“Just try it, darling,” I spat back.
“If you’re not ready by the time I get there, you might get your wish.”
“Grant—”
“See you soon.”
The line went dead, and I glowered at the phone. I didn’t even know what to wear to this Valentine’s Day date. Since when were we going into the city anyway? Ugh! I had a horrible feeling about this.
I spent my afternoon trying to figure out where Grant was taking me. It was better than obsessing over the B staring back at me from my desk. There had to be a way for me to make that grade up. I couldn’t get halfway into the semester with a B average.
Oh my God! Here I was obsessing all over again. I glared at my test and then flipped the paper upside down, so it couldn’t continue to mock me.
Back to Grant.
What kind of Valentine’s Day would Grant McDermott plan?
I Googled Valentine’s Day dates in New York City, and an insane list populated, including everything from ice-skating and a horse-drawn carriage around Central Park to hot chocolate and Netflix. There was no way he was going to do any of these cheesy romantic things. That was so not Grant.
After late-night swimming at a hotel, horseback riding, and watching a sunset on the beach last year…maybe I was wrong?
Nah, he’d be more likely to take me to some concert in the city. I wondered who was playing. As I was investigating all the possible concerts we could attend, my phone buzzed with a message.
Be there in twenty. I brought handcuffs. I hope I need them.
My cheeks heated. That damn man could make me blush over a freaking text message.
I exited out of the phone and went to get ready. I only had twenty minutes, and I spent most of the time straightening out my hair in the bathroom and the other time debating between my pink cardigan and my cream sweater. I decided on the sweater as I heard a knock on the door.
“I got it!” I called out.
Gabi had already left for her plans with McAvoy. In a few hours, Cheyenne and Shelby were going to some anti-Valentine’s Day party off-campus that would basically result in everyone coupling up with strangers.
I opened the door, and my jaw dropped.
Grant was in a tuxedo.
I blinked.
He was still in a tuxedo.
I blinked again. It wasn’t going away.
“Hey, Princess,” he said with that signature smug smile.
“What are you wearing?”
“You’ve never seen one before? I find that surprising.”
“I’ve seen a tux but…not on you.”
He leaned down and planted a firm kiss on my lips. “I wanted tonight to be special.”
I glanced down at my cream sweater and cringed. I hadn’t thought he would want to do something…fancy. It was completely uncharacteristic.
“Just…give me a minute.”
I ducked back into my bedroom, undressed, and tossed my sweater and jeans onto my bed. Ugh! I had not been prepared for this. After rummaging through my closet, I located a short black dress my mother had bought me the last time she and my father had been in Paris. She had insisted I bring it with me to college. It was coming in handy now.
There was no time to change my hair or makeup. I slid on a pair of high heels, grabbed my peacoat and black clutch, and then hurried out of my room.
“Wow,” Grant murmured when I walked into the room.
“Good wow or bad wow?”
“You look amazing.”
“Thanks. I did what I could on short notice.”
“Sorry. I should have forewarned you, but I wanted it to be a surprise.”
He gestured for the door, and he followed me out into the brisk evening air.
“Where exactly are you taking me?”
“You’ll see.”
I shrugged. It was much colder out without my sweater and jeans, but I guessed if he wanted to do this, then I’d play along. He really didn’t have to though.
A black town car was parked on the street, and I glanced around. “Where’s the truck?”
“No truck tonight.”
The driver hopped out of the front seat and opened the back door.
Oh.
Oh!
My brain wasn’t catching up quickly enough with what I was seeing. “You got a car? To drive us into the city?”
“Don’t act so shocked,” he said. “I can afford to do nice things for you.”
“Of course you can. I didn’t think you would want to.”
“That I wouldn’t want to do nice things for you?”
“No,” I said plainly. God. I needed to get myself together. I wasn’t trying to insult him. I was trying to understand. “That you’d want to get all dressed up. Ignore me. I’ll get in the car now.”
Grant climbed in after me, and then we were off.
I couldn’t believe the things I’d said and the way I had acted. Yes, it was surprising he had shown up in a tuxedo and was driving me to New York City in a town car. Wouldn’t most girls be jumping up and down for this?
I couldn’t place where my unease originated. It was probably a result of the bad grade I’d gotten today, and I was simply being dramatic. That was what I was going with.
The traffic into the city was horrendous, thanks to the holiday weekend, and it took us forever to make it to our destination. I was jittery by the time we pulled up, and I was anxious to find out where we were.
When the car door opened and I stepped out onto the noisy city street, I teetered on my heels in anticipation. Grant slid his hands over my eyes. His breath was hot against my ear, and it sent a shiver up my spine. Where had this all come from? What had happened to my manwhore rock-star boyfriend?
“Ready?” he breathed.
I nodded.
He walked me inside a building, into an elevator, pressed me back against the wall, and then dropped his mouth down onto mine. I returned his kiss that was layered with a hint of desperation and desire with my own need for him.
We broke apart as the elevator dinged before opening to our destination.
My face fell. Oh.
“Surprise!”
Orchids filled the room of the restaurant with the same name, and they assaulted my senses. I’d been to Orchids more times than I could count. When my dad did business in the city, we always ended up at Orchids. It was one of the nicest places in the city, and they catered to a certain clientele that made me wonder what kind of backroom deals Grant must have done to get us seated on such a prominent holiday.
I immediately felt bad for thinking it. He was trying to do right by me. It was sweet, charming. He was treating me like the princess he always called me.