Page 49 of Dead Serious with Benefits
“I grew up in Portland until the age of eight. After that, I ended up in the foster care system for a little over a year. I was eventually located here in Cresson Point, where my now mother, Matilda, adopted me. As for work, I’m a funeral director.”
“Well, we certainly don’t hear that very often,” Eleanor said, narrowing her eyes. “Please do tell me, Ward, that you were not so tasteless as to invite this man because he was once a part of the foster system. That would be beneath you.”
“It’s nice to see that someone has some standards for me, low as they are,” Ward said wryly, but I could see fondness coming off him. Not that that was surprising; she was sharp of mind and tongue, but didn’t seem bothered by what she knew about him. “And no, that is not why he’s here. He’s here because I want him here.”
“You’re a handsome one...in a hard-to-describe sort of way,” Eleanor said, looking me over. “Has he seduced you yet?”
“I...suppose that depends on your definition,” I said carefully.
“Elly,” Aaron warned.
“You know what I mean,” she said, giving her husband a look. I had the feeling she was prepared to be far more blunt, but was playing nice for her husband’s sake.
“Seduced? No.”
“Seducing?”
“Yes.”
“I love that you’re honest. The last couple of dates I’ve seen him with attempted to pretend they would play hard to get. As if this one couldn’t charm the last penny off a destitute beggar if he wanted to,” Eleanor said with a wink at Ward.
“Destitute beggar is so close to redundant that it counts,” Ward told her.
“For you perhaps.”
I smiled at her. She reminded me of Matilda in many ways, though perhaps a little more...blunt. “What would be the point in pretending his charms aren’t working? I like to think that for whatever reason, he is equally charmed or near enough.”
“Considering he hasn’t been able to keep his eyes off you, I’d say you’ve charmed him more than most of the groupies he lets float around him.”
“Thank you, Elly,” Ward said with a sigh.
I glanced at him, amused. “I think she’s trying to make me feel better by insisting the chain is being tugged in both directions.”
He leaned in closer, turning so he could speak softly. “I’m more of a soft rope or scarf man, less chafing...but if you want something a little rougher, you won’t hear me complain, no matter which of us is...pulling the chain.”
“Good to know,” I said with a small smile that felt polite and interested. The fire that had flared to life in my gut in the limo was now sparking again.
“Oh, to be young,” Eleanor said and then turned. “Ah, the food. Excellent.”
“I hope you don’t mind,” Ward said as the food was wheeled up to the table, each plate covered and set before us before the lids were pulled off. “But I chose the meal for you.”
The dish in front of me appeared to be fish, skin still on it, and heat coming off it as it sat on a bed of vegetables and sauce. “You won’t see me turn my nose up at fish.”
“Chilean Sea Bass,” Eleanor said, revealing she had also ordered it. “I’m telling you, it’s everywhere now. You can’t go to a party without...for a reason, it’s quite good.”
It turned out she was absolutely correct. Once the skin was peeled away, steam and the fresh smell of the cooked fish rolled out. I couldn’t make out what was in the sauce, but it was rich with just enough of a lemon bite to make the taste glow rather than drown it. The herbs and vegetables turned the whole into the most perfectly balanced meal. Clearly, it wasn’t the drink that made it easy to get a prodigious belly in their world; even I could picture myself putting on a few pounds if I had food like this available at all times.
Now the introductions had been dealt with, Aaron and Eleanor proved to be good dinner companions. She was full of life and fire, while he was mellow and dignified. He occasionally had to dial her back, but she took it with good grace. I was also struck by the feeling that he seemed to feed off her energy as he talked more. Ward was good at keeping them engaged, never missing a beat in the conversation, allowing me to take in the sight and sound of everything, while still feeling comfortable enough to engage in the conversation.
Dessert was a fruit tart with the freshest berries I had tasted in a while, with a creamy, almost decadent custard, and crisp crust on the bottom. The drizzle of rich chocolate sauce on the top accented everything and made it shine. Ward watched me carefully as I worked through the food, and he seemed pleased by what he saw. I was glad, because it was a little difficult notto focus entirely on the food rather than the conversation, but thankfully, not impossible.
“Is there some sort of ceremony?” I wondered when the plates were taken.
“My mother will give a speech at the end, thanking everyone for coming and for their generosity. Said generosity being that they played a ridiculous amount of money to eat the food, drink the drinks, and feel better about themselves,” Ward said with a shrug. “Meanwhile, most of the money will disappear into various pockets on the way to the people we’re supposedly helping. Ultimately, the children will be lucky to see ten percent after the administrators and go-betweens dip their fingers into the pie.”
I eyed him, smiling a little. “And people say I can be morbid.”
“You are a ray of sunshine compared to half the things I don’t say,” he said, his hand sliding under the table to my thigh.
