To: Lila
From: Sonny
Re: =D !!!
That photo please and answer my questions. What do you do? And why the questions now?
S
Lila wondered what kind of meetings he was in that he had so much time to be emailing. Even she was going to have to tell him she needed to put her phone away for a while. She tapped her phone, answering the questions and hit send.
To: Sonny
From: Lila
Re: =D !!!
I’m an assistant trainer in a community youth program. And it just dawned on me that I hadn’t asked about your relationship status, your age, or where you were today. I gotta put my phone away now. I am at work and I’ve slacked off too much already. I don’t want them to say anything to me.
She hit send then glanced in the mirror. “Give yourself some credit, damn it,” she whispered.
Just because he was good-looking and had money didn’t mean he was completely out of her league. She was just grateful for the ability to edit her emails, and she knew that was why she had an inkling of unworthiness. Sonny was obviously a sophisticated man and she was, well . . . Unrefined would be an understatement.
Lila started to the door when her phone rang. Instantly, her heart thudded when she saw it was him. Gulping, she hit the answer button. “Hello?”
“Is everything okay?”
Jesus, what hearing that deep voice did to her. “Yes,” she said, swallowing hard. “Everything’s fine.”
“You didn’t send the photo and that email before the last one you sent was”—he paused then continued— “a little snippy. I honestly was just curious why you’d ask now.”
Lila shook her head, bringing her hand to her forehead. The fact that she was speaking to the gorgeous man in that photo made her insides go crazy again. “I just,” she said, feeling stupid now. “I just got to thinking and wondered why a clearly successful guy your age is still single.”
“So, you thought maybe I wasn’t?”
“Something like that.”
Lila squeezed her eyes shut as a fog of shame settled over her. She’d let her insecurities get the best of her.
“Well, I can assure you I am. And how busy my career has kept me is why I’m single. It’s why I’ve been blowing up your phone since this morning. After spending just one evening with you, I decided I’m not letting my career ruin something that hasn’t excited me this much in years.”
Feeling her heart swell, Lila stared at her own smiling face in the mirror. “Oh.” She laughed softly, feeling dumb because it was the only response she could think of.
“I can’t wait to talk to you tonight and see you.” Just like everything else he’d been saying to her from the moment he first apologized yesterday, he sounded sincere.
“I can’t wait to see you either.”
“I don’t wanna get you in trouble, so I’ll let you go and stop blowing up your phone until you say I can. But I’ll be waiting for that photo. Bye, Lila.”
“Bye, Sonny.”
Chapter 7
Ali had work and then said she’d be stopping by Jenny’s for a while to do homework with her. Stacia was over at Derek’s again and would likely be there the rest of the week. It made Lila wonder how much longer it’d be before Stacia moved out indefinitely—another reason to consider the boxing gig Gio was offering and the possible sponsor money she’d get from it. They’d be needing the extra cash for sure if Stacia moved out. For now, Lila was just glad she had the place to herself so she could talk to Sonny in peace. She’d made out with the guy last night, spoken so easily with him in between making out, and exchanged emails with him all day, so why the hell was she so damn nervous now?
It was nervous excitement, she decided. Sonny told her to call whenever she was ready and she finally was. She set up the call and waited for it to go through. He answered almost immediately.
“Hey.” He smiled beautifully.
“Hey,” she said back, her insides doing that crazy thing even just thinking about him brought on now.
“I never realized what an anxious person I am.” He chuckled, looking down at the corner of the screen. “It’s what? Five after seven there? I was beginning to worry you’d changed your mind about this.”
Lila smiled, taking him in and wishing she had a bigger screen. Unlike the photo he’d sent earlier that day, his attire was far more relaxed now. He wore a sleeveless white cotton T-shirt that showed off the muscle Lila had felt last night as they made out. She saw plenty of muscle in the gym all day, but this was Sonny, so the thought of those muscles touching her again excited her to no end.
“You’re beautiful, Lila.” The statement was so out of the blue it caught her completely off guard. “I haven’t been able to stop looking at the photo you sent me all day.”
“Thank you,” Lila said softly.
Marcelo had always called her hot or sexy, but she couldn’t remember ever hearing him call her beautiful. Such a trivial thing, but it made her inhale deeply.
“We’re gonna have to make that a daily thing until I get back to Los Angeles.”
Lila nodded. No way would she pass up getting another photo of him in a suit and tie. “And when is that?” she asked, glad she finally remembered to ask such a significant question.
“Well,” he said with a frown. “Longer than I thought. This stuff was set up months ago, so I can’t reschedule any of it. Before last night, I hadn’t even bothered looking at my schedule that closely. Off the top of my head, I just knew it’d be weeks, but now that I’m anxious to get back there, I examined it a little closer, and it’ll be at least a month before I’m back.”
A very small part of Lila was relieved to hear it. Just knowing she’d be face-to-face with him again through her computer was nerve-wracking enough. She could only imagine what it’d be like when the time came and she knew she’d be seeing him again in person. But a bigger part of her was so overwhelmed with the disappointment of knowing it’d be that long until she did she had to refrain from pouting. And just like the giggling she’d done yesterday, she never pouted. Seeing that beautiful smile made Lila yearn for more of his kisses.
