heart at the sight of the tall, handsome man who stood directly in front of her. She squinted, sure she was seeing things. “Jake, is that you?”
“Who else were you expecting? Prince Charming?”
“You’re wearing a suit!” A gray one that could have been lifted directly from the pages of
GQ
, Lily realized in bemusement. The simple, understated color was perfect for Jake, emphasizing his broad shoulders and muscular build. “You look wonderful!”
Jake ran his finger along the inside of his collar as if he needed the extra room to breathe properly. “I don’t feel that way.”
“But why?” She’d never seen Jake in anything dressier than slacks and afisherman’s bulky-knit sweater.
“I don’t know. But knowing Rick, this party is bound to be an elaborate affair and it’s best to dress the part.”
Lily could hardly take her eyes from him. He looked dashing. Her gaze dropped to her own much-worn dress. “Am I overdressed? Underdressed? I don’t want to give the wrong impression.” Her insecurities dulled the deep brilliance of her eyes.
Jake glanced at her and shrugged. “You look all right.”
All right?
She’d spent half the day getting ready, fussing over each minute detail. “I hope you know you’re about as charming as the underside of a toad.”
“Hey, if you want romance, try Hugh Jackman. I ain’t your man.”
“You’re telling me!” she huffed.
“Are we going to this thing or not?” He held the taxi’s passenger door open for her, but didn’t wait until she was inside before walking around the front of the car.
The first ten minutes of the ride down Golden Gate Avenue past the Civic Center were spent in silence.
Lily felt obligated to ease the tension. Both were on edge. “I didn’t know you owned a suit.”
Jake’s response was a little short of a grunt. The expensive suit had been Elaine’s idea. She was the one who’d insisted he needed some decent clothes. She had dragged him around town to several exclusive men’s stores and fussed over him like a drone over a queen bee. He’d detested every second of it, but he’d been so crazy about her that he’d stood there like a stooge and done exactly as she dictated. His weak-mindedness shocked him now. In thinking over his short but fiery relationship with Elaine, Jake was dismayed by some of the things he’d allowed her to do to him. The last party he’d attended had been with Elaine. He’d sat back and listened as she introduced him to her phony friends, telling them that Jake owned his own company and lived on a yacht. To hear her tell it, Jake was a business tycoon. In reality, he owned one taxicab that he drove himself, and his “yacht” was a ten-year-old, twenty-seven-foot, single-mast, fore- and aft-rigged sailboat that most of Elaine’s colleagues could have bought with their pocket change.
“Are you going to sit there and sulk all night?” Lily questioned, growing impatient.
“Men never sulk,” Jake declared, feeling smug just as Rick’s house came into view. Jake parked several yards away in the closest available space. His five-year-old Chevy looked incongruous on the same street with all the fancy foreign cars, so he patted his steering wheel affectionately as if to assure his taxi that it was as good as the rest of them.
Rick’s house was an ostentatious colonial style, with thick white pillars and a well-lit front entrance. Jake swallowed nervously. Old Rick had done well for himself, even better than Jake had assumed.
“It’s lovely,” Lily murmured, and sighed with humble appreciation. This was exactly the kind of home she longed to own someday—one with crystal chandeliers, Persian carpets, and gold fixtures.
“Lovely if you like that sort of thing,” Jake grumbled under his breath.
Lily liked it just fine. “Oh, but I do. Thank you, Jake.”
The genuine emotion in her voice was a surprise and he tore his gaze away from the house long enough to glance her way.
“I should
“Who else were you expecting? Prince Charming?”
“You’re wearing a suit!” A gray one that could have been lifted directly from the pages of
GQ
, Lily realized in bemusement. The simple, understated color was perfect for Jake, emphasizing his broad shoulders and muscular build. “You look wonderful!”
Jake ran his finger along the inside of his collar as if he needed the extra room to breathe properly. “I don’t feel that way.”
“But why?” She’d never seen Jake in anything dressier than slacks and afisherman’s bulky-knit sweater.
“I don’t know. But knowing Rick, this party is bound to be an elaborate affair and it’s best to dress the part.”
Lily could hardly take her eyes from him. He looked dashing. Her gaze dropped to her own much-worn dress. “Am I overdressed? Underdressed? I don’t want to give the wrong impression.” Her insecurities dulled the deep brilliance of her eyes.
Jake glanced at her and shrugged. “You look all right.”
All right?
She’d spent half the day getting ready, fussing over each minute detail. “I hope you know you’re about as charming as the underside of a toad.”
“Hey, if you want romance, try Hugh Jackman. I ain’t your man.”
“You’re telling me!” she huffed.
“Are we going to this thing or not?” He held the taxi’s passenger door open for her, but didn’t wait until she was inside before walking around the front of the car.
The first ten minutes of the ride down Golden Gate Avenue past the Civic Center were spent in silence.
Lily felt obligated to ease the tension. Both were on edge. “I didn’t know you owned a suit.”
Jake’s response was a little short of a grunt. The expensive suit had been Elaine’s idea. She was the one who’d insisted he needed some decent clothes. She had dragged him around town to several exclusive men’s stores and fussed over him like a drone over a queen bee. He’d detested every second of it, but he’d been so crazy about her that he’d stood there like a stooge and done exactly as she dictated. His weak-mindedness shocked him now. In thinking over his short but fiery relationship with Elaine, Jake was dismayed by some of the things he’d allowed her to do to him. The last party he’d attended had been with Elaine. He’d sat back and listened as she introduced him to her phony friends, telling them that Jake owned his own company and lived on a yacht. To hear her tell it, Jake was a business tycoon. In reality, he owned one taxicab that he drove himself, and his “yacht” was a ten-year-old, twenty-seven-foot, single-mast, fore- and aft-rigged sailboat that most of Elaine’s colleagues could have bought with their pocket change.
“Are you going to sit there and sulk all night?” Lily questioned, growing impatient.
“Men never sulk,” Jake declared, feeling smug just as Rick’s house came into view. Jake parked several yards away in the closest available space. His five-year-old Chevy looked incongruous on the same street with all the fancy foreign cars, so he patted his steering wheel affectionately as if to assure his taxi that it was as good as the rest of them.
Rick’s house was an ostentatious colonial style, with thick white pillars and a well-lit front entrance. Jake swallowed nervously. Old Rick had done well for himself, even better than Jake had assumed.
“It’s lovely,” Lily murmured, and sighed with humble appreciation. This was exactly the kind of home she longed to own someday—one with crystal chandeliers, Persian carpets, and gold fixtures.
“Lovely if you like that sort of thing,” Jake grumbled under his breath.
Lily liked it just fine. “Oh, but I do. Thank you, Jake.”
The genuine emotion in her voice was a surprise and he tore his gaze away from the house long enough to glance her way.
“I should
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