The Perfection of Love (13 page)

“Now that you’ve agreed to a date, you better make sure you’re available Saturday evening at seven.  I should have you back by midnight but I can’t promise anything Cinderella.”  His face was pure mischief and I couldn’t help but smirk in response. When I turned to make my way to my desk he slapped my butt cheek and went to unlock the door shaking his head.  I guess I wasn’t the only one who was wound tight.

About an hour later Colin stuck his head through the door.  He looked as though he half expected us to be at each other’s throats.

“Ah I’m glad I’ve found the two of you.  I did knock earlier but the office door was locked.”  I saw Deacon try to cover up his laugh with a cough.  “I imagine the both of you were out for lunch.”  I looked straight at my computer screen unable to meet Colin’s eyes.  I’m pretty sure my face was beet red so I took a sip of my cold coffee to give me something to distract myself with.  Luckily Deacon answered.

“Yes, sorry Colin, we were having an intimate lunch date to get to know each other inside and out.  You know as we’re going to be working with each other for a little while yet it’s important that we get close.”  How I didn’t spit my drink out in shock I’m not even sure.  Colin looked stumped as well and then he laughed. 

“Oh Deacon, you’ve got a wicked sense of humor.  I’m sure Dana is giving you a run for your money.  Never one to mix business and pleasure which is why she is one of the best on our team.”  What the fuck?  Now I was pissed.  Colin had just managed to make me sound like a frigid old pensioner in one sentence.  I gave him the best glare I had and I know he received my message as he got down to the actual reason he had come to find us.  “I just wanted to remind the two of you that the university’s annual winter fundraiser is coming up and of course I expect you both to be there.  Dana you were able to convince several investors to part with their money and I’m sure Deacon will be able to bring in some more funding as well with his charm.”  I cocked an eyebrow in Colin’s direction.  The man was actually pimping our asses for the university’s gain.  Colin was a total sleazeball sometimes.  Actually all the time.  Sometimes he covered it up better than others.  I really don’t understand how Lana managed to sleep with him and keep her food down afterwards.  Yuck!  “Anyway that’s all I popped in here for.  I’ll leave you two to get on with your work.”  Colin took off and I sighed and went back to looking at my screen.  A few minutes later an email came through.  From Deacon.

From: Deacon Greenwood

To:
Dana J Daniels

Subject: Winter Ball

So are you going to ask me?????

Ask him what? 

From Dana J Daniels

To: Deacon Greenwood

Subject: re Winter Ball

Ask you what?

From: Deacon Greenwood

To: Dana J Daniels

Subject: re
re Winter Ball

Duh! Look at the subject of the email!!!  You need to ask me.  You can’t just expect me to go so you can tap my fine ass for free and not even buy me a corsage.

I couldn’t believe
I was having a conversation about going to the Winter Ball with him through email.  How old were we? Five???

“Deacon would you like to go with me to the Winter Ball?”

“You’re no fun, you know that.  But of course I would love to go to the ball with you.  I thought you’d never ask.”  He batted his eyelashes for extra dramatic effect.  I of course rolled mine.

“Deacon, Colin only just came in to remind us about it.  You do know you’re crazy right?

“But of course sweet cheeks.  Now get on with some work before I resume our previous antics.  Unless of course you’d like me to clear my desk and make space for you right now?”

I was beet red before I must be a neon shade of pink right now.  We both got back to work and we definitely didn’t resume our earlier activity.  I don’t know whether I was relieved or disappointed.  Most probably the latter.

CHAPTER
ELEVEN

When Saturday came I was an absolute mess.  I didn’t know whether I was coming or going.  I’d asked Deacon what I needed to w
ear for our date and all he’d said was dress casual.  Casual is such a fucking vague description.  Of course I had to ring Lana and ask her what the hell to wear.

“Speak to me.” 

“Help me! Casual.  Go.”

“Skinny black jeans, your white pinstriped blazer, v-neck black tee, strappy heeled sandals or courts, your choice but I’d go for the sandals and then accessorize like a mother fucker.  Now piss off.  I’m doing something. Oh yeah and have fun.  Love you.” Dead line.

Lana better be glad she’s my sister because I pretty sure I would have smothered her by now if she was anyone else.  I went with the outfit that she suggested and once again I had to admit Lana was damn good at her job.  She was a stylist for the rich.  She very rarely entertained any celebrities although she was always sought out.  Her view was that she could bring drama on her own, she didn’t need help from official divas.  She also more often than not refused female clients which was odd because she had a strict I don’t sleep with my male clients policy that she actually stuck to.

Tara had already come over to babysit for me.  I could never understand why my sister was so smart it was unreal but I still had to explain to her why doing an experiment with a seven year old was not smart and definitely not to be done in the house.

When Deacon knocked on the door, Jakey blitzed past me to open it before I even had a chance.  I hadn’t intended for Deacon to come in.  I wasn’t ready for them to meet again but it seemed that Jakey had a different idea.  Jakey opened the door and let Deacon through.  Deacon was dressed in dark blue jeans with a grey jacket and white shirt.  I had to discreetly wipe the drop of drool that had escaped my mouth.  He looked stunning.  Can a man look stunning?  Well Deacon looked stunning and that was the adjective I was sticking with.  Jakey on the other hand didn’t look as impressed.  He looked Deacon up and down and then back up again before walking off to find Tara.

“Give me a minute Deacon and I’ll be ready to go.  Ummmm take a seat in the living room.”  I pointed him to towards the living room then made off after Jakey.

I found him in the kitchen with Tara doing what looked like the very type of experiment I’d told them both not to.

