On 4/19 (On 4/19 and Beyond 4/20)

by Lisa Heaton

  John opened her car door for her, and once she scooted into the driver’s seat, he squatted down to where he was eye level with her. “Thanks for such a great night. You’re fun to be with, Chelsea.”

  “You, too.” Before he stood, she asked, “Best and worst? And you can’t say anything with us together. If you start that, we’ll always feel obligated to keep it up.”

  “Okay. Let me think.” Studying for a minute, he said, “Best: finding someone who will be honest with me. Worst: buying a painting that I shouldn’t have.”

  Laughing at him, she asked, “You bought something?”

  “Before you arrived.”

  “Next time, consult me. I’ll talk you out of it.”

  “I’ll do that. From now on, I’ll introduce you as my art consultant.”

  “Just Chelsea is fine.” His usual intensity had softened, and she loved how much more care free he seemed at the moment.

  “Best and worst for you?”

  “Best: milkshake. Worst…” She thought for a minute. How could she find anything wrong with such a day? “Impressionism.”

  “Drive safely, Just Chelsea.” Standing, he closed the door for her.

  As she drove away, she could barely keep her mind on the road. Recounting the evening over and over in her head, she found herself wishing the night would have gone on forever. It was then she remembered she was going out of town with him in two days. Deep down, she felt a little nervous about traveling with him. But he had been very clear that there were no expectations. She had to trust him on that. Why would someone like him press an issue such as that with his obvious ability to get any woman he wanted? Again she thought about how women stared at him, obviously desiring him, and again, that feeling of jealousy rose up in her. Realizing how ridiculous that was, she tried to put it out of her mind and focus on what mattered. What would she take to Vegas?

  John called her once before Saturday, and Chelsea was able to ask him what she should bring. Having never been, she didn’t know if what she had seen on TV was accurate. It appeared that people wore very dressy clothes there; at least the movies portrayed it that way. He told her to bring her swim suit, pajamas, and whatever she would feel comfortable traveling back in. If she needed a dress for dinner, they would find something there.

  It was like living in a dream to do such things. Having lived on a farm all her life, she had never experienced much beyond it. Even when she visited her grandfather, who was wealthier by far than anyone she had known before John, his life was never quite so exceptional. John operated on another plane entirely.

  As she finished packing her bag, she thought with sadness about her grandfather. He had died only three months before, and it still hurt as much as when she got the call that he was gone. He was the very last of her grandparents, and without him, her family would never be the same. When he died, she also lost her funding for school and living expenses. Her step-grandmother cut off his entire family, as his assets were tied up in probate. His wife was contesting his will, and with no money to pay attorney’s fees, there was nothing Chelsea’s mother could do about it. All along, her grandfather had planned to leave a considerable sum to his only daughter. That seemed doubtful now.

  At precisely nine o’clock, Chelsea zipped her bag and hurriedly made her way outside. Finding John was already there waiting in the parking lot, she regretted getting so caught up in her own thoughts and losing track of time. Rushing toward him, she apologized for keeping him waiting.

  “Stop apologizing. You are exactly on time.” Taking her bag, he opened the door of his black Suburban and sat it on the back seat, then took her backpack and tossed it in the floorboard.

  “No limo today, I see. I guess I can make it a day without the limo.”

  Smiling, he opened the passenger door for her. “Sorry, you’ll have to rough it today.”

  “I suppose this will do for a road trip.”

  As he got into the driver’s seat, he put the car into drive. “Hardly a road trip.”

  “What do you mean, hardly?” For the first time, she considered they might be flying. He had never said, and she never thought to ask.

  “You’ll see.”

  The remainder of the drive, they chatted about what she might expect in Vegas.

  “I don’t gamble,” she said.

  “I don’t either.”

  “What else do you do there besides business?”

  “There are shows and great restaurants. I figure since your two “bests” so far have been food related, the food in Vegas will be a hit with you.”

  She smiled at him. As usual, he was in a dark suit, his typical uniform. Having assumed they’d be driving, she wore comfortable jeans and a t-shirt. She pointed out, “I’m underdressed.”

  “You’re fine as you are. There’s no dress code.”

  “You seem to have a dress code.” Just as she finished speaking, she noticed they were taking a route through the airport that was unfamiliar. Before long, they pulled onto a runway and he stopped the car. Straight ahead of them was a private plane and not a small one either.

  “Are we flying on that?” she sputtered.

  “Are you afraid of flying?”

  “No. I just assumed we would fly commercial. Well, technically, I thought we’d drive.”

  “Do you mind?”

  “Of course not, but I have to ask. Is this your plane?”

  Opening his car door, he smiled broadly, “Of course.”

  Once on the jet and settled into her seat, she rubbed her hands along the smooth leather of her chair. It was like no leather she had ever felt before, like butter almost. John was on the phone and hadn’t yet taken his seat. He was pacing, speaking calmly but firmly with whomever it was he spoke. When he was finished with his call, he sat next to her and patted her leg. Her heart leapt at the gesture.

  “What do you think?”

  She grinned broadly. “I can hardly believe anyone lives like this.”

