Page 10 of Unexpected Sweetheart
"You got it." Alice scribbles down our order then gives me a wink and an understanding smile before she heads back to the kitchen.
“Wanna talk about it?”
“What’s there to talk about?” Lorelei says haughtily. “I’m poor.”
“You’re not poor,” I say, prying the menu from between her fingers so she looks at me.
“I just tried every single card I own, and I couldn’t even afford to pay to have my nails soaked off. Tell me how thatdoesn’tmake me poor.”
“Uh, the fact that this is temporary,” I say, keeping my voice low so the whole town doesn’t find out—although, after the ruckus at the beauty parlor, they probably already know. “You stick this out for three weeks then go back to the city and show your dad you’ve got what it takes to sit on that board. After that, you’ll have it all.”
“You’re not listening, Ryan. I don’twantto sit on that board.”
“What’s your alternative?”
She works her lips together as she looks out the window and shrugs. “Without money, there isn’t one.”
“What would you do in a perfect world? One where there are no barriers and you can have your own way?” Her eyes fly to mine, and there’s something in them that has my chest going tight. I look toward the kitchen, like I’m more interested in the food than what’s between her legs, and rephrase the question. “What would you do forwork?”
A small smile plays on her lips. “Interior design. One of my friends, her family owns a hotel chain. And during senior year, her dad let us be in charge of dressing the foyers for all the hotels in the chain in gold for New Years’ Eve. Choosing the color palette to match, the accent decorations and lighting was so interesting and…fun. Way more fun than sitting around a boardroom table discussing gross production and wastage reports.” She lets out a sigh and shrugs her shoulders. “I guess I was kidding myself thinking my father would ever go for that.”
“Sometimes, we’re forced to do things that are far removed from our own choices, all in the name of family.”
“Is that what happened to you?”
“Not quite. My story involves a little more freedom, but a hell of a lot less money than yours.” I laugh uneasily, and for some reason I decide to elaborate. “My father always wanted me to run the ranch, take over when he was ready to retire. But I was stubborn and wanted to go my own way. I left Sweetheart for college and stayed gone until he passed away. Now I'm stuck here doing the very thing I swore I’d never do.”
“Did you hate your dad?” Her big brown eyes meet mine inquisitively.
“That’s a strong word. I suppose I was angry—still am, really. I hated that he had time for every troubled kid in the world, but he never had time for me. You know, he missed my graduation because some kid he was working with got caught shoplifting atKline’s Grocery & Pharmacy.It was more important to him to rescue that kid out than it was to see his only son graduate. Looking back, I get it. The lock-up is no place for a sixteen-year-old kid who’d already had a crappy life. But I was seventeen, and I just wanted my dad to pick me for once.”
Her hand shoots out and covers mine, the connection finding its way to the center of my chest. “I’m sorry,” she says. “That’s tough. You must think my problems are so small in comparison.”
“Feeling like you have no control over your life isn’t small, Lorelei. It’s huge. And it feels debilitating.”
Our eyes lock, and for the first time since she arrived at the ranch, I feel a spark of mutual understanding with her. Like we finally see each other, and somewhere in there is some middle ground where we’re just too people fighting for something different than the path our fathers set for us and losing the battle miserably.
“Two chocolate malts,” Alice says, arriving with our shakes at just the right moment. I pull my hand free, my skin seared with the memory of her touch. “Extra cream, and I added a little ice cream too.” She says the last part behind her hand and gives us a secretive wink, completely ignoring the weird hand snatching that just went on. “I’ll be back with your food soon.”
“Thanks, Alice,” I say as she walks away again.
“Do you think I’m spoiled?” Lorelei asks as she moves her straw about in the tall glass. “I come from so much privilege. No one treated me poorly, and I’ve always been given everything I desired. Then the first time I don’t get my way, I throw a tantrum that ends with me sitting here and you having to buy me lunch.”
“I think it’s more complicated than that. But if it makes you feel better, we can say your father is paying since he paid the fee for your visit to the ranch.”
She laughs a little and I decide I like seeing her happy. “That does make me feel less of a burden,” she says, taking a drink of the icy cold shake before she brings her eyes to mine again. “Can I be honest with you, Ryan?”
“Go for it,” I say, lifting my straw and licking the whipped cream off the length of it.
“It’s about last night.”
I drop the straw back into my shake and meet her eyes as I try not to choke. “We don’t need to talk about last night.” If we do, my dick is likely to react and then I won’t be able to get out of this booth.
“Yes, we do. I need you to know that that’s not normal for me. I don’t go around throwing myself at men I just met. Like, not at all.”
“Not at all?”
She nods. “Never. Not even when I do know them.”
