Taking Shots (Assassins) Read online

  What was he thinking?

  He has sex with Elli once and he is already thinking about moving in with her?

  He needed help.

  Shea shook his head as he showered quickly. When he looked in the mirror he glared at the stubble on his chin, but it wasn’t like he came prepared, so he threw on his clothes from last night. He was tying his shoes when Elli came back in; she was wearing a brown skirt with some ivory tights and an ivory blouse that hung big off her shoulders. Her hair was still up in the towel as she breezed by his smelling like the mango shampoo he had just used. He was gonna have to get some of it, so he would always have her scent on him.

  Shea was sitting on the porch watching Adler run through the yard when Elli stepped out in some brown heels. She smiled at him before calling Adler in.

  “So isn’t it called the walk of shame when you are caught in the clothes from the night before?” He laughed as he stood up; Elli locked the door then turned to look at him, laughter dancing in her eyes.

  “Maybe for other people, but I would never walk in shame after last night,” he said, wrapping an arm around her waist as they walked down the stairs, “By the way, you look good.”

  “Why, thank you,” she said with a grin as she climbed into the truck after he open the door for her. He went around the car, got in before driving off. They went to the mall in Clarksville, and even though everyone in the Gap gave him a look, he wore the clothes he bought out of there. He had picked a yellow button up shirt with some nice khaki pants since from what Elli said about the club, it was pretty classy. He was a little nervous about his chucks, so he went ahead and got some canvas shoes too while he was there.

  They left the mall and drove about fifteen minutes before driving down the drive for the Clarksville Country Club. Shea was starting to think every place had a long drive way in this town. After driving past golfers and tennis courts, they finally pulled up in front of the pretty large white building. It had large windows that lined the place, with double glass doors, and flowers galore. Shea got out as the valet help Elli out, he came around the truck, handing the valet a tip before taking Elli’s hand in his.

  As they walked, people would stare at Elli than looked up at him before whispering to each other. He wasn’t sure if hockey was popular in Clarksville, and he didn’t know if they knew who he was, but they definitely knew who Elli was.

  “Ms. Fisher,” a tall balding man said as he walked in front of them, Elli smiled nicely.

  “Hello, Mr. Johnson, how are you?”

  “I’m fine darlin’, vistin’ your daddy?”

  “Yes, sir, we are late, so if you’ll excuse us,” she said pulling Shea along towards a lady that stood behind a podium. “Ugh, I hate this place,” she muttered before giving the lady her dad’s name. The lady smiled at Shea then led them out onto the Terrence. The room was large, filled with about ten tables; the walls were blue with brown trim that lined the floors, windows, and doors. It was very classy, a lady sat in the corner playing a harp as people enjoyed their brunches. As Elli and Shea past each table, people would look up, staring at Elli, but not him. He was so used to everyone staring at him that it was new having everyone stare at Elli. Not that it was bad, but different for sure. Elli’s dad, Michael, was sitting at a table on the other side of the room, by a large window out looking the front nine. He stood as they got closer, a big welcoming grin on his face.

  “Eleanor,” he said, kissing her cheeks. He smiled up at Shea, shaking his hand hard, “Shea, how are you? So glad you could come.”

  “I’m good, thank you for having me,” Shea said as he pulled out the chair for Elli beside her dad, Elli smiled up at him as she sat. Michael sat down as Shea pulled out the puffy chair and sank down it. It had to be the most comfortable chair he had ever sat in. He looked at Elli and Michael to see if they thought the chairs were awesome, but they were settling in, not paying attention to him or basking in the awesomeness of the chair like he was. Nothing was said as a waitress came up, getting their drink orders.

  “I’m surprised you’re not working, Eleanor,” Michael said after taking a drink of his water, Elli looked up from her nails that she was picking at. He was starting to notice that as a nervous habit of hers.

  “I took the weekend off since Shea is leaving tomorrow night. Alice and Ryan are doing the weddings I had today, and Jack, Alice’s brother is doing the birthdays.”

  Michael nodded his head, “Where’s Harper?”

  “She took off this weekend, too. Her boyfriend is actually Jakob Titov, so she is spending the weekend with him,” Elli said with a grin, Michael smiled.

  “Boyfriend, huh? Interesting.”

  “To say the least.” They shared a laugh before Michael looked over at Shea.

  “I really am glad to see you, Shea. When I called Eleanor this morning and she said she’d call you, I have to say I was surprised. I could have sworn after last night you would run for the hills,” Shea smiled as Michael laughed, and Elli looked nervous. “Sometimes I wonder about my family, me and Eleanor here are the only normal ones, I think, would you think so darling?”

  “Yes, daddy,” Elli answered with grin as the waitress came back for the orders. He ordered different from them; he went for the classic bacon and eggs with pancakes, while Elli and her dad got sausage, eggs, and grits. Even though he lived in the south, he couldn’t do the damn grits, they were disgusting in his opinion. Elli smiled at him, knowing what he was thinking since they had had this discussion before.

  “You know, Shea, Olivia is quick to point out Elli’s failures, but not her accomplishments.”

  “I noticed that,” Shea said reaching for his glass of orange juice. “Why is that?”

  “Oh, it’s simple, she’s jealous.” Shea found himself choking on his orange juice. That was probably the last thing he expected Michael to say.

  “Excuse me?”

  “It’s simple, really. She wanted to be on Broadway, and she wanted to marry into the Yates family. When Elli done both, Olivia was livid, but then Elli got real sick, and she wasn’t kicked off Broadway like Olivia tells everyone, she was asked to lose the weight but couldn’t so she never went back, and even when she did lose the weight, she was already in her new career and I guess she never wanted to go back.”

  “It isn’t that I didn’t want to go back, daddy, it’s just I don’t know if I’m as good as I was. I mean I used to sing every day, now I only do it in the shower or when I’m driving.”

  “But you’re happy?” he asked. Elli looked over at Shea. She beamed at him, before looking back at her dad.

  “I am.”

  “Then it is done with, but for some reason your mother can’t let it go,” He reached for Elli’s hand, squeezing it lightly as he looked at Shea, “and then the thing with that piece of shit Justin, thank God, she got rid of him. He told everyone he left her, but I know he would never leave her, he had it too good with her,” Michael leaned back, letting the waitress give him his food, Elli was looking down at her plate, a little red covering her cheeks. After the waitress placed their food down, Michael continued “You know, with the trust fund and the inherence from her grandparents and the inherence she will get from her uncle, then the part from me, she is a valuable thing to have, not only money wise, that’s not what I mean, darling.”

  “I know, daddy,” Elli said with a smile just for him.

  Michael looked back at Shea, and said, “But because she is the most amazing girl in world, right baby girl?”

  “Daddy..,” Elli groaned with blush covering her cheeks.

  Whoa, Shea was missing something. He looked over at Elli as Michael looked over at her, too.

  “Now darlin’ I haven’t embarrassed you have I? I’m sorry.”

  She shook her head, smiling weakly at him, “No, daddy, I just haven’t told Shea all that.”

  They both looked at him as he placed his fork down, “So what? Are you loaded or something?”

  Elli shook her head yes,