Page 9 of Married to Murder
He sighed. “Don’t go getting all awkward with me now. Maybe I shouldn’t have said who I am.”
“No. It‘s good you did. I’m just surprised.”
“The only people I know in town I’ve had business dealings with. I didn’t want to have dinner with them.”
“Okay. Fair enough.”
“I wanted to have dinner with someone who has nothing to do with my work.”
I nodded. “Yes. I understand.” I frowned. “Still, I seem like an odd choice.”
“Why?”
“Well, because you’re filthy rich and I’m… me.” I laughed gruffly, looking down at my worn clothing.
“I’m just a person,” he said softly.
“A really, really,reallyrich person.” I bit my lower lip. “I’m the opposite.”
“Why should that matter?”
“I guess it shouldn’t.”
He tilted his head. “Can’t we just go back to how it was on the beach? We didn’t know much about each other, and it didn’t matter. I don’t care how much money I have, or how little you have. I just want to talk, laugh, and enjoy this meal with you. I don’t want to be judged for being rich, any more than someone who’s poor wants to be judged.”
His plaintive tone got to me. I could sense his insecurity, and it touched me. “Okay.”
Some tension left his face. “I’m still just the same guy you gave a surfing lesson to.”
I hesitated. “True. You’re just a guy who ate it big-time on little baby waves, over and over again.”
“Hey, don’t mock me.” His lips twitched.
“I’m just playing. You did great.”
We smiled at each other, and some of my earlier nerves faded. He might be rich as fuck, but he was just a man looking for some companionship. I understood that. I understood men. “I don’t know much about your family. I know your chocolates are famous, but I don’t know anything about the people behind the candy.”
He sipped his beer, watching me over the bottle. When he set his drink down, he leaned his elbows on the table. “What would you like to know?”
“Any brothers or sisters?”
“Nope. It’s just me.” His tense expression returned.
“Is that a bad thing?” I’d never had any siblings, or at least, none I knew of. Would my life have been different if I’d had a brother or a sister? Or would being thrown out of my home have been even more painful because I’d have had to leave them behind?
“It’s not a bad thing, but it does put a lot more pressure on me. As the sole heir to the Trenton fortune, I have certain obligations.”
“Sure. I guess that would be true.”
We were interrupted when Freddy walked up to the table. I gave him my food order, and he turned his cheerful gaze on Tanner. “Do you know what you’d like?”
Tanner frowned. “I’m torn between the seafood fritters or the lobster roll.” He met my gaze. “What do you suggest?”
“I’d go for the lobster roll. It’s rad.”
He grinned and turned to Freddy. “I’ll have the lobster roll. I hear it’s totally rad.”
Freddy chuckled. “Fries or asparagus?”
