by Dee J. Adams
“I think it’s pretty amazing.” He didn’t pretend to play dumb. She liked that about him. She heard the rocks thumping again.
“Okay, look,” Bill said, sounding a little sheepish. “I know I’m not supposed to ask a woman her age, but you’ve said so many times that you are older than me… You don’t look more than thirty-five, and I think Julie is in her late twenties, but there’s no biological way possible that you had a daughter at seven, so what gives? Either you know where the fountain of youth is or you’re a vampire.” He paused and she imagined his head cocked. “But I’m not laying odds on that last one.”
Elena flushed. It seemed as if the cement barrier somehow made it easier to share information. “I’m not afraid to tell people my age.” She wished she could see his face when she told him. “I just don’t offer it up all the time either. I’m about to turn forty-eight. If we live that long,” she added under her breath.
If Bill heard her side comment, he ignored it. “Wow. A baby having a baby. That must have been pretty tough.”
She noticed the lack of comment regarding her age. He was probably just realizing he’d screwed someone about to be eligible for AARP. Great. “It wasn’t a cake walk. Nothing like a baby to make you grow up super fast, but you know the feeling.”
“That I do.”
“I think you had it worse than I did. You had three sisters to raise.”
“Yeah, but they weren’t infants. I mean, Gina was little, but not in diapers. That whole baby element is a game changer. I don’t think I could’ve done that.”
“Sure you could. You still might. You’re young enough.” Whereas she was about to cross into Never-Never Land when it came to reproduction. That was just another reason he couldn’t be serious about her. “You strike me as a very determined man. A few diapers aren’t going to get you—”
The ground rumbled and Elena froze.
Oh God, not again.
Chapter Six
Bill lifted his arms, ready to protect his head from falling cement, but the aftershock stopped almost as quickly as it started. He couldn’t believe they might actually die here, but it looked like a real possibility. The more shaking this structure endured, the more chance it had of caving in completely. At this point they didn’t even need a big aftershock to bring the walls tumbling down.
“Bill, get in the car. Don’t stay out here because of me. You’re safer in the limo.” He liked that she cared enough to suggest it, but it also pissed him off that she’d think he’d abandon her.
“No way. I’m not leaving you alone.” He began plucking more rocks, his hands and arms aching. He’d had to drag away some pretty heavy chunks to clear a path. He’d have stripped off his shirt, but the material was the only protection his arms had as he lifted the cement.
“Well, that’s just…”
He waited for her adjective. Stupid? Macho? He was already used to her vernacular.
She mumbled something, but he missed it when debris slid to his right. “What was that?” he asked.
She huffed. “I said, you are one stubborn SOB.”
He smiled at her tone. “I guess it takes one to know one. And I mean that in the kindest sense.”
“Yeah, yeah. Whatever,” she groused.
Bill wiped sweat off his forehead in the crook of his elbow. How could he make the situation any better? Had to be something besides nuts and water.
He couldn’t believe they were stuck out here. At least in the limo they’d had a blanket and cover over their heads.
“So, Bill.” She took a deep breath. Sounded as if she’d psyched herself up for something. “I noticed you didn’t say anything about my age, or our age difference.”
“Because it doesn’t matter to me. It’s a non-issue.” He kept chucking cement.
“I just want all the cards on the table. I know we let things get out of hand and even though it was really…you know…good. I understand if, well, now that you know how old I am, you want to reconsider…” She paused and he barely heard her mumble, “Feel free to tell me to shut up anytime now.”
“If you were next to me, I’ve would’ve kissed you quiet already.” He would have too. And he’d have kept kissing her until all their clothes were off and he was buried inside her, making sure she understood beyond a doubt that her age didn’t bother him.
“I probably would’ve let you,” she admitted. “I’ve discovered I’m not very good at resisting you.” She laughed softly. “I don’t act like this. I don’t have spur of the moment sex with…” She paused and Bill’s brain took the low road.
He waited a few seconds, his muscles tensing. “With limo drivers?” The words had an edge he hadn’t expected, because it made him sick to think he’d been wrong about her this whole time. Maybe their difference in status actually mattered to her.
“Bill.” The reproach in her voice carried a hint of anger. “I can’t believe you went there. I was trying to come up with something besides ‘wild abandon’ because it’s so embarrassing.” He imagined her lifted eyebrow punctuating the reprimand.
He slapped a hand over his eyes and sighed. “I should’ve known better. Forgive me?”
“I don’t know.” She let him hang and maybe he deserved it. “Do you think I think that way about you or all people in general? Do you think I’m a snob?”
He glanced up at the low ceiling and sighed. How’d he get himself into these messes? After dealing with three sisters, he should’ve known better than to open his mouth before she’d finished her sentence. “No. I don’t. You just paused and my mind took a sharp left turn. Sorry.”
“It’s okay.” She sounded exhausted. “It’s been one of those days.”
Didn’t he know it. Something she said stuck in his brain. “By the way, in response to that other issue… The it, as you called it, was the best sex of my life and there’s nothing to reconsider. It wouldn’t matter if you were fifteen years older because I don’t give a shit.”
