Avery’s eyes scanned the area, and she covered her mouth when I approached her table. I opted to not take my plate of food with me as if to appear like a high school kid in the cafeteria, wanting to sit by a hot chick who was eating alone.
I reached for the back of the chair and returned her confused smile. “Avery?” I questioned, not fully knowing what the hell I was doing.
I could feel the stares from Collin and Alex, burning a hole into my back as they watched me do the most uncharacteristic thing I’d ever done. This was unlike me in every way. Maybe Jules did fuck with my mind, and now I felt I needed the presence of a beautiful woman to blot out the disgusting reminder of a married woman humping my hard cock. Disgusting. Yeah, that was definitely it. That’s why I was randomly leaving my dinner and joining a woman I’d met on a plane three days ago. Fuck it.
“Shit.” She covered her smile and glanced around the room. Her cheeks tinted pink as she tried to control her laugh. “Sorry, I don’t think this restaurant allows cursing.” She looked around again, and I could tell she was entirely out of her element.
“It depends on whom you are offending,” I said, taking the chair and sitting across from her. “Mind if I join you?”
Her perfectly shaped eyebrow arched over her long black lashes, and her blue eyes glistened like sapphires. “Well, I…um.” Her scratchy voice was sexy as she laughed at this bizarre scenario. “Okay. I remember you from the airplane. You saved me from my ex-fiancé. I also remember getting a little too drunk and cried my sad life story to you the entire flight here.”
“I’m happy you remember me.” I smiled and motioned for the waiter. “Have you decided on your meal yet?”
“Sir,” she responded, sitting back in her seat, “I’m embarrassed to admit that I can’t remember your name when you remembered mine.”
She had the cute yet sexy face of a younger version of Meg Ryan, my childhood Hollywood crush. This woman was a dark-haired version of her, especially when she pursed her lips and scrunched her face up in confusion like this.
“I’m Jim,” I reintroduced myself. “Please, don’t be embarrassed. I’m pretty good with remembering names,” I said with a laugh, pulling the menu she’d given up on over to me. “Honestly, I’m only naturally good with names of people who’ve made an impression on me, be it good or bad.”
She crossed her arms over the strapless top of the dress she wore. “And you remember mine because of which? Did I make a good or bad impression?”
“How could a woman as lovely as you possibly make a bad impression on anyone?” I smirked, only because this woman was amusing me with her rigid body language and charming facial expressions. “May I ask why you are here alone?”
“My sister’s meeting got held over.” She smiled. “She’s a busy girl, so I can’t blame her, and I won’t. I’m here on her paycheck, not mine.”
I wasn’t going there with money or jobs. That was too personal, although I was curious. I hadn’t forgotten the daughter she’d mentioned on the plane, or her asshole ex who was going to fight her to the death for custody. Obviously, I had only one side to this story, so it was better to remain silent about it. The guy did sound like a fucking dickhead on the phone, though, and I was pretty good about reading people.
“A shame.” I smiled and glanced down at the menu. “What are you up for tonight?”
“Um.” She pinched her lips together and squinted her eyes in humor. “I’m so hungry I could eat the entire menu if you want to know the truth.”
“I’d like to see that.” I grinned.
“I’m dead serious,” she said, catching my attention with her lowered tone.
I licked my lips and caught my bottom lip with my teeth. “You’re serious?” I leveled her with a gaze, trying to maintain my composure and not laugh.
“Dead serious.” She leaned her crossed arms up on the table and smirked. “I can’t afford more than an appetizer at this place. My sister is paying for the meal.” Her eyes scanned the ceiling and back to me. “And this fifty-dollar-a-plate restaurant was her idea and not mine. So she’s paying up, but if it were up to me, I’d be at some restaurant near the attractions I was enjoying touring alone and be just as happy.”
“You do realize that even those terrace eateries can be quite costly, especially when you’re out alone, and someone takes advantage of your purse, correct?”
