Can't Buy Me Love (23 page)

Lena’s
apartment was small, but the seating was perfect for having a large gathering. Between
the couch, the comfy chairs, and the mounds of pillows she pulled out of a closet
and threw on the floor, she could easily seat the usual Saturday night crew. And
tonight was especially important, she thought, since Frank was bringing Frankie
along. Lena badly wanted to woman to feel at home.

After
taking Winston for a long walk, she handed him a Kong full of frozen peanut
butter, and left him the option of cowering in his crate, or coming out and
being social. Well, she thought, as social as Winston could be, anyway. He
chose to lie down halfway along the hallway, where he could keep an eye on the
living room, but retreat to his crate if needed.

Frank
and Frankie were the first to arrive, and Lena was delighted to see that
Frankie was as wonderful as Frank had said she was. She was warm, vibrant, she
was clearly enamored with Frank, she quietly tried to scratch Winston, and she
was easier to talk to than most people Lena knew. Immediately, Lena knew that
this was it for Frank. Frankie was going to be in the picture for a long time.

“Beer?”
she asked. “Or would you prefer wine, or something non-alcoholic?”

Frankie
laughed. “Anything but that slop that Frank drinks.”

Lena
grinned, glancing over at Frank, who was laughing. “OK. No canned slop. I’ve
got a few good microbeers on ice, or a great pinot noir that I just opened.”

“I’ll
take my chances on a microbeer, thanks Lena. Anything I can do to help before
others come?”

“Nah.
This crowd is easy. It’s all about the beer and the pizza. So we’ll just wait
until we know how many people are coming, and then I’ll place the pizza order. Please
tell me that you are NOT an anchovy lover.”

“Hate
them.”

“Pepperoni?”

“Um.
Love it. Is that bad?”

“No,
that’s very, very good. Make yourself at home,” she said as she handed a beer
to Frankie and went to answer the doorbell. “And if you need a break from this
crew, just nudge me and we’ll go walk Winston out back.”

Howard
and Janie were at the door, and Sandra came a few minutes later. A couple of
other regulars showed up after that, and Frank proudly introduced them all to
Frankie, who immediately won them all over. Lena was just reaching for the menu
for Antonio’s when there was another knock at the door. Looking around her,
Lena was puzzled. This was their normal crew – she wasn’t sure who else would
be showing up.

When
she opened the door, she was shocked to see Chase standing in the doorway, a
couple of six-packs in a grocery sack. He looked a bit worried, as if he wasn’t
sure of his reception.

“Chase!
What are you doing here?” she asked, taking in the beer and his casual clothes,
and wondering
what the heck
?

He
rolled his eyes. “Frank didn't tell you I was coming?”

Lena
narrowed her eyes. “No. Of course he didn’t. Damnit. Oh, sorry. I didn’t mean
to sound unwelcoming. I just…” she sighed. “I’m sorry Chase. Please come in. You
are more than welcome.”

“Are
you sure? I don’t need to stay.”

“No.
I’d like you to stay. And I know Frank would like you to meet Frankie. So
please, come on in.”

“I
brought beer,” he offered with a grin. “And it’s not the crap that Frank
drinks.”

“I
heard that!”

Chase
was warmly welcomed by the shelter crew. They all had missed him, and were
happy to see him there, in Lena’s home. Despite the fact that they all loved
Lena, the gossip had spread that he and Lena had been involved, and that there
had been a falling out, so seeing him back in her own personal space meant that
they were working things out. Maybe just as a lead-in to friendship, but it was
something. And while many of them still thought of him by his first name, they
now understood who Chase was. And they liked him even more.

Lena
ordered pizza and wings. They drank beer. The food arrived, and they devoured
it. They drank more beer. Lena pulled out a pan of brownies and made a pot of
coffee. They devoured that too, and sucked down the hot coffee as they laughed,
talked, and relaxed. Chase wasn’t sure when he’d had such a fun night with such
down-to-earth people. And it was clear that Frankie was feeling the same way.

