Chapter 25

25

TALLULAH

E venings out in New Orleans still hadn’t gotten old to me. To be fair though, I hardly ever came to the side of town where Niall had brought me to dinner. It was really nice, not far away from his house in the Garden District and near the banks of the Mississippi.

The restaurant itself was known for being popular with A-listers when they were in town, a historic spot famous for refined creole fare, elegant jazz brunches, and old world charm. Chandeliers filled the space inside, the dining room like something out of a nineteen-twenties novel about the upper crust.

I felt painfully out of place here, but I sucked it up. I certainly wouldn’t have been able to afford dining here by myself, but Niall had insisted he wanted to spoil me. All dressed up in a little black dress I’d splurged on soon after I’d first moved in with my former roommates, I felt like something of an imposter as I walked into the fancy restaurant on his arm.

“Mr. Morrison, welcome back,” a smiling hostess said as she showed us to his table. “Will you be having the chef’s three-course menu again?”

“Absolutely,” he replied pleasantly, keeping me close to his side as we crossed the dining room together. “Thank you, Michelle.”

“Of course, sir. The pinot noir?”

“For me, please.” He glanced at me with a soft smile. “I wouldn’t presume to know what you’d like to drink, but the wine I’m having is delicious. Care to share a bottle?”

I nodded, forcing myself to return his easy smile. “Sure, that sounds good.”

I didn’t even want to know how much it cost, though. At least this way, I didn’t run the risk of accidentally ordering something even more expensive.

Michelle nodded in acknowledgment of our order, taking off to fill it shortly after seating us at a table near the window. It had a magnificent, unobstructed view of the plaza outside and the street musicians performing beautifully at the center of it as the sun set.

I smiled, but nerves tied my stomach in knots as I moved my gaze to his across the table. “I don’t need fancy dinners, Niall. But thank you. This really is an experience.”

“You’re welcome. I know you don’t need them, but this is my way of saying thank you.” He slid his hand to mine, taking it and giving my fingers a light squeeze. Right on top of the table, in full view for anyone to see. It sent a little tingle through me that he was so open about his affection even in a place like this, where I stuck out like a sore thumb. He grinned. “You’re a miracle worker and you deserve to be appreciated. To the victor go the spoils. You’re the victor, Tallulah. This festival is going to be lauded far and wide and it’s all going to be because of you.”

My cheeks flushed and some of the knots in my stomach dissolved. I gave his hand a squeeze right back. “I don’t think I’ve ever met anyone like you, Niall Morrison, but you’re pretty darn great. This really wasn’t necessary, but it sure is nice to be appreciated.”

For the first time in my life, someone was making an effort for me and it felt good. Finally allowing myself to relax and enjoy it, I ate the best food I’d ever had, drank the very finest wine, and refused to feel guilty about any of it.

Niall and I chatted about our hopes for the festival and got to know each other a little bit better, with him finally coming out and telling me more about his own background. Between bites of delicious steak and sips of smooth red wine, I finally learned where he’d come from.

“I was born and bred in upstate New York,” he said, his blond hair flecked with gold in the light from the chandelier above him. “My mother still lives there on an estate that’s been in our family for three generations.”

“What’s she like?” I asked.

He shrugged. “Pretty much exactly like you’d expect someone who lives on an estate in upstate New York that’s been in the family for three generations. She wears her pearls every day, has her hair done three times a week, and she shows more affection for racehorses than people.”

My eyebrows lifted. “Wow. That sounds like an interesting way to grow up.”

He chuckled. “She’s not warm, but in her own way, she has a good heart. She’s just very traditional and set in her ways, so her heart doesn’t make an appearance very often.”

“What about your dad?”

Profound sadness filled his eyes as he looked back at me. “He passed away when I was eight. Heart attack. No one saw it coming.”

“I’m so sorry.” I reached for his hand again and gave it another squeeze, my heart genuinely sore as I tried to imagine what he and his family must’ve gone through after something like that. “That’s awful.”

