Page 4 of Hiding Rose
“Give me a moment and I’ll be okay. I better take both crutches tonight. It was a long day without Winifred to help me in the nursery.”
He helped me to the bed and I sat, while he got the second forearm crutch. The purse still lay on the counter and he picked it up, slinging the strap over his shoulder. He held the crutch in his right hand and with his left, he helped me up off the bed, keeping his arm through mine.
“Ready?” he asked, but I motioned at the crutch.
“If you give me the crutch we can go.”
He shook his head and helped me toward the door. “I’ll bring it along, but I’ll be your crutch for now, my lady,” he bowed regally and I laughed aloud, shaking my head.
“Okay, but you’re the one who will look like a fruit with my purse on your shoulder.”
He grinned as he used my keycard to lock the door. When Gideon built the employee apartments he spared no expense. They are state of the art everything. The doors lock and unlock using a key much like a hotel card, but it has an added feature of activating and deactivating the alarm system with one swipe. Since they are specially coded for each room, no other keycard will open my door.
He tucked the card into the front pouch of my purse and led me toward the elevator. “I’m not one of those guys who thinks my masculinity hinges on how many sports I play, or by grunting and beating my chest like a caveman. Personally, I would rather my masculinity hinge on being the kind of man who helps a woman, supports a woman, and does what is necessary to keep her safe. In this case, carrying your purse is a simple thing, and it’s one less thing for you to worry about.”
He punched the down button on the elevator and we stood arm-in-arm as we waited for it to arrive. I stared down at the floor to avoid eye contact. “Thank you, I appreciate it. The darn thing always falls off my shoulder and tries to trip me.” He smiled, but didn’t say anything more, leaving me to decide if I needed to fill the silence. “Do you live on the employee floor, too?” I asked. I guess my brain decided I needed to fill the silence.
The elevator dinged and when the doors slid open we stepped on. He hit the button for the basement and we leaned back against the railing in the elevator.
“I live on the other hall, behind your apartment. I was one of the first to move in when Gideon finished the apartments. On my off-duty time I installed all the kitchens, so I got my choice when the time came.”
I leaned forward to stare at him. “Really? I didn’t know you had construction experience.”
He shrugged. “More like kitchen building experience. It’s how I became interested in cooking to start with. My dad built houses for a living and I used to sit with him for hours. I think he always hoped I would follow in his footsteps, so he started teaching me how to install plumbing and appliances. Obviously, I chose a different path, but the things he taught me are still up here,” he explained, tapping his temple. “I promised Gideon I would do the research and purchase all of the appliances, organize the delivery and installation, and check each kitchen to be sure they were in working order. Before Gideon started building, he consulted me on the plans for the apartments. He wanted everyone to have a working kitchen, but space was limited. I was able to give him some ideas on how to incorporate the kitchen into the floorplan, and make it flow as part of the overall aesthetics of the apartment.”
I raised my eyebrows as he spoke. “Wow, I’m impressed. You did a fantastic job. I love my little kitchen. How it comes together to end in a built-in table is ingenious.”
He grinned again as the elevator slowed near the basement. “Most of the apartments are like yours. A few weren’t the right shape to include the built-in table, so they have a free standing one. It’s truly unusual how Gideon does business.”
I nodded as the doors opened and we found ourselves in the hallway halfway between Kupid’s Table and the administrative offices. “He and Kate certainly value their employees. I suppose it’s why they have no turnover. Once you get a position in Kupid Enterprises, you don’t want to leave.”
He led me toward the dimly lit Kupid’s Table. The bar and kitchen were still open, but once the special ended at eight p.m., they only served bar food. Apparently, they didn’t need the head chef once the nightly special was over. He waved at the bartender, Sarafina, who was probably the most gorgeous woman to ever work at Kupid’s Cove. At over six feet tall she is lean with flawless chocolate skin, and coiled curly black hair running down her back in rivulets. In her former life she was a model, but now she’s going to school and bartending here for side cash.
“Sarafina is the kind of woman you should date,” I said as he led me to a table.
He held the chair for me and I sat, resting the crutch on the table while he pushed me in closer. He set my purse next to me and rested the second crutch next to the first. He lowered himself to the chair across from me and leaned forward on the table, glancing around.
“Sarafina is beautiful and exotic, and someone will be lucky to have her, but she’s not my type.”
I cocked my head. “I figured when it came to someone like Sarafina, she was every guy’s type.”
He smiled and took my hand, holding it loosely so not to scare me. “Here’s the thing, Rose. I’m not like most guys. I need to be intrigued by a woman in order to date her. I want to discover her secrets no one else knows. I want to be her partner, but I also want to protect her and be the one she comes to when she’s hurting. I can’t handle high maintenance women who want to be out on the town every night with no intimate connection.”
“You’re saying Sarafina is superficial?” I asked, confused.
“No, I’m saying her personality is take charge and demanding. She’s overbearing, not in a bad way, but also not in a way I could handle in my personal life. You wouldn’t know it by chatting with her, but if you worked closely with her you would discover it quickly. It works for her. It’s who she is, but it’s not what I’m looking for in a woman. Over time physical features fade, but our personality is what remains until we die.”
I kept my eyes trained on the flickering red candle in the middle of the table. “I see. Thanks for clearing it up for me.” To say I was feeling awkward was an understatement.
He chuckled low in his throat and my head snapped up immediately. He was damn handsome with beautiful blue eyes the color of the sea when the sun shines down upon the waves, hair the color of sugary sand, and muscles derived from lifting heavy pots of food day in and day out. He was clean shaven, and the angles of his face were chiseled, and prominent. His eyes were what softened him and gave him the overall appearance of surfer meets businessman. The look worked for him and he was damn handsome.
“You’re stunning tonight, so forgive me if my tongue is tied. I keep trying to think of poetic ways to describe my outlook on life, but your eyes and lips keep distracting me.”
My hand automatically went to my lips as the waiter strode toward us. He spoke to Sawyer, but I didn’t hear a word they said. I was too busy trying to decide how to get up and run, when I can barely walk.