“I know the rules.” She arched a brow at me, her irises captivating me further. “I keep my passport hidden behind zippers and my cash separate in my wallet.”
“Yeah?” I said, not really remembering what the hell we both were talking about.
“My point is,” she took a sip of her Chardonnay, “I’m going to eat small here and go pig out somewhere else.”
The woman was petite, but with strong, muscular arms. I couldn’t imagine her putting away a lot of food as she was suggesting with this menu. The waiter arrived, and I decided not to question it further.
“We’ll take two bottles of your finest wine,” I said and then smiled at her challenging grin. “And it looks like the chefs will be busy tonight.” I folded the menu and handed it to him. “We’ll take everything they’re cooking off the menu tonight as well.”
The waiter’s eyes widened. “Sir,” he said. “We will need to move you to another table for that. Our tables are reserved—”
I pointed to where Alex and Collin sat at our usual larger-than-most table in the corner of the restaurant, surrounded by windows instead of walls. “Those two are my colleagues, and they’ll gladly take this table and offer theirs up for the lovely lady and me.”
“Sir.”
I smiled at the man. “I know this is completely out of the norm for you, young man,” I said. “However, the tip will be fine and should help with the drinks you buy all of your friends at the pub tonight when you find yourself telling them about the crazy man asking to switch tables with other guests.”
He chuckled while Avery cleared her throat. “You’re not doing any of that,” she said. “I’ll just take the fish.”
“I have to disagree with my lovely wife,” I said, watching her eyes bulge at the statement. “You see, it’s our fifth anniversary, and we chose to come to London. I’ve had reservations since last year for this place. I also am fortunate to know those men enjoying a table that is quite frankly too large for them. Being at this place was the reason London made my lovely bride’s bucket list, and I hate to disappoint her.”
He looked at Avery. “I will speak with my manager, and we will do our best to accommodate you and your husband.”
I whipped out my cell and opened my group chat with the guys.
Jim: Hey, get your asses up and switch with us.
Alex: What the hell are you doing to that waiter?
Collin: What the hell are you doing, period?
Jim: Just do it. We don’t have enough room for the food at this small table in the middle of the room.
Alex: Unless you’re making a move on that chick, bring her to our table with us.
Jim: I’m not going to intimidate a woman I hardly know with your ugly mugs, watching her eat. We take the best seat in this place every time we eat here. Just do her a favor.
Collin: Her or you? Jim is just horny after Jules made the moves on him.
“Are you and your friends finished working out the eating arrangements?” Her voice interrupted our lame-ass banter. “Yes.” I rose. “Follow me.”
An extremely formfitting dress showed her well-shaped, muscular legs and wrapped tightly around her breasts, which were pressed together, pronouncing a cleavage that could only make me drool at this point.
“This is Collin and Alex.” I introduced the guys, eying them, and as the casual guys they were, they were trading tables with us like we were at a diner and not a five-star restaurant.
“Didn’t catch your name.” Alex arched a brow at my lack of proper behavior.
“I’m Avery.” She shook her head. “And I have no idea what’s going on.”
Collin grinned and took her hand next. “Make that four of us.” He eyed me. “I don’t think Jim knows what’s going on either, and he’s orchestrating this incident.”
“These two are friends of mine, Avery. Forgive me if I mentioned how you and I met onboard the plane without your permission.”
“Why would you think you had to apologize for telling a story about a crazy lady on a plane?” She smirked, and I could quickly tell the guys were captivated by the amiable and appealing nature of the woman—and those damn blue eyes. “I’m flattered that my story made it to your highlight reel.”
Alex eyed me and smiled. “Nice catch,” he mouthed from where he stood behind the woman with a subtle thumbs up.
Once the staff turned our parade of chaos into a graceful situation that wouldn’t disturb their customers, Avery and I were seated, and a candle was lit for our table.
