Wanting to Remember, Trying to Forget (Meet the Shepards #1) Read online

  Her heels clicked on the black and gold marble tiles and she found herself noticing every detail of the restaurant as an attempt to stop her discomfort. The ceilings were high and angels had been engraved in it with delicate expertise. A dimly lit crystal chandelier hung from the center of the roof and it was the slight luminous glow that gave the entire place a romantic atmosphere. Plush tablecloths were laid over the tables, alternating between black and white, and low-set candles were placed in the middle of each of those tables.

  They were led to the far side of the restaurant to a secluded table near the window overlooking the ocean.

  “I asked for this table,” Richard said. “I wanted some privacy. I haven’t seen my baby in weeks and I wanted you all to myself.”

  Danny smiled. She knew it was probably the dorky smile that made her look like an idiot but she didn’t care. That was all she needed to hear to set her mind at ease.

  He pulled out the chair for her and waited for her to be seated before he sat down. He was such a gentleman, always making sure that she was taken care of.

  The maître d’ set their menus down in front of them and then the plastic smile reared its ugly head once again. “Your waitress will be with you momentarily.” She turned around and after a moment’s thought, she turned back to them again. “Mister Fox,” she began nervously, “may I have your autograph?”

  Danny shook her head. It was the same thing every time they went out. He was not the A-class kind of celebrity who was constantly hounded by the Paparazzi, but he definitely had his fair share of fans.

  “Sure,” Richard said, taking out the pen that he always carried around with him in case such a situation presented itself. The hostess pulled out a piece of paper, he signed it, and then they were finally alone.

  He reached over the table and took her hand. “So how are you, sweetheart? It seems like I haven’t seen you in ages.”

  Danny tried to smile and almost got it right. “You haven’t.”

  “What?”

  “You haven’t seen me in ages.”

  “I’m sorry. Things have been a little crazy. I promise I’ll make it up to you.”

  “Watch yourself, Richard,” she teased. “I might just hold you to that promise.”

  He lifted her hand to his lips and kissed each one of her fingers. “I hope you do.”

  The waitress arrived and he was forced to release her hand. She was tall and slender, wearing a tight black skirt, a white shirt, and a black tie, but even the simple attire of her uniform took nothing away from her natural beauty.

  “Hi, I’m Melissa,” she said sweetly. “I’ll be your waitress this evening.”

  “Hi, Melissa,” Richard said with an easy smile. “We’ll have a bottle of your finest wine. Only the best for my baby.”

  Danny lifted her hand to protest and Richard looked at her questioningly. “Is something the matter?”

  She sighed and cast her gaze to the floor to hide the hurt on her face. She hated wine. She hated alcohol in general after that one rebellious night in college, the only exception being a stiff shot of tequila on a really bad day. She had told Richard twice before that she wasn’t much of a drinker and she especially didn’t like mixing alcohol with food. It probably just slipped his mind. “It’s nothing,” she said.

  Once Melissa left to get their drinks, she decided that maybe she was being a tad bit tetchy and she wanted to enjoy herself. She needed to lighten the mood. “How was Miami?”

  “It was amazing, basically a six-week party. Our shoots were scheduled between nine and eleven in the morning and once that was over, we had the rest of the day to relax. We just lazed on the beach, sipping cocktails.”

  All she could hear was Max’s voice at the back of her head, shouting “Really demanding job, huh?”

  “Oh.” She faked another smile. “Sounds like fun.”

  “I would have come back to see you,” he added quickly. “I begged my agent for just one weekend to come back here, but he blatantly refused.”

  “You could’ve called,” Danny retorted, her response soft but jagged.

  Richard opened his mouth to defend himself but seemed to be at a loss for words. Melissa was his saving grace. She arrived with a bottle of wine and two wine goblets. She placed one in front of each of them, then filled it midway with the crisp red liquor.

  “Are you ready to order?” Melissa asked, pulling out a small notepad and pen from her apron.

