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“Yes, I am.”
“I don’t know what I’m going to do with you, Chandler.”
“Whatever you want.”
Her laughter was light as she began to squeeze the lime over her tacos. After we said grace and began to eat, I chuckled.
“What’s funny?” she asked, wiping her mouth.
“The fact that you prefer this over a Michelin restaurant.”
“Half the time, those restaurants aren’t even good enough for what they charge. I love a good experience and never mind paying for it, but you can’t beat good food like this.”
I took a few bites of my taco before asking her, “How’s your grandfather doing?”
Her face lit up immediately, as it always did when she thought about or talked about him. Cheyanne didn’t share a lot with me about her family and past, but I did know her grandfather adopted her when she was twelve and raised her as his own. She did tell me that her parents were divorced, but not much more than that. I didn’t pry, because I knew childhood wounds and parental letdowns could always be a difficult subject, no matter how much time had passed.
“He’s doing well. I finally convinced him to start exercising with me.”
“Really? Is he going to run?”
She laughed, quickly covering her mouth as she chewed. “I wish. When he found out that I run ten to fifteen miles every morning, he asked me if I was trying to kill him. We settled on a brisk three-mile walk, so I’m okay with that.”
“I want to meet him one day.”
Cheyanne’s eyes shifted in my direction briefly before returning to her tacos. “You sure that’s not too unprofessional?”
“I mean… I’d like to think of you as my friend. If not my friend, a trusted confidant. It would be my honor to meet the man who means the most to you.”
“As much as I hate it, I can admit I think of you that way too.”
I clutched my heart, causing her to laugh. “Why do you work so hard to not like me, Chy? And tell me the truth.”
Though I’d asked for the truth, a part of me expected her to hold back and change the subject. Still, I clung to the silence, hoping this would be one instance where she let me in.
“It would be dangerous for me to like you, so I try to keep things as professional between us as I can.”
That was more than she gave me during her anniversary dinner a month ago, so I’d take it.
“What makes having feelings for me dangerous?”
She looked out into the ocean as she lowered her shades over her eyes. “I haven’t had the best experiences with men with wealth. They’ve either used me, abused me, or cheated on me. And that’s not to say I intend to marry a man who doesn’t have money, but I don’t know. Plus… I’ve seen money and greed turn people into monsters. I don’t think I want one that has the background and lifestyle that you do.”
I could understand that. Though I came from a wealthy family, I was determined to pave my own way. All that I am, all that I have, I have because of God and myself. Because of that, my confidence was through the roof. On top of that, I had no problem living a materialistic lifestyle. I’d worked hard for what I had and took great pride in showing it off. Regardless of my wealth, it didn’t determine my character. Having money and status in our city would never turn me into a liar, cheater, or abuser. I knew telling Cheyanne that probably wouldn’t make much of a difference though. If that was her truth, her experience, only time and trust would be a balm for that.
We continued to eat before discarding our bags, then we took a walk closer to the water. I didn’t realize how far we’d gone until the sun started to set. We’d walked at least two miles, which was nothing for her.
As we headed back toward the hotel, the urge to ask her what it would take for her to trust me and feel safe with me consumed me. I wanted to restore her faith in men, though I wasn’t the one who had broken it. She deserved to be with a man who could afford to give her the world if she chose to bless him by being the center of his. Instead of asking what was in my mind and on my heart, I kept quiet to avoid making her uncomfortable. This was the first time in two years that she’d opened up to me in this magnitude, and I didn’t want to rush her and make her shut back down.
4
Two Days Later
Cheyanne
Today would be our last full day here, which meant it was time for Chandler’s surprise for me. I always looked forward to what he had planned. As always, he gave me no clues about what was in store. He did pick out my outfit, but that didn’t give me much to work with. Chandler selected a white spaghetti strapped, lace mermaid dress. It had red polka dots, so I paired it with red heeled sandals and a matching clutch. We slightly matched because he had on black slacks and loafers with a short-sleeved, red button-down shirt. The low seventies June weather had been good to us. It wasn’t humid and hot near the beach, and the wind gave a continuous breeze.
“Do you want to talk about the meeting yesterday?” I asked.
