Chapter 26
As Theodore stepped out of the clipper boat’s seating area, the cold February air slapped him in the face. He’d have to rethink his love of that season. In fact, he might write off winter altogether. Too many memories.
Completing a project usually invigorated him. Moving on to the next project even more. Now, it was as if he were sleepwalking.
He strode down the street away from the pier, swinging his little bag of tea he’d secured at the Borough Market. Not even finding his favorite Darjeeling blend in stock at the tiny stall could lift his mood. At least the venture had eaten up some time and helped clear the growing fog in his head.
As he waited for the street’s crossing to be clear, a gust of wind cut through his jacket, sending a chill up his spine. The sky was gray. Rain threatened, as usual. It normally didn’t bother him. London had always felt like home to him. Except everything seemed flatter, less vibrant than he recalled. He felt it the second he’d landed a few days ago.
He glanced once more at his phone screen. Not a single return message from Alice. He’d pinged her as soon as his plane had touched down on the tarmac. Then again when he got to his flat. Then another late last night and a fourth that morning.
All night, his mind bounced back and forth between whether or not to grab a plane back to the States. Why not make America homebase and stay close to Alice? Suzy and Samuel could see to it. But there was the little fact that he’d still be gone as much as ever, which squashed that idea.
He supposed he could get a job elsewhere or even find something else to do at the O’Flannery companies, something that would tether him to one place. The trouble was, there were no other O’Flannery companies outside of Edison in DC, so he’d be chained to an office far away from her.
God. A vision of him sitting at a desk, an unknown skyline out his window, rose in his mind, making his stomach curdle. He’d be bored to death. Perhaps Beatrice’s parting words to him were true after all. You’re married to the airport.
Being away from Alice, however, felt wrong.
He sucked in a lungful of cold air and picked up the pace just as white flakes began to float from the sky. Unusual for London. People began to pause all around him to lift their faces to the sky.
An old woman in a brown wool coat standing near him smiled at him. “It’s snowing.”
“That it is.” He lifted his hand. It was a marvel. Snow didn’t fall often in the city. Alice should see it. An instant pang in his chest made his shoulders hunch forward.
He picked up the pace, letting the flakes swirl around him. As soon as he turned onto his street, though, his feet stopped moving. A figure huddled close by his building’s door. It was a woman. White dusted her hair.
His breath caught in his throat. “Alice,” he called.
She turned, her cheeks a bright pink and her hands stuffed under her armpits. He jogged to her.
Her teeth chattered. “I thought it never snowed here.” She wasn’t wearing gloves or a hat, which made him chuckle a little. For a woman who thought of everything—usually—the weather continued to get by her.
He placed one foot on the first step. “How did you find me?”
“Suzy told me where you lived. I don’t suppose we can go inside?” She stomped her feet a little. She wore little ballerina slippers with no socks, of course. At least they weren’t heels.
Why was he delaying? He jogged up the stairs and scooped her into his arms. “I thought you said you had wellies.”
“They’re back in DC because the weather app didn’t warn me.”
With one arm around her, he fished in his jeans for his keys. “At least you checked it this time.”
He let them in, and she followed him up the one flight of rickety stairs to his flat. Thank God the cleaners had been there the other day.
As soon as they stepped inside, blessed warmth enveloped him. Alice blew on her fingers.
He got his boots off and hung his coat. Then he took hers. As soon as he touched it, her scent filled the space.
He drew closer to her again and rubbed her arms, marveling at the fact that he could touch her again. “You’re cold. Let me make you some tea.”
“That would be good,” she breathed out.
“Sit.” He pointed to his small sofa.
She sat down and immediately glanced around. “So, this is where you live.”
“It is.”
She waved her hand toward him. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you out of a suit.”
“Hmm. I believe I’ve shed quite a few around you.”
She flushed a bright red. “I mean, the jeans. Looks good.” Her fingers twisted together, and she chewed on her lip. She jumped up again. “I think I’ll move around a bit. I was sitting for a long time.” Her nerves were on full display as she began to pace, her eyes darting to the floor as if thinking.
“So, about that tea. I have this marvelous Darjeeling?—”
“Anything is fine.” She waved her hand.
“I’ll bring it to you,” he said cautiously.
