15 Shades Of Pink (9 page)

He jumped up. “Sorry. What time is it?” He squinted at the clock. “Wow, it took an hour to get ready?”

I swept my hand in front of me. “You think this just happens naturally?”

He pulled me to him. “You looked pretty good to me this morning. I want to take you to this restaurant my buddy’s brother just opened up. A greasy spoon, but it’s good, and I want to support him.”

I grabbed his hand and squeezed it. “That sounds great.”

I couldn’t finish the gigantic burger I’d ordered or even half the fries. “This gets five stars from me. Good stuff.” I shifted on the stool at the counter wondering if I’d be able to drag myself to his truck.

A group of people came in the front door and Tony turned to look. He raised his hand to greet them. “Hey, Jason. Haven’t seen you in a while.”

I swiveled around on my stool. Two guys in black leather jackets walked in with three women, also wearing leather and jeans. I started counting the face-piercings between the five of them, but stopped. I’d been too chicken to get my ears pierced until I was sixteen. I couldn’t imagine one in my nose.

They walked over to us and I held my breath. The women were checking out my strappy sandals and sundress that really were too fancy for the place. I smoothed my hand down the silky material on my thighs and forced a smile. “Hi,” I said.

“Who’s this?” Jason asked.

Tony put his arm around me. “This is Kristen. We met the other day. Kristen, these are some friends I know from McGruder’s bar.”

“Nice to meet you,” I said, toying with a lock of my hair, although none of them offered their names.

The women’s eyes flicked back and forth between the two of us. “And where did the two of
you
meet?” one of them asked, incredulously. “Did you fall through her roof?”

Tony laughed. “It’s a long story.”

“He saved me from a guy trying to steal my purse.” I set my hands on my knees and shrugged.

Their eyes wandered to my purse, sitting on the counter, probably trying to size up whether or not it was real.

“I think he had more than that in mind,” Tony said, with anger lacing his words.

I squeezed his bicep. “Tony jumped off a roof and tackled him.”

“Yeah, but you pulled the knife away.” We were smiling at each other, and I realized we probably looked like one of those couples people longed to smack.

He kissed my cheek and I noticed one of the women rolling her eyes. Another one snapped her gum and spoke up. “I suppose this means I should tell Sheila you ain’t interested.” She looked up at the clock on the wall. “She gets done at the plant in half an hour and was going to meet us here. If you don’t want to see a grown woman cry, you should probably take Barbie, here, and go.”

I stiffened, and Tony squeezed my shoulder. “Jessie, I’m just not interested in Sheila; I’m sorry. She’s a great girl, but not for me.”

The woman looked me over again. “I see.”

“Don’t worry, we were just leaving.” Tony tossed some money on top of the check and stood up. He reached for my hand and helped me off the stool.

“Nice meeting you all.” But it wasn’t. I knew they were making assumptions about me based on my clothes and the way I looked.

“Sorry,” Tony said, when we got into his truck. “I think they were a little intimidated by you.”

I blew my bangs off my forehead. “Guess we won’t be double-dating with any of them. We won’t be doing dinner with my family or yours, and your friends won’t be inviting us out any time soon.”

“There really doesn’t seem to be a place for us.”

“Besides bed,” I joked. But he didn’t laugh.

He pulled out of the parking lot and looked out the window. “I’m gonna get you home. I don’t usually go on forty-five-hour dates. Winston won’t talk to me for a week.”

“Has it been forty-five hours?”

“I’ve been keeping track.”

I pouted. “I wish you’d stay over again.”

“Any longer than two days and Winston becomes part of the deal.”

I shrugged. “That wouldn’t be a problem.  He’s a great dog.”

He looked over at me for a long moment as we drove along. “Kristen, I’ve had an amazing weekend with you. But I am what I am. That’s not going to change. A few days with me might be amusing, but I’m not long-term material. Won’t be for a long time.”

“What are you talking about?”

He slammed one hand on the steering wheel. “I can’t offer you anything.”

I sighed. “Would you stop listening to whatever crap your parents told you? You aren’t your criminal record. You’re Tony. A funny, kind, and brave guy. And I really, really like you.” I wouldn’t be able to explain how I knew that so soon, but I knew. I felt safe with him. And not just safe from bad guys lurking in the shadows, but safe to be myself.

