Priceless Love

by Emily Walters

  Miranda patted her hair down as best she could and looked around for a nearby shirt, which wasn’t there apparently. She turned to Alec and asked, “But what about the presentation? Don’t we have to prepare for the meeting?”

  Alec waved his hand and said, “We’ve done most of the preparations back at the office and I don’t want to waste today. It’s so beautiful outside and come on, you’re not telling me you want to work over having fun in a new city? Let’s just go and enjoy, we can worry about the meeting tomorrow.”

  Miranda gaped at him. “But the meeting is tomorrow!” she exclaimed.

  Alec winked at her and grinned. “Exactly. Oh come on, live a little. Trust me, even if I don’t say a single word tomorrow in the meeting, the deal is still in my hands. They are dying to have my name associated with theirs and they’ll agree to my terms. So, we don’t really need the prep. Now, quit being a worrywart and let’s go!”

  Miranda couldn’t help but laugh. “Worrywart? Really?” she rolled her eyes. “Okay, give me fifteen minutes and I’ll meet you down in the lobby.”

  Alec stood up, beaming. “That’s my girl!” he exclaimed before he made his way to the door. Just as he was leaving, he called out, “I got your coffee just the way you like it, so don’t forget to have it.” And with that he walked out. Miranda stood staring after him. When he had called her “his girl” an electrifying sensation had zoomed up and down her body. For reasons she could not quite comprehend, she liked the sound of being his girl. She shook her head and told herself it was being in the City of Love that was playing tricks on her mind.

  Fifteen minutes later, she walked to the sitting area in the lobby. Alec was waiting for her patiently, reading a magazine. As she walked closer, she saw that the magazine was in French. When she came up to him, she cleared her throat the way he would sometimes do. He turned towards the sound and his eyes seemed to drink her in. She was wearing a flower-print, sleeveless, light-blue chiffon top and jean shorts that showed off her legs quite nicely. An off-white sunhat, shades and white sneakers completed the outfit. As his eyes roamed up and down her body, she felt her whole body ignite in flames from within. She had never been as affected by his stare as she was in that moment. She cleared her throat again nervously and Alec seemed to snap out of it then.

  He looked up at her and smiled. Standing up, he offered her his arm which she willingly accepted. “You look beautiful, as always,” he said, making Miranda blush.

  “I have a long list of activities planned and trust me you’re going to love it,” he said jubilantly as they sat in the car.

  Miranda smiled at him and replied, “I can’t wait.”

  Miranda spent the entire day with Alec and she had never had as much fun in her life as she did that day. Alec wasn’t kidding when he said he had a lot planned. First he took her to a little café where they had the most delicious breakfast, then they walked around the little market that was nearby. The shops and stands were brimming with all sorts of trinkets. Miranda would stop every few steps to admire something or other that had caught her eye. Alec was an extremely patient man and not once did he rush her or tell her it was time to stop ogling the merchandise and get going. Miranda bought a few souvenirs for herself as well as Jenny since she was sure Jenny would love them.

  As they walked, Miranda’s eye caught a petite bracelet on display in a shop window. The bracelet was a delicate little thing with intricate designs and charms that shined. It was exquisite and Miranda at once went to ask the price. The shopkeeper told her that it was actually made of gold and the charms were all diamond studded. The price he stated was so high that Miranda decided not to buy it after all.

  Once she had her fill of roaming the market, they made their way back to the car and set off to see the different sights. They went up the Eiffel Tower and she could see all of Paris from up there. Then they went to the Arc de Triomphe and Notre Dame de Paris and many other historic places. They stopped for lunch at a magnificent restaurant that cost a small fortune and Miranda couldn’t believe how open Alec was about spending money there. She had always worked and so she was cautious about wasting money. He ordered the most expensive wine they had there and toasted to their trip which made Miranda smile. Next they went to check out Mona Lisa’s smile at the Louvre. As dusk fell, they boarded an open excursion boat for a cruise on the Seine. A more breathtaking sight Miranda had not seen than when the lights came on all over Paris as she sailed by.

  As it grew dark, Miranda started to grow very tired. Alec offered her his hand as they got off the boat and asked, “Where would you like to go next? We could go see the Palais Garnier or go have dinner and maybe go dancing after; whatever you’d like.”

  Miranda was touched by how he was willing to do whatever she deemed worthy. She smiled at him apologetically as she said, “Actually, I’m bushed. If it’s alright, I think I just want to go back to the hotel and order in again.”

  Alec nodded at once and replied, “Yes, of course. We couldn’t see all the things worth seeing in one day anyway. Let’s head back and we could maybe watch a movie or something.”

  Miranda was surprised that he still wanted to spend time with her after spending all day showing her the city. He had been a perfect gentleman too, which was so unlike him. He hadn’t once flirted with anyone else while he was with her, hadn’t turned around and blatantly checked out the local girls as she had expected nor did he once come on to her either. He had behaved himself in a very un-Alec-like fashion and Miranda was impressed by this version of him. It seemed this trip had changed him for the better.

