He walked up to me. “Want anything to drink?”
If I spoke right away, I would stutter, so I let the silence pass for a few seconds before I cleared my throat. “No thanks. So…this is your place? A lot nicer than that other one.” It wasn’t a jab at his lie, but it was such a contrast, to see where he actually lived, where he ate and slept, brought his other dates.
“Want a tour?”
“How big is it?”
“Like ten thousand square feet.”
“Jesus Fucking Christ.” I blurted that out uncontrollably and covered my mouth at my lack of class. I was on the job right now.
He chuckled at my reaction. “It’s fine.”
“Yeah, let’s skip the tour.”
“Alright.” He grabbed his wallet and keys off the counter.
It was weird to see him in that penthouse, to see who he was really was. But it also fit him a lot more than that fake apartment ever did. The suits he wore in his office fit him better than his t-shirts did. He’d always been a man with a powerful presence…and now it all made sense.
We returned to the elevator and rode down to the garage.
He stood with his muscular arms by his sides, his gaze straight ahead. “How’s it going?”
“Good. You?”
“It’s Saturday, so I’m happy.”
“Well, you’re working this Saturday.”
“Nah. This isn’t work.” The doors opened to the garage, and he led the way. It was lined with Bugattis and Ferraris. They must belong to the tenants in the building, a collection of toys they probably never used because they had private drivers.
He walked to a black Bugatti, and the doors immediately unlocked when we drew near.
“This is what we’re driving?” I asked in surprise.
“Yep.” He opened the passenger door for me.
“Whoa. I’ve never been in one of these.”
“Now you will. And you’ve been warned…I drive fast.”
“Good.” I sat down then looked up at him. “Why would you own this car if you didn’t?”
He smiled then shut the door before he joined me. The engine roared to life with power, and then he was out of the garage and onto the road, headed for the tunnel to get out of the city. The roads and sidewalks were busy with people, but once we got out of the chaos, he could really floor it.
I examined the dashboard and felt the leather seats. “I feel like a race car driver.”
“You got a license?”
“Yes.”
“I’ll let you take it for a spin later.”
“You don’t have to do that.”
“I’m not doing it for you. I want to watch a sexy woman push my girl to the limit.” He kept his eyes on the road and pulled off the flirtatious comment with no effort. One hand was on the wheel, while the other rested on the console between us. He was definitely in his element, a sexy billionaire behind the wheel of one of his toys.
“Do you have others?” I dealt with rich people all the time and had never met one who didn’t own at least two fancy cars.
“A few.”
“Are they in the garage?”
“One is. The other is at my place in the Hamptons.” Now he’d put himself on display entirely, sharing his life with me freely, not censoring anything. It didn’t seem like he was showing off his ridiculous wealth, just being honest.
“Is it on the beach?”
“Yep.”
“So, you’ve got two places on the beach?” I asked.
“Well, this place actually belonged to my parents, so I wouldn’t call it mine.”
“But you inherited it.”
“Technically, Renee and I both inherited it. The plan was to sell it and split the cash. But neither one of us want to sell it. So, it just sits there.”
It was sweet that they cared more about their parents’ legacy than money. “Do you visit often?”
“I haven’t been since they passed away.”
“Oh…I didn’t realize that.”
“It’s fine.” He kept his eyes on the road. “It doesn’t matter how much time has gone by, it still hurts. The seasons change, but the scar on my heart never fades. But to avoid thinking about them or not going to my childhood home so I don’t have to feel that pain…it would be like trying to forget them. I certainly don’t want to do that.”
“Yeah…”
We made it through the tunnel and eventually onto the open road. He got on the freeway and pressed the gas hard, pushing the car far beyond the speed limit.
“Oh my god, we’re going so fast!” I raised my hands in the air even though the top wasn’t convertible. “What are we at?” I leaned over the center console to see the dashboard.
“One twenty.” He grinned, still driving with one hand.
“Wow, it’s so smooth. But you’re going to get a ticket.”
He shrugged. “I don’t care.”
“Woo-hoo!” I waved to all the cars we passed as he weaved in and out of traffic.
“Wow, you really are fearless.”
“No. I just don’t get scared.”
He kept going, moving farther away from the city so the highway was more open. It was incredible that we were pushing the car at such an intense speed, but the car remained so smooth, absorbing all the bumps in the road and gliding like a plane in the open skies.
I got comfortable in the leather seat and looked out the window, watching the landscape pass by, the tall trees and vegetation that were absent from the city. The only landscape available near me was the occasional park. The rest was all skyscrapers, sewer grates, and fire hydrants.
I loved the city. But I also loved the wide-open spaces.
He broke the silence. “What’s new with you?”
“Well, I found out my sister has the hots for Charlie.”
“No surprise there.” He grinned. “He was dominating that court like he was about to get drafted into the NBA.”
“But she said she knows she can’t, because of Kat.”
“Did you tell Charlie?”
“No.”
“Why not? He’s your best friend.”
“And she’s my sister. I’m so well connected to everyone that I can’t be loyal to one person without being disloyal to another.”
“If the guy has been into her for so long, I still think a heads-up would be nice…”
“And then what?” I asked. “He asks her out? We just forget about Kat?”
He sighed as he considered my questions. “I know the situation is complicated, but sometimes we all just need to be mature about things we aren’t happy about and accept them.”
I glanced at him, wondering if that statement applied to himself and our breakup.
“Maybe Kat needs to learn to accept this.”
“That’s a little harsh since she’s still in love with him.”
“No offense, but that’s not Charlie’s problem. Maybe seeing him move on will help her move on.”
“Or just rip her apart…”
“What if Denise and Charlie are perfect for each other? Like, get married someday perfect for each other? But it never happens because of a relationship that’s been over for months? That doesn’t sound right. If Charlie just wanted some ass, this would be a stupid idea, but from what he’s told me, she’s the real deal.”