At
about 10:00, the night started to wind down. A quick gathering of pizza boxes
and beer bottles ensued, with several of the guys taking the trash and
recyclables out to the dumpster area. Lena stuffed the few leftovers that
remained into her fridge, and promised she’d bring it all down to the shelter
the next day.

“Who’s
got the next Saturday night?” Lena asked as everyone gathered up their things
and said goodbye to a wary Winston who was sniffing around in hopes of a pizza
crust or a piece of pepperoni.

“We
do,” Howard said. “Two weeks from tonight.”

“Well
yahoo. I’ll be there,” Lena promised.

Twenty

After
waving good night to the gang, and then saying a few last minute words to Frank
and Frankie, Lena’s smile faded as she turned back to face Chase, who was
standing casually in the living room, leaning on the hallway doorframe.

“I
know it’s late, Lena. I’d like to talk to you, but I can come back tomorrow if
you’d prefer.”

“Now
is fine,” she said quietly. “Frank and I switched days and I need to cover for him
at the shelter tomorrow. Besides, I’ve wanted the chance to thank you for what
you’re doing for my father.”

“
For
him, or
to
him?” Chase laughed.

Lena
smiled. “Both, I guess. Can I ask you why you’re helping him?”

He
paused, looking over at her thoughtfully. Lena waited patiently. After a few
moments, Chase nodded his head once, emphatically, as if he’d just made up his
mind about something important.

“Lena,
I thought a lot about what you said the last time we were together. And I’ve
spent a lot of time over the past week thinking about the time that we’ve spent
together over the last few months. I came to a few conclusions. Would you like
to hear them?”

And
Lena realized she very much did. This seemed like a make-or-break moment for
them. If he continued to distrust her, to believe the worst of her, there was
nowhere for them to go. She nodded.

Chase
pushed himself off from the doorframe and walked toward her, coming to a stop a
couple of feet away. “I believe that I was wrong, Lena. A few weeks ago, I
overheard one side of a phone conversation. The words were damning to be sure,
but they were completely at odds with whom I know you to be. So while I may
have misinterpreted things, and while my reaction was wrong, I want you to
understand that it was as much a reaction to my own past history and my own fears
as it was to anything that you said. But what I regret, most of all, is that I didn’t
ask you to simply explain what I’d heard, rather than jumping to conclusions.”

“Chase,
I...” Lena started to respond. But Chase reached out and gently laid his index
finger on her lips and shook his head.

“I
trust you, Lena. But I’d like to know the truth. You said a lot of things on
the phone that day.”

Lena’s
heart went out to Chase then. She might have been mad as hell at him for not
trusting her in the first place, but she’d known from the start that he carried
baggage about his wealth. And even though she hadn’t meant to, she'd obviously
said some things to Ned that had stirred up a whole lot of awful thoughts for
him. She sank down onto the couch and tried to remember everything about the conversation
that he may have overheard, and may have taken out of context.

“I
was talking to Ned,” she said slowly, taking her time to think about the
conversation. “He asked me about you. I said your name. But then he asked me
what had happened to the guy Dad had set me up with before you. I called him
pretentious and arrogant and boring.”

Chase’s
expression gave nothing away. “Go on,” he said quietly.

“So
then Ned made a comment about how Dad would love him because he was wealthy. And
then... God, I don’t remember, Chase. I think we talked some about Dad. About
how he never understood me or what I wanted in life. About how I dread when he
calls and wants to see me, because I know it’s to badger me about quitting my
job at the shelter, or about dating some other rich man that I have nothing in
common with. We talked about how I need to just tell him to butt out of my life.
And I remember telling Ned that I feel sorry for Dad. Which, I should note, I
no longer feel after his recent antics," she added, looking pointedly up
at Chase. “Though I did have one of the nicest conversations I can ever
remember having with my father earlier this week, and that’s largely thanks to
you.”

“And
what did you tell Ned about me?”

Lena
looked at Chase in confusion. “How do you know I said anything at all?”

