Total pages in book: 88
Estimated words: 84676 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 423(@200wpm)___ 339(@250wpm)___ 282(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 84676 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 423(@200wpm)___ 339(@250wpm)___ 282(@300wpm)
Leo rolls his eyes. “I like this one.” It’s the biggest.
“Leo,” I say. “I work in a hotel. I want to be able to wear my ring every day. I can’t wear that every day.”
Leo glances up at the assistant helping us, as if she’s going to tell us what to do.
“I want to go back to Jersey and not have to cover up my ring or take it off entirely. I’d feel like the queen of England wearing that thing on the subway. Next, you’ll have me wearing a tiara.”
Leo sits back on the sofa, considering. “I don’t want you mugged.”
“Right,” I say. “So what about this one?” I point back to my original choice.
He looks again at my selection and then scans the tray. “This,” he says.
I gasp because I know he’s found it. It’s bigger than the one I selected, but because of the emerald cut and the setting, it somehow looks very solid. “I love it,” I say.
“It’s perfect,” he says. “Try it on.”
“Let me help you with that,” the assistant says, taking Leo’s choice in her gloved hand and sliding it onto my left ring finger. “This is a very special piece. The central stone is a three-and-a-half-carat emerald cut. It’s a simple shape with tapered, baguette-cut single-carat diamonds either side. What makes this piece very special is that the stones are flawless. Given what you’re looking for, I think this is an excellent compromise. It’s not the largest stone on the tray by any means, but because of the quality of the stone, it is one of the most expensive.”
“A flawless diamond. I like that,” Leo says, looking at my finger.
It’s a gorgeous ring, and now that it’s on, it feels good—like it belongs there.
“Despite its value, it’s very easy to wear,” the assistant says.
“And then you could have a second to wear when we go out in the evenings,” Leo says.
“Absolutely not,” I reply. “I like this one. We’re not leaving here with two rings, Leo.”
He sighs. “I guess I’ll have to wait for our anniversary.”
I roll my eyes. I can’t believe I wrote Leo off as an unrepentant player. He’s such a gooey romantic. He likes to take care of me and I like to take care of him. We know each other’s hearts are precious and we handle them carefully.
“Can we take it with us now?” Leo asks the assistant as he pulls out his wallet.
“I think they have to have it sized,” I say.
“It’s actually the perfect size. If you can give me a few minutes to arrange things, you can take it with you.”
I take Leo’s hand and look at his watch. “Will we be late for dinner?” Bennett and Efa are having a housewarming dinner at their place and I don’t want to be rude.
“No, the car’s waiting for us. Do you need to go home first?”
I shake my head, and Leo smooths his hand over my red jersey dress. He says red is his favorite color on me. I’ve invested in some red underwear to surprise him tonight.
“I have a surprise for you tonight,” I say.
“That makes two of us. I have a surprise for you too.”
“You do?” I grin. He just bought me a flawless diamond ring. I don’t need anything from him.
“Yeah. I’m thinking about buying another hotel in New York,” he says.
I pull my eyebrows together. “No, you are not.”
“I am,” he says. He pulls out his phone and brings up The Royal Park website. “This one’s for sale.”
“Leo!” I’m waiting for him to relent and tell me he’s only kidding, but he’s urging me to take his phone to look more closely. “You’re not buying another hotel. You’re not interested in the one you have.”
“Well,” he says, “speaking of The Mayfair…”
My stomach drops. He’s not thinking of selling it, is he? The plans for the rooftop are being drawn up by the architect. I’m really excited about how it’s all going to look, and more than that, how it’s going to drive business to the hotel.
“You want to manage two hotels?” he asks.
“What?”
“You’re doing such a good job with The Mayfair. Oh, that reminds me, I went ahead and transferred that into your name. That’s why I need another hotel. The guys will get pissed if I’m not playing their little game.”
“Wait a minute, what did you say?”
“I’ve got to buy another one or I won’t qualify for the competition.”
“And The Mayfair doesn’t count because…?” I think I heard him the first time, but I want to make sure.
“The Mayfair is yours now.” He shrugs. “It seemed fitting. If it hadn’t been for that place, I would have never got my second chance with you. A second chance that will last a lifetime.”
“You gave me a hotel?” I ask. It’s like I’m in a real-life game of Monopoly. “You can’t just give me a hotel.”