  Leaning in closer, he reminded her, “For a year, you do.” Since meeting her, his life felt entirely different, better than it had been in years. Though his primary focus was on business and likely always would be, she had become a bright spot, something to look forward to. He treasured her reactions to everything so new to her. When he was with her, he found he was able to see the world through fresh eyes. All the things he had become so accustomed to, he was newly thankful for, if for no other reason than he could share them with her. Somewhere along the way, the things he had worked so hard for came to mean little. With her, they seemed worth his consideration again.

  For the life of her, she couldn’t figure how she went from plain old Chelsea to jet-setter Chelsea in under two weeks. Whatever happened, she decided she liked it. His words, “for a year, you do” bounced around in her head. It was late April, so that meant she had until the following April to have fun, hopefully see the world, and live a lifestyle she would never know again. She was okay with that.

  While in flight, John asked her more personal questions than he had before. She told him of her family, that she was the third of five kids. Oldest were the twins Bobby and Caitlin, then her, Lexie, and finally her younger brother Preston. He asked about the farm and her parents. During the course of the conversation, she discovered his parents were still alive and in their mid-seventies. She decided not to mention that her father was two years younger than him and her mother three, even though he didn’t seem sensitive about his age, or their age difference either.

  When he asked her about losing her funding for school, she told him about her grandfather and how close they always were. “He loved us all, but for some reason, he and I were especially close. He said he saw tremendous potential in me.” Her granddad had always made her feel special.

  “I can believe that. I think you show great promise.”

  There could be no greater compliment from someone so accomplished in business. “I think it was more of a matter that I was the only one who showed any interest i
n leaving the farm. The others are happy staying there.”

  “But you wanted more?” He understood that. He had left nearly thirty years before and was still chasing that more that beckoned him as a young man.

  The subject was enough years behind her that it no longer carried the sting it did early on. Even two years before, she would never have been able to talk about it. “I didn’t decide to leave until my senior year. Before that, I always thought I would settle down on a farm too.” The reminder of how Tuck felt called to go out on the mission field came to mind, but she decided not to mention that part of her former plan for life. If she did, it would likely bring tears to her eyes. So much was lost, more than their future, his call to missions was shipwrecked.

  “What changed your mind?”

  Unwilling to tell him about Tuck, she altered the occurrence of events a bit. “My granddad encouraged me to get out and see how the other half lived.” Smiling, she added, “Those were his words. Little did he know…” What she related was true, but that conversation came only after Tuck decimated her heart, and she realized there was nothing left in town for her but embarrassment over how things ended between them.

  During the remainder of the flight, their conversation flowed just as easily. Each felt eerily comfortable with the other. John guessed that with such a vast difference in age, they felt safe being themselves when they were together. There was no pressure of a budding romance. They could simply enjoy each other as friends. Chelsea, on the other hand, never did come up with anything that made sense of her comfort with him, but it didn’t concern her. She was simply happy with the way things were, and overthinking them would likely complicate everything.

  John delighted in Chelsea’s expression as she entered their suite. The room was magnificent and the furniture was modern, but in a retro kind of way. For him, it was furniture from his childhood. For her, retro. He had to chuckle to himself at the thought.

  Taken back at first that they would share a suite rather than having separate rooms, when she saw that their bedrooms were on opposite sides of the massive suite, she felt no concern. John was always polite, and she was confident she had nothing to fear from him. If anything, what she discovered about John so far was that he was the most intelligent man she had ever met. Even compared to her professors, he amazed her with his way of thinking. It was no surprise he had built an empire as vast as KI. During the flight his phone rang often, and to hear his side of the conversation, the way he directed people and situations astounded her, she remained in awe of him. John’s focus was strictly on business. Clearly he had no hidden agenda, as in getting her out of town to try to seduce her. He had too much at his disposal to go to such an effort for a struggling college student.

  “What do you think?”

  She turned to him, exclaiming, “This is the nicest place I’ve ever been in my life!”

  Happy that she was happy, he told her, “I’d love to stay and enjoy the room with you, but I need to be downstairs in a meeting,” Pausing, he looked at his watch. “Within the next few minutes.” Glancing back up at her, he grinned at the way she moved around the room in such awe of her surroundings. “Would you like to go shopping or to the pool while I’m away?”

  Having no money, she knew that shopping would be pointless. There was nothing worse than shopping while broke. “I have finals coming up. I think I’ll sit by the pool and do some reading.”

  “Would you like for me to walk you down?”

  “No. I’ll be fine.” Smiling, she added, “Thank you, though.” Normally ultra-independent, she found that she liked the way he watched over her. He was extremely considerate of her. On the heels of that thought, she was not at all surprised when he took her bag from her and carried it into her bedroom. Following him into the room, she gasped at the grandeur of it. The bed was much larger than a standard king. The bedding was luxurious and plush. “I feel like a princess.” With that, she sailed onto the bed.

  Amused by her excitement, he promised, “This is only the beginning.” Walking over to her, he bent at the waist and kissed her on the cheek. “Stay out of trouble, little girl. I’ll call you in a while.”

