“Um, no.”
“Because we’re in public, right?” He shook his head and handed me his phone. “I’ll have Greg get your stuff and deliver it to your place tonight. Type everything you need, specific brands if you have preferences.”
I typed everything that was in my cart and a few extra things I’d forgotten about. I pulled out my credit card and handed it to him once he was on the phone.
“Greg? Yes.” He eyed the card suspiciously and handed it back to me. “I just sent you a list of things that Miss Gracen needs for tonight. Make sure it’s done as soon as possible. Thank you.”
“You don’t have to pay for—” My sentence was cut off once he leaned forward and kissed me.
“Stop it.” He smiled. “I want to take you somewhere.”
“Now?”
“Yes. Now. Give me your keys. I’ll drive.”
I opened my eyes and realized I was lying on the hood of my car. It was unusually warm outside and the wind was soft and gentle.
I turned on my side and saw Jonathan smiling at me.
“Did you get enough rest?” He leaned over and kissed my cheek.
“How long was I asleep?”
“Not that long.”
“Oh... Any reason why we’re lying on the hood of my car?”
“I don’t think you can fully appreciate the view from the front seat.”
I turned my head and saw that we were at a clearing on the ocean. We were parked on the edge of a private dock that overlooked a grassy mountain range—low enough to feel the soft sprays of the sea.
There was a shoreline a few feet behind us, with a row of wooden villas that were slightly secluded by overgrown trees.
Where are we? I’ve never seen this side of—
“Tell me something that I don’t know about you.” He moved closer and held my hand.
“I think I might be attracted to you...”
“Something that I don’t know.” He smiled. “I knew that the first day we met.”
“You’re so full of yourself...I wanted to be an actress when I was growing up.”
“Really?”
“Yeah. I was in every play in high school and I was in drama clubs all over the city. I just knew that that was what I was going to be...My classmates even voted me ‘Most Likely to be Famous’ in the yearbook.”
“Why didn’t you pursue that when you went to college?”
The flag charms on my necklace suddenly felt heavy and my heart began to ache. I could feel a lump rising up my throat but I pushed it back down.
“I...” I couldn’t talk about that. Not today. Not ever. “I just didn’t have the heart for it anymore...Tell me something I don’t know about you.”
“I used to be fat.”
I burst into laughter. “I don’t believe you!”
“It’s true. I don’t know how it was possible since I starved for half my childhood, but I was chubby up until my first semester of college...Then I was forced to change.”
“Why?”
He put his arm around my shoulders. “I really needed a third job because the hours I was getting at the car wash and the coffee shop weren’t cutting it...The one place that was always looking for new talent told me they’d take me on if I lost weight and got in shape.”
“What type of job makes you lose weight?”
“A high paying one with lots of desperate women...”
“You sold yourself for money?”
He laughed. “No. I danced.”
I was quiet for several seconds. I guessed it made sense that a theater company would want its dancers to be thin and fit. Although, men appreciated the art of dance too so I didn’t quite understand the “desperate women” part.
“You did ballet?” I asked. “Was it hard to—”
“Seriously? No, I did not do ballet. I was a stripper. In a strip club.”
I blinked. I knew my cheeks were on fire but I tried to put on my best poker face anyway.
“I don’t know if I can believe that...” But I want to...
He pulled his phone out and scrolled through a gallery of pictures, stopping on one that featured a group of men dressed in various costumes—postal workers, policemen, Indians, cowboys.
“That’s me in the back—in the fireman costume.” He smiled. “I had to pay a lot of money to make sure none of these photos resurfaced...Do you believe me now?”
I didn’t say anything. I just smiled.
“Tell me something else, Claire.”
“Um...” I paused. “My ultimate dream...After I quit Statham Industries and start my design company, I want to sail the world on a luxury liner. I want to rent one for a whole year and stop as many places as I can.”
“By yourself?”
“With my friends—my female friends.”
“Duly noted.” He grinned.
“It’s your turn to—”
“You’re a vision. Do you know that? Do you know how beautiful you are?” He trailed his fingertips across my lips. “I don’t think you fully understand that sometimes... I could gaze at you all day.”
My heart started fluttering and I wanted to say “Thank you, you too,” but the words locked themselves in my throat.
“You’re not thinking about anything right now are you?”