Tiger Lily: Part Three (14 page)

He turned to me. “You ready, doll? David’s downstairs ready to take us to Per Se.” He held out his arm.

I put on my heels and hooked my arm to his. “I haven’t broken these in, so I’ll need your help on the cobblestones.”

“You look beautiful, Lily,” Lin said, kissing my cheek. “See you Monday.”

“Thank you so much, Lin,” I gushed before the door closed and we left for the restaurant.

We walked arm and arm through the glass doors housing Per Se in Columbus Circle, and a new Paul took over. He helped me out of my coat and spoke quietly to the hostess, who immediately had the staff collect our coats and gave us a personal escort to our table in the main dining room. The formal cloth tables had elegant chairs, along with soft lights and floral arrangements decorating them.

Our table was situated before one of the large windows, and I was in awe of the view. We were looking out at Central Park, which was spectacular, even at night. Paul held out my seat and I sat down, “Thank you.”

His phone buzzed as he took the seat across from me. He held up his hand to answer it. “It’s Dad. He said he tried to phone you, but got voicemail.”

I searched my purse, realizing that I didn’t have my phone. “Sorry,” I said sheepishly.

Paul gave me a wink. “She’s fine.” He held the phone away from his ear. “He stopped by Mom’s for a quick change. He should be here in ten minutes. Oh, and he said to order a glass of wine for me.”

I squinted at him. “He didn’t say to order you wine.” He gave me an innocent look, and was ready to hand me the phone. But before I took it, he put it down and laughed.

“I thought you were fun. Mom lets me have a glass with dinner,” he said and simpered.

I lifted my shoulder and offered the only compromise I had available. “If Jonas says it’s okay when he arrives.”

“Then the answer is no,” he said and laughed.

The waiter brought waters and a basket of bread and left.

“Dad already set us up for the tasting menu and champagne for you. I get some sparkling kiddie drink, but I don’t care. The food here will blow your mind,” Paul said.

“Paul, what was that music you were playing earlier?” I asked.

“That was something I’ve written recently. It’s not finished,” he said.

“It’s brilliant,” I enthused, and he actually blushed for me.

“Thank you,” he said in a soft tone.

“How long have you been playing?” I asked.

“For as long as I can remember. Mom says two. I sat down at one of her hippie chants and pressed down on the harmonium, and someone said I was an old soul, but dad didn’t buy it. He gave in once he was convinced that I was a natural. He gave me the ‘as long as it makes you happy, son,’ speech. Ba da Bing, I’m at Julliard.”

I laughed then grinned. “Yes. Jonas mentioned you were there. My Dad was a principal viola for the Boston Symphony before he passed away.”

Paul took a hold of my hand and gave it a squeeze. “Mom and Dad told me. That must be hard. Sorry.”

I couldn’t help but smile at the teen.
Old soul, indeed
. “Thank you. It is…was…I think it gets…it becomes little less painful every day. They’ll always be a part of me.”

He patted my hand. “Good. I’d love to hear his performances. I’ll give you my email and, well, now you’ll have to come to my performances.”

My heart expanded. I could have hugged him at that moment. “I’d like that very much.”

He laughed. “You look like I gave you a Christmas present. Sweet. I’ve got to toughen you up. Throw a tantrum while Dad’s here.” We laughed.

“Time to put you in the hot seat.” His tone became serious. “What are your intentions with my dad?”

My mouth dropped open. “Uhm…we…”

“We plan to keep your nose out of our business,” said a deep, rich voice behind me, and Paul laughed.

I looked up and my heart stopped. Jonas looked devastatingly handsome in an impeccable dark grey suit. His dark waves were slightly curlier, due to the humidity and rain I suspected, but that only added to his beauty. He leaned in and met my eyes and I forgot to breathe. I could feel the heat of his skin, even before he kissed the side of my face.

“You look stunning,” he said in a low tone.

My eyes flicked to his lips and back to his eyes that were glimmering. “So do you.”

