The last stop is the freezer section. “Would you like some ice cream?” She asks.
I smirk, “I was thinking of having whip cream on my dessert.”
“Okay,” She says and turns to open the freezer door.
“Grab the giant tub,” I tell her.
When she puts it in the cart, she asks, “What kind of pie?” Then she walks over to that section and opens the door, peering in.
“Princess pie,” I answer.
She sticks her head inside. “I don’t see that kind. They have cherry and apple.” She looks back at me.
“It’s right under your nose.” I tell her, and my hand strokes my goatee to cover my smirk.
She looks again, “Nope, not seeing it. How about cherry pie?” She closes the door and waits for my decision.
“I am truly sorry I missed out on your cherry pie, Rapunzel, but I promise to gorge myself on your Princess Pie.” I lick my lips and look at her crotch.
“Oh, my god!” She laughs and blushes.
I chuckle, “You’re blushing is so adorable.”
She shakes her head, rolls her eyes, and walks to the check out. I follow behind, chuckling. We wait our turn silently, but when her eyes meet mine, I grin knowingly at each her and she grins back.
When I put our items on the belt, I take special care to showcase the whip topping with dramatic flair, and she punches me, telling me to behave.
In the car, she asks, “How much money is in the trust fund?”
“Two hundred million dollars.”
Her eyes flare, but she quickly recovers.
“I didn’t know about it until four months ago. That’s when I got a visit from my dad’s old friend. I had intended to stay a SEAL until I couldn’t physically do the job anymore. But when I found out, I put my papers in to get out.”
I smile at her. “When my father married Tiara, I lost my shit. I’m not proud of it, but it’s the truth. I was arrested on trumped up charges. I was no angel, but I didn’t do it. Still, I was looking at doing hard time if I was found guilty.” He cuts his eyes. “The prosecution offered a deal to expunge my record if I chose to serve in the military instead. I joined the Navy.” He signals a turn and then eases onto the next street. “Shortly after I shipped out, my dad was in automobile accident. On his death bed, he instructed his friend, the lawyer who came to see me, to establish a trust fund for both me and Cathy. Mine had the stipulation, but Cathy’s was based solely on her age. When he died, Tiara petitioned the court for conservatorship of the estate. She’s been controlling everything since.”
“We should consider taking the offensive.”
I forget about the highway and turn to look right at her. “What do you mean?”
She smiles and points to the road.
“I was thinking while we were shopping, that she’s spying on us because she is suspicious that you are trying to get the trust fund, and as long as she feels threatened, she is unpredictable. So, we should take the offensive. The woman is The Wicked Queen for a reason. I wouldn’t put it past her to physically harm one of us, probably me, to win, and two weeks is a long time.”
“Do you have an idea?”
“I do. I’ll tell you when we’re back in my apartment.”
Zella
As soon as d'Artagnan parks the corvette, we each grab some grocery bags, him twice as many as me, and head to the elevator. On the ride up, he's quiet. I open the door and head to the counter to place my bags down, and he follows after he kicks the door closed. We make fast work of emptying the bags, working together as smoothly as Cathy and I do. He puts the cold stuff in the refrigerator. While I put the other things in the pantry. When we're done, he takes two beers, twists the tops off, and we sit at the counter and drink.
"Okay, let's hear what your idea is."
"First, does Tiara know the SEAL, or does she only know the …?" I hesitate to label him a criminal. "Bad boy?"
"She doesn't know the SEAL."