“I guess that’s fine if you’re you. But I’m me. I give a shit. This whole thing is happening so fast and I’m not sure I’m ready.”
“Are you dumping me before you even give us a chance to make this work?” The idea pissed him off, especially since he couldn’t see her face. Couldn’t read her eyes and what she really might be feeling.
“I’m just being honest. Look, I realize this thing between us is totally new, but ultimately, don’t you want a woman who can give you a family? Kids of your own? Because I’m not sure I can do that anymore. So what’s the use in wasting time with me?”
Did she mean couldn’t or wouldn’t? Not that he cared either way. “I already raised three girls. I’m not in any hurry to do it all again. I’m ready for some me time. Us time,” he amended. He crouched and stuffed his hand through the hole. He needed to touch her, to get that connection back. He stretched until the rocks nearly hit his shoulder.
“Well, hello,” she murmured, slipping her hand in his.
Bill heard the catch in her voice and swallowed back the sudden emotion clogging his throat. It was one thing to talk to her, but feeling her warm palm beneath his fingertips only brought home the danger they were in. Now that he had her, he wasn’t going to lose her. He felt her lips on his knuckles and he squeezed a little tighter.
“Us time sounds good, but I still want you to think about it,” she said. “That’s all I’m saying. I’d hate for you to regret something so important.”
“How about we table this discussion for later. When we’re not separated by two feet of concrete.” When he could see her face and make her understand that she mattered to him and not her reproductive organs. With one last squeeze, he pulled away and continued hefting cement to the side.
“I just want to make sure you look at all the angles. There’s a lot to consider.”
“Elena, I have zero regrets when it comes to you. We’ll figure everything out.” As long as they got out of this pit. “That’s what you do best, isn’t it?” he asked, veering h
er off the subject. “I’ve always loved your problem solving abilities. Makes me hot.”
“When have you ever seen me solve problems?” she challenged.
“For starters, there was that luncheon I took you both to in Beverly Hills a couple of years ago. The button on Julie’s shirt popped off and disappeared somewhere in the car. You ended up sewing the last button on the shirt to the top and she tucked the shirt in. No one was the wiser.”
“I remember that fiasco. You never did find that button, did you?”
He heard the smile in her voice and was glad they were off the baby topic. “I never did.” God he wanted to hold her close right now. Tell her everything was going to be all right. “I gave up after an hour. It went where the socks in the dryer go, wherever the hell that is.” He lifted a fifty-pound slab of cement and heaved it to his left.
The earth rumbled and he froze.
“Bill!” The fear in Elena’s voice killed him. “Get in the limo!”
“It’s okay. It’s okay.” A few more chunks splintered off from above, but they landed over the limo’s hood as the shaking stopped. He was seriously done with this whole damn situation. Done with the fear, done with the uncertainty. He wanted more than ever to get the hell out of here and have the chance to prove to Elena that they had something worth fighting for. Something that came along maybe once in a lifetime.
Shit, he was a total goner. What if he’d handled this situation the exact wrong way? He hadn’t planned to tell Elena about the girls, in case she worried about his solvency, but he didn’t want to blurt that he had plenty of money from his limo business either. It seemed like something a braggart might do. Bill had overheard that big shot agent boast about his new yacht when he’d driven Elena for a date and his stomach had turned.
He’d have to find some way to let her know he was doing well financially, but for now he wanted to get a handle on her issues with their age difference. He’d known she was older strictly because of Julie’s age, but it hadn’t mattered to him. She obviously wasn’t comfortable with the idea, though. He never understood why people put so much emphasis on age. If two people clicked, then who cared about numbers?
“I want to hear more about your sisters. What are they like?” Her interest gave him more hope and a good starting place.
“They’re very much alike. Very driven, very goal oriented.” He tossed a few smaller rocks out of the way.
“They got it from you. I’ll bet you’re very proud of them.”
“I am. Just like you’re proud of Julie.”
“I am proud of her. It’s hard letting go, but I think I probably need to. I’m just not sure what I’m going to do with the next part of my life. I mean, I know I’d like to do some traveling and see the places I’ve always wanted to see, but I wasn’t particularly looking forward to doing it on my own.”
“Who says you have to?”
“The idea of a traveling with a tourist group doesn’t really appeal to me, but I guess if one came very highly recommended, I’d consider it.” She honestly didn’t know what he was getting at and it made him smile…until a jagged piece of cement sliced the side of his hand. Shit!
“I’ve wanted to go to Italy since I was a teenager,” he confessed, inspecting his new wound. Not too bad. He went back to work. “Got a lot of cousins there on my dad’s side of the family. I’ve just never had the time.”
“Or the extra funds,” she added. “I totally understand that.” She sighed. “I would love to visit Italy. It’s at the top of my list.”
“Really?” He already had the plan. The two of them on a pre-wedding honeymoon, exploring the countryside, getting fat on pasta and tipsy on the best wine in the world. Making love all night and taking in a new country as lovers should. “It’s at the top of mine too. A month in Italy would be a great vacation.” He shot for the moon. “We should combine forces.”
