The Playboy Billionaire (The Romero Brothers, Book 3) (12 page)

As they neared the dining area, Blue could
hear the chatter and laughter of a few members of the household. That was when
her heart pounded harder and faster. Could she take much more anxiety? She was
shy about meeting new faces in a social setting such as this. She’d been
working for the past few weeks at the vineyard but went nowhere near the main
house on the estate.

What if she didn’t use the right forks?
Start from the inside and work your way out, she’d read somewhere. Or was that
her imagination? Shit! That was a scene from the movie Titanic! Molly Brown was
instructing Jack Dawson on the proper way to eat dinner with the rich
passengers on the first class deck of the ship.

Way
to go, Blue.
What if etiquette rules were upgraded
since then?

 
She’d heard of the table setting
etiquette of the rich but hadn’t studied it in great detail, thinking she would
never have to worry about having to dine
with
 
royalty
or a head of state. Not
that the Romeros were royals or heads of state.

They
just lived like it.

It must be incredible to have such wealth
and power as they had. She wondered how much it would cost to heat a massive
entity like Romero Manor. She wondered what their monthly utility bill would set
her back. Probably the amount of her annual income times ten thousand!

“Ah, Miss Monroe. Glad you could join us
for dinner,” Toni Romero’s cheery voice greeted her as she and Courtney walked
into the dining room.

“Th-thank you,” Blue stuttered. She felt
flustered and almost lost her ability to breathe. In. Out. In. Out. Well, look
at this place, she thought to herself. It was a spacious room with dim lighting
provided by the enormous crystal chandelier hanging in the center. An
intricately-carved
oak dining table was flanked by of rows
of neat, matching tall-back chairs. Blue couldn’t count the seats but she
guessed it could very easily seat twenty people around the long table. What
looked like expensive China plates were placed in front of each of the seats in
addition to a tall empty glasses and rows of sparkling knives and forks.

Okay. She felt so out of her element here.

Was there a special occasion? Had she
intruded on an already planned special family dinner?

“We often get together once a month to have
a family dinner,” Toni spoke up as if he could somehow read her mind. Not that
it did much to ease her anxiety. “You happen to be here at a fortunate time,
Blue.” Toni continued, motioning Blue and Courtney to be seated.

She was glad there was another young lady
who appeared to be Courtney’s age. Blue had already been introduced to the
Romero family on another occasion so she knew who most of the family members
were.

But where was Zack?

Her stomach felt uneasy. She needed Zack to
be there. She felt so comfortable around him. Protected. It was weird. Blue
couldn’t make sense of it. But Zack had that kind of effect on her.
 
A connection. Though he could be distant
at times, there was something about his aura and her being that just…clicked.

“Will Zack be here soon?” she asked
politely.

Toni paused momentarily.

Blue felt as if she wished the ground could
open up and swallow her whole. Did she ask the wrong question? Oh, God! Did she
come off as desperate or attracted to Zack?

“He invited us to dinner with you, so I
thought…” Blue clarified, trying to win over the moment again.

“Oh, nothing to worry about, dear. Zack had
to attend to another matter but he should be joining us shortly,” Toni said matter-of-factly.
She thought she caught the elder Romero raising a brow to his wife, Shelly.
What was that about? Oh, God! Blue hoped they didn’t think anything was going
on with her and Zack. God forbid. Not that she could ever really be with an
out-of-her-league man like Zack.
 

“Oh, good,” she said, trying to hide her
relief.

“By the way, we’re sorry to hear about what
happened to you earlier this evening. How are you feeling, dear?” Toni asked
with genuine concern.

“Oh, I’m okay.
Just a
little shaken.
But no broken bones,” she said softly, trying to put on a
brave face.

“We’re glad you’re okay. I hope they catch
that fool who did that.”

Blue smiled appreciatively.

“Hi, I’m Melissa,” the young woman at the
table said to Courtney as she sat down beside her.

Shelly, Toni’s wife, also greeted Courtney.
“Courtney, this is my niece. She’s staying with us for the summer. We have a
program running for young college students.”

“Oh, that sounds cool,” Courtney chimed in.
“I’ve heard about the Rom Res.”

“The what?” Shelly said in unison with
Blue.

“Oh, it’s what it’s called by a group of
us. It’s a nickname.” Melissa playfully rolled her eyes. Courtney grinned. They
both seemed to hit it off right away.

Inside, Blue was more than thankful her
little sister had made a new friend. Just over an hour ago, Courtney was in
such a distress when she found out that Blue was at the ER after the accident.
Courtney finally calmed down when Blue had assured her she was safe and
everything was okay. She didn’t feel the need to get her worried about the
other part of the story, so she omitted telling her that someone had tried to
kill her.

She and her sister had been through hell
and back after their parents’ mysterious deaths in that fire. Even though arson
was officially ruled out, Blue suspected it was suspicious nonetheless. She didn’t
get Courtney worked up but always trained her to be on her guard, keep in touch
at all times and keep her cell phone turned on in case Blue had to reach her or
vice versa.

At least now, she could keep a close eye on
her. Courtney knew about the reputation of the Romero Resort or the Rom Res as
the young kids were calling it these days. It was as secure as a National Defense
camp. She would be fine and that gave Blue a lot of much needed reassurance.

“Yes,” Blue grinned, as if she could read
her sister’s silent pleas. “You can stay at the Res for the rest of the summer
as long as we keep in contact.”

Courtney playfully rolled her eyes. “Yes,
of course.”

The mouth-watering aroma
of the seafood dishes wafted by Blue’s nostrils.
Hmm. She realized after her dramatic day that she hadn’t really had much to eat
and she was famished.

