Give Me a Day

by Zoe Ann Wood

  Lori wondered what weighed on his mind. Wanting to soothe him, she flipped their hands in her lap and rubbed slow circles into his palm.

  Sebastian sucked in a breath through his teeth, glancing at her.

  “I’m sorry,” she said, dropping his hand. “I didn’t want to disturb you.”

  But he shook his head and interlaced their fingers. “You didn’t. I liked that. But sometimes I get lost in thought.” His frown deepened, though she sensed it wasn’t aimed at her. “There are things I’ll need to handle once I return home. Spending time with you has been a welcome break from all that.”

  Lori gave him a small smile. She knew exactly what he meant; being with him erased all worries about her finances, and to some extent, even the pain of losing her grandmother. Dropping her gaze to their interlocked hands, she resumed her gentle massage, until he groaned quietly.

  Looking at him, she saw he’d leaned his head against the comfortable seat and closed his eyes; a slight flush spread across his cheekbones, somehow making him much more approachable.

  “You’re killing me, Lorelei,” he muttered.

  Lori glanced at the driver in the front seat, but the sharply dressed man appeared to be deaf to their conversation.

  She still lowered her voice to whisper, “I’ve been thinking about the gala tonight.”

  Sebastian didn’t open his eyes, merely raised his eyebrows, which she took as a sign that he was listening.

  “You said you had two tickets—was one of them supposed to be for your girlfriend?”

  At that, his eyes snapped open, and he frowned at her, his eyes going fierce. “You really think I’d be holding your hand and kissing you if I was in a relationship?”

  Mortified, Lori stuttered, “No, of course not, I just—” She tugged her hand away, but he wouldn’t let go. “I didn’t mean that. I was just wondering why a man like you needed to pick up a total stranger for a last-minute date.”

  Sebastian barked out a laugh. “You give me too much credit. Women don’t exactly flock to keep me company.”

  Lori stared at him, bewildered. He didn’t seem as though he’d be prone to false modesty, yet she had a hard time believing that he’d have trouble finding a willing companion.

  “I work too much and I get…distracted,” he clarified. “I’ve been known to, um, forget an appointment or two.”

  Lori remained silent, waiting to see if he’d tell her more. She hadn’t meant to coax him into talking about his past relationships, but she wasn’t about to stop him, either. She wanted to know everything about this man, so she would take any crumbs he was willing to let drop about his life.

  “My last girlfriend broke up with me a month ago,” he said at last, staring out the window.

  “I’m sorry,” Lori said. “That must have been hard.”

  Sebastian shrugged. “I understand why she did it. But I now have an additional ticket to the opera.” He flashed her a wry smile that told her it wasn’t quite so simple, but she had no idea whether he wanted her to pry or not.

  “I would rather not show up at the ballet alone and have to explain I got dumped to a potential client,” he added. “I want to focus on the job alone.”

  Lori’s heart melted a little more at the admission. She squeezed his hand and whispered, “I’ll be the perfect arm candy tonight.”

  Sebastian moved so quickly, she had no time to react before he put his big palm on her cheek, nudged her chin up, and pressed a hard, possessive kiss on her lips. It was as she’d suspected—he was a terrific kisser. If he allowed the moment to go on any further, she would have forgotten her name, forgotten everything but the feel of him.

  But he broke away from her, leaving her lamenting the absence of his lips. He looked her straight in the eyes and said, “You’re so much more than that, Lorelei.”

  A moment later, he was opening the door for her, taking her hand again to help her from the car. It was all Lori could do to follow; her thoughts were still caught up in that moment. She blinked and allowed him to lead her away from the silent chauffeur into the narrow streets of Vienna’s old city center.

  Her heartbeat returned to normal after several deep breaths, and she forced her errant thoughts back to the present. It wouldn’t do to dwell on his enigmatic statement, she told herself sternly. They were just two strangers enjoying each other’s company in one of the most beautiful cities in the world.

  But she had a sneaking suspicion that she would be walking away from this adventure with a crushed heart.

