Page 101 of The Blackmail of Denise Randall

We drive toward a little family-owned BBQ joint. He never brings up me staying with him again.

He opens my door for me, and we slide into a booth. Since we’ve both been here before, we don’t even need menus. Immediately, Keaton goes to his phone. I watch as his thumbs rapidly tap away on the screen. I clear my throat, and he glances up.

“Sorry. Just one minute.”

Tap. Tap, tap, tap, Tap. Tap, tap.

He sets it face down and smiles. “Now. Any plans for the rest of the night?”

“Not really. I might research some more on the company I’m going to be interning for.”

The waitress places our BBQ sandwiches and fries on the table. Keaton pops open the ketchup bottle and smiles at me. “You sound real enthused.”

Once he’s finished with his plate, he gestures toward mine. I slide it over, and he pours some on my plate.

“I am.”

“But not as enthused as you would be doing something you were passionate about, perhaps?”

“I’m plenty passionate about it, and those can be hobbies. I want to be more successful.”

He takes a large bite out of his sandwich and speaks while chewing. “Would you rather be happy or successful?”

“Why not both? I will be happy if I’m successful.”

“Not really. There’s a lot of people that are considered successful but not happy. So I don’t consider them successful. At least not completely. There’s no set outline that determines if you’ve reached success. It’s an opinion. I know plenty of people working blue collar jobs, leading simple lives, and they’re happier than probably any millionaire alive.”

I swallow my bite and dab the corners of my mouth with a napkin. “What about you, Keaton Sloan? Do you consider yourself successful?”

Keaton watches me as he takes a big sip from his glass bottle of Coca-Cola. I watch his throat bob and it’s incredibly sexy. He sets the glass down and gives me a level stare.

“I’m here on a date with you, aren’t I?” I facepalm and groan, as he continues.

“I’m sitting across from the most beautiful girl, inside and out, in the county. Probably the whole state. If that’s not succeeding in life, then I don’t know what is.”

“Just the state? So you might have another girl thirty-minutes away, across the state line, that you’ll hope to be successful with as well then?”

He chuckles. “I can’t win with you.”

“So you’re not successful then?”

“I guess you’re right. I haven’t quite won you over yet.” He leans closer across the table. “But I will, Denise. Then I’ll consider myself the most successful man in the world.”

His phone dings. He keeps his eyes on me as he picks it up. He taps a few times and then places it back face down.

“Wanna come over and watch a movie?” he asks. I narrow my eyes. What are you up to, Sloan?

He pulls into his driveway and walks me to the door. Once we’re inside the house, Keaton heads straight for the living room and sits on the couch. He pats the seat next to him. Keaton turns on a movie, and after a moment, he dozes off. He looks so adorable. I’m not upset because I saw how hard he was working today. He’s probably exhausted. I find some paper and a pencil and begin to sketch. It really is my passion. I sketch several types of summer dresses. Then I sketch a couple in complementing outfits in a park. I’m detailing an outline for a hem on a dress when I feel his eyes on me. He picks up the papers and begins scanning my drawings. Feeling extremely self-conscious, I reach for them.

He holds them away and continues to flip the pages. “These are really good. You’re very talented. You spoke of your passion for fashion before. Why aren’t you pursuing this?”

“Come on. My chances of making it in the fashion world are not very high. I’m being realistic. What I’m pursuing now seems to be working out well for me. I’ve landed a prestigious internship that will guarantee me a solid career. I won’t be dependent on anyone.”

“Being dependent on someone isn’t anything you should be ashamed of. You’ll always need someone.”

“Okay, let me put it this way. I won’t be dependent on the Randall name. I’ve gotten this far on my own. I’ve gone through school on scholarships.”

“You could do that and more, I bet, with something you’re truly passionate about.”

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