Total pages in book: 87
Estimated words: 85135 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 426(@200wpm)___ 341(@250wpm)___ 284(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 85135 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 426(@200wpm)___ 341(@250wpm)___ 284(@300wpm)
“Because you like the atmosphere of being among people?” he asks.
I’m never in charge of making dinner reservations. Betty always does it without being asked—or at least, without me asking. Matt liked to arrange our dinners out, and I always assumed it was because he liked to feel like he was taking me out—which he was, except I always paid. But maybe his interest in making our plans had less to do with taking me on dates and more to do with ensuring his media contacts would know where to find us. Maybe I’m being paranoid.
Maybe not.
“Can I be honest with you?” I ask.
“I wouldn’t want anything else.”
I glance away, so I don’t see him slide his hand over mine—but I feel the shiver that races down my spine when he does. I look back at him and he adds, “I’m serious. I don’t want you ever saying anything to me that isn’t true. I don’t even want you to sugarcoat it.”
I smile, partly because I want to believe him and also because I wonder what it would be like to get things uncoated in sugar. I’ve tried to tell Tommy the same thing, but he always wants to wrap even the worst news in a bow with pink confetti.
“I don’t think I’ve been smart enough to think about it. And now I am thinking about it, I wonder why I haven’t.”
“Probably because you have someone else making the reservations.”
“I guess. Maybe I will next time. Tonight is all about being seen rather than being private, so I guess it makes sense why a private room wouldn’t be a good idea.”
“Next time, maybe we should try that—come in the back door, go into a private room and still get great food and better conversation.”
I smile, but I’m tense.
“What did I say?” He’s grinning at me as he asks. “I can tell something in there was something you didn’t want to hear. You don’t need to sugarcoat it for me.”
I shrug. Here goes nothing. “The next time we go out, we’ll have to be seen again. That’s the whole reason for us being…public.” I pause, but power through to the hard thing. “You know this isn’t real, right?”
His grin doesn’t falter. He leans back in his chair, his hand sliding down mine, making every hair on my arm stand to attention. “Right. Doesn’t mean we can’t enjoy our evening though, does it?”
I shrug.
The vibration of his laugh runs down my spine in a way that feels…inappropriate. There’s no doubt Beau is attractive, but his confidence and openness is unbelievably sexy.
I shake my head like I can shake those feelings away. You’re still heartbroken, I remind myself.
“Right. What I want to do while I’m in London is enjoy each moment. It’s such a busy city and I’m always so frantic when I’m here that sometimes I forget. I’m too busy with my patients, or planning my next trip, to see the beauty in the present moment. That’s all I’m saying we should do. Let’s not worry about what will be in the papers tomorrow—Tommy and Felicity can do that. Let’s just enjoy ourselves.”
My shoulders droop with relief. “I like that idea.”
“Good. Let’s order. I’m hungry.” We pick up our menus. “Do you know what you want? Shall I order for you?”
I narrow my eyes. “Actually, why don’t you order for me without me telling you what I want.”
“Really?” He draws his eyebrows together. “Isn’t it a safer bet to just tell me?”
“But not as fun.”
“And if you don’t like it?” he asks.
“Then you can eat it and I can eat what you order for yourself.”
He grins at me and buries his head in the menu. Every now and then he looks up as if he’s trying to work out from my face whether I have a seafood allergy.
He places the order with the waitress by pointing at the items on the menu so I don’t know what he’s ordered.
“This feels crazy,” I say.
“You need to get out more,” he replies with a smirk.
“I’m Miss Apple Pie. Tell me the craziest thing you’ve ever done.”
“Crazy? Probably BASE jumping in Norway. I don’t think I was ever in any danger, but on balance, I think I’d rather do something other than jumping off a cliff, even if there is a parachute attached to my back.”
“I didn’t realize that was an actual thing. I thought… I don’t know what I thought, but I didn’t expect ordinary people to be jumping off cliffs.”
“Ordinary people like us normies?” he asks, laughing.
“I guess I just thought it was something people only did in movies.”
“Yeah, well I’m not planning on doing another jump.”
“What about out of a plane?”
“Oh I’d do that again. Because there’s a bigger drop and you have a secondary chute, it’s much safer. I’ve done a few jumps and it’s great. I did the training so I can do them on my own and it’s…so beautiful and peaceful. In those moments, I really appreciate how wonderful the world is. And it’s not just the views—it’s the engineering that has created the parachutes, the scientific endeavor that went into creating the plane I flew up in, the camaraderie of the other people on the jump. There’s nothing but a huge smile on my face for a week after an experience like that.”