Chapter 19

CHAPTER 19

RYLEE

S imon pulled to a stop in front of the house. After today, my entire opinion of him had changed. I felt like everything I had read and been told about him was a lie. He was nothing like what they said. The man was playful, youthful. Kind. Tolerant. Brave.

"I'm guessing you won't be coming to any more of my family gatherings," he joked.

I turned to look at him. "Is it like that all the time?"

He chuckled. "Usually worse. Last time we were all in the same room, they all stormed out to get away from me."

"How long ago was that?"

"Last week."

My mouth dropped open. "Are you serious?"

"Yep."

"Wow." I shook my head. "Well, thank you for an interesting afternoon. It was fun."

"I had fun." He nodded. "More than I expected. Thanks for coming. I know I sprang it on you."

"No problem." I opened the door and got out before leaning down to look at him one last time. "Bye."

"Take this with you and I'll see you soon."

I took the doll I'd found at the toy store he'd gotten for me. That made me smile. I was actually looking forward to seeing him again. I walked into the house, my head buzzing with the day's events. I leaned against the door, eyes closed, smiling to myself. Karen was in the kitchen, making tea. She turned to look at me, a curious expression on her face.

"You look like you just got laid," she said, her voice teasing.

She startled me. "What? I didn't."

Karen shrugged, a mischievous glint in her eye. "Sucks to be both of us, I guess."

I laughed. "I didn't know you were home."

"I was just watching TV."

"Crime documentaries are not TV," I replied.

"Which is why I need chamomile tea." She grinned.

"Why are you sitting in the dark?"

"I don't know." She shrugged. "Want a cup of tea?"

"Sure." I nodded.

"What happened to you?" she asked as she poured a cup of hot water. "You look like you went swimming in full makeup."

I laughed. "I kind of did."

I made my tea and together we went into the dark living room with a scene paused on the TV. "Ew, Karen."

She laughed and shut off the TV while I turned on the lights.

"We had a water gun fight," I told her.

"That's what your date was?" Karen asked incredulously.

I nodded, a broad smile on my face. "Yeah, it got crazy. I mean, it wasn't supposed to be a water gun fight. It was his nephew's birthday party. He bought his nephew a bunch of water guns and things got a little out of control. I convinced the kids to team up on Simon."

"Simon? The gazillionaire with the stick up his you know where ?"

I burst out laughing. "Yes, him! He's actually not as bad as I thought he would be."

Karen raised an eyebrow at me. "Really?"

I took a sip of my tea, trying to suppress the blush creeping up my cheeks but failing miserably. "He's different than I thought he'd be, too."

Karen gave me a knowing look. "How so?"

Before I knew it, I was gushing about my day with Simon and his crazy family. I told her how fun it was to see Simon with his nephew, how I got in on the action, and how Simon had made the kid's birthday special while all the adults were more concerned about themselves.

"It's like each and every one of them had completely lost sight of the bigger picture," I said. "They really, really don't like Simon. It was so weird. So tense."

Karen raised an eyebrow. "It sounds like they all think Simon is an ass."

I couldn't disagree, but I tried to brush it off. "It's family. It's complicated."

Karen wasn't convinced. "Don't you think that's kind of a giant red flag?"

I sighed. "Maybe. But you know how family dynamics can be."

Karen shook her head. "I just think you should be careful. If his own family can't stand him, maybe there's a reason for that."

Her words were a downer compared to how high I felt when I first got home.

"I think there's more to it," I said. "They were really nasty. Rude. They talked about him like they hated him. It was the strangest thing ever."

"Again, maybe they know something you don't," she said. "It takes a lot to turn an entire family against you. I think you should be careful. I don't know if you should trust him."

"I'm going to bed," I said and got to my feet.

"You're mad."

"No, I'm tired and I need to change."

"I'm just trying to be honest with you," she said. "I don't want to see you get hurt by this man. I can tell you like him. Just be careful. Yes, he's hot, but he's smooth."

I knew she had a point, but I didn't want to hear it right then. I retreated to my room, mulling over her words and the day's events.

As I lay in bed, I couldn't shake her words off. Was Simon manipulative? Did his smooth talk hide a dark side? But the more I thought about it, the more I found myself defending him in my mind. The man who had armed a gang of little kids with water guns seemed far removed from the icy sharp businessman the world knew him to be.

I told myself it didn't matter. He would be going home soon. Whatever this thing was between us wasn't really that big of a deal. It wasn't like we slept together. We hadn't even been on a date. We flirted and kissed a couple of times. I wasn't going to fall head over heels for the man. We had fun. I liked flirting with him. I liked the little push and pull.

The next morning, I slept in, avoiding going downstairs while Karen got ready for work. I didn't want to hear Karen's explanations for why she didn't like Simon. Maybe it was because part of me thought she was right. I wanted to pretend everything was fine.

