In Her Wildest Dreams (7 page)

***

Gavin asked Tonya whether she could handle the rest of the close-up duties and led Erica out of Decadente. They walked over to the sushi restaurant in the Riverwalk’s food court. Gavin ordered her favorite California roll and brought the food over to the table Erica had chosen, which overlooked the water.

When he sat, Erica flattened her palms on the table and sucked in a deep breath. “Before we start, I just want to make it clear that I understand that things are changing between us, Gavin.”

He rolled his eyes. “I thought we were ignoring this ‘other thing,’ as you called it.”

Her mouth tilted in a reproachful frown. “Stop it, Gavin. I know it’s not just a thing. And I’m not completely ignoring it.”

“Looks that way to me.”

She held her hands out. “Gavin, we have been platonic friends for nearly two years, and now you’re asking me to just turn up the heat like an oven?”

“I’m not asking you to do anything,” he said. He used chopsticks to pick up a portion of the California roll and dip it in soy sauce. “I’m here to help you figure out what to do about this franchising deal. Let’s get to it.”

“So now you’re going to get all pissy with me?”

Gavin dropped the sushi without taking a bite. He brought his hands up and rubbed his temples.

“What do you want from me, Erica? First you tell me that you need your friend because you have this problem to work through, and when I sit here ready to help, you start out by telling me that you know our strictly platonic relationship is morphing into something else. Pick a conversation and go with it. I’m ready for whatever you’ve got.”

Hurt flashed across her face, making him feel like an ass. “I’m sorry,” Gavin blew out with a defeated breath.

“You’re upset. I get it,” Erica said, pushing away from the table. “We really don’t have to do this right now.”

“No.” He reached across the table and captured her wrist before she could rise from her chair. This is exactly what he
didn’t
want, Erica thinking she couldn’t talk to him. Her friendship meant too much; nothing was worth losing it over.

“I’m sorry,” Gavin said again. “Let’s just put what happened back at Decadente out of our heads.” She looked up at him, her expression both wary and hopeful. “For now,” Gavin added. 

“For now,” she repeated. She cast another pensive look his way as she settled herself at the table once again. “Are you sure?” she asked.

“Yes,” Gavin assured her, even though he knew the issue would continue to hang over them now that he’d finally brought it to the forefront. There was no way he and Erica could go back to the way things were just a few hours ago. He’d changed their relationship. Irrevocably. Gavin could only hope he hadn’t just made a complete mess of things.

“So, this mock date night,” he started in an effort to change course. “Let me see if I understand. Your biggest concern is that you don’t know anything about these people, and one of the hallmarks of a Your Wildest Dreams experience is that it is tailored to a client’s specific likes, correct?”

Erica looked across the table at him, as if she still wasn’t sure she should stay. Gavin made a ‘come on’ gesture with his hand, urging her to join in the conversation.

“Correct,” she answered after several long, hesitative moments passed. “That’s the gist of it. I have no idea whether they enjoy history, or music, or quiet nights. I do have typical things that seem to be a part of every experience, such as dinner at one of the higher-end restaurants. I usually book Delmonico’s, Commander’s Palace, or one of John Besh’s, depending on the type of cuisine the client prefers. I also do a lot of French Quarter carriage rides,” she said. “Tourists and locals alike seem to love those.”

“That’s a given,” Gavin said around a mouthful of sushi. “No trip to New Orleans would be complete without seeing the French Quarter while being pulled around in a horse-drawn carriage.”

“I’ve never taken one,” Erica remarked.

“You’re kidding?” Gavin shook his head. “We’re going down to Jackson Square after we’re done with dinner. How can you send your clients on carriage rides if you’ve never experienced it for yourself?”

She shrugged. “I guess you’re right.”

“Wait a minute.” Gavin pointed his chopsticks at her. “You said the people from The Hawthorn Group are coming down for a convention. Do you know whether they’ve ever visited the city?”

“They haven’t. Hilton Banks mentioned it in our phone conversation.”

“That’s your answer, Erica. You should create a First-Time-in-New Orleans-themed experience. Give them the very best of the city,” Gavin said. “Even better, you can focus on the not-so-well-known tourist destinations. Everyone who comes here wants to see Bourbon Street and the rest of the Quarter, not realizing there’s so many other great things to experience all over this city.”