  “I’ll have the chef’s specialty tonight,” Richard responded.

  “I’ll have the butternut soup,” Danny said, having completely lost her appetite.

  Melissa left again and Richard tried to change the topic of conversation as fast as possible. “So what’s new?”

  “Well,” Danny began apprehensively, “I…uh…moved in with Max about three weeks ago.”

  “Oh.” He smiled, but it was a smile that was dripping with bitter sarcasm. “You just thought you’d get closer to the best friend who can’t stand me?”

  “It’s just more convenient, that’s all. We moved offices and…”

  “You don’t have to explain. I don’t feel threatened by a guy like Max. I just think that living with him is going to cause problems…between us. He hates me, Danny.”

  “He does not hate you, Richard. He’s just protective.”

  Richard smiled and leaned back in his chair. “I think he has a crush on you.”

  He winked at her and her stomach tightened. She felt shy all of sudden and could not decide what the root of it was. Was it the way Richard was looking at her with those gorgeous green eyes or… was it possibly the fact Max might have a crush on her? No, she told herself. It definitely was not the latter. That was just ridiculous.

  She tried to shake the feeling, but somehow her mind kept hopping back to when she had kissed him earlier, the kiss that had ended so awkwardly. She recalled every detail. It was supposed to be a simple kiss on the cheek. Nothing out of the ordinary, but then his hand had slipped onto the small of her back, the warmth of it taking all her troubles away and just for that moment nothing else mattered except for his skin beneath her lips. She had kissed him so many times before and yet somehow it was different. He smelled so good. He smelled the same every day and yet earlier tonight it was different. His scent had beckoned to her senses. Her nose drank him in, wanting to get lost in that fragrance. She took a deep breath, still lost in that moment before she realized what she was doing.

  “You’re cute when you’re shy,” Richard said, bringing her back to reality. He leaned forward again and cupped her chin. “I really missed you.”

  His lips were moving towards hers and she forced the thoughts of Max out of her head. He kissed her and she remembered how much she loved him. He was such a good kisser and that was everything a kiss should be. Sensual and satisfying, gentle and demanding all at the same time. He lifted his head a fraction and looked at her. “You look beautiful tonight,” he whispered.

  Danny smiled. This date might have started off a little rocky but she had a feeling that Richard was on his way to redeeming himself.

  * * *

  Three hours later, Danny stood outside her apartment door. Things had gone along perfectly until a few short minutes ago. She still felt so perturbed. “You didn’t have to follow me home,” she told Richard, who was standing behind her. She slowly turned to face him. “I had a really great time.”

  “I’d believe you if you didn’t look so sad.” Richard took her hand and lifted it to his lips. “What’s the matter?”

  “Something’s been troubling me since we left the restaurant.”

  “You can tell me.”

  Danny suddenly felt a little silly. It was very possible that her insecurities were the root of this. “It’s just…” She exhaled slowly. “It’s just that when I was in the ladies room, I heard Melissa telling one of the other waitresses that you asked for her number and…Why? Why would you ask for her number?”

  Richard seemed slightly take
n aback by the attack. “Danny, Melissa wants to be a model. The last time I was in town, she asked me to organize a meeting with her and my agent, Carl. Carl agreed. I only took it so I could give it to him on Thursday.”

  “Oh.” She smiled, feeling rather sheepish.

  “Sweetheart, are you feeling insecure or something? You’ve been dissecting everything I do tonight.”

  “I know…I’m sorry. I just haven’t seen you in a while…and then I heard this thing with Melissa and…”

  “It’s okay.” He pulled her into his strong arms and hugged her tight. “I understand, but there’s something you should understand. You are my one and only. I have no interest in Melissa or any other woman for that matter.”

  She nodded and he bent his head to hers. The kiss that followed was nothing short of amazing. His lips moved seductively over hers. She felt the muscles in her tummy tighten. His mouth moved down her neck. His fingers twisted into her hair. “I want you so bad,” he said hoarsely.

