My trouble with the Parkers suddenly faded into the background. "So you want to get together?" I said.
"Yeah. But listen, no more hiding out in secret. You're my girl, and from now on, I'm doing things right. How about I'll pick you up at seven?"
I smiled into the phone. "Sounds good. But hey, what should I wear?"
"What kind of night are you in the mood for?" he said. "Casual, formal?"
As far as clothing, I preferred nothing. Just the thought of his naked body gyrating against mine was enough to make my mouth water. But he was right. Hiding out in secret hadn't gotten us very far.
"How about casual?" I said.
"Casual, it is." His voice lowered. "And Chloe?"
"Hmm?"
"I don't care what you wear. I'm dying to see you."
Chapter 38
I spent most of that afternoon trying to reach Mrs. Parker. Even with them out of the country, this had never been a problem before.
At least once a week, she'd been checking in from Costa Rica, just to see how things were going. And every once in a while, I called her too, always on her cell phone, and usually with mundane, but time-sensitive questions about home maintenance.
Now, every single call was going straight to her voicemail. I told myself this was a good sign. It was better than hearing a disconnection notice, right?
Out of desperation, I pulled out our original paperwork and scoured the documents for emergency contacts. I ran my finger down the long list and came up with nothing useful. If I needed to reach Chucky's vet, I was home-free. But if I wanted to reach Chucky's owners, I was totally screwed.
If I didn't hear back from them soon, I'd have to come up with some sort of plan.
Until then, I vowed to push it out of my mind. I had a guy who loved me flying halfway across the country just to take me out on a date. If that wasn't a better thing to think about, I didn't know what was.
Lawton picked me up right on time, driving some exotic sports car that I didn't recognize.
First, we hit an authentic Greek restaurant owned by a friend of his. What they brought us, I had no idea, at least not by their official names. But there was something delicious made with spicy chicken and homemade bread, and an amazing dessert with nuts and honey.
We talked about plays and politics, and local landmarks that we both had visited, even if not with each other. He talked about his sister, his Grandma, and a little about Bishop, who I was relieved to hear was out of town.
As for me, I told him a little more about Grandma and a lot more about Josh, trying not to brag, as much as I wanted to.
I didn't talk about the Parkers. And this time, it wasn't because I was ashamed, and it wasn't because of that agreement. Mostly, it was because when it came to house-sitting, things weren't exactly going so well.
Tonight, I only wanted to only think about good things. And that didn't include bounced checks or missing home-owners.
By the time we hit dessert, I'd pushed the Parkers completely out of my mind. They were gone, and Lawton was here. Being with him, even after all that had happened, was like a dream.
Sometimes people recognized him. Sometimes they didn't. But no matter who was around us, he only had eyes for me. We left the restaurant a little after nine and hit a comedy show at one of the downtown casinos.
In the car afterward, Lawton was navigating the city streets when he turned to me and said, "Want to hit a club or something?"
I looked down at my jeans and simple blouse. "I'm not really dressed for it."
He laughed and glanced down at his own clothing. "Like I am."
I gave him a good, long look. His left hand rested loosely on the steering wheel while his right elbow rested on the center console. Even in relaxation, the tattoo-covered muscles shifted with the smallest movement of the vehicle, showing off the lines and ridges of his amazing physique.
His clothes were simple, just dark jeans and a black T-shirt, but his appearance was anything but.
His clothes didn't have to be satin, silk, or some designer brand. His mere presence spoke for itself, making Lawton look like a million bucks in what could've been a ten-dollar shirt for all I knew.
