Love or Luxury (7 page)

At least his vision of the future included marriage and a family. Exactly what she wanted, too. And she could have it all with Reid.

Rebecca twisted her watch to peek at the time. Yikes. Dinner felt like it had been hours long already when it really hadn't been long at all. She rolled the watch face over and ran her thumb along the inscription on the back:
It's about time.

According to her father, her mother lived by that motto. She could remember her saying, "Rebecca, it's about time. Take the time to enjoy what you're doing." But Rebecca had been so young. Enjoying her time while cleaning her room wasn't something she strove for. Now she tried to live by the motto as her mother had.

She glanced up at Reid. He wasn't sweeping her off her feet yet, but maybe he needed more time. She'd given enough of her time waiting for him to come back. The least she could do was give it more time for the spark between them to catch again.

"I should get you a new watch," Reid said as he took another sip of his sangria. "That one looks a mess."

Or maybe it's about time Reid shut the hell up about my favorite watch.

"I like this watch. It was my mother's."

"I'm sure it's a lovely keepsake for you, sweetheart. But keepsakes are better kept tucked out of harm's way. How about I take you for a new timepiece next week?"

"I don't want a new… timepiece," she said through a clenched jaw.
I'm not eighty. I don't wear a timepiece.
"Thank you for the offer, but I've worn my mother's watch for years, and I'm not going to stop wearing it until it breaks."

He eyed the watch, then the rest of her, before shrugging. "Your choice, but it seems a shame to wear such an inadequate accessory with an otherwise lovely outfit."

Rebecca took a couple gulps of sangria and forced Reid's comment out of her mind. How he could be so callous about something she found so meaningful was beyond her.

After that their conversation stuck to easier topics—high school, old friends, memories. It was fun to sit around and rehash old times, but she hadn't actually learned anything new about adult Reid. Well, unless you counted his hatred for dancing and his love for golf and jogging. Not exactly much to tell the girls about.

Reid paid the bill shortly before ten and took her hand as they walked out to the parking lot. When the valet brought her car around, Reid walked her to the door. He was so gentlemanly, she was sure he would have opened her door for her if the valet hadn't opened it already. The old-fashioned thing was nice.

"I had a really great time tonight," he said, resting his arm across the top edge of the open door. "It was a lot of fun catching up with you."

Fun?
That was a bit of a stretch, but it had been a nice evening.

"I had a good time, too."

He cupped her jaw in his hand and brought his lips to hers. A soft kiss, just long enough to feel the flutter of a butterfly come to life in her belly then he pulled away.

She waited for him to come in for another—one with a little more heat, more passion. But he took a step back instead as if he were ready to close the door. Apparently, the date was officially over.

"I'd love to see you again. Is it okay if I call you?" His inquiry felt so formal. Had he been like this in high school, too, or had becoming a doctor changed him?

"Sure," she said with a shrug. No harm in calling. And the kiss had been nice. Short and bordering on uneventful, but still nice enough to stir a butterfly or two to life. But had it been worth the wait? Had she built up this moment in her mind too much over the years? Maybe she was doing herself a disservice with all of these preconceived notions about what it would be like when Reid came home. Maybe she needed to relax and let things play out naturally with him.

She got behind the wheel, and Reid closed her door with one last goodbye. As she drove away, she glanced into the rearview mirror. Reid was already handing a tip to the valet, not bothering to watch her drive away.

And for some reason, that really annoyed her.

Chapter Seven

Finn sat at his desk, working on a new spreadsheet, quote, and blueprints for the job his company was bidding on in the warehouse district. The owner of the space wanted a complete remodel of everything, to take it from old warehouse to new, trendy apartments overlooking the canal. Prime location, close to the train, food, and shops, and sure to be a hit for everyone involved. He had to get these documents right by next week before the big meeting.

Yet, he couldn't seem to stop thinking about Rebecca.

He'd been texting with her off and on since their first date. And the texts were getting flirtier and flirtier. The innuendos she'd made the night before had been completely unexpected and hysterical. He loved a girl who wasn't too shy to laugh about things like that.

God, their first date had been awesome. Rebecca looked stern and full of fire the first time he'd met her—almost run her over, whatever—but on the date she'd been completely easy-going and relaxed and so fun.

He hoped for a repeat on his next date with her in a couple of days.

Dialing his brother's number, he waited impatiently as it rang. Colin never picked up right away. Half the time, he didn't hear his phone and would end up with a dozen voicemail messages before finally cluing in that he'd missed calls.

"Hello," Colin said.

"Hey, it's me."

"Hey, bro. How's it going?"

"Fine. Listen, I wanted to make sure everything is still okay for this weekend."

Colin laughed. "Gettin' a little punchy already, are ya? Boy she must be a looker."

His brother loved nothing more than a good excuse to tease him. "Oh, shut it. I'm not punchy. I just don't want to make the drive for no reason."

Like having a brother hanging around, killing the mood. Not that he was looking to get lucky or anything. It was a bit early for that. Although he probably wouldn't turn her down if she happened to suggest it. He was only human after all.

