Second Act - Diana Xarissa Page 0,31
then shut the door behind him. He opened the bottle and poured champagne into two glasses. When he went to hand one to Terri, she shook her head.
“I’m driving.”
“It’s up to you, but if you want to have a drink or two, someone will make sure you get home safely.”
She hesitated and then took the glass from him. Having recognized the name on the bottle, she couldn’t resist trying the very expensive drink.
“Was it awful, then?” he asked as he sat down next to her.
“It was just weird,” she said after her first sip. “This is delicious, though.”
“Next time, we’ll have champagne first.”
She chuckled and shook her head. “There isn’t going to be a next time. We’re officially engaged now.”
“Hurray for us,” he said, tapping his glass against hers.
After another sip, she frowned at him. “Your line about getting married before the new year surprised me.”
“But it gives you another excuse to end things with me. You can always tell people that I was putting too much pressure on you.”
“I suppose.”
“How was your day at school?” he asked.
“My day at school?”
“Yes, how was your day? Did it go well? Tell me about it.”
“Why?”
He stared at her for a minute and then laughed. “Because I’m curious about your life and I’m making conversation. We can talk about something else, if you’d rather not tell me about your day.”
“Sorry, I just wasn’t expecting the question.” When she looked over at him, he was staring at her.
“We may only be pretending to be engaged, but I meant what I said about you being intelligent and interesting. I’m genuinely curious about your life and I truly want the next three months to be fun for both of us. I’d like us to part friends when it’s all over,” he told her.
She swallowed hard before she replied. “Great. My day was great. How was your day?”
He shrugged. “I bought a hotel in North Carolina this morning and this afternoon I fired the man who’s been managing things for me in Alaska.”
“You have things in Alaska?”
“Just a few little restaurants, but I’m probably going to sell them early next year.”
The pair talked about Lucas’s business concerns and Terri’s students until Thomas returned just a few minutes before the food arrived.
“The pool was amazing,” Thomas told Terri over dinner. “Can we come here every night?”
“Yes,” Lucas said.
“No,” Terri said quickly.
Thomas looked from Lucas to Terri and back again. “So that’s a no,” he sighed.
“We have a lot of other things to do beside hang out here,” Terri told him.
“But you’re welcome here when you have some free time,” Lucas added. “We’ll talk about it,” he told Terri.
She swallowed a sigh. The last thing she wanted was for Thomas to get used to the luxurious lifestyle that being with Lucas offered.
After dinner, Lucas had one of his staff drive Terri’s car back to her house for her while they followed in one of his limousines.
“This is the life,” Thomas said as he sipped a soda from the car’s bar.
“Don’t get used to it,” Terri snapped.
Lucas walked them to the door. As Thomas went inside, he caught Terri’s arm.
“No doubt we’re being watched,” he whispered.
“I doubt it,” she replied, frowning as a passing car screeched to a halt and an arm holding a cell phone appeared from inside it.
“Smile,” Lucas teased.
“Good night,” she said firmly.
“I’ll pick you and Thomas up around nine,” he replied.
“What?”
“Tomorrow is the first day of the Harvest Festival. I don’t want to miss spending the day there with you and Thomas.”
“We’re supposed to be meeting Camille and her kids and spending the day with them,” Terri protested.
“The more the merrier. What’s happening to Thomas during the Harvest Ball?”
“He’ll be staying over at Ed’s house. Ed’s grandmother comes and stays with their four kids while Ed’s parents go to the ball. She never minds a few extra kids in the house. Thomas has been staying there on Harvest Ball night for years. They watch movies and eat pizza and popcorn and that sort of thing.”
“All of which sounds as if it would be more fun than a ball,” Lucas muttered.
Terri laughed. “It probably is more fun than the ball, but the ball is a grand Ramsey tradition.”
“And one I’m excited to experience for the first time with my fiancée on my arm,” Lucas said. He smiled at her and then pulled her close. “For the audience,” he whispered before he kissed her.
When he lifted his head, Terri took a slow deep breath, trying to get her