“Because
when I asked you about it, you turned red. I assumed it was out of guilt for
all of the terrible things you said about me. But that wasn’t it, was it?”

Lena
shook her head. “No. I told Ned that things between us might be getting
serious. He was glad for me. For us.”

Chase
nodded his head once. Definitively. Then he took a step toward the couch where
Lena was sitting. “OK. So. For the record, Lena Magill. You were not referring
to me at all in that phone call I overheard.”

She
smiled slightly. “Good stuff only, I’m afraid.”

He
took another step. “So you don’t find me arrogant or pretentious or boring.”

“Arrogant
only in certain situations. Never pretentious. And never ever boring.”

Another
step. “And you don't cringe when I ask to see you.”

“No.
Far from it.”

He
was standing in front of her, looking down. “And you show me the real you.”

She
gestured around the room. “What you see is what you get.”

“Good.
Thank you, Lena.”

Lena
pushed herself up from the couch until she was standing next to Chase. Slowly,
she reached a hand up to gently touch his face. “I’m so sorry, Chase,” she said
sincerely. “Truly. I had no idea how my conversation sounded. But I never would
have said such things about you.”

Chase
reached out and took her hand, turning the palm to face him, and gently kissing
it before he reached out and pulled her to him. Bending down, he buried his
face in her hair and breathed in the scent of her shampoo.

“I’m
sorry too, Lena. I’m sorry that I leaped to some very unfair conclusions. Particularly
given where we were before I made that leap.”

She
looked up at him, puzzled. “Where were we?”

“Getting
serious,” he said firmly, his mouth against her ear as his hand gently cradled
her cheek. “Just as you told your brother.”

Lena
relaxed into his embrace, feeling his warm breath on her earlobe, his hand
gently caressing her face, his other hand pressed firmly on the small of her
back, keeping her close to him. Her arms circled around him, holding him
tightly, feeling at last like she was back where she belonged. She loved this
man. She knew they still needed to talk things through, but for now, this was
where she wanted to be.

“I
missed you, damnit,” she said gruffly, her face pressed against his chest.

She
felt his chuckle. “I missed you too, sweetheart. And I thought my grandfather
was going to have a stroke when I told him that you and I had split up. He
muttered something about marrying you himself if I didn’t have the good sense
to hold on to you.”

“Aw,
he’s sweet. Pops would never agree to marry you, though, in case you were thinking
about proposing,” she added with a grin.

“Thank
God. That man cannot cook to save his life. And I’m not sure anyone has ever
called Granddad ‘sweet’ before.”

Lena
smiled happily, then reached up and kissed Chase on the cheek before pulling herself
away from him. She sat down in her comfy chair and leaned back contentedly. After
over a month of heartache, she had another chance. And she was going to enjoy
every minute of it.

Chase
made himself comfortable on the couch. “Where’s Winston?” he asked.

Lena
made a gesture toward the back of the apartment. “Bedroom. Every time there’s a
knock on the door, he retreats. I think he’s still cautious from the after-effects
of Dad from last week. He’s making sure the coast is clear before daring to
venture forth. Plus, I gave him extra peanut butter in his Kong tonight before
everyone came over, so he may still be working on that.”

Chase
smiled. “Speaking of your father…”

Lena
sighed. “Oh geez. Do we have to?”

“William
told you about our deal?”

“He
did. It’s very generous of you. I’m still not entirely sure what you’re getting
out of this, apart from a lot of very good karma, but I’m grateful.”

“I
understand that Jeanette is doing better?”

“She
is. She came to see me last weekend. Sober. For the first time in six years,
she said.”

“Really?
Six
years
?”

“That
was my reaction too. But yes. She went through a six-week rehab program, and
she’s going to meetings. And she’s very open about it. I’m not completely sure
that she and my father are going to make it through all of this with their
marriage intact, but if they do, it will be largely thanks to you, Chase.”

“Me?”

“Yes.
Your conditions may humanize him in the way that a simple loan wouldn’t have done.
It might help. I hope it does. I’m fond of Jeanette.”

