We didn’t have to wait too long until Liam and Ted joined us. It turned out that they had parked the car at Hillary’s and walked back to the restaurant. “Lovely night. A shame not to enjoy a few more moments of fresh air,” Ted remarked.
Just then, the maître d’ who had greeted us at the door approached the table. “Sir, may we begin?”
“Charlotte, since you’re unable to join us in Saint-Tropez, I thought we would bring the party to you!” Ted explained. No sooner said than an extravagant tropical centerpiece was placed on the table; at the same time, a waiter appeared with a tray of spectacularly beautiful cocktails. After he had presented mine with a flourish, I asked the waiter about the pale pink concoction.
“A fresh hibiscus blossom is placed gently in the glass. Then a touch of syrup made from hibiscus flowers with a subtle rhubarb flavor is added. The glass is then filled with a perfectly chilled, delightfully dry sparkling wine picked by our hostess—an Italian prosecco.” Tiziana, who had followed the waiter’s explanation, earned an air kiss from me. Years earlier, Tiziana had introduced me to prosecco, and it had become a favorite. If on a menu, I ordered it.
The tables were soon cluttered with assorted dishes that were both beautiful and tasty. Halfway through the meal, Ted announced that the men were to pick up their drinks and plates and switch places with someone else.
A moment later, Ted set down beside me. “I’m indeed a lucky man, Charlotte. I have the pleasure of sitting next to the second loveliest woman in the room.”
Dismissing his compliment, I said, “Ted, you’re very kind. It’s easy to feel beautiful in such a glamorous place.” Our exchange paused momentarily for the waiters to clear away debris. I held on tightly to my cocktail, knowing without a doubt that I would need it.
“So, now an opportunity to get to know each other. Other than your blackjack skills, Tiziana tells me you have many talents.”
I suddenly found myself suspicious. I searched my brain for something witty or intelligent to say. Glancing around the table quickly, my eyes found Liam, who was laughing at something Taylor and Marcus were debating. I was on my own. I glanced back at Ted and found him studying me. Grasping for something, I said, “Work! Right now there’s an endless supply of work. That’s where most of my talents are focused these days. I’m somewhat surprised that Taylor and I were able to get away tonight.”
“I’ve heard Faith Clarkson can be a real ball-breaker.” For Ted to know who Faith Clarkson was surprised me, quite frankly. I’d thought they were fish in very different ponds.
“Lucky for me, I don’t have any balls,” I stammered.
“I don’t know. Tiziana tells me you can be quite tenacious,” he said with a smile. I found myself wondering if he had a point to any of this and what the hell Tiziana’s comment was supposed to mean.
Giving myself time to understand the much-too-subtle subplot to this conversation, I stuck with a familiar topic. “When I need to be, I suppose. The new office is coming together, thanks to all hands on deck.”
There was a moment of prolonged silence while Ted assessed me. “So, coming to Saint-Tropez for a week on the boat is really out of the question then?”
Surprised, I said, “I want to come! Of course I do. However, Ms. Clarkson would be extremely unimpressed with me if I took any vacation before the winter holidays.”
“I wouldn’t dream of asking you to do less than you should. I just thought that, if other issues were preventing you, we could make it work.” I was surprised by his comment.
Taking a deep breath and not knowing what else to say, I looked at him calmly. “You must have a big boat!”
“It’s big enough,” Ted said, nonchalant.
Game-playing time was over, if that was what we were doing. “I respect the fact that Des is your friend and best man.” I paused briefly to take a deep breath and regain my slipping composure. “The main reason I’m not coming is work. But if it weren’t, I don’t see any way around the restraining order. Instead of asking me about this, I suggest you ask Des Bannerman. I am and always have been in the dark.”
“It’s as good a time as any to tell you that I’ve tried. Des doesn’t want to talk about it with me. He doesn’t want Tiziana and me caught in the middle.” With that, a look of frustration crossed Ted’s face. “Too late for that.” He blew out a long breath. “I know you won’t believe me, but he’s a decent man.”
