Lost and Found (37 page)

"So, both of you go do something fun, go get some
drinks. I don't care what you do, as long as you get out and do it tonight! Keep your hands off of each other as well!
I will be asking Olivia tomorrow when
I drop the kids off if you boys were on your best
behavior!" Cash immediately panics.

"But Mother, I was taking Olivia out tonight for our
first..."

"I hope you're not going to say your first date, Gideon Cash,
because I thought I raised you better than that! It looks to
me as if you started backwards in this relationship!" She
looks over at me.

"Olivia, do you mind changing your plans for an old
frustrated mother?" How could I say no to her?

"Of course I don't mind, Cash and I can go out anytime." I
get a big grin from her and I look at Cash and Caleb and neither one of them seem very excited. Claudia interrupts.

"It looks like you three have a date tonight. Mrs. Kingston,
it was such a lovely party and I really enjoyed myself, but I
have tons of paperwork I need to get started on tonight for
work." She hugs Amelia and turns around to hug me.

"Oh no you don't, Cruella. If I have to go, then you're going
as well. Let’s make it a double date! I DARE you to last
two hours with all of us."

I look at Caleb and he's smirking and I would have to say
that he definitely knows Claudia very well, because she
never passes up a dare. I look at her and she's fuming and
has her fists on each side of her.

I walk over to Cash to get away from her wrath and he
pulls me closer to him in a way of protection. Amelia has a
confused look on her face and doesn't have a clue about
what's going on.

"Alright, Caleb! Game on buddy. On one condition." He arches his eyebrows at her wondering what her condition is.

"What would that be, Cruella?"

"That you NEVER call me CRUELLA again, you arrogant
ASS!" Her scream made us all jump and I swear I saw Caleb wince, but he tried to appear strong.

"If that's the condition, then I'm going to up the dare to three
hours, so you'll have a long enough time to convince me
that you don't act like a self-centered...."
I wasn't about to let him finish whatever he was going to
say, so I interrupted him.

"OKAY! Claud, would you like to stop by Cash's house,
so that we can find something for you and I to wear?" She
looks at me and the look on her face makes me realize that
she forgot I was even there.

"Sure, O, and you're riding with me. Let the brothers’ ride to
Cash's together. Maybe they'll kill each other on their way
there and we can just have a girl’s night."

She nods at Amelia and heads through the house to go to
her car. I hug Amelia and thank her for the lovely day. I'm
sure she's wondering if she was right in suggesting us all going out now. I walk over to Cash for a hug and a kiss, in
case I never see him again.

"Honey, I think you should drive and maybe turn the radio
up, so you don't have to listen to her scream all the way to
the house. I love you, please be careful. We will be there as
soon as I say goodbye to the kids." I lean my head against
his chest and breathe in and out a few times to psyche
myself up for the car ride.

"I love you too, but I might push her into the trunk!" I look over at Caleb and he's still smirking and smiling at
me. I just shake my head and walk into the house to say
goodbye to Gideon Sr. and the kids. I wonder to myself
how I keep getting into situations like this. Tonight will
probably be very eventful and not in a good way either.

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

Cash knocks on my bedroom door and comes into the room,
after I yelled that it was open, to see if Claudia and I were
ready and I'm so thankful to see him. Claudia screamed and
cursed all the way to the house and continued doing so
while we were getting ready.

I run into his arms for a warm embrace, because my nerves are so shot from listening to her go on and on about Caleb
and how did she end up stuck into going to dinner with
all of us.

I mentioned that it was her own fault and that if she would
quit feeling the need to act like a child when someone dares
her to do something, she wouldn't be stuck in this
predicament. After the evil I wish you were dead look she
gave me, I didn't say another word.

"I know this wasn't how our night was supposed to have
gone, Liv. I really had special plans for us and was going to
show you how much you mean to me." He genuinely looks
upset and it makes me wonder what all he had planned for
us.

"I feel it every day how much you care about me, and every night you continue to show me how much you love me. As
long as I'm with you, I don't care what we do. Can't we get
our own table in a corner somewhere and leave them to
fight amongst themselves?" We both chuckle at that,
because that wasn't what Amelia had planned for us.

"If I wasn't being forced to mend fences with my brother and sit through a meal with him, then we would be doing
just that! Has Claudia calmed down any?" I shake my head
no.

He lowers down and gives me a light slow kiss, pushes
my hair back, and kisses me on my neck behind my ear, while I breathe in his intoxicating scent that has me
moaning.

"Can we just stay in and cuddle on the couch in front of the
fire? Doesn't that sound like a great idea? Why exactly do
we have to go out tonight with these two?" He moans at
that idea, but Claudia ruins the moment.

"Because your boyfriend couldn't keep his hands to himself,
that's why! Cash! You realize this is your fault,
don't you? If you wouldn't have punched Caleb, we

wouldn't have to be doing this!" She's standing with her
hands on her hips and staring him down.

