“Oh.” Reid picked up his phone and punched in a few numbers. “Hi there. This is Reid Wolfe in Suite 2700. I need a salon and spa appointment right away.”
My eyes shot wide.
“Right. No, not for me. For a Ms. Zara Jones. An hour? Perfect.” He ended the call. Then to me, “You’re all set. Here at the salon and spa. Right after brunch.”
My jaw dropped. Seriously, I almost had to pick it up off the table.
Finally, I found my voice. “I can’t afford anything here.”
“You don’t have to. It’s all on me. I do own this hotel, after all.”
My mouth dropped open again.
“I know, I know,” Reid said. “I’m being presumptuous again, right?”
“A little.”
“I get it. You wouldn’t accept the shoes, and I understand, but I want you to look at this a different way.”
“How exactly is that?”
“My father put you through hell, and I want to help make up for it.”
“But—”
“Please. I know nothing can make up for what he did to you. But let me try. Please. I need to.”
“I… You don’t have to. I…got a settlement.”
“And if I know my father, he gouged you on that too.”
“I didn’t want much. Just enough to pay for the rehab and to start over somewhere new.”
“You should have asked for the world. You had him over a barrel.”
“I…”
“I’m sorry.” He took my hand. “That didn’t come out how I meant it to. I realize what he put you through. How much courage it took to ever look at him again. You’re strong, Zee.”
“I’m not,” I said, staring at my menu.
“Look at me.”
I met his gaze. His eyes were so beautiful. And so kind.
“Let me help. I need to. I know giving you things doesn’t make up for what he did to you. What you’ll always have to live with. But it’s all I have, and I want to do it.”
His hand was so big and so warm. I felt comforted—comforted in a way I hadn’t felt since…
Maybe ever?
I certainly never got comfort from my mother. When she couldn’t live out her showbiz aspirations through me, she kind of wrote me off. My father was never in the picture. I couldn’t pick him out of a lineup.
Just when I was going places, had my college all set up…
Derek Wolfe had happened.
Then my spiral into drugs.
When I’d finally seen the light, I’d gone to Derek Wolfe. I’d had no choice. I needed money to pay off my rehab debt and start anew.
The sad fact? Reid was right. I should have asked for more. I could have gone public with my story. I could have ruined Derek Wolfe.
Why hadn’t I?
I remembered so little about the actual negotiation. Derek had an attorney, of course, and I didn’t.
Somehow, I got talked into…
It was all a muddle. I tried not to think of certain times in my life, and that was one of them.
“Okay,” I finally said.
“Okay…?”
“I’ll go to the appointment.”
A wide smile lit up his face, making him even more gorgeous. “Great! Four hours for whatever you want. Hair, nails, facial, massage. You name it.”
“I’m not sure I have four hours. My call’s at three.”
“Then you can go back another time for the rest.”
“It’s all very generous of you. Thank you.”
Reid started to say something, but our server interrupted him.
“Are you ready, Mr. Wolfe?”
Reid gestured to me. “Zee?”
I quickly scanned the menu. I hadn’t really given it a look. “I’ll have the yogurt parfait, please.”
“That’s all?” Reid asked.
I smiled. “After I overate last night, it’s all I can afford today. I have to fit into my costume tonight.”
He didn’t push. “I’ll have the eggs benedict with a side of fresh fruit.”
“Very good.” The server rushed away.
After our coffee cups had been refilled, Reid’s phone buzzed. “I’m sorry. I have to take this. Do you mind?”
“Of course not.”
“Thanks. Excuse me.” He rose and walked outside the restaurant.
A few seconds later, my own phone buzzed. My stylist, Cheree. No doubt returning my call about an appointment.
I didn’t answer.
I already had an appointment.
And truth be told, I was looking forward to it.
Reid returned fifteen minutes later, and our food arrived. We didn’t talk a lot as we ate. Reid seemed preoccupied.
“Is everything okay?” I finally asked.
He swallowed his bite of food. “Nothing for you to worry about.”
“I’m not worried. I mean…you just seem a little different. Was that phone call bad news?”
“Not really.”
He didn’t sound convinced, though, and I didn’t believe him. “Can I help?”
He regarded me, his gaze serious. “Maybe.”
Uh-oh. I’d walked right into that one. He was going to ask again that I tell my story. I felt like I was going to puke all over my yogurt.
But I’d offered. “How?” I asked.
“Looks like I have to get back to New York earlier than expected. Can you come with me?”
Say what?
“No. Why would you need me to?”
“Zee,” he said, “you’re the only one who knows about my father’s extracurricular hunting activities.”
I gulped. “Yeah…but you said…”
“That I wouldn’t push. And I won’t. Neither will my brothers and sister. But something has come up in the case, and we need you now more than ever.”
“Reid, I—”
“I’m leaving this evening. I want you to come with me.”
“My show…”
“Do you have any PTO?”
“Paid time off? Yeah, but they like a little more than an hour’s notice.”
“I can take care of it for you.”
“You don’t know my director.”
He smiled. “Your director doesn’t know me.”
I had no answer for that. He was no doubt right. The Wolfes made things happen on a daily basis. He might pay off my director. We had subs who were available at a moment’s notice. This could definitely happen.
Still, I had a work ethic. This wasn’t me.
“I’m not asking you to take time off for a luxury cruise or something,” Reid continued. “This is important. My family is at stake here. One of us could go down for something we didn’t do.”
“I don’t know, Reid.”
“If you say no, I’ll let it drop,” he said. “But please,