“We’ll have to agree to disagree on his decency. I don’t want any more conflict, so I won’t take any risks. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to find the ladies.” With all the poise I could muster, since my legs were rubbery due to nerves and several glasses of alcohol, I rose to my Lulu Guinness-shod feet and walked away from the table.
Shortly thereafter, I heard a faint knocking on the restroom door. Liam called, “Charlotte, are you in there?” Just as he was walking away, I stepped out.
“Hello, gorgeous,” I said.
With a deep, throaty laugh, he wrapped his arms around my waist and drew me into him. “Darling, are you aware that you’ve just stepped out of the men’s loo?” Drawing in a quick breath, I turned around to see the writing on the door. “Didn’t you notice the difference?”
Blushing, I giggled, “No. I’m guessing I need to move on to water and coffee.”
Liam kissed the top of my head, murmuring into my ear, “Not to be ungrateful, but can we get out of here soon? I’m glad to have had the chance to meet Tiziana and Ted and to see Marcus, but what I would really like now is some time alone with you.”
“I think that would be fabulous. Why don’t we go bow out as gracefully as possible?” I gave Liam’s dimpled chin a quick kiss.
When we returned to the dining room, the group was deep in conversation. The men were having a lively discussion about Sunday’s soccer match between two rival teams, while the girls were laughing hysterically about the evening that Ted and Tiziana’s families finally met. I sat quietly in the circle of Liam’s arms and downed several large glasses of water, feeling quite content.
Conversation soon turned to what was next on the agenda. Tiziana was yawning discreetly behind her hand, giving Ted the perfect opportunity to end their evening.
“I think we’ll head home, too,” Liam said.
Taylor, Marcus, Michael, and Hillary decided to venture out to find some late, late night entertainment.
Since Ted had parked the car at Hillary’s, we walked home with them. Liam firmly wrapped an arm around me as I walked beside Tiziana. By the time we had arrived, plans had been made to meet up the next day.
Ted opened the car door for Tiziana. Before she climbed in, she embraced me and kissed my cheek. In my ear, she whispered, “He meant well, bella.”
“It’s okay,” I whispered back.
After one last goodbye, Liam swooped me up into his arms and said, “Thank god! Any chance we’ll have the house to ourselves all night?”
“I doubt it! On the other hand, everyone else will be too occupied to wonder what we’re doing.” I wriggled seductively against him and dropped kisses all over his neck.
“Where the bloody hell are the keys?” Liam asked as I fished them out of my purse, dropping them into his waiting hands. He soon shooed me up the stairs, him fast on my heels.
***
I came out of the fog of sleep to the sound of a something soft hitting the wall and Hillary laughing uncontrollably. Night had given way to day, and sunlight was bouncing off the robin’s-egg-blue walls of my boudoir. Liam drew me to him and, while stroking a particularly sensitive part of my body, said, “Well, as long as everyone else is making a lot of noise, we might as well, too!”
Quite a while later, the group convened in the kitchen for toast, eggs, coffee, and aspirin. After leaving Scott’s to take in some nightlife, it turned out that the four had enjoyed several more drinks at various clubs around London.
While I was buttering toast and trying to avoid looking at them, I said to Hillary, “I hope you don’t mi
nd, but I’ve invited Tiziana and Ted over for dinner and to watch the soccer game.”
A giggle preceded her answer. “No, that’s great! What fun. I’ll pick up some things, shall I?” Hillary was the consummate hostess.
“Nope, I’ll go. They won’t be here until later, so there isn’t a rush.” I popped the toast into my mouth.
After breakfast and some tidying up, I announced, “I’m going to have a shower and then go to the grocery store.” Dashing up the stairs for a moment’s peace and quiet, I’d just managed to sort out the bedroom and my thoughts when Liam joined me.
“Do you think it’s safe for me to take a shower with you?”
“Absolutely.”
We were steaming and sudsing when I finally gave in and whispered, “Well, what’s going on?”
Liam lathered my foot and calf before telling me, “He really likes her. He seems to think they’re on the same page.”