"Honestly Claudia, if you knew how to turn down a dare.
You weren't even included in the punishment Mother gave us, so that's on you, my dear." The truth hurt obviously,
because she growled like a bear and picked up her clutch
and stormed out of the room, which had both of us giggling.

"Oh Lord, please help us tonight! Please tell me we are
taking separate cars at least?" He grabs my hand and leads me out of the room to head downstairs.

"I called my driver that I use for work and he should be
here any minute to pick us up. I suspect there will be
drinking, considering no one is happy about how our
evening has turned out." I agreed. I might actually drink if
it gets too bad.

We walk into the living room and I hadn't even noticed
how gorgeous Claudia had looked when she stormed out of
my bedroom. We had argued over my dresses. I had wanted
the blue mini dress, because Cash loved it when I wore blue
to match my eyes. She even tried to take it from me, but I
refused to let her bully me, so I left her a bunch of dresses to
choose from.

She opted for the red mini and on her; it looks more like a long shirt. I can't help but hide my grin, because of the way that Caleb is looking at her from across the room, as she's
trying to pretend that he's invisible.

"Are you guys ready to leave or what? I'm ready to get this over with!" Her claws have fully extended and I
would love more than anything to meow at her in a bitchy
way, but I really don't want to lose any more hair today.

"Yes, Jason just pulled up. I called my limo driver from
work, so that if any of us decided to drink we wouldn't have
to worry about who would be the designated driver. In the
words of the Black eyed Peas... Let's get this party
started!" They look at him as if he has lost his mind and I
grab his hand and grin.

"You guys are a tough crowd!" He shakes his head and
leads us all to the limo.

We pull up to The Plaza and I look over at Cash and he's
grinning from ear to ear. I knew immediately that this was
where he was planning on taking me on our first date, since it was the place that we first met.

"Too corny? I know that night didn't go the way you
wanted it to, but every time I drive by it, I think about you. If
it wouldn't have been for that meeting with Paul that night, we probably wouldn't have met." I lean up and kiss him,
which has Claudia and Caleb groaning.

"No, it's perfect. I'll always love this place for the same
reason."
It's amazing how things change so quickly. I left that night
thinking he was a selfish bastard and here I am falling in
love with him more and more every day.

"Sorry to interrupt the love fest going on here, but can we
go in already, or do you two want to just get a room? This is a hotel after all! Geez! I will be SO HAPPY when this
night is OVER!" Claudia leans over us and tries to open
the door.

"Why don't you calm down, Cruella? What exactly is your
problem?" Good Lord. They're already arguing and we
haven't even left the car yet! They didn't say a word all the way here, and here we go!

"Shut up, Nerd Boy! Go find you a Star Trek convention somewhere, or have you finally outgrown them?" I look at
Cash to do something before this gets any worse. I know
Claudia well and when she gets mad, the whole world will
know it. He opens the door, so that we can get out.

"By the way Cru, it was Star Wars and I never went to any
of the conventions, I just loved watching the movies and don't call me Nerd Boy! It wasn't funny then and it's not
funny now!" She stops and turns around and sticks her
finger in his face to where he can't get out of the limo.

"I'll quit calling you Nerd Boy when you quit calling me
Cruella! Shortening it to CRU is the same thing,
ASSHOLE!" Oh my God. They're acting like
kindergarteners and I've had it.

"Claudia! You're making a scene right here on the
sidewalk! I want BOTH of you to knock it off and let’s
have a calm dinner and try to get to know each other a little
better!" They both start to say something.

"I'm not going to hear anything either of you have to say, so
shut up and act like the adults that you are!"
I didn't realize I was pointing my finger at both of them,
until I see them both drop their heads and nod.
As we are walking in, I hear them talking behind us.

"Come on, Caleb. I wouldn't put it past her to give us the
kiddie menu, if they have one and make us write sentences
during dinner. Truce? After tonight, we never have to see
each other again."

"Yeah truce. Let's just get through tonight. I didn't realize
my brother was with such a ball buster!"

I make sure Cash didn't just hear what he said and he didn't.
He was talking to the waiter, thank God. I find it comical
that Caleb thinks I'm the ball buster, considering he's talking to the biggest ball buster of them all. Maybe I should make him write sentences during dinner. Just the idea had me
grinning.

*********************

Cash managed to get us seated at the exact same table we
sat at the night we met.

"Liv, you're sitting next to me tonight. I don't want to be
limping for the next couple of days, if you don't mind."

He pulls the seat out for me and chuckles under his breath,
when he notices me blushing. He leans down and kisses me
on the forehead.

The moment is ruined, when Claudia and Caleb come to the
table arguing about which seat they were going to sit in.
She won, when she stomped on his foot with the heel of her
shoe. Looks like Caleb will be the one walking with a limp
this time. She sits down next to me and leans over to
whisper in my ear.

