nineties. Which is sort of a disappointment but it’s still a nose on a wall. Which is kinda cool.’
Jane reached up to touch it. ‘It
is
kinda cool.’ She looked back at Will. ‘Thanks.’
‘What for?’
‘For showing me your stupid nose.’
He laughed. ‘You’re welcome. Come on.’ He reached out to take her arm but then hesitated and didn’t and for a second she wished she had never told him about the whole not being used to touching thing. ‘I’ll take you for a drink in the park.’
Chapter Eleven
The sun had dipped by the time they got to the restaurant in St James’s Park. He made them take a detour so she could look across the lake at the amazing view of Whitehall that was so majestic in the fading evening light that she felt more like she’d stepped into a Disney film than a London park.
Then, when they approached the restaurant, she found herself doing a little gasp as it glowed from within its wooden walls like something out
The Hobbit
. The hustle and bustle of noise was spilling out on the path and the waiter apologised that they were fully booked as soon as they stepped inside. But somehow Will managed to wangle a bottle of chilled white wine and two glasses and took her to sit on the grass overlooking the lake.
She kicked herself for being so impressed but she couldn’t help it.
As he handed her a glass of wine, she asked, ‘Why did you follow me? I mean, it’s just, this doesn’t really seem like your kind of scene.’
‘You don’t know anything about my kind of scene,’ he said with a quirk of his brow.
She laughed. ‘I can guess,’ she said, ‘Sitting on the grass in your fancy suit doesn’t seem like it happens every day.’
She’d kicked off her sandals already and was lying back, propping herself up on her elbows as he sat in his work shoes and socks, his trousers hitched up so he could sit on the grass, his forearms resting on his knees.
‘Yeah, OK, fair enough. It’s probably not my usual idea of an evening out, but it’s good. I like it. I don’t get many chances to be spontaneous.’
‘That’s sad,’ she said. ‘You’d think with all that money you’d be able to do whatever you liked.’
It was his turn to laugh. ‘Yeah, except it’s not all that money. I’m being rinsed left, right and centre. I have an aunt who is co-owner of the business and who at the moment is trying to either get me to buy her out, which based on our assets I can’t afford to do, or find an investor to take her place which, at the moment, looks to be some bloody awful hotel chain who just wants us for our property.’
‘Sorry I asked.’ Jane took a sip of wine through half-smiling lips.
Chapter Twelve
Where had that come from? Why had he told her about his aunt? So far he’d played it all pretty cool. He’d basically managed to shoehorn in all his secret, impressive London landmarks and she was responding to them exactly as she should. He was showing off and he knew it. But there was something almost addictive about how excited she got about everything. How genuinely pleased she was to see the restaurant that he came to practically once a week with clients. He barely even paused to appreciate the building any longer. Tony had slipped him a bottle of wine and a couple of glasses and she’d reacted like he was James Bond.
And now. What was he doing? Why hadn’t he said something smooth like,
I’m basically loaded and call all the shots and can do whatever I like in life. Let’s charter a helicopter.
Heidi would have laughed at that.
Quick snog, maybe a shag in The Ritz, leave it seven days before deciding whether to call. Done.
Instead he’d just had some verbal outpouring of his current financial woes. And she hadn’t even said how sorry she felt for him. This was not the way things were meant to happen.
‘Why don’t you just give her half?’ she said, lying completely back on the grass so she could look up at the clouds.
Will practically snorted his
Jane reached up to touch it. ‘It
is
kinda cool.’ She looked back at Will. ‘Thanks.’
‘What for?’
‘For showing me your stupid nose.’
He laughed. ‘You’re welcome. Come on.’ He reached out to take her arm but then hesitated and didn’t and for a second she wished she had never told him about the whole not being used to touching thing. ‘I’ll take you for a drink in the park.’
Chapter Eleven
The sun had dipped by the time they got to the restaurant in St James’s Park. He made them take a detour so she could look across the lake at the amazing view of Whitehall that was so majestic in the fading evening light that she felt more like she’d stepped into a Disney film than a London park.
Then, when they approached the restaurant, she found herself doing a little gasp as it glowed from within its wooden walls like something out
The Hobbit
. The hustle and bustle of noise was spilling out on the path and the waiter apologised that they were fully booked as soon as they stepped inside. But somehow Will managed to wangle a bottle of chilled white wine and two glasses and took her to sit on the grass overlooking the lake.
She kicked herself for being so impressed but she couldn’t help it.
As he handed her a glass of wine, she asked, ‘Why did you follow me? I mean, it’s just, this doesn’t really seem like your kind of scene.’
‘You don’t know anything about my kind of scene,’ he said with a quirk of his brow.
She laughed. ‘I can guess,’ she said, ‘Sitting on the grass in your fancy suit doesn’t seem like it happens every day.’
She’d kicked off her sandals already and was lying back, propping herself up on her elbows as he sat in his work shoes and socks, his trousers hitched up so he could sit on the grass, his forearms resting on his knees.
‘Yeah, OK, fair enough. It’s probably not my usual idea of an evening out, but it’s good. I like it. I don’t get many chances to be spontaneous.’
‘That’s sad,’ she said. ‘You’d think with all that money you’d be able to do whatever you liked.’
It was his turn to laugh. ‘Yeah, except it’s not all that money. I’m being rinsed left, right and centre. I have an aunt who is co-owner of the business and who at the moment is trying to either get me to buy her out, which based on our assets I can’t afford to do, or find an investor to take her place which, at the moment, looks to be some bloody awful hotel chain who just wants us for our property.’
‘Sorry I asked.’ Jane took a sip of wine through half-smiling lips.
Chapter Twelve
Where had that come from? Why had he told her about his aunt? So far he’d played it all pretty cool. He’d basically managed to shoehorn in all his secret, impressive London landmarks and she was responding to them exactly as she should. He was showing off and he knew it. But there was something almost addictive about how excited she got about everything. How genuinely pleased she was to see the restaurant that he came to practically once a week with clients. He barely even paused to appreciate the building any longer. Tony had slipped him a bottle of wine and a couple of glasses and she’d reacted like he was James Bond.
And now. What was he doing? Why hadn’t he said something smooth like,
I’m basically loaded and call all the shots and can do whatever I like in life. Let’s charter a helicopter.
Heidi would have laughed at that.
Quick snog, maybe a shag in The Ritz, leave it seven days before deciding whether to call. Done.
Instead he’d just had some verbal outpouring of his current financial woes. And she hadn’t even said how sorry she felt for him. This was not the way things were meant to happen.
‘Why don’t you just give her half?’ she said, lying completely back on the grass so she could look up at the clouds.
Will practically snorted his
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