Page 80 of Take It Till You Make It
With a chuckle, she adds, “Mr. Moore has sent me to transport you to the dinner location where he will be awaiting your arrival.”
Mom steps up next to me. “Do you have a business card that I can have in case my daughter goes missing?”
I snort. Without missing a beat, Belinda reaches into her breast pocket and pulls one out, handing it to Mom. We both scan the information, which seems legit. I shrug at Mom, and she winks and nods at me. Handing me my clutch, she kisses me on the cheek.
“Happy birthday. Have a wonderful evening.”
“Thanks, Mom.”
I follow Belinda down the steps and out to the parking lot where a black limousine waits with its flashers on.
“Oh.”
Belinda opens the door. “There are refreshments in the refrigerator on the left and snacks next to that. You can control the music or watch television with the remote on the console. We will be en route approximately twenty-five minutes, so make yourself at home.”
“Thank you.” I slide onto the bench seat and look around the plush interior.
“You look lovely tonight, Miss Quill. That’s a beautiful dress.”
I grin up at Belinda. “Thanks. It’s new.”
She inclines her head and softly closes the door.
Playing with the lights and searching the cubbies and drawers keeps me occupied as we drive up Pacific Coast Highway. I pour a bit of whiskey into a cut glass tumbler and snap a selfie—pretending to look drunk—and send it to Glory. But I put the glass aside without even tasting the vile stuff. I blast music, turning the bass as high as it will go, hoping the people walking on the sidewalk can hear it as we drive past. The windows are tinted, and I imagine them wondering who is inside the sleek black car as it prowls by.
We pull up to a restaurant that sits atop a cliff overlooking the Pacific Ocean. Not too surprising since we are eating early enough to watch a sunset, and I know how much Crispin enjoys his sunsets. A doorman steps up to the limousine and opens my door for me. I look to the front of the limo as if I’ll be able to see through the privacy screen. It feels strange not to say thank you to Belinda, but the man stands with his hand extended to help me out, and I don’t want to keep him waiting either. I start to move forward, but then shake my head and shift toward the overhead panel.
I press the button labeled “privacy,” and the screen sinks downward. Belinda turns in her seat.
“Is there something wrong, Ms. Quill?”
“Not at all. I just wanted to say thank you. That was my first limo ride, and it was epic.”
She shifts further so she’s facing me more, and her grin is as welcoming now as it was at my front door. “It was my pleasure. But I’ll see you again after dinner. I’m Mr. Moore’s regular driver.”
“Oh! I didn’t even know he had one. He’s always driving himself.”
“Yes, he makes my job easy.”
“Then I’ll see you later.”
“Enjoy your dinner.”
The man extends his hand again when he sees me slide toward the door a second time. “Good evening, Ms. Quill.”
“Oh, you know me too?” I grin at him as I step out of the limo, feeling like a million dollars.
“I was asked to escort you upstairs.”
I look at the outside of the restaurant. Two stories with a weird circular structure in the middle of the roof. A third story, maybe? I scan the windows on the second floor to see if I recognize Crispin, but then silently scold myself. Certainly, he’ll have secured a table on the ocean side of the room. Front and center, I’m sure. Or in a dark, private corner, perhaps. I smile to myself as I follow the man up the steps and into the restaurant.
Something about the place screams expensive. Low lighting, a rail-thin hostess in a gorgeous black gown, candlelight reflecting off crystal. I don’t know what it is, but I know this place costs a fortune.
“This way, ma’am.”
I smirk at the man’s back as I climb the stairs behind him. I’m no ma’am. At the second floor, I follow him across the open room. Because it’s still early, it’s not very busy, so I’m surprised when I don’t spot Crispin immediately. When the man climbs another staircase in the center of the room, I realize we’re going to that strange circular structure in the middle of the building.
“Cool.”
