Chapter Eighty-Three
Eighty-Three
‘Are you OK, honey?’ Quaddra asked Mary, once the waiter had poured them both a glass of Henri Giraud Argonne Rose Vintage.
‘You’ve been quiet all the way on the ride here…
and you’ve barely looked at me.’ He angled his body a little left then a little right, to try to catch Mary’s eye.
‘Have I done something to upset you?’ He paused for effect. ‘While I was in the shower?’
Take a breath and play it cool, the voice inside Mary’s head warned her.
‘No, honey, of course not.’ Mary forced herself to look back at her husband, before reaching for his hand over the table.
‘Are you upset because I should’ve invited you into the shower with me?’ Quaddra tried again.
Mary chuckled.
‘If I had, baby,’ Quaddra added, ‘we would’ve never made dinner. You know that.’
‘That’s true,’ Mary replied, finally sending a smile Quaddra’s way.
‘Or maybe you’re a little disappointed in me?’
‘Why would I be disappointed in you? I’m the happiest I’ve ever been in my entire life.’ Mary felt as if something was tightening its grip around her heart because that statement was one hundred percent true.
‘I don’t know,’ Quaddra sipped his Champagne. ‘Maybe because our celebrations seem a little rushed today due to me having to travel tomorrow morning… again.’
Quaddra had to fly to Seattle early in the morning to attend a very important board meeting for one of his companies. Mary knew that. She had it in her diary.
‘I’ve never once complained about your traveling schedule, my love,’ Mary was quick to counter. ‘And I never will. I understand how committed you are to your work, and how demanding it is. I told you that when we started dating. Nothing has changed.’
‘Or maybe it’s because the only present I’ve given you for our anniversary was just a bunch of flowers.
’ Quaddra immediately lifted a hand to stop Mary’s comeback because he knew it would come.
‘But please let me rectify that.’ He reached into his pocket for a pink square box, with a pink ribbon and placed it on the table, in front of his wife.
The box was a little larger than a CD box and about two-and-a-half times thicker.
Mary cupped a hand over her mouth. ‘Are you serious right now?’
Quaddra nodded at the pink box. ‘Go ahead. Open it. I hope you like it.’
Mary pulled the pink ribbon from the box before lifting its lid.
‘Oh my god!’ Her face almost melted. ‘This is… too much.’
Mary was looking down at a diamond necklace – an eighteen-carat, white gold necklace, with fifty-seven round, brilliant cut diamonds in a row.
‘There’s no such thing as a “too much” when it comes to my love for you, baby. So, do you like it?’
The tears in Mary’s eyes weren’t pretend.
‘Who, in their right mind, wouldn’t like a necklace this stunning, honey? This is insane.’
‘That’s because I’m insane about you.’
Mary’s stare was still on the necklace.
‘Put it on,’ Quaddra urged her. ‘Let me see how it looks.’
‘The way these diamonds are shining,’ Mary said, their eyes meeting again, ‘if I put this on right here, it will probably blind half of the restaurant.’
Quaddra smiled.
‘How about I put it on when we get home,’ Mary suggested, giving Quaddra a sexy wink. ‘I can wear just this… nothing else.’ She squeezed his hand. ‘Would you like that?’
‘So… so much.’
‘OK… my turn.’ Mary reached into her handbag.
There was no doubt that Mary’s mind was racing at a thousand miles per hour after she had discovered the secret door in Quaddra’s office, but she was still able to remember to grab the correct handbag before leaving their house – the one with Quaddra’s present in it.
Mary placed the professionally wrapped box on the table, in front of her husband. This one was also square and about three to four inches high. ‘Happy anniversary, honey.’
‘Oh, baby.’ Quaddra’s smile reached his eyes. ‘You didn’t have to get me anything. You already gave me everything when you married me.’
‘You deserve extra.’ Mary smiled back. ‘Open it. I hope you like it.’
Like a kid opening his first present on Christmas morning, Quaddra ripped the paper from around the box.
‘No way,’ he said, as soon as he read the name on the lid of the box.
He lifted it to find an F.P.Journe Quantième Perpétuel watch inside.
This was a very similar watch to the one that Mary had seen on Phillip Evans’ wrist, fourteen years ago, in London.
‘You’ve got to be kidding me.’ Quaddra’s gaze moved to her.
‘So, you like it?’
‘Who, in their right mind, wouldn’t like a watch like this, honey? This is insane.’
Mary laughed. ‘That’s because I’m insane about you. Go ahead. Put it on. Let me see how it looks.’
Quaddra reached for it, but paused just as his fingers brushed against the watch. ‘How about I put it on when I get home? I can wear just this.’ He winked at Mary.
She laughed again… harder this time. ‘Deal.’
Both of their meals were absolutely exquisite. No wonder customers had to wait months to get a booking for that restaurant.
‘So,’ Quaddra asked, ‘would you like to have a look at the dessert menu?’
Mary shook her head. ‘I don’t think I could eat another bite.’
‘Yeah, me neither.’ The smile he gave Mary was suggestive. ‘So how about we go back home so that we can both try on our presents?’
Mary mirrored her husband’s smile. ‘I’d like that.’ But what she really wanted to say was – ‘Sure, why don’t we do that inside your fucking secret room behind the filing cabinet?’