Page 29 of Seductive Heat

Marguerite swipes the bottle of whiskey off the table and takes it away, replacing it with a cup of coffee.

"I put in the creamer you like. You deserve the best. If this guy can't see that, he's the one missing out."

I grab the cup and hold it between my hands so that it warms me. She did use the creamer I like and I settle down knowing I've got people who love me. I just hope Theo Foley realizes he's one of them soon.

Chapter 10

Theo

Iasked the girls for fun date ideas. I didn't tell them they weren't for Helene, just that I needed help. So now I'm bringing a huge picnic basket with appetizers and some wine to the beach. I told Helen it was a surprise, and she mumbled something about not really liking surprises. When I pick her up she's dressed all fancy even though it was a lunch date.

"Can you tell me where you're taking me, Theo?"

"Um, sure. We're going to the beach for a picnic."

"Oh, I'm sorry. I don't want to be difficult, but there's all the sand and the heat at the beach. Why don't we go to some nice restaurant instead?"

"We can do that, one hundred percent. Let me help you get in the car."

She waits for me with what looks like a fake smile spread on her face. I open the door for her, and she gets inside the car. Once I'm in, I hope things start to go better.

"I thought you owned your own business, too." She says.

"I do. I'm part owner of a nightclub here in Miami. Midnight Heat."

"That's a pretty successful nightclub. Why are you driving this around?"

"I don't like flashy cars."

"That's too bad. What do you do for fun?"

"Work kind of absorbs all of my time, but I sometimes like to go to amusement parks to let off some steam."

"Amusement parks like…Disney?"

"Yeah, but my favorite is Universal with the Harry Potter…"

"But that's full of children. Why would you want to go there?"

"I'm a fan of the Harry Potter books. Have you read them?"

"No. I don't read. I spend my free time watching reality TV, like the Bachelor and the Bachelorette. I love all the drama."

"Right."

"Where are you going?"

"There's a great steakhouse near the beach. I thought you might like it."

"I don't eat meat. I'm a vegetarian."

"Oh, I don't know any vegetarian places. You tell me one of your favorites, and I'll take you there."

She rattles off a place about thirty minutes away, and I wonder if I'll last that long in this car with this woman. She wasn't this obnoxious when we had coffee the other day. A memory of visiting Universal with Helene flashes through my mind, and what seems like heartache hits me right in the chest.

We get to the restaurant and go in. The hostess tells me I need to wear a jacket, so she "rents" me one that I can wear during our meal. Helen looks embarrassed, and I think she's feeling bad for me, but when we reach our table, she starts berating me.

"Really, Theo. This is our first real date. You could have put up more of an effort in your attire."

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