Laid Bare
Page 68
She burst out laughing.
“Okay. But I told you I don’t do any of that Cirque du Soleil stuff. It freaks me out. I don’t care that they’re suspended over fire hoops and doing the cha-cha backward while walking a dog on a giant rubber ball. In a diaper. It’s f**king creepy.”
He snickered. “Whatever you say. It’s Las Vegas; there are plenty of things to do. I have some stuff planned, but after that, we have lots of time.”
“Like what? What do you have planned?”
“I told you, it’s a surprise. Erin, you do understand the word surprise, right?”
“You suck.”
“Don’t pout.” He leaned in very close. “Or I’ll whip your ass when we get there.”
She shivered. “That’s supposed to be a deterrent?”
“I’ll whip your ass and I won’t let you come.”
“Oh. I guess I can wait.”
She tried not to fret about the café. Brody and Ella, who’d returned to work on a very part-time basis, had assured her it was all taken care of.
“You sure Ben and Cope are okay taking over for a week?”
“Yes.”
The flight was pretty quick and the blast of heat that met them as they stepped out to the taxi stand just outside baggage claim reminded Erin of the years she’d lived in Los Angeles.
“I’m such a weather pu**y. The time I was in LA I absolutely melted. Let me hide in Seattle where we all whine when it gets over eighty-five for those two months a year.”
“I hear you.” He loaded them into a limousine she hadn’t seen coming. Once they’d settled and pulled away from the curb, Todd turned back to her. “I missed Seattle so much when I was in Boston. I really wanted to move back. Boston is a great city in a lot of ways though. It’s similar to Seattle. Great beer, it’s a food-loving town, lots of water. Some of the best bookstores I’ve ever been in. The traffic is f**ked.”
She laughed. “I’ve been to Boston many times. I liked it there, but I’m glad you came back to Seattle.”
The hotel was gorgeous. The Bellagio was one of her favorite hotels in the world. Elegant, luxurious and a perfect counterpoint to all the noise and chaos to be had on the Strip.
“You have good taste. I love this place.”
“Good.”
“Ah, Mr. Keenan, welcome.” They were given key cards and a bellman took their luggage up.
“Honey, I’ll be up in a second, I just need to check on our reservations for tonight. By the way, you’ve got a spa treatment in”—he checked his watch—“forty minutes. I’ll walk with you. I have one too.”
The room was beautiful. Fresh flowers, a basket of fruit and cheeses and a hella big box of chocolates were waiting for them. Score. She tipped the bellman and kicked off her shoes, before opening the box and selecting a chocolate or three.
Todd came up just a few minutes later and she’d changed into a flirty sundress and sandals.
He handed her a sheaf of parchment paper that she unfolded, and as she read, she realized it was their wedding invitation. For that evening.
“This is . . .”
“Please don’t be mad. I just knew you’d overthink and find reasons to wait and everyone would want to butt in and it would be political and complicated and I wanted you to have a fairy tale because no one deserves it more than you.” He took a deep breath.
She was beyond touched that this big, forceful, arrogant, pushy, dominant man who held her hand through the therapy sessions he’d begun attending with her once a month would plan such a beautiful thing.
For the two-dozenth time that day alone, she threw herself into his arms and rained kisses on his face. “I just figured we’d go to the Elvis Chapel or whatever. You’re the best, Todd Keenan. I love you.”
“Thank god you’re not mad. Brody and Adrian are here. My parents, siblings, Ben and Cope. Raven too. I asked Jeremy. He sends his best wishes, but understandably he’s not here. We had a good talk. I think he’s a good guy. Ella is back in Seattle with Hype from Brody’s shop running your café in the mornings. She said it was her present to you.”
She burst into tears and he looked worried for a moment, until she blubbered that they were good tears.
“What am I going to wear?”
“Raven came down yesterday with Adrian. They’ve picked out four dresses for you to choose from. They’re in the spa where they’ll do your hair and makeup and all that stuff. We’ll say our vows outside and then we’ll all have a lovely dinner. Tomorrow we’ll hang with everyone and then you and I are on our own for a honeymoon. Come on, you have lots to do.”
She took his hand. “Is Ben okay with all this?” She loved them both and while she wanted to be married to Todd very much and knew she sure couldn’t marry both of them, the last thing she wanted was to hurt Ben.
“Ben helped me plan it all, so he’s more than okay.”
“All right. But here’s my wedding present to you. I’ve been considering buying the condo next to mine. It’s bigger, two stories, with the bedrooms upstairs. Move in with me and you can work from there. That condo has a much bigger balcony; it’s like a deck actually, with a hot tub and stuff. I could create a lovely garden out there.”
Todd knew this part would be hard. He loved her condo. It was private and central to most everything. But he loved his house too. He hated the idea of selling it.
