Who Wants to Marry A Billionaire?(38)
Taking the brush from her hands, he eased her to the floor between his legs as he sat on the bed, and began brushing her hair is slow, soothing strokes. “Everything is okay. It’s all going to be okay. Do you trust me?” And Nina felt her head nodding up and down. She did trust Daniel, and she was just as responsible for their rum-fueled episode as he was, so she didn’t have any reason to be mad at him. “Just because we needed a little liquid courage last night, doesn’t make what happened any less real. But if you want to slow things down, I’m okay with that. Let’s do the deal, and then we can date like normal people, how about that?”
Nina looked at the giant emerald on her ring finger, and had no idea what to do about that. “But you’re not a normal person Daniel. You’ll never be a normal person. You’re a billionaire’s son.”
“And that disqualifies me from being interested in Nina Alves? I don’t think so.” He put the brush down and gently rubbed her shoulders, “Nina, you’ve got to relax. Let’s go have some brunch. Maybe Arturo is back and you can meet him. Despite his opinion of me, I really like the guy.”
“Okay, you’re right, I’m wound up, I just need to shake it off. But Daniel, what is it with you and Elsa? Why are the two of you so close?”
Daniel’s hands grew still and he rested them on Nina’s shoulders. “When I was a kid, I mean little, like five, my Mom had a kind of nervous breakdown. She was homesick for France, she had this crazy little boy running around, my Dad was always gone, and she was really sick. My mom…had bulimia. She was from a normal middle class family, and as Dad got more and more wealthy, I think she felt like she had to be perfect, and the pressure was too much. At any rate, Elsa was the person that was there for me. She’d gone to Harvard with Dad, and then she came to work for him in the early days. They’d known each other forever, and my Mom was gone for a really long time getting treatment. So I guess Elsa is the person I’ve always told my secrets to, the person who didn’t require me to be perfect.”
Nina wrapped an arm around Daniel’s leg, “But your parents, they’re okay now?”
Daniel cleared his throat and sniffed, and Nina realized he was trying not to cry. “Yeah, they’re great. And I know they love me—but there’s always this background pressure for me to live up to their high expectations. Whenever I screw up, they act so…disappointed. I’m tired of feeling like I’m still five years old. That’s why this deal means so much to me.”
“I get it, I do. Okay, let’s go buy an eco-resort.”
“I’m glad you’re here Nina, and not just because I need you to impress Arturo, you make me feel like there’s hope for me.” He swallowed hard, and then smiled as he leaned his head down to Nina. “Alright, first brunch, and then a deal. You can’t do business on an empty stomach.”
They spruced themselves up and then headed over to the restaurant’s veranda. Nina looked at the menu, “You know, for being kind of hung over, I’m really hungry.”
“Me too,” Daniel said. If you’ll get the giant omelet, I’ll get pancakes and we can share.”
The food arrived and Nina and Daniel launched into it, eating with gusto, when an older man approached the table.
Daniel put his flatware down with a clatter and stood up suddenly, ‘Arturo! Welcome back. How is your new grandchild? Boy or girl?”
“A little girl, Paloma, everyone is doing well, thank you for asking.” He turned to Nina, “And who is your charming companion?”
“This is my fiancé, Nina Alves, Nina this is Se?or Arturo Calderon.”
Nina half stood to shake his hand, “So pleased to meet you. The resort is amazing, we’ve been having a wonderful time.”
Daniel gestured to the empty chair at their table, “Please, join us, we were just going to ask for some more coffee.”
Arturo pulled the chair out and Nina considered Arturo. He was in his early 60s, very fit in a trim way, with thick black hair that was greying at the temples. He had bright, sharp eyes and she could tell that he was taking everything in; she also had the sense that he didn’t smile easily, but when he did, it would be like the sun coming out after a storm.
A waiter poured coffee for everyone, and Arturo stirred a little sugar into his. “So Nina, about the only thing I know about you is that you sit on an elephant well. Are you from Boston too?”
“Well, I live in Boston now, but I grew up in Lowell, Massachusetts. You could say it’s a little more blue collar.”
Nina could tell that piqued Arturo’s interest. “Are your parents still there?”
“My mom lives there, but she’s staying with me in Boston right now, my brother had an accident, and she’s looking after him. My father, who was Brazilian, passed away when I was three.”
“My condolences,” Arturo said very sincerely.
Nina nodded. “I went to college in western Massachusetts, and then I moved to Boston to work for the DeVere Foundation.”
Arturo nodded as he continued to thoughtfully stir his coffee, “So that’s how you and Daniel met?”
Nina and Daniel couldn’t help but look at each other and smile, “Yes.”
“Are you a hard worker Nina?”