Chapter 55

Phil pondered Hailey’s words as he sipped at his limeade. The menus were open in front of them but neither was looking at the pages. Phil picked his up even though he knew what he’d order. He glanced at it and put it back down.

“I wasn’t trying to ruin our evening,” Hailey said. “I only thought it was important that we both know where we stand.”

“I hadn’t thought that far ahead,” Phil admitted. “It would be impossible for me to see you with someone else.”

Hailey nodded sagely.

“That means the others are off limits too,” she said. “I know Molly and Tiffany would offer you an alternative but I’m not really OK with that. I was at one point, but to make this work we have to have the same idea of what commitment means. I have to admit that I have a different view of it than you do. I’ve always separated sex from love.

“Oh, Phil, who am I kidding? I had no idea of what love was until I met you. Sex has always been a form of recreation to me. It was a way to show favor and something to do when I was bored. I can see that you don’t look at it that way. To you love and sex are united. You don’t have sex randomly. Every person you’ve slept with has meant something to you. Even Tiffany, Molly and Katelyn mean something to you.”

She paused as their server walked over. The young woman had tried to give the couple a few minutes because she saw they were talking about something of great importance. But her tips were based on the number of patrons she served and she couldn’t let them spend four hours at the table and still see any money that night.

Phil and Hailey gave their orders – and smiled at each other when they realized the food would be identical to what they’d eaten the first time they’d been there. The waitress had brought them a fresh limeade so they sipped as they waited for her to enter their orders and depart.

“The evening isn’t ruined,” Phil said with a smile. “And you’re right.”

“It’s just not possible for two people who share the level of attraction that you and I do to be ‘just friends, ‘“ Hailey said. “And I am incredibly attracted to you.”

“I don’t think I need to tell you how attracted I am to you,” Phil agreed.

“Thank you,” Hailey said. “I want you to be attracted to me.”

Phil patted his pocket and pulled out a wrapped package.

“I got you something,” he told her as he pushed the box across. “Happy birthday.”

Hailey looked at the box and back at Phil.

“You didn’t need to do that!” she said. “The date is all the present I wanted.”

“I got this for you before I agreed to the date,” Phil said, winking slightly. “I told you I didn’t forget.”

“I know you didn’t forget,” Hailey said, picking up the package. She ran a delicate fingernail beneath the adhesive on the back. She carefully pulled the paper apart and folded it carefully as Phil watched.

“We have different styles on opening presents, too,” Phil laughed.

Hailey looked down at what she’d done and blushed. She hadn’t meant to be so fastidious but she admitted to herself that she planned to save the paper in case it was the last present she ever received from him.

“I’ve been told that if you can open a gift without ripping the paper, you get what you truly wish for,” she said, her perfect white teeth gleaming. “I’m counting on it.”

She looked at the black velvet covered box in front of her and for just a moment her heart skipped a beat. Could her offhanded comment about unripped paper come true? Her mouth was dry and her hands shook slightly as she opened the box.

The contents caused her mouth to drop and her eyes shot to Phil. Inside were the diamond earrings her mother had given her for her high school graduation almost exactly a year earlier.

“You ... you found them!” she gushed.

“I thought you would want them back,” he said. “I tracked them down for you.”

“Thank you!” Hailey said. She had small diamond studs in her ears, the earrings she wore on a daily basis. She quickly pulled the back off and removed one, replacing it with the half-carat diamond. Phil grinned at her as she put the second earring in and touched both of her ears. She put the smaller earrings in the box and fought an urge to jump across the table and show Phil how appreciative she was.

“That was incredibly thoughtful,” she said, biting her lip to stem the tears that threatened to fall.

“I knew how hurt you were that you no longer had them,” Phil replied. “I looked for your grandmother’s ring but I haven’t found it yet. I think I’ve spoken to every jeweler and pawnshop within a hundred miles. I don’t think it’s been sold but I’ll know when it is.”

“Where did you find these?” Hailey asked. “The cops couldn’t find them!”

