Page 57 of Scarlett and the Big Bad Billionaire
“I think I’ll just stay here and be cozy today. Why don’t the two of you drive into Providence? I texted Stephanie and asked her to make dinner reservations at Bacaro. Gray, you can show Scarlett the city then take her to see the Inksy wall before you have dinner.”
I smirked, realizing what was going on. We’d been played again. Victoria had never intended to go to Providence with us. It was another setup.
I was fine with it—at least the dinner reservation part. The city tour as well.
Not so much the mural field trip.
It would be too weird to go look at a painting I’d done of Scarlett—withScarlett.
I was nobody’s idea of an actor. How would I manage to act “innocent” with her sitting right beside me?
“Okay then, ready to go?” I asked her. Maybe we’d just happen to “run out of time” to go see it once we were in the city.
She nodded. “Yes. Are you sure you don’t want to go, Vivi?”
Victoria assured her she was happy right where she was, and Scarlett kissed her grandmother’s cheek before we left.
On the way to Providence, we chatted about her week and my work trip. It had taken me to Los Angeles where I’d worked on the security system for a movie star who’d just bought and renovated the estate of an older movie star.
When we reached the city, I drove her around the East Side, showing her the Brown University campus, the first Baptist Church to exist in America, the State House, and the home where Edgar Allen Poe had stayed when he came to Providence in 1848 to court a wealthy widow. The alcoholic writer had purportedly died of a broken heart less than a year after the woman broke their engagement.
I tried to extend the tour, but Scarlett noticed the time. “Could we go see the Inksy wall now?” she asked.
“The crowds will be thinner later on. I’m afraid we might not even be able to see it right now.”
“What if it’s too dark after dinner?” she worried. “Especially with as cloudy as it is today.”
My hands started to sweat. “They’ve got portable spotlights. I really think we should just head to the restaurant. It’s getting pretty close to our seating time.”
“We don’t have to stay at the wall long. I just want a peek.” She gave me big puppy dog eyes and formed those tempting lips into a pout.
Damn, she was cute. It was hard not to give in. But if Victoria had noticed the resemblance to Scarlett surely she’d notice the resemblance to herself?
I’d be busted, and I wasnotready to out myself as Inksy. I also wasn’t sure I wanted to reveal that much of myself to Scarlett. I put every bit of my raw emotion into my work.
Letting her look at it—knowing it was me who’d created it—would be like inviting her to read my private journals.
“I don’t know if it’s smart,” I said. “There’s a pretty high demand for tables there on the weekend. If we’re late, they might give ours away. The other decent restaurants in the city will be packed as well. And I’m starved.”
Her hopeful expression wilted. “Okay. But promise we’ll go after dinner? I really want to see it.”
I promised, let out a breath of relief, and drove to the restaurant. Hopefully during dinner I’d manage to come up with another brilliant evasion tactic.
* * *
Bacaro was located on the waterfront in Downtown Providence, one of the city’s most romantic restaurants.
Housed in a historic brick building overlooking the river, the contemporary Italian eatery offered a split-dining concept. The main dining room was on the second floor, but I thought the first floor was more fun.
It was an enoteca (wine bar) with salumeria and cicchetheria (tapas bar.) Diners could enjoy sharing Venetian tapas as well as boards of cheeses, olives, and salumi (Italian cured meats.)
Once we were seated, our waiter brought us drinks and pencils with a pad of paper to check off our selections from a long list of options. He informed us we could always order more if we wanted it.
“I don’t recognize half the things on here,” Scarlett confessed, but I could tell she liked the atmosphere.
Though it was gloomy outside, the interior of the place was filled with warm light and mouth-watering smells.
“Don’t worry about it. We’ll order several things, try them, and see what you like. We can get more of whatever appeals to you or just keep trying new things all night.”