It looked as if Zack would be having dinner
with her tonight, after all, she mused trying to avoid grinning. She couldn’t
wait for his return.

The kitchen staff had soon brought in countless
dishes while Blue and the rest of the family including Lucas and Maxine and Antonio
and Lucy were engaged in light conversation. She also got a chance to meet
Jules and Dion, Zack's other brothers. Troy, apparently, was out of town on a
crucial business deal and couldn’t make it back in time.

This was marvellous.

Blue loved the way the family lived no
matter how busy they were in their daily endeavors and businesses they made
time for each other.
Especially their elderly grandfather.
How admirable. Of course, it was noble that they had not forgotten where they
came from. It was Toni who helped them with a boost to give them all a good
start in life after learning of their existence. And of course, they hadn’t
forgotten. The only thing he’d asked of them, she had read once, was that they
never forget the importance of family.

Without those you love around you, money
and business equate to nothing. It was an empty existence. And if one was too
busy for friends and family—then one was just too busy, she remembered a
quote from one of the speeches he presented at the Annual Ball that she was
sent to cover for Channel 31 News. Those were the days. She was an outsider
looking into the world of the Romero family. Covering their every move, some of
them. And now? She was amongst them. How strange life could be in throwing some
unexpected curve balls.

Never burn your bridges, she’d learned
early in life. It was a good thing she had gone out of her way to clear her
name with them after that media scandal involving Lucas. Blue would have had
enemies from this powerful family instead of being asked to do a documentary
about them—and later, dining with them.

“Sorry, we’re late,” Zack walked into the
dining room with his brother, Carl, looking exquisite. He had showered and
changed into a crisp shirt and gray pants. He looked magnificent. This man
would probably look hot washing dishes.

Washing.

Oh, the sexual thoughts that seeped into
her mind as she thought of Zack’s hot, muscular body naked with dripping water
cascading off his slippery skin.

Blue blinked her eyes emphatically. Oh, no.
She was not going there. She really needed to keep her whirling thoughts in
control. Not the place. Not the time. Thank God it wasn’t possible to read
people’s minds and vice versa. That was all she could think of. That was one
thing she hoped they’d never discover: how to eavesdrop on people’s private
thoughts.

“You’re just in time,” Toni called out, his
hands clasped in front of him. She caught Toni glancing at her and then to Zack.
Blue wondered what that was about but decided to ignore it.

Blue had to keep from looking at Zack who
happened to be seated across the table from her. She spoke at great length with
Shelly who was beside her. Shelly was such a warm and friendly person. It
shouldn’t surprise her since she was a new addition to the Romero family
herself and it couldn’t have been easy marrying an older man with grandchildren
almost her age. Blue was sure Shelly had experienced her share of family
politics before being accepted into the inner circle.

 
Blue kept her gaze elsewhere in the room
as they devoured their entrees. The sound of knives and forks scraping the
plates along with the murmurs of various conversations around the table was
welcome from her earlier turbulent moment on the road. She could not believe
the family ate dinner like this. A few close friends were also seated around
the table. Earlier they were served Caesar salad with fresh Parmesan and house
made herb croutons. They finished the evening having been served various
seafood dishes that started off with fresh scallops and vegetarian soup. They
were also served roasted double ranch prime rib with marinated shrimp, opal
basil and mint spring rolls.
 

Blue felt as if she’d eaten enough to last her
the week. There was something soothing about seafood. She often thought of
pasta and seafood as her favorite comfort foods. Right now, she could use all
the comfort she could get.
  

“It’s so nice, what you’re doing,” Shelly
commented to
Blue
. “The documentary. We’re all excited
to see the finished product.”

“Thank you. I’m truly grateful for the
honor. I’ve always admired all the wonderful contributions you all have bestowed
on the community and in your amazing products.”

“Yes, well, excellence is our middle name.
If we can’t live up to it then we don’t do it. Isn’t that right, Zack?” Toni
commented, turning from Blue to Zack.

“We do our best,” Zack assured, a smooth
grin curled the corner of his lips.

*
  
*
  
*

“Why can’t I go now?”

“Because, Courtney, we just got here,” Blue
said later to her
sister
as they got ready for bed.
“I’ll be in the next room across the hall. Just shout if you need anything.”

Courtney folded her arms across her chest.
“I’m eighteen-years-old,
Blue
.”

 
“Yes. That’s right. So act responsibly.”

"Melissa invited me.
There’s
a few of the girls from my school who will be there.
I spoke to Tiffany already. She’s in my Bio class.”

What was Blue afraid of? She knew at Court's
age, she was able to hike across Europe for God’s sake. Courtney was just going
to the adjacent land next to the Romero Estate to be with the other kids her
own age. It sure would be better than hanging out in a vacant wing of a lonely
mansion with her older sister.

“You know something? I’m sorry, Courtney,”
Blue said, plopping herself on the bedside. “You’re right. You’re eighteen. And
you are responsible. I know you are. Just…no drinking or anything okay?”

“You know I’m a teetotaller, right?”

She reached over and hugged her sister.
“Enjoy yourself, sis. But not too much.”

“Good. We’re going camping tomorrow and
then we’re going to hit the amusement area. You’re like the best sister ever
with the hottest friends, eh?”

Blue playfully rolled her eyes. “I told
you, Courtney, we’re just going to stay here until my assignment is over.
Then…” Then what? A painful lump settled in Blue’s throat. Yes, then what? She sucked
in a deep, lung-expanding breath. Yes, what was Blue’s plan B? What would
happen when Zack decided he no longer needed her around? What if he found out
about her past…with the ex-Senator Aitkin?