  Chelsea sat on the bed and watched him walk out of the room. Reaching her hand up, she touched her cheek where he had kissed her. Even though it surprised her, it didn’t feel awkward when he did it. Actually, it seemed quite natural. She suspected he was beginning to think of her as a kid sister. Oddly, that thought caused a trace of disappointment to creep into her heart.

  After changing into her swim suit, she grabbed her towel and backpack and left the room. Just outside the door, a man was there, seemingly waiting for her. He was a massive man, pro-wrestler kind of massive. Startled, Chelsea asked, “May I help you?”

  “No, ma’am. I’m here to watch over you.”

  “Watch over me?”

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  He made no other comment, and at that point, she wasn’t exactly sure what to do. Finally, she said, “I’m just going down to the pool.”

  “Yes, ma’am. I was told you planned to go.”

  “You mean you’re going with me and stand out in the sun in that suit?”

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  Sighing, she said, “You are at least ten years older than me. Please stop calling me ma’am.”

  Without even cracking a smile, he replied, “Yes, ma’am.”

  Feeling sorry for him, she asked, “Can’t you at least put a swim suit on?”

  “No, ma’am.”

  “Okay. Maybe we can find you some shade.”

  In the elevator, she texted John: What’s with the guy following me?

  His reply: Better safe than sorry. This is Vegas.

  A few minutes after twelve, Chelsea saw that John was texting. Excited, she grabbed her phone.

  How is the pool?

  She texted back: It’s ultra-hot out here. I goofed and brought lotion. Can’t reach my back. Thankfully, I have “the guy.”

  John’s response was quick in coming: NO! Will be right there.

  Obviously she was kidding. She didn’t mean to interrupt his meeting, and she certainly didn’t plan on the bodyguard rubbing sunscreen on her. Immediately, she tried to call him, but her call went directly to voicemail. It was only a matter of minutes later when she saw him walking her way, looking very intentional. Standing quickly, she explained, “I’m so sorry. I was only joking. You didn’t have to come out here.”

  Chelsea’s hair was pulled back into a nub of a ponytail, and her face shone in the sun. Usually, her hair draped over the right side, so it was nice to take in the entirety of her face. Breaking into a smile, he admitted, “I needed a break anyway.”

  “I feel terrible. I won’t joke around texting again. I guess you can’t exactly hear my tone of voice.”

  “Really, it’s no problem.” Seeing her in her bathing suit, he didn’t regret coming. She looked young and fresh and beautiful. She wore a royal blue tankini. Just as she dressed normally, her suit was more modest than most any other suit he had seen at the pool. “Lay back down. I’ve got it.”

  When she lay on her stomach, she reached for her top and rolled it up in order to get a little more sun on her back. “John, I’m really sorry.”

  “Stop apologizing.” He sat on the edge of her chair.

  “How did you find me so quickly? There are hundreds of people out here.”

  “My guy called your guy.”

  “What’s with that?”

  He leaned down and quietly said, “When you have money, Chelsea, people will do some really cruel things to get to it.” Taking the suntan lotion, he squirted it into his hands, cupped them, and then breathed into them.

  Rising up on her elbows, she turned to him. “Are you warming it up?”

  “I’m no amateur. I know what I’m doing.” He reached for her shoulders and began to rub on the lotion. Then he moved to her lower back. Deciding she could easily reach her legs, and sensing touching them might prove to be
a mistake on his part, he wiped his hands on her towel. He was only human after all, and no matter how young she was, she was incredibly beautiful. In order to maintain clear boundaries, he would have to be wise. “Mission accomplished.”

  When he stood, she grabbed his pant leg. “Really, I didn’t mean…”

  Squatting down, he leaned very near and told her, “Later, when you ask me best and worst, this will be the best, so stop apologizing.” Just as when he left the room, he kissed her cheek. “I should only be about an hour or so more. I’ll meet you in the room later.”

  John made his way back toward the hotel entrance. While he would never tell Chelsea, the truth was, he left right at a crucial moment of negotiations. When he read her text, feeling some unexplainable need to protect her, if protect was at all the right word, maybe he felt a little jealous, he abruptly stood and blurted out that he needed a few minutes. The dozen or so men just stared at him as he left the room. It was good strategy in hindsight. Leave them waiting long enough, make them believe you are not quite as interested as they thought, and you can easily develop the upper-hand. Negotiations to purchase the hotel were at a crucial point and didn’t seem to be going his way. Walking away would likely change the course of upcoming discussions.

  Watching him walk away, Mr. GQ in his suit, sure of himself and so unaffected, her heart was fluttering in an unusual way. Without question, he was the most amazing man she had ever encountered. That was the precise moment she first realized she may be in real trouble.

  John returned right after Chelsea had finished her shower. It was late afternoon, and since she’d skipped lunch, she was starving. Wearing the most snuggly robe over her pajamas, she was settled in on the sofa eating a chocolate bar from the complimentary basket when he walked in.

  Dropping onto the seat beside her, he patted her leg. “How was your time at the pool?”