Categories > Original > Romance > A Garrett for Christmas
CHAPTER FIVE
I decided not to allow my undignified display stop me from attending the concert.
Unless, I saw Him out and about where I would have to face that fiercely beautiful man.
At around six, I wheeled out to my car, glancing around and so nervous my chest hurt. I got into the backseat, folded my chair and laboriously dragged it in behind me. Then I pushed forward the front passenger’s seat and crawled through to the driver’s side. Exhausted, I laid my head back against the rest and caught my breath.
After a few minutes, I gathered my scattered wits and tattered courage. I unclipped my keys from my purse, stabbed the square VW into the ignition and turned on the car. I backed from my space, watching for 120’s boy who liked to rollerblade, then pulled Allegro Avenue. The short drive to the park passed quickly and as the original brochure had stated, valets waited to help handicapped guests. With my chair open and ready beside me, I easily managed the switch. I dropped my purse onto my lap, handed the fellow my keys and off I went.
A long sidewalk wound its way down to a cement pad curving around the front of the pavilion. Families and couples already filled the grassy area, chairs and sheets for seating, they talked and laughed as the string quartet arranged themselves up on the roofed, round gazebo-turned-stage. Something caught my eye and I gasped.
He walked up the concrete path toward me, strides determined, though not aggressive. “Don’t shout at me,” he said, deep voice carrying over the sounds of the crowd. I waited as he rounded and assumed control of my descent. “I apologize for swearing at you yesterday. I have no excuse for my behavior, Annabella.”
It disconcerted me terribly to hear him and feel him back there, but have no visual. “Just ‘Annie,” I replied. I noticed women’s heads swiveling, gazes fixing up him. It made me uncomfortable thinking about their musings. Doubtless they wondered to whom the Man God had lost a bet.
“I like your full name. It suits you.”
Before I could consider that, I saw a place at the edge of the reserved area still open. Next to it, a thick blanket spread across the grass held a cloth covered basket, outdoor pillows and a throw-type cover. I just knew him responsible and I could not form a coherent opinion toward his amazing, flattering attention.
He parked the chair on the hard surface and walked around in front of me. I hesitated then lifted my arms. It felt like coming home as he lifted me into his warm, very capable embrace. I encircled his neck, marveling at the texture of his skin and silkiness of his loose hair. His scent seduced me. For a moment, he stood just gazing down at me. “I don’t want to let you go,” he murmured.
I did not speak. With clear reluctance he turned, went down on one knee and set me upon the blanket. In this evening’s growing chill, I reached for the throw in a hurry. He tucked it in around me. I blushed at the solicitousness. Whispers rippled and I realized not only myself felt the effect. “Thank you.”
He reached out and stroked his fingertips along my shoulder. “Thank you, Lang.” He didn’t wait for my response, instead made himself comfortable close to me and began unpacking the big basket.
It seemed to continue far too long. My shyness temporarily overcome by curiosity, I leaned closer to peek into it. “Does it have a portal in the bottom?”
He chuckled, deep, silky-rough and swoon-worthy. My belly fluttered and so did the eyelashes of at least a dozen females. I imagined I felt the air stirred by it. “I didn’t know what you liked, so I pretty much ordered everything on the appetizer menu and a few sandwiches as well. Someone did a good job packing.”
He withdrew a bottle of wine, and I said, “I don’t drink.”
He seemed to study me. “I will drive you home and be with you until you’re behind a locked door. It’s okay.”
Until then I had not questioned my abstinence from alcohol. Something inside me relaxed a little. I nodded. He produced a stemmed glass wrapped in two napkins and then uncorked the wine. I watched the red liquid swirl roughly in the glass, recalling something from a cooking show about such treatment forcing wine to ‘breathe’ quickly.
My unexpected escort opened a container. “Like shrimp?”
“Very much.”
He continued, reading and opening, “Brie? Grilled steak with cheddar and roasted red peppers? Chicken satays?”
I agreed, he filled a large, heavy-duty paper plate and handed it to me with a napkin. “This is a linebacker’s portion,” I observed, accepting it all the same.
He smiled just slightly, quite enigmatic. “Do your best.”
The quartet warmed up, he mounded a plate and laid into it like one would expect of a man his size. I tasted everything, especially liking the grilled shrimp with mango-lime salsa. The wine surprised me, possessing notes of berry, plum and something spicy like lavender. I enjoyed it immensely, and as the first concerto began, I felt as if I had changed dimensions and entered some new world of decadent pleasures.