  She was lost in the whirlwind of emotion, lust and desire, but when his hand moved up to cup her breast, she jerked back and broke the kiss. “Richard,” she said breathlessly.

  He scanned her up and down with smoky green eyes that showed his exact intentions. “Let’s go inside,” he suggested deviously.

  “Max is in there.” Her voice sounded constricted, helpless almost, a tell-tale sign that she was looking for an excuse. Maybe she was just a hopeless romantic, but she actually didn’t want her first time to be so rushed and more importantly, she didn’t want her best friend sleeping in the very next room.

  “He’s probably already asleep,” Richard said, dipping his head towards her again. His hand moved to her breast once more but this time his fingers slid beneath the material of her black dress.

  “Richard, please!” She backed away from him and crossed her arms awkwardly over her chest. Her cheeks felt hot and the embarrassment brought tears to the brink of falling “I thought we agreed to take things slow.”

  “Slow?” He repeated the word with an anger she had never seen before. “I think that dating someone for nine months and never moving past first base is taking it at a snail’s pace, don’t you agree?”

  “Just try to be patient.”

  “Fine.” He lifted both hands and coolly started backing away. “I care about you, Danny, so I’m willing to wait, but bear in mind I am not a patient man.” He turned around and stalked off.

  Danny slumped against the door once she was inside. She was beyond confused. If Richard loved her, he wouldn’t mind waiting. Then again, if Richard loved her, he would want to be closer to her in every way. Of course, he was frustrated. She always denied all of his advances. She stuck to first base because that was all she knew. Richard was one of the hottest men on the planet and there was no doubt in her mind that he had been with a lot of women before her. That’s what made this entire situation so difficult.

  She sighed as she walked to the bathroom. Ten minutes later, she was plain and simple Danny again. She looked at herself in the mirror, her dark brown hair tied back in a ponytail, the make-up removed off her face. There was nothing special about her. She should actually count herself lucky that Richard had even bothered giving her a second glance. She felt emotionally exhausted and all she wanted to do was climb into bed and forget this whole ordeal.

  She walked out of the bathroom and heard the slight muffles of the television. As she entered the living room, she saw Max sitting by himself in the dark. She would have noticed him when she came in had she not been so preoccupied. She moved to stand between the sofa and the purposeless dining table. “Hey, Max. You’re still up?”

  He allowed his head to fall back against the backrest so he could look up at her. “Yeah. It just felt weird going to bed knowing that you weren’t home.”

  Home. That one word brought comfort over her that she had not known could be felt so easily, especially after what had happened tonight. She smiled. He was so thoughtful without even realizing it. She looked at the screen and encountered a commercial for an ointment that was supposed to cure athletes’ foot. “Anything good on tonight?”

  “Jerry Maguire, actually. It’s on an ad break now.”

  “Really? I love that movie. I’m gonna get some ice cream. You want some?”

  He nodded and she walked out of the living room to the kitchen and headed straight for the freezer. The pots were still on the stove. He had not touched the dinner he cooked for her. She tried to not acknowledge it but she felt so guilty. She stood there for a long while, staring at the pots. Maybe it wasn’t guilt. What it was, she couldn’t really put her finger on but she was pretty sure that the twinge inside her was not caused by guilt.

  Forcing herself to brush it off, she emptied a generous portion of chocolate ice cream into two bowls and walked back to the living room. “So you’re watching Jerry Maguire?” Skepticism raised her eyebrows as she handed him a bowl.

  “Yeah. You’ve been nagging me to watch it and I decided to give it a try. I had nothing better to do.”

  Again, the twinge attacked her insides. “And?” she urged, trying to distract herself from her own thoughts.

  “And so far, I’m enjoying it.”

  She sat down beside him and pulled his arm around her. Max tightened his hold and kissed the side of her head. It was obvious that he knew something was wrong, but he chose not to say anything. That was something that had always fascinated her about him. He somehow always knew when she didn’t want to talk, when words were cumbersome and a simple hug was enough.

