face and full lips to the purple T-shirt and jeans that she wore. They clung to petite curves, and he wondered again about the question of marrying a Carterville girl. It really didn’t matter if she was smart—just if he could stomach a three-month relationship with her. He thought spending three months with this girl might be an easy task, as long as she let him look at her beautiful self.
On second thought, she had narrowed her eyes into a suspicious, unfriendly glare. Maybe this Ellie wasn’t such a likely prospect. “Look,” he said, “could you at least give it a look, give me an estimate, that kind of thing? I can’t afford to have furniture trucked out from Portland.You’re really my only option, if your business actually does home renovation and interior design.”
Ellie wondered how he could afford a full renovation if he was so tight on money, but if he was going to pay her, who was she to question it? Of course, if he kept eyeing her like she was a piece of meat, maybe she wouldn’t accept his money after all. It was flattering to have a handsome, sophisticated rich boy looking at her like that, but she wasn’t going to be swayed by a handsome face.
She broke off her train of thought, suddenly remembering that he—Calvin, apparently—needed a response. “Um, sure,” she said quickly, feeling a blush spread across her cheeks. Nope, she couldn’t turn down his money. The man was wearing expensive leather oxfords, hinting that he had plenty of money to spend. And he looks good wearing them, too, said her mind before she could shush it. “Why don’t we sit down and talk about everything that you think you’ll need?”
“Sure,” said Calvin. “Is there any chance we could do that over lunch right now? The sooner you and your team can start, the better.” He followed the statement with a quick half smile that made his eyes crinkle up adorably.
Ellie agreed, and said that she would drive her own car to the restaurant and he could follow her in his vehicle.
She led the way to a small restaurant labelled Susie’s Sandwichesin a small green SUV, with Calvin driving the rental car behind her. They pulled in and parked in a small paved lot, populated by only by a few other cars, and Calvin mused over the easy parking. The free, empty public lot was in such contrast to the competitive parking he had experienced last time he went out in New York.
Speaking of… “So, um, Ellie,” he started awkwardly, staring at her slim form from the back as she hopped out of the car and headed toward the restaurant, “is there much of a nightlife around here?” He needed to figure out where the suitable place to meet women was.
“Nightlife?” The pretty shop girl turned and looked genuinely confused.
“You know, like a singles scene?”
She started laughing and he felt his cheeks redden slightly. “Singles scene? In Carterville? Well, there’s a dance at the community center once a month—this month’s is tomorrow, actually—and we have a decent Italian café that lights up pretty at night.”
Calvin’s heart sank. How was he going to meet a woman, much less win her heart, if that was all that was available to him? He couldn’t exactly lay on the charm and sophistication at a community center dance. The laughter in Ellie Parker’s eyes stung, and he quickly changed the subject. “Listen, did you know my great-aunt at all?”
As they seated themselves in a booth, she said, “I didn’t really know Miss Meyer, sorry. She didn’t come out much. She’d worked out a delivery system with most businesses around town.”
Calvin mulled this over, biting at the inside of his cheek thoughtfully. “So she just stayed up here all alone?”
Ellie nodded, looking momentarily saddened. She tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear and said, “Yeah. I’m sorry.”
It was sad, now that he thought about it. Why had his great-aunt been all
On second thought, she had narrowed her eyes into a suspicious, unfriendly glare. Maybe this Ellie wasn’t such a likely prospect. “Look,” he said, “could you at least give it a look, give me an estimate, that kind of thing? I can’t afford to have furniture trucked out from Portland.You’re really my only option, if your business actually does home renovation and interior design.”
Ellie wondered how he could afford a full renovation if he was so tight on money, but if he was going to pay her, who was she to question it? Of course, if he kept eyeing her like she was a piece of meat, maybe she wouldn’t accept his money after all. It was flattering to have a handsome, sophisticated rich boy looking at her like that, but she wasn’t going to be swayed by a handsome face.
She broke off her train of thought, suddenly remembering that he—Calvin, apparently—needed a response. “Um, sure,” she said quickly, feeling a blush spread across her cheeks. Nope, she couldn’t turn down his money. The man was wearing expensive leather oxfords, hinting that he had plenty of money to spend. And he looks good wearing them, too, said her mind before she could shush it. “Why don’t we sit down and talk about everything that you think you’ll need?”
“Sure,” said Calvin. “Is there any chance we could do that over lunch right now? The sooner you and your team can start, the better.” He followed the statement with a quick half smile that made his eyes crinkle up adorably.
Ellie agreed, and said that she would drive her own car to the restaurant and he could follow her in his vehicle.
She led the way to a small restaurant labelled Susie’s Sandwichesin a small green SUV, with Calvin driving the rental car behind her. They pulled in and parked in a small paved lot, populated by only by a few other cars, and Calvin mused over the easy parking. The free, empty public lot was in such contrast to the competitive parking he had experienced last time he went out in New York.
Speaking of… “So, um, Ellie,” he started awkwardly, staring at her slim form from the back as she hopped out of the car and headed toward the restaurant, “is there much of a nightlife around here?” He needed to figure out where the suitable place to meet women was.
“Nightlife?” The pretty shop girl turned and looked genuinely confused.
“You know, like a singles scene?”
She started laughing and he felt his cheeks redden slightly. “Singles scene? In Carterville? Well, there’s a dance at the community center once a month—this month’s is tomorrow, actually—and we have a decent Italian café that lights up pretty at night.”
Calvin’s heart sank. How was he going to meet a woman, much less win her heart, if that was all that was available to him? He couldn’t exactly lay on the charm and sophistication at a community center dance. The laughter in Ellie Parker’s eyes stung, and he quickly changed the subject. “Listen, did you know my great-aunt at all?”
As they seated themselves in a booth, she said, “I didn’t really know Miss Meyer, sorry. She didn’t come out much. She’d worked out a delivery system with most businesses around town.”
Calvin mulled this over, biting at the inside of his cheek thoughtfully. “So she just stayed up here all alone?”
Ellie nodded, looking momentarily saddened. She tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear and said, “Yeah. I’m sorry.”
It was sad, now that he thought about it. Why had his great-aunt been all
Similar Books
Once a Pirate (Mystical Realm Series Book 1)
Sarah Snyder
What Stays in Vegas
Adam Tanner
The 13th Prophecy
H.M. Ward
The Last Cut
Michael Pearce
Lucky 13
Rachael Brownell
Bravo two zero
Andy McNab
Expectant Father
Melinda Curtis
In the Heat of the Bite
Lydia Dare
Community Service
Dusty Miller