by Gina Watson
“It’s my favorite time of the day.”
“Mine too.”
“So do your brothers live with you? You all live together like on a compound? I mean not a compound, but…”
He’d never thought about how weird it was, but three adult brothers living together was abnormal. Gabe with his nude models and Zach with his porn studio…what must she think? He’d have to give her a good explanation so he decided to go with the truth. “It was hard when our parents died.” For the first time since Elizabeth’s death, he wanted to tell someone. He wanted to tell her. “We were young teens. Zach was sent to boarding school because he was so bad. Gabe and Cameron and I lived with our aunt. The last two years of school I joined Zach. Ashton, my oldest brother, had to go to an institution. I think we live together now because we can. We missed it you know. Still, I’m not okay with what Zach’s been up to lately. It’s gotten out of hand. He’s always been…difficult.” Max smiled. “I love his spirit though.”
“He seems really nice.”
“Yeah, he has a good heart, believe it or not.” Max entered the interstate and wondered when she’d ask where he was taking them. He decided to employ a distraction using a topic he was genuinely interested in, “You graduate in May with a Master’s degree in library science?”
“I do. I’m excited. The reason I need that money is because I applied for this internship at the New York City Public Library and I got it. It’s for my specialty…art and artifacts.”
New York. He didn’t want to feel disappointed, but he did. Maybe even a little sad. “That’s amazing. I know you’ll do well.”
“With the addition of the modeling job I’ll be able to pay my tuition in full and ahead of schedule. I’d also like to purchase some new glasses and I know I need new clothes.” She tugged at her large sweatshirt. He frowned, recalling how rude he’d been about her attire. And there was no way she was going to continue modeling for Gabe.
“You’re a college student…you’re supposed to wear baggy sweatshirts and jeans.”
“You’re being nice. By the way, this car rocks!” She leaned forward in her seat and squinted. “Where are we going?”
“Café Du Monde.”
“I haven’t heard of that. Where is it?”
“New Orleans.”
“Shit, are you serious?”
“Is that a problem?”
“No, I just need to check on my mom. Uh…can I use your phone?”
“Sure.” He dug it out of his pocket and handed it to her. “You don’t have a phone?”
“My mother and I share it. She has it today.” She punched the number almost through the phone, and then held it to her ear.
“Hey Mom, Did I wake you?”
Wake her? It was ten-thirty.
“That sounds nice. Are you going to dance tonight?”
Dance? Her mother was a dancer?
“I’ll be home this afternoon.”
Late this evening if he had his way.
“I’m just helping Mr. David with something.”
Something indeed.
“He was?” She narrowed her eyes at him. “No, I wasn’t aware Mr. David frequented the Loin of Venus.”
Fuuuuuuck.
“I will most definitely speak to him about it. I love you, Mom.” She pressed the screen to end the call. “So you and Ed Koch propositioned my mother?”
Her mother. Holy fuck! “No. Just Ed propositioned your mother, and then I took him home.” Her mother was a fucking pole dancing champion? Where the hell had this girl come from?
“She told me what he did with some of the girls from the club the last time he blew through town. And she just told me you knew about it. If my mother would have said yes, would you have let him do those things to her?”
“No. I told you, I’m denying his donation. I’m going to build a case for the university to revoke his tenure on the board of regents. He’s not a good role model for the university’s students. I’ve got evidence if I need to use it.”
She picked at her nails and he covered her hands with his to still her fingers. “How could you let him do that to those girls?”
“I didn’t know. I had retired for the evening.” Max inhaled deeply to try and settle his nerves. “He left the camera rolling. Zach happened across the footage.”
“Won’t you get fired if you bring the video to the attention of the board?”
“If I were on the board, I would fire me. There’s a good chance I’ll be terminated.” She nodded, seemingly satisfied with his circumstance.
Needing gas for the car, he exited and drove to the nearest station. He filled up the car, and then knocked on her window. When she opened the door he asked, “Would you like to ride with the top down?”
“Yeah, I just need to get a few things.” She exited the car and went inside the gas station minimart.
Once he finished pumping the gas, he went after her. She’d collected bubblegum, sunglasses, and a ball cap. She set the items on the counter. “Allow me.” He handed his card over to the attendant.
“Ooh, let’s get some scratchers.” She perused the selection. “Let me get two of those hundred grands and a smoking gun.” She dug around in her purse and pulled out cash.
“I’ve got it.” He pushed her hand away.
“No you don’t.”
He pulled his head back and shot her a look of curiosity.
“Here’s your receipt, and that’ll be thirteen dollars for the scratchers.”
She handed over the money with a satisfied smile on her face. “See. You can’t pay for lottery tickets with credit cards.”
He had no idea. Then again, he’d never purchased a lottery ticket.
“Besides, if you were to buy them and then I won the big payout I’d have to give you half, and I don’t like to share.”
She grabbed the keys out of his hand and took off running. He stood with hung jaw and watched the scene play out before him. She’d jumped in the driver’s side. When his synapses started to work again he ambled out and tapped the window…this time on the driver’s side. She rolled down the window, and then proceeded to don the cap and glasses. “What do you think you’re doing?”