  They went up to her room and Alec sprawled on her bed and began flipping channels. Miranda giggled at the sight as she went in the bathroom to freshen up. When she came out, she found Alec out on the balcony. She went to him and asked, “Didn’t find a movie you wanted to watch?”

  Alec stared at out at the lit-up Eiffel Tower and shook his head. “I thought I’d let you choose the movie.” Turning to her, he looked deep into her eyes and said, “Thank you.”

  Miranda was baffled by his statement. “Why are you thanking me? I should be the one saying the thank-you here. You made this one of the most memorable days of my life. If you hadn’t gotten me to go out with you, I would’ve probably just stayed in all day working. So really it is I who thank you.”

  Alec shook his head. Looking at her seriously, he said, “No, you don’t have to say thank you. I basically forced you on this trip with me. It’s just that I never get to share all of this with anyone. I’ve traveled all over the world and I’ve seen so many wondrous things but at times it gets a bit tedious. Seeing you take in everything for the first time, it was the boost I needed in my life right now. I’m glad I got to have you as my companion for this trip. I know I haven’t made the best impression on you and more times than I can count you’ve made it really clear that you’d rather die than be anywhere near me so thank you for giving me a chance and agreeing to this trip.”

  Miranda smiled and said, “Well, like you said I didn’t have much of a choice.” When she saw that her attempt at a joke went unnoticed, she tried to rectify the situation. “But seriously, I’m glad I came. I’m sorry I can be a bit rude at times, well, not just a bit and not sometimes but anyway, what I’m trying to say is that I guess I never really gave you the benefit of the doubt. I don’t react well to aggressive flirting I guess, especially when there is another girl involved in the picture. You see, well, my father, umm, he cheated on my mother,” Miranda found herself blurting out. Alec turned to look at her with sympathetic eyes. She continued, “I was six and I didn’t know what had happened. But suddenly mom and dad were fighting all the time. Eventually, mom forgave him and things quieted down again for a bit. Then when I was eight the same happened again and after a lot of fights she forgave him. This happened three other times and the last time I was the one who caught him with his secretary. That was when I had enough. I told mom that she couldn’t keep forgiving a man who didn’t want to change
and that she had to choose; she could let him stay but if she did then I would move in with Auntie Emily. My mom chose me but I guess I hate myself for putting her in such a position. I hate my dad for being such an unfaithful pig, I hate my mom for always forgiving him and letting him hurt her but most of all I hate myself for not being able to save mom in any other way.” Tears had begun falling from her eyes as she relived the moment. She never talked about her past with anyone but Jenny.

  With brimming eyes, she looked up at Alec who was looking at her with acute pain on his face. He raised his hand and gently wiped the tears from her cheeks. Miranda tried to explain her point, “That is why when I saw that you were with someone but you would still flirt with anyone that caught your attention, including me, I was extremely mad. I could see my dad hurting my mom and I kept thinking of all the other girls’ hearts that would get broken by you and it made me livid. I know everyone has their own style of living and I am nobody to judge but I can’t help but react at times. I am sorry that I’ve been so hostile towards you.”

  Alec shook his head, his hand still on her cheek. “I’m surprised you haven’t bodily harmed me yet,” he said, half joking. Growing serious, he said, “Just to be clear though, the girl I came with on the cruise, she knew we weren’t exclusive. In fact, everyone I ever date is forewarned and they all agree to it. They are more interested in the things I can do for them; the money I spend, the places I take them, the gifts I buy them. They aren’t really very interested in knowing me and I guess I like the sense of control it gives me. I don’t like to let people close to me if I’m being completely honest and so I prefer dating girls who are comfortable with something simple and artificial. I don’t usually go after girls who aren’t already seeking my attention but I don’t know what happens to me every time I’m near you.”

  Miranda looked at him in surprise. Alec looked like he wanted to take his words back but he swallowed and continued, “From the first instance I met you as I walked onto that cruise, I felt this undeniable attraction towards you. At first I thought it was just a physical thing and I came up to talk to you. I could see from the very minute we started talking that you despised me. I couldn’t for the world of me figure out what it was about me that disgusted you so much. So, I tried to get you to say something but even in your complete anger you never crossed a line, were never harsher than was absolutely necessary to get me to stay away from you. I couldn’t help it, I was intrigued. I began to realize that you weren’t one of those gold-digging girls. You were smart and witty and you didn’t hesitate to put me in my place on several occasions. It didn’t help that you are so remarkably beautiful. I couldn’t keep you out of my thoughts and I found myself drawn to you in a way I have never been before. It made me think of what it was that was putting you off so much and I noticed that when we talked about work or even in general, you were perfectly civil, friendly even at times. But the minute I started flirting, you would completely clam up and give me the same grossed-out look you have reserved for me. It was frustrating but at least now I knew why or at least I thought I did. I assumed you just weren’t attracted to me and so I began flirting just to get under your skin so you wouldn’t completely put me out of your mind.”

