“But I don’t have any money,” I said.
“Aw, sweetie, don’t worry about that. Ian is paying for everything.” She winked.
“Does he know about this?”
“No, not yet, anyway.” She laughed.
I was really starting to like Adalynn. She was funny and she had an aura about her that gave off friendly vibes. “If he doesn’t know, how’s he going to pay?” I asked in confusion.
“Ian Braxton has accounts all over town. Don’t worry, sweetie. He won’t mind.”
“How long have you and Ian been friends?”
Adalynn looked at me and smiled as she took a hold of my hand. “Ian and I have known each other since college. I’m sure he didn’t tell you, but I’m his ex-wife.”
My stomach dropped. “You and Ian were married?”
“For a short time. Only a couple of days.”
“Why? I’m sorry, but I don’t understand. Why wouldn’t he introduce you to me as his ex?”
Adalynn laughed. “We don’t talk about it. Ian and I have been good friends for years. Friends with benefits, if you want to know the truth, and one weekend we went to Vegas. We got really drunk and Ian said we should get married. I agreed, or should I say, the alcohol agreed, and we went to the chapel and got hitched. After we realized what we did, the next morning, we had it annulled the minute we got back. Neither one of us wanted marriage. It was just a random act, one drunken night.”
“How many friends with benefits does Ian have?” I blurted out.
“Well, if you’re asking if Ian and I are still doing it, the answer is no. We stopped all that a couple of years ago. I’m currently dating someone and we’re very much in love.” She smiled.
A sigh of relief washed over me when she said that. I didn’t, in any way, feel threatened by her. I was just glad she wasn’t sleeping with Ian. One less woman in this rich town to worry about. We pulled up to the salon and, once inside, we were immediately taken back to our stylists. Adalynn introduced me to her stylist, Renee. As I sat in the chair next to her, I heard a boisterous voice from behind.
“And you must be Rory!” he exclaimed as he clasped my shoulders with his hands. “I’m Benny and I’m going to be styling you today. Now, tell me what you’re thinking.”
“Nice to meet you, Benny. I just found out I was coming here, so I didn’t have a chance to really think about what I want. What do you suggest?” I asked.
He ran his fingers through my long, brown hair, examining the ends. “Hmm...I’m thinking about two inches, long layers and caramel highlights. With your bone structure, it will look fabulous.”
“That sounds perfect, Benny,” Adalynn said.
“What do you think, sweetheart?” he asked.
“Sure. That sounds great.” I smiled.
Two hours later and Benny was finished with my hair. He turned the chair around and I gasped when I saw myself in the mirror.
“Oh my God, Rory. You look fantastic,” Adalynn said.
“Well?” Benny asked.
Tears began to form in my eyes as I stared at myself. “It’s beautiful.”
Benny helped me out of the chair and led me to another section of the salon. “Take a seat here, sweetheart, and Joey will be right with you.”
I looked at Adalynn as she sat in the chair across from me. “What’s going on?”
“You’re getting your makeup done.” She smiled.
Joey walked over and introduced himself. Adalynn said he was the best makeup artist in all of California. Once he was finished, I looked across at Adalynn, who had tears in her eyes. “You look gorgeous.”
As I looked in the mirror, I stared at the girl staring back at me. I desperately wanted to cry happy tears and Joey knew it because he told me to look up at the ceiling so the tears wouldn’t fall and I wouldn’t ruin my makeup.
“You’re gorgeous. You’re a natural beauty and you don’t need makeup, but with it, wow, all the men better watch out.” Joey smiled.
“Thank you, Joey.”
As Adalynn and I walked out of the salon, she put her arm around me. “You look simply stunning. You’re a beautiful woman and don’t ever let anyone tell you otherwise. Now, let’s go buy you some clothes.”
I was grateful to her for doing this for me. I felt like a charity case and I hated it. I’d always been a charity case. My aunt always led people to believe that no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t find a job. So, Stephen and I were always given hand-me-downs and people looked at us with pity.
