Oh, damn.
CHAPTER NINETEEN
SAKS HELD HIS BREATH while he waited for Chrissy’s response. He knew he was crazy, knew he was probably playing the fool, but he couldn’t stop himself. Even though she said they couldn’t, her body told him something different. His situation was complicated right now, but it didn’t have to be. His family wanted him with a girl—he’d find his own damn woman. Except he needed her to want to be with him as well.
“I don’t think it’s a good idea,” she said finally.
Saks tapped the side his phone with his finger, trying to think up a good response. Begging was out. She didn’t seem the type of woman who would like that. Reasoning, likewise, was out. Chrissy certainly wasn’t reasonable tonight. Well, part of that was his fault, coming at her like a wrecking ball in the bar. No. He’d have to do something completely oddball and catch her off guard. What was the strangest thing he could do and still make it seem like he was a good guy? Or, better yet, demonstrate he was a good guy. “You go to church, don’t you?”
“Well, of course, but—”
“Then I’ll pick you up at 8:30 for 9:00 Mass.”
“You go to church?”
“I’m confirmed as a soldier of Christ. Have the commemorative Bible and everything.”
“Uh-huh.” She sounded totally unconvinced.
“And to sweeten the deal, I’ll take you to the best dive diner for breakfast after.”
“What church are we going to?”
Yes! Saks pitched an imaginary ball into the wholly incorporeal basketball hoop on his wall. He shoots! He scores! “We can go to yours.”
He heard her sharp intake of breath. “That’s probably not a good idea,” she said.
Uh-oh. Backtrack. Fast. “Then there’s a little chapel we can go.”
“You have a church you go to? Does the priest even know your name?” Chrissy’s disbelief registered forcibly over the phone.
He damn well better know my name for the all money my family’s given the church over the years. Okay, maybe that wasn’t quite the right way to think. The priest knew him. Knew his family. But Saks wasn’t going to take her there. It was probably best to avoid the prying eyes of family, especially when he was going with a woman his family hadn’t lined up for him to marry. “That hurts. Of course he knows my name.”
“I’ll bet you ten bucks he doesn’t.”
“Ten bucks? What kind of bet is that? It’s not a bet unless it hurts when you lose.”
“I assure you, sir, I never bet money unless I’m sure I’m going to win.”
“Well, it’ll cost you fifty to find out,” he replied.
“What is this? Poker? Then I call.”
Saks wanted to say, ‘Show me what you’ve got, baby,’ but he also knew she could turn on a dime and slam the phone down, so he had to take things easy. “Guess we’ll find out in the morning, then.”
“You’d better have your fifty bucks ready,” she said and he could hear the smile in her voice.
“I’ll have more than fifty bucks. Remember breakfast?”
“Ah, breakfast. But dive diner?”
“Okay, I can take you to a diner that serves cocktails. I’ll get you a nice Bloody Mary to go with your Eggs Benedict.”
“Communion and cocktails. You sure know how to show a girl a good time.”
He laughed, feeling hope run through his body. “Baby, I haven’t even gotten started. But if you’re going to be drinking at breakfast, I need to pick you up. How about your address?”
“How do I know you’re not some stalker?”