Текст книги "Love Unscripted"

Автор книги: Tina Reber

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Текущая страница: 16 (всего у книги 40 страниц)

graze on my skin. My desire for him could no longer be contained.

I turned in his arms; our eyes met and our lips found each other. His strong hands pressed me closer to his chest. He kissed me passionately.

My fingers tangled in the back of his hair as the intensity of our kissing consumed me.

Slowly I slid my hands down the front of his shirt, across his waist, until my fingers found the back pockets of his pants. A soft moan escaped his

mouth as I tensed my hands in his pockets; his warm hands held my face to his.

His kiss became soft and slower. I could spend an eternity kissing this man. Ryan pulled me into a warm embrace before releasing my lips from

his. He had a smug grin on his face.

Our moment was interrupted when the steward came back in the room. “Excuse me, sir. Dinner will be ready in about fifteen minutes. Shall I

bring you a bottle of champagne or would you prefer wine?”

“Do you want champagne or wine before dinner?” Ryan asked.

“You choose,” I replied. I wanted him to make the decision.

“We’ll have the champagne,” he answered.

Ryan and I toured the yacht before dinner; we wandered down the stairs to take in the sights of the lower deck. Dark, rich woods and designer

wallpaper covered the hallways that led to the staterooms. We took turns peeking into the different rooms; each room was decorated in different

patterns and colors.

My eyes mischievously glanced at the door to the master suite, hoping to encourage him to steal away with me for a moment. He laughed at me

before stating, “tempting, so very tempting, but our dinner will get cold!”

Our fabulous dinner was served in courses, and I was quite full after the prime rib. Everything was delicious; it felt like we ate for two hours.

Dessert would have to wait.

After our plates were cleared, an older man wearing a tuxedo joined us in the salon. He sat at the baby grand piano that graced the portside

and proceeded to play.

Ryan stood up and held out his hand. “Dance with me,” he whispered.

He took me in his arms and placed my hand in his as he slowly turned us on the floor. His hand gently caressed the small of my back; he rested

our entwined hands on his chest.

I whispered in his ear, “Thank you for the best date of my life.”

He didn’t comment. He just raised his eyebrows a bit and smiled at me.

I closed my eyes as our cheeks touched and rested together. Our bodies swayed to the music. And every so often, his lips would reach mine.

It was almost midnight when the ship approached the docks. As we disembarked the yacht, I noticed that the marina looked totally different.

Anthony was waiting to escort us safely to our limousine.

When we drove out of the marina I noted that the name on the sign was different; this was not the same marina where I boarded the yacht, and

we were headed northeast. Ryan gathered my hand in his as we sat in silence.

“Shell game?” I murmured.

Ryan just smiled and raised my hand to his lips.

I placed our hands on my lap and he started to draw random patterns on the inside of my thigh with his fingertips. I was smoldering in my own

skin. The limo pulled into the empty parking lot and I could see my car waiting with Richard standing guard. When we were at a complete stop, the

driver and Anthony exited. I had anticipated my door to open a moment later, but it didn’t. I glanced back at Ryan; he looked absolutely adorable

sitting there smiling at me.

“I hope you had a good time tonight.” He smirked confidently.

My hand was already gripping the door handle to let myself out. I was confused – was this the good night, goodbye time?

“What?” he asked, obviously noting my expression.

“I didn’t realize that this was the end of our evening,” I muttered, adding a hint of playful disappointment to my tone. “I thought…” I looked away. “I

guess I thought wrong.”

“I don’t want it to be the end of our evening, but I don’t want to assume either,” he spoke softly.

“I thought I was the one assuming!” I gently smiled. “Let’s go.” I motioned. “Drive us home.”

As we exited the car, Ryan stopped to remove his bags from the trunk of the sedan. He gave me an impish grin as he shrugged. He was like the

little boy caught with his hand in the cookie jar.

I felt a little self-conscious myself, considering there were three witnesses to our indiscretion. Ryan didn’t seem to care. He relieved Richard of

my car keys without a second thought and opened the passenger door for me.

“Pull down the alley,” I instructed. “Then you can hop out.”

“Son-of-a…” Ryan growled. The headlights of my car illuminated the alley, shining light on the photographers hovering around my back door. He

quickly threw my car into reverse and backed out into the street. He drove down the street in front of my pub; paparazzi were staked out there as

well. He sped past them, barely pausing at the stop sign.

My eyes were focused on the anger on his face. “Ryan, just pull over,” I whispered.