He shook his head. “I can’t take care of you.”

I pressed my hand against my chest. “I don’t need someone to take care of me. I want just someone to care about me, and not consider how I’m going to look on their life resume, or propped up in their fancy home.”

“I’m sorry.”

“I don’t want you to leave. Please. Let’s stop and get Winston and bring him home.” I pressed my eyes shut, afraid I’d see him shaking his head no.

He pulled into my driveway and got out to open my door. He hugged me and kissed my head as I sat in the seat. “This was a great weekend, but it’s time to go back to the real world. And in that world? We don’t belong together.”

Swallowing back a sob, I crossed my arms. “Were you just using me?” But the words sounded stupid coming out of my mouth. I knew I’d meant to something to him. But he couldn’t get over his past. And that wasn’t something I could change.

He walked me to my door and squeezed my hand. The he stepped out into the night. I said nothing. I refused to say goodbye.

Tony didn’t call. Two days passed and I drove by the shopping plaza, but they’d finished the roof and moved on to another job.

Just like he’d moved on from me.

I parked in the lot and cried. We’d had such a fast, strong connection, but he couldn’t get beyond his past. For once I knew—knew in my heart I was in love—and I couldn’t have him. Was I cursed? I get the ones I don’t want, but can’t have the one man I do?

My mother and sister called and tried to sound sympathetic over news of the crash-and-burn relationship, but I’m sure they were thrilled I wasn’t with him anymore. An ex-convict in the family would be about as welcome as a tick on one of Mom’s prize-winning Yorkies.

“Honey, you need to get out and have some fun,” my mother said over the phone. “Daddy’s company gets tickets for the Children’s Hospital Charity Ball every year, but he can’t make it this time. Come with me. We’ll go shopping and get you a new dress. Then we’ll get our hair and nails done. It’ll be a hoot.”

I didn’t answer.

“Please? I really need to go for your father, and I won’t go alone.”

She knew she had me. I rarely disappointed my father. “Fine. We’ll go.”

We went shopping and I let her pick out my dress. She surprised me by choosing a lovely cream cocktail dress for me that fit like it was made for me.

“Hey, after three wedding gowns, I know what looks good on you.”

I pretended to be hurt, but it was the first time she’d joked about my string of engagements.

Work was slow the rest of the week, and I only had a few houses to show. The Victorian was turning out to be a tough sell, despite how gorgeous it was. It was an estate and the house needed some work, but the family wasn’t ready to make any changes. With business slow, I had plenty of time to work on Lucy’s bedroom. She’d changed her mind from a seashore theme to a Fairy Princess Kingdom after going on a
Tangled
binge, watching the movie two times a day for a week. We’d decided to try painting a mural.

“Aunt Kristen, Rapunzel isn’t smiling! None of your people are smiling.” Lucy sat down on the floor with a humph.

I looked at the figures I’d drawn and she was right. I just couldn’t conjure up the enthusiasm for a happily-ever-after. “I’m sorry. I’ll erase them and start over.”

“I’ve got a better idea.” Her eyes widened and she smiled. “Can we do a kitty room instead?”

I laughed. “I’ve got nothing else to do. Why not?”

That Saturday, Mom and I arrived at the event primped and polished. I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror of the hotel ballroom and wished Tony could see me looking like this. But that would probably just make him feel more distant from me.

Mom and I each took a flute of champagne from a passing waiter. My mother wanted to mingle, but I just wanted to find my seat. She frowned at me. “Party pooper.”

I went to our table and picked up one of the programs, leafing through it to keep myself occupied. It was going to be a long night, filled with vapid conversation from the kind of people I couldn’t stand—people who cared more about appearances and status than the true value of a person.

I scanned the ads from the evening’s sponsors and my eyes froze on a listing for Malone, Mancuso, and Fiore, Attorneys at Law.
Malone.
Tony’s father was a lawyer. It had to be him.

I went back to the registration table. “Hi, can you tell me which table the Malone law firm is at? They’re friends of the family.”

The lady scanned the list and her finger stopped mid-list. “They’re at table eleven.”

“Thanks.”

