Page 108 of Rare Blend
“Dead. Mysterious plane crashes.”
“They’re cursed, so they don’t count. Besides”—I point to the helipad on the rooftop of The Coeur d’Alene Resort—“we’re here.”
When the helicopter lands smoothly on the bullseye, I let out a steady breath of relief that we made it safely.
After the pilot powers down, I unbuckle myself and then turn to Marisa, grabbing her knees and spinning her to face me. I make slow, calculated movements as I unbuckle her, my fingers skimming along her waist. She lets out a faint gasp, her eyes turning hazy. Fuck, she’s beautiful. I feel like the luckiest son of a bitch getting to share this with her.
I remove our headsets and hand them to the pilot, who’s already reaching for them. “You keep looking at me like that, and we’re not going to make it to the rest of the date.”
“Says the guy who was just feeling me up.”
If not for the pilot and the resort staff waiting for us to de-board, I would be tempted to give in.
We give our thanks to the pilot and crouch down to exit the helicopter. Marisa clutches onto my hand, tightly gripping it until we’re back on solid ground.
“Good evening, Mr. and Mrs. Ledger.” The man shakes my hand firmly and Marisa straightens next to me. I’m getting dangerously ahead of myself, but I really liked the sound of that and do nothing to correct him. And neither does Marisa as he shakes her hand too. “I’m Joel, your concierge for the evening. I’ll be escorting you to your dinner reservation.” He grabs our bags and hands them to another staff member. “Your luggage will be placed in your suite.”
We follow Joel as he guides us to the private dining room I reserved. It only took offering a couple hundred cases of our latest vintage to get it booked at the last minute. Thousands of dollars in lost profit, but completely worth it.
The private dining room is a 180-degree view of the lake. Despite the darkness, the water glows beneath the cloudless sky and full moon. Joel thanks us for coming and informs us our server will be with us shortly.
Once we’re settled in our seats, Marisa regards me curiously. “Is this the Ethan Ledger special? Do all your first dates include helicopter rides and ritzy resorts and private dining?” She’s smiling, but the smile doesn’t reach her eyes, telling me she’s genuinely worried I make a habit of this.
“Just you. I’ve never done anything like this for anyone. Ever. Only you.”
Her forced smile falls, replaced with softening eyes. “I don’t need anything fancy or extravagant.”
“Need and deserve are two very different things, and you deserve the best.”
“I don’t know what to say.” She looks around, taking in the room and the view before her gaze returns to mine.
“Don’t say anything.”
Footsteps approach, and a young blonde woman wearing a crisp white button down and black slacks greets us with a smile. “Good evening, folks. I’m Addie, and I’ll be your server for the evening.” She sets a stack of menus on the table. “Can I get you started with anything to drink?”
We both opt for water, Marisa wanting time to peruse the cocktail menu. When Addie returns with our waters, Marisa orders a fruity martini, and I order an old-fashioned.
“No wine tonight?” she teases.
“I drink more than wine,” I defend.
Her lips tilt up as she runs a hand through her hair. “True. You had whiskey at the bar.” She continues messing with her hair, twirling the ends of it absentmindedly.
And I’m struggling. I don’t know what it is about her hair, but my hands always want to be in it. I could stare at her all day and never tire of the sight. Her hair, her eyes, her lips.
Her eyes flash to mine, lit with amusement. “Why are you looking at me like that?”
I swallow down the liquid pooling in my mouth roughly, salivating over her like a dog. “You look beautiful.”
“Oh.” She turns her head, looking away with a nervous giggle, and her cheeks take on a pink hue. “Thank you.”
Every time I compliment her, she looks startled, like she’s not used to it. I make a mental note to do it everyday, multiple times a day, until she believes it. And even then, I’m never going to stop.
She continues browsing the menu, occasionally taking in the view of the water.
“I can’t believe I’ve never been here,” she says. “It’s not even very far.”
While she admires the view, my mind is already imagining all the places I want to take her. All the experiences I want to have with her. I’m getting way too ahead of myself, but I can’t seem to stop.
