Avery, however, was the perfect date. The entire menu was being set on our table, and she was going for it without reservation. I had never met a woman who wasn’t intimidated in front of me.
Goddamn, she was luring me in like a moth to a flame.
“What are your plans tomorrow?” I questioned.
“Well.” She swallowed. “After my sister gets the bill to this menu extravaganza that you insisted we eat, I’m most likely going home.”
“I’m paying for this dining experience as it was my idea to make up for you being left to dine alone.”
“You can’t pay for all of this.”
“I can, and I will. I insisted on this, and I must see if you can fit all of this food into that tiny little body of yours. You’re what, five-three? All of this food must weigh more than you do as it is. I’ve got to see if you’re some kind of competitive eater.”
She laughed heartily, and I loved her exuberance. “Trust me, I can throw most of it down,” she said, taking a drink of water while I forked a piece of broccoli and placed it in my mouth. “Although, I hope they do to-go boxes here. If that’s just an American thing, I’m going to be majorly disappointed.” She started buttering a slice of bread. “God dang, this food is amazing.”
“So now that I’m picking the tab up on this meal, you won’t be leaving tomorrow. Do you have plans? How long will you be in London?”
She swallowed a bite. “Planning on giving me a guided tour?”
“I visit the city often, and I don’t feel it’s safe to travel or sightsee alone.”
“And your suit tells me that you’re here for work.”
“Perhaps.”
“Well, tomorrow I’ll be eating in some cute place I spied today that everyone says is the best for breakfast food. If you’re serious about joining me on another visit to the numerous sites I’ve enjoyed visiting more than once, I’ll gladly take the company.”
“Well, it might just happen.”
She shook her head and laughed. “You must be one over-worked man. Perhaps we’re at the breakdown part of working long and hard hours?”
“You’re my wife, and we’re celebrating our anniversary, remember?”
“Good heavens, Jim—” She scrunched her face up again. “It’s Jim, right?”
“Yes.” I smiled, surprised that she was still going hard on the delicacies surrounding her. Where the hell did she keep all of this food? “If you stay in this location, I might offer up another tour that might be more insane than this fake marriage and our fine dining experience tonight.”
She set down her fork, and finally, in her private episode of Woman versus Food, it appeared food had won. “Nothing could be crazier than this night after you approached my table, Jim.”
“We’ll see. Meet me where the tours start for the Tower of London. Have you been there?”
“Twice, and I didn’t even see any ghosts from all the stories. I was really looking too,” she said with a smile.
I couldn’t hold back my laugh. “Are you one who believes in the supernatural?”
“I have a very open mind, thank you very much.”
“I can see that in you. You definitely have an intriguing side.”
“If I weren’t opened minded and adventurous, I would be scared as shit with everything you pulled off tonight.”
“Then it’s a date,” I said.
“It’s a date.” She smiled. “We’ll see if business holds you up like it did my sister. She’s heading off to Amsterdam for the next week before we go home. Who knows where your job will take you?”
“I determine where my job takes me.”
“May I ask what you do exactly?”
“I run a business.”
“Okay. Well, boss-man,” she teased, “we’ll see how married you are to that. I don’t date businessmen, so I’ll warn you ahead of time.”
That was a clean cut and a blatant reminder as to why I don’t get caught up with women. Period. Now, here I was playing some flirty game that was entirely out of character for me, but I liked this woman. She had no idea the businessman I was, but the reason I was heading to my estate in the country was proof I wouldn’t let Mitchell and Associates run my life. I ran it.
“Do you enjoy nature?” I had to feel her out first.
“I do. I love to hike and explore, but I’m surrounded by historical buildings, and I can’t seem to get enough.”
“What if I proposed a visit to my estate in the countryside, in a historical building? If your sister is taking off for the next week?”
“Yeah, we leave in seven days. She’s gone until we meet up the morning we fly out.”
“Would you care to join me at my estate? It’s in the countryside and has a lot of local history.”
“It’s crazy if I say yes, right?” she said. “Fuck it. The life that awaits me when I get off that plane in the states is even more insane.” She took another sip of wine. “Let’s do it.”
I had no idea what had possessed me to bring her back to the small castle that I had renovated. I’d never taken anyone to this place except for the guys.
This woman was entertaining on the plane and put up with this crazy shit tonight. Why not have a fun companion at the estate? Her sister was leaving her, and she’d be alone. Might as well enjoy my reprieve with someone I thought would make me enjoy work from the estate.
Besides, it wouldn’t be a romantic affair. The estate had my horses and stables, plenty of farm life, and more than enough grounds for her to explore. Perhaps she’d enjoy that on her visit. Maybe I was a good guy by helping out a woman I felt for in my own way.
The estate itself was large enough for her to get lost in and filled with collected artifacts and priceless pieces of history from monarchs that’d traveled through the area. I had no idea if she cared about history as much as I did, but it would at least entertain her, especially since she mentioned she’d been to Buckingham Palace three times. This girl was going to hate London without a proper tour. I think Adelaile Castle would be a fun adventure. If not, I’d kindly escort her back to the city she came to visit.
Chapter Three
Avery
The previous night was by far the weirdest thing I’d ever experienced. My sister couldn’t make it to dinner, fine. I was cool with it, but a bit annoyed, eating alone in a restaurant that was priced off the charts. There was no way I was going to make my sister pay to fill my never-ending appetite.
I was sitting there, contemplating leaving so that I could actually eat something. Don’t get me wrong, though. The food was indescribably delicious. Still, if the handsome man from the plane hadn’t shown up from out of thin air and take me up on me being hungry enough to eat the entire menu, I probably would’ve left hungry and ended up at the first take-out spot I found.
I couldn’t get pissed at my sister for her choice of restaurant. She ate like a bird, and I ate like a freaking lion. Whatever. I loved food, I loved eating it, and I wasn’t the type to become satiated at the expensive restaurants. The obviously rich guy in his perfectly tailored Tom Ford suit got to see that side of me too. What could I say? Food was my weakness, and I was pretty sure that after I ate like a starved homeless person in front of the guy—that and spilling some of my pathetic life stories while tipsy on the plane—I was sure he was having second thoughts about inviting me to his place for a week.