  He stopped to take a breath and his face was red with embarrassment. He hadn’t meant to say as much as he had, Miranda could see that and it melted her heart. He had been more open with her than she had ever seen, he thought that she wasn’t attracted to him, that she didn’t like him but yet here he was confessing everything to her. Her heart began to flutter and beat loudly. Before she could tell him that she was indeed attracted to him but had been fighting against it so she wouldn’t get hurt, Alec said, “You don’t have to say anything. I’m not making excuses, I promise. I just want to say that I understand now and I promise that I will stop all the flirting starting now. You don’t have to worry about me any longer and I’m sorry for any bitter feelings I forced you to have towards me. Let’s try and be friends, alright?”

  He stuck out his hand, looking hopefully at Miranda. She looked at his hand and back at him. The moment had passed and now she couldn’t find the courage to tell him that all her anger was misplaced and that she had been slowly letting her walls down to him anyway. Instead, she just smiled at him and took his hand. It sent shock waves up her arm but she ignored them and replied, “I’d like that.”

  Chapter 9

  The next day was the meeting. Alec and Miranda prepped for it an hour before and it was by far the most civil they had been with each other. After last night’s conversation, it seemed all the animosity between them had washed away, leaving a clean slate and a chance to make things better. Miranda couldn’t help but feel that seeing Alec so honest and sincere had forever changed the way she saw him.

  They were on their way to the meeting, sitting in the car while the driver drove them to their destination. Miranda had her nose buried in the files pertaining the meeting when Alec tugged the files out of her hands. She looked up at him bemused but he held up a finger. “Just one minute, okay. Then you can go back to devouring those pages.” He grinned at her and Miranda felt her face light up in a smile in response. He fished for something in his pocket as Miranda waited impatiently. He smiled at her as he pulled something out of his pocket and offered it to Miranda. She looked down to see what it was and her eyes almost bulged out of their sockets. There in his hand was the same bracelet that she had so reverently ogled the day before. She looked from it to Alec and then back again, not comprehending what she was seeing.

  Alec smiled at her and said, “I saw you admiring it yesterday and I bought it when you were in another store. It’s not that expensive and it’s really delicate and pretty. I had to see how it’d look on you.”

  Miranda just stared at him. What was he thinking? Not expensive? It was extremely expensive, if she remembered correctly. She shook her head, readying herself to refuse it but he held up a hand and said, “I know what you’re going to say. You’re going to tell me you think it is pretty expensive and that you are not one of the girls I spend money on to impress and that you will never like me, etc., etc., but trust me I have no such intentions. I make way more money than most people so for me it really is nothing and I know you’re not one of the many girls I’ve dated; trust me, they took way more expensive stuff. I never genuinely get to buy someone something and it would really make me happy if you would accept it. Friends are allowed to give friends gifts, right?”

  Miranda looked at his hopeful face and she didn’t have the heart to refuse him. She hadn’t even thought of the other girls angle but she was touched that he held in her such high regard to make sure she wasn’t just some other woman he spent loads of money on. She smiled at him shyly and held out her wrist. He beamed and placed the bracelet on her wrist, locking it on. She looked down at it as his fingers played with it and her heart began racing emphatically.

  She gulped and looked up into his beautiful eyes. She smiled and said, “You shouldn’t have bought it but still thank you. It is the most beautiful thing ever.”

  Alec looked deep into her eyes and said in a husky voice, “I disagree. I have seen something more beautiful than anything.” The way he said it, gazing deeply into her eyes, made Miranda think that he might be talking about her. She blushed and her body shivered with pleasure.

  The meeting went spectacularly but Miranda wasn’t mentally present for most of it. Her thoughts swam around Alec and how colossally she had misjudged him. He could be the sweetest, kindest and the most romantic man on the planet when he let his guard down. Maybe she had jumped to conclusions too soon and hadn’t really given him a chance. She had always been taught to not judge a book by its cover but that was exactly what she had done.

  As he moved around the room, passionately explaining his ideas and thoughts, she couldn’t keep her eyes off him. He was like a beacon of light in a dark stormy night and she was drawn to him like a moth to a flame. He glanced at her every few minutes and every time he di
d her entire body lit up like fireworks. She couldn’t comprehend what was happening, why she was reacting so strongly towards him.

  After the meeting was over, Alec stayed back to talk and tie up all the loose ends. Miranda went out and sat in the lobby waiting for him. When he was finally finished, he came up to her and extending a hand said, “You ready to go?” Miranda nodded and smiling up at him, she took his hand. The minute her hand slid into his, an electric current raced up her arm and down her spine.

  Alec led her to the car and once they were seated, he turned to her and asked, “Was something the matter with my speech? You seemed a bit distressed.”

  Miranda wasn’t sure what had shown on her face and she blushed with embarrassment. “Oh, it was nothing. Just a slight migraine,” she tried to cover up.

  Alec looked at her concerned and asked, “Are you alright? Do you need medicine? A doctor? Would you like to go back to the hotel?”

  The thought of not spending the day with Alec was more upsetting than Miranda wanted to admit and so she quickly replied, “No, no I’m fine. It was a light pain and it’s long gone by now. No need to panic.”

  Alec still looked at her worriedly for a minute or so before he decided that she was in fact telling the truth and so shrugging lightly, he said, “Well then, are you hungry?”