“I don’t think, I know. And I’m driving.”
Despite never having let anyone else drive the precious, he started laughing out loud. Patrons going to and from the store gave him a glance, but then carried on about their business. When he looked at her she looked so damn cute in her hat and glasses he couldn’t tell her no. What the hell, “Okay then. Pull the lever in the corner.” He walked around to the other side and folded himself into the low-riding bucket. He unhooked the lever, and then depressed the button that had the top folding back. “So this is an eight-speed manual transmission”—
“I got it. Buckle up.” She took off smoothly and drove like an expert. They were on the interstate before he caught his breath. She downshifted to pass slow-moving cars until she finally had the car on the open road, doing ninety-five.
Cara was an enigma. How does a girl like this learn how to drive like a Nascar racer? Given the wind noise, he’d have to wait until they stopped to find out. He leaned his seat back as far as it would go and enjoyed being a passenger in the Stingray. Watching her handle the stick like a pro had him hard as steel. Once again he pondered how he could have let six years pass without getting to know anything about her. Cara Presley was worth getting to know, and he planned to get to know her well.
Chapter Five
“That coffee will put hair on your tongue.” They’d made it to the notorious Café Du Monde in New Orleans and were eating beignets.
“Tell me why you drive like Jason Statham.”
“My mother dated a Nascar driver when I turned sixteen and he couldn’t wait to teach me how to drive.”
“That’s the coolest thing I’ve ever heard. Who was it?”
“Neil Davis.”
“Oh, my God. Rollin’ Thunder.”
“I drove it.”
“No.”
“I did. There’s a picture on our mantle to prove it.” She grabbed for her coffee, but knocked it over instead. Max jumped up.
“Fuck, that’s hot!”
“Oh, my God…I’m so sorry.” She threw the sunglasses off and gathered as many napkins as she could and passed them to him. “Is it bad? God, I’m sorry.” She cupped her hands over her mouth.
“It’s okay. Only stung for a moment.”
“Max. That’s terrible.” She’d donned her large-framed glasses.
Hearing his name tumble from her pouty lips was worth being burned a thousand times over. “It’s not even going to leave a mark.” He smiled to calm her anxiety. It was still burning, but she was so distraught he thought she might cry.
“I think you’re just being nice again.” She squinted at the stain on his jeans.
“Cara, I need to ask you something, and I want you to answer honestly.”
“Okay.” Her blue eyes blinked at him, bulging through her ridiculously large eye glasses.
“How long has it been since you’ve had an eye exam?”
She pushed the frames up her nose. “I’ve had these since tenth grade.”
“Ah, that could explain a few things.”
She blushed deep red. While she took care of throwing their trash in the receptacle, he opened google maps on his phone and searched for the nearest optometrist. He was delighted to find one less than a tenth of a mile away.
“Ready?”
“Ready. I think I should buy you a new pair of jeans.”
The coffee had hit his knee and traveled down his calf. “It’s almost dry. No worries.” They walked, each pointing out their favorite restaurants and souvenir shops. He sensed she wanted to go inside the voodoo store, but he was determined to get her a new eye exam and a pair of specs.
“I need to step in here for a moment.” She followed him through the door. He walked up to the desk. Sensing she wouldn’t comply, he made appointments for two eye exams.
“You really don’t have to do this, Mr. David.”
He frowned. “I thought you were now calling me Max.”
Confusion clouded her face. “When did I call you Max?”
“After you dumped your coffee in my lap.”
Comprehension overtook her features. “I was frazzled.”
He grabbed her hand and pulled her along. “Come, let’s pick out frames. How about a sexy chemist look for you?” He took a black square frame from the rack, removed her Little Miss Sunshine glasses, and delicately slid the trendy frames onto her face.” He smiled and nodded his approval. “Nice.”
She squinted into the mirror, turning her head from side to side. “I like these.”
“Don’t you want to try some more?”
“Nope. I like these.” She smiled at herself in the mirror and he chuckled. Since he’d met this playful side of her his heartburn had abated. She made him laugh, and he couldn’t recall the last time he’d truly laughed.
An hour later she had her frames. His were on special order. “I was thinking about maybe a pair of contacts.”
“You wear contacts?” He’d never seen her without her glasses.
“I never have, but I thought I might give it a try.”
“By all means.” He extended his arm toward the technician’s table. “The little lady would like to get a pair of contacts.”
Brice went through all the options and in the end she chose the disposable kind because Brice had told her that’s what he used. He was flirting with her, though she appeared oblivious. She wore the contacts out and they walked to the voodoo store, where she gathered a few dolls that she didn’t own yet.
“You collect these?”
“My mom and I give them to each other. These are novelty ones. There’s a teacher, a stripper, a homemaker, a clerical one, one wearing camo, too many to list.”
She purchased a French maid doll, and then they walked back to the hotel where he’d had the Stingray valeted. He’d like to ask her to stay the night in New Orleans. They could get some nice clothes, have a five-star meal, and then hit a jazz club. Would she consider a proposal such as that? “I have a crazy idea.”