Adalynn grabbed the clothes that I tried on in the dressing room and took them to the register.
“I don’t know about this, Adalynn. It’s really expensive.”
“Listen to me, Rory. Ian is buying. He doesn’t care. The man has more money than he knows what to do with.”
“What exactly does he do?”
She looked at me with surprise. “He hasn’t told you?”
I shook my head. “I don’t know a thing about him. All I know is that he has money.”
“Well, he certainly is rich.” she smiled. “The thing about Ian is that he’s a very private man. He likes to talk about business and not his personal life. We’re close friends and there are still things I don’t know about him.”
“He likes women,” I said as I looked down.
“Yes, Ian likes a lot of women.”
“He brings a different one home almost every night,” I said.
Adalynn looked at me and tilted her head. “You aren’t falling for him, are you?”
“No, of course not. Even if I was, and that’s a big if, a man like Ian Braxton would never be interested in me.”
“Of course he would, Rory. You’re a beautiful woman and you’re kind. Yeah, maybe you’re right. The women Ian seems to go for are total greedy bitches with sticks up their asses.” She laughed.
I laughed with her as my side started to hurt. I placed my hand on it and sat down in one of the chairs.
“Are you okay?” she asked.
“I’m fine. I’m just a little sore.”
Adalynn took my hand and helped me up from the chair. “Let’s get you back to the house so you can rest.”
As we walked through the door and into the house, Ian was coming out of his study. He stopped in the middle of the room and stared at me. He looked at me as if it was the first time that he’d ever seen me.
“What’s wrong, Ian? Cat got your tongue?” Adalynn smiled.
Ian cleared this throat as he walked over to where I was standing. When he cocked his head, the corners of his mouth curved up slightly. “Rory, you look amazing.” He brought his hand up to my hair and took a few strands between his fingers. “Your hair looks great. You had it cut and some highlights put in.” He smiled.
“Yeah. It was Benny’s idea.”
“Ah, you saw Benny. He’s the one who cuts my hair.”
I looked over at Adalynn and she winked at me. “I need to go now. I have a hot date to get ready for,” she said as she walked over and gave Ian a hug and kiss.
When Adalynn turned to me, I hugged her and thanked her for everything she did for me. She had done more for me in one day than anyone ever had in my life. I would always be grateful to her. For the first time in my life, I felt beautiful, and even a little bit sexy.
“Well, are you going to show me what I bought you?” Ian smiled as he pointed to the bags I was holding.
“Oh, sure. Let’s take them to my room.”
Ian took the bags from me and we walked up the stairs and into the bedroom. He sat down in the chair and crossed his legs while I showed him what he had bought, piece by piece. He sat there with a smoldering smirk on his face.
“What’s that look for?” I smiled.
“Nothing. I’m just admiring the things you picked out. You look happy, Rory, and I can’t help but feel that I had something to do with that.”
I turned away from him as I hung the clothes in the closet. I didn’t know what to say because the truth
was that I was happy because of him. After hanging the last piece of clothing, I walked over to him and he stood up. I did something I never thought I would’ve done. I gave him a light kiss on his cheek.
“Thank you, Ian. Thank you for everything. You saved my life, and I do want you to know that I’m grateful for that.”
He brought his hand to my face and gently stroked my cheek as his eyes stared into mine. “It was my pleasure saving you.” He smiled. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to go finish up some work before heading out to dinner.” He walked to the door, stopped, turned around, and looked at me. “You’ll be joining me tonight at one of my favorite restaurants. Maybe you should change into one of your new outfits. We’re leaving promptly at seven o’clock, so make sure you’re ready,” he said as he walked out of the room.