He drove another few blocks and pulled into the parking lot of the local grocery store. He lightly pounded his fists into my steering wheel.

“Ryan, I’m ready for this, if you’re ready to be seen with me.”

He looked over at me; some of the anger left his expression. “Cat’s gonna be out of the bag!”

“They already suspect. They’re back there waiting at my doors. I’ve been followed and photographed all week.”

“I know,” he whispered. “I’ve seen the pictures. You’re all over the tabloid sites.”

“They took my picture when I left tonight too,” I said regrettably.

I looked down at my hands. Thoughts of him not wanting to be officially seen with me crossed my mind. After all, I was a commoner, a “nobody”

in his world of fame. My insecurities started to surface when he didn’t speak.

“It’s okay. Just drive to your hotel. I’ll drive myself home.” Disappointment coated my words. My perfect date was quickly turning sour, even

though deep down inside I understood. “Then you’ll be safe.”

“I’m not worried about that. I’m worried about you. Your life is going to turn chaotic, just like mine. The paparazzi are relentless! I feel like I’m

throwing you to the lions.”

“You’re not throwing me, Ryan. I go willingly... if you truly want me by your side. But still, I understand why.”

He took my hand in his, gently tugging my arm to get me to look at him again.

“They are going to hound you.”

“So what?” I countered. “They’ve already started.”

“That doesn’t bother you?” His eyes scrunched together, assessing.

“They are annoying, but really, if something like that bothered me, I wouldn’t be sitting in this car with you right now. The question is – does that

bother you?” I uttered, barely above a whisper.

“Yeah, it does. But not for the reason you might be thinking!” he retorted. “I’m afraid to take away your freedom.”

He made it sound like he was sentencing me to solitary confinement. I just didn’t see it that way.

I shook my head to disagree. “I thought you might be ashamed to be seen with me,” I whispered.

“Ashamed?” He looked at me like I was being absurd. “Is that what you think? That I’ll be ashamed if our relationship becomes public?”

I silently nodded my head.

He slapped the gear shifter into drive and squealed the tires as he turned the car around.

Ryan parked in my spot in the lot. Photographers descended on us before we even got out of the car.

“Wait, let me get my bags first and then I'll get your door,” he instructed.

We were followed all the way down the street as we hurried to the front door of my pub. The lights from the camera flashes in the dark were

blinding and disorienting. It was like staring into strobe lights. I made the mistake of looking up at one of them when we crossed the street. Their

intrusive questions never stopped either.

While I fumbled to get my key in the lock, one of the groupies asked Ryan for his autograph, to which he nicely obliged. I was surprised that

several men wanted Ryan’s autograph too. They were prepared with glossy prints of him in hand. I recalled Ryan referring to them as

“autographers” once.

I couldn’t get the door opened fast enough. Ryan and I hurried through the door and he shut it with force to lock the insanity out. I started to panic

slightly when I couldn’t see the keypad properly to turn the alarm off. I had to blink repeatedly until I finally punched the code in. Then I set the alarm

again to be sure to keep the insanity out.

“I’m seeing spots.” It was hard to navigate through the darkness.

He chuckled lightly. “Me too. No matter how many times… one of them still gets me in the eyes.”

Ryan helped me with my coat, which he tossed onto the living room chair.

“I’m sorry for the way I reacted,” he said, looking at me with apologetic eyes. “You need to realize that I only want to protect you.”

“I know. I want to protect you too,” I whispered.

I slid my hands into the space between his shirt and jacket, skimming my fingers up over his shoulders. I didn’t care that we were just hounded

by photographers; I wanted to feel his skin on mine.

I combed my fingers into his hair; our kissing was intense and passionate.

The fingers of both his hands caressed in the space between my shoulders. I could hear the metal teeth separate as he slowly unzipped my

dress.

He raked his fingers across my back, peeling the dress from my body. I felt the satin when it landed around my ankles.

His eyes took in the sight of me as I stepped out of my dress. I presumed he liked the look of the matching silken lace ensemble I was wearing

underneath my dress – that paired with my high heels. His head swayed and his breath was rough before his open mouth locked onto mine.

I unbuttoned his shirt while he kicked his shoes off and opened his belt. My fingers slid over his bare chest, pulling his tucked shirt out of his

pants. He shuddered ever so slightly under my touch.

In one quick movement he leaned down, catching my waist with his shoulder. His arm wrapped around my legs to hold me in place. I giggled as

he quickly carried me down the dark hallway to my bedroom.

