by Aria Ford
I chuckled. “Right now the whole world sounds good,” I said. I had this big solid gold ball of happiness filling me and spreading through my whole body. It was probably the best feeling ever. I wrapped my arms around her and held her close.
“Chaps,” Aunt yelled up from the kitchen. “I'm just icing this cake. It's a bit warm but I'm going to do it now so it's ready by tea-time... Come down in about ten minutes.”
“Thanks, aunt,” I yelled back. I looked at Ainsley and she looked at me. She grinned. “Shall we go down?” I asked.
“Sounds good,” she nodded. “I'm so hungry I could eat a whole English breakfast all over again.”
We both laughed and headed downstairs to the kitchen.
When we got there, Aunt looked at us with a funny smile. “Hello, lovelies,” she said. She was working on her own version of Red Velvet cake and she looked radiant.
“Aunt,” I said softly.
“Yes, dear?”
I looked at Ainsley and she looked at me.
“It's early yet,” I said, remembering what Ainsley had said to me. “But we have some news we'd like to share with you.”
“Yes?” she asked. I had this feeling that she knew what we were going to say, because she looked from Ainsley to me and back again slowly.
“We're going to have a baby.”
I saw her face light up.
“Oh! Drake! My dear...” She was ecstatic. Anyone would think that she had just won the lottery. She stood and embraced me and then Ainsley. “I... I don't know what to say! Oh, you dears. What a surprise. What a surprise...”
She sat back down again, seeming too dazed to know what to say next. I had not been expecting a reaction like that. To be honest, it was the last thing I expected. The best-case scenario, for me, was she wouldn’t condemn us for not being married. The absolute joy on her face was really a delight.
I looked at Ainsley. To my surprise, she was tearing up.
“Thank you,” she said to Aunt Jay. “In all this... confusion... It's so good to feel loved.”
I smiled at her and she smiled back.
“Well,” Aunt Jay said. “Whatever you need, you must just tell me. It's been too long since I had a baby to plan for...”
It was a pleasure to see how happy she was for us.
Later, when we'd finished the tea and the delicious cake – I told Aunt her London-style Red Velvet cake was even better than the one from the States – Ainsley and I talked.
“We have six months here,” I said to her softly. “We will need to make a plan after that.”
“I know,” she said. “I don't know what to say.”
“You know,” I said slowly. “Maybe you should go back to the States. I can't expect you to be on the run with me when you're carrying my child.”
In response she pushed me onto the bed and leaned over me, looking into my eyes. “Drake,” she said with a big smile, “your idea of me needs some revision. How can you possibly expect I wouldn't want to be right here with you? Especially when I'm pregnant with your baby.”
I felt my heart swell with tenderness. I reached up and we kissed. All the same, I was worried. I had an idea of what we might do, though. I would be on the phone tomorrow. In the meanwhile, I had some other plans as well. I would start looking into those at the same time.
“Ainsley,” I whispered now.
“Mm?”
“I love you so much.”
“I love you too,” she said. She put her head on my chest and we lay like that and I knew I was the happiest man alive.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
Drake
I heard Ainsley and Aunt leave to go shopping together. Aunt had insisted they visit the baby-ware department together to go and select a gift from her. I had encouraged them to go, since I needed some time to make a rather urgent phone call. Two rather urgent phone-calls now I came to think of it.
I sat down in the peace of the upstairs bedroom and dialed.
“Liam? Hi!”
“Drake! Hey! How's it. Listen, where are you? I tried to call but I didn't get an answer and...I was worried, man. What’s going on”
I smiled. “I'm in the UK, Liam. I skipped out of the country. But listen, I have a final favor to ask you. If you could help me?”
“Hell! Sure, man. But don't go calling it “final” ...you'll stress me the hell out. I'm more than happy to help. So long as this isn't the last time.”
I chuckled. “Thanks, Liam. It's nice to know you care.”
I heard him smile. “No problem. Right. What is it?”
I told him. It had come to me the previous afternoon, while I was stressing about me and Ainsley and what to do next. It might just work. He sounded upbeat.
“Great!” he said. “Of course I'll do it. Looking forward to it. I think this could work.”
“You do?”
“Yes.”
“Good.”
We chatted a while afterward. As it turned out, he was fine. No phone-calls, no people following him, no strange things happening to his computer...it seemed no-one knew he was involved, for which I was grateful. At least of all the people close to me I hadn't caused him any harm.
That meant I could trust him to take care of things the way only he could do.
“So take care, eh?” I said as I finished our rather-specific set of things to carry out.
“You too, man. And have a great time in London. All the best, hey?”
“Thanks,” I said. I hung up.
Later, I made the second phone-call. This one was to my sister, Harper. A more private and personal call.
Then, feeling satisfied and relieved, I went downstairs and made myself a cup of Aunt's extra strong coffee. I had some business in the town.