“Okay, we all look hot. Am I going to have to watch you two ogle all night?” Paul said, exasperation in his tone.

Jonas kissed my lips lightly and took the seat next to me. “One day you’ll understand.”

“Ha. I already do, Dad. Mom didn’t tell you?” Paul said mischievously.

Jonas’s eyes widened and then narrowed as realization crossed his face. “Please no, way too soon,” he grumbled. He took a generous sip of the Scotch that the waiter placed before him.

I suppressed a giggle by holding up my glass of champagne and drinking it too quickly, though I could see Jonas had shifted his reproving glare to me.

Paul pushed out his chest. “What? I’m almost sixteen. I’m a man. Well, soon will be if all goes to plan.”

“Is this what you want to talk about over dinner?” Jonas said in a tone that made it clear he didn’t. “Lily will never want to go out with us again.”

Paul shrugged his shoulders. “The tables are private here, so no one besides the three of us can hear what we’re talking about. And anyway, we have to squeeze in these talks when you’re around.”

Jonas looked like he had been stung, and tapped his finger on his glass.

“I didn’t mean that like it came out. I added to your calendar everything that’s coming up,” Paul said with a lift of the side of his mouth.

“It’s alright. I’m changing, son. I’ll be around more. And taking off more time, too, now that I’m back in New York. We’ll be seeing each other outside of the dates,” Jonas said.

The waiter came over and announced our first course, “Sabayon of Pearl Tapioca with Island Creek Oysters and Sterling White Sturgeon Caviar.”

The presentation was so pretty, I didn’t want to ruin it. But then I bit into it and moaned, flushing as both sets of sea blue eyes swung over to me.

Paul batted his long lashes. “You’ll need to control yourself, Ms. Salomé. I’m an impressionable child and this is an upscale establishment.”

Jonas snorted. “Who was just talking about a losing-his-virginity plan?”

Paul laughed, then said, “How about you, Lily? For a minute act like Dad’s not here. Did you have a plan to lose your virginity before it happened?”

“That’s enough, Paul,” Jonas interrupted, but I answered truthfully anyway.

“My plan was to wait until I was married. I got engaged in college and convinced myself that was enough. We were together for three years before it was called off. So my plan didn’t exactly work out. But, yeah…that was the original goal,” I said and drank more of my champagne.

“You’re serious,” Paul said, looking at me as if I was an oddity from another planet and time.

Jonas winked at me and mused as he watched Paul quiet for the first time since he sat down. Then he looked to Paul and said, “I didn’t have a plan. I had an opportunity and should have waited. I want better than that for you.”

Paul let out what sounded like a groan and sigh. “No freaking way I’m waiting for marriage. Sorry, Lily. I’d be old and grey by then. I’m taking the first opportunity that comes my way. And it’s coming soon.”

My head felt light as I grinned between the two of them. Jonas looked at me inquisitively.

“What’s your rush?” I said, a little too loudly, giggling as the words came out.

“No more champagne for you,” Jonas said and moved my glass out of reach. We all laughed.

Jonas met my eyes and we gazed at each other for a few moments before he kissed me. He leaned over my ear. “I can’t resist your happiness, even if it’s enhanced by champagne.” I kissed him.

“Influential child here you’re trying to talk out of having a good time,” Paul bemused with a wave of his fork. He stared at Jonas.

Jonas sighed. “I see you’re determined to do this. I’d like to discuss this alone with you later tonight. Can you wait as long as that?” he asked and smirked.

A pleased grin spread across Paul’s face. “I can do that.”

We ate duck foie gras and lamb, both with a beautiful presentation that matched the taste. Then we spent the remainder of dinner singing praises to every living thing that went into the divine meal. When the tray of assorted desserts came, I held up my napkin as a white flag. “I can’t eat anymore.”

“Just one bite of the…” Jonas and Paul said together and stopped.

I laughed and ate two bites of the chocolate torte and crème brûlée as I admired both of them. Once we were done, Jonas settled the bill and we rose and left the restaurant.