  They had lunch at a quiet, tiny restaurant tucked between two antiques shops, where the waitress rattled off the day’s menu in perfect English and Sebastian ordered a bottle of red wine that seemed older than Lori. Or maybe the dust and cobwebs that the sommelier had to wipe off before popping the cork and offering Sebastian a small sip were there just for the effect.

  She didn’t mind either way—the food was excellent, and the wine held a hint of summer in its ruby depths, so she sipped and laughed and chatted with Sebastian, who revealed himself to be a lover of Duke Ellington and Billie Holiday, artists her grandmother had listened to on her old record player all through Lori’s childhood.

  She knew she had a checklist to complete and a funeral to plan, but for that day, Lori allowed herself to be carefree.

  “I have a meeting in two hours that I have to prepare for,” Sebastian informed her ruefully. They stepped into the busy street and narrowly avoided being mowed over by a group of tourists on electric scooters.

  They stood in the shade of the restaurant’s awning, and Lori gazed up at him, wishing for the first time that she could keep this man. No matter what he said, he hadn’t checked his phone once during their lunch, and she’d had his full attention when she’d told him a little about spending her summers at a ranch that her grandpa’s relatives owned in Wyoming. He hadn’t stared at her cleavage or tried to hog the conversation. Overall, this was the best second date she’d ever had, and it wasn’t even a proper date. They hadn’t put any labels on what they were doing. Yet Lori couldn’t help but be jealous of the next woman who would get his full attention after she returned to her miserable job and he went to his shiny castle.

  Her thoughts must have shown on her face, because he smoothed a thumb over her forehead, then kissed her lightly on the lips. The kiss was over before she had a chance to even put her arms around him, and left her wanting more. Always more with him.

  “I’ll see you in the evening, then,” she said, trying her best to sound lighthearted.

  “Mm. I’ll pick you up at six-thirty,” he promised. Then he took a white business card from his wallet and handed it to her. “This is…” He paused and scratched his head, looking adorably flustered.

  Lori glanced down at the thick card, which said only MIRA HAAS. A Viennese address was printed on the other side, along with a foreign phone number. “Yes?” Lori asked, intrigued.

  “I don’t want to presume, but… Since I invited you without much notice, I don’t know whether you brought anything appropriate to wear to the opera.”

  Lori blinked. She hadn’t really thought about that. Now she glanced down to her sundress, which was pretty but now slightly crumpled. Her ballet flats had seen better days. The outfit might have been suitable for a day exploring the city, but not for evening wear.

  Heat rose from her neck, spreading to her cheeks, right up to her hairline. Of course. Of course I’m not fancy enough to go to an opera.

  Sebastian let out a low groan. “See, this is exactly why I didn’t want to say anything. I don’t have a problem with you coming in this dress.” He fingered the light flowery material, then looked straight into Lori’s eyes. “I think it’s perfect, actually.”

  Now Lori was blushing for a different reason. She’d get whiplash from her conflicting emotions. Sebastian was staring at her as though she was a delectable package he couldn’t wait to unveil, and it had nothing at all to do with her dress. His eyes were on hers, and his handsome face
was serious and earnest, like he was willing her to believe him. So she nodded, then lifted the business card.

  “What will I find at this address, then?”

  Sebastian shrugged. “Anything you might need for your night out.”

  She tucked the card into her purse. “Thank you. I’ll…think about it.”

  Sebastian kissed her hand, eyes shining with relief and something else she couldn’t quite identify. “Perfect. I’ll call you when it’s time to go.”

  With that, he hurried off in the direction of the car that had brought them there. He didn’t glance back, but then she hadn’t expected him to. She watched his broad back and blond head until the crowd swallowed him, and then she allowed herself a deep, shuddering sigh. She was in way over her head. But she’d plunged into this adventure headfirst, and she would ride it to the end, no matter what happened.

