Page 15 of Filthy Uncle To Go

“See? I told you,” I giggle. “You can survive on this stuff.”

“I’m usually not a mac and cheese kind of guy, but that was better than I expected,” he admits.

“It’s because they use four different types of cheeses. I’m addicted to this stuff,” I say as I take another bite.

“Hopefully, the steak is half as good, although I’m a little skeptical about eating beef inside of a school cafeteria,” he jokes. I laugh as he cuts into the beef, then munches on a sliver. “Wow,” he says, a bit surprised. “This is better than I expected, too.”

“It’s Marymount’s gourmet dining,” I say, still giggling.

“It’s funny,” he remarks as he cuts another sliver of steak. “When I was in college, steak was never on the menu in my cafeteria.”

“Usually, it isn’t here either. I think they’re just pulling out all of the stops because it’s Parents Weekend,” I admit.

“Makes sense,” he says. “It’s important to play the big points right.”

“What college did you go to?” I inquire.

“Colbert University in Rhode Island,” he says as he drops one of the diced red skin potatoes, causing me to giggle. He smiles, those blue eyes amused. “You have such an infectious laugh, sweetheart. I love hearing it.”

There he goes again, complimenting me. Drake’s been flattering me all day, and I’m not complaining. In fact, I like it a lot, and it sounds silly, but it feels like we’re on a first date, the kind that you never want to end. I’ve been smiling and laughing for an hour solid now, and enjoying my time with this charismatic man.

“What was your major?” I ask.

He grins.

“I was a business major. College was tough because even though I had a full scholarship, I still had to work a part-time job to pay for food and anything else extra. Plus, I had to keep my grades up or else I would’ve lost my scholarship. So some nights after work, I didn’t get any sleep because I had to stay up studying for exams the next day.”

“Your parents didn’t help you out?” I ask.

“They couldn’t afford to,” he confesses. “I didn’t have a lot of money growing up. In fact, if it weren’t for the full scholarship, I probably wouldn’t have even been able to go to college, period.”

Oh wow. I had no idea he wasn’t born into money. Drake’s such a successful businessman now that I just assumed he had some family help along the way. But it actually makes me admire him even more because he worked so hard to get to where he is now. He’s the kind of man who knows what he wants and goes after it.

“I’m sorry. I had no idea,” I say apologetically.

“Don’t worry about it, sweetheart. It’s no big deal. My folks are retired now, living the good life down in Fort Lauderdale, so everything worked out fine,” he says.

“That’s true. And now, you’re a billionaire.” He nods as he takes another bite. I glance down at our lunch trays. What was I thinking, bringing him here for lunch? I should’ve just agreed to go to Chez Josephine with him. “I’m sorry about lunch.”

“What do you mean?” he asks.

I sigh.

“You’re used to five star restaurants and gourmet chefs. We should have gone to the restaurant you suggested instead of eating here in my school’s cafeteria.”

“Jenna,” Drake says as he reaches across the table and seizes my hand, sending electricity coursing through my veins. “I’m glad I’m here with you. The food here is great, but the time I’m spending getting to know you is even better. Who needs Chez Josephine? I’d rather eat Marymount’s best with you.”

“Really? You mean it?” I ask tentatively.

He grins.

“Of course I do,” he says. “Trust me, five star dining isn’t as important as spending time with someone you really care about.”

I feel my cheeks turning red as I smile hesitantly. This man knows just what to say to make my heart pound. I take another bite of macaroni and cheese, and yet I still can’t stop smiling. Other students start rolling into the cafeteria with their parents, and I try to look more normal, instead of like a sappy fool. This isn’t a date. Drake’s here because my parents begged him to come, and remembering that fact, my smile slowly fades away.

“Thanks again for coming to Parents Weekend,” I say in a low voice. “I’m sure you have a ton of places you’d rather be right now,” I say.

The big man leans back easily in his chair.