Shannon found herself blushing for the second time today.
“We’ll set that up, Nigel, thanks.”
“Oh, I think it would be so romantic to do a piece about the new house they’re building, don’t you?” Karin Atkin asked her. “We could put her up in one of Marco’s properties and give her the tour. I’ll bet she’d consider it an experience of a lifetime!”
“She would at that, dearie,” Nigel agreed. “Her nickers would be in a bunch for weeks afterward. I keep telling her about this place. She might never go home, and me mum would have my tail for that. But it happens.” He shrugged while the team laughed.
“I’ll get you my list of things I’d need and personnel, Marco, by the morning,” Shannon smiled up at him, which caused his bushy greying eyebrows to raise.
“You do that, my love, and you’ll get a gold star,” he whispered and then winked again.
Shannon’s spine developed a pleasurable zing as a streak of electricity went from the base of her neck to her toes.
The meeting was adjourned. Dax and Rhea came up to speak to Marco in private, so Shannon stepped discretely away.
“Hey, Shannon, don’t go slinking off. You can hear this too,” barked Rhea.
“What gives? Hope this isn’t a resignation, because…”
“Relax, Boss,” Rhea said as she spread her hands to the sides and let her shoulders raise. “We have a delicate matter to discuss. And, well,” she looked at Dax, “we want your blessing.”
“What the hell have you two cooked up?” Marco sounded angry, but Shannon could see the ruse. He was playing with them.
“Dax and I want to get married. All legal-like. You’ve been very good to us. We’ve made good money, and we’re ready to buy a house, and, well, we just wanted to be legit.” Rhea searched Shannon’s face as well as Marco’s.
“You already are legit,” he said to them. “You love each other, and everyone knows it. You don’t have to get married to…”
“Then why are you doing it, Marco?” asked Dax.
He stepped back, clearly blindsided by the question. He examined his hands and then looked up. “Touché, Dax. You’re right.” And then to Shannon, he instructed, “Cancel the wedding. We don’t need any paperwork or wedding to show the world we love each other.”
Shannon froze in place but then saw the twinkle in his eye.
“You know, Boss, you’re a fuckin’ asshole,” shouted Rhea so loud some of the other team turned around to watch. But then she grabbed Marco and gave him a hug. “I’m not taking no for an answer. We want you to be the one to give Dax away. And I’d like to walk down the aisle with the lovely Shannon!”
“But that’s reserved for your dad,” Shannon objected, but inside, she was dancing.
“Fuck that bastard. That sonofabitch doesn’t deserve that honor. He’s completely out of my rolodex. But I have some nieces and a few nephews who might come, and we’d like to make it a simple, elegant party. Nothing fancy. And could we use the Towers building site? Just make it a beach party. Invite some of the would-be owners and tenants?”
“Sounds like a lovely idea, Rhea. I’d be honored.” Marco had extricated himself from Rhea’s strong body slam and bowed to her respectfully as if she was Queen for a Day. Dax stood to the side, her hands clasped, tears running down her face.
“Awesome!” Rhea hugged her partner. “We’re doing this, Dax. I told you he’d be good about it.”
Marco added one more condition.
“But let’s get the final permits, okay? I don’t want to count our chickens before they roost. I sure as hell wouldn’t want you to be disappointed to have to cancel your big day just based on some bureaucrat’s say so. We need to remove that hurdle first. Then it’s all out, okay?”
Chapter 4
Marco told Shannon he had plans for them for dinner.
“Oh really? Where to?”
“You’ll see. Something special.”
“I should go home and change. Is it fancy, a fancy restaurant?”
He loved surprising her. “Very fancy. But you’re dressed fine.”
Shannon looked over the sundress and sandals she was wearing and frowned. “I wish I could wash my hair and put on clean undies. I’ve been sweating all day.”
“It makes no difference to me.”
“Well, it might make some difference to the other guests. I smell like a road crew member.”
He pulled her to him. “Stop it, Shannon. I get to say here. And I say you’re perfect. Besides,” he checked his watch, “we don’t have a lot of time left.”
“What time is the reservation?”
He checked his watch again. “7:21.”
Shannon wrested free. “Stop making fun of this, Marco. No one makes a reservation for 7:21. Come on. Quit pulling my leg.”
“I do. I do a lot of things other people don’t. Just humor me, go freshen up in the bathroom if you want, but we need to be outta here in like ten.”
“It’s going to take us that long to get there? Tell me we’re not flying or something.”
“No, but that gives me a good idea for next time.” He placed his hands on her shoulders, turned her around, and demanded, “March!” directing her to the ladies’ room, which was stocked with towels and deodorants. Marco knew Shannon stored a couple lipsticks and some perfume in the cabinet for occasions as this.
While she was occupied, he chose a tube from his office and slipped it into the back of his Hummer. Folded next to it were three large Turkish muslin beach towels. Shannon stepped out, and they were on their way.
“At least tell me where.”
“You’ll see.”
She leaned back into the seat, resigned that her inquiries would yield the same result as the previous ones: nothing.
“I got you registered for Wyatt’s permit class. And if you’re interested, his daughter does a women’s self-defense class. Just let me know, and I’ll get you registered for that one too.”
“Thanks, Marco. You know this guy, Wyatt?”
“Very well. Marine sharpshooter, even tried out for the Olympics. He was one of their best instructors and, later, joined the Tampa police force where he’s taught classes nearly his whole career. Now he’s retired, so it’s his full-time gig. Wyatt’s a smart fellow who teaches you all the things you need to know and all the things you don’t know to ask. You’ll have a healthy respect for firearms when you’re done.”
“So next is picking out one. Is that it?”
“Yup, I was thinking we could go look tomorrow if we get done in time. Your classes don’t start for three weeks, plenty of time to get your ammunition if it’s not in stock. We’ll want to get you something that won’t be too difficult to arm or expensive, like a 9mm. Some sidearms are great, but the rounds are scarce or overly popular right now.”
He turned down Gulf Boulevard, passing the dog park where Shannon had the encounter with the man in the pickup. He noticed that she searched the parking lot.