For the first time since they’d sat at the table, the smile on Erica’s face seemed genuine and not forced. “That sounds like something I could work with,” she said. “New Orleans’s little-known treasures. I can arrange dinner at one of the new restaurants in Mid-City, followed by a romantic dessert picnic for two on Bayou St. John.”

“What about a helicopter ride over the city?”

“You know, I’ve never included that in one of my experiences. I’ll bet it looks spectacular at night.”

“It does,” Gavin said. “I took Whitney on one during Mardi Gras a few years ago. We flew over several parades. It was phenomenal.”

“I’ll bet,” Erica said. She pushed the yellow tail tuna around on her plate. “She was a fool, you know?” She glanced up at him for a moment before quickly averting her eyes. “To have a man who was willing to give her everything under the sun
and
who knows how to create magic with chocolate? Whitney Parker was a fool to have lost you.”

“I think so, too,” Gavin said.

She cast another quick glance his way, a self-deprecating smile tugging at the corner of her lips. “I guess the same could be said about me, huh?”

“Not necessarily.” Gavin took a sip of his beer. “You still have time to do the smart thing.”

She lifted her eyes to his. In a small voice, she asked, “How much time?”

He stared at her for a moment. “Some,” he finally answered, then added, “But I won’t wait forever, Erica. We’ve been skirting around this issue long enough. We’ve both known that this was inevitable.”

“Did we?” she asked. She tossed her chopsticks aside and cradled her face in her hands. With a groan, she said, “This is all so confusing. One minute, you’re the same old Gavin I used to clown around with, and the next you’re looking at me as if you want to…I don’t know…
do
something
. Something that best friends definitely don’t do.” She looked up at him. “When did things start to change?”

Shaking his head slightly, Gavin cocked it to the side. “Are you saying you’ve never thought of me in this way, Erica? Never?”

She didn’t answer, just buried her face in her palms again.

Gavin reached across the table and tugged at her arm. “Look at me,” he ordered, forcing her to uncover her face. He waited until her eyes met his before speaking.

“I want you to be one hundred percent honest with me,” Gavin said. “Nearly every day for the past year you’ve come into my shop, always teasing, always flirting. Never once did it cross your mind while we were trading those sexy little comments that this could turn into something real? Has it always been just a game to you?”

“No,” she said. “It’s not…” She shook her head. “Gavin, I would be lying if I said I never thought about you in that way.”

Her softly spoken words hit him square in the chest, arresting the air in his lungs. He’d known these feelings weren’t one-sided.

“So, what’s holding you back?” Gavin asked. “What are you so afraid of?”

“I…I don’t know.” She ran a shaky hand through her hair.   

Her obvious turmoil shot a bolt of resentment straight through him. Why did admitting that she felt something other than friendship toward him look as if it was causing her physical pain?

She trained those pleading eyes on him. “Can we not have this conversation right now?”

“Then stop bringing it up,” he said. “Don’t talk about how good a catch I am if you’re not willing to get caught.”

“I know I’m not being fair.” Erica looked out the plate-glass window, to the Mississippi River. “Gavin, I’m sorry. I had no intentions of making you hate me when I came over today.” After a couple of beats of silence, she looked over at him, her brow furrowed with a hint of worry. “Aren’t you going to say that you don’t hate me?”

Gavin remained quiet for a moment. “I’m still trying to decide.” Then he totally ruined whatever leverage he had by allowing a grin to crease his face.

Erica’s expression relaxed, gratitude surfacing in her warm brown eyes.

“Come on,” Gavin said, throwing a napkin over the remnants of their dinner. “Let’s go on our carriage ride.”

***

They strolled along Decatur Street at the base of the French Quarter. The wind coming off of the river was brisk and further chilled by the water. Gavin felt Erica shiver slightly next to him and pulled her more securely against his side.

“I’m not sure if this is a good time of year to ride in an open horse-drawn carriage,” she said.

“Anytime of the year is a good time for a carriage ride. The carriage driver will have a blanket for your legs.”