“I almost forgot,” Avery said, placing the napkin in her lap and smiling at me. “It’s our anniversary dinner. I hope you plan to order the entire dessert side of the menu as well. You know I like variety.”
“If you keep smiling at me like that, you’ll get anything you want from me.” Fuck. Did I just say that? Out loud?
“Is that so, Jim?” She hung onto my name in some taunting, yet suggestive way. “You’re not actually going to order the entire damn menu, are you?”
“Language, darling,” I said while the waiter approached. “We’ll be enjoying the entire dessert menu tonight as well.”
The man’s lips pinched together in humor. “Excellent choice.”
“My wife always makes excellent choices,” I said, to which Avery’s expression darkened some.
“What’s with you?” she questioned. “Seriously. All of this. You are ordering everything off the menu and moving your friends out from their seats—I’m not sure I’m getting any of this.”
“Well, I saw a beautiful woman sitting alone. I remembered her well from our flight together. I also find her attractive, and I couldn’t imagine her dining alone tonight. Am I at fault for taking advantage of a situation with a beautiful woman left alone?”
Her lips twisted, and her eyes narrowed. “I’ll give you that,” she conceded. “I’ll also not be a total bitch and refuse your generosity because you keep telling me how beautiful I am.” She said the last part with a certain kind of sassy sarcasm that I adored. “The married part, though?”
“Yeah, I guess that was a bit over the top.”
“Well, I pinned you as a stiff lawyer or something like that.” She took another sip of wine, “It turns out, you’ve got an interesting sense of humor too.”
“It’s dry humor, but it works at times.” I smiled and sipped my new glass of bourbon.
“Well, it worked tonight. I appreciate the company. I’ve had a bit of fun touring London on the two days my sister had off to spend with me, and now I’m pretty much enjoying the historical sites alone. So, running into a friend who helped me with my idiot ex on the plane is a welcome surprise. I have to say thanks at least—a serious thank you—while not drunk and spilling my sad stories to you. In fact, I’m shocked that after hearing about some of the shit I go through, I’m sitting across from you at the moment. I figured you’d be the last person on the planet to entertain my sorry ass again.”
The appetizers came, and she lit up with excitement. “Enjoy some of the fine delights that England has to offer,” I said after the waiter left. “Dig in, gorgeous.”
“Gorgeous is starving,” she said, filling her plate.
I casually added a few oysters and buttered bread, and I watched as she began to eat like we were old friends. How many women had I watched pick at their plates for fear of eating in front of me? I never understood that. Were they scared to eat? Get dirty? Nervous? Who knew; it always made me feel like shit, though. I had no idea how to make them comfortable enough to eat more than a few bites of protein and maybe a vegetable.
Avery, however, was the perfect date. The entire menu was being set on our table, and she was going for it without reservation. I had never met a woman who wasn’t intimidated in front of me.
Goddamn, she was luring me in like a moth to a flame.
“What are your plans tomorrow?” I questioned.
“Well.” She swallowed. “After my sister gets the bill to this menu extravaganza that you insisted we eat, I’m most likely going home.”
“I’m paying for this dining experience as it was my idea to make up for you being left to dine alone.”
“You can’t pay for all of this.”
“I can, and I will. I insisted on this, and I must see if you can fit all of this food into that tiny little body of yours. You’re what, five-three? All of this food must weigh more than you do as it is. I’ve got to see if you’re some kind of competitive eater.”
She laughed heartily, and I loved her exuberance. “Trust me, I can throw most of it down,” she said, taking a drink of water while I forked a piece of broccoli and placed it in my mouth. “Although, I hope they do to-go boxes here. If that’s just an American thing, I’m going to be majorly disappointed.” She started buttering a slice of bread. “God dang, this food is amazing.”
“So now that I’m picking the tab up on this meal, you won’t be leaving tomorrow. Do you have plans? How long will you be in London?”
She swallowed a bite. “Planning on giving me a guided tour?”