“I can help.” She moved to follow him and bumped against him. A jolt of static electricity ran up his back.
She gasped. “Oh, sorry.”
What was up with her? The fact that she flew all that way to see him was a surprise, but her jumpiness was unexpected. He spun on her and pulled her closer. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing,” she said in too high of a pitch voice. “Suzy’s closing Edison.”
He wasn’t shocked, though no one had alerted him of the plans. But her sudden presence made sense. “You were let go?”
“No. I was given options. That’s why I’m here, actually. It’s Make Your Own Way Day.” She plastered on a fake smile.
“Hate to break it to you, but there’s no such day I’m aware of.”
Her usual fire returned to her eyes. “Know everything, do you?”
“Clearly not. I didn’t know you were coming.”
Her lips fell open. “Wish I didn’t?”
“Of course, I’m glad you’re here. It’s just, other than tea, I’ve got nothing in the larder, and?—”
“Theodore, I’m asking you right now. Tell me to leave, and I’ll never bother you again.”
She was worried he was unhappy to see her. “Why would I do that? I meant it when I said I loved you.” He pulled her into a hug. “Now, what’s got you so nervous?”
She made herself still, looked him directly in his beautiful eyes. “Suzy thinks we should work together. Co-management consultants, traveling around together, which would mean we would see a lot of each other, though she said we had to keep the supply closet visits down to one a day, which, of course, I agreed to, but I’m not sure you would be or were even thinking that way, so I’m here to ask you?—”
“Once a day? Forget it.”
She blinked like she hadn’t quite heard him right. “Oh, I see.” She stepped backward. “Of course, if you don’t want?—”
“No.” He grasped her, pulled her back to him. “You misunderstand. There is no way in hell I could be near you and not want to live in the supply closet.” His gaze raked her from head to toe. Granted, she’d stepped off an airplane recently and was dressed completely and utterly wrong in little soaked ballerina flats, black trousers, and a blouse underneath a leather jacket, of all things. But the desire to strip her nude, lay her down right on the hardwood floor, and make her scream out his name rose strong.
Then he wanted to make her a proper lunch and make sure she got to bed at a decent hour.
He wanted to show her around London. Take her to the Sky Garden where she could see the whole of the city from its rooftop garden.
Take her to the Twinings Tea Museum and show her what proper tea looked, smelled, and tasted like.
Then, there was Skomer Island, Bannau Brycheiniog, and Cornwall to visit.
Jesus, he’d mapped out their life in a nanosecond.
He took both her hands in his. “I’ve spent all night trying to figure out how to get back to America?—”
“You did?” she asked quickly.
“Yes, but the truth is, I won’t be happy there. And I get your job is important to you, so …”
A smile cracked across her face. “Not exactly. Talking to Suzy clarified something for me. It isn’t my job so much as my career. What I do all day. What I’ve been doing at Edison was a dead end. Even if I made CFO there, it’s small potatoes. You were right about one thing. I did too much that wasn’t helping me in that job. But Suzy thinks I’d be great at helping ferret out problems. So, care to hear what she proposed?”
He eyed her. “I’m listening.” With a healthy dose of interest. He’d worked for Suzy and Samuel long enough to know they never made offers that weren’t serious.
She moved to her big bag, which she’d abandoned by the front door. After rustling around in it, she pulled out a manilla folder. “You would continue to do what you do.”
“Celebrate Breast Appreciation Day?” He held up his hands. “Not making it up. January second.”
She laughed and slapped his chest with her folder. “Be serious. You get people to talk, open up. I watch for other problems.”
“Like embezzlement.”
“I’m giving you a pass on that one.” She pointed at him. “But only one. I’m the perfect person to catch anything like that because never again. I’m talking about the day-to-day inefficiencies, the things that slow people’s production. Stuff like that.”
“And another one falls.” He slapped his chest, hung his head. “The corporate vague speak is the first sign.”
An exasperated sigh left her mouth. “Look”—she opened her folder—“I did the spreadsheet on the pros and cons. And do not let this go to your head, but partnering with you came out on top of all three opportunities I have.”
He must have looked clueless because she rolled her eyes. “Suzy said I could leave altogether and find another job or become CFO of O’Flannery Associates?—”
“Whoa. That’s huge.”
