“So is it serious with you guys,” Ashley said, as we both walked into the bathroom.
Damn, talk about awkward, I really had to pee and I didn’t need an audience.
“It’s pretty new, I like him a lot and he seems to feel the same. He’s very sweet but we’re still getting to know each other,” I said trying to be sincere but as neutral as possible.
“He IS incredibly sweet and he deserves the best. Has he told you about Kendra, his ex,” Ashley demanded. She was now in my face and I wasn’t having this nonsense.
“He’s told me what he wants me to know, like I said it’s all still new,” I walked away and into a stall.
She stood by a sink but it sounded like she was right outside my door. Surely she had to pee too, I just watched her have like three drinks.
“You better be good to him, but you need to understand he’s married to his career, and if you make him choose … trust me you won’t win,” she said defiantly.
What hell was this girl’s problem? I finished my business and left the stall, heading for the sink furthest from her. “Say something,” Ashley demanded.
“I don’t feel I need to, our relationship is none of your business,” I said.
“It is completely MY business,” she insisted. I dried my hands, completely ignoring her and left the bathroom.
Chris stood to greet me when I got back to the table and came to my ear, “I’m so fucking sorry about her,” he whispered. I smiled and got back in my seat. Ashley came back a minute later, looking irritated which Chris definitely picked up on.“Well, this was great but I still have two hours of work waiting for me, and I’d love to see my beautiful girl home,” Chris said. “You’ll take care of the check, right buddy,” he said, looking at Seth. He shook hands with the client and they said their goodbyes.
Ashley shot me a death stare, like she was staking her claim. Like she was furious that he would be going home with me. What the hell, did they used to date or something?
I don’t care, I’m not here for her.
Chris led the way outside, “can I drop you home?”
“Oh I’ll just get an Uber it won’t take long,” I said.
“Come on, my car is right out here, if you don’t want me to know where you live I can let you out down the street or something,” he said smiling.
I nodded.
We ran across the street and he led me to the passenger side of black BMW. I didn’t know much else about it outside of the emblem, cars are cars to me. He held my hand to help me in and shut my door.
He hopped in and took my hand.
“What did she say to you? I’m really, really so sorry, I could tell right off that she had an attitude. She didn’t with the last date, but she could probably tell it wasn’t serious. She must have been really threatened by you.”
I laughed and he kissed the back of my hand. He had a sparkle in his eye and he looked unbelievably sexy. I was immediately at a loss for words, and thought carefully about how to respond. His touch was getting to me ... getting me hot anyhow.
He started the car and began to pull away, all the while keeping my hand, I didn’t protest.
“She asked me if I knew your ex, she basically acted like I couldn’t measure up to her. Are they friends,” I asked.
“Kendra … is her sister. Things … well ... things ended very badly between us. She was also convinced I was cheating, but the only love of my life is my job, I’m married to it. I was very up front with her about that but she still couldn’t accept it. That’s why I got into the dating service, I can’t deal with that shit.
She trashed my apartment, broke stuff … stole about four grand in cash out of my safe. I can’t deal with all that, and while I like Seth a lot, Ashley is making their relationship hell because he’s my friend. I’m pretty sure I’m not going to do anymore dinners where he brings her, it’s not good for business.”
I realized I needed to pay attention and tell him where to go.
“Turn left at the next block, then it’s four blocks and a right,” I said, hoping he would tell me more.
He continued, “my business is a young guy’s game for sure, I’m laser focused on making a killing and getting out by 50ish, I mean I can’t work 80 hour weeks when I’m 60.”
I just listened and enjoyed the warmth of his hand, and tried not let him catch me staring at him. I’d never dated a guy this hot, and never imagined I could. But he apparently thought I was pretty and seemed rather proud to have me at dinner.
Get your shit together Eve … this is NOT real, it’s just acting.
I rolled my eyes at my sub-conscience. After a few minutes of comfortable silence I realized we were almost home.
“It’s this next block on the left, you can just stop wherever really,” I said.
He slowed down and pulled into a spot after half a block, “this okay? I’m sure you don’t want to book it too far in those shoes.”
