Clive gave an elegant sniff. “It’s a sign of poor breeding.”
I blinked. “Excuse me?” Was I hearing him right? Was he calling me low-class because I’d thanked some one?
“It’s fine.” He waved his hand. “Breeding can’t be bought, but you can learn to behave properly.”
My mouth fell open. I literally didn’t know what to say. I finally managed to stutter, “T-That’s rude. And arrogant. And...assholish!”
“It’s not arrogant if it’s true. Breeding comes with birth. A certain superiority of mind and manners come naturally.”
“Manners?” It was all I could do to keep from shrieking. “You call this manners, you arrogant son of a... bandersnipe? No, this isn’t manners. This is just plain rudeness for the sake of being rude. You are not better than me. You’re not better than Shen.”
“Who the hell is Shen?” He didn’t look even mildly interested as he sat coolly through my tirade. In fact, he looked bored.
Oh, my gosh, he was Mr. Freaking Darcy. He had a superiority complex a mile wide, and I couldn’t stand the smug bastard!
“Shen is our waiter,” I snapped loud enough to draw attention. “He’s a nice man, and he’s just doing his job. You are a total wanker!” I’d never sworn so much in my life.
“Really, darling. Stop throwing a tantrum. People are staring.”
I let out a frustrated scream and stood up so fast, my chair toppled over. I wished I’d had a glass of wine to throw in his face. Unfortunately I didn’t. So I threw my napkin in his face instead, then grabbed my purse and stormed out.
As I passed the desk, Shen was standing there with half a dozen other wait staff, all with wide eyes and open mouths. I rummaged around in my bag and slapped a ten pound note in Shen’s hand.
“Sorry, it’s all I can afford. You deserve way more if this is the crap you put up with,” I told him.
He pressed the money back in my hand. “You need this more than I do. And believe me when I say that dressing down you gave him? That was worth a week of tips.” And he gave me a wide grin. “You’re a nice lady. You deserve someone better than that. I hope you find him.”
I smiled back. “Thank you.” And then I walked out of the restaurant, head held high.
“SO, WHAT DID WE LEARN from this little adventure?” Kev asked with a raised brow. He was all but giggling over the whole thing.
I growled. “Okay, okay. Maybe Mr. Darcy isn’t the greatest thing after all. I mean, Clive seemed like Mr. Darcy. He was Mr. Darcy. But he was such a...poop.”
This time Kev did giggle. “I’ll give you that one. But here’s the thing. Mr. Darcy isn’t the problem. Your vision of Mr. Darcy is the problem.”
I mulled that one over. “That I want a Mr. Darcy?”
He shook his head. “Not that. We all want our Mr. Darcy, sweetie.” He paused. “Scratch that. I’m more of a Captain Wentworth girl. Bygones. The point is your Mr. Darcy might not actually be Mr. Darcy.”
I thought of who Mr. Darcy was: proud, a little arrogant, definitely the silent type. Standoffish. At least until Elizabeth got hold of him. And even then he was still a bit stiff. Okay, a lot stiff. He wasn’t the easiest guy to deal with.
“Well, crap,” I said with feeling.
“Uh-huh. You get it now. So who is your Mr. Darcy really?”
I thought over the past few weeks, and the one person who kept popping into my mind was Nik. Nik laughing, looking at me with steamy bedroom eyes, holding my hand as we walked Pemberley—er, Chatsworth—betting me if I met Mr. Darcy, I wouldn’t like him. And betting a kiss I couldn’t stop thinking about.
“Bugger,” I said, flopping back on the sofa. “Nik. He’s my Mr. Darcy.”
Kev leaned back with a huge grin. “Yep. That’s what I’d guess. Now what are you going to do about it?”
“I guess I’ve got to admit he won the bet for starters.”
“Uh-huh. And give him his reward.” His grin was getting bigger, the jackass.
“And tell him?” I winced. Being the outgoing one in a relationship wasn’t my style. It was all about letting the guy admit his feelings first. Him being the vulnerable one. I didn’t like being vulnerable. It felt scary.
“Seems like a good place to start.”
“What if he rejects me?”
Kev leaned forward, serious now. “What if he doesn’t?”
