Read Online Crave: A BWWM Romance by Sadie Black - Free Book Online Page B

ladies were lovely.”
    I paused and took a tour through memory lane. Three years after Mom’s death, he had tried to clamber back onto the wagon. Most of what he’d described of the date made it sound like a lovely evening. But then he started complaining that he didn’t like the way she’d ordered her meal. He hated how she pronounced gnocchi with too much ‘o’. Apparently, and this was news to me, that makes a date completely unsuitable for further consideration.
    His second date was with a gorgeous socialite. Five years after Mom’s death, Dad took her to a museum and the park. By all accounts, it should have been a lovely date. However, she liked juice cleanses. I remembered Dad calling me in a huff, exclaiming that he could never love a woman on a cleanse.
    His third date was probably the most promising. Seven years after Mom’s death he went to the Arboretum and, later, to an Italian bistro in the North End with an adorable bookshop owner. That one ended with a kiss. When Dad told me, I thought he’d finally found someone he could explore a relationship with. Alas, she was two inches too short. Unbeknownst to me, my Dad has an ideal height range and she didn’t make the cut.
    “So what’s wrong with this one?” I didn’t hesitate to ask.
    “Nothing. She’s perfect. She’s beautiful and free-spirited.”
    “Does she like cleanses?”
    “No. But it would be ok if she did.”
    “Really? So is this true love?” I smirked over my nearly empty martini glass.
    “You know. I think so.”
    What? True love? In ten years, he can’t find a woman he can stand. He spends one trip with one and suddenly they’re meant to be?
    “So…Dad…I gotta ask.”
    “Ask away. I’m an open book.”
    “Are you still drunk from Vegas?”
    “No. But that is neither here nor there. I love her sober. I love her drunk.”
    I had to lean back for a second. I caught myself praying that a cardinal would flutter by the window and change the subject. Something wasn’t adding up here and it made me very uncomfortable. After a few moments of respite, I thought I had the answer.
    “I get it. I do. You had a great trip with a woman in an exotic place. You remember her fondly because you know you’ll never see her again. It’s a big step forward for you Dad, it really is.” I tried to look impressed, but my head was still spinning.
    “Actually. She lives in the area. On Monday, I would like you to meet her.”
    I supposed this must be what going crazy feels like. Meet her? Monday?
    “I can’t Dad. There’s only a week before the restaurant opens. Moneka will kill me if I take off. Even for an hour.”
    “Well, it would be longer than an hour. It’s really important to me, Cole. You recall my track record? This is a big deal.”
    I did recall his track record, in vivid, Technicolor hilarity. I wasn’t just bullshitting though. Moneka might actually kill me if I disappear during the week.
    “I can maybe do it if I have permission to tell Moneka that you’re dying from a wasting disease. I think that would be enough of a family emergency.”
    “Very funny. Just tell her I had a heart attack, we can fake that.”
    “Done. So what’s happening on Monday that you need me for the whole day anyway?”
    “Oh. She’s moving in.”
    I gave up. He was obviously messing with me at this point. I wondered how far he was going to try and take it. Did he have an actress lined up with a bunch of stuff piled in a truck? Why did he feel the need to tease me anyway?
    “Very funny Dad. You really had me going there. And I thought you’d finally moved on.” I finished off the martini and placed it down with emphasis. “I’m going to go get another drink. When I come back, I want to know how Vegas really went.” I began to rise from my chair when I noticed a stern look on my father’s face.
    “I am telling you how it really went,” he said. “I met a woman early on in my trip. We hit it off. We spent the time together. We fell