“Is this the norm for you?” she asked. “Traveling so much? I know last night you said you’d be home now more than you had been in the past.”
“It depends on the time of year. But I’ll be home more often now than I have been in the past. After this trip, I should be home for a while.”
That made Lila smile. “Good.”
He indulged her with another one of his sweet smiles. “I’m looking forward to it too.”
He told her about some business ventures he was considering in Los Angeles that would keep him there more often. But he didn’t elaborate and Lila was glad for it. Somehow, she got that Sonny’s level of sophistication was far beyond hers. She was afraid he might get into something that was way over her head and she might ask stupid questions. Or worse, she’d sit there staring at him blankly without a thing to say about it. She’d just keep her inquiries into the details of his job to a minimum.
“So, you live with your sister and your roommate, the one who had to leave last night?”
“Yes.” She nodded then was glad she thought to ask. “Who do you live with?”
“Alone mostly.”
Lila raised a brow. “Mostly?”
He smiled. “Sometimes my mom will come stay with me for a while. Again, depending on the time of the year, like in the spring when I’m in Arizona.”
“Why Arizona?”
Sonny sat up a little straighter and cleared his throat. “Different jobs take me to different places. I’m in Arizona every March.”
As he sat back a bit, Lila saw it. “I thought you said you were in your hotel room?”
“I am.”
“You have a piano in your hotel room?”
Sonny turned to look at the piano behind him then turned back to the screen. “Yeah, this room happens to have one.”
Lila star
ed at the screen, feeling the same nerves she’d felt earlier. The only hotel rooms she’d ever been in were the cheap motels Marcelo had sprung for a few times so they could have sex somewhere other than the cramped back seat of his mother’s car. Those rooms barely had room for a bed and a TV. Sonny looked to be sitting in a home with a grand piano behind him.
She’d planned on waiting a little longer to ask, but she had to know now, and she had told him all about Marcelo. “You said your career has kept you from having relationships, but you have to have had some.”
“I have. Just nothing significant.”
Glad she’d asked, Lila pushed for more. “I told you a little about mine. When’s the last time you were in one?”
He thought about it for a moment. “Well, that depends on what you consider a relationship. I’ve never even been in love, so I’m not sure if the ones I’ve been in really count as relationships. The last time I dated someone exclusively was maybe a few months ago. That lasted several months, and not once did I ever feel the craziness I’m already feeling for you.”
That made Lila smile and set off the butterflies in her belly—something so unlike her. “If it was several months, then I say it still counts as a relationship. Maybe you didn’t feel for her, but I’m sure she felt for you.”
“Why is that?”
“How could she not?”
That made him laugh. “I’m flattered, but just remember I’m doing my best to impress you. I’m far from perfect; though I’m not stupid enough to point out my flaws. I’m sure you’ll see them soon enough.”
Lila found that hard to believe, but she supposed it was true. So far, he did seem perfect. Too perfect. He went on to mention that the next month wouldn’t be all work and no play. Parts of his traveling in the next month were for pleasure, but again, things he’d planned months ago, like the trip he had to make to San Diego this weekend. Next weekend was a Vegas trip. “I’ve never been to Vegas.”
His eyes widened. “You wanna go? I’ll fly you out and meet you there?”
“No.” She shook her head, floored by the invitation to spend the weekend with him. “I couldn’t. I mean I can’t. I have work and my sister to think about. I was just thinking out loud.”
She thought about it for a moment then frowned, wondering why she even mentioned it. She’d never been to New York either. Vegas just seemed more doable since it was only a few hours away. It still made her nervous how enormously different their worlds were. She’d never been anywhere. The farthest she’d ever been was three hours up north when her mom had taken them to the quaint little Danish-themed town of Solvang. They’d stopped at some of the beaches along the way, but that was as lavish as her travels got.
She’d keep that to herself. Like the supposed flaws Sonny was keeping to himself, he’d eventually know just how different they were. He had to already. He knew about her biggest weakness, and he did drop her off and got to see the rundown projects she lived in. She already knew it was a far cry from wherever he lived. The suite he sat in now was probably bigger than her apartment.
“You got me excited for a minute there,” he said with a poignant smile. “But now that I know, I’ll make it a goal of mine to take you there someday. I’ve been there more times than I can count.”
Lila made the mistake of asking him where else he’d traveled. He thought about it, but instead of naming off where he’d traveled, he named off some of the countries he’d never been to but planned on going to and the ones he had no desire to ever visit. It seemed it was easier doing that than naming off all the places he had been. But that led to his question. “Where’ve you been?”
Feeling like kicking herself, she blurted out the answer anyway. “Solvang.”
“Oh, wow, I haven’t been there in years,” he said, all bright-eyed. “But it is one of my favorites.”