The Dakota apartments, where Paul lived with Dani and Alan, weren’t too far from the restaurant, but I still fell asleep with my head on Jonas’s lap on the ride back to Tribeca. The rain continued to pour down and Jonas swooped me up in his arms to run to the elevator and up to the apartment. “Bed,” he commanded. “You need your sleep before our early flight tomorrow.”

I slipped off my shoes and headed up to the bedroom, where Jonas took the time to unzip and remove my dress.

I took a deep breath. “I enjoyed dinner with Paul tonight.”

His face fell. “With all my work and travel, trying to give Paul a different life, he’s turning out just like me,” he said in a disgusted tone.

I furrowed my brow as I undid his shirt. “I happen to love you, Jonas. So I do hope he turns out just like you.”

“You love what you know about me,” he said wryly, taking the shirt from my hands and pulling it off, then walking into the bath.

I took my clothes off and found my robe, then joined him in cleaning up for bed. “I’d love to know more about you, if you’d give me the chance.”

He turned his head, his gaze as soft as a caress. “You’ll know enough living with me to learn my faults instead of having me point them out,” he said, looking around for his phone and returning with it in his hand.

“Is work okay? Have you been missing too much because of me? Melissa said…” I covered my mouth.

He sighed. “David told me about your run-in with her at Barney’s. She’s avoiding me.”

I shook my head. “Sorry. I didn’t want to bring it up, or to waste time on her tonight. I’m trying to trust you to deal with this, when the time is right.”

Jonas paused and touched my chin. His eyes brimmed with tenderness and passion as they searched mine, “If only you knew how much you have me. You’d never worry about anyone else.”

“You have me too, Jonas. I’m yours.” I leaned forward and he crushed his lips to mine, almost hurting me in his possession. Then he let out a sigh of relief.

“Work is fine. It’s just me using time I haven’t used and actually leaving things to those I hired, like I should do tomorrow. But I think we both need to go to this one.” He pulled me up against his side and walked us back to the new bed.

I climbed inside and rolled over as the mattress formed to my body. “Mmm…a mattress from the Gods. You may never get me out of it.”

He laughed and tugged me back to his side. “I’d keep you right here next to me.”

I snuggled back. “I’d love that.”

He kissed my neck. “You ready to read?” he said softly.

I shook my head, unable to speak. He reached over and pulled the book out and I crawled into my space, resting my head on his chest with my arm around his waist. I listened as he read from
Peter Pan
until I got lost in the perfect world between awake and dreams.

THE RAIN HADN’T LET
up overnight or when we arrived at the airport at six in the morning the next day.

Six!

“You can sleep on the flight,” Jonas said, with a small tap on my backside as he urged me to climb up the short flight of stairs and into the cabin of his private plane.

The plane itself took me back a bit. While I knew Jonas was wealthy, he usually kept his shows of wealth subtle enough that I, for the most part, felt comfortable. His plane was another story though. It was a level of luxury that surpassed anything else I had been exposed to in his life.

The interior reminded me of images I’d seen of the President relaxing on Air Force One. Plush grey leather seats with built-in desks. A television already playing stock and news updates. A few modern colorful accents here and there to brighten up the space.

I headed toward the back before Jonas took my elbow and steered me to take an aisle seat. Placing down his briefcase, he removed his iPad, phone, and a stack of papers, then handed the rest to the flight attendant.

His mouth twitched. “Take a seat, Lily,” he said, motioning again to the aisle seat next to him.

I dutifully sat down in a couch-like leather seat with a recliner that I immediately tested, though I noticed David was settled into the one behind us. I worried for a minute that I might be encroaching upon his space, but then looked around and noticed that even fully reclined, I was nowhere near him. There was plenty of room.

“Comfy?” Jonas asked. “You can do that after you eat.”

I rolled my eyes, but smiled at him. “You’re always in command, Mr. Crane.”

“That you can be sure of, Ms. Salomé,” he responded.