by Jenny Hale
“Hello,” Alex said, coming up from behind.
Noelle turned around, surprised to find just Alex. She peered over his shoulder to see if any other staff was behind him.
“Hi,” he said to Lucas with a smile, showing off his perfectly white teeth. “That is a sharp vest you’re wearing.”
Lucas pulled on his collar and grinned timidly.
Alex had on designer jeans, a sweater, and a pair of loafers, making her self-conscious of her dress and heels. “I wasn’t sure of the attire,” she admitted.
His face softened. “Just dress how you’d normally dress.”
“I don’t know… A casual outfit would make me feel out of place in here.” She looked around again.
Understanding dawned and he said, “Well, yes. I agree. That’s why we aren’t eating in here.” Then, he leaned over toward Lucas and whispered loudly, “It’s a little bit fancy in here, isn’t it?”
Lucas nodded.
“I just asked you to meet me here since it’s easier to find from your suite. Dinner’s being served in another room. Follow me.” He held out his hand, allowing Noelle and Lucas to exit first. Then he came up beside them in the hallway. “I can keep everything warm for you if you’d like to change into something more comfortable?”
“Oh, it’s fine,” she said, not wanting to make a fuss. So it was just them?
“May I take my vest off and untuck my shirt?” Lucas asked.
“Of course,” Alex said, before seeking approval from Noelle.
The vest covered the fact that his shirt was a little short, but Lucas didn’t know that. Shaking off the stress of making a good first impression at dinner, Noelle helped Lucas to remove his vest, and folded it over her arm.
They entered a much smaller room; it was almost intimate compared to all the others. It was simpler, with only a little ornamental work on the ceiling, the walls a calming and more current gray, and a craftsman-style table, also understated. On the wall opposite them was a long sideboard matching the style of the table.
“When Henry built this house, he wanted a grand dining room for entertaining.” Alex pulled out a chair for Noelle and then one for Lucas. “But he also wanted a small space where he could kick back, smoke cigars, and drink brandy. He had this room built, and our family has used it as our personal dining room for generations.” Alex helped Lucas scoot his chair closer to the table. “Enough history though—let’s eat.”
The staff descended upon them from all angles, setting dishes in front of them, and, even though the setting was more intimate in this dining room, the formality of being served was still quite intimidating.
“Hi, Jim,” Alex said, greeting one of the servers.
“Hello, sir,” he said. “First course: roasted lobster and artichoke soup with black truffle.” He smiled warmly at Alex, placing a soup plate in front of Noelle and Lucas, then Alex. He was tall, and had a kind face.
“Jim, this is Noelle and her son Lucas.” Alex turned to Noelle. “Jim has been with the family since my grandmother lived here and he will be of great help if you ever need him.”
“It’s nice to meet you, Jim,” she said.
He nodded and backed away, leaving them to their dinner.
Lucas got a large, heavy goblet of milk with a candy-cane-colored straw. He had to use both hands to pick it up. Noelle was a little nervous until a gleaming plate with chicken nuggets and French fries appeared in front of Lucas.
“I did a search for the most popular kids’ dishes,” Alex said. “I’m not used to entertaining children.”
“You’ve done very well,” she said, unable to hide her surprise at his welcoming behavior. But she was still wondering why he’d invited them to dinner in the first place. Melinda certainly wasn’t there eating with him, so why were they? “You really didn’t need to do this. We could find something to eat on our own.”
“On your first night? I wouldn’t dream of it.” Consideration slid across his face. “Unless you’d prefer to eat alone?” She could’ve sworn she’d seen a flicker of insecurity just then, but he’d returned to his commanding presence so quickly that she wasn’t sure. Did he spend every night eating alone? Was that why he’d asked them to dinner tonight, because he actually enjoyed talking with them? Probably not. As handsome as he was, he most likely spent every evening out on dates with high-powered women or having business dinners or something. Just the thought made her uneasy.
“I’m glad you’re eating with us,” she said, immediately wanting to swallow her words. She’d meant that his invitation had made things simpler because she wasn’t sure what to do yet, but it had come out as more personal than she’d meant it to, making her want to kick herself. She’d better get these ridiculous feelings in check.
He broke eye contact a moment, acting as though he were inspecting his dish, but it was clear by the way his features lifted just slightly, his eyes creasing at the edges, that he was happy with her response.
He poured her a glass of white wine.
“I hope you enjoy the dinner. I put in the request before you arrived, but it occurred to me that I didn’t know what you’d like.”
“It looks delicious,” she said, her hands in her lap until she could see which utensil he’d choose so she didn’t have some kind of etiquette blunder. She subtly eyed Lucas’s fork, hoping he wouldn’t use his fingers. He picked it up and stabbed a French fry, to her relief.
There was a knock at the door, Melinda Burnett announcing her presence. She glanced down at Alex’s jeans before looking at his face. Her expression was enough to make Noelle wonder if he had dressed down for them.
“I’m terribly sorry to interrupt your dinner,” she said, “but I’m about to leave for the day and I received the property agreement you’ve been waiting for. I thought I’d just let you know it’s on your desk.”
