The Redemption (13 page)

“Really?”

“Really.”

I lift up on my tiptoes and hug him. “We’d love to.”

“See you then and if you get lonely, feel free to sext me anytime.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.” I give him a little wink because really, what else can you do but camp it up.

After locking the door and setting the security system, I lean against the wall. I’m all smiles and full of feel-goods from the night and from the man who just left. But I’m left wondering on Thursday,
do we get to move to square two
?

Wednesday drags. I try to appreciate each day we’re given, but it’s hard when all I want is for it to be Thursday already. Since it’s not, I do what I totally shouldn’t do according to dating rules.
I text Dex.

Me:
Is it Thursday yet?

Five minutes later…

Dex:
I wish.

Me:
Me too.

Dex:
Want to go to lunch?

Too excited, I rush my answer, not caring about old dating rules.
Me:
Yes.

Dex:
I’ll pick you up in an hour.

Me:
I’ll be ready.

Now I try to play it cool and settle the giddiness that has built up inside me while hurrying to my closet to figure out what to wear. Dex makes me want to dress cool like he does, but aside from clothes that tend to lend themselves more for evening wear, I don’t own much ‘cool’ anymore. Not sure where we’re going to eat, so I pull a long striped skirt on and a fitted tank top because it’s comfortable. It’s also warm out, so this way I won’t get all sweaty. The last thing I want to be around Dex, is sweaty. Images of the last few times we got sweaty together cross my mind, but I quickly shake them away, well aware that that kind of workout won’t be happening today. No matter how much I kind of wish it could.

I finish getting ready and am going to the kitchen to retrieve my purse when the doorbell rings. After grabbing my bag, I’m greeted by Dex’s smile, and just like that, my breath catches as my heart skips a beat. “Hi,” I say, feeling that familiar heat rise to my cheeks.

His grin grows wider and he says, “Hi. You ready to go?”

“Yep.”

In the driveway sits his 1976 Challenger. He opens the door for me then shuts it after I slide onto the leather seat. “The car’s looking good,” I say when he gets in.

“Sitting in a driveway for almost six months doesn’t do any car good, but this Challenger is reliable.”

“Where are we going?” I ask.

“Rodeo Drive.”

“I didn’t take you for the Beverly Hills crowd.”

He pulls off my street and says, “I’m not, but my mother is. I need to pick up a birthday present from her favorite jeweler. Mind going with me before lunch?”

“Not at all.” I look out the window, then turn to him again. “How are you?”

His fingers stretch over the steering wheel and I see the right side of his lips curl up. “I’m good. I’m glad to see you… too.”

“I guess I’m not good at pretending, playing it cool and all that.” I roll my eyes, feeling foolish.

“You don’t have to be. You only have to be yourself around me. At this stage in our lives, it feels like we’ve known each other longer than we have.”

Dragging my hands down the front of my thighs, I say, “I think we’ve just lived more life in the time we’ve known each other than before we met.”

“I thought life was so fucking hard back then.”

“It’s much harder now.”

He nods, leaning his head against the seatback, he sighs. “Let’s not ever grow up.”

I laugh at the irony before the humor is gone. “I think it’s too late.”

“It’s never too late to live in Neverland.”

“I thought Neverland was only for boys.”

“Hmm… I don’t think so.” He contemplates the thought before adding, “Wendy was there.”

“Wendy wasn’t supposed to be there though. Peter took her there.”

“Maybe we can just pretend she was meant to be there all along.”

Looking down at my lap, I twist the hem of my shirt. His words always seem to have a meaning deeper than what’s spoken. “I’ll be Wendy,” I whisper, playing along with what I hope is the right assumption. “You can show me your world, Peter.”

He glances over at me, then back to the road, his brown eyes revealing how he feels. “You look beautiful.” Reaching forward he turns on some music. The Nirvana song is loud, the words sad, but like the man sitting next to me, complex and completely captivating.

When we near the store, he slows down, and asks, “Do you want to wait here or come with me?”

“I’ll come with you.”

He pulls up to the curb and the attendant opens my door. Dex moves to the sidewalk, giving the keys to the valet as he passes. I could be mistaken but it looks as if he’s reaching for my hand, then quickly tucks it into his pocket instead. When I’m by his side, I ask, “Hey, what was that?”

While checking out the surrounding area, he says, “That was the realization that Neverland only exists when we’re alone. The rest of the world owns everything else.”

His strides are long and determined to reach the shop, so I pick up my pace to keep up with him. “It doesn’t have to be like that, Dex. Cory and I—”

He stops and looks at me. His demeanor patient, but his expression tainted when he asks, “What about you and Cory?”

Eeks. Touchy subject.
“Um, I was just going to say that we managed to elude them most times when we went out.”

Staring into my eyes, his narrow, but suddenly he checks his watch. “We’re going to be late.”

“Late for what?”