I heard her leave and headed downstairs in my usual pajamas. I was alone. I could walk around naked if I wanted. If Karen ended up moving out, I would definitely be having some naked wine time.

I headed into the kitchen and started some coffee. The mail was on the counter. I sifted through it before dropping it back down and pouring myself a cup of coffee. The doorbell rang while I was enjoying the solitude.

I opened it to find a delivery driver holding a bouquet of flowers and a sleek black box. The driver looked me up and down.

"Hello?" I snapped.

"Sorry. Delivery for Rylee."

"That would be me."

He pushed the box and flowers into my hands and took off. I stared down at the huge bouquet of flowers. I smiled and inhaled their intoxicating scent.

I carried the flowers to the kitchen and put them down on the counter. My heart was racing. I quickly grabbed the card attached to the flowers. "Thank you for coming with me yesterday. I'm sorry about my family. Thanks for sticking it out with me."

My face hurt from smiling so big. The flowers were gorgeous. And expensive. I felt butterflies in my stomach. I couldn't even remember the last time someone sent me flowers. The guys I dated weren't really the flower type.

I put the card down and turned my attention to the black box with my curiosity piqued. I opened it and found a beautiful bottle of liquor nestled inside. My breath caught as I realized what it was.

It was a bottle of LOUIS XIII: Black Pearl. I nearly dropped it in shock. Hastily, I put it back in the box, my hands shaking. The bottle was worth a hundred and sixty-five grand. I wiped my sweaty palms on my pajamas, trying to steady myself. Holy shit. I read the card again, flipping it over to find Simon's handwriting.

"Yes, it's a bottle of Black Pearl. And yes, I want you to have it. You know your liquors. But don't ruin this by mixing drinks with it. Promise? Maybe we can try it together."

"Holy shit!" I exclaimed.

I was completely aghast. My hand trembled as I put the card back down next to the opulent gift. Did Simon mistake me for someone who lived in a penthouse overlooking Central Park and not a humble bartender? What was he thinking sending me a bottle of Black Pearl? This wasn't a casual gesture. This was grand. And terrifying.

I spent the next several hours pondering over his gift, the scent of the flowers thick in the air from the extravagant bouquet. I thought about calling him. But what would I say? Thanks for the mortgage-priced booze? Or would I scold him for being so careless with his money? It was not like he didn't have a lot of it, but if he sent expensive bottles of liquor to every woman he kissed, he was going to be broke in a hurry.

I snapped a picture of the bottle and sent it to all my girlfriends. Is this real life?

Their responses were immediate and full of disbelief. They couldn't believe it either. Karen was the only one that didn't respond. I assumed she was at work. Or she didn't approve and was choosing not to say anything. I sat down, trying to process everything. Simon had sent me an incredibly expensive and thoughtful gift, and I wasn't sure how to feel about it. Part of me was thrilled, but another part was wary. Karen's words from last night echoed in my mind.

Was this too much too soon?

I spent the rest of the day thinking about Simon and the gift. When Karen got home, she immediately noticed the flowers on the table.

"Wow, those are beautiful," she said, setting her bag down. "Who are they from?"

"Simon," I replied, watching her reaction closely. "Didn't you get my text?"

"No," she said. "Simon sent those?"

"Yes."

Karen raised an eyebrow. "That's quite a bouquet. What's in the box?"

I hesitated, then opened the box to show her the bottle of LOUIS XIII: Black Pearl. Her eyes widened in shock.

"Are you serious? That's worth a fortune!"

"I know," I said, my voice barely above a whisper. "I couldn't believe it either."

Karen shook her head. "Rylee, this is intense. Are you sure about this guy?"

I shrugged, feeling torn. "I don't know. I mean, he's been amazing. But this? It's a lot."

"I understand. But, Rylee, you need to remember that he's not like the other guys you've dated."

"I know," I sighed. "I just don't know what to think about all of this. Am I reading too much into it? This might be normal for him."

"Okay, I could see the bottle, but the flowers?" she asked. "Flowers are romantic and flirty. It's hard to say they are friendship flowers. Wouldn't they be yellow?"

I let out a chuckle. "You're right, Karen. These aren't ‘friendship flowers' by any stretch of the imagination." I couldn't help but glance over at the stunning arrangement once more, deep red roses and delicate lilies creating a luxurious display.

"So, what does this mean?" she asked. "Are you dating?"

"I don't know."

"Did you call him?"

"No!" I gasped. "I don't know what to say."

"I would suggest starting with thank you." She laughed.

"This is crazy," I said with a sigh. "I don't know how to handle it."

She nodded, understanding. "Just be careful, okay? This is a huge gesture. Make sure you know what you're getting into."

I nodded, taking in her advice. "You're right. I'll make sure I protect my heart. I'm not about to let some billionaire hottie use me and dump me."