Not knowing what to say, and out of fear I’ll botch the moment, I lean forward and place my lips on his one more time, then turn to walk toward the door.
“You ready?”
“I am.”
Whatever Drew’s going through, I’ll help him. I won’t allow anyone or anything to ruin this day. I’ll do what it takes to keep that smile on his face. As much as he’s helped me, I can do the same for him. I’ll be his lifeline when he needs it. And today appears to be one of those days.
33
Bailey
The weeks pass quickly. Drew and I have spent a lot of time together. During the day, we work side by side, and at night, we explore each other. We’ve still yet to make anything official, which is what’s best. I don’t want anyone at Silver to know about us. The thought of people thinking I slept my way to this position makes me cringe. I’ve worked my ass off, and nothing was happening between us when he offered it to me. We’re focusing on getting to know each other. Slow is a good thing. Slow is something I’ve never done before. We’re building a true relationship.
“What are you smiling about?” Drew asks, his lip quirking in a knowing grin.
I tap his shoulder with mine. “You. This. Us.” I shrug, and he chuckles, squeezing my hand.
With every day that goes by, I learn more and feel more for him. He’s pretty spectacular. Aside from the glitz and glamor that comes with being with Drew, he’s funny. He’s intelligent. He’s absolutely amazing with what he can do to my body.
“What about us?”
It’s my turn to chuckle. “Oh, you know . . . just how we’ve been secretly spending time together for over a month, and I’m having a hard time wrapping my head around it.”
He looks down at me, eyebrow raised. “You can’t wrap your head around what?” There’s a hint of apprehension in his tone that I don’t want to examine right now. Not when everything is going so perfect.
“Only because it feels like yesterday. As cliché as it sounds, time truly does fly when you’re having fun.” I smile, and he grins back at me.
And I truly mean it. Every day with Drew is just that . . . fun.
Today, we’re going on yet another date. Every Monday night during the summer, Bryant Park comes alive. In the center of the lawn, a large screen is erected, and a classic movie is played. It’s equal parts romantic and entertaining. Tonight, it’s a romantic comedy.
“My favorite,” I say out loud, not meaning to.
“What’s your favorite?” Drew asks, steering us toward the street.
“Romantic comedies. I can’t wait to watch this one.”
“Women,” he remarks, a smile in his voice.
As we walk across the street, I can’t help but smile. This date is pretty perfect, and it hasn’t even started yet. Once we find a clear spot on the grass, Drew spreads out a blanket he packed in the bag he put together. He pulls out a bottle of lemonade with two plastic cups next. Sneaky man. Then he opens a to-go bag and takes out the sushi, and I just about melt. Another favorite of mine. He’s always so thoughtful, and that never ceases to amaze me. I’ve never had someone put so much care into pleasing me, but Drew goes above and beyond.
Once we’re settled, we begin telling stories from our childhood. I share memories of my father with him, and with a mouth full of food, he tells me stories of his youth. I can’t help but fall even more for this man.
“So, Bailey, be honest. How did you like working at Silver?” He flashes me a wicked smile.
“Honestly?”
“Yes, of course. Just because I own it doesn’t mean you have to lie to me.”
I sigh.
“When I worked VIP . . . Well, I kind of hated it. All the people who go to your club kind of suck, Drew.” He bursts out laughing, and I follow suit. “I’m ready to move into the project management side of things.”
He smiles at me, his gaze lifting to the left in thought. “It’s funny how we’ve spent so much time together these past few weeks, yet we’ve never actually talked about the dumb stuff normal people talk about on dates.”
“We’ve talked about other things, though,” I say defensively.
“Yeah, of course, but I want to know more.” His brow raises.
“What are you getting at?” I probe.
“For instance, I know you hate working VIP, but I still don’t know what your favorite color is or where you went to college.”
I drop my gaze to my plastic cup filled with lemonade. “I dropped out,” I mumble, not lifting my eyes to meet his. I’m too embarrassed to see the judgment in his eyes.
“Bailey, look at me.”