She stayed quiet for a very long time. “That sounds like a big trip for two people who are just getting to know each other.”
At least that wasn’t a no. “I think it sounds like the perfect trip for two people who’ve known each other for years and want to know each other better.”
“You’re crafty. I can see I’m going to have trouble with you.”
He laughed. She always did that. Made him laugh at the most unexpected times. It was one of the things he loved most about her.
“Seriously though. A month in Italy is going to cost a fortune. Maybe we should cut it a little shorter.”
He took that as a major victory. “Is that the real reason or are you afraid to be with me for that long in a foreign country?”
“Bill, I’d love to be there with you for as long as possible…” She trailed off and he waited for whatever bomb she planned to drop. “What if I help pay for your part of it?”
What? He’d expected to hear, I don’t think it’s a good idea, so her offer floored him. “Why would you do that?”
She stammered and stuttered, and he didn’t hear a single word. She finally huffed and said, “Look, you being a limo driver has nothing to do with anything except the fact that after you’ve put your sisters through college, I’m sure you’re trying to get back on your feet financially.”
It was time she learn the truth about him. “You know how this limo company is mine, right?”
She nodded. “Sure I do. Fidelo’s Limo Service. Whose else would it be?”
How did he tell her this without sounding like the guys he hated? “Remember when I mentioned having those picnic blankets in all my cars?” He wiped sweat off his face with his arm.
“Yes. What does that have to do with anything?”
“Do you know how many limos my company operates?” he asked.
She didn’t answer immediately. “I know you have at least two or three because I’ve been in them, but I’ve never been picked up by anyone other than you, so I’m pretty sure you’re the only driver for your company.”
His smile widened. Time to blow her socks off. “I was in debt when I started, yes. Let me put it this way. I’ve been driving for twenty years and I’ve invested in a new car every year since. I generally have fifteen cars working every day at a minimum. Usually more.” He imagined Elena’s eyes were pretty wide at this news.
“Whoa, whoa, whoa,” she said. “You mean to tell me that you own a fleet of twenty limos and you’re still driving? Why?”
“A few reasons.” He hefted another large chunk of cement and dropped it behind him. “Number one, I like to drive. It’s why I started the business in the first place. Number two, they’re not all limousines. I have three party buses and a hummer stretch and lately they seem to work the most. Number three, I only drive the clients I want to drive. There are only a select few.” He had to be getting closer.
“Like who?” Her genuine interest fed his ego.
“You and your daughter for starters.” A lot of his clients were wealthy people she’d probably never heard of: businessmen and their wives. Who might she know? Ah. “Seger Hughes is another favorite client.”
“No way. Julie loves him…and his music. She’s a huge fan. Who else?”
“A couple of brothers—one’s a businessman—that I drove a few years back have become favorite clients. The Reynolds brothers.”
“Oh my God! I met them both when Julie worked on Dangerous Race.”
“I know,” he said. “That’s when I met them. It’s a small town.”
“Very,” she agreed. “Who else?”
“No more. I’m not going to give you a whole client list. Boring. My point is that I was able to afford to put the girls through school and I’m able to pay for a trip to Italy. In fact, I’m planning on paying for both of us.”
“No. That, you are not doing. The trip is dutch. We’re already diving into this thing so fast and I’m not letting money become an issue. We both can afford it, so we’ll leave it at that.”
“Are you going make me stay in my own hotel room too?” That idea made him
absolutely cranky.
“Bill,” she admonished. “I might be independent, but I’m not an idiot. I thought we already covered that ground.”
If she’d been next to him, Bill would’ve pulled her close and kissed her. He would’ve showed her again just how much he cared about her.
Another aftershock rumbled, but instead of dying out, it grew. More cement pounded from above and the locomotive effect rumbled around them. Elena screamed. Anger flooded Bill’s veins. He was pissed that he might lose his chance to give her the world, to give her everything he possibly could. Because that’s all he really wanted.
The shaking stopped. “You okay?” he asked.
“Yes. And no.” Her voice carried enough emotion to break his heart.
“We’re okay.” He heard her sniffing. “Hey, hey, are you crying?”
“No. Okay, yes, I’m crying, all right. I can’t take this anymore. If the stupid overpass is going to crush us then I just wish it would do it already.” Her voice hitched. “This is too nerve-wracking. And I’m too fucking young to die.”
He gave her a minute. “Feel better?” he asked quietly. He didn’t blame her. He felt the same way. “You know what I’m grateful for?” he asked, as serious as he’d ever been in his life. “I’m thankful for the time I’ve had with you. I’m so glad I got a chance to talk to you, to laugh with you. To get to know you better. I know you’re someone I want to be close to. Someone I want to share things with. Someone I want in my life. There’s no pressure here. Not from me.” He didn’t want to drive her away. “Look, I’m just being as honest as I know how to be. I’m not going to push you into anything. I just know how I feel about you. How I feel about giving us a chance when we get out of here.”
“What if…” her voice wavered and she cleared it. “What if we don’t get out of here?”
“We will.” Goddammit, they would. He wasn’t going to let this be their beginning and their end.