I decided not to allow my undignified display stop me from attending the concert.
Unless, I saw Him out and about where I would have to face that fiercely beautiful man.
At around six, I wheeled out to my car, glancing around and so nervous my chest hurt. I got into the backseat, folded my chair and laboriously dragged it in behind me. Then I pushed forward the front passenger’s seat and crawled through to the driver’s side. Exhausted, I laid my head back against the rest and caught my breath.
After a few minutes, I gathered my scattered wits and tattered courage. I unclipped my keys from my purse, stabbed the square VW into the ignition and turned on the car. I backed from my space, watching for 120’s boy who liked to rollerblade, then pulled Allegro Avenue. The short drive to the park passed quickly and as the original brochure had stated, valets waited to help handicapped guests. With my chair open and ready beside me, I easily managed the switch. I dropped my purse onto my lap, handed the fellow my keys and off I went.
A long sidewalk wound its way down to a cement pad curving around the front of the pavilion. Families and couples already filled the grassy area, chairs and sheets for seating, they talked and laughed as the string quartet arranged themselves up on the roofed, round gazebo-turned-stage. Something caught my eye and I gasped.
He walked up the concrete path toward me, strides determined, though not aggressive. “Don’t shout at me,” he said, deep voice carrying over the sounds of the crowd. I waited as he rounded and assumed control of my descent. “I apologize for swearing at you yesterday. I have no excuse for my behavior, Annabella.”
It disconcerted me terribly to hear him and feel him back there, but have no visual. “Just ‘Annie,” I replied. I noticed women’s heads swiveling, gazes fixing up him. It made me uncomfortable thinking about their musings. Doubtless they wondered to whom the Man God had lost a bet.
“I like your full name. It suits you.”
Before I could consider that, I saw a place at the edge of the reserved area still open. Next to it, a thick blanket spread across the grass held a cloth covered basket, outdoor pillows and a throw-type cover. I just knew him responsible and I could not form a coherent opinion toward his amazing, flattering attention.
He parked the chair on the hard surface and walked around in front of me. I hesitated then lifted my arms. It felt like coming home as he lifted me into his warm, very capable embrace. I encircled his neck, marveling at the texture of his skin and silkiness of his loose hair. His scent seduced me. For a moment, he stood just gazing down at me. “I don’t want to let you go,” he murmured.
I did not speak. With clear reluctance he turned, went down on one knee and set me upon the blanket. In this evening’s growing chill, I reached for the throw in a hurry. He tucked it in around me. I blushed at the solicitousness. Whispers rippled and I realized not only myself felt the effect. “Thank you.”
He reached out and stroked his fingertips along my shoulder. “Thank you, Lang.” He didn’t wait for my response, instead made himself comfortable close to me and began unpacking the big basket.
It seemed to continue far too long. My shyness temporarily overcome by curiosity, I leaned closer to peek into it. “Does it have a portal in the bottom?”
He chuckled, deep, silky-rough and swoon-worthy. My belly fluttered and so did the eyelashes of at least a dozen females. I imagined I felt the air stirred by it. “I didn’t know what you liked, so I pretty much ordered everything on the appetizer menu and a few sandwiches as well. Someone did a good job packing.”
He withdrew a bottle of wine, and I said, “I don’t drink.”
He seemed to study me. “I will drive you home and be with you until you’re behind a locked door. It’s okay.”
Until then I had not questioned my abstinence from alcohol. Something inside me relaxed a little. I nodded. He produced a stemmed glass wrapped in two napkins and then uncorked the wine. I watched the red liquid swirl roughly in the glass, recalling something from a cooking show about such treatment forcing wine to ‘breathe’ quickly.
My unexpected escort opened a container. “Like shrimp?”
“Very much.”
He continued, reading and opening, “Brie? Grilled steak with cheddar and roasted red peppers? Chicken satays?”
I agreed, he filled a large, heavy-duty paper plate and handed it to me with a napkin. “This is a linebacker’s portion,” I observed, accepting it all the same.
He smiled just slightly, quite enigmatic. “Do your best.”
The quartet warmed up, he mounded a plate and laid into it like one would expect of a man his size. I tasted everything, especially liking the grilled shrimp with mango-lime salsa. The wine surprised me, possessing notes of berry, plum and something spicy like lavender. I enjoyed it immensely, and as the first concerto began, I felt as if I had changed dimensions and entered some new world of decadent pleasures.
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