  Lori returned to her hotel and crashed in her bed, desperate for a nap. But no matter how long she squeezed her eyes shut and willed herself to relax, she couldn’t stop her thoughts from zooming around in her head. Sebastian was front and center in her mind, and she wondered what would happen at the ballet. His attention was flattering, yet he hadn’t promised her anything beyond that night.

  After a while, she gave up and sent some of that day’s photos to her grandmother’s lawyer, proving she was ticking off the items from her grandma’s list. Then she spent some time arranging the funeral service at the cemetery. Lori’s elderly cousin, twice removed, had signed off on a form that would allow Lori to place her grandma’s ashes into the family tomb, though the lady had made it clear she would not be attending the service. Lori didn’t think her grandma would mind—she hadn’t gotten along with this branch of her family. But tradition was tradition, she’d written in the will, and she had no wish to be buried next to her mother-in-law in the States, either.

  Lori understood the sentiment. Her grandfather had passed away when Lori was two, and his elderly mother had never made a secret of how much she’d disliked his ‘foreign’ wife. Apart from summer vacations, during which Lori and her grandma would travel by bus from Philadelphia to Wyoming to spend three weeks on the family’s gorgeous property, Lori didn’t have much contact with other members of her extended family.

  Even Lori’s birth parents preferred not to stay in touch—a fact that still grated, even though she’d had thirty-one years to become used to it.

  She sighed now, bringing up her Facebook page to see if her mother had messaged her. Claudia Hirsch didn’t do phone calls. Or even emails. She communicated over texts, tweets, and messages, typed in between takes on her latest movie project. A teen sensation, she’d gotten pregnant with Lori at age eighteen, and never let her daughter’s existence hinder her career, such as it was.

  A weight settled in Lori’s chest. Her mom might not have been much of a mother, but she’d been an even worse daughter. When Lori had informed her that she would be taking her grandmother’s ashes to Austria, Claudia had merely stated that the funeral would surely interrupt her filming schedule.

  Lori hadn’t pointed out that she hadn’t even given her mother the date of the funeral. She knew her mother would not attend.

  And now her grandma’s funeral would be a lonely affair. The funeral service included a priest who would conduct the short ceremony, so at least Lori wouldn’t be completely alone.

  She shook her head, pulling her phone from under the covers. She needed cheering up, stat. Impersonating Eeyore at a gala event wouldn’t make a good impression on Sebastian’s potential clients.

  Bringing up her best friend and colleague’s number, she mentally counted the hours back—it would be morning in Philadelphia, which meant Hannah was on her way to work.

  “How’s my favorite world traveler doing?”

  Hannah’s cheerful voice never failed to bring a smile to Lori’s face. She settled against the pillows and let out a long breath. “I’m good. I just needed to hear a friendly voice.”

  Her friend picked up on her mood instantly. “Oh, no. What’s wrong?”

  Lori thought for a moment. Hannah knew all about her grandmother’s will and had even offered to accompany Lori on this trip, but their office manager had refused to let them both take the week off at the same time on such short notice. Hannah would listen to her if she wanted to talk about her mother, too, though her friend had little patience for the woman whom she’d called ‘a selfish opportunist’ more than once.

  But instead of diving into that pile of trouble again, Lori found herself confessing that she’d met an interesting man.

  “A gorgeous American?” Hannah gasped. “Tell me everything!”

  Lori obeyed. When she finished recounting their adventures, she thought about telling her friend about their kisses, but couldn’t. The memories were still too intimate and fresh to describe out loud. She wanted to savor them in private first before rehashing them out loud.

  “Sooo…he hasn’t kissed you yet?” Hannah asked, sniffing out Lori’s secrets with her usual alacrity. They’d known each other since high school, had attended the same community college, and found work at the same company—Lori could no more hide the truth from Hannah than she could turn herself into a bat.

  “Well…” She wouldn’t outright lie to her friend, no matter how much she wanted to protect those memories.

  “Ha! I knew it.” Hannah whooped, her voice obscured by the roar of traffic coming through.