"The cabin is still yours. I'm not going to be there at all this weekend."

"Great, thanks."

"I told the cleaning service to put fresh sheets on the guest room bed, and there's plenty of wine and food in the fridge."

"We're using your lawn. No reason to change any sheets."

"Sure, you say that now, but I don't want to come home next week from the conference to find my master suite messed up."

"Seriously, dude. That's sick. I'd never use your bed for anything, let alone bring a girl into it. I know what you do in that bed out there all alone."

Colin laughed loudly into the phone. "I'm more of a shower guy myself."

"I'm hanging up now." Imagining his brother in the shower with a soapy hand was enough to spoil his good mood, and he didn't want that to happen.

"Hey," Colin yelled into the phone.

"What?"

"Be sure to clean up after yourself. I don't want to find evidence of your indiscretion littering my yard." He laughed again and hung up the phone without giving Finn a chance to respond.

Why had he thought using Colin's cabin would be no big deal?

* * * *

Rebecca opened her door to find a courier. The doorman buzzed her to let her know a package was on its way up since the courier insisted it had to be hand delivered and not left with the doorman as usual.

"Delivery for Ms Sanders," he said, reading his clipboard.

"That's me."

"I'm going to need to see some identification before I can hand over this package."

Odd. But okay.

She fished her wallet out of her bag and handed him her driver's license. He glanced between the picture on the license, her face, then down to his clipboard again. Finally, he handed back her ID and shoved the clipboard in her direction.

"Sign here."

She scribbled her name in the space indicated, and curiosity grew inside her. She'd received plenty of packages before, but none that she'd had to produce identification to accept before. Who had sent her something, and what was it?

The courier took his clipboard back and handed her the box. "Have a nice day," he said with a pleasant smile before disappearing down the staircase.

Rebecca pushed the door closed with her hip and sat on the couch with the box beside her. She ripped off the tape. Inside the box, she found a smaller, rectangular velvet box and a card. She opened the card first, loving the feeling of excitement as it built in her chest.

My sweetest Rebecca,

Our date at Luna was amazing. I can think of no one I'd rather have by my side at the Annual Meadow Ridge Heart Association Gala than my beautiful girl. Please accept my invitation and my gifts. See you soon.

All my love,

Reid

"All his love," Rebecca murmured with a smile.

This was like something straight out of a movie. She'd never been treated like a princess before. Rebecca opened another smaller card she hadn't seen at first. A black credit card fell into her lap. Reid's name was printed on the front. A note explained she was to use his card to buy a dress for the gala to go with his gift.

"I think I'm having a
Pretty Woman
moment," she said aloud to no one. This was surreal, to say the least. And damned exciting. She'd never had a limitless credit card given to her by anyone before. Not even the Blooms when she'd lived with them.

Is this what marrying Reid would be like? Limitless credit cards and movie moments?

She could get used to this.

Remembering there was still another gift to open, she set the credit card aside. Slowly opening the lid to the velvet box, she peeked inside and gasped. Her fingers shook as she ran them over the most stunning diamond necklace she'd ever seen.

Yes, she could certainly get used to this way of life.

Carefully, she pulled the necklace from the box and fastened it around her neck. The diamonds shone like a million stars, even in the dull lighting of her apartment. She could only imagine how amazing it would look when she was at the club in a beautiful gown to match.

Looked like she had another date with the doctor coming up. What better way to start getting ready than by shopping with the girls for her new gown?

* * * *

Rebecca looked at herself in the mirror. The slim fit of the jeans made her legs look long and lean. She twisted slightly to get a rear view. They did something amazing to her ass, too.

"Wow. Bow-chicka-wow-wow," Bryn sang as she walked out of her own changing room with a gorgeous, low-cut red dress on. "Those jeans make your ass look unbelievable. Hell, I'd do you in those jeans. Reid won't be able to take his eyes—and hopefully, his hands—off of you in those."

But it wasn't Reid's hands Rebecca imagined at the moment. Nope. It was the image of Finn's hands on her ass that was currently making her feel hot and bothered.

Rebecca slipped back into the privacy of her changing room and looked at herself in the mirror again. They were pretty fabulous. She flipped the price tag over in her hand to evaluate how much she'd have to starve to afford them.

Three hundred dollars! Did they come with diamonds stitched in the pockets?

"I don't know. I think I'll leave them. They look like the other ones I already have."

"No offense, but they totally don't," Bryn said from her changing room. "Those look way better than any of your other jeans."

Gee, thanks.

She turned again in the mirror and admired her own rear. Damn, her ass looked fabulous. Finn wouldn't be able to keep his hands off her in these babies. Sighing, she finally stepped out of the jeans and hung them carefully on the hanger again.

Now how was she going to get out of buying them without coming off weird? They looked great. The price wouldn't be an issue if she were still living on the Bloom estate, spending the "allowance" her friends still believed she collected and not paying rent each month. But she was paying rent, and it was a problem to stretch her meager bank account far enough to pay for the jeans.

