Chapter 25 #2
“You can stay in the shop with us, you can sit here on the couch and read a book or you can go out the back to the office and hang there. Hell, you can even work and learn to serve customers if you want.”
“I don’t know what to say.”
I smile. “Jonty, meet Stefan and Philippe. They are going to hang out in the store with us from now on, and this is Helene.”
“Hello.” Jonty shakes their hands. “I guess, welcome aboard.”
“Merci.” Philippe smiles, he seems embarrassed and unsure what to do.
“I’m making coffee,” Jonty calls as he heads out the back.
“I can do it,” Philippe calls.
“Or I could,” Stefan offers.
“Yeah, okay, come and I’ll show you where everything is.”
They head out the back with Jonty. “What’s going on?” Helene mouths.
“Edward and I got back together last night. He professed undying love.”
“He did?” Her eyes widen in shock. “He actually said he loved you?”
“Uh-huh.” I beam. “I’m quietly optimistic.”
“You know I was a real bitch to him when you were away.”
I giggle. “I heard.”
“Great, so now he’s going to hate me.”
“He’ll warm up.” I smile as I look around the store.
“So what’s with the guards in the shop?”
“I don’t know, but I can’t have them stand out the front any longer.”
I swipe through to the next invoice and glance at the clock on the wall of my office: 3 p.m.
Three hours until I see him.
I hear the bell over the front door. “I have a delivery for a Miss Alora Sorenson,” I hear a voice say.
Huh?
I glance up from what I’m doing, who’s that?
“Oh my god,” Jonty gasps. “I’ll go get her.”
His head pokes around the corner. “You have a delivery.” He laughs as he twists his hands together in excitement.
“She’s going to freak.” Helene laughs out loud.
“What is it?”
“Wait until you see.” He hunches his shoulders and I poke my head around the corner to see a delivery man with the biggest bunch of red roses I have ever seen.
“Alora Sorenson?”
“Yes.”
“These are for you.”
“Oh my.” My mouth falls open in surprise. “What the hell?”
“Sign here, please.” He gives me an iPad and I digitally sign for them. He passes me the giant crystal vase and I struggle to hold it up. “Have a nice day.” He disappears out the front door.
“Holy fucking shit. It’s a Lalique vase,” Helene cries. “The vase alone is worth a fortune.”
I put them down on the front counter and open the envelope to read the card.
From the day we met.
Edward xx
“Ahhh,” I cry as I hold the card to my chest.
“Fucking hell,” Jonty murmurs as he looks them over. “He doesn’t mess about, does he?”
I hold the card back to my chest. “My sweet Edward.” I glance over and see Philippe and Stefan smiling broadly as they watch on, oh crap, I forgot they were here.
“You don’t tell him anything you hear around here, will you?
” I warn. “You’re on my side now and anything that comes out of my mouth is top-secret information. ”
“I won’t.” Philippe holds his two hands up with a chuckle. “Sweet Edward? You must have another Edward somewhere, though, because our boss is anything but sweet.”
I laugh as I look over the roses, huge, big heads with the most perfect perfume.
“How many are there?” Jonty asks as he counts. “Twenty-four.” He lets out a low whistle. “These would have cost a pretty penny.”
Gah…. I’m giddy.
I grab my phone. “I’ll be back in a moment.” I head out the front door as I dial his number.
“Hello,” his deep English voice answers.
“I just got a really beautiful bunch of red roses delivered.” I beam.
“Who were they from?”
“From this really hot guy I know.” I unapologetically swoon through the phone. “Thank you.”
“You’re most welcome.” I can tell that he’s smiling too.
“It means a lot.” And suddenly I feel overemotional, teary even. For so long I dreamed about us and now it’s….
“I’ll be home to pick you up around six,” he tells me.
Home.
“Okay, I’ll see you then.”
I practically float back into the store and read my card again and again.
From the day we met.
Edward xx
I feel like I’m in a fairy tale.
The day has been hectic and we’re here late, still moving furniture around to try and fit the large shipment of the furniture that arrived today.
The bell above the door rings and I glance up to see Edward, he’s wearing a charcoal suit and the look he gives me could set the place on fire.
“Good evening, Mr. Prescott.” I smile.
“Hello.” He kisses me on the cheek as he takes my hand in his.
Helene walks around the corner. “Oh.” She rolls her eyes in a dramatic way. “Hello, Mr. Prescott,” she says sarcastically. “Still don’t like me?”
“No.” He looks at her deadpan. “I don’t, actually.”
She smiles at his reply. “And how long are you not going to like me for?”
“Five to ten business days,” he mutters dryly. “At least.”
She giggles and gets back to cleaning.
Edward looks around. “Where’s Johnathon?”
“My name is Jonty,” Jonty calls from the back room.
“Whatever it is,” Edward calls back. “Hello.”