I pondered that for a moment, my heart rate kicking up with excitement. What if he said yes? What if he felt the same about me as I felt for him? I felt a little sick and woozy all of a sudden.
“I don’t know if I can do this,” I groaned, staring at the ceiling.
“You, my dear, are a chicken.”
I stuck out my tongue. “Yeah? What about you? You haven’t exactly been putting yourself out there lately.” When freaking out, change the subject quickly and don’t look back. Much.
He shrugged. “Not much to tell.”
“What about that guy you had a date with? The really cute one you were all swoony over?”
He cleared his throat. “Mikael? Um, yeah, he’s still around.”
My eyes widened “Isn’t that a record or something?”
He shrugged. “I guess.”
“How long has it been?”
“Three months.” A flush stained his cheekbones, making the faint freckles stand out in stark relief.
I all but crowed, “Ha! Knew it! What’s the longest relationship you’ve had in the last year? A month? Two? “
“Six weeks, give or take.”
“It’s going well, then.” I sat up and wrapped my arms around my knees.
He shrugged. “Well enough. Now enough about me. What about you? And Nik? How are you going to handle this?”
Frankly I had no idea. I dreaded talking to him. Scared down to my very bones of rejection certainly but also of success. Gosh, what would I do if he said yes? If he felt the same way about me I felt about him?
“It’s going to be okay, Emma,” Kev assured me. “I have a feeling.”
Well, I was happy he had a feeling, but I was hesitant to trust those feelings. I was the one risking everything. Including my heart.
IT TOOK ME A SOLID week to work up the guts to face Nik. I sucked in a deep breath and pushed my way inside the coffee shop, hoping he’d be there.
At first I didn’t see him. Then I caught sight of him sitting at one of the back booths. Next to him was a cute blonde with green stripes in her hair. I couldn’t see her face, but she was giggling at something he said. Her hand lay on his forearm like it belonged there.
I froze in my tracks, heart sinking to my toes. Apparently Kev was wrong. Nik was nowhere near interested. He’d already moved on to someone new. Man, I was such an idiot. I backed out of the coffee shop, nearly tripping over a woman with a stroller. She snarled something at me, but my brain didn’t compute. With a mumbled apology, I whirled around and dashed down the street, the heels of my sandals clacking on the pavement. I didn’t breathe easy until I was sitting on a Tube. It wasn’t until I exited at Notting Hill Gate that I finally let the tears fall.
Chapter 18
“EMMA.” THERE WAS A soft rap on the door. “Emma. I have ice cream. Chocolate.”
I staggered off the bed and went to unlock the door before returning to my nest. I pulled the covers over my head as Kev entered my room and switched on the light.
“Oh, girl, you need to clean this place. And shower. Holy hell, when was the last time you put on deodorant?”
“Go away,” I muttered from under the covers.
He grabbed the duvet and yanked it off my head. “I will not. I have ice cream. Do you want me to eat it all?”
I sat up and snatched a bowl from him. He sat cross-legged at the end of my bed with his own bowl. “Enough of this. Talk to Auntie Kev.”
“Nothin’ to talk about,” I mumbled around a mouthful of ice cream.
“Please. Girl. You don’t spend a week crying in your room over nothing.”
“I have not been crying.”
He gave me a look.
“Okay, not the whole time.” I shoved more ice cream into my mouth. My tongue was already numb from the cold. Maybe if I ate enough of it, my whole body would go numb.
“Spill. What happened? Last thing I knew, you were off to declare your undying devotion. Next I know you’re moping. Did he laugh at you? Turn you away? Oh my, is he gay? Please tell me he’s gay!”
That made me laugh. “He’s not gay. He’s got a girlfriend.”
Kev frowned. “What, already? When did that happen/”
“I don’t know. When I went to the coffee shop to see him, he was sitting with a woman. They were laughing. Acting like, you know, I couple.”
His eyes narrowed. “What did she look like?”
I shrugged. “What does it matter?”
He set down his bowl and gave me the stink eye.
I huffed. “Fine. She was pretty. Blonde. With green steaks in her hair.”
His eyes widened a little. “Interesting.”
“What?”
