Perfect Ten (22 page)

“Right down the hall, dear. Thank you.”

When Faith returned, Mrs. Sampson called us for dinner. The dining room, while still comfortable, was the most formal room in the house that I’d seen. It was decorated in gold silks and red accents. Without actually counting, the long table looked like it could easily accommodate twenty guests. The red brocade fabric covering the chairs was soft to the touch. Floor-to-ceiling windows boasted long drapes made of the same fabric, but in gold tones. Seeing how everything seemed to sparkle drew my eyes to the massive crystal chandelier. It was quite a room and reeked of wealth.

After Mrs. Covington was seated, I held Faith’s chair for her, placing a kiss on her temple as she sat to the right of our host. I sat down next to her and listened to them converse.

“What an impressive room. I’ve never seen anything quite like it.”

“I know it’s a bit overdone, but I always loved the idea of dressing for dinner and eating in such a grand place. When my family was alive, we had these kinds of dinners once a month.” A shadow of times gone by flickered over her face but was replaced with her ever-present smile in a heartbeat.

“I’m sure they all loved the time they spent with you here. There’s just something about this house. I can’t put my finger on it, but it’s as if you can feel the love that this house has known.”

I was horrified to see tears in Mrs. Covington’s eyes. My chair scraped back loudly as I got up and walked to her side, not knowing what I was going to do, but not being able to simply sit there and watch her grieve.

In true style, Mrs. Covington patted my hand. “Go sit down, Joe. I’m fine, really I am. It’s just so nice to have you here.” When I sat, she patted Faith’s hand too. “Thank you for seeing what others don’t. So many people—mostly those vultures from the tabloid magazines and such—want to think this is just a place that shows how much money I have. They don’t get it. Yes, I know it’s big. It’s certainly more than we ever needed, but there are real memories here. We raised our children here. We loved here.”

Faith’s eyes were filling now too. Fuck me. Two of my favorite women were sad? I reached under the table and placed my hand on Faith’s thigh, at a total loss.

“It’s a special place. I’m so glad I’m here.” Faith gave her a watery smile and raised her water glass. “A toast. To happy memories”

“To happy memories, dear. And young love.” Mrs. Covington pointed her glass in my direction. “And to wonderful friends.”

“You’re one of my best, Essie.”

“Oh, Joe. Finally. Please call me Essie too, Faith. Only my dearest friends do.”

“I’m honored.”

The rest of the night went wonderfully, but I still couldn’t wait to get Faith home. I couldn’t stop thinking about her talking about tying me to the bed, me taking her different ways. I’d never get enough of her body or her mind.

As the evening began to wind up with tea back in the drawing room, Mrs. Covington called Mrs. Sampson and asked her to retrieve a file from her desk.

“Joe. I wanted to discuss something with you. I’ve been thinking long and hard about this for months now.”

Mrs. Sampson handed her the file and left the room as quietly as she’d entered. I couldn’t imagine what Essie wanted to discuss with me.

“Of course, Essie.” She lit up like a Christmas tree when I used her familiar name again. It kind of made me feel bad for insisting on calling her Mrs. Covington for so many years.

She got directly to the point with no preamble. “I’m leaving you this house and the money to keep it up, as well as keeping my staff employed.”

She handed me the file, which promptly fell to the floor, as my hands were not working. “What?” I had to have heard her wrong. Why would she leave me her house? It made no logical sense.

“Oh, Joe. Haven’t you figured it out, dear boy? You remind me of my late husband. He had the same sparkle in his eye—somewhat devilish.” She winked at Faith as she said that. “And I can see your heart. I have since the day I first saw you. You didn’t know me then, but you were escorting the daughter of a friend of mine to a charity ball when I first saw you. I knew then that I wanted you in my life, and I was right. You’ve been such a dear friend to me.” Once again, she teared up and dabbed her eyes with a tissue she had pulled from her sleeve. “I consider you my family, dear. My only family. You know I don’t have anyone else. Why let my estate simply disappear? Why give it to the vultures who are just waiting for me to die? I know you’ll keep my family alive. You’ll share me with your own children.”

I didn’t know what to say. It was a pretty big deal. My first thought was that she was sick and not telling me. My voice broke a little when I asked the questions I wasn’t sure I wanted answers to. “Essie, are you sick? God, you’re not leaving me, are you?” I knew she was old, but I didn’t want her to die yet.