I wrote Aunt and Ainsley a note, left it propped up on the refridgerator.
Just had to go out at 12:45. Will be back in three hours. Have phone. Take care.
Then, armed with Google Maps, I headed out into the small town to see if I could make my way to London.
Google told me the bus would take an hour, and so I hopped on the bus, checking to see the address of the place I wanted to go. I arrived on time, then caught the Metro to the place Google told me to go. When I got off, I smiled. This was just the right place to find what I was looking for.
I made the purchase I wanted to make, and then caught the metro and the bus back again. It was a strange experience, being surrounded by the British accent and people whose ways were just a little different than what I was used to. And driving on the left, of course. Every time we went around a corner I felt a little dizzy. Aren't we supposed to turn now? I chuckled. I'd get used to it. In six months.
At home, I was greeted by happy giggles coming from the kitchen.
“Drake!” Ainsley called out. “Come and join us. It's tea-time.”
I looked at my watch. It was exactly four P.M.
“You're turning British already!” I accused her, with a big smile. “I'll come down now.”
They both laughed and I headed upstairs with my purchases, feeling happy that my aunt and my dearest person were getting on so well.
I had tea with them and Ainsley showed me the purchase. I stared.
“Aunt,” I stammered. “It's stunning.”
It was a christening gown. A beautiful silk shirt with lace on the cuffs and smocked neck.
“We don't know what the baby is yet – a boy or a girl,” Aunt explained, giving me a damp-eyed smile. “This is perfect for either.”
“Yes,” I said. “Yes, it is. Thank you.”
When we'd cleared away the last of the tea-things, Ainsley and I went upstairs for a while.
“Your aunt's so nice,” Ainsley said with a smile.
“I know. She is nice,” I agreed. “I'm so glad you like her.”
“I do.”
We sat down on the bed together.
“You know,” I said slowly. “How would you feel about visiting London tomorrow?”
“Tomo
rrow?” Ainsley grinned at me. “Hurray!”
We fell back onto the bed together, her kissing my lips. I reached and drew her down to me.
“Ainsley,” I murmured. “You are going to make me terribly aroused.”
She giggled. “Is that bad?”
“Maybe not,” I said, stroking her soft hair lovingly. “It depends on what you want.”
“I want you.”
That settled it. We spent the next hour naked with her in my arms.
***
I could barely contain my excitement when Drake and I set off to London. He had this strange secretive air about him, a funny smile on his face that made me wonder what he was up to.
We went to the Thames first, right near the Parliament Buildings. I could see the clock-tower – the famous Big Ben – sticking up and the magic, gray sparkling waters of the Thames rushing past.
“It's so beautiful,” I murmured. With the sun striking sparks off the water and the clouds white and soft in a cerulean sky, it was so, so magical and lovely.
“Where to first, my dearest?”
“Let's go to the Palace!” I said.
We did.
It was like a wonderland. I couldn't believe I was really here. Places I'd seen in pictures and was now standing in, as if magically transported into them.
“What next?” he asked when we'd wandered round the gates, looking at the impressive place.
“I don't know,” I shrugged.
We did the Parliament Buildings and the London Eye and then headed to a cafe for lunch. I was pleased to try the famous mushy peas at Dishroom in Covent Garden. They were nice and nothing at all like what I was expecting.
“These are good,” I commented. “Like lentil puree, only peas. I thought it would be tasteless.”
Drake chuckled. “I thought you were brave to order it,” he said. He was having Dal Makhani – an Indian dish that was apparently popular here.
“Next time you must try it,” she said.
“I will.”
We left the cafe feeling sleepy and peaceful.
“It's a good day,” he commented as we walked through the elegant neighborhood. “Nice and warm. Would you like a walk in the park?”
I nodded. “That would be beautiful.”
We went past St. James' palace and to Green Park. I'd heard about the place in romance novels and it felt like I was walking in history when I went in through the iron gates with Drake.
Walking arm-and-arm through the park past sculpted hedges and sunny lawns, I felt like I was in a fairytale.
“Should we sit down awhile?”
“Mm,” I nodded.
Drake and I sat on a bench in the sun. He was trying to relax, looking out over the sun-drenched gardens and the bright spring flowers, but he seemed restless to me. I put my hand on his and his arm tensed, then he turned to face me.
“Ainsley, I...” His throat worked. “I have known you for so long and... I know I was bad to you. But recently – just recently – I've realized so many things. I've realized I trust you. I respect you. I love you with all my heart. And I realize I want to ask you something.” He reached into his pocket, his hand concealing whatever it was he brought out of it.
“Yes?” I asked. I was crying now and so was he, those big brown eyes I loved so much wide with feelings.
“Would you do me the honor of marrying me?”
