I knew Crewe could be intimidating, but he wasn’t that intimidating.
“How’s your day?” Crewe had a cup of coffee with his lunch instead of a glass of scotch. He’d had to quit drinking all over again, but at least he was sticking to it.
“Pretty good. Did some reading.” I hadn’t even begun the process of applying to a school. Now that I knew Crewe and I wouldn’t last much longer than a year, I didn’t see the point. It would be a waste of time and money since the credits weren’t transferrable. “How’s yours?”
“Ariel brought a new client to the table. He owns over two dozen restaurants in Greece, Turkey, and Austria, so he’s brought big business. Apparently, Cassandra had a connection to him.”
“That’s nice.”
“We’re gonna have dinner with Ariel and Cassandra soon. They seem serious, so I’d like to get to know her.”
I wasn’t sure why a sweet woman like Cassandra was with Ariel in the first place. That woman didn’t have a heart. “Let me know when.”
Crewe set his napkin in his lap and ate like we had visitors. His manners were an integral part of his demeanor, so he never ate like a normal person. I, on the other hand, always made a mess—one way or another.
“There’s something I wanted to ask you.”
“I’m listening.” He popped a strawberry in his mouth and focused his expression on me. He always gave me his entire focus whenever I asked for it. I’d dated a lot of guys who only partially listened to what I had to say.
“Can you help me get a phone?”
“A phone?” he asked, his eyebrows raised.
“Yes, like a cell phone.” I made it clear I was an independent human being this time around. “I’d also like a laptop and a car.”
Crewe didn’t shut me down. He took a bite of his salad and slowly chewed, considering my request. “I can arrange that.”
“I can pay for my own car. I just need help getting a license. I can pay for my own laptop too, but since I don’t have a license, I can’t just go out and get one.”
“I can have one of the men take care of that for you.”
“I’d like to pay for it, Crewe.” I didn’t want him to buy everything for me. His wealth didn’t matter to me, and I needed to prove that.
When his eyes darkened in intensity, I knew he wanted to shut me down and say he would pay for it anyway. But he knew how important it was for me to be respected as a real person, not a prisoner. “If you transfer the money into my account, I can have them pick up everything you need. Is that fair?”
That was the best compromise I was going to get. “Yes.”
“We’ll work on the license. I can arrange for you to take the exam here and get your license immediately.”
“Okay.”
He drank his coffee then took another bite of his food.
“I was also wondering if I could use your phone to call my brother.” I knew this would be a difficult subject. When I called Joseph before, I planned my escape so I could get away from Crewe. Crewe would carry that scar on his chest until the day he died. There was no way Crewe could just brush that off like it was no big deal.
He didn’t hesitate before he pulled his phone out of his pocket and slid it across the table from me. “Of course, Lovely. You don’t need to ask.”
I got a much better reaction than I hoped for. “Thanks…”
Crewe looked across the courtyard as he chewed his food, his hard jaw masculine and his features sharp and beautiful. It didn’t matter what he was doing, he always looked sexy doing it.
He took my request a lot better than I expected, and I wasn’t sure if his positivity came from Ariel’s return or something else altogether. I was just grateful the conversation went so well.
When he finished his food, he left his dirty dishes for the maids to clear. “I’ll be in my office. Return my phone when you’re ready. I’ll arrange for one of the men to pick up the things you asked for.”
“Great. Thanks.”
He came around the table and kissed me before he left. “See you later.”
It was the kind of quick embrace that existed between a husband and a wife, or between two partners who were used to saying goodbye for a short period of time every day. I liked how natural it felt. I liked the fact that I could picture myself doing it every single day.
But I also hated that fact too.
When he was gone, I called my brother.
“London?” Joseph immediately assumed it was me, knowing Crewe had no reason to call him ever again.
“Yep, it’s me. How’s it going?”
“Good. I’m guessing things are going well with you since I haven’t heard from you in nearly a month.” His voice was heavy with accusation, but not enough to make me feel guilty.
“Yeah, I’m happy.”
“Well, that’s good. I’m in London right now.”
“So you aren’t too far away.”
“But far enough that I wouldn’t be able to help you if you needed it,” he said. “You don’t need it, right?”
“No. He takes good care of me.”
“Good,” he said with a sigh. “I’m relieved. So, what’s your plan? You’re gonna stay there forever?”
“I was going to go back to school and get my own apartment…but I don’t think that’s going to happen anymore.”
“Are you pregnant?” he blurted.
“No.” I rolled my eyes. “My time with Crewe is limited. I want to enjoy it the best I can.”
“Why is it limited?”
I told him the story about Ariel.
“Man, she’s a freak. I hate that bitch. You should have let me take her.”
“Joseph,” I said coldly. “That’s not funny.”
“Wasn’t trying to be. But she’s a bitch, and you know it.”
“I do know it. But she’s important to Crewe.”
“Is he in love with her or something?”
“I sure hope not,” I said. “Since she’s gay.”
“She is?” he asked in surprise. “Oh. Well, I guess you don’t have to worry about that…”
“Yeah.”
“So, you’re really going to leave him when the time comes? I thought you loved this guy?”
“I do. I really do. That’s why it has to be this way.”
“Doesn’t make any sense to me.”
Joseph had never been in love, so he would never understand. “Even though my time with him will be short, it’s still worth it. I’d much rather spend a little amount of time with him than none at all. Life is short. Live in the moment.”
Joseph sighed over the line. “Whatever you say. Do you have a number where I can reach you?”
“Crewe is getting me a phone today.”
“Well, let me know when you have those digits.”
“Okay.”
“I’ll talk to you later. Bye.”
“Bye.”
He hung up, and I set the phone on the table. I was supposed to return it to Crewe, but I didn’t feel like getting up just yet. Telling the truth to another person made it feel more real, that I agreed to hurt both Crewe and myself at the end of the road. When I asked Crewe about marriage in the past, he didn’t have a real answer to give me. Maybe he never wanted to marry me.
But I knew he loved me.
As soon as Crewe walked through the door after work, he set a bag on the table and stripped his jacket off. “I got the stuff you asked for. Your driving exam is next week.”