She opened her wallet and eyed Reid's credit card again. She'd already used it to charge a crazy expensive but unbelievably gorgeous dress for the gala. The store was having it delivered to her apartment, and she almost couldn't wait to see it again. Shopping for the dress without any worry about how much it cost had been too much fun. She could definitely get used to that. Maybe one day soon, if things went the way she hoped with Reid, she'd have a card with her new name on it: Mrs Rebecca Harper.

Then she'd be able to go shopping with the girls whenever she wanted to—and better yet, she'd be able to buy whatever she wanted. Having that much financial freedom after struggling to save every penny these last six months sounded like heaven.

But could she use the card now for the jeans, too? Reid would love her ass in these just as much as Finn would.

Or would he? She'd probably never be on a date with Reid where she'd be able to wear jeans. His dates were far too formal and fancy for jeans to be appropriate. Sighing, she flipped her wallet shut. No, she couldn't use Reid's money for jeans. Maybe once they were married, she could use the card to buy whatever she wanted, but not yet.

"Oh, darn." She feigned disappointment.

"What?" Eliza asked from her chair in the waiting area.

"There's a mark on the jeans. It looks like ink or something." That sounded believable, right? Clothes got marks on them all the time in stores. "I'm going to have to leave these awesome jeans here."

"Want me to grab you a new pair from the display?" Eliza offered.

Eliza needed to stop being so damn sweet. She made this harder for Rebecca than it needed to be.

"No, it's okay. These were the only ones in my size when I grabbed them. I'll look online and order a pair." Rebecca came out of the changing room empty-handed, leaving the world's most awesome jeans safely on their hanger behind the door where her friends wouldn't see they didn't have any blemishes on them.

Buying online was the perfect way out of this one. They'd never know if she'd bought them or not. And if for some reason they did ask, she could just say they were out of stock online. Easy. She could sense her bank account thanking her already.

Now she needed to get through the rest of this shopping trip without trying anything else on or showing interest in any other items. Unless, of course, they were cheap or on sale. Then she could gush all she wanted.

The girls walked out of the shop together and down Lark Avenue to the next place that caught Bryn's eye since she was the one who'd initiated this shopping excursion. Scarlett, the lucky bitch, had been busy today, so she didn't have to endure the hours of shopping. Of course, Scarlett would have enjoyed this. If only Rebecca could. So much pressure to buy wasn't fun.

"How were your dates?" Bryn asked. "I never did hear the details."

"My date with Finn was fantastic."

Bryn stopped in front of Mango. "Mind if we grab a quick smoothie?"

Rebecca followed them in and ordered a strawberry, pineapple, and banana smoothie. Thank goodness a smoothie was still a luxury she could afford. At least for now.

"How was your date with Reid since you've only been waiting forever for him to come back?" Bryn asked as she sat on the very edge of her chair, back straight as she sipped her smoothie. Always picture perfect etiquette.

Rebecca used her straw to stir her smoothie, so it wouldn't settle into separate layers. "It was fine. We had dinner at Luna."

"That's it. That's all you're giving us?" Eliza asked.

"There's not much more to tell."

Bryn scoffed. "Well, did he kiss you? Did you like it? Did you have fun?"

"Yes, he kissed me. Yeah, I liked it okay. It sort of reminded me of being back in high school again."

Eliza smiled wistfully. "Was the kiss as good as you remember? You used to go on and on about his kisses. I was always so jealous."

"I don't know. It was weird. I sort of had some of those old feelings come back, but I don't know. Maybe I built up things a little too much in my head while he's been away. It wasn't quite as good as I hoped."

"Okay, so the kiss wasn't magical, but it was okay, right?" Bryn asked, setting down her smoothie.

Rebecca nodded.

"So that's fine then. Not all romances start with a knock-you-off-your-feet kiss. How was the rest of the date?"

"It was just okay, too, honestly. He had to work late, so I ended up sitting at the bar for nearly an hour. Alone. Is that what's it's going to be like dating a doctor?"

"So what if you have to wait around a bit for dinner to start?" Bryn asked with a look that made Rebecca feel stupid. "Dinner is better with a buzz anyways. And besides, once you're married, you'll be so busy spending his doctor's salary and enjoying your own interests with your charities, you won't care if he's working late all the time."

That didn't sound like an ideal life. Wasn't marriage supposed to mean a lot of cuddling on the couch and spending time with each other? What kind of marriage would she be signing up for if she never even saw her husband but in bed late at night?

"I don't know. I'm not so sure that sounds like what I want. I always imagined being completely smitten with someone and wanting to spend as much time with them as I could. I want a husband who's home sometimes."

"No, you want a husband who
owns
a nice home and who provides for you like Reid did with his credit card. Who cares if he's home every night as long as you get the things you want? Better to have a husband who isn't home than one who is." Bryn was the only one who laughed at her joke. Eliza looked as put off by Bryn's description of marriage as Rebecca felt. "Listen, all I'm saying is the lovey-dovey romance you read about all the time wears off eventually for everyone, so you better make sure what you're left with is a life you really want."