Page 200 of Champagne Nights

“I’d like that.”

“Excellent. Text me later and let me know what time works for you.”

“I will,” she signed as she flashed a bashful smile.

I picked up her bags from the ground and handed them to her.

“I look forward to hearing from you later,” I signed as I gave her a wink and climbed into the car.

“What’s going on, Henry?” Christian asked as he stared at me through the rearview mirror.

“Nothing is going on. Why?”

“She’s a beautiful woman,” he spoke.

“That she is, Christian. That she is.” I let out a sigh as I watched her walk into the building.

Chapter Three

Ellie

I took the elevator to the fourteenth floor and inserted my key into the lock. With a smile, I put my bags down on the kitchen counter and began putting my groceries away. My belly was fluttering as I couldn’t stop thinking about Henry. He was such a nice guy and a gentleman for paying for my groceries and giving me a ride home. I knew getting in a car with a stranger was risky, but I didn’t sense anything shady about him. In fact, I’d never felt more comfortable around someone I didn’t know in my entire life. There was a familiarity about him as if we’d met before. I knew we hadn’t, but my connection with him was overpowering. Maybe it was because he knew sign language and could communicate with me, not to mention the fact that he was sinfully sexy.

He stood about six foot two with dark brown hair cut short on the sides, a medium-length top that swept to the side, piercing blue eyes, and a sexy five o’clock shadow that framed his masculine square jawline. The dark gray suit he wore was perfectly tailored to his muscular body. He was overall the most handsome man I’d ever had the pleasure of meeting.

As I put away the last of my groceries, my phone lit up with a text message from my mom.

“Are you home?”

“Yeah. I just got back from the store.”

“I’m on my way up.”

“Okay. See you in a minute.”

I walked over to the door and unlocked it. My mom lived one floor below me. After my father suddenly and without warning passed away from a massive heart attack five years ago, we sold our house in Glen Oaks and rented an apartment so my mom would be closer to her new job. It was hard at first adjusting to an apartment lifestyle, but the only thing that mattered was we were together. We’d always been such a close and tight-knit family, and when my father died, it was unbearable. My mom swore she’d never move on or date another man again, but then she met James. They’d been dating for about a year, and seeing her happy again was good. He was a good man, and he even learned signed language to communicate with me.

“Hi, honey,” my mom signed with a smile when she walked through the door.

“Hi, Mom,” I spoke as I kissed her cheek.

“I stopped at the herbal store on the way home from work and picked up your favorite tea.”

“Thank you. I’m going to make some right now. Do you want a cup?”

“Sure. But I can’t stay too long. James is picking me up at seven for dinner. What’s going on with you?” She grinned. “You seem different today.”

I filled the kettle with water, placed it back on its base, and pressed the tea button.

“I met this guy at the grocery store,” I spoke and signed simultaneously. “He paid for my groceries and gave me a ride home.”

“Eleanor Katherine Scott. Do you know how dangerous that is? Have I taught you nothing?”

“Relax, Mom. He’s a really nice guy, and he’s so handsome.”

“It’s those nice ones you must watch out for, Ellie. And why did he pay for your groceries?”

I picked up my wallet from the counter.

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