“What does that mean?” I persisted.
“Charlotte, ease up. They’ll sort it out.” Liam sounded somewhat gruff.
Leaning my head against the tile, I relaxed and muttered, “Oh, fine! I suppose they will. No offense to anyone, and even though I hoped for it, I never thought they would hook up so quickly.”
As we were getting dressed, there was a sharp rap on the door. “Oiy! Hurry up in there!” Michael called.
“Well, if Michael’s going to be around, it makes it easier to leave on the weekends,” I pointed out.
***
While walking to the shops, Liam asked me about my conversation with Ted. I gave a brief, lighthearted synopsis as I sorted through an array of salad vegetables. Liam watched and listened closely and then said in a slightly annoyed voice, “He asked me if I thought it would be a good idea to talk to you. I told him that you’d let him know if it was or wasn’t. All he mentioned to me was that they’d like for us to come to Saint-Tropez, but I didn’t have any idea he was going to talk to you last night.”
“He didn’t mean anything by it. They’re getting married, and he wants her to be happy. You have to respect that,” I said distractedly as I chose some cuts of steak. Having indicated my selections to the man behind the meat counter, I rose onto my toes and gave Liam a kiss. “I’m fine. Really!”
Each carrying bags in both hands, we meandered through the streets of Chelsea. It was a beautiful Sunday afternoon, and the population was out in full force. We stopped from time to time to give our hands a break and make up for not having had any time alone. After a particularly breath-catching kiss, Liam announced, “Next weekend, be prepared to spend the entire weekend in bed. There will be no one to interrupt me having my way with you.”
“No one but your parents, that is!” I laughed.
“Oh, Christ! Will I ever get you all to myself? We haven’t been alone in over five weeks,” he complained.
“Well, I’m sorry that you feel deprived,” I said with a note of confusion. If anyone had been going at it like bunnies, it was us.
Reading my mind, he said, “It isn’t sex. It’s just hanging out without other people. We don’t even really know what it’s like to just have a lie in, read the paper, and watch telly together.” He kissed away my frown.
“I have to admit, I’m really looking forward to seeing your apartment and all the places familiar to you. I don’t really have any idea what your world is really like.”
I lost my breath when he said with complete candor, “Charlotte, you’re my world. You know exactly what it looks like.”
After carefully putting down my grocery bags, I declared myself by throwing both arms around him and kissing him fiercely on the lips. “I love you.”
Chapter Fourteen
IT WAS A BEAST of a mountain to climb, but soon people got down to the real business of Faith Clarkson International.
One evening, stumbling home earlier than any in previous weeks, I found Hillary and Taylor talking about Michael being a decent guy. He had called Hillary that afternoon to thank her for putting him up over the prior weekend. She reported that the rest of the conversation had been light and fun, but that not a word had been said about whether they’d see each other again.
“You should have asked him,” Taylor said casually.
Hillary looked at her with one eyebrow raised. “Really? You think so? I’ve never asked a man out, and it isn’t likely to happen. If it was just a weekend fling, I’d rather find out by never hearing from him again.”
Taylor took another shot. “Doesn’t that sound antiquated?”
“Perhaps. I’m fine with that.”
Feeling more and more anxious about meeting Liam’s parents on the coming weekend, I stayed out of the conversation. I didn’t want to relay anything about Michael back to Hillary. Besides, I figured that my friends would make a big deal out of it and envisioned Hillary marching me to the shops with the sole purpose of finding a “meet the parents” outfit. Her idea of an appropriate outfit and mine were different, and I didn’t need the additional hassle.
***
I was scheduled to fly out at 5:00 on Friday afternoon, so my fear that Faith Clarkson would call, requesting an end-of-week update, kept me at work later than usual on Thursday night. “Coward,” I muttered to myself as I crept into the dark house, tiptoed up the stairs, and quietly packed a bag for the weekend. I would send Taylor and Hillary an email in the morning, taking the easy way out.