"O, why the hell are we here? Cash and Caleb are how
old exactly? Their mother still punishes them? Why
couldn't she have just put them in a time out chair instead
of this stupid ridiculous idea?" She waves her hand at the
table and I just roll my eyes at her. "I know, I know. Don't
you dare throw it up in my face that I couldn't back down
from a dare."

I giggle because she knows me so well and knew I was
going to bring up the dare again. The guys keep looking at
us, wondering what is going on, but are talking to each other,
so hopefully that's a good sign.

"Oh, good grief. Just calm down, let's try to enjoy the
night. I do believe we are out with the best looking men on
the coast, maybe the world!" I can't help but mess with her
after how crazy she's been acting.

"You have got to be kidding me! I have no interest in
Caleb. I don't know whether to be nice to him in order to
confuse him, or be the biggest bitch I can be!" Cash keeps
looking at me, silently asking if we are done.

"Claud, please don't go all 20 different personalities on me
tonight. Cash keeps looking at me and we are being rude.
Just let it go for a couple or... three hours! Haha. Sorry, I
shouldn't laugh..." I look at my watch. "2 hours and 54 minutes to go!"

"Oh shush it! I see where your loyalties lie!" She ends
our conversation just like that. "Are we ready to order some
drinks yet? Geez, who do you have to sleep with to get
someone to take your order around here?" Oh geez is
right. Bitchy personality number 1. I look up and notice
Caleb is about to say something, but decides not to, instead
Cash does.

"I already ordered, Claud. I ordered you a Cosmo. Isn't that
what you had last time? I can order something else if you
want."

"No, that's fine, but it's a vodka kind of night, so from now on that's what I want." Claudia drinking vodka is NOT a
good idea.

"Well, what do we have here? Double date, Cash? I'm not
judging, but I thought you were into the ladies."
I look up and there is Mr. POS! This is like déjàvu, seeing
as how this is the same place I met him along with Cash.

"Paul, this is my brother Caleb and I believe you've already
met Olivia, and Claudia of course you know." I see Claudia
cringe, which makes me wonder why.

"Oh yeah, Claudia's woman from the last time I saw you
all." Caleb arches an eyebrow.

"Claudia's woman? First off, Olivia is a lady and if she's
anyone's lady she would be Cash's." I'm shocked that she
isn't saying anything and that Caleb was the first one to
defend me.

"So, is this a double date? Because if it is, then I hate to tell
you this Caleb, but she swings for the other team. If you
know what I'm saying."

Wow! He is such an ass! The look on Caleb's face was
priceless, though. I thought he was going to spit out his
drink from the shocked look on his face.

"I didn't realize that... Paul, is it? Thanks for giving me the heads up. Claudia? I guess we need to catch up on what all
I've missed out on after all of these years. This explains a
lot!" She's no longer quiet and starts bouncing in her seat,
because she's so mad.

"What exactly does that explain? And Paul? Isn't that
Marissa over there impatiently waiting for you?"
He looks over and there is a statuesque blonde with boobs
way too big for her body, staring at all of us in a bitchy way.

"She can wait." He looks down at Claudia. "You're not
having any hard feelings towards me after firing you, are
you? My new lawyer can't figure out how Denise found out
about my Swiss bank accounts. You didn't have anything to
do with that, did you?"

She looks taken aback, but I already know the answer to
that without asking her, and I feel bad that I haven't been as
available to her to not have known that he had fired her.

"Of course I didn't! That would be against the law for me
to have done that! Do you think I would look good in
orange? I don't think so! Why would you think it was
me?" Now she's batting her eyes at him and he's completely
falling for her lie.

"I'm sorry, Claudia. There were only a handful of people that
knew about them and after you chewed me up one side and
the other over how unjustly, wasn't that what you said?
How unjustly I was treating the mother of my children? I just
assumed it was you. My apologies. Oh, and seeing you
reminds me. I just hired a new receptionist that is
absolutely gorgeous, and oh the fun I wish I could have with
her! I even tried, but she's a lesbian like you. Do you want
her number? I could give it to you. I'm telling you. She is
H.O.T. HOT!"
He pulls out his cell phone to look up the number, but
Claudia stopped him.

"No thank you, Paul. I'm actually in a relationship right now,
but thanks anyway. Tell Marissa I said hi."

He nods at all of us and leaves, and I look at Marissa and
she has her hands on her hips and points at her watch, giving
him the dirtiest look.

"What a piece of shit he is! I've never been fired by a
client in my life, but the day he said he didn't like the way I was representing him and fired me, was one of the happiest
days of my life! Has the waiter come to take a new drink
order yet?"
We are all staring at Claudia and she looks like she's about to cry. I scoot over and put my hand on her shoulder.