“Really?” she asked.

He looked down at her. “You really haven’t done any of this yourself, have you?”

“I told you I haven’t. I’ve lived here all my life, and I’m ashamed at how much of this city I take for granted.”

“This is one of the most romantic places in the world,” Gavin commented.

“Yeah,” Erica said with a wistful sigh. “Just one more reason why Your Wildest Dreams, the franchise, probably won’t work in other parts of the country.”

“Oh, they’ll make it work,” Gavin huffed. “The Hawthorn Group would never have approached you if they had not already crunched the numbers and figured out a way to make the business as profitable as possible in every market they plan to bring it to.”

“I’m sure they’ll try,” she said, “but it won’t be as special in Boise, Idaho.”

“No, I’d imagine it wouldn’t.” Gavin laughed. “It’s a trade-off, Erica. You have to figure out whether or not you want to compromise. To be honest, I can’t imagine that you would go for something like this.”

She glanced up him. “Why not?”

“After everything you’ve sacrificed for this business, how could you voluntarily allow someone else to just step in and start running things? I’ve been there; it’s pretty demoralizing.”

“I told you that it’s not the same thing you went through, Gavin. I would still be the face of Your Wildest Dreams. Others would pay me for the right to own a franchise of my company. Just thinking about what the extra money could mean gives me goose bumps.”

Gavin squeezed her hand. “You know if you ever needed anything, money-wise, all you have to do is ask, right?”

“I know, but I’m not taking money from you, Gavin. I owe you enough for all the chocolate I’ve eaten. Speaking of which,” she said, and pulled one of Decadente’s dark brown and gold miniature sampler boxes out of her purse. She popped the truffle in her mouth.

Gavin’s head flew back with a crack of laughter.

“Let’s not add up your chocolate bill,” he said, then he sobered. “I’m serious about this, Erica. If money is your sole reason for even considering this franchising thing, don’t do it.”  

“It’s not just the money. It’s—” She groaned. “I don’t even want to think about this anymore. Let’s just enjoy tonight. Let’s pretend we’re on an actual Your Wildest Dreams experience and soak it all in.”

That word “pretend” ran down his back like fingers on a chalkboard.

“There you go again,” Gavin said. “Why does it have to be pretend, Erica?”

He felt her stiffen against his side, and Gavin’s jaw clenched in frustration. Why couldn’t she see how good they would be together?

Gavin spotted the horse-drawn carriages lined up in front of Jackson Square. He stopped walking, turning Erica around to face him.

“Answer me, Erica. Why am I good enough to joke around with, but not good enough for the real thing?”

She sighed. “I thought we weren’t having this conversation right now?”

“I changed my mind,” he said. “Tell me, why am I not good enough for you?”

“Gavin, don’t do this,” she pleaded. “You know there’s nothing wrong with you. You can have any woman on the planet.”

“Yeah? Then why don’t I have you?” 

Her eyes found his, and Gavin made the decision to go for what he wanted. He leaned his head in and finally,
finally
, did what he’d been dying to do since the minute he’d stepped through the doors of Your Wildest Dreams nearly three years ago.

He’d kissed Erica before, on the cheek for her birthday, or to celebrate a milestone in her business. But never before had Gavin given into the all-consuming need to take her like this, the way a man kissed a woman whom he wanted to explore in every possible way.

He put everything he had into the kiss, sweeping his tongue along her lips and urging them to open. When they finally parted, he dipped his tongue inside, nearly dying at how good she tasted. He could taste his chocolate in her mouth, which made the kiss even more erotic.

Gavin used everything he’d ever learned to make Erica want him just as much as he wanted her. He moved his tongue inside her mouth. Licking. Tasting. Exploring.

He slipped his hand up her spine, holding her closer to him. The front of her coat parted and he felt the pointed tips of her nipples press against his chest. The sensation stoked the fire that had lit within him, urging him on, making him crave her even more, if that were possible.

A cacophony of catcalls, whistles, and applause broke through the sensual spell that had woven its way around them, reminding Gavin that they were standing in the middle of the sidewalk, in full view of the public.

Erica stepped back, a dazed expression on her face. He reached for her, but she took another step back. Then another.