“Perfect. Thank you, Melinda,” he said. “Want any chicken nuggets?” he asked with a slight grin, obviously teasing.
“No, thank you, sir.” She laughed quietly. “I’ll just be on my way. Have a lovely evening.”
“See you tomorrow.”
“I’m sorry about that,” he said, after Melinda had gone. “I’m waiting for that agreement so I can finish up a sale.”
She didn’t even want to think about what sale. Was it something to do with the bakery? Just the idea of it made her blood boil. Here he was, drinking his wine, enjoying his dinner, when who knows what kind of turmoil he could be causing another person or a family! He didn’t know that after her dad had told her about the bakery closing, even with everyone trying to look on the bright side, Noelle had cried herself to sleep, her dreams dashed, her entire future now uncertain. He didn’t know that she’d gotten up an extra hour early to cover up her lack of sleep, putting eye drops in her eyes to reduce the redness, adding cover-up over her dark circles, and plastering a smile on her face so her son wouldn’t worry, as she was doing, about what would become of them. He didn’t know that if she even thought about the bakery, she had to work to get the lump out of her throat, just like she was right now.
“I’m dying to know,” he said, picking up his spoon and dipping it into his soup, the steam rising off the surface. “Why do you collect teacups if you don’t drink tea?”
She took in a breath to get herself together before answering. “It’s my gram’s collection.” She nearly snapped, but reined herself in for Lucas’s sake. Sitting across from Alex now, seeing how little the bakery’s closing affected him, she found herself getting tense. Lucas peered over at her, and she fretted he’d noticed her tone anyway. “When she passed away, my sister got all her cookbooks and I got her teacups. She traveled all over the world in her twenties, and she collected them from different countries. I also got her costume jewelry and one of her dresses that I used to love to put on when I was a girl.”
Alex nodded, showing interest. Apparently, Alex didn’t know Noelle well enough to sense her agitation like Lucas had, but she’d managed to defuse Lucas�
��s unease with a smile because he’d gone back to drinking his milk.
“Did she get the jewelry in other countries as well?”
“No, I don’t think so. I used to just play with it all as a kid.” Noelle felt herself relaxing a little again as the memories flooded in. “She had these amethyst-colored earrings that were clip-ons. I would wear them along with enormous faux-diamond rings, a costume dress I had, and her high heels. I’d pretend I was a princess. I don’t think any of it has a lot of significance other than my own personal memories. That’s probably why she left it all to me. She knew I’d appreciate being reminded of those times. My sister Heidi never took any interest in that kind of thing.”
“Have you added to the teacup collection at all?”
Noelle had friends who’d traveled but she was too busy raising Lucas, and they didn’t have the kind of income to have those types of vacations. He was her whole world and she felt guilty even thinking about the things she might have missed out on. But if she had to live her life over, she wouldn’t change a thing.
She shook her head. “I’d like to,” she said. “My gram—her name was Sophia, which means wisdom. It was a perfect name for her; she was so wise. She told me all about the places she’d visited. She was my favorite person in all the world, apart from Lucas.” The mention of Gram was making her nostalgic. “I spent all my time with her…” She trailed off, Gram’s smile in her mind, the memory of her making Noelle’s chest ache. When she looked up, there were thoughts behind Alex’s eyes and he was nodding.
“I miss my grandmother terribly,” he admitted suddenly, his face sobering so much that it derailed her line of conversation. There was a sadness in his eyes that was undeniable. He cleared his throat and took in a breath. “How are the nuggets?” he asked Lucas, the moment passing as quickly as it came.
Lucas smiled and reached for his milk again, accidentally missing the mark and sending the giant goblet tumbling over. The milk spread across the table, soaking into the cloth and sliding to the edge of the table where it began to drip onto the hardwoods, the milk seeping down between the boards. Lucas searched his mother’s face, mortified, and she wanted to lift him up into her arms and tell him it was okay, like she had done when he was a toddler, yet at the same time she was concerned about the mess. She jumped out of her chair but Alex was already beside Lucas, blotting the spot with his cloth napkin.
“Please,” he said kindly, “you two eat. I’ve got this.” He looked down at Lucas. “Sorry I gave you such a big glass. I don’t have any small ones,” he said, his voice unbothered. “What kind of cups do you usually use?”
The staff came in and began lifting plates and removing them from the room. In mere seconds they had the table cleared, the cloth pulled off, and with a flourish a new cloth was on the table, the floor wiped, and brand-new dishes brought out.
“Mom gives me little plastic ones with animals on them.”
“I’ll bring some for him,” Noelle offered.
“It’s fine,” Alex said. “I’ll make sure we have something for him to use.”
Another glass of milk was brought out, this one only half full.
“So tell me, Lucas, did you unpack that book you’d mentioned?” Alex was clearly trying to lighten the air.
“Yes, sir.”
“Does your mom read it to you before bed?”
“No. I like to read by myself, but she reads her book beside me.”
“He’s a very quick reader,” Noelle said. “He reads faster than I do. He learned before he’d even gotten to kindergarten.”
“Could we all read together tonight? Would you read with us?” Lucas asked.
“Certainly,” Alex said, clearly surprised by Lucas’s offer.