I stood there, trying to take in what he’d just said. He was taking me to dinner tonight. Not one of his other women, but me. A mixture of excitement and nervousness shot through my body at the thought of having dinner with him. It was just going to be the two of us. He was amazingly beautiful, but intimidating. His confidence was something I’d never seen in a person before. He walked with his head held high, as if he was the most important person in the world. Ian Braxton knew he was sexy, and he knew how to charm women. His charm was weakening me. I felt things that scared me. Things I’d never felt before.
Chapter 4
When we walked into Capo, we were promptly seated by a hostess named Bella, a tall, blonde-haired, blue eyed, lean and toned woman. She eyed me up and down as she handed us our menus. How did I know her name? Ian referred to her by it when he thanked her as she showed us to our table. I took my napkin and set it in my lap as I took notice of my surroundings. The restaurant wasn’t overly large. It was just the perfect size for a quaint and quiet meal. The cherry wood floors, exposed rafters, and sconces that were mounted to the walls gave the dining room a warm feel. I picked up the menu from the table and opened it. I gasped when I saw the prices. Ian chuckled as he looked over his menu.
“Believe me, Rory, this is not expensive. Please order whatever you want.”
I wasn’t used to elegant food like this. I grew up on tuna fish, chicken soup, fish sticks, and macaroni and cheese. The waitress came over to take our drink order.
“What kind of alcohol do you like?” Ian asked me.
I blankly stared at him, as I had no clue. I didn’t want to say gin and tonic because this restaurant was too fancy for that. I remembered what Carrie Bradshaw from Sex and The City always drank, and I ordered myself a cosmopolitan. Ian gave me a smile and winked.
“Bring a bottle of your finest cabernet and two glasses,” Ian said.
The waitress smiled and walked away. “Do you know what you want?” he asked as he glanced over his menu.
“The chicken?”
“Are you asking me?” he asked.
“I’m sorry, Ian.”
I apologized to him because I felt like an idiot. I knew nothing about fine cuisine. I couldn’t even pronounce ninety percent of the menu.
“No need to apologize. The chicken here is excellent. In fact, I think that’s what I’ll order.” He smiled.
As I picked up my cosmopolitan and brought the glass to my lips, I took a sip with the hopes that it would give me the courage to ask Ian what I’ve been dying to know. I took in a deep breath as I set the glass down.
“Is there something you want to ask me?”
“Actually, there is.” I smiled. “What do you do for a living?” There, I finally asked him.
He stared at me as the waitress set down the bottle of cabernet and two wine glasses. Ian poured some in a glass, swirled it around, and then took a sip. He smiled as he looked at the waitress and told her it was perfect.
“I’m in real estate and development. I buy and develop property all over the world.”
“So there’s one thing I know about you.” I smiled as I took another sip of my cosmopolitan.
“What else would you like to know?”
I wanted to bring up his brief marriage to Adalynn, but I wasn’t sure if that was such a good idea. The waitress set our plates in front of us and I finished up the last of my cosmopolitan. If I was going to get through this dinner, I was going to need more alcohol.
“Would you like some wine?” Ian asked.
“Yes, actually, I would.”
He poured some into the glass and handed it to me. Our fingers briefly touched and the sensation that jolted through my body startled me. I took a sip from my glass as I looked at Ian.
“This is really good.”
He gave me a small smile and continued to eat his dinner. “I’m glad you like it.”
“What about your family?” I finally got up the nerve to ask.
“What about them?” he replied.
I got the impression he didn’t want to talk about his family, the way he answered me. I remembered what Adalynn said about him being a private person and not liking to talk about his personal life. I took another sip of wine. Okay, it was more than a sip and, before I knew it, the glass was empty. I could feel the alcohol working its way through my body.
“Tell me about your family.”
“Why do you want know?” he asked.
“Why not? You demanded to know about my family life and I told you. So don’t you think it’s only fair that I know about your family?”
His eyes peered into mine as if he was contemplating what he was going to say. He cleared his throat before he began to speak. “Fair? There’s nothing fair in life, Rory. You of all people should know that, with the kind of life you say you had.”