“What?”
“Let’s stay the night.”
“Where?”
“Here.”
“You want to stay the night in New Orleans with me.”
“I’ve never wanted anything more.”
“Why?”
He sensed his answer here would make or break his case. Normally he’d be charming and make up whatever bullshit the woman he was with wanted to here. He was a pro, but he knew Cara would see right through that, so instead he opted for truth. He pulled them into the shadows and out of the path of the pedestrians.
He propped his foot against the Acme Oyster House Building and thought of how he could make her understand how he felt. “It’s difficult for me to explain. Until recently, I haven’t had these feelings since I was twenty-one years old.”
“What feelings?”
“Shit…this is hard. Mind if we get a drink?”
She looked at her watch. “It’s not even eleven o’clock.”
“The perfect time for a Bloody Mary.”
They walked a few paces to a serving window attached to a wing place. The wings weren’t great, but he knew their Bloody Mary’s were the best. He ordered, and as they waited he pondered her question. The only thing he knew for certain anymore was that he never wanted to be in a place where he couldn’t see her. Stupid, he knew…but that was how he felt at the moment.
Max passed her one of the mammoth-sized drinks, “I’m glad you had your eyes checked…these can get top heavy.”
“I can see why.” She slurped up a large sip from the rim of the plastic cup. “Is that a chicken wing?”
“It is.” The drinks were twenty dollars each because they came with a light brunch that perched above the glasses on wooden skewers. “In addition to bacon, fried olives, fried oysters, and what appears to be a slice of fried boudain.”
“It’s the epitome of good health. Fried shit and a stiff one before noon.” She giggled profusely and it was then that he noticed she’d sipped roughly a fourth of the drink.
“Uh oh…I think you may be a lightweight.”
“I’m totally a lightweight.”
“We’ll have to pace ourselves.” He sipped his drink as he placed his arm around her. They walked slowly. “So uh…I was going to tell you that you’ve helped me to be able to let go and exist in the moment. I feel happy and young. I’m laughing. I want to spend time with you and it doesn’t even matter what we do. I just want to be along for the ride.” She plucked an olive from the skewer and tossed it into her mouth, chewing vigorously.
Okay…so she wasn’t going to respond. He’d have to bare his soul. “The reason for all of these changes is you. It’s you. You’ve been changing me since the moment you walked into my office. I should have realized it six years ago, but I’m a fucking idiot. I’m getting obsessed with you. I can’t lose you now that I’ve only just found you.”
He’d poured his heart out and she remained quiet and still, looking forward as they walked.
“Cara?”
She held a finger in the air. “Hang on…I’m replaying and translating.” She thought for a few more seconds. “Are you saying you want us to be more than friends?”
“Yes,” he huffed, exasperated.
“I’m just trying to process it all…you know I’m leaving in three months to complete my internship in New York?”
“And I may not have a job in three months. What’s your point?”
She bit the corner of her lip. “I haven’t had many…uh…what would you be to me?”
“Do you need a label?”
“It might help.”
“Your lover, boyfriend, significant other.”
“Whoa…Maximilian von Doo…der…David”—
“What was that?”
“I said Maximilian
David is going to be my boyfriend.”
“No, you said Maximilian von Doo…was it going to be Doodoo? Maximilian von Doodoo?”
She shot him a worried look exaggerated by squiggles resting just above her brows. “It’s just something silly I chant in my head when you’re being mean.”
He threw his head back and laughed loud and long. He laughed until tears leaked from his eyes. “Maximilian von Doodoo. Wow, you really do hate me.” Once he calmed down he took a sip of the spicy drink. “You know what Cara?”
“Hmm?” Her eyes melted into his.
“I’m going to make you love me by May.” He traced his thumb across her bottom lip.
“Challenge accepted.” She purred beneath his touch.
“Does this mean we’ll be staying the night in NOLA?”
“It does.”
“We’re going to need to pick up a few things.”
***
Max took her to Saks Fifth Avenue where they were outfitted with everything they could possibly need by a personal shopper that just happened to know him by name. He mentioned that he’d like to spend as much money as possible in an hour and six attendants fluttered around them like moths.
The dress Cara chose for the evening was a beautiful knee-length navy silk with sheer long parachute sleeves. It was paired with nude heels. Thad, her private shopper, had called it very Duchess of Cambridge.
Max was outfitted in a matching navy suit that was to be tailored on the spot. It really was the case that money could buy everything.
She’d also been outfitted with silk underthings and stockings.
As they walked out of Saks, a black town car met them at the curb directly in front of the entrance. It couldn’t have been more than a mile to their hotel, but it took about ten minutes to get there navigating through the crowded narrow streets of the French Quarter.
They were staying at the Roosevelt Waldorf Astoria. Her eyes had never seen such opulence and magnificence. When they arrived they were greeted with cucumber water. She’d never thought about adding the vegetable to water, but had to admit it was quite refreshing.
