Help Me by Clara Bayard Read Free Book Online Page B

Tell everyone in the city Kat was missing? It’s not like they were friends, so he couldn’t help anyway. And if she was in real trouble, the fewer people I dragged into it, the better.
    “Well, thanks. Have a nice day.”
    He flashed a half smile. “Yeah, you too.”
    I went back into the apartment to grab my purse and then went down to meet Trey. By the time I got outside he was there, leaning against his car – the same one he’d driven me back in last night. In the daylight it was even more gorgeous. Well, to be honest, they both were. The car and the guy.
    “Good morning. Hear anything?” he asked as he opened the passenger door for me.
    “Nope. Nothing. You?”
    Trey shook his head. His hair was still wet and it spiked up a little which I thought was adorable. In tight dark jeans and a t-shirt, he was more casual than at the club, and seemed more relaxed, too.
    I got in the car and he drove away, gesturing at the cup holders between us. “I got some coffee, wasn’t sure how you took it.”
    “Oh, um, however is fine.”
    “Good. They’re both full of milk and sugar.”
    I snorted.
    “What?”
    “Nothing. I just figured you’d be a fancy espresso kind of guy.”
    “Hell, no. Can’t stand that bitter shit. I like things hot and sweet.” He waggled his eyebrows and we both laughed.
    “You’re weird, Trey.”
    “No, I’m not. Well, maybe. But I’m sure this is hard for you and I just want to help lighten the load a little.”
    I smiled and crossed my legs. “Thanks. But honestly, I’ll be distracted soon enough.”
    “By shopping?”
    “Yeah, but not in a good way. I don’t know what stores you have in mind, but I’ve only got like fifty bucks to spend. And I hate clothes shopping.”
    “You’ll like this shopping, I promise.”
    “I doubt it.
    He didn’t offer a reply because he was concentrating on sliding the car into traffic on an overpass. Trey didn’t turn onto the highway like I expected. Instead he wound us back downtown, around the giant art museum and then along the road that followed the riverbank northwest.
    “Where are we going?”
    “The suburbs.”
    “Why?”
    “What do you think, we can pop into any old store to get you the perfect outfit for tonight?”
    I sighed. “Don’t you remember the fifty bucks part of this conversation?”
    “Yes, but I’m ignoring it.”
    “Why?”
    “Because I’m buying you something, so how much money you have in your pocket is irrelevant.”
    “What? No.”
    “Don’t argue with me, Amanda.”
    “Don’t tell me what to do, Trey .”
    He glanced over at me, put his foot down hard on the gas and then turned the wheel hard. We shot into a small parking lot I remember was used by joggers who ran the paths up and down either side of the river.
    “What the hell are you doing?”
    Trey turned in his seat to face me. “We need to talk.”
    “Damn right. Look, I appreciate your help and everything but you can’t just buy me clothes and boss me around.”
    He tugged on his ear and then spoke. “How much do you think this car cost?”
    I shrugged. “I have no idea. I don’t follow cars or anything.”
    “Ballpark. Just tell me what you think.”
    “I don’t know. Thirty thousand?”
    “More than twice that. Much more.”
    I gasped, worried about my butt touching something so expensive.
    “I’m not telling you this to brag or make you uncomfortable. I just want you to realize that I could buy you your dream wardrobe with my weekly spending money.”
    “You could?” I squeaked.
    He chuckled. “Damn it, you’ve done it to me again. You don’t know who I am?”
    “I do. You’re Trey…Heller. That Peter guy at the club said your last name.”
    He smiled. “My full name is William Tyler Heller the Third. Trey for short.”
    “Oh. Huh…wait.” A glimmer of recognition glowed brighter and brighter in my mind. “Holy shit. William Tyler Heller? Like the senator?”
    “Yup. That’s Junior. My dad. The first William Heller