The next day, I was just about to leave for the airport when the phone rang. I heard Samantha in the outer office answer, “Faith Clarkson International, Charlotte Young’s office. How may I help you?” I chewed my lip and quickly sorted through my bag for all the necessary documents and forms. Samantha put the call through. “Ms. Young, Mr. Molloy is on the line.”
Immediately, I released my lip from its tortuous clamp and picked up the phone. “Liam, hello. I was just leaving. Is everything all right?”
“Everything is just fine. I was calling to make sure that meeting my parents hadn’t frightened you off. My mother is planning a dinner for tomorrow. I thought I’d better warn you.” He sounded a bit anxious.
“I’m still coming, don’t worry. I’ll see you in less than two hours. I gotta go!”
“Bye,” I heard Liam say as the phone landed in its cradle.
Sure enough, two hours later, the Aer Lingus flight landed on Irish soil. During the flight, I grew quite nervous, and my stomach kept somersaulting. We had spent most of our relationship in my environment, and now it was time to see what Liam was like on his own turf. There were still plenty of things for us to learn about each other. What if we discovered something that changed everything? What if Liam’s parents didn’t like me? What if he had disgusting habits? Or what if my habits were disgusting?
“Okay, Charlotte, buck up! Don’t go predicting doom. Everything has gone better than expected so far. Things are going to be just fine,” I said to myself, discreetly glancing around to see if anyone sitting near me had overheard. Fortunately, the fellow who’d sat next to me was already getting his suitcase down from the overhead compartment.
Stepping off the plane into the airport, I was immediately struck by how warm it was. It was a gorgeous evening. I slipped off my jacket and unbuttoned one more button of my shirt, hoping to look a little more feminine and a little less like a bank officer. Since I had packed secretly the night before, I had been so worried about it being found out that I had forgotten to pack a summer dress in my carry-on bag. Instead of being all girly and smelling like summer flowers, I was wearing a suit and smelled like I needed a shower.
After leaving the arrival area and venturing into the airport, I looked for Liam. There was no sign of him but there was a news agent not too far from the gate. I went over to buy some gum and look at the souvenirs while I waited. Flipping through a book, I heard my name being called. I turned around and saw Liam jogging through the airport, head and shoulders above most people. The sight of him took my breath away. When he finally reached me, I was all atwitte
r.
After coming up for a breath from his kiss, he said, “Welcome to Ireland.”
“Now, that’s my kind of welcome,” I replied, still standing on my tip-toes to get another kiss.
“Well, I have a much more personal welcome waiting for you back at my flat.” He ran his hands up and down my back as he nibbled my neck. “God, you smell wonderful.”
“You’re desperate! I need a shower.” I laughed.
“I am desperate! Let’s get you home and get you naked. I have water and soap at your disposal.” He took my bag in one hand and my hand in the other.
The prospect of a weekend alone with Liam filled me with buoyancy. All earlier feelings of doubt and concern were obliterated. Instead, with hands tightly clasped and the world our own, we walked out to the parking lot, where Liam steered me toward his car… a very flashy black sports car. It stopped me in my tracks.
After putting my bag in the trunk, he shut the trunk of the car and saw me standing there. “A bit much, isn’t it?”
“Well, not if you like that sort of thing, no!” I tried to keep my voice neutral. “Maybe it’s because I don’t own a car and have no idea what I would buy.”
“It isn’t mine. I drive a horse and buggy, usually, but the horse went lame, and I didn’t have time to buy a new one. We can go shopping for one tomorrow if you like.” Liam grinned. I laughed at the image and adjusted my perspective to include a blingy car, full of bells and whistles.
Once we were driving through the streets of Dublin, my appreciation for the car grew. When I admitted to liking the car, Liam asked, “Want to drive?”
“God, no!” I responded immediately.
He played tour guide while I took in the scenery. Suddenly taking a sharp left, we soon came to a stop in front of a brick building. Most of the doors were neutral colors, but one was painted turquoise with a dark blue portico. “Too much?” Liam asked again.
Prosecco & Paparazzi (The Passport Series Book 1) Page 21