Chapter 3

The prison’s rules, limiting almost everything relating to clothes, makeup and or female accessories of any kind had been a tough nut for her; but limitations notwithstanding, she’d still looked absolutely stunning; and the looks she got from the locals at the hotel, well the men, were embarrassing. She paid them no note at all. None of them would ever do for her what her man had done for her, none of them! She smiled recognizing as she did their collective inferiority to her man.

A man, an older man, and clearly not a local man, was staring at her. She hadn’t noticed him in particular.

Her waitress came and exchanged a few choice words with her. The man watched and continued to stare. The waitress now went to him. “And you, sir?” said Lana, her name plate gave away her identity.

He pointed to his choice on the menu. “Number seven,” he said. “Oh, and that lady’s order is on my tab,” he said. Lana gave him a look.

“Sir?” she said.

“I know her,” he said. Lying to the waitress came easy for him. Besides he would in fact know her and that within the next few. Oh yeah, this one wasn’t getting away. He’d asked for a phone earlier when he’d come in, well, he was a businessman. He lifted the receiver now and made another call, one not related to his original business in Winslow. It was spur of the moment, but even if it were a bad purchase: the one he’d just decided on, it would be worth it.

The orders came and the waitress hadn’t given him away. He’d almost decided that he didn’t care one way or the other, but, in the end, he had made the determination that it would be better if the woman finished eating before he made the move to introduce himself to her.

The eatery wasn’t especially fancy but it did have a beer and wine list. When the bill came—his had come first—he ordered a bottle of cabernet. Lana delivered it a couple of minutes later, just as his target was finishing up.

He picked up the bottle and the two stem glasses that he’d ordered with the wine. He headed for the woman’s table.

“Hi,” he said. “I’m Nathan Grimes. I own this place.”

“Huh?’ What!” said Victoria Steele.

He’d lied about owning the place but he would by morning maybe sooner, so it was only a small lie.

“Would it be all right if I sat with you for a moment,” he said. The woman didn’t say anything. He took her silence as permission for him to sit. He did, sit that is.

“You are clearly not from around here,” he said. The woman stared at him.

“Huh?” said Victoria. “Mister ... Grimes is it? No, I’m not from around her. But...”

“But what is a total stranger doing asking if it would be all right to sit with you? Right?” he said. “Well, I don’t have any fancy pick up phraseology, but I guess what I am doing is trying to pick you up.”

“What the hell! I’m married, mister. I’m married to a very good man. The best. I’m not just some woman you can pick up,” said Victoria Steele, and she said it sharply.

“What would you say to an offer of one million dollars?” he said.

“What! Mister, no disrespect, but you need to leave,” she said. And she began to get up herself.

Just as she did, Lana came up to them, but not to give her the bill she expected.

“How much?” said Victoria Steele, waiting for the waitress to hand her the ticket.

“Nothing, ma’am.” Lana turned to the man.

“Mister Grimes, Mister Obermann just called. Evidently in the last forty-five minutes you bought this place,” she said. “Can I ask if I still have a job?”

“You do. Oh, and by tomorrow you will be the owner,” he said. “And if either myself or the lady here ever comes in again, there will be no charge. That all right by you?” Lana Mills just stared.

For her part Victoria Steele stared as well. “This can’t be for real,” said Victoria.

“Oh, I assure you it is,” he said. “Normally I don’t flaunt it like this, but I just could not let you get away.”

“It’s real, lady. I got it straight from the man who owned the place an hour ago. And he wasn’t kidding.”

Victoria Steele’s mouth was wide open, but no breath let alone words were emanating therefrom! But then there was a noise that did emanate therefrom; well, though not immediately.

“Huh?” she said.

“Let me again introduce myself to you ladies,” he said. “My name is...”

“Nathan Grimes,” said Victoria, “your first introduction was enough.”

“Hmm, yes, but that was just my name, not who I am,” he said. “If you will permit?” The two women nodded.

“I’m a currency speculator, mainly, but I do own a few other things, most lately this fine hotel and restaurant, The Horseshoe,” he said. The two women were waiting for the punch line.

“Ladies I bought this place to impress you. I want to date you miss whoever you are,” he said nodding at Victoria, “and well, I can afford you. Oh, and I’m a good guy,” he said.

Victoria Steele snorted. “Not even if you’ve got a billion dollars,” she said.

“How about sixteen of those,” he said. Victoria froze, and then caught herself nodding, slowly nodding. This couldn’t be real, but what if it was.

“Am I really going to be the owner of this place tomorrow?” butted in Lana.

“Yes, you are.” He took out a business card and wrote another number on the back to complement the ones on the front of the card. “Ask for Mister Hoskins. He’ll give you the particulars.”

“But, I’m working tomorrow. I open up?” she said.

“Call in a sub, you’re going to be busy,” he said. Lana Mills nodded her obedience.

“Okay Mister Grimes,” said Victoria, “one dinner.” The man’s smile was a mile wide.

“Okay, but it’s late, and we’ve already eaten. How about tomorrow?” he said. She nodded.

“But, I live in Phoenix,” she said.

“That’s fine,” he said.

“Let me give you my address and phone number,” she said. He nodded. He watched as she wrote it down on a napkin. She handed it to him.

The man left and she headed up to the room she’d arranged for upon arriving but an hour earlier. She’d be leaving for home early the next morning; she needed to rest. Her dreams would be about her man, and, this new man, this stranger.

A day later, back in Phoenix, she waited for the man’s call. It never came, but he did. The limo had to be eighty feet long. Okay, that’s an exaggeration, but it was a stretch limo.

“Okay, so you really are a rich guy,” she said. “And, let me reiterate, in case you forgot, I am married, happily married.”

“I haven’t forgotten,” he said. “I just don’t care. Look, I’m thirty-nine years old; and yes, I know you’re twenty-three. I’m not married, and never have been. And, yes, I’ve been with a lot of women, but none were ever serious; and to be clear, they all knew that going in. I’m not an asshole.”

She was speechless. The arrogance of this guy was something for Guinness! That said, she liked him. “So, you’re telling me this as a warning to not think of myself as something special?” she said. He looked over at her and smiled.

“Like a glass of wine. Where we’re going is kind of far,” he said.

“I guess,” she said.

“And just to be clear, you’re wrong, you are something special. You’re going to be my wife,” he said.

She was so shocked that she couldn’t answer him, not right then, but then she did.

“Marry me? Did you not hear me?” she said, finally.

“Yes, but don’t worry about your divorce. I’ll take care of everything,” he said. He poured the wine and handed one to her. She smiled and threw it in his face.

“I take it that you’re going to be hard to get,” he said.

“Try impossible,” she said.

“No, no, nothing’s impossible. I had a feeling that you might do something like you just did. I have another suit in the back. I mean if we’re still on for dinner,” he said.

“Of course, I’m starving,” she said. Well, she was certain the food was going to be the best she ever ate.