  Lori imagined her walking from the bus station to the office and was glad she didn’t have to make that same trip herself.

  “It’s not…” She paused, wondering how to frame her worries. “I don’t know what he expects from me. To sleep with him, probably.”

  Hannah hummed thoughtfully. “Has he told you that?”

  He hadn’t. He went out of his way to assure her that this evening would go exactly as far as she wanted it to.

  “No, but I’m not sure what I want to do.” Lori groaned and curled into a ball on the bed, clutching her phone to her ear. “Why is this so hard, Hannah? Tell me what to do.”

  Her friend’s chuckle warmed her heart. “I can’t decide for you, you know that. But I’d say go with your gut. Do you feel safe with him?”

  Lori answered without hesitation. “Yes.”

  “Well, then. Do you know what you’re wearing tonight?”

  Lori considered the two sundresses that hung from the door of her small wardrobe. Both were pretty enough for daily excursions into the city. She’d also packed a demure black dress for her grandmother’s funeral, but wearing that to the opera would just be weird.

  “Sebastian implied I should visit this woman,” she replied, digging the business card from her purse. “I think it’s a clothes shop of some sort. I probably won’t be able to afford anything they sell, though.”

  “Does it hurt to go and see?” Hannah clicked her tongue. “Come on, woman, let me live vicariously through you. And I expect you to send me photos, all right?”

  Lori laughed. “And look like a total dummy for taking selfies in a crowd of distinguished opera patrons? I don’t think so.”

  Hannah snorted. “Ask Sebastian to take a photo of you, though. I’m sure he won’t mind.”

  Lori stood and slipped her feet back into her ballet flats. “I’ll call you tomorrow, okay?”

  “Deal. And Lori…” Her friend paused for a beat. “Have fun.”

  It only took her fifteen minutes to walk to the address written on the back of Mira Haas’ card. The storefront seemed classy in cream and mint tones, a mannequin wearing an expensive-looking shift dress and a wide-brimmed straw hat, holding the leash of a toy bunny. The effect was whimsical and almost ethereal, and Lori loved it. The absence of price tags worried her, though, as did the general polished air of the boutique.

  But she’d promised Hannah she’d go and see what this was all about. Entering the shop, she heard a distant chime of a bell. The interior was cooler than the city streets, and Lori fought off a sudden s
hiver. Goose bumps dotted her skin, so she rubbed her hands over her bare arms while she took in her surroundings.

  The small space was set up as a clothes shop, yes, but the collection of pieces was very eclectic and ranged from men’s jeans to female formal wear. Everything was sorted by color, not type or size, resulting in rainbow shelves Lori had only ever seen in glossy magazines. The effect was pleasant, though, and she relaxed while she waited for the shop assistant to arrive.

  “Grüß gott,” a pleasant voice said from the doorway.

  “Oh, hello,” Lori replied, catching the eye of a slight, stylish middle-aged woman with a thick plait of blonde hair. “Do you speak English?”

  The woman nodded. “Of course. How can I help you?”

  Lori took out the business card—it was slightly creased now from all the handling—and said, “A friend of mine gave me your address,” she said. “He said you might be able to help me find an appropriate outfit for attending the opera tonight.”

  The woman’s face lit up with a smile that crinkled the corners of her pale-blue eyes. “Ah, you must be Lorelei. Yes, Sebastian called ahead to tell me you might be stopping by. I’m so glad you have, dear.”

  With that, she sidestepped Lori and went to lock the front door. “This way, we won’t be disturbed.” Looping her arm through Lori’s, she tugged her toward the back of the shop.

  Only Lori discovered that ‘the back of the shop’ was really where the magic happened. A younger assistant appeared like a wraith from behind a lilac velvet curtain, greeting Lori with a tall glass of iced ginger lemonade, and Lori found herself sitting on a plush sofa, discussing ‘her colors’ with the two women.

  In gently accented but fluent English, they explained that their service provided outfits for all occasions—Lori suspected that the cost was exorbitant.