I tried to speak but my throat was tight with feeling. I coughed and cleared it.
“Yes,” I said. “Yes. I will. I love you, Drake. I've always loved you. So much.”
We kissed. My lips met his tenderly and his arms held me close and it was the most beautiful kiss ever.
Then he opened his hand. “I wanted to give you this.”
I opened the box, fingers trembling. It was from Tiffany's. It held a beautiful gold ring with a single diamond sparkling in a graceful, pretty setting. I was shaking so much, my eyes blurred with tears, that I almost dropped it.
He smiled. “Would you try it on?”
I nodded. I couldn't speak. My throat was tight with tears.
I put it on. It fit perfectly. I looked at the glitter then back at him. I threw my arms around him and held him tight.
“It's...beautiful,” I murmured. “Like you.”
He smiled and blushed and I laughed and hugged him and our lips were slippery with tears as we kissed again.
Later, we finished our walk in the park. We went through to Carnaby Street and walked down it, looking in all the boutiques, admiring the beauty and style of the shops. Then we left.
On the way home on the bus I slept with my head on Drake's shoulder. After all that emotion I was tired. But I was happy – more happy than I had ever been. And we were in love.
We both knew there were difficulties ahead – we had still to figure out where we were going to be in six months' time, and it was an extra level of tension that made things nerve-wracking were one to stop and think about it, but I trusted now it would all work out. I was so happy.
It was the best day ever.
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
Ainsley
The first person we told about our engagement was Aunt Jay.
“Oh!” she beamed and sat down heavily on the comfy chair at the kitchen table. “Oh! My dears! You are so secretive! You didn't tell me!”
She was laughing and red-faced and I felt a little nervous that she might actually pass out. I looked at Drake but he seemed unconcerned.
“Thank you, aunt,” he said fondly, kissing her on the cheek. “I'm so glad we could share the good news with you.”
“Oh!” She said again. “Now I'm going to tell everyone... Emma and Amelia and Arthur and...” She was so excited.
“I've only told Harper and my mom,” Drake said. I felt warm inside. He'd kept it a big secret. Trust him to plan everything so well at such short notice. Aside from the most romantic proposal ever, he'd even chosen a ring that fit me.
“I need to tell a few people too,” I said shakily. I sat down. It was all so sudden and so remarkable. We were getting married.
We made plans. We would wait for a month before deciding whether we were going to have the wedding here in the UK or if we would be able to go back to the USA. Whatever we did, we promised we were taking Aunt Jay with us. She had to be part of the process.
“She already is, after all,” Drake said.
“Yes.”
“We might have to wait a month,” Drake repeated. “I have this plan and I don't know if...I don't know when we'll know for sure when we can go back home.”
“That's okay,” I demurred. “We'll find out.”
It was two weeks later when we were upstairs that the call came through. It was nine at night and we were just getting ready for bed.
“Oh, for...” Drake turned from where he'd been kissing me. “Sorry. This could be urgent.”
“Sure,” I said gently. “Answer it, please.”
He answered it.
“Yes? Oh! Hi. Hi, Liam.”
I heard the tension in his voice and I winced. What was this all about? He had been kind of secretive with me about this whole process and I wasn't sure what the nature of this important phone call would be.
“You did it. And... They what? No way! You're kidding.” he was laughing now. I felt his happiness and felt my own heart lighten inside my chest. “You mean... Oh. Hell. Liam. This is the best news. Great. I can't believe it! Wow...”
He was still smiling when they finished chatting and he put down the phone then came to join me on the bed. He looked dazed.
“What? I asked.
“That was a call from a... a friend of mine. Called Liam. He worked with me on the undercover stuff. He's a computer-guy. Anyway. He and I had this plan to try and make this case go away...”
He told me what they'd done. I sat there, listening with amazement. He had asked Liam to dress like him – in a suit, wearing a beanie and shades to cover his own identity – and take the bus from his apar
tment to mine. He had walked from the stop, two blocks away, and into the building and repeated it every day, twice.
He had repeated the action until he picked up there was someone following him. Then he had recorded it. He'd taken pictures of the car in the street from my building and from Drake's. Using the pictures with the registration he had managed to trace the car to a firm in the industrial area of Miami. Then he'd managed to get a copy of the email conversation between the company and Steelcore out of the owner for a bribe.
“So you can prove the company had you followed.” I was awed.
“Yes.” Drake was nodding slowly now. “When we confronted them with that, they were forced to admit they were on shaky ground. I don't think a court would like the thought of them intimidating me. They agreed to a settlement out of court.”
I stared at him.
“So you're not a fugitive from the law?” I gaped.
“Unfortunately not,” he said with a grin. “My dear, you make it sound so glamorous. I almost wish I was.”
We both laughed.
“I also made them agree to some terms,” he said shyly.