“I’m
glad she’s gotten help.”

“Me
too. But seriously. Why did you do it?”

“For
you, Lena. Because even though you might be furious at your father, you still
love him. And in his own way, he loves you too.”

She
sighed. “I know. And I’m less furious with him today than I was last week. It
sounds like he did well at the shelter today. Frank said you stayed with him
all day.”

“I
did. And yeah, he fit in well. Better than I expected, to be honest.”

“Well.
That’s a good start,” she smiled. “But I don’t understand. What’s in all of
this for you?”

Chase
leaned forward on the couch, his arms braced on his knees.

“Lena,
I want you back in my life. I want to take you to boring events. I want to
watch you spar with my grandfather. And if I can ever convince you that I was
an idiot and I was completely in the wrong, I’d like you to marry me.”

Lena
just stared at Chase. It took her several long minutes before she was able to
say, “You cannot possibly be serious.”

“I’m
completely serious.”

“But
why? You don’t trust me.”

So
Chase just smiled and said gently, “If I distrusted you, I’d be miles away by
now and still running.”

She
studied his face, trying to understand. “But... why?”

“Last
Saturday night, Lena.”

“Yes?”

“I
didn’t like seeing you with another man. I particularly didn’t like seeing you
with Greg.”

Lena
shrugged, but watched his face carefully as she said casually, “That’s too bad.”

She
watched him clench his jaw tightly.

“I
don’t mean that flippantly. But I do mean it. You and I... it’s complicated.” She
tucked her bare feet back under her and leveled a serious gaze at the man
across from her.

“Chase,
I’m not completely sure that things are fixed between us. I don’t know how much
trust there is here, though a lot of that’s my fault,” she admitted. “After
hearing what you overheard when you came here on Sunday morning, I can’t even
imagine what you think of me and my family. And if the conversation I had with
Ned had you sure I was after your money, the conversation I had with my father
must have convinced you that it’s a trait that runs in the family.”

“I
think your father has been a heartless bastard,” Chase agreed. “But he’s
irrelevant to all of this, Lena.”

“Then
what are you saying?”

“First,
I need to know that you and Greg are not going to be seeing each other again.”

“Of
course we’ll see each other,” Lena protested. “We move in the same circles, and
he’s a major donor to the shelter.”

“You
know what I mean, Lena.”

She
sighed. “I do. Look, Chase. I like Greg. Quite a lot. But as a friend, nothing
more.”

For
a moment, the anger was back in Chase's eyes. “You looked damn cozy on the
dance floor last weekend,” he pointed out quietly.

And
Lena smiled. “Yes. We had fun. But I told him about you. He knows where he
stands with me.”

Chase
stood up then, and with two steps, was over in front of the chair Lena was
curled up on. Reaching down, he gently cupped her elbows and hauled her to her
feet.

“Chase,
what...?”

He
cupped her face gently in his hands. When he spoke, his voice was gruff. “Seeing
you that night with him, watching you dance with him, laugh with him. Watching
you kiss him...”

Lena
shook her head. “For the record,
he
kissed
me
. And he did it
because you were glaring at him. He was amused.”

Chase
nodded, his hands sliding back into her hair, his body moving closer. “Well for
the record, Lena, I was less than amused.”

She
half laughed, but the stormy look in his eyes worried her.

“Chase.
Seriously. Why are you suggesting this?”

In
response, Chase held her head between his hands and lowered his mouth to hers. There
was no seduction to this kiss, no gentle movement of his lips on hers, no soft
teasing of her mouth with his tongue. This kiss was a kiss of urgency, of
possession. And Lena was hit with a hunger that was purely sexual, and all for
this man. Tentatively, she responded to his kiss, opening her mouth to his with
a low moan that seemed to snap all of his control. Pulling his left hand free,
Chase encircled her waist, his hand splaying open on her back, pulling her closer
to him. And still he kissed her, his tongue invading her mouth, his head angled
so he could deepen the kiss, his right hand holding her face steady.