CHAPTER 8
Daniel
I arrived at Layla’s townhome the next day to pick her up. I offered her a cup of peppermint mocha coffee from her shop and she hummed with delight. She was dressed in light-wash skinny jeans and a long-sleeved shirt that draped off one of her shoulders. She was a vision in clothes that were simply relaxed, and my body was already humming to feel her underneath my fingertips.
“Oh, thank you. That’s so good,” she said.
“I seem to hear that a lot from you,” I said.
“Ha-ha. So where are we headed first?” she asked.
“I figured an early lunch,” he said.
“Wonderful. I overslept so I haven’t eaten yet. Lead the way.”
I led her to my car and helped her in before we crossed town. There was this little diner my parents and I frequented all the time, and they always had the best fries. You could get them with many different seasoning salts and you could request them to be extra crispy. My mouth was watering on the spot the moment we pulled up, and Layla was bouncing in her seat with excitement.
“I love this place. Don’t judge me, but I’m getting an entire plate of fries to myself,” she said.
“Don’t worry. I plan on doing the same.”
We walked into the diner and took a seat in the back-corner booth. I wanted to be out of earshot of most people because I had something I wanted to tell her. I was nervous about saying it, because even as I admitted it to myself I knew it was insane. I’d only known this woman for a few days, but I knew she was different. Unlike any other woman I’d ever come into contact with. She was strong and steadfast, intelligent and independent. She wasn’t using me for my money and didn’t even want to talk about work while we were together. She was everything none of the other women in my life had ever been, and I couldn’t just let that go.
That would’ve made me an idiot.
“Before we order,” I said, “there’s something I’d like to say.”
“Okay,” she said. “What’s up?”
“Hello, you guys! Welcome to Colossal Diner. My name’s Emily, and I’ll—”
Layla interrupted.
“Emily. Hello. Thank you so much for getting to us so promptly. I know I’m just going to have water, and I think my date here will probably want the same. But, could you give us a few minutes, please?”
“Sure thing. I’ll be back with those waters,” the waitress said.
Layla turned her eyes back toward me and smiled.
“You were saying?”
I looked into her eyes, and knew I could never go back. The way she handled that situation was perfect. She was polite, concise, and not once did she insult the woman. I didn’t matter that I wanted soda instead of a water. What mattered was that I had told her I needed to talk with her before ordering, so she diverted an unwelcome scenario to make it happen.
And all without batting an eye.
“I don’t want to freak you out, okay?” I asked.
“Do you even remember yesterday in the coffee shop?” she asked. “There’s nothing you could say that could freak me out.”
“I just—Layla, I love being around you. I’ve always been a big proponent of creating your own fate. I’ve always subscribed to the theory that nothing is ever concrete except the concrete we mix and pour ourselves.”
“It’s a good way to live,” she said.
“But when I saw you in the coffee shop a few days ago, it was like I was drawn to you.”
Her eyes were dancing, and I could tell she was hooked.
“I don’t know how to explain it, but I’d never felt that way before. It was like there was this dire need to know you, and it’s what brought me back to ask for your number.”
“Well, I’m glad you did,” she said.
“Having you around and looking into your eyes—you’ve changed the way I view fate. There is no concrete I could’ve mixed on my own that would’ve brought the kind of woman you are into my life. And I—”
The words got caught in my throat. She was hanging onto every word, her hands squeezing mine as she urged me to continue. But I felt my resolve melting.
I didn’t want to frighten her away.
“And I’m so happy that I came back. Thank you for saying yes. For changing the way I view fate. For teaching me something about myself that I didn’t know before.”
“You’re welcome,” she said, smiling.
“Two waters for you both. You guys ready to order?” the waitress asked.
“Yes,” I said, trying to change the subject. “I would like a full order of extra crispy salt and vinegar fries and a B.L.T. with avocado, please.”
“And I would like a full order of extra crispy barbecue fries with a double-bacon cheeseburger,” Layla said.
“How would you like that cooked?”
“Medium,” Layla said, “and don’t go easy on the bacon.”
“I gotcha covered. I’ll get this order in and get it out to ya as fast as I can,” the waitress said.
Lunch was eaten in relative silence and part of me wondered if my speech had bothered her. She seemed to be enjoying herself, but she wasn’t her usual talkative self.
It bothered me a bit.
“Question,” she said.
“What’s up?” I asked.
“Do you have actual plans for us today?”
“Not really. I was flying by the seat of my pants. Why?” I asked.
“Because if you didn’t, I was going to invite you over to my parents’ house. I sort of told them last night when I was really tired that I would stop by for a bit.”
“Not a problem. Do they want anything from here?” I asked.
“Oh, I’m sure they’ll be fine. Thanks for asking, though.”
We finished our meal and I paid without a second thought, then we were off to her parents’ house. Her father was at work, but her mother and her sisters were all there. They were chatting it up, I guess, while their husbands were raking in the dough, and I could already tell this was going to be a doozy.
Especially since I recognized one of her sisters from school.
“Daniel? Is that you?” Ashley asked.
“Ashley Westin,” I said. “I don’t know why I didn’t put that together.”
