“I appreciate that, Terry.” I nod and take a long sip of my drink. “You’re one of the few men in this town I can really rely on, you know.”
“Likewise.”
“How long have we known each other now anyway?” I lean back in my chair and kick my feet up on the desk, feeling the stress of the day slowly wash away.
“Over a decade. Fifteen years maybe?” He looks thoughtful.
“Hmm.” I don’t say anything else. I’m thinking of the fact that in all those years, I’ve never met a girl who has managed to have the effect on me that Lilly does. “You think I’m nuts for bailing that girl out today?”
“No.” Terry raises his eyebrows in surprise at the question but his response is immediate. “It’s pocket change to you…but it will make all the difference in that girl’s life. Probably saved her life. Even if that girl doesn’t mean anything to you, her sister…might.” He drops the last word heavily.
“Yeah.” I turn the glass and stare through the bourbon, hoping there’s an answer inside, but there isn’t. There’s not much more I can say. I just let the word float in the air between us. “Yeah.”
The silence in the room is thick until Terry cuts it. “In any case, it was the right thing to do.” He drains his glass and puts it down gently. “I’ve got to get back out on the floor. Thanks for the drink.” He stands and marches to the door but turns back before walking out. “Miss Madison—Lilly—is a lovely girl, David. You just gave her and her family a little helping hand. I wouldn’t question that…if I were in your shoes.” It’s one of the few times Terry has called me by my first name, I realize with a start, but I just give him a nod…and then he’s gone.
I sink back into my chair. He’s right. The little help I’ve given Lilly by bailing Deanna out is no skin off my teeth. Still, I need to temper expectations. Lilly will be gone in two days, back to a life that is far away from here both physically and mentally. I’m shocked that I’ve managed to get myself involved to this extent and that I care about her as much as I do. After all, it’s barely been a week.
I won’t sleep with her tonight, I decide. My life here will go on after Lilly leaves, just like it did before. And her life will go on without me. Tonight, I just need a little space. The distance is a gentle reminder that this is only temporary. A reminder for both of us. Thinking of Lilly’s disappointed face when I told her not to wait up, I’m well aware that it’s a reminder both of us need.
Chapter Twenty-One
Lilly
Even though David told me not to wait up, I did try to stay awake. Everything had been going so well between us…before Deanna put her foot in it once again. I was really looking forward to spending the day with David, instead I spent it watching trashy TV and sampling dishes through room service. None of it took my mind off either him or Deanna though. I don’t know what we have or what we mean to each other or if any of this even makes sense…if any of it is even real…all I know is how I feel when I’m with David. I like that feeling. I like being with him. All I wanted was for him to come home and climb in to bed with me. But he never came back. And when I woke up this morning, it was evident that he’d not returned to the penthouse at all. He must have slept somewhere else. That left me feeling confused and rejected. It felt like we’d gotten to a special kind of place…and then suddenly it was all just switched off. I’d been alone for hours and hours and not even Marta had stopped by—she’d probably come and gone while we were at The Glamazon. I knew that if I just stayed in the room I would eventually drive myself crazy with my own thoughts, so I sought solace in the one place that always cheers me up—the kitchen.
“You have a true talent!” Jacques beams at me from across the bubbling pots on the stove. He has a spoon in hand and has just sampled the Bouillabaisse I’d concocted.