“Lunch,” he says as the door to the jeweler opens and he walks in.

A few minutes later, he’s inspecting a broach in the shape of a cat. “My mother loves cats as companions. I think it’s because they’re aloof like she is. She disagrees.”

“I love fireflies.”

With a smile, he says, “Why fireflies? They’re ugly.”

“But at night they transform. They’re magical. I’ve seen them on the East Coast, but I don’t think I’ve ever seen them here in LA.”

“I don’t think I have either. It’s probably too smoggy.” He hands his credit card to the salesperson after approving the custom piece.

“I bet there are fireflies in Neverland.”

His hand brushes against mine. “I bet there are.”

“You’re taking me home for lunch?”

“No, I’m taking you to my mother’s.”

“In Beverly Hills?”

“Yes,” he responds and turns left.

“You’re a rich kid, aren’t you, Dexter?”

He takes a right, obviously a short cut he knows by heart. “As the band’s business manager, you know how much money I’ve made.”

“You’re right. I do, but I mean, you come from money. How did I never know this before?”

“I guess you had your mind on other things.”

That hits hard. “I guess I did. I’m sorry for not asking about you before now. I should have. I want to know all about you and your family.”

Pulling up to the white gate of the nearest driveway, he punches in a code on the keypad. As the big gates open before us, he says, “We’re here.” After he parks, he takes the gift from the seat between us and looks at me. “My Mother can be intimidating. Don’t take her shit.”

My wide eyes must show my fear. “How about I just stick close to you?”

“That’s good.” The mood lightens and we get out.

A butler is standing at the open front door when we approach. “Sir, good to see you again,” he says.

“Good to see you, Charles. You know I prefer Dex to Sir. This is my friend, Rochelle Floros.”

“Ms. Floros. It’s a pleasure to meet you,” he greets me with a slight bow.

“Rochelle is fine,” I say, sticking my hand out to shake his. He hesitates before accepting it. I know it goes against their formal training to accept the handshake, but I haven’t been around butlers and such since I lived in Boston. Housekeepers, yes. But formally trained butlers, no.

I smile at Dex, so curious as to how he went from this fancy estate to where I met him at that dive down on Sunset. As we follow Charles inside, I whisper, “We’ve known each other for almost eleven years.”

“Eleven next month.”

“You knew that?”

“I—”

“Antonio,” a woman calls as she comes toward us, the sound bouncing off the marble floors, echoing. She’s dressed in a maid’s uniform.

I’m kind of blown away by how different everything is here from his house in the Hills, and how I know Dex to be. But we’re all shaped from our childhood so I’m interested to see if any of the rich kid from Beverly Hills still remains.

“Judith.” His arms open wide. Looking at me over her shoulder, he adds, “Judith was my nanny when I was young. She stayed on as housekeeper afterward.” He pulls back and smiles at her. “You’re looking good. You working out?”

He’s such a flirt.

She blushes with a hand on her hip, and replies, “I have a new boyfriend, so there might be a little workout involved.”

“You dirty girl!” he says with a look of approval.

“Stop it.” She swats his arm and he playfully ducks out of reach. “Anyway, you’re here for lunch with your mother, but unfortunately, she’s not here.”

The good-natured moment has evaporated and a staleness fills the air. “Where is she?”

“It doesn’t matter, Antonio. I’ve got a wonderful meal and I see you’ve brought a friend. Hello, I’m Judith.” A warm, welcoming smile crosses her face as she reaches for my hand.

“I’m Rochelle. It’s very nice to meet you.”

She covers the back of my hand with her free one and asks, “Are you hungry?”

Dex cuts in before I can respond, “We’re not staying.”

Judith rubs his arm. “Don’t let her upset you.”

“She already did. Where’d she go?”

Judith hesitates then glances to me before she answers him, “The club.”

He nods as he walks toward me. “She always did enjoy spending more time with a martini than her own son. Did Gage call her?”

“No, he was due in court today.”

“We’re gonna go.” His pain evident.

“Antonio…” I hear the sadness in Judith’s voice. It sounds a lot like the ache in my chest I’m feeling for him.

He takes my hands and starts walking back out the door.

Judith hurries behind us, and says, “I’m sorry she’s not here.”

“Not your fault. Always good to see you and go easy on your new boyfriend. Not everyone can handle a sex kitten like you in the sack,” he jokes.

She laughs. “More like cougar. I haven’t been a kitten for many years.”

In the car, we wait at the bottom of the driveway for the gates to open. The tension in the car is building but I just want to make it go away and heal the hurt he’s feeling. “I’m sorry you won’t get to see your mother.”

“We’re gonna see her.”

“We are?”

He nods, not adding to the conversation. Certain topics control his mood like a pendulum. He can be the happiest guy around and then fall to the other side when a heaviness replaces the joy. His mother is obviously one of these topics. Cory being another…