“Oh, sweet Joe. I’m almost eighty-six years old. My heart is giving out, but it’s okay. I’m ready to see my family again, but I have to tie up my estate before it’s too late. I’m not dying tonight, though.” She smiled at me, but I didn’t feel like smiling back.

“I don’t need your money, Essie. Why not just donate it?” I didn’t want to be having this discussion. Faith grabbed my hand, trying to tell me something without words, but I didn’t know what.

“I know you don’t. I’m leaving a quarter of my estate to various animal groups, some to military organizations and other charities, but I am leaving my house to you and twenty years of tax money and operating expenses. I’m not sure if you realize how rich I am exactly or how much it costs to keep an estate this size in good condition.”

She didn’t say that to brag. She’d never bragged about her money.

“I don’t know what to say.”

For the first time, she looked uncertain. “You—you wouldn’t sell it right after I died, would you?”

“God! No, of course not. I would never do that to your memory, Mrs. Covington.”

“Essie, dear.” She bit back her smile as I floundered.

“Essie. If this is what you really want, I would live here. I’d keep all your lovelies and probably add to them. Your staff would always have a home here. It’s just a bit much to take in all at once, you know?”

“I understand. Believe it or not, I need you to sign a few papers if you would dear.”

“Sure. Of course. Anything you need.”

“Please go get Mrs. Sampson and Mr. Hurley.”

When I brought the housekeeper and the butler back into the drawing room, they served as witnesses to my signing. Faith was quiet through the whole ordeal.

“Wait a minute. This is a power of attorney. You don’t need that, do you?” I wasn’t sure I wanted that responsibility.

“Not right now, but what if I have a stroke or worse, and they try to do things to me that I don’t want done? I won’t be kept alive on some artificial breathing machine, young man. You’ll have to be my voice. Those doctors don’t respect the papers I’ve already signed telling them not to do that to me. They still ask the family, and these papers say you’re my family.”

I sat there dumbfounded, but what choice did I have? This woman meant the world to me, and I was all she had left. So I signed the papers.

“That’s a good boy. Thank you, Joe. Now stop looking so scared! This is all good news. I’m feeling fine this evening aside from this silly hip. Really, I am.”

We made some small talk, which was filled with a little bit of tension and then left.

“Can I drive?” I wasn’t sure if Faith really wanted to drive or if she thought I couldn’t. Admittedly, my mind was whirling.

“Sure, sweetheart.” I handed her the keys and slipped into the passenger’s seat.

“Seriously? I was kidding. You’re going to let me drive your baby?”

Maybe she had a point. I put one leg back out the door, and she took off toward the driver’s side. “Oh no. You already said yes.” With a “Woohoo,” she jumped into the driver’s seat and started the car up, revving the engine as soon as she could. “Oh yeah.”

Her exuberance drew my smile as I looked back to the house, seeing Essie beaming at us from the window. I waved to her, and off we went.

A
week
later
and I was in disbelief at how great my life was. I had the girl of my dreams, quit a job I’d learned to hate, and was now patiently waiting for spring to come so I could begin taking the classes that would lead to my architecture degree.

The only dark spot that I had to figure out how to deal with was Sophia. She was still contacting me, leaving messages on my cell at least twice a week. I had to assume that Stan gave her my information as payback for leaving Perfect Ten.

I found her hanging around on the sidewalk in front of my building a couple of times too. Both times, I was able to duck back inside the building and use the worker’s exit to take Heidi for her walk.

I hadn’t spoken to her since the day Faith and I ran into her in the Perfect Ten parking lot, but I knew it was just a matter of time.

Aside from that glitch, as I said, things were going great.

Faith and I finally went on our first official date to Lions, Tigers, and Bears. It could not have gone any better. The weather was perfect, the animals were all out and about, and I caught Faith looking at me with a look that I just knew meant she was falling for me. That was the best of all, because I’d already fallen. Hook, line, and sinker, I was hers.

All the pieces were falling into place. Even the sale of my condo. I was sitting at home watching a replay of a Flyers game when I got a call from my realtor.

“Hi, Macy. How are you?”

“I’m fine, Joe, thank you. Well, I have good news.”

I’d put my condo on the market a week before. “Yeah? What’s the news?”

“All I need is your signature, and your place is sold. They loved it so much that they didn’t even want to barter. They’ve agreed to full asking price if you’ll pay half the closing costs.”

Great news, but I hadn’t found a new place to live yet. It was way too soon to ask Faith if I could live there… Wasn’t it? “Okay, that’s great.” After paying off what I still owed on the place, it would put almost four hundred thousand into my bank account, which meant another meeting with my investor.