He gave me a shrewd glance. “Okay, look. I’m going to tell you what to do. You do it the way I tell you, everything is going to be fine.”
“How can you possibly promise that?”
“Do you trust me, Emma?”
I shrugged.
“Do you?”
“Yeah, I trust you. But...”
“No buts. Here’s what you do.”
THE NEXT MORNING I stood outside Milk & Beans dressed to the nines. Well, maybe not the nines, but at least the eights. I’d worn my cutest sundress, a pair of blinged-out sandals, and sunglasses big enough to make the Kardashians proud. I took a deep breath and went in.
I stumbled to a halt when I saw the same cute blonde that had been with Nik the other day behind the counter. I could tell it was her by the green streaks in her hair. I swallowed hard. I had to do this or I’d never know.
“May I help you?” she chirped.
“Um, yeah. Is Nik here?”
She gave me a surprised look. “No. He only works weekends.”
“Oh.” Now what? Kev hadn’t said what to do if Nik wasn’t at Milk & Bean.
“Do you want me to give him a message?” She smiled encouragingly.
I swallowed hard. “If you could tell him Emma was here—”
“You’re Emma?” She seemed delighted. “Oh, wait. I remember. You’re Kate’s cousin.”
“Yeah.”
She pressed a hand over her chest. “I’m Sophie.”
Sophie. The owner of the shop. She was Nik’s girlfriend?
“Hi, Sophie.” I didn’t know what else to say. “I, um, guess you’re dating Nik.”
Sophie burst out laughing. “I’m Nik’s sister.”
Hope beat once again in my chest. “Seriously?”
“Seriously. So, Emma, what can I do for you? Why did you need to see Nik?”
I hesitated, not sure how much to tell Sophie. What did she know? What had Nik told her?
She leaned across the counter, blonde hair swinging over her shoulder. Today the streaks were hot pink. She shot me a wink. “You can tell me. Nik has been talking about you.”
“He has.”
“Uh-huh. Now spill.”
I closed my eyes and sucked in a deep breath. “I’m in love with Nik,” I blurted.
Her eyes widened and a huge grin spread across her face. “Is that so?’
“I just sort of figured it out.” I shrugged. “I’m a little slow.”
She laughed. “You wouldn’t be the first. Okay, just a second.” She disappeared through a door marked Private. A few moments later she was back, a slip of paper in her hand. “This is where he is. Go get ’im, girl.”
I flushed. “Thanks.”
“Anytime.” Was it just me, or was her smile ever so slightly evil?
“Why are you helping me, Sophie?”
“Oh, I’m not,” she said. “I’m helping my brother.” Her grin got even wider. Suddenly I felt a whole lot better.
I PAUSED OUTSIDE THE towering brick building. The façade was simple Georgian architecture and blended well with the surrounding area. I was in, Belgravia, one of the posher parts of London, popular with embassies, foreign visitors, and the local wealthy. It was a soothing sort of place with plenty of green spaces and lots of sports cars lining the streets. I couldn’t believe Nik was working in a place like this as well as the coffee shop. I wondered if he was a waiter or something.
I pushed open the door to the lobby. A wide black-and-white marble desk stretched across the cavernous space. A woman in a black suit, her platinum hair in a severe bun, glanced up with mild interest.
“Yes?”
“I’m, uh, looking for Nik Archer.”
“Which company?”
I had no idea. I shook my head a little.
With an exasperated sigh, she tapped at her keyboard with long, red talons. “Sixth floor. You may take the lift on the right.”
I stepped onto the elevator and pushed the button marked with the number six. The car glided smoothly upward, coming to a stop at the sixth floor. The doors slid open with a ping, and I stepped out onto thick gray carpet. It was lush, deep, and expensive.
In front of me was another, smaller lobby with another long desk. This one was had a glass top, lightly frosted, to match the doors which led into the main office. Behind the desk was a young man in a two-piece suit and white shirt. He couldn’t be more than twenty-five, and his dirty blond hair was cut into a slightly edgy style.
He gave me a warm smile. “Welcome to Archer and Sullivan. Do you have an appointment?”
Archer and Sullivan? “I-I’m here to see Nik Archer.”