She beamed him a smile. “Right? Or my third option is to partner with you.”
He was sure Alice had no idea the crown Suzy had placed on her beautiful head. Suzy O’Flannery didn’t meet someone and offer them a C-suite position often. She groomed them. Made them toil at one of her companies before considering them to be part of the parent organization.
Then again, Alice was special. Jesus, he never wanted to leave her again.
“I don’t know.” He pointed at her spreadsheet. “My knowing Breast Appreciation Day is not on here, so I’m not sure it was a fair calculation. I could have scored higher here. You know how I worship your assets.”
Alice crossed her arms. “Fine, I’ll go to Australia by myself.”
He blinked at her, not quite sure what she was talking about.
She sighed heavily. “You really need to keep up. First, we’d need to do that AI company in Glasgow, then there’s a start-up in Australia Suzy wants us on. So, if you don’t want to …” She studied her manicure as if she didn’t have time for the conversation.
“The BSY Group? No way are you doing that without me.” One whiff of power and the woman was already trying to lead things. He actually didn’t mind.
She was adorable when she set her sights on something. All that fire in her eyes, her impatience with him when he didn’t read her mind. It could be fun to form a team with her, set a rhythm, and adopt some cues that only they knew about. Like what Suzy and Samuel had.
“So, you’re in?” she asked.
Rarely did anyone move faster than he did. Certainly, he’d never pictured Alice taking such leaps.
He hadn’t imagined being on the road with Alice as a possibility. Sharing a hotel room or a rental apartment with Alice. Like they were a real couple. Only she had no idea what rarely being home was really like.
He scratched his head. “Business travel isn’t like vacation or making a home. It’s constantly living in the ‘in between’.”
“Worried I’ll cramp your style?” she asked.
“No.” She was getting all the wrong ideas. “I’m worried about you.”
“Why? Oh …” she drew out. “My doctor said what I thought. Low blood sugar. I have to eat protein every four to six hours. What a pain—and hard.”
“Not if you have someone watching out for you. A partner who makes you stop for lunch.”
“With iced tea?”
“Forget it. Now, why didn’t Suzy tell me about this?” He’d also read Samuel the riot act for not filling him in. Those two never made offers like that without consulting one another. And he rather enjoyed being part of their inner circle.
“She respects you too much. She wanted us to discuss it without her influence. For us to determine whether we … fit.”
Oh, they fit, all right. Even if she had no taste in tea. But he appreciated the nod Alice gave to him about Suzy and Samuel respecting him.
“Well, I don’t know,” he said. “Is this a corporate team with benefits? Because if it’s not, I’m not sure I can watch you bend over in those skirts and solve problems at the same time without some supply closet promises.”
Now, she was really smiling. “I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
Being on the road with Alice. Now that the possibility arose, he honestly couldn’t imagine living alone in a rented flat or hotel suite without her ever again.
He yanked her closer and engulfed her in his arms. “And you have to promise me you’ll kiss me all day on Kiss a Ginger Day.”
“Only if you promise me National BAE Day. I also want Breast Appreciation Day and other holidays as I discover them. To be determined.”
God, he loved that woman. Truly, deeply, for real love.
“Deal.” His mouth crashed down on hers. For long minutes, their tongues tangled as he breathed in her scent and let his hands roam every inch of her he could reach.
Alice. Alice. Alice. Her name kept ringing in his head as he worked over her lips. His hands couldn’t stop themselves. He lifted her up, and God love her, she wrapped her legs around his waist.
He carried her to his bedroom. The tea could wait. Hell, the whole world could wait.
Through his bedroom window, the snow falling from the sky had picked up. It was really coming down, blanketing everything in white. Right then, winter moved back to his favorite season spot.
As soon as her back hit the bed, their kiss broke. Her dark eyes gazed up at him. “I love you, Theodore Gaston the Fourth.”
“And I love you, Alice. I will forever.”
Her glorious lips glistened in the low light. “You just won first place in my spreadsheet.”
Every part of his body buzzed with happiness. “I’d say I won. I get to be your Before Anyone Else. Jackpot.”
“And you are mine. Now, kiss me again, ginger.”
It was the next morning before any thought of tea crossed their minds.