“There’s one small catch.” Of course. I knew that was too easy.

“What’s that?”

“They want to move in tomorrow.”

“Tomorrow?”

“Well, as soon as they can. Do you have a timetable you’re comfortable working with?”

“Can I get back to you? Give me a couple of days, but I accept their offer. I just need to make some arrangements.” I could always rent a storage unit for my stuff and stay with my mother if Faith wouldn’t take me. I wasn’t really sure I even wanted to ask her. I sure as hell didn’t want to do anything to fuck our relationship up now!

“Sure. How about if I call you back on Wednesday?”

“Great. Thanks.”

* * *

“No, Mother. I don’t think so.” I don’t know where the backbone of mine came from, but I’m enjoying it.

“What do you mean no? We’re all going. Don’t you want to parade that man around in front of us some more?”

My mother continued to be disapproving of Joe for no reason. I can’t imagine how she’d feel if she knew he’d been an escort. She still thought he worked for an architecture firm before—and he did. It was just way before his escort days.

Joe had finally told me all about his father and his problems that led to his suicide. That he still owned a part of Starling Architecture was telling to me. If he truly wanted to forget all about his father, he would have sold his stock and never looked back. I wanted to help him forgive, though I didn’t have the first clue as to how to go about that.

Backbone still in place, I replied, “No, Mother. I’m not like the rest of you, Daddy excluded. I feel no need to prove myself or Joe to you.”

“Really. Well, if you—”

“Pumpkin?” My mother was sputtering in the background because my father took the phone from her. I’d always loved how my father could make her lose her cool. She must really love him to allow him to have any kind of control over her.

“Hi, Daddy.You’re a saint, you know that?”

“I’m far from a saint.”

“I’ll never understand how you’ve stayed with Mother for all these years.” I guess it really isn’t my business, but my mother was never happy. It was hard enough being her daughter. I couldn’t imagine being married to someone like that. I strongly believe that your spouse should be your best friend.

“I know you don’t. I’m not sure that I could explain it to you, but I can try, Pumpkin.” He paused and took a breath before continuing. “Your mother and I had a quick romance, as you know. When I met her, every cell in my body stood at attention. She was so vibrant—so full of life.”

“What happened? I can’t remember her ever being like that. Not with me, anyway.”

“Well, when we started having children, our focus turned toward you girls. In the beginning it worked, but as years went by, your mother became more and more distant. The attention was shifting from her to you girls. When you came along, I lost my heart for the second time—don’t you ever repeat that to your sisters. I love all my girls, but you’ve always been special to me, Faith.”

I knew I had, and secretly it pleased me. Daddy was my only real source of confidence and unconditional love as I grew up. “You’re special to me too, Daddy.”

“I love you, Pumpkin, and I hate how your mother treats you—and your sisters have learned from her, but I said for better or worse, and I meant it. I really do try to make her see the hurt she causes you, but she swears she only wants what’s best for you. To be honest, I think she’s jealous of you. That’s a horrible thing for a father to have to say to his little girl, but there it is. For what it’s worth, I believe she loves you in her own way.”

I don’t know if I believed that, but it wasn’t about me this time. “But are you okay with being stuck in a relationship with her?”

“I’m just fine, sweetheart. Now let’s forget all those things your mother just said. Come to the lake with us. Like it or not, we’re your family, and we’d all like to get to know Joe. My side of the family will be there as well.” His voice lowered to a whisper. “And I promise to take you out fishing anytime you can’t take the rest of them. Anytime.”

“Oh, Daddy. Do you think that maybe you could take Joe at sunrise? He and his daddy used to do that, and it’s a fond memory for him. I really want to help him learn to forgive his father, and I think he needs to remember the good times.”

“Of course, but don’t think I could ever take his father’s place, sweetheart. I’d never try to do that. His father sounds like he was a good man who got in over his head and didn’t know how to deal with it.” I think my father may very well be the smartest man on the planet.

“Do you know how much I love you, Daddy?”

“Does that mean you’ll go, Pumpkin?”

“Well, I have to ask Joe first, but—”

His barking laughter cut me off. “Well, then we’ll see you at the family cabin on Saturday. He’d never say no to anything you asked him.” His laughter still echoing in my ears, he disconnected the call. I called Joe, and of course got his immediate acceptance to go camping with my family. And somewhat to my disappointment, my boss allowed me to take the week off with such short notice, so I had no excuse not to go.