“I figured that there were very few places that would be able to handle a transaction that large,” Phil explained. “A pawnshop would offer maybe $1,000. Your mother needed as much as she could get. That meant jewelry stores. I called around Stony Ridge. I sort of snooped. I found a picture of them in your stuff and made a copy. I found the jeweler who sold them originally. I got an oily feel from him when I spoke to him. He was little too helpful. I paid him a visit when we first got back and mentioned how unfortunate it would be for him if a rumor would start about him dealing in stolen property.

“He didn’t appear impressed so I wandered over to a nice young couple looking at engagement rings. I pointed to one and said loudly that it had been stolen from my sister’s house. I pointed out a few more items at random and by the time I’d finished I was alone in the store. He threatened to call the cops so I handed him the phone.”

Hailey laughed.

“I encouraged him to call them and to ask for the cop who’d investigated your case. I also told him to specifically mention your mother’s name. That was just about all it took. He told me he’d purchased the earrings from your mother but claimed he didn’t know they weren’t hers. I didn’t believe him the slightest and suggested he retrieve them and contact the police now that he did know. That’s when I knew he was a liar. He knew they were stolen. The thing was, he’d already sold them. I convinced him to give me the name by offering to keep his name out of it. I drove over to talk to the guy. He’d bought them for his girlfriend – and paid full price for them.

“I replaced the earrings and got yours back. The funny thing is that you even mentioned the jeweler’s arrest. I brushed it off but I hoped you wouldn’t investigate too closely and ruin my surprise.”

“I thought you said you were going to keep his name out of it,” Hailey said.

“I did,” Phil said. “I didn’t say anything about the customer he fleeced going to the cops, though. I sort of mentioned to the guy that he should make sure he got his money back first.”

“You went to all that trouble to get these back for me?” Hailey asked.

“It wasn’t that much trouble,” Phil said. “You wanted them back and I just made sure you got them. It was worth any time I had to spend to see your face when you opened them.”

“I love you,” Hailey blurted. “I wasn’t going to say that to you but I do. I absolutely love you with my whole heart. I am so ashamed at how I’ve acted. I want to be with you and love you. I want you to love me just as much.”

“Let’s get through the date first,” Phil said with a smile.

“Oh, we will,” Hailey said. “We will have a wonderful date. I’m already having the best time of my life and we haven’t even danced yet!”

The server brought the dinners to the table, along with two iced teas. She sat the salmon down in front of Phil and a petit filet at Hailey’s place. Hailey licked her lips in anticipation. The server sat a basket of Picco’s trademark butter and garlic rolls on the table and departed.

“Scrumptious!” Hailey said gleefully as she took the first bite. She snared a steamed green bean and nibbled at the end mischievously. Her eyes glittered when she saw Phil following her every move.

“Can I try a bite?” she asked, reaching across the table for a piece of fish. Phil smiled even though she didn’t wait for an answer. He had seen his mother do the same thing to his father any number of times. Hailey cut off a piece of beef and slipped it onto Phil’s plate as she chewed the salmon.

“Oh, my!” she said, enjoying the flavor in her mouth. “I wanted to try that when we were here last time.”

“I probably would have stabbed you with a fork,” Phil admitted. He cut the salmon in half and put it on Hailey’s plate. She reciprocated with some of her filet mignon.

The conversation began again as they talked about the resurrection of Waterford & Waterford and Hailey’s role at Barton Holdings. They were interrupted when two figures walked up to the table and stood.

Phil and Hailey thought it was the server coming back. It wasn’t. When the figure didn’t reach for anything on the table Phil looked over – into the face of Emily Rayford.

“Hello, Philip,” Emily said in her most pleasant voice. “I’m afraid this establishment has overbooked and lost our reservation. Would it be possible for us to join you?”

“Hello, Jared,” Hailey said to the man stationed behind Emily.

Phil saw the look of confusion on the man’s face. He had no idea who Hailey was.

“Oh, I thought you’d remember me,” Hailey said sweetly. “After all, I was at your house Saturday and you invited me to skinny dip. Perhaps you were too interested in feeling up my friend Tiffany to notice me.”

Jared blinked as Emily turned to him.

“We’re celebrating Hailey’s birthday,” Phil answered, trying to hide his smirk. “I’m sorry but we’d rather be alone.”

