Mama gave her a sympathetic look then turned her attention to him. “Charlie, you better treat her right. You don’t find ladies like this anymore. If only my Salvatore could find one like her.”
Rosslyn smiled and said, “I’m sure one day he’ll show up with the right one.”
Mama huffed. “He’s never brought a girl here. And you’re the first one our Charlie has brought here. Oh the joy that brings me.” She leaned over and hugged Rosslyn then did the same to him. “Now go before I don’t let you go.”
Charles knew she meant it. There was no stopping her once she got started. And it always had to start at the beginning, when she first came to this country when she was four. They would be there all night. Rosslyn might enjoy hearing them, but he probably could repeat the stories word for word.
“Tell Sal I said hi.” Charles knew she’d be calling him once they left. And he also knew Sal would be calling him to curse him out shortly after. Charles hadn’t meant to put the pressure on his friend, but it was on now.
Unfortunately, it wasn’t real. This might be a date, but not with the hope that it would actually go anywhere. Once he dropped the dime on Grayson to the feds, Rosslyn, as well as most of the employees there, were going to hate him. Their livelihood was going to be affected. Charles wished there was something he could do to avoid that, but some things were out of his control.
Maxwell didn’t give a shit about all the people who lost their jobs when he fucking lied about my father. That was the major difference. He wasn’t Maxwell. And ne never wanted to be compared to him either. Would Rosslyn see the difference? Maybe not. But he was going to do everything he could not to hurt her in the process. I don’t want any collateral damage, especially not for her.
As they left the restaurant, music was playing in the distance. The night was warm, not a cloud in the sky, and Rosslyn needed some distraction. So did he. It’d been a long time since he sat in the park and listened to the old-timers play. Actually so long that he wasn’t sure if those guys were the same ones. There was only one way to find out.
“What do you say? Want to kick off our shoes and lie in the grass for a while?”
Rosslyn shot him a funny look. “Are you serious?”
“I am.”
The joy in her eyes said it was exactly what she needed. “I’d love that.”
Charles reached out and took her hand in his. As they walked toward the commons, he said, “It’s nice to see you smiling again.”
“I’ve been smiling all night,” Rosslyn stated.
“I mean really smiling.”
“And you know the difference?” Rosslyn challenged.
I do with you.“You smile with your eyes.”
She shook her head. “We’ve only met a couple of times and you can read my emotions in my eyes?” He nodded. She stopped and said, “Then tell me what I’m thinking right now.”
Charles did as she said and looked into the most beautiful blue eyes he’d ever seen. They seemed to darken the longer he stared. Then he let her hand go, slipped his around her waist, and pulled her close. “They say you want me to kiss you until we don’t know our names. But this will need to suffice.” Before she could protest, he leaned over and kissed her.
Damn her lips were soft and tasty. He wanted more, so much more, but thankfully they were on the sidewalk and people were already beginning to talk. It was the old neighborhood after all. And it wouldn’t take long before this little kiss made it back to Mama. Of course, by then they would tell Mama he practically ravaged her on the street. Charles didn’t care, but he knew Rosslyn would.
Pulling back he watched as her eyes fluttered open. “I . . . um . . . we’re . . .”
“We’re going to be late for the fireworks if we don’t get moving.”
“You mean they haven’t started?” Rosslyn teased.
Oh, don’t tempt me, sweetheart.He smiled down at her, not answering. Instead he took her hand and headed toward the music again. It was hard to pull away. He didn’t care if they blew off going to the commons and went to his place instead. But that would cause a lot of questions he wasn’t ready to answer. Like my last name. He intentionally hadn’t mentioned it. And oddly, she hadn’t asked either. Did that mean she already knew?
Could Rosslyn actually be out with him trying to obtain information for Maxwell? Nothing would surprise him where Maxwell was concerned. And hell, he couldn’t be pissed at Rosslyn if that actually was the case. He had planned on doing that exact thing at first. Somewhere along the way, he’d forgotten why he was with her. Now I’m with her only because I want to be.
As Mama had so nicely told Rosslyn, Charles had never brought a woman to that restaurant. It had always been his escape. A place where he could be Charlie instead of Charles, even though he hated that name. But when he’d asked her to lunch, there was no doubt as to where he wanted to take her. Maybe Gareth is right. She’s more of a distraction than I can afford right now.
Once they rounded the bend and he saw her eyes light up, he knew he’d made the right choice. He guided her to his favorite spot for watching the fireworks. When he got there the trees were taller than he remembered, and the crowd a bit closer too. But there was room for the two of them, as though it had been saved.
As they sat on the grass and snuggled close, the sky lit up in a burst of colors and shapes, and he knew she was a distraction he couldn’t go without.
As they watched, Rosslyn turned to him and said, “You really surprised me, Charles.”
“Is that a good thing?” he asked.