“Oh, you don’t have to,” Noelle said quickly. It was a kind gesture, but Noelle was there to do a job. It wasn’t Alex’s responsibility to entertain her son.
But before she could think any more about it, he’d already started talking with Lucas about the book he was reading at the moment.
The three of them sat on the sofa in the sitting area of Noelle and Lucas’s suite, holding their books. Noelle had tried to tell Alex that he didn’t have to spend the rest of his evening with them, but he’d insisted, even suggesting that Noelle finish getting Lucas’s bed ready while he and Lucas read their books. She still hadn’t unpacked Lucas’s favorite blanket and the stuffed rabbit that Gram had given him. It was missing an eye and she’d stitched his ear together more times than she could count. Lucas couldn’t sleep without it.
Alex and Lucas had been reading for quite a while before Noelle had picked her book up from beside her phone and car keys, which were still on the table. She hadn’t found a good spot to keep them yet, afraid she’d forget where she’d put them in this giant suite. After finally finishing unpacking the bedding, she joined the others.
Noelle sat down next to Alex but then scooted a little too close to Lucas, to give Alex enough space. Alex glanced up from his book and smiled but then resumed reading. She opened her own novel and scanned the words on the page, but their meaning wasn’t registering. She was too busy contemplating the fact that Alex Harrington was sitting beside her, with a science fiction novel in his hands. He was on page thirty-two—she’d looked.
Everything about him made her curious. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see the rise and fall of his chest as his head was turned down toward his book. She let her hair fall in front of her face so she could get a better look at him. His shirt collar was open one button, a slight stubble from the day showing on his chin and cheeks, his jaw set in a relaxed way that could almost be mistaken for a smile.
Suddenly, there was a familiar buzz and a pulsing light from the table, and before she was able to get it, Alex had leaned forward and picked up her phone to give it to her, moving quickly at first and then slowly, his arm still outstretched so she could view the text that had floated onto her screen—the text he could also read. It was Phoebe: So Alex Harrington IS hot? And nice? I knew it! You’re so lucky! I can’t believe…
He handed her the phone, a very subtle look of amusement on his face, curiosity swimming around with it.
“Who is it, Mama?” Lucas asked.
“It’s Phoebe,” she said, feeling her dinner settling like a rock in her stomach. She stuffed the phone under one of the throw pillows.
“Who’s Phoebe?” Alex asked, chewing on a grin.
Noelle tried to look at him, but the fire in her cheeks made her self-conscious and her gaze could only reach his smiling lips before she lost all ability to think clearly. “She’s…”
“A friend,” Lucas said. “Mom said she used to walk by your house a lot and look for you.”
Oh God, she sounds like a stalker! “I think it’s probably about bedtime.” Noelle smiled, nervous energy making sitting nearly impossible. She couldn’t look Alex in the eye at all now. “We’ve had a big day.”
Lucas didn’t argue, but he never did. He got up and followed her into the bathroom to brush his teeth, both of them leaving Alex on the sofa. In her peripheral vision, she saw him watching them, but all she could do was offer, “Be right back,” without turning around. She gritted her teeth, remembering that her phone was still under the pillow. Oh well, he’d seen the message already. Why did she even care what Alex thought, anyway? She didn’t… did she? But either way, she couldn’t conceal the embarrassment she felt at the situation.
Chapter Seven
Noelle woke with a start. She’d talked a little about the day with Lucas, and said a prayer. Then she’d lain next to him, but she’d dozed off by accident, and she had no idea how much time had passed. Carefully, so as not to wake him, she crawled out of his bed, wondering if Alex was still sitting on her sofa; he was probably scrolling through all the texts from Phoebe about gold plates and how hot is he and where was she… There was no telling what she might have texted by now—after all, Phoebe did have a flair for the dramatic. Noelle rolled her head on her shoulder
s to alleviate the pinch.
Cautiously, she walked out into the sitting room.
“Hi,” Alex said, looking up from his book. A bottle of wine in a silver bucket had appeared on the coffee table next to her keys, along with two glasses. Why had he gone and gotten them wine?
She’d told him she’d be right back. Did he think he had to stay? “I’ve kept you long enough,” she said, feeling so guilty that Lucas had invited him to read and then she’d left him on the sofa for ages. She’d probably used up his whole evening, and, surely, he had better things to do.
“It’s fine. And clearly you’re exhausted—you’ve had a busy day.” He set his book down next to hers. “Have some wine.”
She noted the fact that he didn’t ask—was he used to just telling people what he wanted? She sat down next to him.
“Your pillow’s been buzzing,” he said, pointing to the spot where she’d hidden her phone.
With a prickle of awkwardness, she took her phone out from its hiding spot, the screen full of texts and a missed call. She silenced it and put it face down on the table. Then she took an enormous gulp of the wine Alex had just poured.
Alex had a smirk on his face, and she knew he was thinking about what he’d seen on her phone, but his playful expression gave her a burst of courage. “Oh fine, go on, let’s just get it out into the open.”
Alex raised an eyebrow.
“Yes. I sent my friend Phoebe a text…”
Alex took a drink of his wine, not saying a word.
“And I might have said something about initial impressions…”