* * *

If I were reading Faith’s body language right, and I’m sure I was, she was nervous as hell at the sight of her family’s cabin.

And let me tell you…cabin is not really an appropriate word for what we drove up to—it was a
huge
dwelling made of logs, but the similarity to a simple cabin ended there.

There were dark green shutters on each window out front, which wasn’t just a few. I counted twelve, and that didn’t include the full-size triangular windows on the third floor. The grassy lawn in the front gently sloped down to the lake, where a dock, big enough to tie down three large boats, and the accompanying boathouse sat. A tiki bar, complete with fire pit and ample seating, was filled with people all laughing and having a good time. Kids swam in the lake, and more adults played horseshoes off to the side.

“What’s wrong, sweetheart? It looks amazing here.”

“You’re just going to tell me I’m wrong and I shouldn’t worry. Let’s just go.” Her hand was on the door handle, but before she could open it, I stopped her.

“I’m sorry I do that. I’ll try not to, or at least do it in a different way. Tell me what’s bothering you.”

“Well, you make me feel beautiful, you know?”

“Not seeing a problem so far. You are beautiful. More beautiful than anything we’ll see down there.” I didn’t even need to look to see who was there. No one compared to Faith for me. No one.

She gifted me with a smile and then continued to tell me her fears. “On a whim, I bought a sexy bathing suit. Believe it or not, it’s a two piece.”

“And?”

“Oh, come on. You know how they all think I’m fat!” And that was one of the best things that’d ever left her mouth. Think about it. She said how
they
thought she was fat.

“And?” I was not going to give her thoughts
any
significance. “Oh.”

“You finally got it?”

“You’re worried about the men ogling you? I’ll shoot them all daggers if they look at my girl the wrong way.”

She gave me the laugh I wanted. “The hell with it. You’re right, but let them look. If they’re not put off by my…extra curves, let my sisters see how men look at me!”

How could I not fucking love this woman?

There was no one in the house when we arrived, so we threw our bags in an empty room and got dressed to go down to the lake. I admit that I may have slowed the process a bit by making love to Faith as she tried to get dressed, but hey—those white polka-dots on her blue bathing suit were fucking hotter than hot! Can you even understand how insane it drove me to see the gentle swell of her belly ever so slightly protruding over the bottoms? Who the fuck wanted to see a woman’s bones? Jesus… That soft skin. I wanted to bite it, suck it into my mouth—so I did.

We finally made it outside, and walked down to the dock, hand in hand, without being noticed. I thought Faith could use a bit of liquid courage, so we made our way to the bar. There was an extremely good-looking man pouring drinks, and I can tell you right now, I did
not
like the way he was eyeing Faith’s exposed body. I pulled her bathing suit cover tighter, thinking better about my idea of her becoming more comfortable in skimpier clothes.

“Hey, mate. What can I get for ya?”

Awesome. A good-looking man with a fucking accent. “Faith?”

She was looking at him with doe eyes, so I grabbed her and reminded her who she was with. Coming up for air after giving her a sweltering kiss, I asked, “What do you want, sweetheart?”

The Aussie laughed. “Point taken, mate. Hold on to that one.”

I stuck out my hand, accepting his acknowledgment that she was my woman. Yeah…caveman. “I have every intention of doing just that.”

“What do you have back there?” She leaned over the bar, trying to get a peek behind it, and wound up almost spilling out of the top of her suit. I wrapped my arm around her waist and pulled her back against me.

“Oh, I’m fully stocked, darlin’. You want it, I’ve got it.” He was still flirting with my girl—even if it was harmless. I still didn’t like it.

“She’ll just take a beer, okay…mate?”

The Aussie laughed me off and handed Faith a bottle of beer. “Looks like you might want something a little
stiffer
, hey, doll?” He had the audacity to wink at her, totally ignoring me. His hands moved under the bar, and he came out with four green Jell-O shots. “Here you go. You two try some of these to get you started.”

“Thank you.” Faith slurped down her two shots and handed me one, holding it to my mouth. I made sure the Aussie saw my tongue flick out over Faith’s fingers before I took the shot, gaining another bark of laughter from him.

“You have it bad, mate.”

“I don’t deny it.” Maybe I
was
overreacting a bit. “Sorry.” I stuck my hand out again, and he reached for it. “Joe Starling. This is my girl, Faith Graham.”

“Ah, one of the Graham girls. My name’s Benny, and I’m here with Cindy.”