bladder and was just starting to see clearly when he noticed a pink Post-It note stuck to the wall opposite the toilet. He leaned in closer.
When you’re up call extension 11
Dress casual and then call me,
Love
xxx
Tanna
P.S. There’s a phone behind you.
After finishing his pee, he turned around and found the phone exactly where Tanna said it would be and dialed 11.
“Yes, Mr. Hunter. Can we bring you breakfast?” a fresh young voice said.
Jonas was a little startled at the personal approach. “Yes, please do,” he answered, common courtesy taking over.
Fifteen minutes later he exited the bathroom from a nice, scalding hot shower, still drying his hair. In the middle of the sitting room was a trolley filled with every conceivable breakfast item from bacon and eggs, toast, sausages, tomato and baked beans to pancakes and waffles with maple syrup, fresh fruit, cereal, assorted jams, and orange juice, coffee, tea, and milk. Jonas raised his eyebrows thinking of all the food that would go to waste. At least 46
Zahra
Owens
four people could eat quite a hearty breakfast from what was packed, quite neatly he noticed, onto the trolley.
Since last night’s meal of raw fish had been rather good for his waistline, Jonas decided to indulge himself this morning, putting a bit of everything on his plate and getting comfortable on the plush sofa with the three morning papers that came with the breakfast. He smiled when the images of the night before played out in his memory again and realized that for the first time, Nicky hadn’t returned to being a morose, pouting brat after their lovemaking.
Maybe he was feeling more relaxed about it, maybe he was just tired. Or was it that Nicky knew he’d better treat Jonas right since they were going to spend the rest of the week together?
Jonas wondered what the day had in store for him. He knew London Fashion Week was a high point for any designer, but he had no idea whether that meant Nicky would be pretty much busy all day long or whether he’d need company at some point. He knew Nicky didn’t talk to the press much and had even turned down a personal call from Anna Wintour asking for an interview for Vogue.
Jonas picked up the phone and dialed Tanna’s number.
“Hello stranger,” she answered in mock seductive tones. “Had a good night’s sleep?”
“Quite nice, thank you,” Jonas answered.
“Breakfast to your liking?”
Jonas couldn’t help noticing her voice was subdued, as if she couldn’t talk out loud just then. “Want me to call you back later?” he replied.
“No, that’s okay,” Tanna answered. “I just can’t make too much noise because Nicky is fitting a young member of the Royal family with a gown for her first big ball and he’s making quite a spectacle of himself.” She giggled quietly. “Luckily the Princess is very beguiled by him. She’s giggling and blushing. I swear he’s making her feel that if she played her cards right, he’d be coming home with her tonight. Naïveté is such a sweet thing to behold.” Jonas was surprised to hear about another side of Nicky he hadn’t seen. “I wish I was there to see that,” he admitted to Tanna.
Façade
47
“I have something better for you.” She giggled again. “Be ready by eleven, smart casual will do. I’ll send a car to pick you up in front of the building.”
Tanna didn’t even wait for him to answer. Jonas heard her click the line shut and continued his breakfast, taking his time while flicking through the morning’s news.
AT ELEVEN sharp he was downstairs in an off-white suit with a black turtleneck underneath. It wasn’t a designer suit, but he figured that if Nicky didn’t like it, he would make sure he got another one.
He just hoped that his definition of casual was the same as Nicky’s.
Despite the heavy traffic, the car took less than fifteen minutes to get to where they needed to be. The driver double-parked and stepped out to open the door for Jonas.
When you’re up call extension 11
Dress casual and then call me,
Love
xxx
Tanna
P.S. There’s a phone behind you.
After finishing his pee, he turned around and found the phone exactly where Tanna said it would be and dialed 11.
“Yes, Mr. Hunter. Can we bring you breakfast?” a fresh young voice said.
Jonas was a little startled at the personal approach. “Yes, please do,” he answered, common courtesy taking over.
Fifteen minutes later he exited the bathroom from a nice, scalding hot shower, still drying his hair. In the middle of the sitting room was a trolley filled with every conceivable breakfast item from bacon and eggs, toast, sausages, tomato and baked beans to pancakes and waffles with maple syrup, fresh fruit, cereal, assorted jams, and orange juice, coffee, tea, and milk. Jonas raised his eyebrows thinking of all the food that would go to waste. At least 46
Zahra
Owens
four people could eat quite a hearty breakfast from what was packed, quite neatly he noticed, onto the trolley.
Since last night’s meal of raw fish had been rather good for his waistline, Jonas decided to indulge himself this morning, putting a bit of everything on his plate and getting comfortable on the plush sofa with the three morning papers that came with the breakfast. He smiled when the images of the night before played out in his memory again and realized that for the first time, Nicky hadn’t returned to being a morose, pouting brat after their lovemaking.
Maybe he was feeling more relaxed about it, maybe he was just tired. Or was it that Nicky knew he’d better treat Jonas right since they were going to spend the rest of the week together?
Jonas wondered what the day had in store for him. He knew London Fashion Week was a high point for any designer, but he had no idea whether that meant Nicky would be pretty much busy all day long or whether he’d need company at some point. He knew Nicky didn’t talk to the press much and had even turned down a personal call from Anna Wintour asking for an interview for Vogue.
Jonas picked up the phone and dialed Tanna’s number.
“Hello stranger,” she answered in mock seductive tones. “Had a good night’s sleep?”
“Quite nice, thank you,” Jonas answered.
“Breakfast to your liking?”
Jonas couldn’t help noticing her voice was subdued, as if she couldn’t talk out loud just then. “Want me to call you back later?” he replied.
“No, that’s okay,” Tanna answered. “I just can’t make too much noise because Nicky is fitting a young member of the Royal family with a gown for her first big ball and he’s making quite a spectacle of himself.” She giggled quietly. “Luckily the Princess is very beguiled by him. She’s giggling and blushing. I swear he’s making her feel that if she played her cards right, he’d be coming home with her tonight. Naïveté is such a sweet thing to behold.” Jonas was surprised to hear about another side of Nicky he hadn’t seen. “I wish I was there to see that,” he admitted to Tanna.
Façade
47
“I have something better for you.” She giggled again. “Be ready by eleven, smart casual will do. I’ll send a car to pick you up in front of the building.”
Tanna didn’t even wait for him to answer. Jonas heard her click the line shut and continued his breakfast, taking his time while flicking through the morning’s news.
AT ELEVEN sharp he was downstairs in an off-white suit with a black turtleneck underneath. It wasn’t a designer suit, but he figured that if Nicky didn’t like it, he would make sure he got another one.
He just hoped that his definition of casual was the same as Nicky’s.
Despite the heavy traffic, the car took less than fifteen minutes to get to where they needed to be. The driver double-parked and stepped out to open the door for Jonas.
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