“Why would you think that?”
“People are staring and whispering,” I nod slightly to the people in the room. “They don’t look happy for me to be here.”
He stops me from moving any further. My skin flames as we gather more stares. “First, they’re not staring at you. They’re staring at me. I piss them off because I never follow their ridiculous dress code. Second, you are perfect and beautiful. Ignore all of them. They’re not worth the worry.”
“Are you sure it’s,okay?” I bite my lip nervously with my eyes still darting to see the disapproving stares.
“I’m sure. If they don’t like it, they can carry their snobbish ass somewhere else.” He says that last part loud enough for most of the room to hear. “Now come on. I’m hungry.”
He leads me the rest of the way into a medium-sized private room decorated with twinkling lights and beautiful candelabras sitting in each corner. The tiny table didn’t look big enough for a single plate, but I’mquite sureits primary purpose wasn’t eating. The same soft music that played in the main room is playing in here.
“Your server will be with you shortly. Enjoy your evening,” the tall,gray haired host said as he ducked his head before leaving the room.
“Ryder, I still think this is too much,” I whisper. Even though we’re alone, it feels inappropriate to speak at a normal volume.
“You promised me you’d let me do this.” His eyes narrow with a warning.
“You don’t need to impress me, Ryder. I’m not interested in your money or things like this.”
“Look, I don’t flaunt my money very often. I don’t like being around these stuffy assholes. But there are certainbenefitsthat I do enjoy. This private room with the best steak you’ve ever tasted is one of those perks. The ability to give you an experience you’ve never had is another. Let me have this.”
I melt. Who wouldn’t? To have badass, rich playboy Ryder Jamison say something so sweet is nothing short of breathtaking.
“Okay,” I concede softly.
We ordered our food. I really didn’t know what to try but figured you could never go wrong with pasta, so I ordered the chicken Alfredo. Ryder ordered his steak, extra bloody with a side of potatoes.
We talked just like we always did. We talked about school and work. I still found it strange that he worked at a bar.
“Tell me about your grandmother?” he asks.
I throw my hand over my mouth to hide my cough, fighting to keep the tears at bay. I didn’t expect him to go into family territory. I haven’t fully processed my grandmother’s death yet. It took everything in me to get myself out of bed the first couple of days after she passed. I didn’t want to believe that she was gone. She’s been my best friend throughout my life. The one person who always supported me, no matter how crazy my ideas seemed.
Her stroke happened suddenly. The two days in the hospital were excruciating as we waited to find out if she would ever wake up. Then my mom and uncle had to make the decision to have the ventilator removed. When they told us the decision, I lost it. While they were planning the funeral, I hid in my room.I didn’t even go to the funeral. I couldn’t. It was just too much, and the thought of seeing her like that was more than I could bear.
“She was my person,” I tell him quietly as my eyes fill with the tears that won’t stay away. “She was the best friend I ever had. I could tell her everything and I did.”
He reaches across the table for my hand, lacing his fingers with mine. His hard, rigid face is soft with sympathy and understanding. It’s not something I’ve ever seenbefore,and it takes my breath away. “I’m sorry you lost her.”
A tear slides down my cheek. I don’t want to talk about her. The wounds are still too fresh. It’s only been a few days and it hurts to think that she’s no longer a phone call away.
But for some reason I can’t pinpoint, I want to tell Ryder about her. “For a long time, I was basically an only child. Until I was six, in fact. When my sister was born, I was excited. But Nova has never been an easy child for my parents. Even when she was a baby, she cried a lot,neededa lot of attention. My parents would send me to my grandmother because dealingwith her and me at the same time was a bit much, I guess. I’m not saying my parents didn’t love me or anything. But that time with my grandmother gave us an unbreakable bond. And—” I look away, unable to finish the sentence.
He squeezes my hand gently, bringing my gaze back to him. “And?”
“And I don’t know how I am supposed to go on without her.” More tears fall. I pull my hand from his and brush the tears away with a pitiful attempt at a chuckle. “Gah. You bring me here for a nice time, and I’m a crybaby. Enough about all of that. Tell me about your family.”
A shadow cross is face for a moment before it’s replaced with a smile. He stands from the table and extends his hand to me. “Dance with me.”
I bite my lip shyly with a shake of my head. “You don’t want to dance with me. I can’t even slow dance.” He doesn’t remove his hand. Recognizing that stubborn glint in his eye, I accept his hand with a huff. “Don’t blame me when you can’t walk tomorrow.”
His lips quirk a bit as I stand. He spins me out and back to his chest with a thud. “I think we’ll be okay, love.”
He glides me across the room like a professional dancer. I swear my feet feel like they aren’t touching the floor with every graceful step and swoop. My head is swimming with disbelief at seeing this side of him. On the next song, he pulls me in close. He moves my hands to drape around his neck as he slows us down. “I wasn’t expecting that. Where did you learn to dance like that?”
“It was a requirement from my mother,” he says lightly, but I see the tightness around his eyes. I want to ask him more about her, but every time I’ve mentioned his family, he deflects.
“Well, I think it may have paid off. It’s definitely a surprise to know that thebad boy Ryder Jamison can ballroom dance.”
