Thanks to Arlo, he’s already heard the summarized version. Surely that’s enough. That was humiliating, especially knowing how Arlo feels about me. “Christ, Cora. I thought we were done making bad decisions. I thought we were done with your wild years. Now that you’re divorced, are you just going to settle back into the rhythm of your teenage years that almost got you killed?”
“You don’t want all of it, Pike.”
His hand squeezes mine. “If I didn’t, I wouldn’t ask for it. You’ll give me every last piece of you, even if it takes a while. I want all of it, Coraline.”
I glance away, unable to look him in the eyes. “It’s not all pretty.”
“No one’s life is all pretty, that’s what makes us human. My sordid past isn’t anything I care to share with the world, but with you, that’s different. You’re my wife, and despite it being from a drunken incident, it still means something to me.”
I study him for a few beats, watching the fabric of his shirt pull as he breathes. “Your version of loyalty is hard to come by these days, Pike.”
“If you don’t have loyalty, then you don’t have a leg to stand on. You can have all the money in the world, but without loyalty, you’re just another soulless void wasting room on this crowded planet.”
“Did you learn loyalty or was it pushed upon you?”
“A bit of both,” he answers earnestly. “I was never led by example, probably the opposite, if I’m honest, which caused me to learn that loyalty is the key to any human. You offer them unbreakable loyalty and they will stick by your side.”
“You speak from experience.”
He nods. “I do, but I would prefer to not dive so deep right away. This is our first date, after all.”
Noticing him wanting to lighten the mood, I join him. “Did I tell you I don’t kiss on the first date?”
“Is that so?” he asks. “Well, did I tell you I fuck on the first date?”
“A bit of a ho, are we?”
He chuckles. “No, just know what I want, when I want it.”
“Are you saying you want me, Pike?”
“Desperately.” His eyes narrow. “Only you, Cora.”
How is it possible that he can make me want him every second he’s around so effortlessly?
“Good thing you married me then, huh?”
“Very good for me.”
“Why do you believe they named this place The Whale?” I ask as we bite into our meals.
I ordered the cauliflower steak and Pike ordered the blackened trout. We each chose a side to split—I went with the crispy fingerling potatoes and Pike ordered the mixed greens, giving us way more food than we could possibly eat in one sitting. But knowing Pike’s dedication to leftovers, I know he’ll be eating this tomorrow.
“I read about it on their website. It’s a play on the difference between a high-roller and a whale.”
“Uh, what?” I chuckle.
“Gamblers. High-rollers are the ones spending from one hundred thousand dollars to one million as their budget.”
“Good God, could you imagine dropping that much money without even blinking?”
“I’ve seen it. But I’ve also seen a whale at play, as well.”
“What’s a whale?” I ask before I pinch a fingerling potato between my fingers and lift it to my mouth. The hint of almond is really doing it for me.
“A whale is the person who rolls in on a private jet provided by the casino, offered a suite that’s big enough for twenty people and every perk you can think of, just so the casino can gain their business. These people drop a minimum of one million dollars and usually spend more because they can.”
“More than one million dollars?” I ask. “That’s . . . insane. And you’ve seen someone do that?”
He nods and forks the last piece of his trout. “I have.” He leans back and studies me. “Do you know of my family?”
“Uh, should I?”
“All of England does, but usually that doesn’t translate over to the States.”
I set down my fork, eyes wide, and whisper, “Are you royalty? Is that why you’re so fancy about your tea?”
He laughs loud enough to gather attention from the bar. He shakes his head. “No, we aren’t royalty, but my pa likes to believe he is.”
“Pa, aww, how cute is that?”
“Not cute at all. The man is wretched. An absolute twit.”
“Ooo, twit. I like that word. The next person who wrongs me, I’m calling them a twit. So, your pa, what does he do?”