He turned to me with the most sincere smile and for a second I got lost in his eyes … and I’m pretty sure my panties were soaked by now. It had been so long since anyone even touched me.
“Nah, not especially but it’s just over there,” I pointed.
“Thanks for the ride, aside from the little bit of drama, I thought it was a nice dinner,” I said, sincerely.
“Yeah, I thought it was productive, and honestly it was so refreshing to have someone with a brain that could talk and not just sit there like dead weight, I mean not to be rude but some girls just … I don’t know they tie their shoes,” he said.
i snickered. “I could say the same for a lot of guys,” I said, raising an eyebrow.
He laughed, “well change of subject but I have a thing on Saturday, are you free? It’s real lame and a bunch of snobs so I really don’t want to go alone, it’s a tennis match one of my clients is in. He thinks he’s king jock and drags us sometimes to his stuff. I usually just zone out, but to take a date … that can actually hold a conversation would be amazing.”
I smiled, “sure, send me a request and I’ll accept it. What’s the dress code like?”
“Ah, preppy … would be an understatement. Would it be too much if I got you something to wear? You could let me know your sizes if that’s all right,” he said, pulling out his phone.
I looked at him with a surprised look, I wasn’t a twig and I had major self confidence issues, I was not comfortable telling him my sizes.
Sensing my hesitation he took my hand again, and kissed it.“Look, I’ll just put this out there. I think you are beautiful, I think your body is perfect. The only thing keeping me from being pathetic and begging you to come home with me, is the fact that I would like to keep seeing you, professionally. I don’t want you to think I’m a creep or an asshole.
I really need a nice girl to date, that isn’t going to fuck me over and that isn’t a total airhead … even if I have to pay for it. Just being honest, I think you’re hot as hell so don’t be afraid to tell me your size. These country club people, they’re the height of snobs and I don’t want you to feel awkward or like you don’t fit in so I want to make sure you are dressed right.”
I relaxed and he handed me his phone, open to a blank memo. I typed out my dress size, bra size and shoe size.
“That good,” I questioned, holding up the phone.
“Yeah that should be all I need, I’ll get comfy shoes, no heels. Do you play tennis,” he asked.
“Hah! Only if you want me to embarrass you,” I laughed.
“Rugby was my thing, I was a bad ass,” he smiled, sitting my hand down and stroking the back of it.
I was insanely fucking turned on, especially with all the compliments he just gave me, and knowing he thought I was hot. I mean, men are never this honest and I could never understand why.
“Well thank you for a wonderful evening,” I said, picking my clutch up from my lap.
“No … thank you, really,” he said.
I opened my door and carefully shifted my legs out so I wouldn’t flash him, “night Chris.”
“Bye beautiful,” he said, as I shut the door.
He drove off and I stood there frozen for a minute, taking in the last few hours. It went pretty damn good, this wasn’t so bad at all. I can do this! I started to walk and I also realized that not every guy would likely be as great as Chris. If he was coming off a horrible break-up he was surely not looking for anything serious right now, he knew his limits and to not push for more.
I just made $300 to go to a nice restaurant, didn’t have to pay for a thing, had a mostly decent time and I was told how hot I was … when that guy … could easily have any girl he wanted.
I was on a fucking cloud.
~Heath’s Point of View~This is it, the day I’ve been waiting for my whole life. My perfect redhead, my dream girl. Only she’s not a dream, she’s real, and she loves me. She loves me and she’s giving me a baby.I couldn’t even wrap my head around it all still, and I just knew I’d cry at the wedding. I hated that my dad couldn’t be here, but it meant everything to me that we could speed things along for my mom’s sake.I’d had dinner sent to Liz’s room, Chinese food to honor our first night together. I had a special fortune cookie made for Beth with a slip of paper in it, asking her to marry me. Around the paper was an engagement ring.She wasn’t going to be allowed to come see me t
~Beth’s Point of View~I had started wondering when we might all go back home, but everyone seemed to be happy out here and I didn’t want to rock the boat or seem as if I didn’t like it. Heath really liked being able to see his family, and I did greatly enjoy his mom.There had been a couple times I caught everybody whispering like, hushed voices. They’d shut right up and move on once they saw me. I just thought it was stuff about Miss Reba, but I was starting to get annoyed.Heath better never keep stuff from me, and if he did, I’d punch him in the nuts!Heath’s sisters went on and on at dinner one night about some spa in town, and I didn’t care for that stuff. But as they went on I started to reckon that a m
~Eve’s Point of View~We had been out at the Jackson ranch through Christmas, and it was certainly a much more different Christmas than I would have imagined a month ago.I also wasn't thrilled to have my ankle in a cast but I was dealing with it. There was still total radio silence on Haven and her brother, but Derek still had everyone possible trying to track them down.At last count, his hackers were able to recover about $39 million of the ransom, which we all thought was pretty remarkable.It was great to meet Heath’s family, and they were the distraction that I think we all needed. They knew nothing about what had happened to Beth and I, and I was so glad for it. Being around our group would have given me nothing but sad, pitiful faces.
