Wow, how had time flown by so fast? Jon made sure to bring his mother in at least once a month for a visit, and more around the holidays, but they always went out to a restaurant. They didn’t have much time together, and in the time they shared he didn’t want her waiting on him. His relationship with food wasn’t any different in his penthouse. It held only the bare essentials: coffee, juice, fruit, and liquor. When he was there, it was only to sleep.
Jon couldn’t help but laugh as he watched the boys practically inhale their food. Eventually they asked to be excused. Ma nodded and said, “You boys stay in the yard where I can keep an eye on you. It’s getting late. You come right in when the streetlights come on, you hear me?”
“Yes, Ma,” the boys replied and, with their bellies full, they ran out of the kitchen. The porch screen door could be heard repeatedly opening and closing until finally the last boy was out.
Once they were alone, Ma turned to Jon and asked, “So, where are you originally from?”
“I grew up in Defiance, Ohio. Being here reminds me of home.”
“Hope that’s a good thing.”
“Yes, Ma, it is,” Jon said.
“Any family?” Ma asked.
“Just my mother.”
“What about your father?” Ma inquired.
Wow, inquisition time, he thought. “My father passed away when I was ten.”
“I’m sorry,” Lizette said softly.
Jon looked at her and, seeing her sincerity, said, “Thank you.” Then he turned back to Ma. “My mother had no family, so she raised me by herself until I went to college, and I have been on my own since.”
“A wife and children? Or girlfriend?”
“Ma, please,” pleaded Lizette.
“Have you asked these questions?” Lizette’s silence was her answer. “Thought not. Well, how do you expect to get to know this young man better if you don’t ask questions?” Ma turned back to Jon and said, “She’s been shy since she was a little girl, but once you get to know her better, you will see she has more layers than an onion, and each one more interesting than the last. But I will leave you to find that out for yourself.�
�� She chuckled and patted Lizette’s hand. “So Jon, where were we? Oh yes . . . girlfriend?”
With a smile Jon answered, “No, Ma, no wife, no children, and no girlfriend. I just turned thirty-four. I’m single. I went to Boston University and MIT, and from there I started my own business. Currently I reside in New York and spend most of my time working.” Jon winked at Ma and said, “Did I miss anything?”
“That’s a start.” They both laughed. Ma looked back and forth between Lizette and Jon. “So, Jon, what would you like to know about Lizette?”
That piqued his interest. There was a lot he wanted to know. But many were things Ma couldn’t answer, things he looked forward to finding out on his own.
“Ma, please, Mr. Vinchi is—” Lizette started.
“My name is Jon, remember?”
Lizette turned to him, then back to Ma and continued, “Jon does not want to hear all about me. He is here on business. We just met and volunteered at the park cleanup today. That’s it. We don’t know each other and won’t see each other again after today.”
Ma looked back and forth from Jon to Lizette, shook her head and said, “If you say so, my dear.”
Unable to help himself, Jon said, after a moment of awkward silence, “Ma, I would like to hear about Lizette. What good stories do you have? You mentioned earlier she has been shy since she was a little girl. How long have you two known each other?”
Ma gave a quick look at Lizette but quickly turned back to Jon and started telling him all about Lizette. “Well, you see, when I turned forty my husband passed away suddenly from a heart attack. Up until then, I’d been able to stay home and raise my daughter, but then, in a blink of an eye, I became the sole provider for the family. I didn’t have any real working experience outside the house. Lizette’s parents owned a little pharmacy and convenience store here in town. They were the only people willing to hire me with the flexible hours I needed to be home with my teenage daughter in the evenings and attend her sporting events after school.” Ma paused for a moment, and Jon could tell she was lost in her memories. He could see this had been a special time for her and wanted to ask more, but he also saw sadness in her eyes, so he didn’t pry.
The Billionaire's Secret (Betting on You Series: Book One) Page 5