We spent most of the day lounging in bed. In between the marathon sex sessions and a nap, we managed to shower. We even had breakfast in

bed.“

So how do you deal with it?” I asked. I pulled the sheet up over my shoulder.

“Deal with what?” He looked over at me.

“Everything. The demanding schedule, the obsessed fans, the photographers, and still manage to make movies.”

He laughed quietly. “I honestly don’t know. Sometimes it feels like I’m having an out of body experience.”

“Come on! Tell me!” I rested my hand on his bare chest.

He rolled his eyes a bit. “You have a schedule to follow, right? Every day you get up and you either go to work or you have other things you need

to accomplish.”

“Yeah, but I don’t have people screaming at me.”

“That’s not true,” he insisted. “I’ve seen people bark orders at you many times. I want sixty mixed drinks and forty pitchers of beer.”

“It’s not the same,” I disagreed with his comparison.

“How is it so different? You run a business, and with that comes dedication and responsibility. You have to be in front of people, some of which

you don’t like, or don’t know. But yet you smile and play your part. They expect something from you, and you have to deliver. If you truly think about it,

we all are acting in one way or another,” he remarked.

I nodded; he had a point.

“Take for instance my brother. He has to travel a lot for his job. He’s gone at least one week out of every month for a career that he doesn’t like

very much. He has to get on a plane and leave his wife, Janelle, and their baby girl, Sarah, all the time. But yet he acts out his part; he puts a smile

on his face and he goes to work every day. That’s what he does for a living.

“Acting is something that I really like doing. It’s kind of easy for me to slip into another character and it’s fun to explore what it’s like to be

someone else. And it’s far from boring, that’s for sure! If I had to sit behind a desk everyday, I think I would kill myself! But for some people, sitting

behind a desk is a dream job. To each his own, you know?”

“But what about the pressure?” I questioned.

“What about it? Every job has its pressure. My pressure is just magnified because it’s publicized. All the directors out there want to make quality

films that earn millions of dollars at the box offices. That’s what they get measured by. I get measured by my acting abilities and my public draw. The

bigger those numbers are, the bigger my paycheck is! If you don’t have an atmosphere downstairs that pulls in customers, your sales are down and

you don’t make money.”

“I know all about metrics. Economics/Business degree, remember?” I replied. “I guess I’m just worried that the pressure might be too much for

you one of these days.”

He thought about my comment for a moment. “Do you remember how you felt after you sang on stage in front of all those people?”

“Yes.”

“And how did you feel?”

“Petrified that I made an ass out of myself.”

He smiled at me. “Okay, and when you played the same song in front of people last weekend, some of which you barely knew, how did you feel

then?”

“It was easier. I wasn’t worried at all.”

“And why was that?”

“Because I knew I could do it, for one.”

“You had confidence. I guess it’s the same for me. The more I get to act, the more confidence I have in my abilities.”

“Yeah, but you could have all the confidence in the world and still cave to the pressure,” I stressed.

“Yeah, I know. And I feel it some days. You know that. But I also have a million reasons to deal with it – millions.” He smiled.

“So it all comes down to money?” I muttered.

“Well we all have to earn a living somehow! My mom is the one who told me to join the drama club and my dad is the one who told me to get a

job. I’m blaming them!”

His comment made me laugh.

“You know how many years most people have to work to earn what I make in six months? One movie… millions.”

“Yeah, but there’s a difference between being comfortable and being greedy. Are you hoping to be one of those mega-rich mega-stars one

day? You know – the ones who only have one name now? Brad? Tom?”

A tinge of fright struck me when I wondered if he would end up ditching me down the road so he could be the other half of a mega-couple. I had

a comfortable amount in the bank, but I was far from mega.

“I’m looking to ride this as long as I can. Who knows, maybe one day I won’t want to do this anymore. There are other ways for me to be artistic.

Sometimes I look at my brother and envy him for what he has – a normal life and a family. That’s one of the many reasons why I’m here with you now.

You’re my peace in all this insanity.”

“Oh, I see. I’m just a piece for you,” I accused jokingly.

“That’s not what I meant and you know it!” He tickled me.

“So what is it about acting that you love so much?” I wondered.

He rested his head on his hand and looked at me seriously. “You want to know why I like being an actor? It’s actually a lot of fun. Okay, imagine

this… next time you pour a beer, I want you to look like you’re furious. Hold that look on your face – make sure you look at that camera – then walk

five feet to your mark and hand the customer his beer. Wait until he takes a drink and then say your lines. It’s that complicated.”

