“No.” I shrug. “We just texted and I said I’d pick her up at seven.”
Val groans. “You are such a man. She’s probably expecting dinner and drinks, not a Hollywood premiere," she protests. "You need to tell her. At least give her some time to prepare. And get a dress..."
"I guess you’re right," I reply, thinking that the last thing I want is for Ellie to feel out of place. I was just hinking of the fact I want her in my arms. "What else do you know? Anything that you think I should be aware of?”
"Apart from the fact that she’s got nothing to do with your world and that if you do anything to mess up Tallie’s education, I’ll kill you?” she replies.
I grin at her, toss an arm around her shoulders. "Come on, sis, you know I would never," I protest.
She narrows her eyes, and I can tell that she doesn’t trust me. But she has no reason to worry.
Ellie is different. And I plan on making her mine. One look and I knew I was smitten. One conversation and I felt like the world was suddenly brighter. I wasn’t exaggerating about seeing fireworks.
"Just... be careful with her, all right?” she orders me.
"What do you mean?"
"She’s... there’s something about her that’s vulnerable," she explains. "Something... she came here because she lost her parents. She might not have the most solid grounding, even with all the time that’s passed. You want to make sure that you’re not going anything to make that worse, right?"
"Of course," I say. And I will take Val’s advice to heart. The last thing I want is to do anything to make a mess of this. As soon as I laid eyes on her, something had shifted inside of me, and I’m not willing to let that slip through my fingers, not a chance in hell.
"And you know, send her a dress," she tells me. "She’s not going to have anything to hand that’s going to do for a premiere like that. Least you can do is give her something pretty to wear."
"Yeah, good idea," I agree. I can call my assistant, Tammy, and get her to sort something out; I know she’ll be able to find something amazing on short notice, and I don’t want Ellie to walk into this thing feeling anything other than her best. I want her to feel like a princess.
"Thanks for the advice," I tell her, and I give her a quick hug and then go to say goodbye to Tallie, suddenly feeling like I have a lot to do before this evening.
At least the premiere isn’t as huge as it would be for the Mandolin series; this is just a smaller drama piece, the kind that I still like to do every now and then just to prove that I am more than capable of it. I know some critics like to write me off as nothing more than some pretty boy who’s just good at throwing his muscle around, but I know that there is way more to me than that.
Is it a strange way to start a first date? Maybe. I’m not sure how she’s going to react to it – I still haven’t told Ellie that I am sweeping her off to something this big, but I hope she’ll love it. The drinks, the good food, the schmoozing, the movie – holding hands in the dark, the way I used to when I was a teenager. Honestly, I can’t remember feeling this way about anyone since I was in my teens, and I am thoroughly enjoying how exciting it is to feel this buzzing want for someone again.
I’m not sure what it is about her that has set me on fire like this. I’m around some of the women who are considered the hottest property in the world, and sure, I can get on with them well, and I can appreciate their charisma – but there’s something about Ellie that makes me feel alive in a way that I haven’t for such a long time.
Her smile, bright, genuine, the way she giggles. The way she seems to tuck back strands of hair behind her ear as though she hardly even notices. The smattering of freckles over her nose, how much she seems to care about those kids that she looks after. All of it. All of it comes together into something that I am not sure I am going to be able to resist.
Once I’m sure that Tammy will have something on the way for Ellie, I get ready for the premiere, taking my time, picking out a suit and taking a long shower before I get dressed. I feel like the steam is burning something away, something that I didn’t know I needed to be rid of until now. But, by the time I get out, I feel like a new man.