  Danny settled herself against the sofa to enjoy the rest of the movie. She snuggled into his arm and sighed, finally relaxing.

  It was amazing. She had dated nine men in the past six years and before, after and during each relationship, the comfort she sought could only be found in these particular arms. These arms had carried her into her dorm room the night she had been too drunk to stand. These arms had taken on Anthony Townsend after he had spread rumors about her. These arms had held her night after night as she cried when Jake passed away. And in these arms was probably the best place in the world she could be right now.

  February

  “Would you two speed it up please,” Danny muttered irritably as they walked towards the conference room.

  “I can’t believe we gave up another weekend of gaming for this,” Charlie whispered to Max.

  “Next weekend, I promise,” Max whispered back.

  Even though they tried to keep their voices low, Danny still overheard them. “You have no right to complain,” she said, glancing back at Charlie. “You were only invited because Max didn’t wanna ditch you again.”

  “Back off, Satan!” He placed one index finger over the other in the shape of a cross in front of his face. “I have holy water stashed in my pocket, too.”

  Danny bared her teeth and hissed at him like a cat ready to attack. Charlie had a habit of always conversing with her as if she were Satan’s little helper. Sometimes, like now, he would go as far as referring to her as the devil himself. He didn’t try to hide the fact that he didn’t like her and she didn’t hide the fact that she despised him. They had a very hateful relationship, which they were both quite comfortable with. Max was the only one who did not understand the dynamics of their relationship, but that was probably because he constantly had to play referee.

  “Cool it, guys,” Max said sternly. “We’re all here for the children.”

  They walked into the large conference room and Danny took a deep breath, feeling very proud of herself. Lauren had decided to host a dinner and dance party as an attempt to raise money for children with special needs. After the last two functions had gone off without a hitch, Lauren had entrusted Danny to plan yet a third event, and as she took in all the details, she knew she had done a fantastic job.

  The conference room, which was big enough to cater for the two hundred benefactors she had invited, was expertly decorated in black and lime. Fairy lights hung across t
he walls and ceilings, giving the entire place an electric, magical feel. The waiters were scurrying around, placing cocktail snacks and other refreshments on the tables, while the DJ tested his sound equipment.

  Danny glanced at her cell phone. 18:35. It was almost time. She recounted her mental checklist and nothing seemed missing or out of place. Perfect! She had just enough time to freshen up. She tugged off her cardigan and hung it over the back of the chair. She left Max and Charlie at the table, went to the restroom, and quickly touched up her make-up. She adjusted the straps of the powder-blue dress she wore. It was a light, airy dress, perfect for the evening of dancing she had planned. It was not tight, but it snugly hugged her abdomen before flaring out at the waist, accentuating her small frame. She ran her hand through her long, dark brown hair as an attempt to neaten it as she headed out the door.

  When she returned to the table, Amber was already there, sitting next to Charlie. She seated herself next to Max. Lauren, her husband Jeffrey, and Jen sat down at a table in the front of the room. Lauren would be making an introductory speech soon and thus had asked for the table closest to the podium.

  “You did a really great job,” Max commented, scanning the room.

  “Yeah, this place looks amazing,” Amber agreed.

  “What’s amazing is that you actually found time to do all this,” Charlie said, looking almost impressed. “I mean, in between sacrificing children and buying peoples’ souls.”

  “Eat a dick, Charlie!” Danny retorted and turned her attention to Max. “Why do you even hang out with this loser?”

  “For the sheer enjoyment of watching you two fight.” He smiled, his dimple showing ever so slightly.

  He looked incredibly handsome tonight in a black suit and a bow tie. She had only seen him in formal wear a handful of times, but it was definitely something she could get used to.

  The waiters came around serving starters, a variation of halloumi cheese, Greek salad, or butternut and leek soup. Danny decided to take the halloumi cheese while the rest of them settled on the soup. After starters, Lauren addressed the attendees, thanking them for their generous contributions and hyping them for the party to come.