“What are my lines?” I asked.

“Oh, you really want to pretend? Okay.” He sat up on his elbow. “Your lines are ‘I thought about killing you for a long time, Joe. Today I finally get

my wish.’ ”

“What’s my motivation?” I questioned, trying to get in the mindset.

“Joe killed your partner… I don’t know! Think about something that pisses you off.”

I sat up and wrapped the sheet around my body. It was hard to pretend and be naked at the same time.

“Hey, what are you doing?” Ryan asked while trying to tug the sheet out of my hands. “I like that view!”

I playfully slapped his hand away. “I have to focus!”

“The script says that this is a nude scene,” he insisted, pulling the sheet off of me. “Just ignore the cameras,” he teased.

I rolled my eyes. Fighting him was a lost cause.

I thought about confronting the idiot who smashed my window with a rock – how I’d like to smash a rock through their window. I looked at Ryan

and proceeded to glare at him.

“I thought about killing you for a long time now, Joe,” I said coolly. “I’m just glad today is the day I finally get my wish. That wasn’t beer you just

drank. It was poison. If you tell me where he is, I just might give you the antidote.”

Ryan flashed a big grin at me. “That was pretty good! I liked the improv!”

I just continued glaring at him, hoping he would play along. His happy expression disappeared when I kept giving him the dirty look.

He pretended to pop something in his mouth.

“You forget, Peaches, that my agency developed that poison. Sorry to disappoint you, but I won’t be dying today. You on the other hand…” He

sprang up and pinned me to the bed. His body straddled mine; his hands held my wrists to the mattress. His aggressive acting actually turned me

on.

“I just might be inclined to let you live,” he said persuasively. “But it all depends on what you’re willing to do for your country.”

“I’ll never give in to you, Joe!” I said with conviction and squirmed under his grip. “You may be strong enough to take my body, but my heart

belongs to Ryan.”

He leaned down and kissed me passionately. I didn’t know if we were still playing or if he was serious, but his kiss was definitely serious. He

released my wrists and I tangled my fingers into his hair as his tongue swirled with mine.

“I thought your heart belongs to Ryan?” he snickered.

“It does. As does the rest of my body.”

“Hmm!” He smiled his glorious smile at me. “That’s good to know! Now flip over so I can carve my initials back here.”

I let out a shriek as he grabbed my rear.

Chapter 15 – Dinner

“We need to get out of bed and get dressed,” Ryan said, noting the time.

“Are you insane?” I asked. “I thought the plan was to stay in bed all day?” I was surprised that he wanted to go somewhere. Him of all people!

“We can’t. We have dinner plans tonight.” He was smiling in a way that worried me.

“We do?” I was confused. He hadn't mentioned having dinner plans all day. Thoughts of another yacht trip came to mind.

“Yep. We’ve been invited to Cal and Kelly’s for dinner and I told them I would drag you along,” he said while pulling on my hand to drag me out of

bed.“

But, but…” I whined. I really wanted to stay in bed and avoid the photographers that were lurking about.

“I promise, we’ll stay in bed all day tomorrow if it makes you happy.” I noted the sarcasm in his voice.

“Oh yeah, like that wouldn’t make you happy too!” I gave him a light shove. He grabbed me around the waist and moved me out of the way so he

could dart out the doorway first, laughing on his way to the bathroom.

I had just slipped a white tank top over my head when Ryan came back into the bedroom.

“Nice!” he said. “Pants optional this evening?”

“Not wearing pants tonight.” I put on a charcoal gray sweater dress over my tank. The dress came down mid thigh and had a deep V-shaped

neckline and an attached hood. It was another new addition to my wardrobe.

I zipped up my black suede high-heeled boots to finish off the look.

Ryan looked at me strangely.

“Is this okay?” I asked anxiously, worried that he didn’t approve. I knew the paparazzi were waiting outside to take our picture.

“Very much so!” He nodded. “You look adorable. Very sexy.”

Ryan dressed in his signature style, layering a long-sleeved steel gray collared shirt over a white T-shirt and jeans. We sort of matched.

“Wait, before we go I have something that would go great with your outfit.” He unzipped his bag. He deliberated for a moment, making sure he

had the right package before handing me a gorgeous gift bag.

“Here, this is for you. I got you a little something when I was in New York.” His face showed his anticipation.

“Ryan!” I gazed at him lovingly, surprised that he bought me a present.

