to be Anon and soak up the admiration she clearly felt about him?
"Ah, huh."
"His donations make such a massive difference to what we can and can't do for the service users. I'm not sure how we would have managed all these years without his generosity. Or her generosity, as Lisa keeps telling me."
He saw something in her eyes, "You want it to be a he, don't you? Do you secretly wish to meet him, to know the man behind the donations?"
He heard respect in the way she spoke of him. She might even think about him in bed at night, as he imagined her.
How long must he keep up this charade?
If only he could come clean.
She fiddled with her cell. "As long as the donations continue, who cares about the donor's gender?"
He had his answer and wanted to divert the conversation away from Anon and back to him.
Chapter 14
Once they had filled their stomachs with Sake and sushi, Fredrick sent for the check.
He tipped the server almost as much as the bill and gave the concierge a firm handshake, "Thank you, we've enjoyed every minute."
Clara was proud to be with such a gracious man, and nodded at the server as she passed him on the way out of the restaurant.
When Fredrick glanced down at her, she smiled back and placed her hand in his welcome grip.
"Thank you. For an excellent date."
His eyebrows flickered, as though her intimate action surprised him. It was easy being in his company, but also super exciting--a combination she couldn't recall having with anyone else.
Fredrick turned to her outside the restaurant, his stare intense and passionate as he played with a loose strand of hair about her face. "Thanks for coming tonight."
"I've had fun. You're easy to talk to. Hope I didn't moan on about things too much?"
"We both did a little of that. It's called sharing I believe." He winked and she desperately hoped he'd kiss her before shipping her off in a cab. "It's far too early to end our date, though. Don't you think?"
Clara felt the same and exhaled before the corners of her mouth reached for her ears. "Well, I'm not tired yet, and I'm enjoying myself. So . . ." The last thing she wanted was for the night to end too prematurely again. Not now she'd spent time with him. "What do you have in mind?" she threaded her fingers through his and stood closer, their toes touching.
He pulled their linked hands up to their chest, as if to show how he appreciated the intimacy or, at the very least, to acknowledge it. "Fancy a little Jazz, Ms. James?"
"Jazz?" As someone who delegated little time to a social life, she knew of few places to go. But she was thrilled to be able to recommend a Jazz club. "Oh, if you're a Jazz fan, chances are you already heard about the Village Vanguard?"
He grinned, "You know, not too much."
She suspected he was saying this for her benefit, being the gent he seemed to be.
"Is that where you'd like to go?" he asked with raised eyebrows, hailing a cab.
"Yeah. It's been some time since I went. Just hope we can get in. Did you know, for eight decades the Vanguard has remained relevant by consistently hosting the hippest exponents of the music. The list of performers who played there over the years is an encyclopedia of the top names in jazz."
"You don't say?" he said, eyes wide, grin in place.
She wondered if she was telling him details he knew already as he ushered her into the cab and jumped in beside her.
But she said nothing, enjoying his need to make her think she was more knowledgeable.
Even though this behavior might be perceived as patronizing by some, Clara saw it as chivalrous, though she felt slightly intoxicated once the cab started moving.
"You're a big Jazz fan, then?" he asked.
"Aren't you? Oh, you didn't want to go there for me, did you?"
"Hey, of course I'm a fan." He offered her such a sinful grin and linked her arm, "Well, if I'm being honest, I just want to dance with you without techno and neon banging and
"Ah, huh."
"His donations make such a massive difference to what we can and can't do for the service users. I'm not sure how we would have managed all these years without his generosity. Or her generosity, as Lisa keeps telling me."
He saw something in her eyes, "You want it to be a he, don't you? Do you secretly wish to meet him, to know the man behind the donations?"
He heard respect in the way she spoke of him. She might even think about him in bed at night, as he imagined her.
How long must he keep up this charade?
If only he could come clean.
She fiddled with her cell. "As long as the donations continue, who cares about the donor's gender?"
He had his answer and wanted to divert the conversation away from Anon and back to him.
Chapter 14
Once they had filled their stomachs with Sake and sushi, Fredrick sent for the check.
He tipped the server almost as much as the bill and gave the concierge a firm handshake, "Thank you, we've enjoyed every minute."
Clara was proud to be with such a gracious man, and nodded at the server as she passed him on the way out of the restaurant.
When Fredrick glanced down at her, she smiled back and placed her hand in his welcome grip.
"Thank you. For an excellent date."
His eyebrows flickered, as though her intimate action surprised him. It was easy being in his company, but also super exciting--a combination she couldn't recall having with anyone else.
Fredrick turned to her outside the restaurant, his stare intense and passionate as he played with a loose strand of hair about her face. "Thanks for coming tonight."
"I've had fun. You're easy to talk to. Hope I didn't moan on about things too much?"
"We both did a little of that. It's called sharing I believe." He winked and she desperately hoped he'd kiss her before shipping her off in a cab. "It's far too early to end our date, though. Don't you think?"
Clara felt the same and exhaled before the corners of her mouth reached for her ears. "Well, I'm not tired yet, and I'm enjoying myself. So . . ." The last thing she wanted was for the night to end too prematurely again. Not now she'd spent time with him. "What do you have in mind?" she threaded her fingers through his and stood closer, their toes touching.
He pulled their linked hands up to their chest, as if to show how he appreciated the intimacy or, at the very least, to acknowledge it. "Fancy a little Jazz, Ms. James?"
"Jazz?" As someone who delegated little time to a social life, she knew of few places to go. But she was thrilled to be able to recommend a Jazz club. "Oh, if you're a Jazz fan, chances are you already heard about the Village Vanguard?"
He grinned, "You know, not too much."
She suspected he was saying this for her benefit, being the gent he seemed to be.
"Is that where you'd like to go?" he asked with raised eyebrows, hailing a cab.
"Yeah. It's been some time since I went. Just hope we can get in. Did you know, for eight decades the Vanguard has remained relevant by consistently hosting the hippest exponents of the music. The list of performers who played there over the years is an encyclopedia of the top names in jazz."
"You don't say?" he said, eyes wide, grin in place.
She wondered if she was telling him details he knew already as he ushered her into the cab and jumped in beside her.
But she said nothing, enjoying his need to make her think she was more knowledgeable.
Even though this behavior might be perceived as patronizing by some, Clara saw it as chivalrous, though she felt slightly intoxicated once the cab started moving.
"You're a big Jazz fan, then?" he asked.
"Aren't you? Oh, you didn't want to go there for me, did you?"
"Hey, of course I'm a fan." He offered her such a sinful grin and linked her arm, "Well, if I'm being honest, I just want to dance with you without techno and neon banging and
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