“It was,” he admitted, dragging in a deep breath and giving his head a firm shake. “Mother never recovered, but I like to think I’ve learned my lessons and moved on with my life as best I could.”

“So you don’t have any siblings, then?”

“Nope. Only child. You?”

“Same.” I stared across the table at the golden-haired demigod I was having dinner with, wondering how I’d ever thought of him as cold and distant. He was everything but, and I loved getting to see this side of him.

As we finished our food, we moved on to lighter topics, just shooting the breeze and swapping stories. Giddy and drunk on pure joy, I clutched Niall’s arm when we left the restaurant hours later. “There’s a cocktail bar near here that I’ve heard about. Can I buy you a drink? Apparently, their house band is the best in the business and it’s a great place to cut loose on the dance floor.”

He grinned. “I’d love that.”

Cathy had been there a few times while we’d lived together and she’d told me all about the bougie bar that turned into a low-key nightclub after hours. I’d never come with her on account of the location scaring me off the prices, but I heard the music pouring out into the street when we rounded the corner.

It was live and upbeat, people spilling out and dancing even on the sidewalk around it. Exhilaration took hold of me and I beamed up at Niall. “Isn’t this amazing?”

He nodded enthusiastically, blue eyes shining with happiness of his own as we swayed our way through the crowd to the bar and ordered one of their signature cocktails each. At least seven men were onstage with brass instruments, a guy wearing a top hat belting out familiar classics to the roaring delight of the audience.

Niall seemed at ease here, like he’d been before, but I didn’t ask, reaching for my wallet when our drinks came. He tried to stop me, but I shook my head. “I’m buying, remember? It’s the least I can do after that incredible meal.”

He held my gaze for a beat before he smiled. “Thank you.”

As I handed over my card to the bartender, I prayed there was enough money in my bank account to cover our drinks. All my paychecks went toward my debt, and by staying in the guest house, I’d been able to make a dent but I still had a long way to go.

I watched the bartender swipe my card, and when it went through, I sighed with relief, picking up my cocktail. He handed the card back to me. “Should we go find someplace to sit?”

Niall shrugged and took my hand. A sexy grin spread on his lips as he lifted our joined hands and spun me a slow circle. “I have a better idea.”

Pulling me closer to the dance floor, he wrapped his free arm around my waist and we danced together, sipping our cocktails as I slid an arm around his neck. Bubbles of happiness floated through my veins as my eyes hooked on his.

I was having the best night of my life and it was all because of him. We danced, and drank, and laughed, the volume of the music making it hard to speak too much, but we had a blast together all the same.

Later on, Niall pulled me close and moved his lips to my ear. “What do you say we get out of here?”

I nodded against his cheek and stole a playful kiss. “Let’s do it.”

He drained what was left of his drink and I did the same. Then he took my hand and we walked back to his house, enjoying the relative silence of the streets after the thumping music in the bar. I stroked my thumb along the side of his hand.

“How was your day?” I asked. “Tonight has been such a whirlwind that I only just realized I don’t know anything about your week.”

He chuckled. “It was nowhere near as exciting as yours, that’s for sure. I did get an interesting call this afternoon, though. I don’t want you to worry about it. I took care of it, but I thought you should know.”

My footsteps slowed as I frowned, my heart suddenly sinking. “Who was it from?”

“Brookside Collections Agency,” he said nonchalantly.

Nausea swirled through me at hearing those words in that order coming out of his mouth. My blood turned to ice in my veins, the bubbles of happiness instantly popping as they froze over. “What did they want?”

“They called me looking for you,” he said on a soft sigh, glancing at me as he tightened his grip on my hand. “It seems they somehow found out you’d accepted a permanent position with the company.”

Panic infused my senses, confusion clouding my mind. I shook my head. “I don’t understand why they would’ve called you. I’ve been trying to pay down the debt and I haven’t skipped a payment recently.”

Using his grip on my hand, he tugged me closer to his side and stopped walking. Turning to face me, he caught my cheek in his free palm. “Don’t worry about it, Tallulah. Like I said, I took care of it. They wanted to talk to me about the garnishing laws of Louisiana or some shit, but I told the guy not to bother and just paid it off.”