“Go on! Open it!” he urged.

I peeked inside the bag; nestled in the pretty tissue paper was a black jewelry box. He stared at me expectantly as I lifted the lid of the box.

Inside was a silver necklace with two diamond-encrusted hearts twined together, one inside the other. I looked at him, bewildered.

“Ryan, oh my God! This is absolutely beautiful!” I whispered, touching the pendant with the tip of my finger.

“I noticed you like to wear silver instead of gold, so I opted for white gold. Here, let me help you put it on.” He took the delicate chain out of the

box.

I lifted my hair so he could attach the clasp. While he struggled with the delicate chain, my nervousness made my heart beat faster. I felt his

hands rest on my shoulders when he was finished. He pressed his chest into my back.

“Do you like it?” he whispered seductively in my ear. I felt his warm breath on my skin as he trailed the tip of his nose down my neck.

“I love it,” I sighed, tilting my head even further to enjoy his nuzzle. “You shouldn’t have.” His gesture took me completely by surprise. I turned in

his arms.

He smirked at me and slightly shrugged his shoulders. “I wanted to. You look beautiful wearing my heart.”

“Thank you!” I reached to kiss him.

He picked the bag back up off the bed and handed it to me. “There’s one more thing inside.”

I looked at him, perplexed. I reached inside the bag and found another black jewelry box in the tissue paper. This one was smaller. I felt all the

color rush from my face.

I opened the box lid slowly. I gasped as my eyes took in the sight of spectacular diamond earrings, set in white gold as well. From the post, a

diamond baguette led the way to where a diamond solitaire dangled below. The diamonds were at least a carat each.

“This is too much,” I breathed out. I was suddenly feeling very light-headed. “I can’t accept these.”

“Don’t you like them?” His face twisted with concern.

“They’re beautiful!” I gazed at them, watching the diamonds sparkle in the light. “But I can’t accept these. It’s too much. You shouldn’t have

spent…” I could only imagine how expensive earrings like these were.

His fingers covered my lips. “If you like them, put them on. They’re yours.”

I stared at the box, unable to move my fingers. Dinner on the yacht, diamonds… it was too much. This man standing in front of me was not here

because he was rich or famous. The only gift I wanted from him was the one thing that his money and fame could never buy – to be my one true love

forever.

I snapped the box shut and handed it to him. “I can’t. One present was more than enough. Please.” I shook the box for him to take it out of my

hand.

“Would you like something else? I could exchange them for a bracelet or something. Just tell me.” He tried to be accommodating.

“No.” I gently smiled. “I don’t want anything else. Please. This pendant was more than enough.”

He looked confused as his eyes toggled between questioning me and looking at the little black box in his hand.

He shrugged and became slightly irritated. “I’m not going to even pretend that I understand this.” He set the little box on my dresser.

We were instantly photographed the moment I opened the front door. Ryan and I hurried down the street to my car; we practically ran. I wished I

had a closer parking spot, but my building was very close to the beach and most of the buildings never took parking into account.

Ryan had my car keys in his hand and every so often I felt his fingers touch my back when I wasn’t walking fast enough. As we crossed the

street, we were surrounded by almost thirty people. We had photographers and people filming us, blinding us with flashes of light. The cameras

clicked feverously.

Mixed in the crowd were several men begging him to sign glossy photos and a few obsessive female fans. They just hounded him. One girl with

curly brown hair grabbed the sleeve of Ryan’s jacket, pulling him off-balance.

“Hey! Please don’t touch me!” Ryan yelled, yanking his arm away. “Come on, this is not cool!”

Everyone begged for photographs and autographs. “Ryan, Ryan, over here” – the words were chanted over and over again by the different

intrusive menaces that plagued us.

I looked up to see the faces of some of his fans; they were mostly young girls – twenty somethings – but there were a few older women there as

well. Even though he was with me, it didn’t matter. It was like I wasn’t even there to them. In some twisted way, I was actually glad the photographers

were surrounding us; they provided a barrier between us and his female admirers.

I looked up at the parking lot long enough to see my car, but something was horribly wrong; different colors of white, red, and hot pink stood out

against the stark black paint. When we got close enough, I was relieved but now angry; my car was covered with love notes, cards, and all sorts of

paper. Notes to him were stuck in the door handles and under the windshield wipers. My windshield was covered with crap. I quickly cleared the

passenger side while Ryan grabbed handfuls of paper from the driver side, tossing them all to the ground.