Emily didn’t seem to hear Phil. She was staring at her fiancé with a look of rage on her face.

“It’s a shame you didn’t get the chance to skinny dip with her,” Phil added. “You certainly would never have forgotten her – assuming you could have drawn your eyes to her face. I noticed you were having trouble as you stood there.”

Emily turned back and glanced from Phil to Hailey. She recognized her as the girl from the club a few months earlier and frowned. She had never known Phil Warner to date anyone longer than a month.

“You were at his house Saturday?” Emily asked.

“My two friends were on a date with him and one of his friends,” Hailey said. “There was a third one so I went along. They were all creeps so we took advantage of their hospitality for as long as we could stand it and then left. You should watch him. He spent the whole afternoon trying to get his hands inside my friend’s bikini – and she said he is a very selfish lover. Since you’re a friend of Phil’s, I thought I’d give you a heads up.”

Jared Winsted’s face had gone white.

“Take me home!” Emily declared. “Right this minute!”

Emily had barely cleared the doorway when Lindsay Piccolo arrived at the table. Phil was still trying to stifle his laughter.

“Jerk off,” Hailey muttered. “I’m sorry about that. Tiffany found out he was engaged to The Barracuda and I just couldn’t resist.”

“No problem,” Phil said. “Oh, Lindsay, you missed it. It was beautiful.”

“I came out to shoo them away,” Lindsay admitted. “Our hostess came to find me as soon as she told them the wait and they headed in your direction. How is everything?”

“It is amazing!” Hailey said. “Join us, won’t you?”

“I don’t want to intrude,” Lindsay said.

“Nonsense,” Hailey said. “You’re a friend of Phil’s so that makes you a friend of mine. I looked for you earlier and I didn’t see you.”

Lindsay looked at the chair and finally sat down.

“I’m working as the kitchen manager this month,” she said with a sigh. “I’m starving and I’m beat. It’s fine but I have to stand all evening and smell that wonderful cooking.”

“You got that right,” Hailey said. She split off a few bites of beef and put it on a bread plate. Phil repeated the move with what remained of his salmon and added some of the vegetable from his plate.

“You don’t have to feed me!” Lindsay said with a laugh.

“You’re hungry and we’re not going to eat in front of you,” Hailey replied, patting the young woman on the arm. “Phil said something a couple of months ago and I’ll expand on it. If you’re a friend, we’ll share our meal with you whenever we can.”

Lindsay looked at the food and picked up a salad fork. She sighed when she tasted the beef and Phil and Hailey laughed.

“Our chef is really good,” Lindsay said. “You’ll have to let me choose your dessert. He makes a chocolate raspberry truffle you wouldn’t believe.”

“Sold!” Hailey said. “How are you enjoying your job?”

Lindsay rolled her eyes.

“There is something they never tell you at school,” Lindsay said. “Running a restaurant is hard work. You work every evening and every weekend. You’re on your feet 10 hours a day and most of the staff will work three months or less. You’re constantly training servers and busboys and line cooks. You can only go on dates with guys on Monday or Tuesday – unless he’s willing to wait until 1 a.m. to pick you up. I don’t know how my Mom and Dad do it. She works days and he works nights. On second thought, maybe that is how they do it. It explains why I’m an only child, though.”

“It’s tough,” Hailey admitted. “Phil took on a mammoth project just days after we got back. I lost my head and did something really stupid. We’re here to celebrate my birthday...”

“Which I missed,” Phil pointed out.

“Because he didn’t even know what month it was let alone what day,” Hailey corrected. “We’re here to decide if we try to stay together or go our separate ways. I know what I want but Phil has a lot of valid reasons for moving on.”

“Oh,” Lindsay said. “I’m sorry for intruding. You both looked so happy.”

“We are,” Phil said.

“When we’re together,” Hailey added. “I get a little stupid when we’re apart. I think he’s worth it so I’m going to do everything in my power not to disappoint him again ... if I get another chance. And we’re happy to have you spend your break with us. I have only met a few of Phil’s high school friends and I want all of the juicy details.”