“Okay. But I told you I don’t do any of that Cirque du Soleil stuff. It freaks me out. I don’t care that they’re suspended over fire hoops and doing the cha-cha backward while walking a dog on a giant rubber ball. In a diaper. It’s f**king creepy.”
He snickered. “Whatever you say. It’s Las Vegas; there are plenty of things to do. I have some stuff planned, but after that, we have lots of time.”
“Like what? What do you have planned?”
“I told you, it’s a surprise. Erin, you do understand the word surprise, right?”
“You suck.”
“Don’t pout.” He leaned in very close. “Or I’ll whip your ass when we get there.”
She shivered. “That’s supposed to be a deterrent?”
“I’ll whip your ass and I won’t let you come.”
“Oh. I guess I can wait.”
She tried not to fret about the café. Brody and Ella, who’d returned to work on a very part-time basis, had assured her it was all taken care of.
“You sure Ben and Cope are okay taking over for a week?”
“Yes.”
The flight was pretty quick and the blast of heat that met them as they stepped out to the taxi stand just outside baggage claim reminded Erin of the years she’d lived in Los Angeles.
“I’m such a weather pu**y. The time I was in LA I absolutely melted. Let me hide in Seattle where we all whine when it gets over eighty-five for those two months a year.”
“I hear you.” He loaded them into a limousine she hadn’t seen coming. Once they’d settled and pulled away from the curb, Todd turned back to her. “I missed Seattle so much when I was in Boston. I really wanted to move back. Boston is a great city in a lot of ways though. It’s similar to Seattle. Great beer, it’s a food-loving town, lots of water. Some of the best bookstores I’ve ever been in. The traffic is f**ked.”
She laughed. “I’ve been to Boston many times. I liked it there, but I’m glad you came back to Seattle.”
The hotel was gorgeous. The Bellagio was one of her favorite hotels in the world. Elegant, luxurious and a perfect counterpoint to all the noise and chaos to be had on the Strip.
“You have good taste. I love this place.”
“Good.”
“Ah, Mr. Keenan, welcome.” They were given key cards and a bellman took their luggage up.
“Honey, I’ll be up in a second, I just need to check on our reservations for tonight. By the way, you’ve got a spa treatment in”—he checked his watch—“forty minutes. I’ll walk with you. I have one too.”
The room was beautiful. Fresh flowers, a basket of fruit and cheeses and a hella big box of chocolates were waiting for them. Score. She tipped the bellman and kicked off her shoes, before opening the box and selecting a chocolate or three.
Todd came up just a few minutes later and she’d changed into a flirty sundress and sandals.
He handed her a sheaf of parchment paper that she unfolded, and as she read, she realized it was their wedding invitation. For that evening.
“This is . . .”
“Please don’t be mad. I just knew you’d overthink and find reasons to wait and everyone would want to butt in and it would be political and complicated and I wanted you to have a fairy tale because no one deserves it more than you.” He took a deep breath.
She was beyond touched that this big, forceful, arrogant, pushy, dominant man who held her hand through the therapy sessions he’d begun attending with her once a month would plan such a beautiful thing.
For the two-dozenth time that day alone, she threw herself into his arms and rained kisses on his face. “I just figured we’d go to the Elvis Chapel or whatever. You’re the best, Todd Keenan. I love you.”
“Thank god you’re not mad. Brody and Adrian are here. My parents, siblings, Ben and Cope. Raven too. I asked Jeremy. He sends his best wishes, but understandably he’s not here. We had a good talk. I think he’s a good guy. Ella is back in Seattle with Hype from Brody’s shop running your café in the mornings. She said it was her present to you.”
She burst into tears and he looked worried for a moment, until she blubbered that they were good tears.
“What am I going to wear?”
“Raven came down yesterday with Adrian. They’ve picked out four dresses for you to choose from. They’re in the spa where they’ll do your hair and makeup and all that stuff. We’ll say our vows outside and then we’ll all have a lovely dinner. Tomorrow we’ll hang with everyone and then you and I are on our own for a honeymoon. Come on, you have lots to do.”
She took his hand. “Is Ben okay with all this?” She loved them both and while she wanted to be married to Todd very much and knew she sure couldn’t marry both of them, the last thing she wanted was to hurt Ben.
“Ben helped me plan it all, so he’s more than okay.”
“All right. But here’s my wedding present to you. I’ve been considering buying the condo next to mine. It’s bigger, two stories, with the bedrooms upstairs. Move in with me and you can work from there. That condo has a much bigger balcony; it’s like a deck actually, with a hot tub and stuff. I could create a lovely garden out there.”
Todd knew this part would be hard. He loved her condo. It was private and central to most everything. But he loved his house too. He hated the idea of selling it.