“Jakey, do you mind me going out?  I can stay if you want.”  I put my hand on his head and turned him around to look at me.

“What for?  I’m going to have fun with Aunty Tara.  You don’t ever go out with friends.  If you don’t have your own friends what are you going to do when I move out and leave you?  You’ll end up old and alone with cats.”  I heard Tara try to cover up her laugh with a cough.  Lana had clearly been talking to Jakey but he actually didn’t seem bothered by me going out.

“Okay, but if you want me to come home, tell Aunty Tara to call me.  Love you.”  Jakey was already not paying me any attention.  “Tara, I won’t be back too late but give me a call if you need me to come back.”

“Why would I need to call you?”  She looked unamused at my suggestion that she might need my help.  “Go and have fun.  I’m sleeping in your bed because your sofa bed doesn’t work for me.  You can either share the bed with me or you take the sofa bed.  If you’re intoxicated when you get in just take the sofa bed.  I’m not sleeping next to you if you’re going to be throwing up all over the place and I’m not mopping it up either.  Now go.  It’s rude to make people wait.”  I couldn’t help but grin.  Tara’s sense of humor was pretty dry and when she had her nerd glasses on like right now she was fucking hilarious.  I gave her a kiss on the cheek and went to find Deacon.

I found Deacon inspecting my family photos.  He’d stopped in front of a picture of Saz, Mills, Joe and I.  I loved that picture.  We all looked so happy and Joe had his big arms wrapped around Jakey and I.

“Who’s the guy in the picture?”  Was Deacon jealous?  That sounded awfully like jealousy in his voice. 

“That’s Joe.  He’s one of my other best friends and Mills’ brother.  They’re Jakey’s cousin on his dad’s side.  He’s really good to us and I’ve known him since we started secondary school.

****

Once my family had left
Mills’ and Joe’s house after I got back from the hospital I slumped on their sofa.  I had no home of my own and although I could have gone home with Ma and Pops, I didn’t want them fussing over me.  Mills had said I could stay as long as I needed and I was so grateful for her kindness I don’t think I could ever repay her.  When Joe had finally shut the door he came and sat on the sofa and gently pulled me on to his lap.  I was so tired I instantly relaxed into him while he stroked my hair.  Mills had pulled my legs onto her lap and had begun to rub my legs.  I think this was more to keep her calm than to soothe me but I absorbed it all the same.

“Dana, I’m so sorry.  He’s my cousin but I didn’t know he was like this or that he was doing this to you.  I don’t know what to say.”  Joe’s voice hitched and I could hear the underserved guilt in every word he spoke.

“Joe, it’s not your fault.  Don’t you ever think that.  You might be related but you are not his keeper.  Mitchell’s actions are Mitchell’s responsibility and he will have to live with the consequences on his own.  Don’t you dare feel guilty.”  My face was throbbing as I frowned at him and I had to quickly ease my face.

“But if it wasn’t for me, you wouldn’t have met.  I should have seen what he was like and what he was doing.  I always thought he could be an oddball but I didn’t realize how much of one.”  Now I could hear the remorse and I hugged Joe a little tighter.  Mitchell Grayson had done enough to ruin my life and Jakey’s, he wasn’t going to affect anyone elses.

“Joe, I just want to forget about Mitchell and move on.   I’m sure he’s not finished trying to get to me and I will deal with that in the morning.  Right now I just want to get some sleep.  We’ve all had a long night and need some rest.”  He kissed the top of my head and let the subject drop.  I silently thanked him for it because sleep was the last thing I was going to get and all I wanted to do was bury my head in the sand and pretend the last five years of my life had never happened.

The doctors had put me on bed rest to allow my injuries to heal and to be honest the following morning I couldn’t move even if I wanted to.  Without the adrenaline pumping through me I could feel every single one of my injuries and the painkillers were not doing a thing to help.  Mills couldn’t take time off work so Joe rearranged all his appointments for the next two weeks to stay at home with me as much as possible.  He did most of his sessions in the evenings so that Mills would be back home and could help me if I needed a hand or just keep Jakey occupied.  Joe even did the school run, taking Jakey to and from school.  On the weekends he took him to play rugby or to the cinema to watch the latest kids film.  Jakey had already loved his big cousin but now he simply worshipped the ground he walked on.

During the day when Jakey was at school Joe and I would sit and watch films or we would talk.  Eventually I told him everything that had happened between Mitchell and I from day one and while I cried he just held me.  He never pushed me to talk more than I wanted to and after I finished with my ugly crying he would go get my favorite tub of ice cream.  Cinnamon waffle flavor.

****

“You ready to go Deacon?”

He had stopped scowling at my picture and now had his beaming smile in place instead.

“My lady, your carriage awaits.”  He held out his arm and I took it as we walked out the house and to his Porshe.  When I wasn’t pissed at his driving, that car was sex on wheels.  We pulled up to a boat that looked as though it had been converted into a restaurant.  The majority of the panels were glass but as it was dark I still couldn’t see inside.  Deacon came round to my side and helped me out the car and made me hold onto his arm as we walked up to the boat.  I couldn’t help but swoon a little but I’ve been sucked in by gentlemanlike behavior before.

We stepped onto the boat and climbed the stairs to go into what I could only assume was the actual restaurant part of it.  I could barely hold back my gasp when I saw what was laid out before me.   In the middle of the floor was a table that had a beautiful candelabra on.  The rest of the room had scattered candles of various sizes cleverly darted around.  I looked down and there were white petals on the floor that formed a pathway to our table.  Shit.  My eyes were welling up.  This had to be the most romantic thing anyone had ever done for me.  Fuck.  I looked up at Deacon and could tell he knew he’d done good.