He told her more about his travels, about a few of his other favorite domestic cities, and what he liked so much about them. By the time he finished telling her about it and answering all her questions, it was well past nine, which meant it was past midnight where he was. Even after admitting he had an early meeting, he kept insisting on talking just a little longer.
While it made Lila giddy to think he really enjoyed talking to her that much, she insisted he needed to get to sleep and they finally hung up. It wasn’t until she’d been sitting there rehashing the whole conversation with him in her head that she realized Ali still wasn’t home yet.
Instantly worried, she picked up her phone, still on the charger since the battery had begun to die hours earlier, and hit speed dial. When she didn’t answer, she texted Ali to call her back then tried again. This time it went straight to voicemail.
“You’re kidding me,” she said, staring down at her phone then bringing it to her ear. “Allison—”
She stopped when she heard a beep and glanced down to see the text that popped up.
Can’t talk. On my way home.
Lila assumed her sister was driving but was still irritated that she hadn’t called to let her know she’d be late. She never got home this late. Then Lila thought maybe Ali had called and Lila had missed it because she’d been so consumed with Sonny. Feeling guilty, she checked her call log. None. Well, at least that wasn’t the case, so she was back to being irritated. Ali had never been rebellious or anything. She was a good kid, but she knew how much Lila worried. So, this was a little inconsiderate; though Lila reminded herself she hadn’t even noticed her sister was this late until she’d gotten off the phone with Sonny.
She was going to have to be more mindful of how already Sonny could so easily distract her even from the most important thing in her life. Lila cleared up the kitchen, feeling like she was walking on air the whole time until Ali got home.
“What happened?” Lila asked as soon as Ali walked in.
“We were following a lead on a story we think could make the front page of the school paper if we can break it.”
Ali explained about the lead they got by listening to the police scanner on their phones, about a possible drug deal in progress on campus. “There have been rumors that the drugs are being sold on campus now. Like in the classrooms even. So, we drove down there and, after much searching, found nothing.”
“I don’t think I like you searching for trouble, Ali.”
“We’re just trying to break this story. Some say it might even be one of the professors doing the selling.”
“No way.” Lila stared at her sister’s bright eyes.
“Yes way,” her sister said excitedly. “Another rumor is that it’s one of the night-school teachers, so this made sense when we heard it.”
She still wore the thick glasses and was short compared to most other eighteen-year-olds, but she’d grown into her own. Her temper didn’t even come close to Lila’s, but she could still be quite the spitfire when she felt passionate enough about something. And she was very passionate about her journalism. She and Jenny, being the newbies in the college’s journalism program, got stuck with all the crap stories no one ever read. So, Lila knew it was important to her to try and crack the big on-campus story. Still, Lila warned her again to not go looking for trouble.
Ali promised she wouldn’t then said she was taking a shower. Lila walked back in her room where her phone was still plugged to the charger and smiled when she saw the notification light blinking. She tapped in her security code and smiled even bigger when she saw she had an email from Sonny.
To: Lila
From: Sonny
Re: I can’t sleep!
I know it’s not your problem, but I thought you might wanna know in case you’re willing to continue to entertain me with your beautiful face. I knew I should’ve insisted more that I didn’t have to hang up. I could’ve been talking to you all this time.
S
Lila laughed, searching her phone for a cute photo of herself. She hated the way she came out in most of them, but she only saved the ones she liked. She refused to be one of those stu
pid girls and send him anything too provocative. She found a recent one Bianca had taken of her at work with adorable little Miranda. She was tiny and had Downs Syndrome, but she had the biggest smile that could brighten up the entire gym. Just looking at the picture now made Lila smile. Lila was in her spandex work clothes in it too. The red tank and black pants she wore were a flattering way to show off her curves without it being provocative. She attached the photo to the email and sent it.
To: Sonny
From: Lila
Re: I can’t sleep!
This is all you get. That’s my little friend Miranda from the youth program. Isn’t she just adorable? You need to sleep! I will not be to blame for you slamming your forehead onto your desk tomorrow. FWIW, it made me sad today to hear you won’t be back until next month. What have you done to me?
L
She almost deleted the last two sentences. Again, this was so not like her. Not even with Marcelo did she ever get so cutesy. She barely knew this guy, but talking to him tonight hadn’t felt that way at all. She still hadn’t even told anyone about him and wasn’t sure she would for a while, until she was sure about it. So why the hell was she considering saying this to him?
“Because he’s been completely open about his feelings,” she whispered with a smile and hit send, feeling her heart wallop.
Putting the phone down, she walked away to start changing for bed. This was craziness. She could feel her insides doing summersaults. Her phone pinged, and she took a deep breath, walking back toward the phone. Her heart beat a mile a minute as she picked it up.
To: Lila
From: Sonny
Re: I can’t sleep!
I hate to say it, but I almost didn’t notice there was anyone else in the photo. Beautiful picture but that’s just not fair to leave me with those final thoughts. I may have to cut this trip short yet.
S
“Oh, Jesus,” she whispered, letting out the breath she’d been holding, then started to respond.