I hopped into the car as fast as I could and locked the door behind me. The crowd was terrifying. The same girl who grabbed his arm, the one

with long, curly brown hair, pressed her hands on the driver side window yelling “I love you” at Ryan. I noticed she had a big gap in between her front

teeth. These people were scary and sick.

Ryan looked over his shoulder to back my car out of the spot, but we were surrounded by people on all sides. I tried to cover my eyes with my

hand to block the camera flashes; the photographers were relentless.

“I should have called for security,” he muttered under his breath. “This is fucking ridiculous. Move already!”

He continued to inch back out of the parking spot until the crowd finally parted enough for him to back up all the way.

Even as we drove out of the lot, photographers ran along side the car, continuing to take our picture. Ryan got my car out on the road and hit the

gas pedal; my tires squealed from the power. Ryan looked like we just robbed a bank; his expression was a combination of panic, frustration, and

anger.

“Are you all right?” he almost yelled at me.

“I’m fine,” I stated calmly, looking over at him. “How are you?”

He shook his head and let out a big lung-full of air. “Unfuckingbelievable.”

This is exactly what I was referring to this morning in bed. How could he stand to deal with this craziness all the time? Today was certainly not

the first day something like this happened to him. At what point do you tell yourself that the money and fame isn’t worth it? Even though I was

thinking it, I didn’t say a word to him about it. I knew he was beside himself; it was clear that the turmoil was wreaking havoc on his brain.

“How do I get on the interstate from here?” he asked excitedly.

“Turn right in three lights.” I tried to remain calm. “Do you have their address?”

Ryan locked up my brakes and made a quick right turn through one of the neighborhoods. I grabbed the seat with one hand and the door

armrest with the other as he wove my car through the streets.

“We’re being followed,” he growled. “Don’t let me hit any dead end streets!”

My heart was pounding and I was slightly petrified.

“Taryn!” Ryan shouted. “Where to?”

“Left,” I breathed.

He handed me a slip of paper that he took from his coat pocket. “That’s where we need to end up. Direct me.”

“Turn right at the gas station. Down there, get on the 103. See the sign?”

Ryan nodded. His lips were pursed tightly together. I could tell he was seething.

“Ryan, it’s okay. There’s no one behind us,” I whispered, patting his leg with my hand. As soon as I said it, a large SUV turned the same corner.

“Wrong!” he shouted, making a right turn through a red light.

“Make a left and then a right and get on the 103. It’s a highway.”

I felt the car accelerate even faster.

“Ryan…” I breathed and slid my hand onto his leg. We were going almost ninety miles per hour.

“I’m just trying to put some distance between us,” he muttered. His tone was still irritated.

I looked over my shoulder and out the rear window. “Are we still being followed?”

“I don’t know if I lost them but I’m not taking any chances.”

I entered the address into the navigation system; soon the computer was giving him driving directions. He let out a big breath of air; I noticed he

calmed down a little. He dropped the speedometer down to seventy-five.

“You okay, Babe?” I asked.

“Yeah, I’m okay.” He smiled at me briefly and then patted my thigh.

During the next ten minutes of complete silence, I thought about all the crap we removed from my car and how it was just laying there in the

parking lot. Even though I didn’t want to know what his fans had to say in them, the fact that they were laying all around my monthly rental space

bothered me.

“Ryan, when we get back tonight, I need to pick up all that paper in the parking lot. That lot doesn’t belong to me; I have to pay a monthly fee to

park there and I can’t leave my spot all littered like that.”

He nodded at me. “I’ll take care of it.” With one call, he made arrangements to have Jason clean it up.

“Thank you,” I whispered.

He loosened his grip on the steering wheel. “Did you talk to Marie about covering the bar while my parents are visiting?”

“Not yet,” I replied. I had been putting that conversation off.

“Tar, please. Can’t you take a couple of days off?” he pleaded. “I finally have a normal weekend and I really want you to be with me.”

“What were you planning on doing?” I asked, wondering how I could be in two places at once.

“I don’t know,” he answered. “I was sort of hoping that you might have some ideas. I want to take us all out to dinner Friday night though –

someplace very nice for my mom’s birthday. Do you have any suggestions of where we can take them?”

“I know a few nice restaurants.”

“Just one request… some place outside of Seaport,” he added.

“Have they ever been to Boston? It’s not too far of a drive from here. There are some things we can do in Providence too,” I suggested, thinking

it would be easy to take day trips and still work the bar at night.