Layla gave me a side-glance and I knew she read my mind. I didn’t put the two together because I didn’t want to. Ashley was a talker in school. A gossiper and an instigator of drama. She thrived on the shit, and I was not looking forward to catching up with her at all.
Ashley got up to give me a little hug and I returned the gesture in kind.
“You look wonderful. I didn’t know you knew Layla,” she said.
“We met at her coffee shop a few days ago,” I said.
“Such a small world. I’m Lindsay, by the way.”
“It’s wonderful to meet you. I’m Daniel,” I said.
“You already know Ashley and Layla. This is the oldest sister, Amanda, and this is our mother, Patrice.”
“It’s so nice to meet you all,” I said.
“Daniel! I’m sorry, I’m just a little shocked that our little Layla is bringing home a man. Sweetheart, you didn’t tell us you were seeing anyone,” Patrice said.
“Trust me, there’s a reason for that,” Layla said, grinning.
“Why don’t you come sit down with us and have a drink?” Amanda asked.
“Layla?”
I looked over at her and I could tell she was a little stressed at the situation. I stepped back toward her and wrapped my arm around her, then dipped my lips into her ear.
“If you want out, just say the word,” I said, whispering.
But she shook her head no, so I followed her cue.
“I would love to,” I said, smiling.
“Oh, yay! I love company,” Amanda said.
“Would you like a soda or some lemonade?” Patrice asked.
“Why don’t you surprise me? I love surprises,” I said.
“You’d have to if you’re with Layla,” Ashley said.
“Trust me, I do.”
I looked down at Layla and she began blushing again. The conversation flowed between all of us and Layla seemed to loosen up. I could see the tension slowly diffusing from Layla’s body, but it wasn’t long before my cell phone rang out from my pocket.
And I recognized the fucking ringtone.
“I’m so sorry, ladies. Will you excuse me? Someone from my company is calling,” I said.
“His company!?” Ashley said, squealing.
“Do you own a company?” Lindsay asked.
“I’ll be just a second,” I said, as I kissed Layla’s forehead.
“What?” I asked as I stepped out of the room. “What is it now?”
“Dude. You gotta get back here. It’s an absolute mess.”
“Brady. What in the world could be so wrong with a publishing company?” I asked.
“We’ve been hacked. The first drafts of fifteen manuscripts have vanished.”
“Fuck. Come on, Brady. I hired you for a reason. What the hell’s going on?” I asked.
“I got in this morning, and it was a mess. I was able to retrieve shit from the hardware, but things are fried. And I’ve got no fucking clue who has copies of those manuscripts. If they get leaked, we’re sunk for this year,” he said.
“Look, I hired you to handle this shit so I could take care of my grandmother. If you can’t handle it, I’ll find someone who can. I’ll remote in with my laptop and see what I can do from here, but if I have to come back, you’re fired. Family is too important to me, and my grandmother isn’t well.”
“I’m sorry, Daniel. Just try to do what you can. I’ve got a couple of tech buddies of mine trying to figure out where these things went.”
I heard a door open, and I knew I had to get off the phone quick before my first impression with Layla’s family was ruined.
“When I can get back to my laptop, I’ll remote in and call you. Stay by your fucking phone and update me every step of the way,” I said.
I hung up the phone and went back into the room to find a man as tall as I was standing in the middle of it. He was hugging Layla tight before he kissed Patrice on her lips, and when he turned toward me I knew exactly who it was. Layla was the only daughter in the family who looked like her father.
“Mr. Westin,” I said.
“I take it you’re the Daniel my ladies are chattering about,” he said.
“Guilty as charged. It’s nice to meet you,” I said, as I held out my hand.
I shook the man’s hand and noticed he had a strong grip. He was a dominant force. A businessman. I dealt with his kind all damn day, and the confidence in my system began to surge. I met his grasp with an even pressure and looked him in the eye, then I waited until he broke the handshake and smiled.
“Well, I’m off work early today. Don’t know about my son-in-law’s, but I guess Patrice will have to put up with me for the afternoon,” he said.
“There’s no putting up with you. Trust me,” Patrice said. “My husband’s a loud, boisterous man.”
“So that’s where Layla gets it from,” I said, grinning.
“So you know my daughter well, then!”
Layla giggled and shook her head before I winked at her from across the room.
All of us gathered around in their living room and shot the shit for most of the afternoon. Layla’s mother kept the sodas and lemonade flowing while I got to know her family. They were warm and welcoming, full of jokes and wonderful stores of Layla as a child. She was embarrassed as all hell over the stories they were choosing, but I was loving every second of it.
Slipping my arm around her, I pulled her close just to make sure she knew I was on her side.
I started wondering what it would be like to live here again. The small-town atmosphere coupled with the fantastic food was quickly drawing me back into its gravitational pull. If I could get this shit resolved with my company, it would be easy for me to travel to Washington only when I needed to and live here for the rest of the year. That meant more time with Layla and her family, more time with my own family, and I could keep basking in the joy of my hometown.
But there was something I needed to tell Layla first. Something that would make up my mind faster than anything else.