“Name?”
“Emma Roberts.”
His smile grew warmer. “One moment please.” He picked up a phone, murmured into the receiver, and replaced it. “This way, please.”
He led me toward the frosted doors, using a key card to swipe me in. On the other side, a woman about my age, with fiery red hair, met me with a wide smile.
“Miss Roberts?”
“Yes.”
“I’m Josie.” She held out her hand and gave mine a warm shake. “Welcome. Mr. Archer is waiting for you. If you’d follow me?”
I swallowed. What was going on?
She led me down a hall lined with doors and past a fishbowl of an open office before stopping at a heavy mahogany door. The brass nameplate read Nikolas Archer, President.
“Nik is...Nik is the boss?” It came out barely above a whisper.
“Of course.” She rapped softly on the door before swinging it open. “Emma Roberts to see you, sir,” she said, giving me a gentle push inside. “Good luck,” she whispered as she shut the door behind me.
I stumbled to a halt in the middle of the large room. On the other far side was a large desk, and behind it sat Nik.
“Emma. What are you doing here?” Nik’s tone was bland and his eyes... the warmth I was used to seeing wasn’t there. Instead he looked cool, professional. What’s the word? Dispassionate. My stomach lurched into the region of my toes.
I cleared my throat, willing myself to stop twisting the fabric of my skirt. “I-I need to talk to you.”
He lifted one eyebrow. “About?”
“You were right,” I blurted.
“Right?”
“About Mr. Darcy. I met him, and he was awful.”
“I see.”
I noticed he didn’t mention our bet. What was going on? What was wrong? “And I learned something else, Nik. Something really important.”
“And what is that?”
“I’m in love with you.”
He was silent for the longest time, and I was afraid he wasn’t going to say anything. I felt sick or like I might faint.
“It’s too late, Emma.”
I opened my mouth, but nothing came out. Tears stung my eyes, and a lump formed in my throat so big, I thought I might choke on it. “W-What do you mean?”
His expression remained blank, devoid of emotion. “Look around. It’s obvious why you’re here.”
“It is?” I wasn’t sure what his office had to do with anything, but I had a feeling it was not a good thing.
He stood up and walked toward me, but there was none of the heat he’d shown before. I felt so small, so helpless Heartbroken. Somehow, I’d lost him. I’d been so stupid. “Nik—”
“All this time you’ve been thinking I’m a nobody. Just a coffee boy with no future. All this time you haven’t wanted me. You’ turned me away every time I tried to get close to you. And then you find out who I really am. What I really do. And suddenly you’re in love with me?” He snorted in disbelief. “Please, Emma. Give me some credit. I’ve read Pride and Prejudice, too.”
“That’s not true. Nik—”
He swung open the door. “You should leave, Emma. Now.”
Fighting back tears, I did the only thing I could. I bolted.
Chapter 19
ONCE AGAIN, I WAS HIDING under my duvet. This time, though, Kev didn’t bother knocking. Instead he shoved open the door and strutted in. I heard what sounded like tea things rattling on a tray.
I sniffed. “I don’t smell tea. What is that?”
“Hot chocolate,” he chirped.
I poked my head out of the covers. “Gimme.”
“As milady wishes,” he said, giving me a flourishing bow. He poured a cup of cocoa and handed it to me, along with a plate of sweet Viennese biscuits. “I think it’s time you stop sulking and get on with it.”
“With what?” I mumbled over the rim of the cup. The chocolate smelled gorgeous: rich and velvety. “Nik isn’t interested. He thinks I want him for his money.”
“Well, he’s an idiot, clearly. Let’s just hope he comes to his senses. Who’s acting like a Darcy now?”
“Not Nik,” I wailed. “Or he’d have told me I bewitched him body and soul!”
“That wasn’t in the book, darling. That’s from the movie.”
“I don’t care,” I all but shouted, nearly sloshing chocolate on my duvet. I set the cup on the nightstand and glared at Kev. “Chivalry is dead. There is no romance in the world. And I shall never find my Mr. Darcy.” I flopped back on my pillow dramatically. I knew I was being ridiculous, but I couldn’t help myself.
Kissing Mr. Darcy Page 10