Chapter 30
Chapter Thirty
P aige was smiling too much. She’d smiled through nearly her entire workout this morning. Probably looked like she’d lost her marbles, but Paige didn’t care and couldn’t stop. Didn’t want to stop.
Graham was the most amazing man she’d ever met, and despite only knowing him for a few hours, she was looking forward to seeing him again.
Yes, it might all fizzle into nothing. But spending time with him last night had been…she sighed. Not like any evening she’d ever spent with a man before.
He was fascinating, funny, full of crazy stories that he told with the verve of a practiced raconteur, and he had the kind of manners that were almost nonexistent in today’s world.
He was a find . A gem of a man. The kind of catch that some women never encountered.
She’d certainly never thought she would.
That British accent didn’t hurt either.
As she sat in her living room, working on her phone to edit today’s TikTok post, she was hesitant to include Graham.
For purely selfish reasons. She didn’t want to see a single negative comment about him.
Didn’t want to give anyone the opportunity to speak ill of him or knock the air out of her very full sails.
She wanted this feeling to last. Was that even possible?
She uploaded the first post, which was strictly about bingo and included the little good-luck charm footage she’d taken.
Then she watched the part where he’d leaned and said hi. It was charming. But then, everything about him was charming.
She especially liked the way he listened. He focused so intently that it was as if no one else existed in that moment. As if she was the only person who mattered.
It was far more intoxicating than any drink she’d ever had.
Should she include him in her next post or cut that part of the footage out? She kind of wanted to share this amazing man who’d entered her life and he’d said he was fine with her doing that.
Her audience would think he was just another of the men who came and went so quickly in her posts. Very few had ever shown up more than twice. Maybe a few had appeared three times, but never in succession.
She’d decided after her divorce that she would never be seriously involved with a man again. It was a decision made when she was hurting, but it had come from a very real place.
One evening with Graham and she was reconsidering that decision with such intent that it seemed like a red flag. Even when she didn’t want it to be a red flag.
Graham was special. She felt it in her bones.
There was no reason not to post him, or the video she’d taken at dinner. Neither of those would be off-brand for her. It was a big part of what she usually put up.
But she’d never felt protective of a man before and she definitely felt that way about him. What was going on with her? Had he really turned her head that much?
Apparently, he had. She put a finger to her lips. “Hmm. How about that? I guess it’s good to know my heart isn’t completely made of stone.”
She laughed, but if she was being honest, part of her had thought herself too scarred from the divorce to even think about a relationship.
It was why the decision not to get involved again had been made so easily. Now this man had shown up and she was rethinking everything.
Life was funny.
She thought a moment longer and decided that she would share Graham. She had at least three more posts’ worth of stuff that had come from last night, so if she didn’t use that content, she’d have to come up with something else for today.
And if anyone said a word against him, she would delete their comment. Maybe even ban them from her channel.
Until proven otherwise, Graham was something special and deserved to be protected. He’d probably laugh at that. The man had been MI6, after all. By his own words, just a civil servant stationed at the British embassy in Washington, D.C., but still. He wasn’t exactly some average Joe off the street.
She knew it was also entirely possible that everything he’d told her had been said expressly to impress her. If so, he’d done a great job. If it was the truth, he had lived a very interesting life. He’d seemed very genuine.
Graham had spent over thirty years in intelligence, which according to him meant working mostly in diplomacy and security analysis, nothing at all, he’d assured her, like the Bond-style danger most people imagined.
He’d lost his wife, Judith, to cancer five years ago, and had decided to stay in the States. He loved Florida’s sunshine, the antidote to London’s perpetual chill, and besides, his son was already here.
Andrew lived in Manhattan, where he worked as a corporate attorney for a major international firm, primarily representing British clients.
She could tell Graham worried about him — not because Andrew wasn’t capable, but because Graham saw too much of himself in his son. He was ambitious, and by Graham’s assessment, too willing to sacrifice life for career.
It pleased her that Graham said they spoke every Sunday morning over tea, trading weather reports and sharing half-truths about how they were both “doing just fine.”