“Maybe I don’t like you either,” Jonty teases.
“Feeling is mutual, so not offended.”
I smile up at my gorgeous man, I love that he’s trying to be friendly with them.
He’s not great at it, but at least it’s a start.
“Let’s get going, guys, we can finish this in the morning.”
“Okay.” They begin collecting their things as Edward stands to the side with his hands in his suit pockets. His dark hair has a curl to it and the power emanating out of him makes the space feel so small and insignificant.
Even when out of his kingdom, he feels like a king.
“See you,” the others call as they leave.
“Goodbye.” He nods politely and I smile. I think watching him trying to be nice to people is my favorite new sport. I can almost hear his sarcastic inner dialogue from here.
“I haven’t even thought about dinner, babe.” I grab my purse. “I’ve had the busiest day.”
He puts his arm around me and kisses my forehead. “Let’s go out.”
“Like a real date?” My eyes widen.
He chuckles. “Sure, like a real date.”
“Where do you want to go?”
“I don’t know.” He shrugs. “This is your neighborhood, you tell me.”
Hmm, I know his snobby food choices, where the hell will we go?
“French or Italian.” I screw my lips as I think. “Japanese?”
“Japanese sounds good.”
“Okay.” I smile up at him. “It’s just around the corner, we can walk. Hopefully they have a spare table.” We walk out the front and I lock the doors as Edward goes and talks to Philippe; he must be telling him we are going out to dinner.
It’s so weird having to report every move to others, I need to talk to him about this. I really don’t think they need to come to work with me every day, it’s overkill.
He comes back and throws his arm around my shoulder as we walk. “How was your day?” he asks.
“Better now you’re here. How was yours?”
“About the same.”
“You know, I’ve been thinking, and I really don’t need guards with me.” I turn back to see them trailing us.
“Yes, you do.”
“I get it for you or when we are out or something, but every day?”
“You had someone put a tracker in your purse, Alora, we still don’t know who’s responsible.”
“You said it was Pascal.”
“We don’t have confirmation on that, though, he denied it.”
“When did you see him?” I frown.
“I saw him.” He rolls his lips as we walk along. “Let’s just leave it at that.”
“Wait…” I think for a moment. “Did you beat him up in the parking lot?”
He shrugs. “I don’t know, did I?”
“Edward.”
“He needs to find a safer hobby than following you around.”
“So it was you?”
“You’re with me now.” He tightens his grip around my shoulders. “And nobody touches my things and gets away with it.”
Uneasiness fills me at his tone, he’s saying it as a joke but I know that he’s deadly serious.
We get to the restaurant and walk in. “A table for two, please.”
“Sure, this way.” We follow the waitress to a table for two by the window, candles are on the table and it has an eclectic and beautiful feel. We take a seat and Edward orders a bottle of wine and she comes back and fills our glasses before leaving us alone.
“So….” I smile over at him.
He slides his hand up my thigh. “So.”
I hunch my shoulders in excitement, this is really happening between us.
He reaches into the inside pocket of his suit coat and brings out a little red box and sets it on the table in front of me. “I bought you a present today.”
“What?” I stare down at it. That’s a Cartier box. “Why did you buy me a present?”
“Because I can.” He gives me a come-fuck-me look and butterflies swirl in my stomach.
“You don’t need to buy me things.”
“But I will.” He picks up my hand and kisses my fingertips. “Open it.”
Ahhh!
I carefully undo the ribbon and take the lid off the box and my mouth falls open.
“Edward,” I whisper, it’s a gold diamond bangle. “This is too much.”
“Nothing is too much for you, my love.” He smiles.
I look at it in my hand and I see cursive writing on the inside. “It’s engraved?” I gasp.
I love you,
Edward x
“Oh.” I put my hand over my heart as emotion overwhelms me. “You bought me an I-love-you bracelet?”
“I did.” He smiles.
“Why?”
“Because I do love you.” His eyes hold mine and my heart melts, he’s getting more open with me day by day. “Let me put it on you.” I hold my arm out and he opens it and puts it on me. “Never take it off.”
“I won’t.” I stare at the shimmering diamonds on my wrist. “It’s so beautiful. Thank you.” I reach over and take his face in my hands and kiss his lips. “For the record, I love you more.”
“Impossible.” We get lost in the moment and kiss a little too much.
“Ahem.” The waitress interrupts us and we pull back from each other. “Can I take your order?”
Edward opens the menu with a sharp snap and I look through the box to see a small tag of authenticity, I take it out and read it.
Agrafe Bracelet, rose gold, set with 459 brilliant-cut diamonds totaling 10.69 carats.
“Holy crap,” I say louder than expected.
The server and Edward glance over at me and I smile, embarrassed. “Never mind.”
“Are you ready to order?” the waitress asks.