Suddenly, his words hit me and I was confused. “What do you mean the kind of life I say I had?” I asked as I glared at him and grabbed the bottle of wine, pouring some into my glass. “Are you insinuating that I lied to you?”
“Not really. But your story is quite imaginative and a bit unbelievable.”
I threw back the wine and set the glass on the table. My skin was on fire, not only by the amount of alcohol I drank, but because of Ian and his accusations. I was no longer afraid and I wouldn’t let him intimidate me. I threw my napkin on the table as I got up from my seat.
“Thank you, Mr. Braxton, for enlightening me on what kind of person you really are. I will take my imagination and my stories and get the fuck out of your house and life,” I said as I stormed through the restaurant. People were staring and I didn’t care. I hoped they saw what an asshole Ian Braxton really was.
As I exited the restaurant, I didn’t know which way to go, so I opted to go right. I took off my shoes and headed down the street. My head was spinning and my side was starting to throb. I began to pick up the pace so I could get as far away from Ian as possible.
“You better stop right now!” I heard a voice command.
I flipped him off as I continued my journey to God knows where. I started to slow down because the pain was becoming unbearable. Too much, too soon. I saw a bench on a cobblestone walk and I couldn’t keep moving, so I sat down. Moments later, Ian sat down next to me.
“First of all, you will never embarrass me in public like that again. Do you understand me?”
Really? Is this guy serious? Who the fuck does he think he is talking to me like that?
I slowly turned my head so I was staring straight into his eyes – the eyes that made me weak every time he looked at me. Eyes that were serious, but with a little sadness behind them. Maybe it was more fear. I didn’t know, but Ian Braxton showed his true colors at that table and I wasn’t going to stand for it.
“No, I won’t embarrass you ever again. So, don’t worry, Mr. Braxton. Maybe the dozens of women you take out and bring home to fuck let you talk to them that way, but I’m not one of those women, nor will I ever be.”
He turned his head and looked the other way. “Taking you to dinner was a mistake and I apologize. You’re welcome to stay at my house, as a guest, for as long as you need to. I’m not that heartles
s to kick a woman out who has no place to go.”
I started to stand up as a shooting pain knocked me back down on the bench. I held my side and took in a deep breath. Ian grabbed a hold of my arm.
“You’ve done too much. You’re going to hurt yourself even more.”
Ian pulled his phone from his pocket and told Joshua where we were. Moments later, the limo pulled up to the curb. I jerked my arm away from Ian.
“Don’t touch me. I can manage myself.”
“Wow, you’re a completely different person once you get some alcohol in you,” he said.
I slid into the limo and Ian shut the door. He walked around to the other side and climbed in next to me. I turned my head and looked at him.
“You’re wrong. This is me, with and without alcohol. Perhaps I did lie to you about my past.”
He didn’t say a word the rest of the way home. I walked into the house and went straight upstairs to my room.
****
I sat on the edge of the beautifully marbled tub and ran the water for a bath. Sitting in the corner was a bottle of all-natural bubble bath in a lavender scent. I poured some under the running water, and the smell instantly started to calm me. I was furious at Ian for what he said and I felt betrayed. I stood up and stripped out of my clothes, looking into the mirror at my knife wound. I slowly stepped down into the gigantic bathtub and sank until I was immersed in bubbles. As I closed my eyes, images of Stephen invaded my mind. I’d taken care of him my whole life. I was startled by the sound of Ian clearing his throat. When my eyes flew open, I saw that Ian was standing next to the tub, looking down at me.
“What the fuck?!” I yelled as I covered my breasts with my arms. Not that he could see anything, anyway. I was still covered up to my neck in bubbles.
“Do you realize how many times you’ve dropped the F bomb this evening?” he smirked.
“Do you realize that I’m taking a bath and I’m naked? What the hell, Ian? Get out!” I exclaimed as I splashed water at him.