I blinked up at him. Shocked speechless, I tried going for words but they wouldn’t come at first. My mouth dried up, my head spinning. I tried to process the implications of what he’d just said.

“Why?” I finally managed to ask. “I was paying it off. I didn’t need your help.”

“I know, but it shouldn’t have been your responsibility in the first place,” he said calmly, those sparkling blue eyes warm on mine. “You’ve got a clean slate now, baby. I realize that you didn’t ask for my help and that you didn’t need it, but it’s done. You don’t have to worry about any of that anymore. You can finally start your own life for real now.”

I stared into those eyes, guilt shooting through me like poison. “You shouldn’t have done that.”

“I know I didn’t have to, but realistically, you shouldn’t have had to either,” he said. “It was a dick move by an asshole who was trying to force your hand. You shouldn’t have to spend years paying off debt with your own hard-earned money just because some low-life prick didn’t want to relinquish his control over you.”

“It wasn’t your problem,” I said quietly, the guilt quickly turning into anger. I let go of his hands and took a step away from him. “I took on that debt as the price I would have to pay for my freedom, and once I’d paid it off, that freedom would’ve been my own, Niall. Don’t you see? You’ve taken that from me.”

“Excuse me?” He frowned, shaking his head over and over again. “No. That’s not it at all. I knew you were going to be upset with me for interfering, but don’t turn this into something it’s not. You don’t owe me anything, Tallulah. You still have your freedom. I didn’t pay off your debt as some way to gain control over you.”

“Didn’t you?” I shot back at him. “Surely, you knew this would make me feel indebted to you instead of the credit card company. You’re not stupid, Niall. I know you knew exactly how this would make me feel.”

“Honestly? I didn’t think it would make you feel like I’d somehow stolen your freedom,” he argued gently. “That wasn’t my intention at all. I just wanted to give you the opportunity to make a clean break.”

“From Carter, yes. By becoming indebted to you. Another man who now has a hold over me I didn’t want and didn’t ask for.”

He scoffed. “No. Nope. I’m not even going to dignify that with a response.”

“What do you want from me, Niall?” I narrowed my eyes at him, wondering not for the first time what his motives really were. “Why are you even interested in me? I’m poor. I’m struggling with being an adult even though I’m in my mid-twenties, and again, I have nothing to offer you.”

“Why do you think so little of yourself?” he asked softly. Dragging in a deep breath, he ran a hand through his hair and shook his head. “Why shouldn’t I be interested in you for exactly who you are? I don’t care that you’re poor or that you’re struggling. I like you for your creativity, and your work ethic, and your weird and crazy love of all things creepy. I don’t give a shit about how much money you have.”

“Why not?” I threw back at him. “Because you’re so insanely wealthy that you have the luxury not to care about money? Way to make a girl feel valued, Niall.”

“Tallulah.”

“No,” I said tearfully, my expression crumbling as I shook my head at him. “Just leave me alone. You can fire me if you want, but I worked too hard to stand on my own two feet to let anyone have that kind of claim to me.”

“I don’t want to have some kind of claim on you,” he argued vehemently.

As tears started spilling down my cheeks, I turned and stormed away from him, the shock of the revelation still rattling my bones.

“Tallulah!” he called after me, but I hailed a passing taxi, my arm shooting into the air as soon as I saw it turning the corner.

The car stopped and I climbed in without so much as a backward glance. I had still owed over twenty thousand dollars in outstanding credit card debt, and I now owed that sum to my boyfriend. My boss.

“Where to, miss?” the cab driver asked as I tried wiping away the tears, but it was no use.

“The Carmichael Plantation, please,” I said miserably, new tears simply replacing those I’d wiped away.

The driver nodded and pulled off, a sympathetic grimace on his features as he glanced into the rearview mirror. “He looks pretty distressed, miss. Are you sure you don’t want to go back and talk to him?”

I shook my head. “No, thank you. Right now, I just need to get away.”