“I visit the city often, and I don’t feel it’s safe to travel or sightsee alone.”
“And your suit tells me that you’re here for work.”
“Perhaps.”
“Well, tomorrow I’ll be eating in some cute place I spied today that everyone says is the best for breakfast food. If you’re serious about joining me on another visit to the numerous sites I’ve enjoyed visiting more than once, I’ll gladly take the company.”
“Well, it might just happen.”
She shook her head and laughed. “You must be one over-worked man. Perhaps we’re at the breakdown part of working long and hard hours?”
“You’re my wife, and we’re celebrating our anniversary, remember?”
“Good heavens, Jim—” She scrunched her face up again. “It’s Jim, right?”
“Yes.” I smiled, surprised that she was still going hard on the delicacies surrounding her. Where the hell did she keep all of this food? “If you stay in this location, I might offer up another tour that might be more insane than this fake marriage and our fine dining experience tonight.”
She set down her fork, and finally, in her private episode of Woman versus Food, it appeared food had won. “Nothing could be crazier than this night after you approached my table, Jim.”
“We’ll see. Meet me where the tours start for the Tower of London. Have you been there?”
“Twice, and I didn’t even see any ghosts from all the stories. I was really looking too,” she said with a smile.
I couldn’t hold back my laugh. “Are you one who believes in the supernatural?”
“I have a very open mind, thank you very much.”
“I can see that in you. You definitely have an intriguing side.”
“If I weren’t opened minded and adventurous, I would be scared as shit with everything you pulled off tonight.”
“Then it’s a date,” I said.
“It’s a date.” She smiled. “We’ll see if business holds you up like it did my sister. She’s heading off to Amsterdam for the next week before we go home. Who knows where your job will take you?”
“I determine where my job takes me.”
“May I ask what you do exactly?”
“I run a business.”
“Okay. Well, boss-man,” she teased, “we’ll see how married you are to that. I don’t date businessmen, so I’ll warn you ahead of time.”
That was a clean cut and a blatant reminder as to why I don’t get caught up with women. Period. Now, here I was playing some flirty game that was entirely out of character for me, but I liked this woman. She had no idea the businessman I was, but the reason I was heading to my estate in the country was proof I wouldn’t let Mitchell and Associates run my life. I ran it.
“Do you enjoy nature?” I had to feel her out first.
“I do. I love to hike and explore, but I’m surrounded by historical buildings, and I can’t seem to get enough.”
“What if I proposed a visit to my estate in the countryside, in a historical building? If your sister is taking off for the next week?”
“Yeah, we leave in seven days. She’s gone until we meet up the morning we fly out.”
“Would you care to join me at my estate? It’s in the countryside and has a lot of local history.”
“It’s crazy if I say yes, right?” she said. “Fuck it. The life that awaits me when I get off that plane in the states is even more insane.” She took another sip of wine. “Let’s do it.”
I had no idea what had possessed me to bring her back to the small castle that I had renovated. I’d never taken anyone to this place except for the guys.
This woman was entertaining on the plane and put up with this crazy shit tonight. Why not have a fun companion at the estate? Her sister was leaving her, and she’d be alone. Might as well enjoy my reprieve with someone I thought would make me enjoy work from the estate.
Besides, it wouldn’t be a romantic affair. The estate had my horses and stables, plenty of farm life, and more than enough grounds for her to explore. Perhaps she’d enjoy that on her visit. Maybe I was a good guy by helping out a woman I felt for in my own way.
The estate itself was large enough for her to get lost in and filled with collected artifacts and priceless pieces of history from monarchs that’d traveled through the area. I had no idea if she cared about history as much as I did, but it would at least entertain her, especially since she mentioned she’d been to Buckingham Palace three times. This girl was going to hate London without a proper tour. I think Adelaile Castle would be a fun adventure. If not, I’d kindly escort her back to the city she came to visit.