She suspected he would very much like to go visit his son. Maybe, she thought, getting completely ahead of herself, that was a trip they could take together one of these days. Or maybe she’d take him to meet Randi, although it was more likely Randi, her husband, and son would come here.
But that was all just daydreaming. Something that might happen in the future.
Still, a trip to New York City would be a great excuse to do some serious shopping, maybe take in a play, eat at some fabulous restaurants. Graham’s son would know some great spots. He must take clients out.
She was well aware that it was too early to suggest such a thing. But the idea would live in her mind until the time was right.
Not only would it be great fun, but it would make for some fantastic content. Her eyes narrowed. Could she write some of the trip off if it was technically for work? Was TikTok considered work?
She really needed to speak to her accountant.
But not now. As soon as she was done setting up these posts to go live, she was off to do a little shopping at Queenie’s, one of the two ladies’ boutiques at the Colony shopping center, near The Bee’s Knees cafe.
Queenie’s was the most upscale and Paige’s favorite. She was on the hunt for a dress. Something really special. And maybe a tiny bit sexy—in an elegant way, of course.
Graham was taking her out to dinner at Salt & Cedar, the best seafood restaurant in Beechwood. She’d never been. It was expensive, but she’d never been because none of her previous gentlemen friends had ever suggested it.
Maybe they were too cheap. Or maybe Graham was once again trying to impress her. She didn’t care. She was going to have fun and enjoy the night.
And if he could splurge on a nice dinner, she could certainly get a new dress for the occasion.
She finished up her posts, then touched up her lipstick and hopped into her car. Queenie’s wasn’t so far away that she couldn’t have gone in her golf cart but she did not want to be sweaty when she arrived.
The boutique was quiet, only one other woman perusing the racks. Paige greeted the saleswoman, then started browsing. She really didn’t have an exact idea of what she wanted, but figured she’d know it when she tried it on.
She found a black dress right away, but she had several little black dresses. Unless this one was spectacular on, one of the dresses she owned would be just as good. But black was maybe too predictable.
She wanted something more interesting than black. She moved on. She found a bold floral print in white and fuchsia, but it felt a bit too loud. And maybe excessively youthful. She did not want to look like she was trying too hard.
Even so, she draped it over her arm as a possibility. A spring-green and turquoise dress followed, but it was too casual, and a red denim shirt-dress that was unusual and worth a try.
“Can I take those to a fitting room for you?” the saleswoman asked.
“That would be great, thanks.” Paige handed them over. “I’m trying to find a nice dress for a dinner date. Something fitted and sexy but not over the top. Have I missed anything you think I should look at?”
“Well…” The saleswoman glanced toward the back. “We have a few dresses that haven’t gone out yet. There’s one that might be suitable. I’ll add it to your fitting room.”
“Thank you.” She did one more sweep around the store but found nothing else so she went to the back of the store. One fitting room door was open and it held Paige’s selections.
The extra dress was black with a pattern of tropical tan leaves. She couldn’t quite make out the neckline. It looked all right. She decided to save it for last. She started trying the rest of her selections on.
The black dress was no better than what she had at home.
The white and fuchsia dress was too loud and not her style.
The spring-green and turquoise dress was cute, but too casual, as she’d suspected.
The red denim shirt-dress was also a bit casual and not right for the evening, but she liked it enough to get it.
It would be a fun dress for a girls night out, and who knew what the Queen Bees might get up to?
That left the black and tan dress. She slipped into it. The neckline was beautifully structured and off the shoulder in what felt like an ode to the classic cocktail dresses of the ’50s, but the tropical fabric made it modern.
She got it zipped and turned to look in the mirror. Her brows lifted at what she saw. She worked hard on her figure but found most clothes for women her age assumed she wanted to hide her body.
Not this dress. Besides showing off her shoulders, it was nipped in at the waist, making it look tiny. Snatched, as the younger generation would say. The hem came to just below the knee, perfect with a pair of kitten heels, which would only add to the ’50s feeling.
She turned to get a better look at the rear view. Her backside had never looked better. Now this was a dress that would make an impression, coming and going. However much it was, it was about to be hers.
She smiled. Graham had no idea what he was in for, that lucky duck.