Dream Me(34)

“Hi LeGrand!”

“That’s LeGrand?” Mai whispered again. “Hot!”

“Climb aboard,” he said.

Mai looked up at him and smiled.

“Actually, we have to be somewhere,” I said. The last thing I wanted to do was to run into Clyde Buell. “We have dinner reservations.”

Which we didn’t. The kind of places where Mai and I ate never even heard of the word reservation, even though they were always unbelievably busy. Mai pinched the back of my arm.

“Ow!” I couldn’t help myself. Thinking quickly, I bent over, “I have a pebble in my shoe.”

“Let me help you.” Mai stooped to angle her face close to mine. “What are you doing?” she hissed. “Let’s go on board and take a look around.”

“Remember the dirty old man I told you about—LeGrand’s father.”

“Uh oh. Sorry.”

We played around with my shoe for a while and then both of us stood up at the same time, probably looking like a couple of idiots.

“Please.” LeGrand was waiting patiently in the same spot, sipping his drink. “I’m so lonely because my parents are out for the night. Don’t you feel sorry for me?” His ironic smile was so sexy, and yet so maddening.

“Maybe just for a second,” I said when Mai bumped her shoulder against mine.

“Just stay and have dinner with me. Seriously.”

“Yeah, we should do that Babe. I think we missed our reservation anyway and they probably already gave it to someone else.”

“Okay, I guess you’re right.” I’d make her pay for this when it was all over.

__________

Of course The Lucky Lady was spectacular, even more so on the inside. Hardwood floors and walls. Even the king-sized platform beds were made of hardwood with built in matching dressers. Every bedroom was made up to look like a luxury hotel room complete with fresh cut flowers. I half expected to find a chocolate on the pillow—of course I’d only heard about that kind of hotel; I’d never actually experienced one myself.

The bathrooms all had fluffy, white towels which were probably never touched by a human hand more than once before being replaced with a clean towel. There was a game room with foosball, billiards, and a huge high-def television. The living room where LeGrand took us for before-dinner drinks was completely encircled by windows that were probably spectacular out on the open sea. He plopped down on one part of a white leather sectional that formed with two others to make a conversation area. Mai and I sat opposite from him squeezed up against each other with yards of space on either end. We were both equally intimidated after the tour.

“What will you have to drink?” LeGrand asked. “I’m drinking a mint julep.”

I had to control myself so I wouldn’t laugh out loud. Mint julep seemed like a cheesy joke. But I’d wanted to taste one just to see what it was like. Just a sip.

“Mint julep? Doesn’t that have alcohol in it?”

“Of course it does, Babe!” Mai, the jetsetter. “I’ll have a Dr. Pepper,” she added.

“Mint leaf, bourbon, sugar, and water,” LeGrand said. “Care to try one?”

“I’ll try one,” I said. “But . . . your parents allow you to drink?”

“We’re in international waters. Anything goes.” When neither Mai or I responded, he added, “that was supposed to be a joke. But my parents don’t care if I drink. They don’t care what I do.”

A young woman wearing a black polo shirt and a short, white skirt appeared out of nowhere, as though LeGrand had rung an invisible bell. She had the sun-kissed look of a person who spends a lot of time on a boat. I wondered whether Clyde had gotten his greasy palms on her, but she didn’t look like the type who would take shit from anyone. Maybe he didn’t play where he lived.

“Can I get you ladies something?” she asked.

“Thanks, Jessie. A Dr. Pepper for beautiful lady number one—I’m sorry, what was your name again?”

“Mai.”

“But you can call her Nuggins,” I laughed as Mai jabbed me with her elbow.

“Only Babe gets to call me that,” she said.

“A Dr. Pepper for Mai and a mint julep for Babe.”

“Got it. I’ll be right back with your drinks.”

“Excuse me,” I said. “Could you also bring another Dr. Pepper, because I literally only want one sip of the mint julep.”

“I’ll just bring you a small one in that case.” Jessie winked at me.

“Suit yourself,” LeGrand said. “No parents spying on you here.”

The mint julep tasted like what you’d expect bourbon, mint, and sugar to taste like. And one sip was more than enough for me.

__________

After drinks we moved to the dining room for dinner. This room was also pretty awesome with more of the reddish-colored hardwood floors and walls, and a black stone table surrounded by a bunch of ultracomfortable white armchairs trimmed in black leather. I worried that I might spill something on my chair or the white area rug underneath the table, but, fortunately, that didn’t happen.

The guy who served us dinner, a male version of Jessie, wore a short-sleeved black polo shirt with some nice white cargo shorts. Black polo tops and white bottoms, I guessed, were The Lucky Lady uniforms—very classy. Mai was clearly enjoying herself. It was obvious to me she liked LeGrand, the way she listened attentively to everything he said and laughed at all his jokes.