~Beth’s Point of View~“Ugh my momma keeps callin’, lemme see what she wants,” I said to Heath.I ran out of the hospital waiting room and into a stairwell.“Hey momma,” I said, answering the phone.“Bethany I have only talked to you twice in the past month, and now you’re onto only texting me all the time. Explain yourself young lady,” she said.Oh shit.“Well I did text you at least,” I said, lying.Heath had texted her from my phone since it was recovered when they found the car we were abducted in.I h
The cops were trying to get ahold of the landlord to ask about breaking out a wall or taking up the floor and I didn’t give a fuck about all that. I’d buy him a new goddamn building if wasn’t in on the scheme.About four hours went by and I was seriously losing any ounce of patience I had left.Heath had me on speakerphone in his pocket so I could roughly hear what was being said inside.I heard a guy in the crowd yell that he was the landlord and I immediately rushed him but Mick held me back.A cop went at him, “sir we believe there is a kidnapping victim being held here, is there a basement or a false wall anywhere?”“What, someone was kidnapped? You think they are here?”
~Derek’s Point of View~It had now been nearly two days since Beth was released and I was really close to losing my shit. There was just nothing more we could do, we were totally helpless.The kidnappers had been more than careful and if I hadn’t been so insaney furious I might have admired their work. They had to have slipped up at some point, we just had to catch a break.It was extremely illegal but Mick was running the photo we got of the driver from a street camera through the DMV. It was the middle of the night and everyone was half asleep or actually asleep.Heath and Beth had been holed up in his place and I didn’t want to bother them, not that I had any news.I was in the kitchen
*Warning, this chapter depicts an assault*~Eve’s Point of View~I guessed it to be about a day since they snatched Beth away from me. The whole speech I gave at first about us having a united front and not showing we were scared was pretty much going out the window.I didn’t know what the hell Derek was doing, did he not give them all the money? I had no clue. Since they took Beth nobody has come back. I don’t have much food left and I’m starting to have to fill up my water bottles in the sink.Maybe they’ll just leave me here to starve, I thought.No, they said they wanted me, they have to want me for something … sex? I mean they hadn’t so far t
~Derek’s Point of View~Our hackers were working non-stop to trace the money we already sent. As soon as it hit the bank it went to three other accounts and so on. It seemed like they were just trying to put it through so many places to keep it from being traced but we weren’t giving up.We had the FBI and different forensics teams monitoring the video they made the girls take, but we were getting nothing there.I was completely torn on whether or not to send the rest of the money … I didn’t care about the actual money of course but just the fact that I would be sending it with no guarantee of getting them.After some back and forth we went ahead and sent another 15 million, and decided to wait and see if they responded.
~Heath’s Point of View~All I could think about was how scared the girls had to be. My poor little Beth, my innocent little Beth. She’s never even remotely experienced something like this. I had a Bronze Star, I’d been shot down behind enemy lines. I’d known hand to hand combat, I’d know the terror of a real fight.I never wanted her to have to know anything like that.Derek was in full on control freak mode. This was supposed to be my domain, security. But everything seemed to be moving around me in slow motion, I couldn’t focus.The FBI was able to track down the car and in it was a note with instructions. They wanted 50 million dollars wired over ten different bank accounts.