I headed for their table, not sure what I was going to say. Several people were gathered nearby, and I had no idea who his parents were. I walked up to a man with eyes just as blue as Tony’s and he stopped talking. “Can I help you?”

“Are you Mr. Malone?”

“Yes.”

My heart sped up, almost like it had when the attacker first showed me the knife. I took a deep breath. “My name is Kristen Gold. I’m a friend of your son’s.”

“Are you related to Dick Gold, of Gold Insurance Partners?”

“Yes, that’s my father.”

He held out his hand. “Pleased to meet you. I didn’t know you were friends with my son, Nick.”

“I’m not. I’m friends with Tony.”

His smile disappeared and his wife wandered up to us. “What is it, dear?”

“She knows Tony.”

She pressed her lips together.

I squared my shoulders. “That’s right. But you don’t know him. Not anymore. He saved my life last month.”

His mother looked up. “What?” She set her hand against the string of pearls around her neck.

I nodded. “I was held up at knifepoint in a parking lot where Tony was working. He jumped off the roof and knocked the guy away from me. I don’t know what would’ve happened to me if he hadn’t been there. He’s a good person. I got to know him...really well.” My voice quavered.

His father set down his drink and crossed his arms.

“I really care about him. But he’s convinced he’s a rotten person who doesn’t deserve ‘someone like me.’” I made air quotes around the last part. “And maybe if he had the support of his family as he tries to turn his life around, he’d have a different opinion of himself.” My voice was getting louder and a few people had turned to look.

“You do know about his past, don’t you?” his father asked. His face was reddening, but I didn’t care.

“Yes. He told me everything. Haven’t you ever made a mistake?”

“No one in our family has ever been incarcerated.” He hissed the last word.

“Has anyone in your family ever saved a stranger?”  I let that truth hang there for a moment. “He deserves a second chance. And you deserve to have someone like him in your life. He’s a good man.” I looked around the room. “Do you know why we’re here tonight? To help sick children. Children who might die. But yours is alive and you’ve cut him out of your life.” I shook my head, disgusted. “It’s not too late to patch things up. You both deserve it.”

His mother set her hand on my arm. “You’re absolutely right, dear. And maybe you should tell all this to Tony.”

I looked down at my gold shoes. “He doesn’t want to see me. He thinks he has nothing to offer me.”

“He’s here tonight.”

I stepped back. “What?”

She nodded. “With his uncle. His roofing company sponsored a table. We were quite surprised to see him. He hasn’t come over to us yet.” She wrung her hands. “I do hope he does.” She looked at her husband. “Don’t we, dear?”

Mr. Malone was gripping the chair in front of him and said nothing.

I spun around, searching the room for Tony. His mother took me by the arm and pointed to the far corner. “He’s over there.” She squeezed my arm. “Thank you,” she mouthed.

I smiled at her and sucked in a breath. I headed across the room, wondering what he’d think when he learned I’d confronted his parents. His back was to me, but I knew it was him with his dark hair pulled back in a neat ponytail. His uncle saw me first, and tried to suppress a smile, but Tony turned around to see who he was looking at.

I couldn’t keep back my own grin. “What are you doing here?” I touched his face. “You shaved? You look incredible.”

He cheeks turned pink and he looked down at his feet.

His uncle clapped him on the back. “Tony here is looking to get into management. Has some great ideas about expanding the company, managing some of the work sites. He’s been moping around lately, so I dragged him here tonight.”

Tony jabbed his uncle with his elbow.

“I’ll leave you two alone.” His uncle wandered away.

“What’s this all about?” I asked. “It sounds really great.”

He set down his drink and took me by the arms. “You made me want more for more life. I was miserable without you. I figured I needed to make some changes fast so I could prove to you I deserved you.”

I shook my head. “You didn’t have to prove that to me.”

“Fine, I had to prove it to myself.”

I hugged him. “You’ll always be able to keep a roof over our heads.”

He laughed, returning my hug and lifting me off the ground.

“Did you know your parents are here?”

He nodded. “I’ve been working up the courage to talk to them.”

I bit my lip. “I might’ve said a few things to them.”

His eyebrows shot up. “Like what?”

“That you’re wonderful and they’re ridiculous for not giving you a second chance. I think your mother’s on board.”